March 1 News Items

Florida Space Day Planned March 6 in Tallahassee (Source: FSD)
On March 6, 2008, Florida-based companies supporting the Aerospace Industry will meet in Tallahassee for Florida Space Day 2008. Industry leaders and representatives will conduct legislative visits with House and Senate Representatives to bring collaborative messages on Space and Aerospace initiatives and discuss pending legislation with policymakers. For questions or information regarding Florida Space Day 2008, visit http://www.floridaspaceday.com.

California Space Authority Supports Aerospace Advisory Committee, Candidate Outreach (Source: CSA)
Former Congresswoman Andrea Seastrand, executive director of the California Space Authority, will chair an Aerospace Advisory Committee of the California Commission for Economic Development. Visit http://www.californiaspaceauthority.org/images/press-releases/pr080225-1.pdf for information. CSA also recently developed a point paper titled: "Benefits and Challenges of Space Enterprise In California" for distribution to all the Presidential candidates. Visit http://www.californiaspaceauthority.org/images/government/pointpaper.pdf to view the document.

California Takes Space Industry Pulse with Online Survey (Source: CSA)
The California Space Authority’s strategic plan implementation process includes taking the pulse of space enterprise in California using a quick online survey. The 10 minute survey seeks gut reactions to pointed questions about the state's space industry and space programs. The survey closes March 31. Visit http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=yFf3MpjT0QryJga7acYF6A_3d_3d to take the survey.

California Space Day Planned May 13 in Sacramento (Source: CSA)
Space enterprise stakeholders will meet in Sacramento on May 13 to discuss space policy and regulatory issues with state legislators and executive branch key officials. Click here for information and registration.

AirLaunch Passes Hardware Milestone (Source: CSA)
AirLaunch LLC passed a major hardware milestone in Phase 2C of the DARPA/Air Force Falcon Small Launch Vehicle (SLV) program. The company's upgraded Horizontal Test Stand (known as HTS-2) is now complete, with new hardware and additional sensors and instrumentation systems for the HTS and the HTS test article installed. AirLaunch plans to launch small payloads aboard rockets dropped from the cargo holds of aircraft like the C-17.

NASA Solicits COTS-2 Proposals from Industry (Source: Space News)
NASA intends to seek formal proposals this spring from U.S. companies that think they can be ready in 2010 to deliver cargo to the international space station. A draft request for proposals was released Feb. 28 by NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. A final solicitation is due for release in mid April. NASA intends to award so-called indefinite quantity-indefinite delivery contracts to one of more companies in late November. The contracts would qualify a company to deliver cargo to the space station between 2010 and 2012. Actual flight services would be purchased via competitively awarded task orders, similar to the way NASA buys satellite launch services today. NASA plans to hold a pre-proposal conference and one-day meeting with interested companies March 17 and 18, respectively, in Houston.

USAF To Use Its Last Three Delta 2s for GPS 2RM (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Air Force plans to use its last three Delta 2 rockets during fiscal 2008 to launch GPS 2RM satellites. The Air Force does not need to launch these satellites to replenish the GPS constellation, a government official points out, since there currently is a record number — 31 — of functioning GPS satellites already in orbit. "There's actually a 32nd satellite in orbit standing by as a live spare in case we lose one of our older birds. This is the first time we've had an on-orbit spare," this source said.

The GPS 2RM launches are happening because the funds for launching on the Delta 2 "are only available this year," the government source said, leading the Air Force to temporarily launch according to schedule instead of launching satellites as they are needed. The government source said this sets an "interesting precedent," since the Defense Department "has always resisted a launch on schedule approach whenever the civil community" has suggested accelerating modernization of the GPS constellation.

Goddard Engineer Kicks Off Women's History Month at Embry-Riddle (Source: Avion)
Dr. Aprille Ericsson, the first African-American woman with an engineering doctorate to work at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, will be the keynote speaker for the Women's History Month celebration at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. The free hour-long event will be held on March 3, at 7:00 p.m. at the university's Daytona Beach campus.

NASA Approves March 11 Shuttle Launch, Floridian to Command Mission (Sources: Florida Today, Miami Herald)
NASA managers have confirmed that Endeavour will launch at 2:28 a.m. EST on March 11. The 16-day mission will include five spacewalks and likely will be the longest stay to date at the International Space Station. Endeavour is scheduled to stay nearly 12 days at the station. A Japanese logistics module and a Canadian robot will fly up on the shuttle, and a European cargo carrier will be near the station during the mission. The Automated Transfer Vehicle will dock at the space station after the shuttle departs. The mission will be commanded by Dominic Gorie, a graduate of Miami Palmetto High School.

Sirius To Launch FM-6 on ILS Proton M in 2010 (Source: Space News)
Sirius Satellite Radio will launch its FM-6 satellite into highly elliptical orbit aboard an International Launch Services (ILS) Proton M rocket in late 2010 as part of a contract that includes a Proton launch of a second, unidentified Sirius satellite, ILS announced Feb. 29.

NASA Issues Draft Solicitation for Station Resupply Services (Source: Space News)
NASA intends to seek formal proposals this spring from U.S. companies that think they can be ready in 2010 to deliver cargo to the international space station.

Three Competing to Build Iridium Next Constellation (Source: Space News)
Iridium Satellite LLC has selected Lockheed Martin, Space Systems/Loral and Thales Alenia Space to compete for the job of prime contractor on Iridium's $2.6 billion second-generation constellation of low-orbiting communications satellites, industry officials said.

Putin Signs Decree to Set Up Rocket-and-Space Research Center (Source: RIA Novosti)
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree establishing a federal government-sponsored Rocket and Space Industry Research and Test Center. The center would be created by reorganizing the Scientific and Research Institute of Chemical Engineering, which will be merged with the Scientific and Research Institute of Chemical and Construction Machine Manufacturing. The president instructed the government to report on the decree's implementation within nine months and to submit proposals on the center's official registration and inclusion into the list of strategic enterprises and strategic joint stock companies.

India Funds Manned Space Mission (Source: Hindustan Times)
India's ambitious plan to launch manned space missions received a boost on Friday with the government sanctioning Rs 100 crore for the initiative. The Union Budget, presented in Parliament by Finance Minister P Chidambaram, has earmarked Rs 100 crore for Indian Space Research Organization's (ISRO) manned mission initiatives as it hiked the allocation for the Department of Space (DoS) by nearly 24 percent. The DoS has been allocated Rs 4,074 crore for 2008-09, a Rs 784 crore hike over the Rs 3,290 crore allocation last fiscal.

Senators Clash with NASA Chief on Speed of Space Transition (Source: Government Executive)
Complaining that President Bush's proposed $17.6 billion NASA budget would slow the NASA's transition from the space shuttle to Constellation, senators from both parties Wednesday questioned whether the administration correctly weighed the risks in relying on Russia to ferry American astronauts and equipment to and from the International Space Station. Space Subcommittee Chairman Bill Nelson, D-Fla., and Sen. David Vitter, R-La., trained their sights on what they portrayed as a high-risk reliance on a partner whose ambitions might run counter to U.S. foreign policy goals. Nelson said "there is a realistic political monkey wrench" that could complicate any deal. He said current law forbids any U.S. contract payments to Russia if it continues to support the Iranian nuclear development program, unless the White House requests a waiver and Congress grants it.

"We will need a waiver of that law," Griffin said, and added: "Our folks are working with the Department of State to get one." Nelson reminded him that Congress would have to receive the request for the waiver by March 14. Griffin also said the shutdown of the shuttle program is likely to lead to the loss of thousands of NASA jobs at Kennedy Space Center in Florida and the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. Vitter said the loss of technical and scientific knowledge from the layoffs could cost NASA more than the amount saved by relying on Russia for space transport and the expense of recruiting, hiring and training a skilled workforce to develop the Ares and Orion vehicles.