March 31 News Items

NASTAR Center Sends Ninety-Six Space Cruise Participants to Space (Source: ETC)
Environmental Tectonics Corp.'s NASTAR Center will provide a 2-day space training experience in Philadelphia for 96 participants attending Space Cruise Week in April 2009. The Space Cruise is set to sail aboard the luxury yacht Sea Dream and will include several space-themed festivities during its journey including the boarding of several famous astronauts to act as guests and educators during the voyage. The Space Cruise will be provided by XtraOrdinary Adventures. (3/31)

One Size May Not Fit All (Sources: Space Review, Space.com)
As Virgin Galactic and Scaled Composites continue the development of SpaceShipTwo, other companies are making headway in the commercial suborbital spaceflight market. Jeff Foust reports on recent developments by XCOR Aerospace and other companies, and how the diversity of technical approaches may be received by the market. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1095/1 to view the article. While you're at it, visit http://www.space.com/php/video/player.php?video_id=080327-xcor to view a video animation of the XCOR vehicle in flight. (3/31)

The Next Battlestar (Source: Space Review)
NASA's science program, already constrained by tight budgets, will soon have to take on the challenge of both a flagship outer planets mission and a Mars sample return mission. Taylor Dinerman questions whether the agency can handle two such major missions at the same time. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1094/1 to view the article. (3/31)

Assessing the Practicality of Scramjet-Powered, Single-Stage Aerospaceplanes (Source: Space Review)
To many the ideal low-cost, reusable launch vehicle is a scramjet- powered spaceplane. Mike Snead examines the technical issues and challenges associated with developing such vehicles. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1092/1 to view the article. (3/31)

Congress Could Push Space Security Strategy (Source: Aviation Week)
Congressional auditors at the Government Accountability Office (GAO) are sounding an alarm that the Bush administration never issued a National Security Space Strategy and they are suggesting lawmakers consider forcing defense and intelligence leaders to work out differences and publish a plan. It has been almost four years since the White House was originally expected to deliver the plan. Doubts have grown in recent years after several military and intelligence space programs experienced high-profile setbacks, and lawmakers have increasingly questioned the government’s ability to carry them out or oversee industry’s work. (3/31)