August 22 News Items

Elegant Resorts Partner With Virgin Galactic to Make Space Travel a Reality (8/22)
Space travel will become reality for people from all walks of life when Virgin Galactic launches its public flights into space. Elegant Resorts are the only company appointed by Virgin Galactic to sell this unique experience in the UK, Russia and CIS. Justine Pitt, Product Manager at Elegant Resorts, commented: "We have already experienced some amazing firsts with Virgin Galactic since our appointment last July, enabling us to give our clients first-hand knowledge of the whole Virgin Galactic Experience -- including a simulated trip into space in the NASTAR Center's Space Training Centrifugal Simulator where we achieved G-forces upwards of 3G's, a private unveiling of the spacecraft models in New York back in January with Richard Branson and Burt Rutan, and now the unveiling of EVE." (8/22)

Boeing Mulls Withdrawing From Tanker Contract Competition (Source: AIA)
Boeing is reconsidering its plan to bid on a $40 billion contract to build aerial refueling tankers for the Air Force. The company says it needs six months to develop a competitive proposal, but the DOD has given competitors 60 days to submit new bids. "I think the option we would have if we were not given the six months, there is a really high likelihood that we would no-bid the program," said Jim Albaugh, chief of Boeing's defense unit. Northrop Grumman is also competing for the contract. (8/22)

Defense, Space Engineers in Demand as Boomers Retire (Source: AIA)
As baby boomers retire from defense and space engineering careers, the sector faces a hiring crisis. Many engineering graduates are choosing high-tech careers in the private sector over top-secret careers in the public sector. "It is critical that we replace these retiring engineers; this is not the kind of work that we can just outsource overseas," said the chairman of a defense industry group. Approximately 60% of the industry's workforce could retire during the next 20 years, according to the Aerospace Industries Association. (8/22)

New Interest in Satellites Strengthens General Dynamics Unit (Source: AIA)
General Dynamics' Spectrum Astro unit is seeing stronger demand for its ultra-high-tech products and is winning key contracts with private firms and NASA. The company's factory has produced three satellites in 2008, already the best year in its history. (8/22)

Lack of Cash Hurts NASA's Tech Plans (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Tight budgets and uncertainty are hurting NASA's ability to develop cutting-edge technologies that are critical if the space agency is to send astronauts to the moon and Mars, according to a new oversight report. In 20 of 22 projects -- ranging from heat shields to fission power -- some form of "corrective action" is needed to meet President Bush's goal of returning astronauts to the moon by 2020, according to a panel of space experts for The National Academies. These aren't just engineering problems, the panel noted. It said the money to develop these technologies -- NASA estimates it is spending $400 million for the Exploration Technology Development Program -- is inadequate, in an overall budget of about $17.3 billion.

Uncertainty caused by Constellation design issues has prompted speculation that a new president might scrap the program for something different. A more robust research program could also be crucial to keeping jobs at Kennedy Space Center once NASA retires the shuttle, said Dale Ketcham, director of the University of Central Florida's Space Research and Technology Institute. "Research and development is not the only answer to 6,400 job losses, but it should be part of the answer," he said. (8/22)