March 6 News Items

NASA Offers Microgravity Rides for SBIR/STTR Projects (Source: Zero Gravity Corp.)
NASA's Innovative Partnerships Program (IPP) and Strategic Capabilities Assets Program (SCAP) are offering an opportunity for companies with NASA SBIR/STTR Phase I and II contracts to conduct reduced-gravity testing of their technology aboard parabolic aircraft flights. Technologies must be within the TRL 4-6 range and should be ready for microgravity environment testing. This is an initial capability demonstration of parabolic aircraft flights to support technology demonstration activities. The FAST project in IPP will be offering opportunities for technology demonstration subsequent to this activity. Funding has been allocated for one flight week to demonstrate this capability, and there is opportunity during this week for SBIR/STTR technology demonstrations. Therefore, NASA SBIR/STTR companies selected will NOT be responsible for the cost of the parabolic aircraft flights. However, companies will be responsible for all other costs. Responses are due by March 28. Visit http://spacereport.blogspot.com/2008/03/parabolic-flight-opportunity-notice.html for information.

Billionaires In Space (Source: Forbes)
In the world of gamers, Richard Garriott answers to the name "Lord British." But what about in space? Call him a "space tourist," and Garriott will grimace. Instead the lanky, 46-year-old computer gaming tycoon thinks of himself as a "private astronaut"--and he's hoping that hundreds of other people will want to earn the same title, too. Garriott's ambitions stretch beyond merely reaching space. He wants to reinvent the way Americans view and, eventually, experience space travel. "I grew up listening to criticisms of space exploration," says Garriott. "My mission is to show that this is a useful, profitable activity." Click here to view the article.

Virginia Governor Signs Space Tax Incentive (Source: Spaceports Blog)
Virginia Governor Tim Kaine signed into law the so-called 'Zero Gravity, Zero Tax' measure Monday at the state capitol in Richmond. Virginia will levy no income tax on business earnings that relate to human spaceflight training or actual space flights launched from Virginia. The measure becomes effective July 1, 2008 for the tax year beginning January 1, 2009. Governor Kaine also signed the nation's first Spaceflight Laibility and Immunity law last year. Florida is now seeking to duplicate Virginia's informed consent law with other states expected to follow.

Air Force Reserve Establishes First Space Wing (Source: USAF)
Air Force Reserve Command officials are expanding the critical role reservists play in space operations by establishing AFRC's first space wing at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado. Command officials will activate the 310th Space Wing March 7. The new organization is an expansion of the existing 310th Space Group, based at Schriever AFB.

Some House Members Want to Increase NASA's Budget (Source: Daily Press)
House budget writers signaled Wednesday they will try to increase NASA's budget for next year, warning that President Bush's spending request would leave the aerospace agency unable to fully conduct its missions. Democratic and Republican leaders of a key House panel told NASA Administrator Michael Griffin they were uneasy with a budget that they said fails even to keep up with inflation. "You're cash-strapped," said Rep. Alan Mollohan, D-W.Va., chairman of the House Appropriations subcommittee that funds NASA. "The budget is categorized as staying the course. It doesn't seem adequate anymore."

Generation Y Seeks NASA's Embrace (Source: WIRED)
At the recent NASA Next Generation Exploration Conference at NASA Ames, two young NASA employees gave a powerful presentation called "The Gen Y Perspective"-- a set of charts they had delivered to their center management the week before that made it all the way up to the Administrator's desk. Now they were presenting it at a conference of their peers, with special guest moon walker Buzz Aldrin listening. Visit http://images.spaceref.com/news/2008/NASA.gen.y.pdf to view their presentation.