January 21 News Items

India Successfully Launches Israeli Satellite (Source: Antrix)
India's Antrix Corp. announced that its second full-fledged commercial launch has been successfully completed. After the final count down, PSLV-C10 lifted off from the First Launch Pad (FLP) at SDSC SHAR. The launch of TECSAR was executed under a commercial contract between Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and ANTRIX Corp. The 300 kg TECSAR satellite was placed into its intended orbit with a perigee (nearest point to earth) of 450 km and apogee (farthest point to earth) of 580 km with an orbital inclination of 41 deg with respect to the equator. TECSAR was placed in orbit 1185 sec after lift off.

Origami Spaceplane Aims for Space Station Descent (Source: New Scientist)
A paper plane might not seem ideally suited to space travel, but a Japanese engineering professor is collaborating with origami masters to design a small paper spacecraft that could be launched from the International Space Station and survive a descent to Earth. A prototype was successfully tested in a wind tunnel last week. The novel craft could inspire new designs for lightweight re-entry vehicles, or for planes to explore the upper reaches of the atmosphere, according to Shinji Suzuki, from the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at the University of Tokyo. Suzuki worked with members of the Japan Origami Airplane Association on the design for the plane.

They first collaborated a decade ago to design a 3-metre long paper plane shaped like a space shuttle, which was launched from the top of a mountain. The origami space plane will be a similar design, Suzuki says, but only about 20 centimetres long and with a rounded nose to minimize aerodynamic heating. It will also be chemically processed to incorporate silicon in the paper structure, increasing its heat resistance, although the plane shouldn't be subjected to the fiery temperatures endured by heavier objects as they hurtle toward Earth. When released from the International Space Station, it would be travelling at Mach 20, Suzuki says, but thanks to a large surface area and low weight it should slow considerably as it falls through the upper layers of the Earth's atmosphere. Click here to view the article.

Satellite Launch Bolsters Israel's Ability to Spy on Tehran (Source: Haaretz)
Israel launched early Monday a sophisticated new spy satellite, designated TECSAR, which could boost intelligence gathering capabilities regarding Iran. The TECSAR, manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), has the ability to use radar to identify targets even under adverse weather conditions including dense clouds.

Small Rocket Would Have Big Job (Source: Huntsville Times)
A group of aerospace contractors hopes to build a new rocket for NASA that would use space shuttle technology to send supplies to the International Space Station and perhaps help Marshall Space Flight Center's development of the Ares rockets. Utah-based Alliant Techsystems is working with Chicago-based PlanetSpace to develop a vehicle that could be used to launch almost 14,000 pounds of cargo to the space station or small NASA science probes. The companies plan to launch the first small-class vehicle by the end of 2009 and a medium-lift rocket by 2010, Crook said.

It would fill a role similar to that of the United Launch Alliance's Delta II, which is out of production. The rocket's first stage would use two and a half segments based on the Shuttle's solid-fuel boosters and a motor derived from the space shuttle. Technology development from the new rocket program could lead to improvements for NASA's planned Ares rockets. ATK is looking at segment case improvements such as lightweight composite materials and upgraded propellants.

The rocket's second stage is the ATK Castor 120, utilized on the Athena I, Athena II and Taurus launch vehicles. Then a smaller third stage would be the ATK Castor 30 used to put the payload in orbit. The small version of the rocket would not use the solid rocket booster segments. Editor's note: Florida's Launch Complex 46 at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport was designed to accommodate Castor 120 rockets, and Space Florida is involved in the ATK/PlanetSpace initiative. Click here to view the article.

NASA Funding Competition Sparks Rival Plans for Two New Rockets (Source: New York Times)
Federal subsidies to promote commercial space ventures are prompting two midsize aerospace contractors, Alliant Techsystems Inc. and Orbital Sciences Corp., to pursue rival efforts to develop the first new, multipurpose U.S. rockets since the mid-1980s. In what is shaping up as an intense competition, Alliant and Orbital are taking sharply different paths to develop the next-generation rockets, envisioned partly to replace the venerable family of Delta II rockets created by Boeing. Alliant seems determined to highlight its mature technology and piggyback its investment on NASA's Ares 1 rocket program.

Aerospace Industry Faces Wave of Retirements (Source: AIA)
A large number of experienced aerospace workers are expected to retire over the next few years, raising fears of a skills shortage in the industry. "It's a looming issue that's getting more serious year by year," Aerospace Industries Association President Marion Blakey said. "These are real veterans. It's a hard workforce to replace." About a quarter of U.S. aerospace workers may be eligible for retirement in 2008.

Spacehab - Out of Debt, Aiming at COTS (Source: Lurio Report)
SpaceHab CEO Thomas B. Pickens, III, spoke of his ‘due diligence’ work during the last year and a half that had tapped longtime zero-g processing experts and of comparisons with earlier NASA evaluations. Each had separately concluded that the best opportunities exist in vaccine development and protein growth. SpaceHab and other companies responded to last September’s NASA Announcement of Opportunity for using the Space Station for commercial operations. Pickens also stated that SpaceHab is now free of debt and that its financial reconstruction is complete.

Pickens pointed to the company’s microgravity processing work as a solid commercial market (in parallel to basic ISS supply) for their entry in the current COTS bidding process. At many venues he’s spoken of the large demand for private launch and on-orbit facilities.

Virginia Space Bill Moves Forward (Source: Spaceports Blog)
One State Senator and five State Delegates have introduced legislation in the Virginia state legislature to eliminate state income taxation on corporations and limited liability companies that would earn income in a no gravity space environment if launched to space from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at Wallops Island, Virginia. The ZeroG, ZeroTax measure has received the endorsement of the Virginia Aerospace Advisory Council and the Virginia Joint Commission on Technology and Science in late 2007.

Martinez Favors Boosting NASA Budget to Start Constellation Earlier (Source: Florida Today)
Republican Sen. Mel Martinez said Tuesday he favors increasing NASA's budget more quickly to develop a new spacecraft, rather than extending the life of the aging Space Shuttles. "At some point I think it becomes very difficult (to fly the shuttle), as we've seen with the delays we've had just in this particular launch," Martinez said Tuesday. However, he again voiced support for shortening the gap between the end of the shuttle program in 2010 and the beginning of the Constellation program at least five years later.