April 11 News Items

Editorial: More than the Moon (Source: Washington Times)
The high visibility of returning to the moon offers an opportunity to build the kind of "soft-power" that serves America's long-term national interests. The reverse is also true. Having made the commitment, laid out a plan, and started to develop capabilities, changes in direction can only send a message of American inconstancy. Procrastination, especially for short-term budget considerations, can only undermine faith in American leadership and priority setting. Failure to execute can only send a message of incompetence. Visit http://www.washingtontimes.com/article/20080411/EDITORIAL/190619503/1013/EDITORIAL to view the editorial. (4/11)

Pentagon Reviewing SatCom Needs (Source: Reuters)
Pentagon officials are weighing alternatives to a multibillion-dollar military satellite-communications program being vied for by Lockheed Martin and Boeing, U.S. Air Force officials said. At issue is a planned network of laser-linked communication satellites, known as Transformational Communications Satellites, or TSAT, valued at up to $26 billion over the next 10 years. Consisting of five satellites plus a spare, it would enable new ways of operating on the battlefield by providing jam-resistant communications services to U.S. forces worldwide at 10 times the previous processing power, according to the Air Force Space Command. (4/11)

Managing Space Radiation Risk in the New Era of Space Exploration (Source: NASA Watch)
"For astronauts, however, there is one danger in space that does not end when they step out of their spacecraft. The radiation that permeates space-- unattenuated by Earth's atmosphere and magnetosphere--may damage or kill cells within astronauts' bodies, resulting in cancer or other health consequences years after a mission ends." (4/11)

Drug Protects Mice, Monkeys From Radiation Damage (Source: Reuters)
An experimental drug helped protect mice and monkeys from the damaging effects of radiation, researchers said on Thursday, in a finding that may lead to less toxic cancer treatments or an emergency treatment for radiation exposure. They said the drug protected animals' bone marrow and cells in the gut from being destroyed by radiation without interfering with radiation therapy's ability to fight cancer. (4/10)

U.S. Eyes Removing Some Satellite Components from Munitions List (Source: Space News)
In an attempt to make major changes to the arms export control regime, the Defense Technology Security Administration and the National Security Space Office (NSSO) plan to review commercial satellite components with the intent of removing some of them from the U.S. Munitions List, government and industry officials confirm. If some items are removed from the munitions list it would — in the eyes of some government and industry officials — restore balance to a law many in the commercial satellite business feel has been interpreted far too broadly.

In November, NSSO Executive Director Joe Rouge, pledged during the California Space Authority's Transforming Space 2007 conference in Los Angeles that he would begin working with his colleagues in the U.S. State and Defense departments to get technologies now readily available on global commercial markets removed from the auspices of ITAR "or die trying." He also said then that he thought it possible to make substantive change as early as this spring. (4/7)

Out of This World (Source: Tallahassee Democrat)
Here in the capital of the Sunshine State, where dogwoods bloom and politicians fume, it's easy to lose sight of the fact that the space program is a pillar of Florida's economy. The Space Coast is hundreds of miles away. It has nice beaches and Cape Canaveral offers an interesting field trip for middle-schoolers, but why should we here in Tallahassee care about the end of the space shuttle program in two years and a projected loss of thousands of aerospace industry jobs? Aerospace is a $2 billion business in Florida, and while its heart is at the Cape, its reach extends to 47 of the state's 67 counties. That includes Leon County, where Florida State University Tuesday touted its $500,000 contract for a joint initiative on space science and technology with Florida Institute of Technology and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

Moreover, the nexus between the space program and Florida's growing biotechnology industry is so strong that when one prospers, the other is likely to benefit as well. The converse is also true. Successful business people understand that when the economy is hurting, it's even more important to invest in what works. But they also realize that it's foolish for any business or region — or even state government — to be excessively dependent on one industry. For Florida to prosper, the space industry must not be taken for granted anymore; it needs a financial stimulus. But economic diversification is also critical to regional and state economies. (4/9)

Engaging Universities in Economic Development (Source: SGPB)
The critical role of universities in economic development has become a tenet of high technology growth strategies, but building these partnerships has often proved to be difficult. A new report offers guidelines on how to improve the process. The Council on Competitiveness study describes how university leaders, business executives and economic developers can build strong long-term partnerships in support of regional development. It also includes case studies and models. Download the report at http://www.compete.org/images/uploads/File/PDF%20Files/Cooperate%20Final.pdf. (4/8)

Astronauts Auction Prized Possessions and Experiences for Charity (Source: ASF)
Do you have the “Right Stuff” to challenge Apollo 15 Command Module Pilot Al Worden in a NASCAR race; or the courage to jump out of a plane with 5-time Space Shuttle veteran Robert “Hoot” Gibson? Well if your answer is yes, now’s your chance! The Astronaut Scholarship Foundation (ASF) is offering these and twenty-eight other coveted prizes in its Semi-Annual Online Auction of Astronaut Memorabilia and Experiences at http://astronautscholarship.org/auction.pl. (4/8)

Obama's Modest Proposal: No Hue, No Cry? (Source: Space Review)
Since late last year Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has proposed delaying NASA's Constellation program for five years to help pay for an education initiative. Greg Zsidisin examines what Obama has proposed and what the candidate said to him about it in a recent town hall meeting. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1100/1 to view the article. (4/7)

So You Want to be a Rocket Pilot (Source: Space Review)
If the commercial human spaceflight market emerges as some anticipate, there will soon be demand for a new kind of job: commercial rocket pilot. Jeff Foust reports on how pilots can prepare for such work, and why at least one person things the occupation will be far less glamorous than one might expect. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1099/1 to view the article. (4/7)

They Were Warned (Source: Space Review)
Last week members of Congress wrung their hands over the anticipated job losses at the Kennedy Space Center and elsewhere as the shuttle is retired. Taylor Dinerman argues that the solution is for Congress and the White House to act to provide additional funding to speed up the development of its successor, not to extend the life of the shuttle. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1098/1 to view the article. (4/7)

Latest NASA Mars Lander Prepares for Arrival (Source: NASA)
NASA engineers have adjusted the flight path of the Phoenix Mars Lander, setting the spacecraft on course for its May 25th landing on the Red Planet. NASA has conditionally approved a landing site in a broad, flat valley informally called "Green Valley." A final decision will be made after NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter takes additional images of the area this month. (4/10)

Pentagon Says Surveillance Satellite Will Cost $824 Million (Source: AIA)
The DOD expects its Space-Based Space Surveillance Block 10 satellite to launch by early next year and to cost an estimated $823.9 million. A team led by Boeing and Ball Aerospace is building the spacecraft, which will include a highly responsive optical telescope. (4/10)

General Dynamics Lands $109M Contract for Satellite Terminals (Source: AIA)
General Dynamics has received a contract to provide satellite communications terminals for the Army's Warfighter Information Network-Tactical program. The contract is worth $109 million. (4/10)

NASA Launches New Science Website (Source: NASA)
NASA's Science Mission Directorate has launched a new Website that provides enhanced and engaging information about NASA's vast scope of scientific endeavors and achievements. The site will provide in-depth coverage of NASA's past, present and future science missions Visit http://nasascience.nasa.gov to check it out. (4/10)

Kennedy Space Center Technology Enters Hall of Fame (Source: Space Foundation)
The Space Foundation inducted three NASA-developed technologies into the Space Technology Hall of Fame, including a KSC-developed non-invasive medical device that improves blood flow to the heart and brain. ResQPOD, is a non-invasive medical device that helps improve cardiac output and blood flow to the brain during CPR compared to conventional resuscitation techniques. ResQPOD is used by emergency medical services and hospitals for patients suffering breathing problems, cardiac arrest or other conditions attributed to low blood pressure. It works by increasing blood flow to the heart and brain until the heart can be restarted.

Developed by NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Army and private industry, the device is used to help astronauts reacquaint themselves with the feeling of gravity by quickly and effectively increasing the circulation of blood flow to the brain. Advanced Circulatory Systems, Minneapolis, Minn., and the KSC Biomedical Lab, Cape Canaveral, Fla., were inducted as the innovating organizations behind the ResQPOD technology. (4/10)

Lockheed Plans to Launch First Anti-Jam Satellite Next Year (Source: AIA)
Lockheed Martin hopes to launch the first new-generation anti-jam military communications satellite on an Atlas V rocket in early 2009. The company is conducting final tests on the spacecraft. Meanwhile, the Defense Department is assessing plans for the future milsatcom architecture. Officials note that the schedule for the Transformational Satellite program will not be set until the assessment is complete. Boeing has also submitted a plan for a TSAT development contract. (4/9)

NASA Sets Sights on Lunar Dust Mission (Source: NASA)
NASA is preparing to send a small spacecraft to the moon in 2011 to assess the lunar atmosphere and the nature of dust lofted above the surface. Called the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE), the mission will launch before the agency's moon exploration activities accelerate during the next decade. LADEE will gather detailed information about conditions near the surface and environmental influences on lunar dust. A thorough understanding of these influences will help researchers understand how future exploration may shape the lunar environment and how the environment may affect future explorers. (4/9)

Senators: Reuse Old Launch Sites (Source: Daytona Beach News Journal)
Florida's two U.S. senators want NASA to consider existing launch locations for a private commercial launch facility, rather than expanding into previously unused areas at Kennedy Space Center. Senators Mel Martinez and Bill Nelson wrote letters urging NASA to work with the Air Force to find a site among the dozens of abandoned launch pads at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. (4/11)

Aerojet Lands NASA Methane Engine Contract (Source: Sacramento Business Journal)
Aerojet has been awarded a contract by NASA's Glenn Research Center to continue development of a liquid oxygen-liquid methane engine for NASA's lunar exploration program. NASA's Altair lunar lander program and the NASA Exploration Technology Development Program have joined forces to create the NASA Propulsion Cryogenic Advanced Development project to support methane technology maturation and advancement. The project is managed jointly by Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Johnson Space Center in Houston and Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville. (4/11)

Lunar Science Community Needs Rebuilding, Researchers Say (Source: Space.com)
NASA's plan to return to the Moon - first by robotic missions scheduled to start this year, followed by the replanting of human footprints there by 2020 - will require a new cadre of lunar research and exploration specialists. That talent largely was dissipated after the Apollo lunar landing program ended in 1972. As a result, several steps need to be taken to recuperate both the scientific and technical expertise that will be needed to investigate and understand the Moon.

And scientists are enthusiastic about the prospect. They say Earth's closest celestial neighbor is far from being a "been there, done that world" that offers no unknowns worth solving. And several sessions dedicated to lunar science clearly showed a rebound of interest in the Moon. "There will be new lunar scientists developed in India, Japan and China ... that's good. But we need more here in the United States," observed G. Jeffrey Taylor, a planetary scientist at the Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu. (4/11)

AIA Fears Obama Will Slash Space Budgets (Source: Aviation Week)
Despite a history of bipartisan cooperation on space, "It will be a battle if there is a Democratic administration," warns Aerospace Industries Association space systems vp J.P. Stevens. "One of the first areas that people start looking to cut budgets is in that civil space area, and that's a real concern as we transition out of what we've been doing for the last 20 or 30 years...One of the candidates," the former Marine Corps aviator adds, speaking of Senator Barack Obama, "has come out and said he's going to use that program and the money in the exploration program to fund one of his educational programs...That takes a five-year and maybe a six-year program and makes it become a ten- or 11- or 12-year program." (4/10)

Developers Seek to Speed Reusable Rocket Engines (Source: Aviation Week)
Aerojet is meeting with the Air Force in a bid to speed development of a US-designed, reusable hydrocarbon rocket engine that could play a key part in plans for an operationally responsive space vehicle. Dubbed HC Boost, the technology development program is aimed at providing an improved, home-grown alternative to the Russian RD-180, the only other viable current-production hydrocarbon rocket engine. Unlike the RD-180, however, the US engine would be designed to be re-usable for up to 100 missions, have up to 15% better performance and would operate for up to 50 missions between engine overhauls.

More importantly perhaps, says the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) which is leading the program, it would help pave the way for responsive access to space in terms of days and weeks, rather than months. The development would also, it says, free up U.S. dependency from the Energomash-produced RD-180, which is used to power the Atlas V launcher. Aerojet is currently working on the HC Boost under a $109 million contract spread over almost nine years. (4/10)

Japan Previews New Moon Map (Source: Aviation Week)
The Japanese SELenological and ENgineering Explorer (Selene) team revealed its first preview of the world's first-ever global topographic map of the moon April 9. The preview map includes two weeks of data, but already contains 1,127,392 point measurements of the lunar surface, which dwarfs similar past maps of the moon, such as the one compiled by United States Geological Survey's 'Unified Lunar Control Network 2005,' which used 272,931 points. Selene scientists say they had already collected more than 6 million measurements by the end of last month (since the beginning of the mission) and expect more than 30 million points to be obtained within in one full year of observation. (4/10)

NASA Extends Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne Contract for Lunar Lander Engine (Source: PWR)
Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne has been awarded a contract extension by NASA to continue development of the Common Extensible Cryogenic Engine (CECE). The CECE is advancing technology readiness to support future lunar lander development. The CECE development contract, which was originally awarded in June 2005, extends through March 2009. During this next phase of the program, Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne will design, manufacture and test a new, enhanced injector to support stable combustion at very low thrust. (4/10)

Korean Firm "Americanizing" Rocket Engine (Source: Aviation Week)
Challenge & Space, the Korean-based rocket maker, is planning to "Americanize" its Chase 10 engine to overcome U.S. State Department roadblocks currently slowing plans for using the motor to power a space tourism project. The process is being led by Oklahoma-based TGV Rockets, which "will lead the marketing and is looking for government contracts for us over here," he said. The methane/liquid oxygen (LOX) fueled engine was selected in 2005 by AirBoss Aerospace for the Proteus, a sub-orbital space tourism vehicle, but progress has been hampered by State Department concerns over off-shore sourcing of the rocket technology.

Unlike other methane/LOX developers, notably XCOR Aerospace which last year successfully demonstrated the pressure-fed XR-5M15 engine with ATK and NASA, the engine developed by C&S has not gone that route. "We are the only company that has methane technology that's not pressure-fed," says Robert Schultz, president of CH4 Aerospace, a Colorado-based company teamed with C&S to help market the Chase 10. (4/10)

USA Jettisons Shuttle From Logo (Source: Florida Today)
United Space Alliance has retired the space shuttle from its logo, a couple of years early. One week after NASA announced some 6,400 jobs could be lost at Kennedy Space Center by 2011, the prime shuttle contractor took the orbiter's image out of the "A" in its company icon. The new icon borrows the images of a star and crescent moon from NASA's logo for Constellation, the program to replace the shuttle with rockets and spacecraft capable of carrying crew and cargo to the moon and possibly Mars. "Our business focus extends beyond one vehicle. This aligns our brand with the new directions and future priorities of our customers," said CEO Richard Covey. (4/11)