April 30 News Items

Khrunichev and ILS Announce Launcher Quality Initiative (Source: SpaceDaily.com)
Khrunichev Space Center and its partner International Launch Services have announced a broad-based quality initiative for Khrunichev and all of its subcontractors. "This will reinforce our dedication to quality across the board, ensure we improve our performance and enhance our position as a leading space company," said Vladimir Nesterov, Khrunichev General Director. (4/30)

South Korea's First Astronaut Suffers Back Injury (Source: SpaceDaily.com)
South Korea's first astronaut Yi So-Yeon is suffering from back injuries after a gruelling descent to Earth, a doctor said Wednesday. Yi's Russian-designed Soyuz capsule landed hundreds of kilometres off target on April 19 in an irregular landing that subjected the crew to huge gravitational forces. She was admitted to an air force hospital Tuesday after cancelling television interviews. (4/30)

Florida House Passes Space Research Bill (Source: WTSP Tampa)
Florida’s space industry might not take a hard hit in two years when the shuttle program ends. A bill that would expand research for space exploration near Kennedy Space Center passed the House unanimously today without debate. And if the bill gets through the Senate by the end of the week, Gov. Charlie Crist’s spokesman Sterling Ivey said the state’s chief executive is sure to sign it. The bill will fuel research through a partnership among state universities and the governor’s Office of Tourism and Economic Development. Grants and private funding are expected to cover the $20 million cost. (4/30)

FAA Names Associate Administrator For Commercial Space Transportation (Source: Aero-News Network)
The FAA has named George C. Nield as associate administrator for commercial space transportation. The FAA's Office of Commercial Space Transportation (AST) licenses and regulates US commercial space launch and reentry activity, as well as the operation of non-federal launch and reentry sites, and federal regulation of private human space flight activities.

Nield had served at the FAA as deputy associate administrator since 2003, and has been acting associate administrator since February. In 2003, Nield joined the FAA from the Orbital Sciences Corp., where he worked as senior scientist for the Advanced Programs Group. Previously, he served as manager of the Flight Integration Office for the Space Shuttle Program at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, and later worked on both the Shuttle/Mir Program and the International Space Station Program. (4/30)

NASA Modifies Michoud External Tank Contract to Retain Workforce (Source: NASA)
NASA has signed a $39.5 million contract modification with Lockheed Martin Space Systems, New Orleans, to implement an external tank program employee retention plan. Incentives are being provided to eligible external tank personnel to ensure mission success and construction of the remaining external tanks to support Space Shuttle Program requirements through September 2010.

The contract will end September 30, 2010. This modification brings the total value of the contract, awarded in October 2000, to $2.967 billion. The contract calls for the delivery of 18 external tanks to NASA. Eleven tanks remain to be delivered. Work will be performed at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans; NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala.; and NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Florida. (4/30)

DARPA to Test Hypersonic Planes Atop Minotaur Rockets (Source: AIA)
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency will start testing expendable dart-shaped Hypersonic Technology Vehicle-2 demonstrators in May 2009. The hypersonic test planes will launch using Orbital Sciences Minotaur solid-fuel rockets from Vandenberg Air Force Base. They will use global positioning systems and inertial measurement units to navigate. (4/30)

Texas Delegation Pushes for Larger NASA Budget (Source: AIA)
Twelve House members from Texas, along with 18 others from other states, are leading an effort to boost NASA's budget, a move they say will close the gap between the retirement of the space shuttle and the launch of the next generation of spacecraft. The budget is now set at $17.3 billion, and the lawmakers are urging their colleagues to boost it by $2 billion.

Florida National Guard Selects SatComm Solutions (Source: SpaceDaily.com)
SkyPort Global Communications and Applied Global Technologies (AGT) have been selected by the Florida National Guard to provide satellite communications services and solutions in emergencies. AGT and SkyPort will be providing the Florida National Guard with teleport services, bandwidth, hardware, MPLS backhaul to the Florida National Guard's network and iDirect Hub services for the provision of voice, video, data and Internet. (4/30)

Loral Spins A Giant Web In Space with Harris Corp. Antenna (Source: SpaceDaily.com)
Loral and ICO Global Communications have successfully deployed the ICO G1 satellite's large antenna reflector. ICO G1 is a Loral designed spacecraft that incorporates a 12 meter antenna reflector designed and built by Harris Corp. of Melbourne, Florida. The reflector utilizes a gold-plated mesh reflective surface and a unique new Harris design that allows a very large antenna reflector to stow safely and easily on the Loral 1300 satellite platform. The reflector size enables the increased performance typically required for mobile interactive media services. (4/30)