October 28 News Items

Space Cargo Rocket to be Designed in California (Source: OC Register)
Virginia-based Orbital Sciences Corp. has opened an office in Huntington Beach where engineers are helping to design the Taurus II, a rocket the company is developing to launch satellites and to send cargo to the International Space Station. Orbital says the Taurus II will be a less expensive alternative to the venerable Delta II booster, which was largely designed at the former McDonnell Douglas plant in Huntington Beach.

“Industry assumptions are that the Delta II will fly out its remaining inventory and perhaps not be reactivated. We’re seeking to fill a void with the Taurus II,” says Barron Beneski, a spokesman for Orbital. “We tend to run leaner and have a lower cost structure than other companies.” Beneski says Orbital will begin with 30-35 employees in Huntington Beach, but that the office could swell to 100 over the next few years so the company can more easily work with two of its major contractors, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena and U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center in El Segundo. Orbital decided to expand to Orange County “because Southern California is well known for having quality aerospace engineers,” Beneski says. (10/26)

ASRC Wins NASA Goddard Contract (Source: NASA)
NASA has selected ASRC Research and Technology Solutions, LLC, of Greenbelt, Md., to provide mission support services under the Program Analysis and Control (PAAC III) contract. The work will support NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center Flight Projects Directorate in Maryland. The cost-plus award fee indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract will have a five-year effective ordering period and maximum ordering value of $200 million. It is a follow-on to the PAAC II contract. (10/28)

Legal Team Investigates Proposed SpaceDev Sale as Breach of Fiduciary Duty (Source: Class Action Newsline)
Levi & Korsinsky ("L&K") is investigating breaches of fiduciary duty and other violations of state law by the board of directors of SpaceDev Inc. arising out of their attempt to sell the Company to Sierra Nevada Corp. Under the terms of the agreement, the gross purchase price being paid for SpaceDev is approximately $38 million which, after certain deductions, is expected to result in a net price of between $0.68 and $0.72 per share to holders of SpaceDev common stock. The price is unfair given that the Company's shares closed at $0.70 as recently as June 18, 2008. Also, the sales process the Company conducted was flawed given that the Company's Board agreed to a $1.5 million termination fee which will ensure no superior offer will ever be forthcoming. Visit http://www.zlk.com/spdv.html for information. (10/28)

Editorial: No Plans for Delta 2 Retirement (Source: Florida Today)
The recent United Launch Alliance (ULA) COSMO-3 launch added to the Delta 2's already impressive success record, one of the best in the world. This mission was the 43rd commercial launch for the Delta 2, which has deployed some of the world's most critical military, civilian and scientific satellites. Despite this success record, there is a mistaken perception the Delta 2 is retiring after launching its current manifest of 12 missions through 2011.

Although the last scheduled Delta 2 NASA mission is GRAIL in 2011, ULA has no plans to "pull the plug" on this reliable workhorse. The Delta 2 future launch rate is projected to reduce from its current six to eight launches a year to one or two annually. While this planned launch rate reduction is in response to a recent dip in customer demand, it doesn't mean ULA is leaving the medium-class market. In fact, our company already has the necessary inventory of unassigned rockets to support our expected launch rate past 2011.

Several new competitors have entered the medium-class launch market of late, touting promises of lower costs and high reliability. ULA welcomes this competition; we too continually strive to reduce costs and increase efficiency in our design center, manufacturing facility, and at the launch sites. We are aggressively marketing our unassigned Delta 2 rockets and have promising future prospects for commercial launches beyond 2011. We like our chances to turn some of these prospects into firm contracts, and we've ensured Delta 2 is well positioned for any upturn in the medium class market. (10/28)

NASA Selects Kentucky Spacecraft For ’09 Mission (Source: KYPost)
Kentucky's first orbital satellite, KySat-1, has been selected by NASA to fly on a mission projected for launch in mid-2009. Satellites from the University of Colorado and Montana State University were also chosen by NASA for the mission. “This highly innovative Kentucky effort is the epitome of the talent that lies within our state,” said Gov. Beshear. “The Commonwealth has been, and will continue to be, aggressive in its pursuit of technological and knowledge-driven economic opportunities.” KySat-1, the first satellite ever built in Kentucky, is a cube shaped pico-class satellite powered by solar energy, weighs 1 kg and measures 10cm on a side. Once KySat’s on-board computers confirm its release into orbit, Kentucky Space ground controllers in Kentucky will operate the satellite for the duration of its expected 18-24 month mission. (10/28)

Spacehab Sees Opportunity in Space Florida's Launch Complex (Source: Spacehab)
Spacehab and its Astrotech subsidiary join with Space Florida in recognizing the immense opportunities for America’s commercial space program in the joint Air Force Space Command and Space Florida Dedication Ceremony of Launch Complex 36. The Ceremony marked the symbolic “groundbreaking” following the announcement by the Air Force Space Command of its commitment to commercial space and its intention to lease LC-36 at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport to Space Florida. The U.S. Air Force's official "intent to lease" the site to Space Florida includes the build-out of the launch pad to support multiple-customers and multi-vehicle configurations for commercial, civil and military customers. (10/28)

Europe's Space Tourism Approach Requires Certification (Source: Flight Global)
The European Aviation Safety Agency has unveiled its proposed regulatory approach for suborbital aircraft at a space safety conference in Rome. Its proposals are that designers and operators of such vehicles will have to be fully certificated before the first commercial flight, including operations, flightcrew and passenger licensing and continued airworthiness. A follow-up policy paper will be informed by the first round of applicants' feedback while regulations are expected in the longer term. (10/28)

How NASA Should Spend $2 Billion -- Another Idea (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Right now, NASA has about $2 billion in campaign currency. While the money isn't necessarily real, it's fun to imagine how the agency should spend the cash in case either Barack Obama or John McCain keep their promises to give NASA an extra $2 billion. Each candidate wants to close the gap between the space shuttle's planned retirement in 2010 and and the first mission of its successor. Therefore, two likely sources for the $2 billion would be to fund more shuttle missions or hurry the development of Constellation, its replacement. But the Space Frontier Foundation has another idea for the campaign currency, which it unveiled today.

Don't spend the extra money on the shuttle or Constellation. Use the $2 billion to promote a NASA grant program that aims to encourage the development of commercial space vehicles. "It's time that our national leaders give American entrepreneurs a shot at closing this gap," said Berin Szoka, chairman of the Space Frontier Foundation, a group with a mission to expand human settlement beyond Earth. "Let's have an American competition in space - to create good jobs, fuel innovation, and close the gap more quickly." (10/28)

"My Astronauts Are Better Than Yours..." (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
As the presidential race enters its final week and the candidates step up their efforts to woo the space vote, both sides are trotting out the biggest space guns they can find: Apollo astronauts. Over the weekend, Apollo 7 astronaut Walt Cunningham toured cities around Florida to help promote Republican hopeful Sen. John McCain’s campaign by backing the candidate and his space platform. Cunningham said he had never campaigned for a candidate before but said that unlike Democratic contender Sen. Barack Obama, McCain had a track record supporting NASA and was more reliable on the issue. Obama, he said, was a new-comer to space and not to be trusted.

Not to be outdone, the “Obamanauts”, a group of Space Coast Obama backers, today announced that they have seen the McCain campaign’s Apollo bet and raised the ante by two shuttle astronauts. Apollo astronaut Rusty Schweickart, founder and past president of the Association of Space Explorers (ASE), and former Space Shuttle astronauts Dr. Kathy Thornton and Dr. Dan Barry have joined the "Obamanauts" to show their support for Obama's space policies. Barry signed on as an "Obamanaut" after moderating a panel at the International Symposium for Personal and Commercial Spaceflight. (10/28)

Little Progress Means No Immediate Change for Space Tourism Regulations (Source: Flight Global)
A lack of progress in space tourism's development is expected to mean there will be no change in US rules for the industry. The country's informed waiver approach is likely to continue beyond 2012. A yet to be published FAA report produced for the US Congress under its Commercial Space Launch Act Amendment 2004 is expected to find that no substantial rule changes are needed because the industry has not progressed sufficiently to warrant further legislation.

For customers, only an informed waiver is required to show that the individual understands the risks involved and the vehicles they fly in do not have to be certificated by the FAA. Its office of commercial space transport is overseeing the nascent industry. The 2004 Act set a sunset date of 2012 for the waiver rules, if the report, which the Act also set in motion, found that the industry's development warranted new regulation. (10/28)

Biden Talks About Space Workforce and Commercialization at Space Coast Rally (Source: NASA Watch)
Excerpts annotated from Sen. Joe Biden's Oct. 28 rally in Melbourne, Florida: "When John F. Kennedy challenged the nation to go to the moon, he noted that the space industry not only demanded the best minds, it also created the best jobs [...] The objective was not just to go to the moon, it was to get another 435,000 engineers and scientists and mathematicians. When the Shuttle is retired [the direct job loss figures don't] count the impact on local businesses or the long-term cost of allowing our global leadership to atrophy."

"The Bush Administration has left our space program in a very difficult position. And John McCain, as Chairman of the Commerce Committee hasn’t helped. He oversaw the plan to retire the Space Shuttle before a replacement was ready. [...] We want to reinvigorate our national space program and that includes creating an environment for a vibrant commercial space program. [...] As it did in the Kennedy Administration -- it will help create a new generation of engineers, mathematicians, scientists [...] It’s a goal that will not only inspire the nation, it will also create jobs."

Harris Wins Air Force Space Support Contract (Source: AIA)
The Air Force has awarded a $60 million contract extension to Harris Corp. for its Network and Space Operations and Maintenance program. The six-month base contract includes six one-year options, bringing the contract's total potential value to $405 million. (10/28)

Ares Chief Defends Rocket Design (Source: Huntsville Times)
The head of NASA's Ares rocket program defended the design of the launch vehicle Monday, dismissing critics that claim it would be unstable at launch. Recent published reports say the Ares rocket could drift during launch because of winds, striking the tower. However, all rockets move during launch, said Steve Cook, manager of the Ares program at Marshall Space Flight Center. The Ares I has a launch requirement to liftoff with winds as high at 39 mph, Cook said. "Those are gale force winds, and higher than the requirement for the shuttle," he said. Currently, NASA will scrub a shuttle flight if winds exceed about 20 mph. (10/28)

Problems Mount for NASA's Ares Rocket (Source: New Scientist)
A moderate breeze could spell doom for the rocket NASA is developing to launch astronauts into orbit after the space shuttle's retirement. NASA computer simulations showed wind speeds of just over 20 kilometers per hour could blow the Ares I rocket into its launch tower during lift-off. The wind issue adds to the mounting problems for Ares I, including a tendency to vibrate excessively. One NASA engineer, who has participated in studies of Ares I performance, told New Scientist the rocket's design needs a complete rethink: "You might as well change gears and work on a design that is going to be successful." Ares I is likely to be reviewed after the US election. The engineer says many people within NASA are pessimistic: "They don't think the project will survive as it is." (10/28)

Space Takes Off as Hot Issue for Both Parties (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
While it's not the economy or national security, the human exploration of space has emerged as a hot-button issue in the 2008 presidential campaign, at least in Florida. For the first time since the 1960s, space is mentioned in each party's platform. Democrats pledge a "strong and inspirational vision" for space; Republicans declare that "we look toward our country's return to the moon." Driving the resurgence of the issue are Florida's 27 electoral votes and 4,500 or more job losses connected to the retirement of the aging space shuttle in 2010. And each candidate insists his rival would diminish America's leadership in space.

Obama said McCain supported policies that resulted in U.S. reliance on Russia for spaceflight after the shuttle retires. McCain says Obama flip-flops on NASA policy and cannot be trusted. The Republican National Committee has said Obama's plans for the space agency were part of a liberal spending agenda. The two men's policies, however, are more similar than they are different. Both say they will consider postponing the shuttle's retirement date and try to accelerate the development of its replacement, the troubled Ares 1 rocket that won't be ready for launch before 2015. Both also want to boost scientific research aboard the $100 billion international space station, and both question the Bush administration's decision to stop supporting the space station in 2016.

Obama wants to see the agency play a larger role in education. "It's time for a space program that inspires our children again," he said. Obama's commitment to education nearly cost him the support of the Space Coast. Until August, he was urging that billions be cut from the Constellation moon program to fund his school-reform plan. But Sen. Bill Nelson persuaded him him to move from budget-cutter to NASA booster. McCain's Senate committee held hearings in 2005 on President Bush's "Vision for Space Exploration," which envisioned a gap between the retirement of the shuttle and the first launch of the Ares rocket, a gap to be filled by the Russians. McCain did not criticize that approach until last March. Visit http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/space/orl-space2808oct28,0,6694951.story to view the article. (10/28)

China to Launch a Telecom Satellite for Venezuela (Source: Xinhua)
China will send a Venezuelan telecommunication satellite into orbit on the early morning of Oct. 30. It will be the first time that China has made a commercial space launch for a Latin American country. The rocket carrier for the Venezuela 1 Telecom Satellite will be a Long March 3II. (10/28)

Florida Officials Wary as Space Business Evolves (Source: Florida Today)
Space Coast congressmen are watching next week's presidential election with a healthy dose of skepticism: Will the winner cut NASA funding? At stake is Brevard County's economic lifeblood -- particularly with thousands of job cuts looming in 2010. "John McCain is really a budget hawk," said outgoing U.S. Rep. Dave Weldon. "He likes to control spending. So, if he becomes president, getting more money out of him is going to be the challenge...Barack Obama, I believe to be pretty liberal. And I don't think getting more money will be the challenge. I think the greater problem will be to get him to spend it on the space program," Weldon said. "He'll want to spend it on other things."

U.S. Rep. Tom Feeney said neither McCain nor Obama is predictable, and "we are leaping into the great unknown, politically." Barney Bishop, chief executive officer of Associated Industries of Florida, said 47 out of Florida's 67 counties boast at least one aerospace business. Bishop said he worries that California, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas and Virginia may threaten Florida's status as the leading space state. (10/28)

Florida Successfully Promotes Space to Campaigns (Source: Florida Today)
The space industry was hardly mentioned early in the presidential campaign, but Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama now are competing with each other to woo the Space Coast with detailed policies. An intense lobbying and education effort from local and state officials changed both candidates' platforms. "We've watched both campaigns come a long way in recognizing both the value and importance of the space program," said Frank Dibello, a consultant who helped formulate a strategy that brought several candidates to Brevard County to learn about the space program early in the campaign.

Obama and McCain quickly realized that Brevard County was a crucial part of a crucial state with 27 electoral votes in play. "There is no question we have been validated," Dibelo said. In addition to promising more funding for NASA, both candidates want the option to fly the shuttle beyond 2010, when the Bush administration had planned for the shuttle to be retired. McCain first asked President Bush not to allow any of the shuttle supply lines to be dismantled, while Obama soon afterward made the same request of Congress.

The next president, whether it's Obama or McCain, undoubtedly will be reminded of promises made to people on the Space Coast and other supporters of NASA's exploration programs. "I don't doubt the early days of the next administration will result in a comprehensive review of the nation's space program," said Dibelo. "We want to do everything we can to at least make sure space is addressed." (10/28)

NASA Aims to Keep Moon's Skies Junk-Free (Source: Space.com)
There are well over 100,000 objects in Earth orbit, the vast majority being non-functioning junk in the form of satellites and debris from rocket launches. Nuts, bolts, chips of paint and other garbage all pose a threat to satellite operations. Having all this material speeding along at 17,500 miles per hour only a few hundred miles above us isn't of much concern for people on the planet, because although hundreds of objects fall back to Earth every year, almost all burn up in the atmosphere (with the exception of a few huge rocket parts).

Earth's atmosphere acts like a closet door, preventing all our junk from spilling out and hitting us on the head. With no atmospheric barrier to shield the moon's surface, NASA is now taking steps to prevent a similar accumulation of debris in lunar orbit. Any object dropping out of lunar orbit would impact the surface at a near horizontal 5,000 miles per hour. Very unhealthy for any astronaut in the line of fire and a potential danger to historic Apollo landing sites. (10/28)

New Commander Takes Over 45th Space Wing (Source: Florida Today)
Brig. Gen. Ed Bolton Jr., who last served at the National Reconnaissance Office, took command of the 45th Space Wing on Tuesday. Bolton assumed command from Brig. Gen. Susan Helms before officers and enlisted personnel and local governmental officials at Patrick Air Force Base’s Memorial Plaza. The 45th Space Wing provides technical support for all rocket launches and manned space flights. Its commander is also the director of the Eastern Range.

Bolton replaces Brig. Gen. Susan Helms, a former astronaut who flew five shuttle missions and logged more than 5,000 hours in space, including a six-month stay on the International Space Station. She has been the commander since June 2006. Helms will move to Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, where she will serve as director of plans and policy at U.S. Strategic Command. (10/28)