April 19 News Items

Orbital Grows More Bullish on Taurus 2 Business (Source: Space News)
Orbital Sciences Corp. has increased by 50 percent the annual revenue and launch rate it expects from its Taurus 2 rocket based on business carrying supplies to the international space station. The new estimate is four to five launches per year and $300 million in annual revenue starting in 2012 or 2013. Orbital will decide within a month whether the Cape Canaveral Spaceport or NASA's Wallops Space Flight Facility in Virginia will be Taurus 2's launch base. Both states have made attractive offers that could result in a net savings for Orbital on Taurus 2 costs compared to the company's original estimates. Taurus 2 is scheduled to make its first flight in late 2010. (4/17)

Experts Question Effectiveness of Anti-Missile Program (Source: AIA)
A group of scientists on Wednesday told lawmakers that a missile defense plan will not protect the U.S. from a real missile attack. However, George C. Marshall Institute President Jeff Kueter said the anti-missile program is making progress and will improve with further testing and research. (4/17)

U.S. Must Boost Defense Spending, Group Says (Source: AIA)
A report released this month by the Aerospace Industries Association urges the White House to boost spending on efforts to modernize and recondition the military. AIA President Marion Blakey said the U.S. risks creating a "hollow force" if it does not increase the overall defense budget to pay for more weapons. The AIA called for a floor of 4% of GDP for defense spending. "What we have advocated here is a reasonable investment," Blakey said. "Historically, 4% is not a figure that in any way outdistances what this country can do, in good times and bad." (4/17)

Space Station Crew Returns, Capsule Lands Off Target (Source: AP)
A Soyuz capsule carrying South Korea's first astronaut landed in northern Kazakhstan Saturday, 260 miles off its mark. The condition of the crew — South Korean bioengineer Yi So-yeon, American astronaut Peggy Whitson and Russian flight engineer Yuri Malenchenko — was satisfactory, though the three had been subjected to severe G-forces during the re-entry. 260 miles off target was a highly unusual distance given how precisely engineers plan for such landings. It was also around 20 minutes later than scheduled.

Officials said the craft followed a so-called "ballistic re-entry" — a very steep trajectory that subjects the crew to extreme physical force. Lyndin said the crew had experienced gravitational forces up to 10 times those on Earth during the descent. It is the second landing in a row of a Soyuz capsule that has gone awry. A similar problem happened in May 2003 when the crew also experienced a steep, off-course landing. It then took salvage crews several hours to locate the spacecraft because of communications problems. (6/19)

India and China Set to Reduce US Dominance in Space (Source: Daily India)
A new study has determined that India and China, along with Russia, Japan and Europe are all set to reduce the dominance that US has over space activities, with advantages of government, human capital and industry working in their favor. This study is based on two reports: the Authoritative Guide to Global Space Activity, released by the Space Foundation, and the 2008 Space Competitiveness Index issued by the Futron Corporation. Both studies provide an informative backdrop that catalogs growth in civil, military and commercial space arenas. (6/19)