December 7 News Items

Deadlines Looming for Clark and Conrad Awards (Source: Parabolic Arc)
The dealines for two major space awards are coming up in the next month. The Pete Conrad Spirit of Innovation Award is a competition for high school students to develop innovative products for use in personal spaceflight, exploring the moon, or producing clean energy. All team submission documents must be uploaded through the website before 12:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, January 9th, 2009. Click here for information. The Sir Arthur Clarke Awards honor space achievement in about a dozen different categories. The deadline for nominations is December 31. Click here for information. (12/7)

Researchers Find Ancient Climate Cycles Recorded in Mars Rocks (Source: SpaceRef.com)
Researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and their colleagues have found evidence of ancient climate change on Mars caused by regular variation in the planet's tilt, or obliquity. On Earth, similar "astronomical forcing" of climate drives ice-age cycles. Using stereo topographic maps obtained by processing data from the high-resolution camera onboard NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, the Caltech scientists identified and measured layered rock outcrops within four craters in the planet's Arabia Terra region.

The layering in different outcrops occurs at scales ranging from a few meters to tens of meters, but at each location the layers all have similar thicknesses and exhibit similar features. Based on a pattern of layers within layers measured at one location, known as Becquerel crater, the scientists propose that each layer was formed over a period of about 100,000 years and that these layers were produced by the same cyclical climate changes. (12/6)

Blue Origin Offers Suborbital Research Opportunities (Source: Blue Origin)
Blue Origin is developing New Shepard, a rocket-propelled vehicle designed to routinely fly multiple astronauts into suborbital space at competitive prices. In addition to providing the public with opportunities to experience spaceflight, New Shepard will also provide frequent opportunities for researchers to fly experiments into space and a microgravity environment. The New Shepard vehicle will consist of a pressurized Crew Capsule (CC) carrying experiments and astronauts atop a reliable Propulsion Module (PM). Flights will take place from Blue Origin’s own launch site, which is already operating in West Texas.

New Shepard will take-off vertically and accelerate for approximately two and a half minutes before shutting off its rocket engines and coasting into space. The vehicle will carry rocket motors enabling the Crew Capsule to escape from the PM in the event of a serious anomaly during launch. In space, the Crew Capsule will separate from the PM and the two will reenter and land separately for re-use. The Crew Capsule will land softly under a parachute at the launch site. Astronauts and experiments will experience no more than 6 g acceleration into their seats and a 1.5 g lateral acceleration during a typical flight. High-quality microgravity environments (<10-3 g) will be achieved for durations of 3 or more minutes, depending on the mission trajectory. Click here for details. (12/7)

UP Aerospace: Indie Space Ventures Blast Off (Source: CNN Money)
There's not much to see at the future home of Spaceport America, touted as ground zero for commercial rocket traffic. Deep in the New Mexico desert, you'll find shrubs, scorpions - and Jerry Larson. His company, Up Aerospace, has signed on as the first tenant of the $220 million spaceport, where construction will begin in 2009. The private space industry pulsates with wannabes who have launched little more than press releases, but Larson is that rare entrepreneur who has actually sent a rocket into space - and figured out how to make it pay. In 2009, Larson expects to turn his first profit on revenues of nearly $1 million, a considerable increase from his hobbyist income of $300,000 in 2007. Click here to view the article. (12/4)

Reaction Engine Continues Quest for Affordable SSTO (Sources: Parabolic Arc, HobbySpace)
UK-based Reaction Engine’s efforts to build its Skylon spaceplane are progressing with critical engine technology tests upcoming. “The Skylon spaceplane will enable single stage to orbit delivery of payloads with aircraft like operations. The key to realising this goal is a combined cycle engine that can operate both in airbreathing and pure rocket modes. To achieve this new low mass structure concepts and several new engine technologies need to be proven. An extensive program of technology development has addressed these issues with very positive results. This now allows the project to proceed to the final concept proving stage before full development commences.” (12/6)

The White House as a “Bully Pulpit” for Science (Source: Space Politics)
A snippet from President-elect Obama’s interview this morning on NBC’s “Meet the Press”, talking about the “incredible bully pulpit” of the White House and hosting events there: "Part of what we want to do is open up the White House and remind people that this is the people’s house… When it comes to science, elevating science once again, and having lectures in the White House, where people are talking about traveling to the stars or breaking down atoms: inspiring our youth to get a sense of what discovery is all about." (12/7)

Spaceport Sheboygan 'Power Lunch' Dec. 11 (Source: Sheboygan Press)
A "power lunch" is planned for Dec. 11, at the site of Spaceport Sheboygan —the former Armory. James Testwuide, chairman of the Great Lakes Aerospace Science & Education Center, will be the featured speaker. He will discuss the creation of the science and education center in Sheboygan. He has been instrumental in pushing this project forward and has worked with retired astronauts, community leaders and other dignitaries to develop plans for Spaceport. (12/6)