August 31 News Items
Commentary: Insanity Claim Makes NASA Look Inept (Source: Discovery News)
NASA has done its best to distance itself from the drama unfolding in an Orlando courtroom that involves two former astronauts. But with the release on Tuesday that the defendant in the high-profile assault and battery case may plead insanity, the space agency has been placed uncomfortably in the spotlight. In court documents, the lead attorney for ex-astronaut Lisa Nowak outlined several mental conditions which psychiatrists say made her legally insane when she allegedly attacked a romantic rival in an Orlando airport parking lot. At least two of the afflictions, obsessive-compulsive disorder and Asperger syndrome (a neurobiological condition related to autism), typically manifest in childhood or early adulthood.
Nowak, 44, is a flight engineer and Navy captain who passed a thorough psychological screening process and independent review before being accepted into the astronaut corps in 1996. If a jury buys the insanity plea, it could beg the question: Did NASA miss something?
Pennsylvania Firm to Take On Final Frontier (Source: The Intelligencer)
Bucks County could become a hub of commercial space travel, thanks to a partnership between an Upper Southampton company and Virgin Galactic. Virgin, the first commercial spaceflight company, has picked the National Aerospace Training and Research Center, which the company calls the NASTAR Center, to be its sole provider of spaceflight training. The partnership is a huge development for NASTAR's parent company, the Environmental Tectonics Corp., which has struggled with declining sales of its simulation training systems. The $25 million NASTAR facility is at Environmental Tectonics' Upper Southampton headquarters on James Way.
NASTAR's training programs include space launch simulations using a high-performance centrifuge that can simulate the high-gravity forces that are felt both up and down the spine and through the chest. The centrifuge has interchangeable modules to simulate different aircraft. The contract calls for NASTAR to train Virgin Galactic's first 100 passengers. The contract also allows for ongoing training of future Virgin Galactic space travelers and for those who want a Virgin Galactic-branded space flight experience without actually leaving the ground. “This is an exciting opportunity,” Gov. Ed Rendell said in a press release.
A Giant Leap: Robots or Astronauts? (Source: CNN)
Can everyone be an astronomer? It certainly seems that way, especially with some of the latest tools at our fingertips, like Google Sky, which allows Internet users to navigate through a digitized map of space. But some say virtual astronomy is not just for amateurs and should also be the way forward for professional space exploration. A future of virtual astronauts, too. Bob Park, professor of physics at the University of Maryland, believes that virtual space exploration using telerobots (which humans control from the ground) is a better solution than sending astronauts, which he calls a waste of resources.
"We've gone about as far as we can with manned space missions," Park says. "We could go to Mars at enormous expense but what would a human do when he got there? We can't do much locked in a space suit. Park says there is little dissent in the scientific community about which is better for science, although he concedes there is an element of romance lost by using robots. "Sense of adventure is the only thing going for manned space travel," Park says. "But it's time to have a grown-up attitude to adventure. If you want adventure, go bungee jumping."
Spurned by NASA, Russia Plans Its Own Moon Base (Source: CBC News)
Russia plans to send a manned mission to the moon by 2025 and establish a permanent base shortly thereafter, the head of the Russian space agency Roskosmos said Friday. "According to our estimates, we will be ready for a manned flight to the moon in 2025," Roskosmos chief Anatoly Perminov told state news agency RIA Novosti. A station that could be inhabited could be built there between 2027 and 2032, he said. NASA also has plans for an international base camp on one of the moon's poles, permanently staffing it by 2024, four years after astronauts land there. Russia had originally sought to join the U.S. plan. But Perminov said earlier this year the U.S. rebuffed the offer to jointly explore the moon.
Russia Steps Up Space Cooperation with 38 Countries (Source: Itar-Tass)
Federal space agency chief Anatoly Perminov said that of late Russia has boosted its cooperation in space. “At present, Roskosmos cooperates with 38 countries from all over the world,” he said pointing out that it is not only joint projects and contracts on launching services, but also different agreements. On the list of our cooperation projects are remote sensing programs, communication satellites and possible participation of Arab countries in the Glonass global navigation system and in manned space flight programs. Russia launches spaceships for such countries of Latin America as Brazil, Argentina and Chile.
'Swiss Cheese' Universe Challenges Dark Energy (Source: New Scientist)
Dark energy may not be needed to explain why the expansion of space appears to be speeding up. If our universe is like Swiss cheese on large scales – with dense regions of matter and holes with little or no matter – it could at least partly mimic the effects of dark energy, suggests a controversial new model of the universe. Trying to pin down the nature of dark energy has proven extremely difficult. Theories of particle physics suggest that space does have an inherent energy, but this energy is about 10120 times greater than what is actually observed. This has caused some cosmologists to look for alternative explanations. "I don't have anything against dark energy, but we ought to make all possible efforts to see whether we can avoid this exotic component in the universe," says Sabino Matarrese of the University of Padova in Italy.
United Paradyne Wins Vandenberg Spaceport Support Contract (Source: DOD)
United Paradyne Corp. has been awarded a contract modification option for $6,642,874 under their Aerospace Support Services contract with the 30th Space Wing. The contract provides and integrated management entity, the “Aerospace Maintenance Operations Center,” a single point of contact for support to operational programs, including local airfield operations. U.S. Space Lift programs, the Expeditionary Aerospace Force, and future Aerospace Plane and Space Operational Vehicle activities. Additionally, it provides mission support of test aerospace platforms from domestic and foreign Government agencies (NASA, DoD, NRO, etc), as well as private corporations using the Western Range and associated resources at Vandenberg Air Force Base.
InDyne Wins California Spaceport Range Support Contract Extension (Source: DOD)
InDyne Inc., is being awarded a contract option for $55,107,006 for Range Operations, Communications and Information Services required to support the 30th Space Wing mission, including Western Range operations and maintenance, support services, training, command, control, communications, information and computer systems at launch facilities, launch control centers and test facilities. This is the fourth option to be exercised out of seven option periods on this contract.
Space Coast Economic Development Group Wins State Defense Grants (Source: EFI)
The Economic Development Commission of Florida's Space Coast is the recipient of two state grants for defense reinvestment and defense infrastructure investments. A $120,000 Defense Infrastructure Grant will fund a Regional Storm Water Management System Study with the 45th Space Wing at Patrick AFB. A $140,000 Defense Reinvestment Grant will fund the development of economic diversification strategies in support of, or leveraging, the 45th Space Wing mission.
Eutelsat, Viasat Unveil Plans for Broadband Service (Source: Space News)
Satellite-fleet operator Eutelsat Communications of Paris and broadband satellite-terminal designer ViaSat Inc. of San Diego on Aug. 31 announced that a new consumer-broadband service called Tooway will debut in Germany in late September and in other European countries later this year.
ITT To Build GPS-Based Air Traffic System (Source: Space News)
ITT Corp. bested rivals Lockheed Martin and Raytheon to snare a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) contract potentially worth up to $1.8 billion over 18 years to build a GPS-based national air traffic control system.
Scientists Sue NASA, Caltech over Deep New Background Checks (Source: Space News)
Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientists and engineers sued NASA and the California Institute of Technology on Thursday, challenging extensive new background checks that the space exploration center and other federal agencies began requiring in the wake of the Sept. 11 terror attacks.
Covey to Head United Space Alliance (Source: Space News)
Richard Covey has been named president and chief executive officer of United Space Alliance, the company that helps operate and maintain NASA's space shuttle fleet. He replaces Michael Culley, who is retiring.
Lower Price Helped Boeing Land Ares 1 Upper Stage Contract (Source: Space News)
Boeing's emphasis on lean manufacturing, greater use of small businesses and lower bid price helped it clinch the upper stage production contract for NASA's planned Ares 1 crew launch vehicle, according to a NASA document detailing its choice.
Eighth Continent Project To Integrate Space Business into Global Economy (Source: SpaceDaily.com)
The Colorado School of Mines' Eighth Continent Project is the world's most comprehensive effort to integrate space technology and resources into the global economy. "For the first time, government, industry and academia have joined forces with entrepreneurs and venture capitalists to forge the next frontier in commercializing space technology and resources," said Colorado Governor Bill Ritter. "With our region's unique cluster of businesses, IT infrastructure, research institutions and aerospace workforce, the Eighth Continent Project will position Colorado at the vortex of 'Space 2.0.'"
"'Space 1.0' was astronauts, rocket ships and billion-dollar government projects. 'Space 2.0' is venture-backed entrepreneurs starting new companies with new technologies," said Burke Fort, Eighth Continent Project director. "Eighth Continent will bridge the gap between existing technologies and their commercialization through the industry's first research hub, incubator, venture fund and international chamber of commerce." Initial founding partners and sponsors include: DigitalGlobe, the Keiretsu Forum, CTEK, Broadreach, the Governor's Office of Economic Development, Townsend and Townsend and Crew, the Colorado School of Mines, and the University of Colorado Leeds School of Business Deming Center.
Space Tourism Official Leads Statewide Association (Source: Florida Today)
Steve Geis, director of operations for the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, the nation's premier space tourism facility, has been elected 2007-08 chairman of the board for the Florida Attractions Association. The Florida Attractions Association represents 90 attractions, working to promote and advance the interests of the attraction industry. Geis joined Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex as the director of operations in 1998. He served as a member of the design and implementation team for the new $60 million attraction, Shuttle Launch Experience, which opened in May. Geis also is an active member of committees and charitable organizations, including NASA's Disability Awareness and Action Working Group.
Space Tourism in Florida's Pasco County (Source: TampaBays10.com)
Few would ever guess what’s inside a tiny office building on Grand Boulevard in Pasco County. There is still no sign, but the company which recently opened its doors is called 4Frontiers, a consulting firm specializing in planning for long term habitation in space. “You should have seen when I tried to explain Four Frontiers to Pasco County for our business license,” recalls CEO Mark Homnick. He and a team of experts have been working on plans since 2005 and this year completed a private placement stock offering raising a half million dollars. The firm is currently working with a Madrid company on an orbiting resort to house tourists in space.
“There are a lot of people that have the recourses and strong desire to go out into orbit and they’re looking for people to provide that capability,” Homnick says. The Galatic Suites project is expected to be in orbit by 2014. But plans for 4Frontiers don’t stop there. Long range research focuses on permanent Mars settlement and even mining on asteroids. “It’s going to be just like the gold rush again. People are going to make their fortunes out there,” says Joseph Palaia a MIT graduate who says he couldn’t wait to leave school to start working on space tourism.
Company founders say there are no plans to leave earth’s atmosphere in the next five years. For now research will be conducted here at home. The company is also looking to take advantage of America’s interest in space, with plans for opening a Mars settlement mock up somewhere in central Florida. Visit http://www.4frontierscorp.com/ to view the article.
Strange Martian Feature Not a 'Bottomless' Cave After All (Source: New Scientist)
An extremely dark feature on Mars is probably just a pit – not the entrance to a deep cavern that future astronauts could call home, a new image reveals. The 150- by 157-metre feature was first noticed in an image taken by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Viewed from directly overhead, the dark spot showed no evidence of walls or a floor, leading some HiRISE scientists to suspect it was the opening to a cavern. That would have been exciting, since caves might be good places to search for life, as they offer protection from intense ultraviolet radiation from the Sun. Caves could also provide shelter for any future human visitors to Mars. The new image, however, suggests the feature is just a vertical shaft cutting into the surface. Taken from a different angle, a new image reveals a wall on the feature's eastern side. It is not clear how deep the pit is, because its floor has still not been seen. But the HiRISE team says it must be at least 78 metres deep.
Oklahoma's Rocketplane Says Delay Sign of Hard Task (Source: NewsOK)
The wait for a trip to space on a Rocketplane aircraft may not be light-years away — but it doesn't seem to be coming soon. Last week, a company official said Rocketplane will begin test flights on its suborbital vehicle in 2009, with commercial flights beginning in 2010 — a year later than the company reported this spring. This isn't the first time the launch year for the company's XP spacecraft has changed. In 2004, the company reported commercial flights would begin in 2007. The rocket science part is not the only difficult task the aerospace company is dealing with. Although the company has received public funding — the state Legislature granted Rocketplane $15 million in tax credits over five years — funding needs have caused the XP project to be pushed back since its inception.
While Rocketplane works out the details of its anticipated launch, the Oklahoma Space Industry Development Authority is anticipating the arrival of Rocketplane and other companies that will use the Oklahoma Spaceport. Although the spaceport is ready for Rocketplane, Patrick Bahn said the Burns Flat facility is not ready for his company, TGV Rockets. Bahn said the Norman-based launch company will not be able to launch from its home state because of the logistics of the spaceport. "The spaceport authority has consistently declined to put in an operator's license for vertical take off and vertical landing,” said Bahn, chief executive of TGV. "It's closing a door of opportunity that they very much need to open.”
TGV's spacecraft requires vertical landing and take off clearance, unlike Rocketplane's XP, which will fly horizontally like an airplane. Bahn said since TGV Rockets will be unable to launch from Burns Flat, the company will have to go out of state — a move that is costly for the company. An Oklahoma official said the Federal Aviation Administration's Office of Commercial Space Transportation, not OSIDA, is the agency who decides who can launch from the spaceport. Vehicle manufacturers have to show the FAA they are capable of launching from a particular spaceport.
August 30 News Items
Rovers Begin New Observations On Changing Martian Atmosphere (Source: SpaceDaily.com)
Mars rover scientists have launched a new long-term study on the Martian atmosphere with the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer. The new study will focus on newly discovered fluctuations in the argon composition of the Martian atmosphere. During warmer seasons, approximately 95 percent of the Martian atmosphere consists of carbon dioxide. Nitrogen accounts for almost 3 percent and argon for less than 2 percent. But when winter sets in at one of the poles, carbon dioxide freezes out of the atmosphere to form a polar cap, causing a low-pressure system that moves air toward the pole. Argon stays in the atmosphere and becomes enhanced because it freezes at a much lower temperature. "It gives you a way of inferring aspects of the Martian circulation that you can't observe at all with any other instrument that's out there," said a researcher.
Virgin Galactic Space Travelers to be Trained by NASTAR (Source: Flight International)
National Aerospace Training and Research (NASTAR) Center has signed a contract to provide Virgin Galactic with training for Virgin Galactic's suborbital space travelers. NASTAR Center will train and prepare the first 100 private space travellers scheduled to take suborbital flights with Virgin Galactic, known as the "Virgin Galactic's Founders", but it will also provide ongoing training of Virgin Galactic's space travellers after the Founders and for those who want a space flight experience. The training will take place from September through November at the center's facilities near Philadelphia.
Crist, Kottkamp Go South to Tout Space Industry (Source: News-Press.com)
Gov. Charlie Crist and his top lieutenant slip the surly bonds of Tallahassee today and head for South Florida to promote the space industry. Crist begins his day on the Space Coast with a 10:30 a.m. visit to Christa McAuliffe Elementary School in Palm Bay, an appearance that is quickly followed by lunch with Brevard County officials in Melbourne. A 1:30 p.m. press conference at Northrop Grumman on NASA Boulevard follows that. Crist ends his visit with an appearance at the Space Coast Marine Institute at 2:15 p.m. Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp will be a little further south, beginning his day with an 8:30 a.m. meeting of the Space Florida advisory committee meeting in Fort Lauderdale. Later, Kottkamp will head a full board meeting of Space Florida, the quasi-governmental group charged with promoting the industry and preserving thousands of jobs that will be at risk when NASA retires the space shuttle in less than three years.
Water Vapor Seen 'Raining Down' On Young Star System (Source: SpaceRef.com)
NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has detected enough water vapor to fill the oceans on Earth five times inside the collapsing nest of a forming star system. Astronomers say the water vapor is pouring down from the system's natal cloud and smacking into a dusty disk where planets are thought to form.
Architect Selected for NM Spaceport (Source: The Business)
Foster & Partners has won a landmark contract to design the world’s first passenger “spaceport” in New Mexico. The announcement of who will build the terminal and runway, the first to send paying passengers into space, will be made at a presentation hosted by the New Mexico Spaceport Authority. Foster & Partners, which is chaired by Lord Foster and is the firm behind the City of London’s “Gherkin” building, the Millennium Bridge and the new Wembley stadium, was selected from 11 other firms who submitted plans to build the 100,000 sq ft base for Virgin Galactic, Sir Richard Branson’s venture into space.
Branson, who is investing ~$200 million in Virgin Galactic, will charge passengers ~$200,000 for a two and a half hour flight and 3,000 passengers are expected over the first five years. They will experience four minutes of weightlessness and share the same view of the earth that until now has been afforded to just a handful of astronauts. Flights are expected to fall to ~$20,000 eventually. Test flights will begin in 2008. Other entrepreneurs looking at offering space flights include Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, and Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft.
SpaceX Dragon Receives Initial Approval From NASA Safety Review Panel (Source: SpaceX)
SpaceX has successfully completed the first of three phases of review required by NASA's Safety Review Panel (SRP) to send its Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS). Over a series of meetings spanning four days at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, the team of SpaceX engineers developing the Dragon spacecraft presented their Phase I plans for sending the cargo version of Dragon to the $100 billion dollar orbiting space laboratory.
The review covered twenty-three specific hazards, with extra attention paid to the danger of collision -- one of the most difficult hazards to mitigate. The issue of preventing a collision with the ISS was a primary topic of the safety review, and is generally considered one of the more difficult visiting vehicle topics. According to the Safety Review Panel's approval letter, the Phase I collision hazard report for Dragon was approved on the first attempt. As part of NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) competition, SpaceX intends to demonstrate its launch, maneuvering and docking abilities by 2009 -- a year before NASA has scheduled the conclusion of Space Shuttle operations.
Astronaut Boozing? No Proof, NASA Says (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
NASA investigators said Wednesday that they could not find one instance in which an astronaut had engaged in heavy drinking during launch day, despite an earlier report to the contrary. "I was unable to verify any case in which an astronaut-spaceflight crewmember was impaired on launch day" or any case where a manager disregarded warnings from another NASA employee that an astronaut not fly, said Bryan O'Connor, NASA's Chief of Safety and Mission Assurance. However, O'Connor said NASA doctors should play a stronger "oversight" role on launch day, accompanying astronauts as they suit up for launch. He also recommended that excessive drinking be added to NASA's list of forbidden pre-launch activities and that the agency consider testing all its employees for alcohol as well as drug use.
California Rocket Workers Getting Settled in Colorado (Source: Denver Post)
When United Launch Alliance transition facilities manager Clint Winterling first saw the building, he knew he had a challenge on his hands as he worked to set up the new corporate headquarters for the rocket joint venture there within months. The building in Centennial was once occupied by Rhythms NetConnections Inc., a formerly highflying Internet-access provider that filed for bankruptcy protection in 2001 and shut down. The office building has taken on a new life as the home of hundreds of ULA employees moving in this summer. The ULA is a rocket joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Boeing that started operations last December - people working on Lockheed Martin's Atlas rocket program and Boeing's Delta rocket program became ULA employees.
The ULA also hired about 400 new employees, mostly from the Denver area. About 180 of those just graduated from college. The company will ultimately have close to 1,900 employees - further expanding the rocket hub in the Denver area. The economic impact of the ULA will amount to about $414 million a year, according to Tom Clark, executive vice president of the Metro Denver Economic Development Corp.
UCF Unveils New Telescope (Source: CFNews13)
Wednesday night, UCF unveiled its new custom-built 20-inch telescope. The cutting edge Telescope, which is housed in the Robinson Observatory, is a dozen times more powerful than the telescope it replaced and allows for sharper viewing and the ability to photograph faraway stars and other space bodies. With the advances in technology that have happened it has really brought the type of research you can do down from a mountain in Chili to something you can do here on campus and students can actually get involved with. The refurbishing of the observatory and new telescope was funded with a $150,000 grant. It will be open to the public twice a month.
Gap in Spaceflights: Is U.S. Pride at Risk? (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
U.S. Rep. Dave Weldon sounded the alarm Wednesday that the four-year gap between American human spaceflight programs is a threat to national pride. Between town-hall meetings with workers at the Kennedy Space Center, Weldon, told reporters that Congress needs to give NASA more money. He said the money would shorten the time between the retirement of the space-shuttle fleet in 2010 and the start of the Constellation program in 2014.
"Do we, the richest country on the face of the Earth, want to be dependent on Russia to launch our men and women into space?" Weldon said. Weldon, wearing a space-shuttle tie and lapel pin, also suggested the gap could delay President Bush's goal of returning to the moon. "Who is going to get back to the moon first?" Weldon asked. "China has made it very clear they want to go to the moon. Are we going to get there and be greeted by somebody holding out for us a nice warm bowl of chop suey and chopsticks?"
New Mexico Spaceflight Coming, Spaceport Plan Progresses (Source: Alamagordo Daily News)
The future of southern New Mexico glows with possibilities when considering a spaceport in the area, according to the state's Spaceport Authority. The Spaceport America budget is $198 million, with $140 million from statewide taxes and $58 million to be raised from local gross receipts taxes. Federal money is being discussed but is not included in the current estimates. The target date for Virgin Galactic launches into space from New Mexico is December 2009. The criteria which must be in place for the launch to happen are SpaceShip Two has to be certified to fly with passengers, and Spaceport America must be ready to operate.
Suborbital rockets can be launched during the 2008 and 2009 runway construction period. "To do construction and rocket launching in the same area will mean a complicated schedule, but we need to learn to do that because we'll always have many customers operating at the site," said an official. Commercially speaking, point-to-point flights will be just as important as orbital operations. For example, taking a flight from the Rio Grande to the Rhine in an hour is one of the possibilities.
Mars rover scientists have launched a new long-term study on the Martian atmosphere with the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer. The new study will focus on newly discovered fluctuations in the argon composition of the Martian atmosphere. During warmer seasons, approximately 95 percent of the Martian atmosphere consists of carbon dioxide. Nitrogen accounts for almost 3 percent and argon for less than 2 percent. But when winter sets in at one of the poles, carbon dioxide freezes out of the atmosphere to form a polar cap, causing a low-pressure system that moves air toward the pole. Argon stays in the atmosphere and becomes enhanced because it freezes at a much lower temperature. "It gives you a way of inferring aspects of the Martian circulation that you can't observe at all with any other instrument that's out there," said a researcher.
Virgin Galactic Space Travelers to be Trained by NASTAR (Source: Flight International)
National Aerospace Training and Research (NASTAR) Center has signed a contract to provide Virgin Galactic with training for Virgin Galactic's suborbital space travelers. NASTAR Center will train and prepare the first 100 private space travellers scheduled to take suborbital flights with Virgin Galactic, known as the "Virgin Galactic's Founders", but it will also provide ongoing training of Virgin Galactic's space travellers after the Founders and for those who want a space flight experience. The training will take place from September through November at the center's facilities near Philadelphia.
Crist, Kottkamp Go South to Tout Space Industry (Source: News-Press.com)
Gov. Charlie Crist and his top lieutenant slip the surly bonds of Tallahassee today and head for South Florida to promote the space industry. Crist begins his day on the Space Coast with a 10:30 a.m. visit to Christa McAuliffe Elementary School in Palm Bay, an appearance that is quickly followed by lunch with Brevard County officials in Melbourne. A 1:30 p.m. press conference at Northrop Grumman on NASA Boulevard follows that. Crist ends his visit with an appearance at the Space Coast Marine Institute at 2:15 p.m. Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp will be a little further south, beginning his day with an 8:30 a.m. meeting of the Space Florida advisory committee meeting in Fort Lauderdale. Later, Kottkamp will head a full board meeting of Space Florida, the quasi-governmental group charged with promoting the industry and preserving thousands of jobs that will be at risk when NASA retires the space shuttle in less than three years.
Water Vapor Seen 'Raining Down' On Young Star System (Source: SpaceRef.com)
NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope has detected enough water vapor to fill the oceans on Earth five times inside the collapsing nest of a forming star system. Astronomers say the water vapor is pouring down from the system's natal cloud and smacking into a dusty disk where planets are thought to form.
Architect Selected for NM Spaceport (Source: The Business)
Foster & Partners has won a landmark contract to design the world’s first passenger “spaceport” in New Mexico. The announcement of who will build the terminal and runway, the first to send paying passengers into space, will be made at a presentation hosted by the New Mexico Spaceport Authority. Foster & Partners, which is chaired by Lord Foster and is the firm behind the City of London’s “Gherkin” building, the Millennium Bridge and the new Wembley stadium, was selected from 11 other firms who submitted plans to build the 100,000 sq ft base for Virgin Galactic, Sir Richard Branson’s venture into space.
Branson, who is investing ~$200 million in Virgin Galactic, will charge passengers ~$200,000 for a two and a half hour flight and 3,000 passengers are expected over the first five years. They will experience four minutes of weightlessness and share the same view of the earth that until now has been afforded to just a handful of astronauts. Flights are expected to fall to ~$20,000 eventually. Test flights will begin in 2008. Other entrepreneurs looking at offering space flights include Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, and Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft.
SpaceX Dragon Receives Initial Approval From NASA Safety Review Panel (Source: SpaceX)
SpaceX has successfully completed the first of three phases of review required by NASA's Safety Review Panel (SRP) to send its Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS). Over a series of meetings spanning four days at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, the team of SpaceX engineers developing the Dragon spacecraft presented their Phase I plans for sending the cargo version of Dragon to the $100 billion dollar orbiting space laboratory.
The review covered twenty-three specific hazards, with extra attention paid to the danger of collision -- one of the most difficult hazards to mitigate. The issue of preventing a collision with the ISS was a primary topic of the safety review, and is generally considered one of the more difficult visiting vehicle topics. According to the Safety Review Panel's approval letter, the Phase I collision hazard report for Dragon was approved on the first attempt. As part of NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) competition, SpaceX intends to demonstrate its launch, maneuvering and docking abilities by 2009 -- a year before NASA has scheduled the conclusion of Space Shuttle operations.
Astronaut Boozing? No Proof, NASA Says (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
NASA investigators said Wednesday that they could not find one instance in which an astronaut had engaged in heavy drinking during launch day, despite an earlier report to the contrary. "I was unable to verify any case in which an astronaut-spaceflight crewmember was impaired on launch day" or any case where a manager disregarded warnings from another NASA employee that an astronaut not fly, said Bryan O'Connor, NASA's Chief of Safety and Mission Assurance. However, O'Connor said NASA doctors should play a stronger "oversight" role on launch day, accompanying astronauts as they suit up for launch. He also recommended that excessive drinking be added to NASA's list of forbidden pre-launch activities and that the agency consider testing all its employees for alcohol as well as drug use.
California Rocket Workers Getting Settled in Colorado (Source: Denver Post)
When United Launch Alliance transition facilities manager Clint Winterling first saw the building, he knew he had a challenge on his hands as he worked to set up the new corporate headquarters for the rocket joint venture there within months. The building in Centennial was once occupied by Rhythms NetConnections Inc., a formerly highflying Internet-access provider that filed for bankruptcy protection in 2001 and shut down. The office building has taken on a new life as the home of hundreds of ULA employees moving in this summer. The ULA is a rocket joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Boeing that started operations last December - people working on Lockheed Martin's Atlas rocket program and Boeing's Delta rocket program became ULA employees.
The ULA also hired about 400 new employees, mostly from the Denver area. About 180 of those just graduated from college. The company will ultimately have close to 1,900 employees - further expanding the rocket hub in the Denver area. The economic impact of the ULA will amount to about $414 million a year, according to Tom Clark, executive vice president of the Metro Denver Economic Development Corp.
UCF Unveils New Telescope (Source: CFNews13)
Wednesday night, UCF unveiled its new custom-built 20-inch telescope. The cutting edge Telescope, which is housed in the Robinson Observatory, is a dozen times more powerful than the telescope it replaced and allows for sharper viewing and the ability to photograph faraway stars and other space bodies. With the advances in technology that have happened it has really brought the type of research you can do down from a mountain in Chili to something you can do here on campus and students can actually get involved with. The refurbishing of the observatory and new telescope was funded with a $150,000 grant. It will be open to the public twice a month.
Gap in Spaceflights: Is U.S. Pride at Risk? (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
U.S. Rep. Dave Weldon sounded the alarm Wednesday that the four-year gap between American human spaceflight programs is a threat to national pride. Between town-hall meetings with workers at the Kennedy Space Center, Weldon, told reporters that Congress needs to give NASA more money. He said the money would shorten the time between the retirement of the space-shuttle fleet in 2010 and the start of the Constellation program in 2014.
"Do we, the richest country on the face of the Earth, want to be dependent on Russia to launch our men and women into space?" Weldon said. Weldon, wearing a space-shuttle tie and lapel pin, also suggested the gap could delay President Bush's goal of returning to the moon. "Who is going to get back to the moon first?" Weldon asked. "China has made it very clear they want to go to the moon. Are we going to get there and be greeted by somebody holding out for us a nice warm bowl of chop suey and chopsticks?"
New Mexico Spaceflight Coming, Spaceport Plan Progresses (Source: Alamagordo Daily News)
The future of southern New Mexico glows with possibilities when considering a spaceport in the area, according to the state's Spaceport Authority. The Spaceport America budget is $198 million, with $140 million from statewide taxes and $58 million to be raised from local gross receipts taxes. Federal money is being discussed but is not included in the current estimates. The target date for Virgin Galactic launches into space from New Mexico is December 2009. The criteria which must be in place for the launch to happen are SpaceShip Two has to be certified to fly with passengers, and Spaceport America must be ready to operate.
Suborbital rockets can be launched during the 2008 and 2009 runway construction period. "To do construction and rocket launching in the same area will mean a complicated schedule, but we need to learn to do that because we'll always have many customers operating at the site," said an official. Commercially speaking, point-to-point flights will be just as important as orbital operations. For example, taking a flight from the Rio Grande to the Rhine in an hour is one of the possibilities.
August 29 News Items
Peacekeeper Repurposement Leads To E’Prime Time (Source: SatNews.com)
When you discuss launch with E’Prime Aerospace, the discussion will turn to their “cold launch” and “canister” technologies. Light to medium lift single core vehicles will launch from a launch tube that propels the rocket approximately 200 feet into the air before the first stage is ignited. This method, according to the company, increases the payload capacity by about 10 percent. It also prevents costly refurbishment to the launch facility. The launch vehicles use technology derived from the Peacekeeper (MX missile) program through a commercialization agreement the company has with the U.S. Air Force. E’Prime also secured the only rapidly deployable launch systems worldwide with the exclusive rights to use steam gas generator technology from the Peacekeeper Program. The company believes they would have the capability of launching multiple payloads in a very short period of time.
NASA's Star Wars Stunt (Source: IGN)
In honor of the 30th anniversary of Star Wars, NASA will launch Luke Skywalker's original Jedi lightsaber into space along with the crew of the space shuttle Discovery. The launch is slated for October.
Weldon Speaks to KSC Workforce on Shuttle-Constellation Transition (Source: NASA)
Congressman Dave Weldon held two hour-long briefings at Kennedy Space Center to provide a Congressional budget update and discuss the transition from the Shuttle to the Constellation Program.
Insanity Could Be Hard Sell as Former Astronaut Lisa Nowak's Defense (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Claiming insanity at the time of a crime is one thing. Getting a jury to buy the argument is another. That's the challenge former NASA astronaut Lisa Nowak could face if she goes to trial on charges of attacking romantic rival Colleen Shipman at Orlando International Airport last February. In a notice made public Tuesday, Nowak's defense alerted the judge and prosecutors of her intent to rely on an insanity defense. The document says the Navy captain has depression, obsessive behavior and other mental problems.
Alliant Reaffirms Outlook After Losing Out on Ares Deal (Source: Reuters)
Alliant Techsystems reaffirmed its 2008 fiscal year outlook on Wednesday after losing out on a NASA contract. The weapon and space systems company continues to expect fiscal year sales of $4 billion to $4.1 billion. Alliant also still expects orders of about $6 billion. The company said its previous financial outlook excluded consideration of the NASA Ares I upper stage contract.
When you discuss launch with E’Prime Aerospace, the discussion will turn to their “cold launch” and “canister” technologies. Light to medium lift single core vehicles will launch from a launch tube that propels the rocket approximately 200 feet into the air before the first stage is ignited. This method, according to the company, increases the payload capacity by about 10 percent. It also prevents costly refurbishment to the launch facility. The launch vehicles use technology derived from the Peacekeeper (MX missile) program through a commercialization agreement the company has with the U.S. Air Force. E’Prime also secured the only rapidly deployable launch systems worldwide with the exclusive rights to use steam gas generator technology from the Peacekeeper Program. The company believes they would have the capability of launching multiple payloads in a very short period of time.
NASA's Star Wars Stunt (Source: IGN)
In honor of the 30th anniversary of Star Wars, NASA will launch Luke Skywalker's original Jedi lightsaber into space along with the crew of the space shuttle Discovery. The launch is slated for October.
Weldon Speaks to KSC Workforce on Shuttle-Constellation Transition (Source: NASA)
Congressman Dave Weldon held two hour-long briefings at Kennedy Space Center to provide a Congressional budget update and discuss the transition from the Shuttle to the Constellation Program.
Insanity Could Be Hard Sell as Former Astronaut Lisa Nowak's Defense (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Claiming insanity at the time of a crime is one thing. Getting a jury to buy the argument is another. That's the challenge former NASA astronaut Lisa Nowak could face if she goes to trial on charges of attacking romantic rival Colleen Shipman at Orlando International Airport last February. In a notice made public Tuesday, Nowak's defense alerted the judge and prosecutors of her intent to rely on an insanity defense. The document says the Navy captain has depression, obsessive behavior and other mental problems.
Alliant Reaffirms Outlook After Losing Out on Ares Deal (Source: Reuters)
Alliant Techsystems reaffirmed its 2008 fiscal year outlook on Wednesday after losing out on a NASA contract. The weapon and space systems company continues to expect fiscal year sales of $4 billion to $4.1 billion. Alliant also still expects orders of about $6 billion. The company said its previous financial outlook excluded consideration of the NASA Ares I upper stage contract.
August 28 News Items
Science Teachers Take Flight in Zero-Gravity with Northrop Grumman Program (Source: SpaceRef.com)
The Northrop Grumman Foundation kicked off the second year of its Weightless Flights of Discovery Program today, flying 57 teachers in Dallas, with another 58 scheduled to fly in New Orleans on Aug. 30. These are the first of the flights in eight cities planned as part of the company's program to inspire the next generation of scientists, mathematicians and engineers -- critical areas where the U.S. has fallen behind globally. Visit http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.nl.html?pid=23414 for information.
NASA's Centennial Challenges to Advance Technologies (Source: NASA)
From Oct. 19 to 21, more than 20 teams from across the nation and around the world will compete for a total of $1,000,000 from NASA for the development of cutting-edge technologies. The Beam Power Challenge and Tether Challenge, two of NASA's seven Centennial Challenges, will take place at the 2007 Space Elevator Games at the Davis County Event Center in Salt Lake City.
Disoriented Satellite Regains Bearings But Not Vision (Source: New Scientist)
NASA's Swift satellite has regained its bearings following a glitch that prevented it from taking observations. But it will likely be several more weeks before it can resume studying cosmic explosions called gamma-ray bursts. Launched in November 2004, Swift studies brief bursts of gamma rays caused by the deaths of massive stars and collisions between dense stellar corpses. A key to Swift's success is that it is able to rapidly swivel to train its instruments on the source of each fleeting burst. But on 10 August, Swift lost its bearings while turning to observe a new target. It could no longer tell which direction it was pointing in the sky, a crippling problem for an astronomical satellite.
Boeing Selected to Build NASA's Upper Stage for Ares I (Source: Boeing)
Boeing has been awarded a NASA contract valued at approximately $514.7 million to produce the upper stage of the Ares I crew launch vehicle. This element provides the navigation, guidance, control and propulsion required for the ascent of the second-stage Ares I into low -Earth orbit. The Ares I launches the Orion crew exploration vehicle which will be joined with other elements of NASA's Constellation program to help propel astronauts to the moon by 2020.
Space Florida Plans Academy Program in September (Source: Space Florida)
Would you as an undergraduate like the opportunity to experience what it is like to work and be involved in the space program? Space Florida's next Space Academy will be held at the Kennedy Space Center, commencing Sep. 14. The Program is FREE to accepted candidates. The Academy will be held on four succeeding Fridays. Visit http://www.spaceflorida.gov/EducationPrograms.shtml for information.
Asia Dives Into Moon Race (Source: Asia Times)
With the Chinese and Japanese making plans to establish moon bases, can India be far behind? "Global players have declared that by 2020, they will have their bases on the moon," Madhavan Nair, chief of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), declared. "I don't think India can afford to be lagging behind in that." Nair said ISRO is defining technologies needed for India's first manned space mission in an Indian space vehicle scheduled for 2015. India is expected to invest $1.5 billion over the next five years to develop technologies for a manned space flight by 2015 and a moon flight by 2020. Most of the designing, research and technical jobs are to be completed by 2012.
Lockheed, Boeing Vie for GPS Satellite Deal (Source: AP)
Lockheed Martin and Boeing are rival bidders for the first phase of a military contract worth up to $2 billion to build a next-generation global satellite system. The Air Force is replacing the 24 GPS satellites currently in orbit with a new system dubbed Global Positioning System III, designed to improve navigation by air, land and sea, and be more difficult for U.S. enemies to disable. The first phase of the contract, according to the Air Force, is for eight satellites to be delivered by 2013. The deal will be awarded by year-end.
Ares 1 Contract Set to be Awarded (Source: Huntsville Times)
NASA is expected to award a major contract to one team of aerospace companies to build the upper stage for its Ares 1 rocket. The contract could bring up to 400 jobs between contractor and federal positions to Huntsville over the next decade. Although the total jobs will fluctuate over time, the award is expected to bring from 100 to 200 contractor jobs and provide work for around 200 NASA employees. Teams headed by ATK Launch Systems and Boeing are bidding for the project. The next major Ares contract is the instrument unit, which is the flight computer. That contract is expected to be awarded by early December.
In late 2006, ATK Launch Systems, Lockheed Martin Inc. and Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne formed a joint venture called Team Ares to seek the NASA contract. Boeing's team of suppliers includes Hamilton Sundstrand, a subsidiary of United Technologies, Moog, Northrop Grumman, Orion Propulsion Inc., SUMMA Technology Inc., United Space Alliance and the United Launch Alliance.
The Northrop Grumman Foundation kicked off the second year of its Weightless Flights of Discovery Program today, flying 57 teachers in Dallas, with another 58 scheduled to fly in New Orleans on Aug. 30. These are the first of the flights in eight cities planned as part of the company's program to inspire the next generation of scientists, mathematicians and engineers -- critical areas where the U.S. has fallen behind globally. Visit http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.nl.html?pid=23414 for information.
NASA's Centennial Challenges to Advance Technologies (Source: NASA)
From Oct. 19 to 21, more than 20 teams from across the nation and around the world will compete for a total of $1,000,000 from NASA for the development of cutting-edge technologies. The Beam Power Challenge and Tether Challenge, two of NASA's seven Centennial Challenges, will take place at the 2007 Space Elevator Games at the Davis County Event Center in Salt Lake City.
Disoriented Satellite Regains Bearings But Not Vision (Source: New Scientist)
NASA's Swift satellite has regained its bearings following a glitch that prevented it from taking observations. But it will likely be several more weeks before it can resume studying cosmic explosions called gamma-ray bursts. Launched in November 2004, Swift studies brief bursts of gamma rays caused by the deaths of massive stars and collisions between dense stellar corpses. A key to Swift's success is that it is able to rapidly swivel to train its instruments on the source of each fleeting burst. But on 10 August, Swift lost its bearings while turning to observe a new target. It could no longer tell which direction it was pointing in the sky, a crippling problem for an astronomical satellite.
Boeing Selected to Build NASA's Upper Stage for Ares I (Source: Boeing)
Boeing has been awarded a NASA contract valued at approximately $514.7 million to produce the upper stage of the Ares I crew launch vehicle. This element provides the navigation, guidance, control and propulsion required for the ascent of the second-stage Ares I into low -Earth orbit. The Ares I launches the Orion crew exploration vehicle which will be joined with other elements of NASA's Constellation program to help propel astronauts to the moon by 2020.
Space Florida Plans Academy Program in September (Source: Space Florida)
Would you as an undergraduate like the opportunity to experience what it is like to work and be involved in the space program? Space Florida's next Space Academy will be held at the Kennedy Space Center, commencing Sep. 14. The Program is FREE to accepted candidates. The Academy will be held on four succeeding Fridays. Visit http://www.spaceflorida.gov/EducationPrograms.shtml for information.
Asia Dives Into Moon Race (Source: Asia Times)
With the Chinese and Japanese making plans to establish moon bases, can India be far behind? "Global players have declared that by 2020, they will have their bases on the moon," Madhavan Nair, chief of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), declared. "I don't think India can afford to be lagging behind in that." Nair said ISRO is defining technologies needed for India's first manned space mission in an Indian space vehicle scheduled for 2015. India is expected to invest $1.5 billion over the next five years to develop technologies for a manned space flight by 2015 and a moon flight by 2020. Most of the designing, research and technical jobs are to be completed by 2012.
Lockheed, Boeing Vie for GPS Satellite Deal (Source: AP)
Lockheed Martin and Boeing are rival bidders for the first phase of a military contract worth up to $2 billion to build a next-generation global satellite system. The Air Force is replacing the 24 GPS satellites currently in orbit with a new system dubbed Global Positioning System III, designed to improve navigation by air, land and sea, and be more difficult for U.S. enemies to disable. The first phase of the contract, according to the Air Force, is for eight satellites to be delivered by 2013. The deal will be awarded by year-end.
Ares 1 Contract Set to be Awarded (Source: Huntsville Times)
NASA is expected to award a major contract to one team of aerospace companies to build the upper stage for its Ares 1 rocket. The contract could bring up to 400 jobs between contractor and federal positions to Huntsville over the next decade. Although the total jobs will fluctuate over time, the award is expected to bring from 100 to 200 contractor jobs and provide work for around 200 NASA employees. Teams headed by ATK Launch Systems and Boeing are bidding for the project. The next major Ares contract is the instrument unit, which is the flight computer. That contract is expected to be awarded by early December.
In late 2006, ATK Launch Systems, Lockheed Martin Inc. and Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne formed a joint venture called Team Ares to seek the NASA contract. Boeing's team of suppliers includes Hamilton Sundstrand, a subsidiary of United Technologies, Moog, Northrop Grumman, Orion Propulsion Inc., SUMMA Technology Inc., United Space Alliance and the United Launch Alliance.
August 27 News Items
E'Prime Plans Launches from Virginia Spaceport (Source: E'Prime Aerospace)
E'Prime Aerospace Corporation, a U.S. company with more than 2,000 shareholders, announced the selection of Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority's Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) as E'Prime's launch site for the Canister Launch Program. the company has engaged with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA/AST) for a Launch License to operate from MARS.
"We look forward to working with E'Prime Aerospace during the development and demonstration of your (E'Prime's) space launch vehicle and support systems. We will provide our technical expertise and technologies in the areas of launch site facilities and operations and launch range operations to E'Prime's development effort...," wrote MARS Executive Director Billie Reed.
Ancient Bacteria Could Point to Life on Mars (Source: Reuters)
Ancient bacteria are able to survive nearly half a million years in harsh, frozen conditions, researchers said on Monday in a study that adds to arguments that permafrost environments on Mars could harbor life. The findings also represent the oldest independently authenticated DNA to date obtained from living cells and could offer clues to better understand ageing, said a researcher. The international team, which also included researchers from the United States, Canada, Russia and Sweden, tested the microbes living up to 10 meters deep in permafrost collected from Northern Canada, the Yukon, Siberia and Antarctica. When a cell dies, its DNA fragments into pieces but the samples the researchers studied were all very long strands -- evidence the cells were able to continuously repair genetic material and remain alive.
India to Launch Israeli Satellite (Source: The Hindu)
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is busy preparing to launch an Israeli satellite called Polaris by a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) between September 17 and 20 from the spaceport at Sriharikota. A core-alone PSLV without its six strap-on booster motors strung around its first stage will put the Polaris in orbit. It is a remote-sensing satellite that weighs about 300 kg. It can take pictures of the earth through cloud and rain, day and night.
NASA Brain Drain Could Mean Setback for Next Moon Trip (Source: FCW)
For NASA to reach the moon again, the agency needs to keep experienced employees working on Earth. However, NASA’s employee unions say the agency is not going about it the right way. NASA has begun using a variety of new information system tools to manage its human resources challenges. The agency that President Bush has tasked to send people to the moon relies mostly on a workforce that is gearing up for retirement. Visit http://www.fcw.com/article103587-08-27-07-Print to view the article.
E'Prime Aerospace Corporation, a U.S. company with more than 2,000 shareholders, announced the selection of Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority's Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) as E'Prime's launch site for the Canister Launch Program. the company has engaged with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA/AST) for a Launch License to operate from MARS.
"We look forward to working with E'Prime Aerospace during the development and demonstration of your (E'Prime's) space launch vehicle and support systems. We will provide our technical expertise and technologies in the areas of launch site facilities and operations and launch range operations to E'Prime's development effort...," wrote MARS Executive Director Billie Reed.
Ancient Bacteria Could Point to Life on Mars (Source: Reuters)
Ancient bacteria are able to survive nearly half a million years in harsh, frozen conditions, researchers said on Monday in a study that adds to arguments that permafrost environments on Mars could harbor life. The findings also represent the oldest independently authenticated DNA to date obtained from living cells and could offer clues to better understand ageing, said a researcher. The international team, which also included researchers from the United States, Canada, Russia and Sweden, tested the microbes living up to 10 meters deep in permafrost collected from Northern Canada, the Yukon, Siberia and Antarctica. When a cell dies, its DNA fragments into pieces but the samples the researchers studied were all very long strands -- evidence the cells were able to continuously repair genetic material and remain alive.
India to Launch Israeli Satellite (Source: The Hindu)
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is busy preparing to launch an Israeli satellite called Polaris by a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) between September 17 and 20 from the spaceport at Sriharikota. A core-alone PSLV without its six strap-on booster motors strung around its first stage will put the Polaris in orbit. It is a remote-sensing satellite that weighs about 300 kg. It can take pictures of the earth through cloud and rain, day and night.
NASA Brain Drain Could Mean Setback for Next Moon Trip (Source: FCW)
For NASA to reach the moon again, the agency needs to keep experienced employees working on Earth. However, NASA’s employee unions say the agency is not going about it the right way. NASA has begun using a variety of new information system tools to manage its human resources challenges. The agency that President Bush has tasked to send people to the moon relies mostly on a workforce that is gearing up for retirement. Visit http://www.fcw.com/article103587-08-27-07-Print to view the article.
August 26 News Items
Indian Space Agency's Top Scientist Dies in Road Mishap (Source: IndiaPRWire)
Rajeev Lochan, scientific secretary to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), was killed late Friday in a road mishap. Lochan died along with his driver during a trip to India's Sriharikota spaceport from Bangalore. ISRO publications director S. Krishnamurthy, who was accompanying Lochan, suffered multiple injuries in the mishap and was rushed to a hospital in the temple town of Tirupati for treatment.
Space Florida Plans Board Meeting in Ft. Lauderdale (Source: ERAU)
Space Florida’s board of directors will hold their next public meeting on Aug. 30 at the Hyatt Regency Pier 66 in Ft. Lauderdale. The meeting comes after last week’s successful Florida Space Leadership Forum, sponsored by Space Florida and the Space Foundation. For information on this week’s board meeting contact Juanell Kirkendoll at 321-730-5301 ext. 241.
Disney to Honor Astronauts (Source: Florida Today)
Walt Disney World will host ceremonies honoring the crew of the just-concluded NASA space shuttle Endeavour mission and the achievement of teacher-turned-astronaut Barbara Morgan on Sept. 10. Disney's Epcot and Magic Kingdom theme parks will be the backdrop as park guests and schoolchildren interact with the Endeavour astronauts. Highlights include astronaut Barbara Morgan unveiling a new addition to the Mission: SPACE attraction; interview opportunities with the STS-118 crew; and the astronauts serving as honorary grand marshals in the Magic Kingdom's afternoon parade down Main Street, U.S.A.
Trent Lott: Any Good Trip to the Moon, Mars Should Begin in Mississippi (Source: Clarion-Ledger)
Though many Americans may not realize it, this month America earnestly began our journey back to the moon and on to Mars. And, it's a trip that leads right through Mississippi's Hancock County. It was exciting to be at NASA's Stennis Space Center, near Bay St. Louis, to break ground on a new test stand, where NASA's J-2X engine will be fired up and evaluated. It'll be the first new test stand constructed at Stennis since the 1960s, during the height of America's Apollo program, which first put man on the moon...And, for Mississippians, Stennis Space Center, perhaps one of our best kept secrets, will get an even greater role as an international center for rocket testing.
The V-Prize: One Hour to Europe (Source: Space Review)
Virginia's "V-Prize" will be awarded to the first manned craft capable of crossing the Atlantic in less than 60 minutes. The $10-25 million competition will officially be launched in 2008. “The craft will take off from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport in the state of Virginia,” explained Jack Kennedy, chairman of the V-Prize Foundation. The venture must be completed before July 1, 2013, the expiration date of the Spaceflight Liability and Immunity Act passed earlier this year by the state of Virginia to encourage the development of research on manned flights.
Globalstar Plans GPS-Aided Product (Source: Space News)
Satellite-telephone service provider Globalstar said a new product it will introduce in November will open a large new market and help it ride out the degradation of its current satellite constellation with a sufficient base of customers until its second-generation satellites are launched starting in 2009. The new product, called Spot Satellite Messenger, is a hand-held device that will be integrated into a GPS positioning unit to allow outdoor enthusiasts and others to signal their whereabouts in an emergency.
Hearings Plannd on Satellite Surveillance Policy (Source: Space News)
Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.), chair of the House Homeland Security intelligence subcommittee, has asked for both classified and public hearings to clarify what the Bush administration's new policy on the domestic use of classified satellite imagery will be when control of imagery used for domestic purposes is transferred Oct. 1 to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Is Space Elevator the Next Ride to the Final Frontier? (Source: Wall Street Journal)
Tie a rock to the end of a piece of ribbon, then spin it over your head. It will be pulled taut as the rock circles about. Now, imagine a ribbon 62,000 miles long, anchored near the equator with a weight on the other end. The centrifugal force of the earth's rotation will make it behave the same way. You'll end up with a kind of elevator to outer space. NASA is sufficiently intrigued that it has kicked in millions of dollars for a space-elevator design competition. The third annual running of the contest takes place in October outside Salt Lake City; 22 teams, mostly from universities, have signed up to compete.
We (Ohio) Could Really Take Off (Source: Sandusky Register)
In the late 1940s Huntsville had a population roughly equal to Sandusky's. Like the Sandusky area, it was home to an Army arsenal that almost closed when it was no longer needed. But Huntsville had a powerful U.S. senator, John Sparkman, who helped steer the Truman Administration into picking Huntsville as the ideal site for missile research. With that decision came Wernher von Braun and his German scientists, part of the core of the emerging United States space program. In 1960, President Eisenhower formally dedicated the Marshall Space Flight Center there. Today, Huntsville's population is approaching 170,000, its metropolitan area nearing 370,000. It is known nationally as "Rocket City."
A similar future could be ours. With proper support from local governments, NASA Plum Brook can move to center stage as the next generation of manned space flight gears up. Its rocket testing facility is unique in the world. The newest European rocket is there now for tests. Soon the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle will be too. NASA recently awarded $51.4 million to an Oklahoma company to improve Plum Brook's Space Power Facility. Economic development planners should look seriously at what else is needed to turn northern Ohio into an aerospace hotbed.
Rajeev Lochan, scientific secretary to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), was killed late Friday in a road mishap. Lochan died along with his driver during a trip to India's Sriharikota spaceport from Bangalore. ISRO publications director S. Krishnamurthy, who was accompanying Lochan, suffered multiple injuries in the mishap and was rushed to a hospital in the temple town of Tirupati for treatment.
Space Florida Plans Board Meeting in Ft. Lauderdale (Source: ERAU)
Space Florida’s board of directors will hold their next public meeting on Aug. 30 at the Hyatt Regency Pier 66 in Ft. Lauderdale. The meeting comes after last week’s successful Florida Space Leadership Forum, sponsored by Space Florida and the Space Foundation. For information on this week’s board meeting contact Juanell Kirkendoll at 321-730-5301 ext. 241.
Disney to Honor Astronauts (Source: Florida Today)
Walt Disney World will host ceremonies honoring the crew of the just-concluded NASA space shuttle Endeavour mission and the achievement of teacher-turned-astronaut Barbara Morgan on Sept. 10. Disney's Epcot and Magic Kingdom theme parks will be the backdrop as park guests and schoolchildren interact with the Endeavour astronauts. Highlights include astronaut Barbara Morgan unveiling a new addition to the Mission: SPACE attraction; interview opportunities with the STS-118 crew; and the astronauts serving as honorary grand marshals in the Magic Kingdom's afternoon parade down Main Street, U.S.A.
Trent Lott: Any Good Trip to the Moon, Mars Should Begin in Mississippi (Source: Clarion-Ledger)
Though many Americans may not realize it, this month America earnestly began our journey back to the moon and on to Mars. And, it's a trip that leads right through Mississippi's Hancock County. It was exciting to be at NASA's Stennis Space Center, near Bay St. Louis, to break ground on a new test stand, where NASA's J-2X engine will be fired up and evaluated. It'll be the first new test stand constructed at Stennis since the 1960s, during the height of America's Apollo program, which first put man on the moon...And, for Mississippians, Stennis Space Center, perhaps one of our best kept secrets, will get an even greater role as an international center for rocket testing.
The V-Prize: One Hour to Europe (Source: Space Review)
Virginia's "V-Prize" will be awarded to the first manned craft capable of crossing the Atlantic in less than 60 minutes. The $10-25 million competition will officially be launched in 2008. “The craft will take off from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport in the state of Virginia,” explained Jack Kennedy, chairman of the V-Prize Foundation. The venture must be completed before July 1, 2013, the expiration date of the Spaceflight Liability and Immunity Act passed earlier this year by the state of Virginia to encourage the development of research on manned flights.
Globalstar Plans GPS-Aided Product (Source: Space News)
Satellite-telephone service provider Globalstar said a new product it will introduce in November will open a large new market and help it ride out the degradation of its current satellite constellation with a sufficient base of customers until its second-generation satellites are launched starting in 2009. The new product, called Spot Satellite Messenger, is a hand-held device that will be integrated into a GPS positioning unit to allow outdoor enthusiasts and others to signal their whereabouts in an emergency.
Hearings Plannd on Satellite Surveillance Policy (Source: Space News)
Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.), chair of the House Homeland Security intelligence subcommittee, has asked for both classified and public hearings to clarify what the Bush administration's new policy on the domestic use of classified satellite imagery will be when control of imagery used for domestic purposes is transferred Oct. 1 to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Is Space Elevator the Next Ride to the Final Frontier? (Source: Wall Street Journal)
Tie a rock to the end of a piece of ribbon, then spin it over your head. It will be pulled taut as the rock circles about. Now, imagine a ribbon 62,000 miles long, anchored near the equator with a weight on the other end. The centrifugal force of the earth's rotation will make it behave the same way. You'll end up with a kind of elevator to outer space. NASA is sufficiently intrigued that it has kicked in millions of dollars for a space-elevator design competition. The third annual running of the contest takes place in October outside Salt Lake City; 22 teams, mostly from universities, have signed up to compete.
We (Ohio) Could Really Take Off (Source: Sandusky Register)
In the late 1940s Huntsville had a population roughly equal to Sandusky's. Like the Sandusky area, it was home to an Army arsenal that almost closed when it was no longer needed. But Huntsville had a powerful U.S. senator, John Sparkman, who helped steer the Truman Administration into picking Huntsville as the ideal site for missile research. With that decision came Wernher von Braun and his German scientists, part of the core of the emerging United States space program. In 1960, President Eisenhower formally dedicated the Marshall Space Flight Center there. Today, Huntsville's population is approaching 170,000, its metropolitan area nearing 370,000. It is known nationally as "Rocket City."
A similar future could be ours. With proper support from local governments, NASA Plum Brook can move to center stage as the next generation of manned space flight gears up. Its rocket testing facility is unique in the world. The newest European rocket is there now for tests. Soon the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle will be too. NASA recently awarded $51.4 million to an Oklahoma company to improve Plum Brook's Space Power Facility. Economic development planners should look seriously at what else is needed to turn northern Ohio into an aerospace hotbed.
August 25 News Items
Raytheon, XM Bid to Transform U.S. Air Traffic Control (Source: AIA)
Raytheon and XM Satellite Radio Holdings are bidding together on a contract to overhaul the air traffic control system, transforming the current radar-based system into a modern and efficient satellite-based system. The FAA is expected to award the contract as early as next week. The deal could be worth more than $2 billion over the next 20 years. "This is a transformation of the air traffic control system," said an FAA spokesman. "We've made quantitative leaps over the years, from flags to bonfires to radars and now to satellites." Lockheed Martin and ITT are also bidding on the work.
NASA Testing Drone to Monitor Wildfires (Source: AIA)
A Predator B aircraft flown remotely from a ground control station at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in California has begun flights over the West. The craft will test technology for real-time thermal imaging and mapping of wildfires, with data transmitted as a Google Earth overlay.
Globe Wireless Completes Acquisition (Source: Globe)
Florida-based Globe Wireless has completed the acquisition of competitors SeaWave & Rydex. Globe Wireless, a provider of satellite communication systems and services for ships, will provide services to more than 8,000 ships and more than 500 ship operators. The company plans to add 15 employees at its Brevard County headquarters in the next three months. The new workers will be a mix of new hires and employees from SeaWave & Rydex.
CLS Expanding Marine Comm Products (Source: CLS America)
CLS America Inc. is developing a new Iridium-based Fisheries Vessel Management System (VMS). The company will deploy prototypes in September and will begin certification process and field trials with NOAA soon. CLS America has an office at Cape Canaveral and will ultimately market the product in Florida. CLS America has been involved in providing satellite-based tracking and monitoring products and services to the maritime and fishing communities for over 20 years.
Computer Sciences Raytheon Wins $816.17 Million Air Force Range Contract (Source: Florida Today)
Computer Sciences Raytheon has been awarded an $816.17 million contract to provide Eastern Range Technical Services, including operations, maintenance and long-term critical range and launch processing systems that support the launch processing mission of the 45th Space Wing and its launch customers at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The scope of this work will include all critical range systems and associated support systems, the Defense Department said. Services include downrange facilities support, base and range local area network/metropolitan area network and other technical systems support required for successful range mission accomplishment.
NASA Finds Cracks in Tank Awaiting Mission (Source: Houston Chronicle)
Hidden cracks in the foam insulation on the space shuttle Endeavour's fuel tank were the most likely cause of the debris that struck the space vehicle during liftoff, leaving a worrisome gouge the heat shielding. Cracks were found in X-rays of the insulation of an external tank assigned to the next shuttle mission, scheduled for launch Oct. 23. The cause of the cracking is still under investigation, but Wayne Hale , NASA's shuttle program manager, said it appears to be linked to the initial application process.
For future flights, the space agency will remove the source of the breakaway foam from five brackets that hold a 70-foot liquid oxygen propellant line to the outside of the tank. The procedure can be completed without delaying a late October launch of the shuttle Discovery, officials said. Left uncertain was how the space agency would address the safety threat to future mission as it attempts to finish the assembly of the space station by 2010.
Editorial: Plan to Use Spy Satellites for Domestic Purposes Needs to be Carefully Managed (Source: Washington Post)
Intelligence satellites have been used domestically for years on an ad hoc basis -- for example, to assess damage after a natural disaster, to help with security at major events or for scientific studies. The FBI called in spy satellite help when tracking the Washington area snipers. Now, the Bush administration is forming a unit within the Department of Homeland Security to enable more routine domestic use of satellite imagery -- for purposes such as protecting the borders and helping local law enforcement. The administration's plan makes sense. But it is essential that these capabilities be used carefully, with due regard for Americans' privacy concerns and with careful monitoring, including congressional oversight.
Northrop Grumman Completes Acquisition of Scaled Composites (Source: Northrop Grumman)
Northrop Grumman has completed a transaction that increases its ownership in Scaled Composites from approximately 40 percent to 100 percent. Scaled Composites is an aerospace and specialty composites development company located in Mojave, Calif., with broad experience in vehicle design, tooling, and manufacturing; specialty composite structure design, analysis and fabrication; and developmental flight test.
NASA to Fix Foam; Launch Still Set for Oct. 23 (Source: Florida Today)
NASA is going to remove and replace cracked foam covers on the external tank for shuttle Discovery's upcoming mission to the International Space Station, but launch remains scheduled for Oct. 23. The extra work, however, will push back preparations for the planned Dec. 6 launch of Atlantis and a European science laboratory, making it less likely NASA will be able to send up that mission during a short seven-day window.
Magnetic Gravity Trick Grows Perfect Crystals (Source: NewScientist.com)
One of the few scientific success stories of the International Space Station has been its use to grow large, pure crystals in microgravity (see Space station unlocks new world of crystals). Now scientists from the Netherlands and Japan have shown that a strong magnetic field can mimic the effects of microgravity when growing protein crystals. The new Earth-bound technique could provide a cheaper and easier way to produce crystals of the same quality as those grown aboard the ISS.
“Forging the Future of Space Science” Seminar Series Includes Tallahassee Event (Source: National Academies)
The Space Studies Board (SSB) of the National Research Council will kick off a yearlong series of public lectures and colloquia in cities across the country and abroad. “Forging the Future of Space Science – The Next 50 Years” will celebrate the spectacular achievements of space and earth science, examine new discoveries in both fields, and look ahead at what the next 50 years may bring.
Each regional event involves an afternoon panel discussion with local scientists and the public, followed by an evening lecture by a distinguished space scientist. Topics include understanding the universe, global climate change, the cosmic origins of life, scientific exploration of the Moon and Mars, and the research and technology needed to support human spaceflight. These events are free and open to the public.
A Tallahassee-based event is planned on Jan. 16 at the Challenger Learning Center. The topic will be "The International Space Station as a Laboratory and Testbed" and NASA Astronaut Carl Walz will be the featured lecturer. Visit http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=08162007 for information.
Raytheon and XM Satellite Radio Holdings are bidding together on a contract to overhaul the air traffic control system, transforming the current radar-based system into a modern and efficient satellite-based system. The FAA is expected to award the contract as early as next week. The deal could be worth more than $2 billion over the next 20 years. "This is a transformation of the air traffic control system," said an FAA spokesman. "We've made quantitative leaps over the years, from flags to bonfires to radars and now to satellites." Lockheed Martin and ITT are also bidding on the work.
NASA Testing Drone to Monitor Wildfires (Source: AIA)
A Predator B aircraft flown remotely from a ground control station at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in California has begun flights over the West. The craft will test technology for real-time thermal imaging and mapping of wildfires, with data transmitted as a Google Earth overlay.
Globe Wireless Completes Acquisition (Source: Globe)
Florida-based Globe Wireless has completed the acquisition of competitors SeaWave & Rydex. Globe Wireless, a provider of satellite communication systems and services for ships, will provide services to more than 8,000 ships and more than 500 ship operators. The company plans to add 15 employees at its Brevard County headquarters in the next three months. The new workers will be a mix of new hires and employees from SeaWave & Rydex.
CLS Expanding Marine Comm Products (Source: CLS America)
CLS America Inc. is developing a new Iridium-based Fisheries Vessel Management System (VMS). The company will deploy prototypes in September and will begin certification process and field trials with NOAA soon. CLS America has an office at Cape Canaveral and will ultimately market the product in Florida. CLS America has been involved in providing satellite-based tracking and monitoring products and services to the maritime and fishing communities for over 20 years.
Computer Sciences Raytheon Wins $816.17 Million Air Force Range Contract (Source: Florida Today)
Computer Sciences Raytheon has been awarded an $816.17 million contract to provide Eastern Range Technical Services, including operations, maintenance and long-term critical range and launch processing systems that support the launch processing mission of the 45th Space Wing and its launch customers at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The scope of this work will include all critical range systems and associated support systems, the Defense Department said. Services include downrange facilities support, base and range local area network/metropolitan area network and other technical systems support required for successful range mission accomplishment.
NASA Finds Cracks in Tank Awaiting Mission (Source: Houston Chronicle)
Hidden cracks in the foam insulation on the space shuttle Endeavour's fuel tank were the most likely cause of the debris that struck the space vehicle during liftoff, leaving a worrisome gouge the heat shielding. Cracks were found in X-rays of the insulation of an external tank assigned to the next shuttle mission, scheduled for launch Oct. 23. The cause of the cracking is still under investigation, but Wayne Hale , NASA's shuttle program manager, said it appears to be linked to the initial application process.
For future flights, the space agency will remove the source of the breakaway foam from five brackets that hold a 70-foot liquid oxygen propellant line to the outside of the tank. The procedure can be completed without delaying a late October launch of the shuttle Discovery, officials said. Left uncertain was how the space agency would address the safety threat to future mission as it attempts to finish the assembly of the space station by 2010.
Editorial: Plan to Use Spy Satellites for Domestic Purposes Needs to be Carefully Managed (Source: Washington Post)
Intelligence satellites have been used domestically for years on an ad hoc basis -- for example, to assess damage after a natural disaster, to help with security at major events or for scientific studies. The FBI called in spy satellite help when tracking the Washington area snipers. Now, the Bush administration is forming a unit within the Department of Homeland Security to enable more routine domestic use of satellite imagery -- for purposes such as protecting the borders and helping local law enforcement. The administration's plan makes sense. But it is essential that these capabilities be used carefully, with due regard for Americans' privacy concerns and with careful monitoring, including congressional oversight.
Northrop Grumman Completes Acquisition of Scaled Composites (Source: Northrop Grumman)
Northrop Grumman has completed a transaction that increases its ownership in Scaled Composites from approximately 40 percent to 100 percent. Scaled Composites is an aerospace and specialty composites development company located in Mojave, Calif., with broad experience in vehicle design, tooling, and manufacturing; specialty composite structure design, analysis and fabrication; and developmental flight test.
NASA to Fix Foam; Launch Still Set for Oct. 23 (Source: Florida Today)
NASA is going to remove and replace cracked foam covers on the external tank for shuttle Discovery's upcoming mission to the International Space Station, but launch remains scheduled for Oct. 23. The extra work, however, will push back preparations for the planned Dec. 6 launch of Atlantis and a European science laboratory, making it less likely NASA will be able to send up that mission during a short seven-day window.
Magnetic Gravity Trick Grows Perfect Crystals (Source: NewScientist.com)
One of the few scientific success stories of the International Space Station has been its use to grow large, pure crystals in microgravity (see Space station unlocks new world of crystals). Now scientists from the Netherlands and Japan have shown that a strong magnetic field can mimic the effects of microgravity when growing protein crystals. The new Earth-bound technique could provide a cheaper and easier way to produce crystals of the same quality as those grown aboard the ISS.
“Forging the Future of Space Science” Seminar Series Includes Tallahassee Event (Source: National Academies)
The Space Studies Board (SSB) of the National Research Council will kick off a yearlong series of public lectures and colloquia in cities across the country and abroad. “Forging the Future of Space Science – The Next 50 Years” will celebrate the spectacular achievements of space and earth science, examine new discoveries in both fields, and look ahead at what the next 50 years may bring.
Each regional event involves an afternoon panel discussion with local scientists and the public, followed by an evening lecture by a distinguished space scientist. Topics include understanding the universe, global climate change, the cosmic origins of life, scientific exploration of the Moon and Mars, and the research and technology needed to support human spaceflight. These events are free and open to the public.
A Tallahassee-based event is planned on Jan. 16 at the Challenger Learning Center. The topic will be "The International Space Station as a Laboratory and Testbed" and NASA Astronaut Carl Walz will be the featured lecturer. Visit http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=08162007 for information.
August 24 News Items
NFIRE Satellite Successfully Tracks Missile (Source: AIA)
The U.S. Near Field Infrared Experiment research satellite successfully carried out a data-collection experiment that will aid in the development of space-based missile defense technology. The satellite tracked a modified Minuteman II booster vehicle that was fired from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
CSR Wins $816 Million Contract (Source: Reuters)
Computer Sciences Raytheon, a joint venture of Computer Sciences Corp. and Raytheon, won an Air Force contract valued at $816.2 million for range support for space launches.
Editorial: NASA at 50: Looking for That Second Wind (Source: SpaceRef.com)
NASA loves to try and push ideas at people. Often times, the pictures and information beamed back to Earth are so astonishing and filled with raw excitement that it almost does not matter how things are presented. More often than not, the relevance is not apparent and some additional pushing needs to be done. Alas, that pushing does not always work. Also, there is more to space exploration - and its relevance - than pretty pictures or complicated intellectual discussions. Yet as amazing as this stuff is - a lot of what NASA does is boring (yet still important). However, no real effort is expended to explain its relevancy to everyday life - and the expenditure of tax dollars - dollars people always seem to feel would be better spent elsewhere (even if they can't always say why). After all, NASA is a part of the Federal government - and we pay them to do things for us. Visit http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewnews.html?id=1229 to view the article.
Colorado University Wins $92M Contract for Satellite Gear to Forecast Solar Disturbances (Source: AIA)
The University of Colorado's Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics has landed a $92 million contract to build satellite instruments to forecast solar disturbances. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and NASA tapped the school to build four satellite instruments for detecting and measuring solar flare activity and radiation. LASP will deliver the first of the four instruments in 2012.
Evidence of Extra-Terrestrial Life Near, Says NASA Scientist (Source: ABC Tasmania)
A NASA scientist says new technology may be able to provide a definitive answer to the question of whether there's extra-terrestrial life within our generation. Dr Jack Bacon says that the strong evidence of microbial life on Mars indicates that Earth is not the only planet capable of sustaining life. "I am personally convinced that it is abundant and possibly near," he said. I doubt that we see UFO's flying around our skies, but I believe that within the generation we will probably find very significant evidence of its existence."
Publicity-Seeking Virgin Galactic Keeps Low Profile After Blast (Source: KOLO)
As a female voice coos, "Welcome to space," six passengers in skintight spacesuits unbuckle their seatbelts and somersault in zero gravity, occasionally peeking back at Earth through the private spaceship's large portholes. Virgin Galactic showed off this animated video promoting the weightless joys of commercial space travel at a trade show for experimental aircraft last month. But the excitement was overshadowed three days later when a deadly flash explosion rocked a Mojave Desert facility where top-secret tests were under way for Virgin's yet-unbuilt spaceship. The accident at the remote site run by famed aerospace designer Burt Rutan rattled the fledgling space tourism industry, which has enjoyed a honeymoon period since 2004 when Rutan launched SpaceShipOne, the first private manned rocket into space.
It also offered insight into how two pioneering companies that forged an unlikely partnership two years ago to fly civilians to space reacted to the tragedy. In a reversal of roles, Richard Branson's publicity-seeking Virgin Galactic kept a low profile while its usually silent partner, Rutan's Scaled Composites LLC, took to the Internet to mourn its workers. Some space experts believe Virgin Galactic is following the right strategy because the accident was of an industrial nature and not directly related to spaceflight.
Gulf Coast Key to NASA's Future Exploration Plans (Source: NASA)
Future NASA astronauts who land on the moon will owe their success in part to the men and women of the Gulf Coast, who are already at work on the next generation of space travel. NASA's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi and NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans both will have critical roles in the Constellation Program, which aims to land astronauts on the moon by the end of the next decade. A Stennis test stand ground breaking ceremony was attended by Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour, Sen. Thad Cochran, Sen. Trent Lott and Rep. Gene Taylor, and is a sign of the futuristic changes on the Gulf Coast.
NASA Jobs in Transition (Source: Florida Today)
About 100 small business representatives gathered in Cocoa Beach on Thursday, learning how to participate in NASA's Constellation program, the next generation of the agency's space exploration. The six-hour NASA Constellation Small Business Forum included talks from Kennedy Space Center representatives, and also from prime contractors, such as Boeing, Harris Corp., Lockheed Martin and Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne. Representatives of small businesses from all across Florida attended the forum.
One of the small-business executives at Thursday's forum was Ron Cobb, vice president of the West Melbourne-based Soneticom Inc., a designer and manufacturer of communication devices. Cobb said, as NASA transitions away from space shuttle technology, there now is more of a willingness to use small, high-tech companies like his for work.
The U.S. Near Field Infrared Experiment research satellite successfully carried out a data-collection experiment that will aid in the development of space-based missile defense technology. The satellite tracked a modified Minuteman II booster vehicle that was fired from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
CSR Wins $816 Million Contract (Source: Reuters)
Computer Sciences Raytheon, a joint venture of Computer Sciences Corp. and Raytheon, won an Air Force contract valued at $816.2 million for range support for space launches.
Editorial: NASA at 50: Looking for That Second Wind (Source: SpaceRef.com)
NASA loves to try and push ideas at people. Often times, the pictures and information beamed back to Earth are so astonishing and filled with raw excitement that it almost does not matter how things are presented. More often than not, the relevance is not apparent and some additional pushing needs to be done. Alas, that pushing does not always work. Also, there is more to space exploration - and its relevance - than pretty pictures or complicated intellectual discussions. Yet as amazing as this stuff is - a lot of what NASA does is boring (yet still important). However, no real effort is expended to explain its relevancy to everyday life - and the expenditure of tax dollars - dollars people always seem to feel would be better spent elsewhere (even if they can't always say why). After all, NASA is a part of the Federal government - and we pay them to do things for us. Visit http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewnews.html?id=1229 to view the article.
Colorado University Wins $92M Contract for Satellite Gear to Forecast Solar Disturbances (Source: AIA)
The University of Colorado's Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics has landed a $92 million contract to build satellite instruments to forecast solar disturbances. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and NASA tapped the school to build four satellite instruments for detecting and measuring solar flare activity and radiation. LASP will deliver the first of the four instruments in 2012.
Evidence of Extra-Terrestrial Life Near, Says NASA Scientist (Source: ABC Tasmania)
A NASA scientist says new technology may be able to provide a definitive answer to the question of whether there's extra-terrestrial life within our generation. Dr Jack Bacon says that the strong evidence of microbial life on Mars indicates that Earth is not the only planet capable of sustaining life. "I am personally convinced that it is abundant and possibly near," he said. I doubt that we see UFO's flying around our skies, but I believe that within the generation we will probably find very significant evidence of its existence."
Publicity-Seeking Virgin Galactic Keeps Low Profile After Blast (Source: KOLO)
As a female voice coos, "Welcome to space," six passengers in skintight spacesuits unbuckle their seatbelts and somersault in zero gravity, occasionally peeking back at Earth through the private spaceship's large portholes. Virgin Galactic showed off this animated video promoting the weightless joys of commercial space travel at a trade show for experimental aircraft last month. But the excitement was overshadowed three days later when a deadly flash explosion rocked a Mojave Desert facility where top-secret tests were under way for Virgin's yet-unbuilt spaceship. The accident at the remote site run by famed aerospace designer Burt Rutan rattled the fledgling space tourism industry, which has enjoyed a honeymoon period since 2004 when Rutan launched SpaceShipOne, the first private manned rocket into space.
It also offered insight into how two pioneering companies that forged an unlikely partnership two years ago to fly civilians to space reacted to the tragedy. In a reversal of roles, Richard Branson's publicity-seeking Virgin Galactic kept a low profile while its usually silent partner, Rutan's Scaled Composites LLC, took to the Internet to mourn its workers. Some space experts believe Virgin Galactic is following the right strategy because the accident was of an industrial nature and not directly related to spaceflight.
Gulf Coast Key to NASA's Future Exploration Plans (Source: NASA)
Future NASA astronauts who land on the moon will owe their success in part to the men and women of the Gulf Coast, who are already at work on the next generation of space travel. NASA's Stennis Space Center in Mississippi and NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans both will have critical roles in the Constellation Program, which aims to land astronauts on the moon by the end of the next decade. A Stennis test stand ground breaking ceremony was attended by Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour, Sen. Thad Cochran, Sen. Trent Lott and Rep. Gene Taylor, and is a sign of the futuristic changes on the Gulf Coast.
NASA Jobs in Transition (Source: Florida Today)
About 100 small business representatives gathered in Cocoa Beach on Thursday, learning how to participate in NASA's Constellation program, the next generation of the agency's space exploration. The six-hour NASA Constellation Small Business Forum included talks from Kennedy Space Center representatives, and also from prime contractors, such as Boeing, Harris Corp., Lockheed Martin and Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne. Representatives of small businesses from all across Florida attended the forum.
One of the small-business executives at Thursday's forum was Ron Cobb, vice president of the West Melbourne-based Soneticom Inc., a designer and manufacturer of communication devices. Cobb said, as NASA transitions away from space shuttle technology, there now is more of a willingness to use small, high-tech companies like his for work.
August 23 News Items
Astronomers Find Enormous Hole in the Universe (Source: NRAO)
Astronomers have found an enormous hole in the Universe, nearly a billion light-years across, empty of both normal matter such as stars, galaxies, and gas, and the mysterious, unseen "dark matter." While earlier studies have shown holes, or voids, in the large-scale structure of the Universe, this new discovery dwarfs them all. Astronomers have known for years that, on large scales, the Universe has voids largely empty of matter. However, most of these voids are much smaller than this one. In addition, the number of discovered voids decreases as the size increases.
Stennis To Be Site Of New Rocket Test Stand (Source: WDSU)
Leaders at NASA's Stennis Space Center broke ground Thursday morning on a test stand to be used for the next generation of shuttle engines. Stennis is the space program's primary center for rocket propulsion testing, and because of the new stand, leaders said the Gulf Coast will continue to benefit. "There are construction jobs as part of building the stand, and also we have approximately 30 percent of our work force here at Stennis comes from Louisiana in support of the engine testing that we do currently with the space shuttle main engine. So, this will bridge us into the next generation vehicle and will continue our rich heritage of testing rocket engines here at Stennis Space Center," Robert Ross said.
SpaceX to Expand Work Force (Source: Los Angeles Business Journal)
Space Exploration Technologies, the El Segundo-based developer of experimental low-cost rockets, says it plans to add another 150-250 people to its work force by December 2008 as part of an expansion plan that parallels the company's strong revenue picture. "At current growth rates, I expect the personnel count will be between 500 and 600 by the end of 2008," company founder Elon Musk wrote. SpaceX employs about 350 workers, mostly at the El Segundo headquarters. However, a growing number of employees are located at the company's engine and structural development site in Texas, the Kwajalein Atoll island launch complex, a launch complex at Cape Canaveral and a Washington, D.C., office, Musk wrote. In March 2003, SpaceX had only 20 employees.
Rocketplane Cuts Workforce As Financial Woes Mount (Source: Wall Street Journal)
Rocketplane Kistler Inc., once in the vanguard of innovative, privately funded space-exploration ventures, is laying off some employees and has told certain suppliers to stop working on a proposed reusable rocket to serve the International Space Station, according to industry and company officials. Despite months of effort, the closely held Oklahoma City firm has failed to raise the hundreds of millions of dollars required to keep the project on track and remain eligible for further U.S. government assistance. The move is a dramatic setback for nascent efforts to secure mainstream commercial funding for various space endeavors.
British Company Signs Commercial Agreement for Chang's Plasma Rocket Engine (Tico Times)
The British company Excalibur Exploration signed an agreement this week that will allow it to use a plasma rocket being developed by Costa Rican astronaut Franklin Chang to transport its lab materials in space. Chang is building this engine, called Vasimr, at his Ad Astra lab in the city of Liberia. Excalibur works on commercial space exploration and hopes to establish a base on the moon. Excalibur plans to do a study to determine how exactly the research will be carried out. “Vasimr is a technological key for the future of these space flights. We believe this is a great step for both (companies) and we hope it will be the first of many,” said Excalibur Exploration president Art Dula.
Search on for Homans' Replacement (Source: Las Cruces Sun-News)
The New Mexico Spaceport Authority is moving forward without former director Rick Homans, who left in late July after three months on the job. The authority voted Tuesday to conduct a nationwide search for his replacement and will ask legislators next year for an increase in the agency's operating budget that once tried to stay "lean" on staff but now looks to expand to handle the magnitude of the $198 million Spaceport America project. "The individual who we are looking for is a unique individual," New Mexico Spaceport Authority chairwoman Kelly O'Donnell said. One option being considered is for a current university executive or laboratory executive to be loaned to the authority to serve as its director. O'Donnell said the search could take "a couple of months."
Uncertainty Over Site of NM Spaceport Visitor Center (Source: Las Cruces Sun-News)
The location of a planned $1 million Spaceport America welcome center — initially announced for the village of Hatch — is not set in stone, but Hatch officials are making sure the village is in the running when the location is finalized. Included in the $198 million for the spaceport are funds for two welcome centers, one in Hatch and another in Truth or Consequences. But according to one Doña Ana County legislator, the location of the Hatch center was questioned by three other local lawmakers. Hatch officials have provided the NMSA with a preliminary feasibility study conducted free of charge by the New Mexico State University Arrowhead Center that examines the benefits of a Hatch location.
Despite Lack, Rocketplane Confident of Funding as Deadline Nears (Source: News OK)
Although Rocketplane Kistler has failed to secure additional funding for its K-1 orbital vehicle, company officials said the project still is headed toward success. The Oklahoma City company received a $207 million contract from NASA to help finance a demonstration flight at the International Space Station in 2009, but it still needs to secure millions more before the year is over. CEO George French said a declining market is to blame for the aerospace company's lack of private funding. He would not specify how much private funding the company needs to secure for the K-1 project but said it's "hundreds of millions.” French said the company is making headway in securing investors for the project. He said though the deadline for the funds is fast approaching, he's confident Rocketplane will get the funding it needs.
XCOR Rockets Onto Inc.'s '500 Fastest Growing Companies' (Source: XCOR)
Like the rocket-powered aircraft it builds, Mojave-based XCOR Aerospace's business has taken off, earning it a spot on the prestigious Inc. 500 list of fastest growing private companies, based on the percentage increase of revenue over a three-year period. The small, privately-held California C-Corporation was ranked No. 446 overall with 646 percent three-year revenue growth from 2003 through 2006.
The breakthrough came when the team decided to modify a pusher-propeller-powered Long EZ airplane and replace its conventional piston engine with XCOR-designed and built rocket engines. This demonstrated XCOR's re-usable and re-startable rocket motors on actual flying hardware. The rocket plane not only proved the reliability of XCOR's technology, it generated publicity and helped raise the firm's profile in the aerospace industry. This attracted serious investors, including Esther Dyson and the investment group, Boston Harbor Angels.
Operationally Responsive Space is Moving Forward (Source: USAF)
Just a few months after its May 21 stand-up, the joint service Operationally Responsive Space (ORS) Office is moving forward on the guidance to focus its efforts on a tiered approach to enhance responsiveness of space capabilities to joint force commanders. This three-tiered approach will improve the ability to develop, acquire, field and employ space capabilities in shortened timeframes and in more affordable ways. The approach was set forth in the report, Plan for Operationally Responsive Space, which was signed by Undersecretary of the Air Force Dr. Ron Sega and U.S. Strategic Command Commander Marine Corps Gen. James Cartwright. Visit http://www.afspc.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123065153to read the news release.
SpaceX Falcon 9's Rocket Engine's First Flight in January (Source: Flight International)
Space Exploration Technologies' (SpaceX) first- and second-stage Merlin 1C engine, designed for its 1,000,000lb-thrust in vacuum (4,450kN) Falcon 9 rocket, will be flight tested in January powering the first stage of the company's smaller 102,000lb-thrust Falcon 1e, the latest variant of this launcher. The Merlin 1C-powered Falcon 1e arrives at the company's Kwajalein atoll launch complex at the Ronald Reagan ballistic missile test site in the Pacific Ocean in December for the January launch.
Astronomers have found an enormous hole in the Universe, nearly a billion light-years across, empty of both normal matter such as stars, galaxies, and gas, and the mysterious, unseen "dark matter." While earlier studies have shown holes, or voids, in the large-scale structure of the Universe, this new discovery dwarfs them all. Astronomers have known for years that, on large scales, the Universe has voids largely empty of matter. However, most of these voids are much smaller than this one. In addition, the number of discovered voids decreases as the size increases.
Stennis To Be Site Of New Rocket Test Stand (Source: WDSU)
Leaders at NASA's Stennis Space Center broke ground Thursday morning on a test stand to be used for the next generation of shuttle engines. Stennis is the space program's primary center for rocket propulsion testing, and because of the new stand, leaders said the Gulf Coast will continue to benefit. "There are construction jobs as part of building the stand, and also we have approximately 30 percent of our work force here at Stennis comes from Louisiana in support of the engine testing that we do currently with the space shuttle main engine. So, this will bridge us into the next generation vehicle and will continue our rich heritage of testing rocket engines here at Stennis Space Center," Robert Ross said.
SpaceX to Expand Work Force (Source: Los Angeles Business Journal)
Space Exploration Technologies, the El Segundo-based developer of experimental low-cost rockets, says it plans to add another 150-250 people to its work force by December 2008 as part of an expansion plan that parallels the company's strong revenue picture. "At current growth rates, I expect the personnel count will be between 500 and 600 by the end of 2008," company founder Elon Musk wrote. SpaceX employs about 350 workers, mostly at the El Segundo headquarters. However, a growing number of employees are located at the company's engine and structural development site in Texas, the Kwajalein Atoll island launch complex, a launch complex at Cape Canaveral and a Washington, D.C., office, Musk wrote. In March 2003, SpaceX had only 20 employees.
Rocketplane Cuts Workforce As Financial Woes Mount (Source: Wall Street Journal)
Rocketplane Kistler Inc., once in the vanguard of innovative, privately funded space-exploration ventures, is laying off some employees and has told certain suppliers to stop working on a proposed reusable rocket to serve the International Space Station, according to industry and company officials. Despite months of effort, the closely held Oklahoma City firm has failed to raise the hundreds of millions of dollars required to keep the project on track and remain eligible for further U.S. government assistance. The move is a dramatic setback for nascent efforts to secure mainstream commercial funding for various space endeavors.
British Company Signs Commercial Agreement for Chang's Plasma Rocket Engine (Tico Times)
The British company Excalibur Exploration signed an agreement this week that will allow it to use a plasma rocket being developed by Costa Rican astronaut Franklin Chang to transport its lab materials in space. Chang is building this engine, called Vasimr, at his Ad Astra lab in the city of Liberia. Excalibur works on commercial space exploration and hopes to establish a base on the moon. Excalibur plans to do a study to determine how exactly the research will be carried out. “Vasimr is a technological key for the future of these space flights. We believe this is a great step for both (companies) and we hope it will be the first of many,” said Excalibur Exploration president Art Dula.
Search on for Homans' Replacement (Source: Las Cruces Sun-News)
The New Mexico Spaceport Authority is moving forward without former director Rick Homans, who left in late July after three months on the job. The authority voted Tuesday to conduct a nationwide search for his replacement and will ask legislators next year for an increase in the agency's operating budget that once tried to stay "lean" on staff but now looks to expand to handle the magnitude of the $198 million Spaceport America project. "The individual who we are looking for is a unique individual," New Mexico Spaceport Authority chairwoman Kelly O'Donnell said. One option being considered is for a current university executive or laboratory executive to be loaned to the authority to serve as its director. O'Donnell said the search could take "a couple of months."
Uncertainty Over Site of NM Spaceport Visitor Center (Source: Las Cruces Sun-News)
The location of a planned $1 million Spaceport America welcome center — initially announced for the village of Hatch — is not set in stone, but Hatch officials are making sure the village is in the running when the location is finalized. Included in the $198 million for the spaceport are funds for two welcome centers, one in Hatch and another in Truth or Consequences. But according to one Doña Ana County legislator, the location of the Hatch center was questioned by three other local lawmakers. Hatch officials have provided the NMSA with a preliminary feasibility study conducted free of charge by the New Mexico State University Arrowhead Center that examines the benefits of a Hatch location.
Despite Lack, Rocketplane Confident of Funding as Deadline Nears (Source: News OK)
Although Rocketplane Kistler has failed to secure additional funding for its K-1 orbital vehicle, company officials said the project still is headed toward success. The Oklahoma City company received a $207 million contract from NASA to help finance a demonstration flight at the International Space Station in 2009, but it still needs to secure millions more before the year is over. CEO George French said a declining market is to blame for the aerospace company's lack of private funding. He would not specify how much private funding the company needs to secure for the K-1 project but said it's "hundreds of millions.” French said the company is making headway in securing investors for the project. He said though the deadline for the funds is fast approaching, he's confident Rocketplane will get the funding it needs.
XCOR Rockets Onto Inc.'s '500 Fastest Growing Companies' (Source: XCOR)
Like the rocket-powered aircraft it builds, Mojave-based XCOR Aerospace's business has taken off, earning it a spot on the prestigious Inc. 500 list of fastest growing private companies, based on the percentage increase of revenue over a three-year period. The small, privately-held California C-Corporation was ranked No. 446 overall with 646 percent three-year revenue growth from 2003 through 2006.
The breakthrough came when the team decided to modify a pusher-propeller-powered Long EZ airplane and replace its conventional piston engine with XCOR-designed and built rocket engines. This demonstrated XCOR's re-usable and re-startable rocket motors on actual flying hardware. The rocket plane not only proved the reliability of XCOR's technology, it generated publicity and helped raise the firm's profile in the aerospace industry. This attracted serious investors, including Esther Dyson and the investment group, Boston Harbor Angels.
Operationally Responsive Space is Moving Forward (Source: USAF)
Just a few months after its May 21 stand-up, the joint service Operationally Responsive Space (ORS) Office is moving forward on the guidance to focus its efforts on a tiered approach to enhance responsiveness of space capabilities to joint force commanders. This three-tiered approach will improve the ability to develop, acquire, field and employ space capabilities in shortened timeframes and in more affordable ways. The approach was set forth in the report, Plan for Operationally Responsive Space, which was signed by Undersecretary of the Air Force Dr. Ron Sega and U.S. Strategic Command Commander Marine Corps Gen. James Cartwright. Visit http://www.afspc.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123065153to read the news release.
SpaceX Falcon 9's Rocket Engine's First Flight in January (Source: Flight International)
Space Exploration Technologies' (SpaceX) first- and second-stage Merlin 1C engine, designed for its 1,000,000lb-thrust in vacuum (4,450kN) Falcon 9 rocket, will be flight tested in January powering the first stage of the company's smaller 102,000lb-thrust Falcon 1e, the latest variant of this launcher. The Merlin 1C-powered Falcon 1e arrives at the company's Kwajalein atoll launch complex at the Ronald Reagan ballistic missile test site in the Pacific Ocean in December for the January launch.
August 22 News Items
Central Florida Teacher Awaits His Flight Into Space (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
For Barbara Morgan, the teacher-turned-astronaut on space shuttle Endeavour, a classroom in space was a dream that took 22 years to come true. It is a dream shared by three other teachers in the Educator Astronaut Program who are looking forward to a "faculty meeting" with Morgan now that Endeavour has returned to Earth. One of those teachers is Central Florida's Joe Acaba. Acaba was teaching science and math at Dunnellon Middle School when NASA selected him for its program in April 2004.
Space Club Luncheon in September Features NPR's NASA Correspondent (Source: NSC)
The Florida Committee of the National Space Club will host its next monthly luncheon on Sep. 11 at the DoubleTree Hotel in Cocoa Beach. The featured speaker will be Pat Duggins, Senior News Analyst at WMFE and National Public Radio's NASA correspondent. Contact LaDonna Neterer at mailto:ladonna.j.neterer@boeing.com to RSVP or for information.
Russian Space Forces to Study Use of Piloted Spacecraft for Defense (Source: Interfax)
Russian Space Forces Commander Col.-Gen. Vladimir Popovkin said that piloted spacecraft could be used for defense purposes in the future. Speaking at the MAKS 2007 air show near Moscow, Popovkin said: "I met with new Energia head Vitaly Lopota at the air show. We will think about it, what piloted spacecrafts could do for defense purposes," Popovkin said.
Russian Space Agency to Form Three Space Holdings by 2015 (Source: RIA Novosti)
Russian space companies will be integrated into 10-12 groups, which will then be organized into three to four holdings by 2015, the head of the Russian space agency said. He also said the Federal Space Agency intends to boost the effectiveness of satellite communication systems, adding that six Glonass satellites will be launched before the end of the year, bringing their total number to 18 and covering all of Russian territory.
University Joins Effort to Launch All-Canadian Mars Mission (Source: CanWest News Service)
A network of universities, including Burnaby's Simon Fraser University, is planning an all-Canadian mission to Mars in 2009, using corporate funding to build a robot that will search for water and life on the Red Planet. The project, called Northern Light, will use the same launch method as satellites: a commercial rocket, likely a reliable type called Rockot, made from converted Soviet ballistic missiles. But the spacecraft that flies on to Mars, and likely the mission control for the period after it lands on Mars, would be all-Canadian, with headquarters at York University in Toronto.
FAA Chief to Lead Industry Group (Source: New York Times)
Marion C. Blakey, the administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, will become the new head of the Aerospace Industries Association, a trade group representing civilian and military aerospace companies, in November, the association said. Ms. Blakey, who led the National Transportation Safety Board before joining the FAA, was appointed by President Bush to a five-year term. Her term expires Sept. 13. The term of a successor would fall mostly in the next presidential administration. The White House has not announced an intention to nominate a successor.
Editorial: How the Shuttle and Pipe Dreams of the Moon Bleed Research (Source: LA Times)
Thankfully, NASA will retire its shuttle fleet by 2010. Still, the fleet's limited flight schedule and the useless International Space Station eat up more than one-third of the space agency's total $16.8-billion budget for the current fiscal year. Earth science (you know, the study of the place where we actually, um, live, using satellites and the like), by contrast, gets just $1.4 billion — and NASA is, appallingly, planning to spend less by 2012. Visit http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oew-thornton22aug22,0,7312645.story?coll=la-opinion-centerto view the editorial.
Google Earth Gets Starry-Eyed (Source: InfoWorld.com)
People can now use Google to peruse astrological wonders such as the Crab Nebula, an expanding remnant of a supernova 6,300 light years from earth. Markers within the star photos pull in explanatory text from Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia. Overlays outline constellations such as Leo, illustrate phases of the moon and show how the planets visible from Earth orbit over two months.
Google Sky uses high-resolution imagery from the Space Telescope Science Institute, the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, the Digital Sky Survey Consortium, CalTech's Palomar Observatory, the U.K.'s Astronomy Technology Center, the Anglo-Australian Observatory as well as NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. The imagery covers 100 million stars and 200 million galaxies, Google said.
For Barbara Morgan, the teacher-turned-astronaut on space shuttle Endeavour, a classroom in space was a dream that took 22 years to come true. It is a dream shared by three other teachers in the Educator Astronaut Program who are looking forward to a "faculty meeting" with Morgan now that Endeavour has returned to Earth. One of those teachers is Central Florida's Joe Acaba. Acaba was teaching science and math at Dunnellon Middle School when NASA selected him for its program in April 2004.
Space Club Luncheon in September Features NPR's NASA Correspondent (Source: NSC)
The Florida Committee of the National Space Club will host its next monthly luncheon on Sep. 11 at the DoubleTree Hotel in Cocoa Beach. The featured speaker will be Pat Duggins, Senior News Analyst at WMFE and National Public Radio's NASA correspondent. Contact LaDonna Neterer at mailto:ladonna.j.neterer@boeing.com to RSVP or for information.
Russian Space Forces to Study Use of Piloted Spacecraft for Defense (Source: Interfax)
Russian Space Forces Commander Col.-Gen. Vladimir Popovkin said that piloted spacecraft could be used for defense purposes in the future. Speaking at the MAKS 2007 air show near Moscow, Popovkin said: "I met with new Energia head Vitaly Lopota at the air show. We will think about it, what piloted spacecrafts could do for defense purposes," Popovkin said.
Russian Space Agency to Form Three Space Holdings by 2015 (Source: RIA Novosti)
Russian space companies will be integrated into 10-12 groups, which will then be organized into three to four holdings by 2015, the head of the Russian space agency said. He also said the Federal Space Agency intends to boost the effectiveness of satellite communication systems, adding that six Glonass satellites will be launched before the end of the year, bringing their total number to 18 and covering all of Russian territory.
University Joins Effort to Launch All-Canadian Mars Mission (Source: CanWest News Service)
A network of universities, including Burnaby's Simon Fraser University, is planning an all-Canadian mission to Mars in 2009, using corporate funding to build a robot that will search for water and life on the Red Planet. The project, called Northern Light, will use the same launch method as satellites: a commercial rocket, likely a reliable type called Rockot, made from converted Soviet ballistic missiles. But the spacecraft that flies on to Mars, and likely the mission control for the period after it lands on Mars, would be all-Canadian, with headquarters at York University in Toronto.
FAA Chief to Lead Industry Group (Source: New York Times)
Marion C. Blakey, the administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, will become the new head of the Aerospace Industries Association, a trade group representing civilian and military aerospace companies, in November, the association said. Ms. Blakey, who led the National Transportation Safety Board before joining the FAA, was appointed by President Bush to a five-year term. Her term expires Sept. 13. The term of a successor would fall mostly in the next presidential administration. The White House has not announced an intention to nominate a successor.
Editorial: How the Shuttle and Pipe Dreams of the Moon Bleed Research (Source: LA Times)
Thankfully, NASA will retire its shuttle fleet by 2010. Still, the fleet's limited flight schedule and the useless International Space Station eat up more than one-third of the space agency's total $16.8-billion budget for the current fiscal year. Earth science (you know, the study of the place where we actually, um, live, using satellites and the like), by contrast, gets just $1.4 billion — and NASA is, appallingly, planning to spend less by 2012. Visit http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oew-thornton22aug22,0,7312645.story?coll=la-opinion-centerto view the editorial.
Google Earth Gets Starry-Eyed (Source: InfoWorld.com)
People can now use Google to peruse astrological wonders such as the Crab Nebula, an expanding remnant of a supernova 6,300 light years from earth. Markers within the star photos pull in explanatory text from Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia. Overlays outline constellations such as Leo, illustrate phases of the moon and show how the planets visible from Earth orbit over two months.
Google Sky uses high-resolution imagery from the Space Telescope Science Institute, the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, the Digital Sky Survey Consortium, CalTech's Palomar Observatory, the U.K.'s Astronomy Technology Center, the Anglo-Australian Observatory as well as NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. The imagery covers 100 million stars and 200 million galaxies, Google said.
August 21 News Items
Russian, European Space Agencies to Develop Manned Spaceship (Source: RIA Novosti)
The Russian and European space agencies will develop a manned transport spaceship for flights to the International Space Station, the Moon and Mars, the head of the Russian agency said. "We agreed today with Jean-Jacques Dordain, the head of the European Space Agency, to form a working group to deal with developing a piloted transport system to fly to the International Space Station, the Moon and Mars," Anatoly Perminov said. "In September, representatives of the Russian and European space industry will start their work," he said, adding that a work scheme would be developed by the end of the year.
No Spaceflight, But Weightlessness a Nice Consolation for Teacher (Source: Gainesville [Georgia] Times)
She didn't make the cut for one of NASA's educator astronaut positions. But Tracy Robar, a Gainesville High School math teacher, still will get to embark on the thrill ride of a lifetime. She is set to fly Sept. 13 on the Weightless Flight of Discovery, sponsored by Northrop Grumman and ZERO-G. Sixty teachers will soar aboard a ZERO-G's G-Force One under the program. Northrop Grumman is bearing all the costs, including the flight suit Robar will wear and a video of the flight she can share with her students.
Soyuz Pad in Guiana Designed to Allow Human Spaceflight Expansion (Source: ERAU)
A delegation from NASA visited Europe's Kourou spaceport in French Guiana to inspect Ariane launch processing methods. They also got a first-hand view of new Vega and Soyuz launch pads under development at the spaceport. The new Soyuz launch tower is being designed to accommodate future expansion for human space missions.
NASA, NOAA Forge Closer Ties On Satellite Programs (Source: Aviation Week)
NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) plan to strengthen their satellite ties in the coming fiscal year with the re-establishment of an effort modeled after the Operational Satellite Improvement Program (OSIP) the agencies implemented in the 1970s. The OSIP "explicitly placed NASA in the role of technology developer and NOAA in the role of sustaining satellite operations," the agencies say in a recent report to Congress. Under the new OSIP program, NASA and NOAA would jointly define instrument requirements for Earth science spacecraft. NASA would develop and launch new instruments to demonstrate their viability, while NOAA would plan and budget for the transition of those instruments into operational systems, including paying for the operational spacecraft.
Shuttle Lands at Cape Canaveral Spaceport (Source: SpaceRef.com)
Space Shuttle Endeavour touched down at Kennedy Space Center at 12:32 p.m. Tuesday, ending its mission to the International Space Station. Endeavour returned home two weeks after it launched from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport.
NASA Glenn Gets Role in New Spacecraft Design (Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer)
Plans moved forward Monday for the NASA Glenn Research Center in Brook Park to help develop a new generation of spacecraft with the awarding of a $51.4 million contract. Benham Constructors LLC of Oklahoma City will build facilities in and around the giant thermal vacuum chamber at NASA's Plum Brook Station in Sandusky to test the conditions that the next generation of spacecraft are likely to face, starting with the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle. NASA Glenn manages the Plum Brook Station. The Orion is expected to carry astronauts to the moon and back to the International Space Station starting in 2019. Glenn's Plum Brook facilities also will be used to develop NASA's Constellation program for explorations to the moon, Mars and other destinations, NASA said.
Space Task Force Continues Podcasts (Source: STF)
The Space Task Force continues to post periodic space-themed podcasts at http://www.spacetaskforce.com/. The Florida-based organization sponsors interviews and discussions on aerospace industry news and events.
New Mexico Considers Concepts for Spaceport Visitor Center (Source: Las Cruces Sun-News)
The New Mexico Spaceport Authority was presented with a feasibility study for Spaceport America welcome centers, one of which is planned for the small farming community in northern Doña Ana County. The $198 million Spaceport America project — scheduled for completion in late 2009 or early 2010 in southern Sierra County — includes $1 million welcome centers and park-and-ride facilities in nearby Hatch and Truth or Consequences.
Moondust Miners Dig for $250,000 in NASA Prize Money (Source: WIRED)
Four couch-sized contraptions, all clearly homebuilt, sit inside a cavernous building at the Santa Maria, California, fairgrounds. One, made of unfinished wood, has denim conveyor belts running over purple and orange plastic beads. It's the brainchild of a boiler engineer from Michigan, whose girlfriend sewed the belts. Another, cobbled together by a systems analyst from nearby Arroyo Grande, features a set of steel trays attached to a long bicycle chain. A team of Los Angeles engineers used precisely machined aluminum and incorporated a toothed rotor that spins like a waterwheel. The tallest of the bunch, standing about 5 feet high, is a clattering assemblage of aluminum scoops mounted on a red conveyor. It represents a year and a half of work by 11 University of Missouri students, two of whom drove 30 hours to get the thing here. They're still scrambling to apply the finishing touches, slapping masking tape on the cups and adjusting bungee cords to keep it upright.
In a moment, the machines will face their opponent: a heap of fake moondust. This is the Regolith Excavation Challenge, a NASA-sponsored competition aimed at applying outsider ingenuity to space colonization. "We think of it as DIY punk rock meets high tech," says Matt Everingham, a fresh-faced engineer with the California Space Authority, the trade group cohosting the contest. Visit http://www.wired.com/science/space/magazine/15-09/ps_moondust to view the article.
RocketPlane Kistler Venture Failing to Win Investors (Source: Wall Street Journal)
In a potentially serious blow to privately supported space-exploration efforts, a project to develop a private-sector rocket to serve the International Space Station has failed to secure investors. Negotiations between a group of prospective commercial investors and a reusable-rocket venture led by closely held Rocketplane Kistler Inc. have broken down, according to industry officials familiar with the details. Alternative funding for the $500 million needed to keep the project on track is uncertain, these officials said. Rocketplane officials had said they were working on fresh financing and still expected the project to succeed, but declined to elaborate.
Shuttle Work May Stall Other Launches (Source: USA Today)
NASA officials are optimistic that space shuttle Endeavour will land safely Tuesday, but they conceded Monday that future shuttle launches are in jeopardy. Just two months before the next planned mission, NASA has decided to revamp a section of the shuttle's fuel tank that cracked off during Endeavour's Aug. 8 launch and gouged the shuttle's heat shield. The dent does not threaten the crew's safety, NASA says.
The next shuttle mission is scheduled for Oct. 23. Any fuel-tank fix could probably be applied soon enough for that flight to lift off on time, said shuttle program manager Wayne Hale. The odds are much lower for a Dec. 6 flight: a milestone mission to add the first European component to the International Space Station. An overhaul of the fuel tank slated to be used on the October mission will tie up NASA's tank hangar. That would keep technicians from starting work on the fuel tank assigned to the December flight.
Return from Arctic Mars (Source: MSNBC)
The Mars Society’s 100-day simulation of an expedition to the Red Planet is wrapping up in the Canadian Arctic - and although some have scoffed at the exercise as little more than grown-ups "pretending to be space explorers," a prominent NASA researcher who participated in the effort says the crew has done groundbreaking research. "The work that this crew has done will contribute to studies of Mars and to studies of the response of permafrost on Earth to global warming," Chris McKay of NASA's Ames Research Center. "Their pioneering simulation of crew operations on Mars time is by far the best work on this topic ever done. It sets the standard for future Mars mission simulations such as the proposed European Space Agency 500-day mission."
India Investing Funds in Manned Space Flight Program (Source: Itar-Tass)
India will invest within the coming five years some $1.5 billion in the development of a set of technologies to carry out a manned space flight by 2015. Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) ManhaVan Nair said that most of the designing, research and technical jobs would be completed already within the current five-year period – up to 2012. Indian experts still lack the necessary experience to build vehicles guaranteeing human safety on board. It is also necessary to increase the dependability of the booster rocket, which was earlier developed to place heavy satellites on a geosynchronic orbit. ISRO is hatching some other ambitious plans, too. “The leading global space powers have already announced their preparations to set up manned bases on the Moon in 2020,” Nair noted. “We believe India should not lag behind them,” he added.
India to Launch INSAT-4CR from Sriharikota on Sept. 1 (Source: The Hindu)
India is planning to launch its latest communication satellite, INSAT-4CR, from Sriharikota spaceport on September 1. This spacecraft is identical to INSAT-4C, which was lost during the unsuccessful launch of Geo-synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-F02) in July last year. INSAT-4CR, which has a mission life of ten years, carries 12 high-power Ku-band transponders designed to provide direct-to-home television services, facilitate video picture transmission and digital satellite news gathering.
Aerospace Group Spent $280,000 Lobbying (Source: AP)
The Aerospace Industries Association of America spent $280,000 to lobby the federal government in the first half of 2007, according to a federal disclosure form. The group lobbied Congress, the White House and various agencies, including NASA, the Federal Aviation Administration and the departments of Defense and State, on topics ranging from agency budgets and workforce issues, to acquisition reform and space exploration.
Space Solar Energy Has Future, U.S. Researchers Say (Source: USInfo.state.gov)
Beam solar energy directly from space, and disaster relief expeditions could power all their equipment with no more than a few portable antennas and converters. Campers could use such energy to cook dinners using nothing more than a cell phone-like device. But the primary beneficiaries of such a technological feat would be the many communities that would be able to tap into space solar energy fed into power grids. Terrestrial solar power stations already exist throughout the world. But sunlight is eight times less intense on the earth’s surface than in its geostationary orbit. So why not collect it in space and beam its energy to Earth via microwave power beam, which can penetrate the atmosphere more efficiently, ask U.S. researchers.
They have proposed putting in orbit mega-satellites -- giant, possibly inflatable structures of photovoltaic arrays and antennas -- that would do just that. At receiving stations on Earth, the beam could be converted into electricity or synthetic fuels, which, in contrast to power from terrestrial solar power stations, would flow continuously to the grid independent of the season, weather or location. Click here to view the article.
The Russian and European space agencies will develop a manned transport spaceship for flights to the International Space Station, the Moon and Mars, the head of the Russian agency said. "We agreed today with Jean-Jacques Dordain, the head of the European Space Agency, to form a working group to deal with developing a piloted transport system to fly to the International Space Station, the Moon and Mars," Anatoly Perminov said. "In September, representatives of the Russian and European space industry will start their work," he said, adding that a work scheme would be developed by the end of the year.
No Spaceflight, But Weightlessness a Nice Consolation for Teacher (Source: Gainesville [Georgia] Times)
She didn't make the cut for one of NASA's educator astronaut positions. But Tracy Robar, a Gainesville High School math teacher, still will get to embark on the thrill ride of a lifetime. She is set to fly Sept. 13 on the Weightless Flight of Discovery, sponsored by Northrop Grumman and ZERO-G. Sixty teachers will soar aboard a ZERO-G's G-Force One under the program. Northrop Grumman is bearing all the costs, including the flight suit Robar will wear and a video of the flight she can share with her students.
Soyuz Pad in Guiana Designed to Allow Human Spaceflight Expansion (Source: ERAU)
A delegation from NASA visited Europe's Kourou spaceport in French Guiana to inspect Ariane launch processing methods. They also got a first-hand view of new Vega and Soyuz launch pads under development at the spaceport. The new Soyuz launch tower is being designed to accommodate future expansion for human space missions.
NASA, NOAA Forge Closer Ties On Satellite Programs (Source: Aviation Week)
NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) plan to strengthen their satellite ties in the coming fiscal year with the re-establishment of an effort modeled after the Operational Satellite Improvement Program (OSIP) the agencies implemented in the 1970s. The OSIP "explicitly placed NASA in the role of technology developer and NOAA in the role of sustaining satellite operations," the agencies say in a recent report to Congress. Under the new OSIP program, NASA and NOAA would jointly define instrument requirements for Earth science spacecraft. NASA would develop and launch new instruments to demonstrate their viability, while NOAA would plan and budget for the transition of those instruments into operational systems, including paying for the operational spacecraft.
Shuttle Lands at Cape Canaveral Spaceport (Source: SpaceRef.com)
Space Shuttle Endeavour touched down at Kennedy Space Center at 12:32 p.m. Tuesday, ending its mission to the International Space Station. Endeavour returned home two weeks after it launched from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport.
NASA Glenn Gets Role in New Spacecraft Design (Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer)
Plans moved forward Monday for the NASA Glenn Research Center in Brook Park to help develop a new generation of spacecraft with the awarding of a $51.4 million contract. Benham Constructors LLC of Oklahoma City will build facilities in and around the giant thermal vacuum chamber at NASA's Plum Brook Station in Sandusky to test the conditions that the next generation of spacecraft are likely to face, starting with the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle. NASA Glenn manages the Plum Brook Station. The Orion is expected to carry astronauts to the moon and back to the International Space Station starting in 2019. Glenn's Plum Brook facilities also will be used to develop NASA's Constellation program for explorations to the moon, Mars and other destinations, NASA said.
Space Task Force Continues Podcasts (Source: STF)
The Space Task Force continues to post periodic space-themed podcasts at http://www.spacetaskforce.com/. The Florida-based organization sponsors interviews and discussions on aerospace industry news and events.
New Mexico Considers Concepts for Spaceport Visitor Center (Source: Las Cruces Sun-News)
The New Mexico Spaceport Authority was presented with a feasibility study for Spaceport America welcome centers, one of which is planned for the small farming community in northern Doña Ana County. The $198 million Spaceport America project — scheduled for completion in late 2009 or early 2010 in southern Sierra County — includes $1 million welcome centers and park-and-ride facilities in nearby Hatch and Truth or Consequences.
Moondust Miners Dig for $250,000 in NASA Prize Money (Source: WIRED)
Four couch-sized contraptions, all clearly homebuilt, sit inside a cavernous building at the Santa Maria, California, fairgrounds. One, made of unfinished wood, has denim conveyor belts running over purple and orange plastic beads. It's the brainchild of a boiler engineer from Michigan, whose girlfriend sewed the belts. Another, cobbled together by a systems analyst from nearby Arroyo Grande, features a set of steel trays attached to a long bicycle chain. A team of Los Angeles engineers used precisely machined aluminum and incorporated a toothed rotor that spins like a waterwheel. The tallest of the bunch, standing about 5 feet high, is a clattering assemblage of aluminum scoops mounted on a red conveyor. It represents a year and a half of work by 11 University of Missouri students, two of whom drove 30 hours to get the thing here. They're still scrambling to apply the finishing touches, slapping masking tape on the cups and adjusting bungee cords to keep it upright.
In a moment, the machines will face their opponent: a heap of fake moondust. This is the Regolith Excavation Challenge, a NASA-sponsored competition aimed at applying outsider ingenuity to space colonization. "We think of it as DIY punk rock meets high tech," says Matt Everingham, a fresh-faced engineer with the California Space Authority, the trade group cohosting the contest. Visit http://www.wired.com/science/space/magazine/15-09/ps_moondust to view the article.
RocketPlane Kistler Venture Failing to Win Investors (Source: Wall Street Journal)
In a potentially serious blow to privately supported space-exploration efforts, a project to develop a private-sector rocket to serve the International Space Station has failed to secure investors. Negotiations between a group of prospective commercial investors and a reusable-rocket venture led by closely held Rocketplane Kistler Inc. have broken down, according to industry officials familiar with the details. Alternative funding for the $500 million needed to keep the project on track is uncertain, these officials said. Rocketplane officials had said they were working on fresh financing and still expected the project to succeed, but declined to elaborate.
Shuttle Work May Stall Other Launches (Source: USA Today)
NASA officials are optimistic that space shuttle Endeavour will land safely Tuesday, but they conceded Monday that future shuttle launches are in jeopardy. Just two months before the next planned mission, NASA has decided to revamp a section of the shuttle's fuel tank that cracked off during Endeavour's Aug. 8 launch and gouged the shuttle's heat shield. The dent does not threaten the crew's safety, NASA says.
The next shuttle mission is scheduled for Oct. 23. Any fuel-tank fix could probably be applied soon enough for that flight to lift off on time, said shuttle program manager Wayne Hale. The odds are much lower for a Dec. 6 flight: a milestone mission to add the first European component to the International Space Station. An overhaul of the fuel tank slated to be used on the October mission will tie up NASA's tank hangar. That would keep technicians from starting work on the fuel tank assigned to the December flight.
Return from Arctic Mars (Source: MSNBC)
The Mars Society’s 100-day simulation of an expedition to the Red Planet is wrapping up in the Canadian Arctic - and although some have scoffed at the exercise as little more than grown-ups "pretending to be space explorers," a prominent NASA researcher who participated in the effort says the crew has done groundbreaking research. "The work that this crew has done will contribute to studies of Mars and to studies of the response of permafrost on Earth to global warming," Chris McKay of NASA's Ames Research Center. "Their pioneering simulation of crew operations on Mars time is by far the best work on this topic ever done. It sets the standard for future Mars mission simulations such as the proposed European Space Agency 500-day mission."
India Investing Funds in Manned Space Flight Program (Source: Itar-Tass)
India will invest within the coming five years some $1.5 billion in the development of a set of technologies to carry out a manned space flight by 2015. Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) ManhaVan Nair said that most of the designing, research and technical jobs would be completed already within the current five-year period – up to 2012. Indian experts still lack the necessary experience to build vehicles guaranteeing human safety on board. It is also necessary to increase the dependability of the booster rocket, which was earlier developed to place heavy satellites on a geosynchronic orbit. ISRO is hatching some other ambitious plans, too. “The leading global space powers have already announced their preparations to set up manned bases on the Moon in 2020,” Nair noted. “We believe India should not lag behind them,” he added.
India to Launch INSAT-4CR from Sriharikota on Sept. 1 (Source: The Hindu)
India is planning to launch its latest communication satellite, INSAT-4CR, from Sriharikota spaceport on September 1. This spacecraft is identical to INSAT-4C, which was lost during the unsuccessful launch of Geo-synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-F02) in July last year. INSAT-4CR, which has a mission life of ten years, carries 12 high-power Ku-band transponders designed to provide direct-to-home television services, facilitate video picture transmission and digital satellite news gathering.
Aerospace Group Spent $280,000 Lobbying (Source: AP)
The Aerospace Industries Association of America spent $280,000 to lobby the federal government in the first half of 2007, according to a federal disclosure form. The group lobbied Congress, the White House and various agencies, including NASA, the Federal Aviation Administration and the departments of Defense and State, on topics ranging from agency budgets and workforce issues, to acquisition reform and space exploration.
Space Solar Energy Has Future, U.S. Researchers Say (Source: USInfo.state.gov)
Beam solar energy directly from space, and disaster relief expeditions could power all their equipment with no more than a few portable antennas and converters. Campers could use such energy to cook dinners using nothing more than a cell phone-like device. But the primary beneficiaries of such a technological feat would be the many communities that would be able to tap into space solar energy fed into power grids. Terrestrial solar power stations already exist throughout the world. But sunlight is eight times less intense on the earth’s surface than in its geostationary orbit. So why not collect it in space and beam its energy to Earth via microwave power beam, which can penetrate the atmosphere more efficiently, ask U.S. researchers.
They have proposed putting in orbit mega-satellites -- giant, possibly inflatable structures of photovoltaic arrays and antennas -- that would do just that. At receiving stations on Earth, the beam could be converted into electricity or synthetic fuels, which, in contrast to power from terrestrial solar power stations, would flow continuously to the grid independent of the season, weather or location. Click here to view the article.
August 20 News Items
From One, Many (Source: Space Review)
Small satellites have recently found new acceptance as a complement to larger spacecraft. Jeff Foust reports on a couple of new initiatives that use clusters of smallsats to replace big satellites. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/937/1 to view the article.
Arianespace: Super Rockets or Super Sales Force? (Source: Space Review)
Arianespace has achieved considerable success in the commercial launch market in recent years. Taylor Dinerman credits this success as much to its sales and marketing as to the company's launch vehicles themselves. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/936/1 to view the article.
Caution Over Shuttle Shows Shift at NASA (Source: New York Times)
Confronted with the same kind of problem that doomed the space shuttle Columbia, NASA officials, chastened by years of criticism and upheaval in the agency, took a markedly different approach during the current mission of the Endeavour, calling on an array of new tools and procedures to analyze and respond to the problem. While the Columbia faced much more serious damage — a 6- to 10-inch hole punched in a wing that let in hot gases during re-entry — outside officials said that with the Endeavour, NASA had taken steps far more elaborate and methodical in concluding that the craft was still safe.
“The comparison is night and day,” said John M. Logsdon, director of the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University, who served on the investigation board that looked into the Columbia disaster. He said he thought NASA had handled the Endeavour situation perfectly. Engineers and officials with NASA will not know how accurate their analysis was or whether their decision to forgo a repair of a gouge in the Endeavour’s underside was the correct one until the shuttle is back on Earth. The landing is scheduled for tomorrow.
U.S. Air Force Seeks Future ORS Partners (Source: Defense News)
As the U.S. Air Force moves forward with the development and acquisition of small satellites and rockets under its operationally responsive space (ORS) effort, Pentagon leaders have given the service a mandate to find a variety of partners for cooperation. The mandate came from the report “Plan for Operationally Responsive Space,” which instructs the Air Force to find ways to work with its reserve components, the intelligence community and civil organizations like NASA. Such cooperation could provide significant benefit to the Air Force as well as its potential partners. However, in each case explored so far, the discussions have not gone beyond a preliminary stage.
Pratt & Whitney Machinists Reject Contract (Source: WFSB)
Machinists at Pratt & Whitney overwhelmingly rejected a new three-year contract proposal by the company. The machinist union's chief negotiator said the main sticking points were the company's lack of commitment to add jobs in Connecticut and a proposed 60 percent increase in health insurance premiums for workers. Pratt last month announced it won two U.S. Air Force engine contracts valued at more than $2 billion. Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne Inc., a subsidiary, announced in June a $1.2 billion NASA contract to design and develop rocket engines for the next generation spacecraft that would eventually send astronauts back to the moon.
Small satellites have recently found new acceptance as a complement to larger spacecraft. Jeff Foust reports on a couple of new initiatives that use clusters of smallsats to replace big satellites. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/937/1 to view the article.
Arianespace: Super Rockets or Super Sales Force? (Source: Space Review)
Arianespace has achieved considerable success in the commercial launch market in recent years. Taylor Dinerman credits this success as much to its sales and marketing as to the company's launch vehicles themselves. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/936/1 to view the article.
Caution Over Shuttle Shows Shift at NASA (Source: New York Times)
Confronted with the same kind of problem that doomed the space shuttle Columbia, NASA officials, chastened by years of criticism and upheaval in the agency, took a markedly different approach during the current mission of the Endeavour, calling on an array of new tools and procedures to analyze and respond to the problem. While the Columbia faced much more serious damage — a 6- to 10-inch hole punched in a wing that let in hot gases during re-entry — outside officials said that with the Endeavour, NASA had taken steps far more elaborate and methodical in concluding that the craft was still safe.
“The comparison is night and day,” said John M. Logsdon, director of the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University, who served on the investigation board that looked into the Columbia disaster. He said he thought NASA had handled the Endeavour situation perfectly. Engineers and officials with NASA will not know how accurate their analysis was or whether their decision to forgo a repair of a gouge in the Endeavour’s underside was the correct one until the shuttle is back on Earth. The landing is scheduled for tomorrow.
U.S. Air Force Seeks Future ORS Partners (Source: Defense News)
As the U.S. Air Force moves forward with the development and acquisition of small satellites and rockets under its operationally responsive space (ORS) effort, Pentagon leaders have given the service a mandate to find a variety of partners for cooperation. The mandate came from the report “Plan for Operationally Responsive Space,” which instructs the Air Force to find ways to work with its reserve components, the intelligence community and civil organizations like NASA. Such cooperation could provide significant benefit to the Air Force as well as its potential partners. However, in each case explored so far, the discussions have not gone beyond a preliminary stage.
Pratt & Whitney Machinists Reject Contract (Source: WFSB)
Machinists at Pratt & Whitney overwhelmingly rejected a new three-year contract proposal by the company. The machinist union's chief negotiator said the main sticking points were the company's lack of commitment to add jobs in Connecticut and a proposed 60 percent increase in health insurance premiums for workers. Pratt last month announced it won two U.S. Air Force engine contracts valued at more than $2 billion. Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne Inc., a subsidiary, announced in June a $1.2 billion NASA contract to design and develop rocket engines for the next generation spacecraft that would eventually send astronauts back to the moon.
August 19 News Items
ASRC Aerospace Plans Engineering Job Fair (Source: ASRC)
ASRC Aerospace at Kennedy Space Center is currently hiring Engineering Designers, Electrical Engineers, Computer Engineers, Mechanical Engineers and more. Their next job fair is planned for August 24-25 at the Country Inn & Suites at Cape Canaveral. Visit http://www.ustdc.com/ for information.
University of Florida Plans Space Research Colloquium (Source: UF)
The University of Florida is planning Space Research Colloquium on August 28-29 in Gainesville on the UF campus. Faculty at the university are involved in many aspects of space research, and this colloquium provides an opportunity to share their ideas and research with colleagues and interested external agencies. The goal is to explore new collaborations that can lead to research opportunities for funding and ultimately, commercialization of the technologies.
Space Florida and Space Foundation Plan Florida Space Policy Forum (Source: Space Florida)
Space Florida plans an August 22 Florida Space Leadership Forum at the Radisson Resort in Cape Canaveral. The event will feature Lt. Governor Jeff Kottkamp, Congressman Dave Weldon, KSC Center Director Bill Parsons, Brigadier Gen. Susan Helms of the 45th Space Wing, Space Florida's Steve Kohler, the Space Foundation's Brendan Curry, and staffers from the offices of Senators Bill Nelson and Mel Martinez, and Representatives Tom Feeney and Dave Weldon. Industry, university, and local government leaders will also participate.
Canada Plans for Larger Role in Future Space Travel (Source: CTV.ca)
With the space shuttle program drawing to a close in 2010, there is no doubt Canada could be a key player in future space exploration. The question is, what course should the Canadian Space Agency chart in the coming years? Earlier this month NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander took off with a Canadian designed meteorological station. And Canadian robotics were showcased with the use of Canadarm and Canadarm2 on the latest shuttle Endeavour mission, including spacewalks conducted by Canadian astronaut Dave Williams and American Rick Mastracchio. Next year will see the launch of Dextre, a two-armed robot designed for repairs to the ISS.
Work Towards Setting Up Base on Moon: ISRO Chief (Source: Sahara Samay)
India should start working on a program to set up a base on the moon so that the country is not left behind in this race, the space agency chief has said. "Global players have declared that by 2020, they will have their bases on the moon. I don't think India can afford to be lagging behind in that," Indian Space Research Organisation Chairman G. Madhavan Nair said. "Given an opportunity, ISRO would be able to do it in due course. ISRO as an organisation, with the help of many other institutions, will be able to take up these challenges." Nair, also secretary in the Department of Space, said ISRO is currently defining technologies needed for India's first manned mission to space scheduled for 2015.
Comet May Have Exploded Over North America 13,000 Years Ago (Source: NSF)
New scientific findings suggest that a large comet may have exploded over North America 12,900 years ago, explaining riddles that scientists have wrestled with for decades, including an abrupt cooling of much of the planet and the extinction of large mammals. The discovery was made by scientists from the University of California at Santa Barbara. The period in question is called the Younger Dryas, an interval of abrupt cooling that lasted for about 1,000 years and occurred at the beginning of an inter-glacial warm period. Evidence for the temperature change is recorded in marine sediments and ice cores.
According to the scientists, the comet before fragmentation must have been about four kilometers across, and either exploded in the atmosphere or had fragments hit the Laurentide ice sheet in northeastern North America. Wildfires across the continent would have resulted from the fiery impact, killing off vegetation that was the food supply of many of larger mammals like the woolly mammoths, causing them to go extinct. The scientific team visited more than a dozen archaeological sites in North America, where they found high concentrations of iridium, an element that is rare on Earth and is almost exclusively associated with extraterrestrial objects such as comets and meteorites.
They also found metallic microspherules in the comet fragments; these microspherules contained nano-diamonds. The comet also carried carbon molecules called fullerenes (buckyballs), with gases trapped inside that indicated an extraterrestrial origin. The team concluded that the impact of the comet likely destabilized a large portion of the Laurentide ice sheet, causing a high volume of freshwater to flow into the north Atlantic and Arctic Oceans.
Space Shuttle Leaves Station Early to Beat Storm (Source: Reuters)
Endeavour departed hastily from the International Space Station on Sunday, ending a construction mission a day early in order to land before Hurricane Dean threatens its Houston control center. The powerful storm was heading toward Jamaica and on track to cross Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula before making landfall late Wednesday on the central Mexican coast. If the storm shifts north and threatens the Texas coastline, NASA would evacuate the Johnson Space Center in Houston, which oversees the shuttle during flight. To avoid setting up an emergency command outpost at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA wants to land Endeavour a day early, with touchdown in Florida planned for 12:32 p.m. EDT on Tuesday.
PlanetSpace.com Takes Social Networking Out Of This World (Source: PlanetSpace)
Planet Space, Inc. has re-launched its http://www.PlanetSpace.com website into an interactive, online social networking platform aimed at the general public as well as the established space enthusiast. "PlanetSpace.com was designed for ease of use and to be welcoming towards people who do not have space knowledge but would like to join in and learn about the space community," says Kenneth Schweitzer, Founder of Planet Space, Inc. Planet Space, Inc., is a Florida corporation, founded in 2001 to provide multi-media company support for the space community.
ASRC Aerospace at Kennedy Space Center is currently hiring Engineering Designers, Electrical Engineers, Computer Engineers, Mechanical Engineers and more. Their next job fair is planned for August 24-25 at the Country Inn & Suites at Cape Canaveral. Visit http://www.ustdc.com/ for information.
University of Florida Plans Space Research Colloquium (Source: UF)
The University of Florida is planning Space Research Colloquium on August 28-29 in Gainesville on the UF campus. Faculty at the university are involved in many aspects of space research, and this colloquium provides an opportunity to share their ideas and research with colleagues and interested external agencies. The goal is to explore new collaborations that can lead to research opportunities for funding and ultimately, commercialization of the technologies.
Space Florida and Space Foundation Plan Florida Space Policy Forum (Source: Space Florida)
Space Florida plans an August 22 Florida Space Leadership Forum at the Radisson Resort in Cape Canaveral. The event will feature Lt. Governor Jeff Kottkamp, Congressman Dave Weldon, KSC Center Director Bill Parsons, Brigadier Gen. Susan Helms of the 45th Space Wing, Space Florida's Steve Kohler, the Space Foundation's Brendan Curry, and staffers from the offices of Senators Bill Nelson and Mel Martinez, and Representatives Tom Feeney and Dave Weldon. Industry, university, and local government leaders will also participate.
Canada Plans for Larger Role in Future Space Travel (Source: CTV.ca)
With the space shuttle program drawing to a close in 2010, there is no doubt Canada could be a key player in future space exploration. The question is, what course should the Canadian Space Agency chart in the coming years? Earlier this month NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander took off with a Canadian designed meteorological station. And Canadian robotics were showcased with the use of Canadarm and Canadarm2 on the latest shuttle Endeavour mission, including spacewalks conducted by Canadian astronaut Dave Williams and American Rick Mastracchio. Next year will see the launch of Dextre, a two-armed robot designed for repairs to the ISS.
Work Towards Setting Up Base on Moon: ISRO Chief (Source: Sahara Samay)
India should start working on a program to set up a base on the moon so that the country is not left behind in this race, the space agency chief has said. "Global players have declared that by 2020, they will have their bases on the moon. I don't think India can afford to be lagging behind in that," Indian Space Research Organisation Chairman G. Madhavan Nair said. "Given an opportunity, ISRO would be able to do it in due course. ISRO as an organisation, with the help of many other institutions, will be able to take up these challenges." Nair, also secretary in the Department of Space, said ISRO is currently defining technologies needed for India's first manned mission to space scheduled for 2015.
Comet May Have Exploded Over North America 13,000 Years Ago (Source: NSF)
New scientific findings suggest that a large comet may have exploded over North America 12,900 years ago, explaining riddles that scientists have wrestled with for decades, including an abrupt cooling of much of the planet and the extinction of large mammals. The discovery was made by scientists from the University of California at Santa Barbara. The period in question is called the Younger Dryas, an interval of abrupt cooling that lasted for about 1,000 years and occurred at the beginning of an inter-glacial warm period. Evidence for the temperature change is recorded in marine sediments and ice cores.
According to the scientists, the comet before fragmentation must have been about four kilometers across, and either exploded in the atmosphere or had fragments hit the Laurentide ice sheet in northeastern North America. Wildfires across the continent would have resulted from the fiery impact, killing off vegetation that was the food supply of many of larger mammals like the woolly mammoths, causing them to go extinct. The scientific team visited more than a dozen archaeological sites in North America, where they found high concentrations of iridium, an element that is rare on Earth and is almost exclusively associated with extraterrestrial objects such as comets and meteorites.
They also found metallic microspherules in the comet fragments; these microspherules contained nano-diamonds. The comet also carried carbon molecules called fullerenes (buckyballs), with gases trapped inside that indicated an extraterrestrial origin. The team concluded that the impact of the comet likely destabilized a large portion of the Laurentide ice sheet, causing a high volume of freshwater to flow into the north Atlantic and Arctic Oceans.
Space Shuttle Leaves Station Early to Beat Storm (Source: Reuters)
Endeavour departed hastily from the International Space Station on Sunday, ending a construction mission a day early in order to land before Hurricane Dean threatens its Houston control center. The powerful storm was heading toward Jamaica and on track to cross Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula before making landfall late Wednesday on the central Mexican coast. If the storm shifts north and threatens the Texas coastline, NASA would evacuate the Johnson Space Center in Houston, which oversees the shuttle during flight. To avoid setting up an emergency command outpost at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA wants to land Endeavour a day early, with touchdown in Florida planned for 12:32 p.m. EDT on Tuesday.
PlanetSpace.com Takes Social Networking Out Of This World (Source: PlanetSpace)
Planet Space, Inc. has re-launched its http://www.PlanetSpace.com website into an interactive, online social networking platform aimed at the general public as well as the established space enthusiast. "PlanetSpace.com was designed for ease of use and to be welcoming towards people who do not have space knowledge but would like to join in and learn about the space community," says Kenneth Schweitzer, Founder of Planet Space, Inc. Planet Space, Inc., is a Florida corporation, founded in 2001 to provide multi-media company support for the space community.
August 18 News Items
Sizing Up the Space Hotel (Source: MSNBC)
Can Spanish-led Galactic Suite really put a luxury space hotel in orbit by 2012? No way, says a Florida firm consulting on the venture. But if you look beyond 2015, the job just might be doable, representatives of 4Frontiers Corp. say. Galactic Suite made a splash last week with plans for their on-orbit hotel by 2012. Tourists would undergo training in a James Bondish space camp, then fly up for a three-day, $4 million stay on a private space station. A Reuters article said an American company intent on colonizing Mars had "come on board" for the project. That company is 4Frontiers, a space commerce company in New Port Richey, Florida.
4Frontiers is working its way into a variety of projects - ranging from consultation on space settlement issues, to curriculum development for elementary- and middle-school science classes, to space-themed entertainment and space-branded gifts and accessories. Mark Homnick, CEO and co-founder of 4Frontiers, said Galactic Suite hired his firm "as a consultant to provide strategic business planning insights," and he quickly brought the venture's high-flown claims back down to Earth. Galactic Suite would certainly not be in the orbital business in 2012, primarily because there wouldn't be a reliable way to get tourists up there in the numbers required, Homnick said.
"We do expect somewhat improved orbital access to be available for tourism in that time frame ... but the amount of folks who can go up there will be pretty limited," he said. "Why would we put an orbital resort there that no one can reach?" Homnick said he's guessing that the required launch capability won't be available until 2015 or later. And he said 4Frontiers has already begun making contacts with the companies that might be providing those capabilities in the years ahead.
So is Galactic Suite for real after all? That's hard to judge, even for 4Frontiers. Homnick emphasized that his company has not yet decided what its relationship with Galactic Suite will be over the long term. "We're going through a due-diligence process," Homnick said. "This is pretty early on." He declined to discuss what he knew about Galactic Suite's finances - for example, the claim in the Reuters report that the venture already has found a space enthusiast willing to front "most of the $3 billion needed to build the hotel." Visit http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/08/16/320672.aspx to view the article.
Hurricane Dean May Shift Endeavour’s Schedule (Source: AP)
Worried that Hurricane Dean might blow its way, Mission Control considered scaling back Saturday’s spacewalk at the orbiting shuttle and station complex to allow for a possibly early end to Endeavour’s mission. NASA wants to keep its options open for moving up Wednesday’s shuttle landing by one day, and shortening the spacewalk would be one way to do it.
Can Spanish-led Galactic Suite really put a luxury space hotel in orbit by 2012? No way, says a Florida firm consulting on the venture. But if you look beyond 2015, the job just might be doable, representatives of 4Frontiers Corp. say. Galactic Suite made a splash last week with plans for their on-orbit hotel by 2012. Tourists would undergo training in a James Bondish space camp, then fly up for a three-day, $4 million stay on a private space station. A Reuters article said an American company intent on colonizing Mars had "come on board" for the project. That company is 4Frontiers, a space commerce company in New Port Richey, Florida.
4Frontiers is working its way into a variety of projects - ranging from consultation on space settlement issues, to curriculum development for elementary- and middle-school science classes, to space-themed entertainment and space-branded gifts and accessories. Mark Homnick, CEO and co-founder of 4Frontiers, said Galactic Suite hired his firm "as a consultant to provide strategic business planning insights," and he quickly brought the venture's high-flown claims back down to Earth. Galactic Suite would certainly not be in the orbital business in 2012, primarily because there wouldn't be a reliable way to get tourists up there in the numbers required, Homnick said.
"We do expect somewhat improved orbital access to be available for tourism in that time frame ... but the amount of folks who can go up there will be pretty limited," he said. "Why would we put an orbital resort there that no one can reach?" Homnick said he's guessing that the required launch capability won't be available until 2015 or later. And he said 4Frontiers has already begun making contacts with the companies that might be providing those capabilities in the years ahead.
So is Galactic Suite for real after all? That's hard to judge, even for 4Frontiers. Homnick emphasized that his company has not yet decided what its relationship with Galactic Suite will be over the long term. "We're going through a due-diligence process," Homnick said. "This is pretty early on." He declined to discuss what he knew about Galactic Suite's finances - for example, the claim in the Reuters report that the venture already has found a space enthusiast willing to front "most of the $3 billion needed to build the hotel." Visit http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2007/08/16/320672.aspx to view the article.
Hurricane Dean May Shift Endeavour’s Schedule (Source: AP)
Worried that Hurricane Dean might blow its way, Mission Control considered scaling back Saturday’s spacewalk at the orbiting shuttle and station complex to allow for a possibly early end to Endeavour’s mission. NASA wants to keep its options open for moving up Wednesday’s shuttle landing by one day, and shortening the spacewalk would be one way to do it.
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