May 19 News Items

Virgin Galactic Flights Due in 30 Months (Source: Travel Weekly)
Virgin Galactic boss Sir Richard Branson has revealed he is expecting the inaugural flight of his space shuttle to take place in 30 months' time. Discussing plans for Virgin Galactic whilst on a trip to Kenya, Branson said he would reveal details of the mothership, which will take the shuttle into space, in July. Launch and landing points will be in New Mexico and the journey will last an estimated 150 minutes. On each trip there will be just six passengers and the spaceship will reach a height of 100km, just past the Earth’s atmosphere. (5/19)

NASA Seeks Industry Partners for Innovation Transfusion Program (Source: NASA)
NASA is seeking companies and organizations across America involved in cutting-edge innovation to partner with the agency in the Innovation Transfusion Program. The program allows NASA employees to spend up to a year working in high-tech environments outside the agency where they can share their expertise while gaining valuable experience and new ideas to bring back to their jobs at NASA. The program also supports innovation workshops between NASA and external organizations that have novel approaches for addressing problems of interest to NASA.

This initiative is part of the agency's Innovative Partnerships Program. The effort will help ensure NASA benefits from creativity and innovation occurring in industry, academia, research institutions, national laboratories and other government agencies. NASA will pay the salary and travel expenses for participating NASA employees. Visit http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2008/may/HQ_08129_ITP_Announcement.html for information. (5/19)

Saudi Arabia's Emerging Space Activities Presented at ISDC Event (Source: ERAU)
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's (KSA) has aggressively invested in knowledge-based economic development including space activities. The primary agency implementing the space program is the King Abdulaziz City for Science & Technology (KACST). KACST is an independent scientific organization of the Saudi Arabian Government, similar to the U.S. National Institutes of Health in which it both conducts and funds research for the entire nation. KACST has established several national research institutes including Astronomy & Geophysics, Atomic Energy Research, Natural Resources and Environmental Research, Petroleum and Petrochemicals Research, Energy Research, and Space Research. Dr. Chris Shove will discuss KSA's space-related programs and plans in a presentation during the International Space Development Conference (ISDC) in Washington DC on May 29 - June 1.

An example of this effort is Alfaisal University (Figure 1). Alfaisal University is the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's first, English-instruction, private, research-intensive university. With technical assistance from Harvard medical International, senior faculty of M.I.T, and the technical assistance arm of Cambridge University, Alfaisal University is building a state of the art campus for world-class higher education programs in business, engineering, medicine and science. Supported by one of the largest endowed foundations in the world, the King Faisal Foundation, the university is making significant investments in several dozen advanced laboratories in addition to typical university facilities. In addition, Alfaisal University is planning to develop specialized research centers in aerospace and a technology incubator. (5/19)

New Models for Moon Land-Grab (Source: Popular Science)
Sure, you can sign up for a little piece of property on the Moon, but the little certificate you get in return won't mean anything. Now that the space tourism industry is starting to heat up, though, a few space lovers are calling for a plan to truly open up the lunar real estate business. Alan Wasser, chairman of the Space Settlement Institute, just published a paper suggesting that the U.S. and other nations should agree on something called "land claim recognition" legislation. This would allow someone, or some group, that has actually settled on the Moon, Mars or one of the man asteroids floating around our solar system to have official, internationally recognized rights to that spot. Naturally, the people initially touching down on the lunar surface won't just be individuals looking for a new life - the idea behind this is to really stimulate the business of space. (5/19)

Sea Launch Scheduled Galaxy 18 Launch for May 21 (Source: Space News)
Sea Launch Co.'s Odyssey platform has arrived at its equatorial Pacific launch site and has begun its countdown to the May 21 launch of Intelsat's Galaxy 18 communications satellite aboard a Zenit-3SL rocket. (5/19)

There is a Better Way Forward (Source: Space Review)
NASA's current exploration architecture, including the Ares 1 and 5 rockets, has come under criticism from some corners because of technical, financial, and schedule issues. In the first of a two-part article, Stephen Metschan argues that the root of these problems is that Ares does not take enough advantage of existing shuttle infrastructure. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1133/1 to view the article. (5/19)

ATV Evolution: Is Europe Ready? (Source: Space Review)
Last week European officials proposed converting the Automated Transfer Vehicle into a spacecraft capable of carrying people to and from the ISS. Irina Kerner describes the obstacles, as much political as technical, this concept faces. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1132/1 to view the article. (5/19)

NASA and Space Solar Power (Source: Space Review)
What role should NASA have in the development and promotion of space solar power? Taylor Dinerman suggests that the space agency's role will have to be limited given all the other projects it's grappling with. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1130/1 to view the article. (5/19)