Knob Freed From Atlantis Cockpit (Source: Florida Today)
A small knob has been freed from the cockpit of shuttle Atlantis, a step toward easing concerns that the orbiter could face a lengthy mission delay or even be retired early. The notched rotary knob, used to fasten a work light to a bracket, wedged itself between the shuttle's dashboard and one of six forward windows during the final Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission in May. But NASA must now assess any damage the knob caused to Window No. 5, which could still result in significant delays if its pressure pane needs to be replaced. (6/30)
Venture to Build Military Satellites (Source: Wall Street Journal)
A clutch of former Pentagon brass is helping to start a company that offers a new service: satellites intended solely for military communications that would be built, launched and owned by private investors. The new company, called U.S. Space LLC, attempts to meet a need that the U.S. military has struggled to fill. As U.S. forces deploy to out-of-the-way regions, the Pentagon frequently needs more satellite capacity for communications and distribution of surveillance videos than it can get its hands on. The military's own satellites are expensive, and often take too long to deploy to satisfy fast-changing battlefield needs. Meanwhile, the military hasn't always been able to lease sufficient bandwith on traditional commercial satellites, particularly in remote areas such as Afghanistan.
The new company intends to build and launch relatively small and inexpensive commercial satellites that would be optimized for military use and leased only to military customers, according to Mark Albrecht, the company's chairman and co-founder. Backers said the price of the satellites would be held down by keeping them small, modular and relatively basic, without tailoring them for special needs and piling on bells and whistles. The company's board members count three former Air Force generals, including retired Lt. Gen. Michael Hamel, who until recently served as the military's top uniformed space-acquisition official; retired Major General James Armor, a former space policy maker; retired Major General Craig Weston, who is also the president and chief executive of U.S. Space. The company's backers include firms headed by former Attorney General John Ashcroft and former Defense Secretary William Cohen. (6/30)
Fresh Satellite Launches for Sirius XM Radio (Source: SpaceFlightNow.com)
A new broadcasting satellite for Sirius XM Radio launched aboard a Proton rocket to a high-altitude transfer orbit stretching more than 22,000 miles above Earth. The Sirius FM5 satellite, the company's fourth spacecraft, blasted off from the Baikonur spaceport in Kazakhstan. Officials with International Launch Services, the U.S.-based firm overseeing commercial Proton flights, confirmed the Breeze M upper stage completed its first burn to arrive in a temporary parking orbit about 111 miles above the planet. (6/30)
NASA Pitches Cheaper Moon Plan (Source: Houston Chronicle)
Like a car salesman pushing a luxury vehicle that the customer no longer can afford, NASA has pulled out of its back pocket a deal for a cheaper ride to the moon. It won’t be as powerful, and its design is a little dated. Think of it as a base-model Ford station wagon instead of a tricked-out Cadillac Escalade. Officially, the space agency is still on track with a 4-year-old plan to spend $35 billion to build new rockets and return astronauts to the moon in several years. However, a top NASA manager is floating a cut-rate alternative that costs around $6.6 billion.
The new model calls for flying lunar vehicles on something very familiar-looking — the old space shuttle system with its gigantic orange fuel tank and twin solid-rocket boosters, minus the shuttle itself. There are two new vehicles this rocket would carry — one generic cargo container, the other an Apollo-like capsule for astronaut travel. Those new vehicles could both go to the moon or the international space station. What’s most remarkable about this idea is who it came from: NASA’s shuttle program manager John Shannon. He recently presented it to an independent panel charged with reviewing NASA’s costly spaceflight plans. And he was urged to do so by a top NASA administrator. It shows that top officials in NASA, an agency of engineers who regularly make contingency plans, worry that their preferred moon plan is running into trouble, space experts said. (6/30)
Virginia Candidates Link Spaceport to Energy Plans (Source: Spaceports Blog)
Virginia's two candidates for governor have linked the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport to the state's energy development plans suggesting that Democrat Creigh Deeds and Republican Robert McDonnell may have a vision for space-based solar power development in the years ahead. Deeds, speaking to a Energy Technology Summit, suggested that the Virginia spaceport become a part of a larger energy technology plan for Virginia while McDonnell spoke of the essentials of coal, nuclear energy and the spaceport as keys to the state's energy potential. While neither candidate for Virginia's executive mansion has directly linked the spaceport's future to space-based solar power, there is a growing nexus between the spaceport and energy that would lead to a conclusion that the two candidates have a vision that would use space-based technologies for future electric power production in Virginia. (6/30)
SpaceX Raising Another $60M for Private Space Travel (Source: Venture Beat)
Space travel company Space Exploration Technologies Corp., better known as SpaceX, has raised $15 million of a new funding round, according to VentureWire. The round may eventually grow to $60 million. VentureWire first spotted the news in a regulatory filing and has confirmed the news with Draper Fisher Jurvetson, the firm leading the round. It sounds like the company's fortunes continue to improve. Founded in 2002 by PayPal co-founder Elon Musk, who serves as CEO for both the Hawthorne, Calif., company and electric car maker Tesla, SpaceX really started proving itself last year when it finally launched a rocket into space after three failed attempts. (6/30)
Ukrainian Workers Needed for Virginia Launch Program (Source: DelMarVaNow.com)
Orbital Sciences Corp. and the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport have begun construction of launch facilities for Orbital's Taurus II rocket and its related work with NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program. Orbital ultimately expects to be capable of four to six launches a year from Wallops, launch site manager Norman Bobczynski said. The company's choice of Wallops as the home base for its Taurus II project will bring $40 million to $100 million of investment into the area from Orbital, NASA and the state. A dock will be needed to bring the first rocket stage to the spaceport. The first stage will be built in Ukraine. Some testing and assembly of the rocket will be done by a team from the Ukraine, Bobczynski said, meaning 30 to 50 Ukrainian workers at a time will be at Wallops during the lead-up to launches. The company is working on finding housing for those workers, who will remain in the area for weeks or months at a time and who will need office space outside the Wallops Flight Facility, he said. An 80,000-gallon fuel tank will be shipped to the island from a Mexican manufacturer in November. (6/30)
Sweden Considers SpaceX Falcon 1 for its Spaceport (Source: Hyperbola)
Swedish Space Corporation business development manager Mattias Abrahamsson says Spaceport Sweden's future could include launches of the SpaceX Falcon-1, allowing the Swedes to launch satellites from their most northern territory without dropping rocket stages onto their neighbors. (6/30)
China Unveils Fund to Finance Aerospace Industry (Source: Space Daily)
China has unveiled the country's first national fund aimed at investing in aerospace, state media reported, as the country tries to compete with the industry's heavyweights. Investors in the fund, which expects to raise 30 billion yuan ($4.4 billion), include state-run operations such as Xi'an Yanliang National Aviation Hi-Tech Industrial Base. The fund is located in the northwestern city of Xi'an, one of five aircraft industry bases set up in China. This is the first time the country has launched a fund to help develop the aerospace industry, which has previously relied on government special-purpose financing. Xi'an Yanliang National Aviation Hi-Tech Industrial Base focuses on the manufacturing of passenger aircraft and is involved in developing the homegrown mid-range aircraft ARJ-21 with 70 to 90 seats. (6/30)
Aerojet Gets Air Force Contract for Minuteman Stage Testing (Source: SPACErePORT)
The Air Force is awarding an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract to Aerojet General Corporation, of Rancho Cordova, Calif., for up to $7,332,694. This contract action will provide for testing of Minuteman II Stage 2, SR19 motors to assure rocket motor reliability for use in rocket systems launch programs as launch targets. (6/18)
Space Florida Sets Relaunch (Source: Florida Today)
After some turmoil at the top, Space Florida is back -- we hope -- to doing deals and shoring up the launch industry and jobs in Brevard County. New President Frank DiBello took over after his predecessor failed to produce a business plan, whiffed at lining up investors and ran afoul of lobbying and contracting rules. Click here to view a brief interview with DiBello. (6/30)
DiBello: NASA Commitment to "Heavy-Lift" Vehicle is Best for Florida (Source: Florida Today)
When asked about which post-Shuttle rocket scenario is best for Florida, Space Florida's Frank DiBello said: "The ones that are best for Florida are to commit to a 'heavy lift' vehicle. Ares 5 does the job as a heavy-lift concept. There's a lot of work associated with that. And then, things associated with lunar are very good for Florida because of the capabilities that are here. We've already demonstrated the ability to launch and do the final assembly and integration." (6/30)
DiBello: Shuttle Workforce is a National Asset (Source: Florida Today)
DiBello said the Space Shuttle workforce is a "national asset" that has a high-value culture. "They have a culture of safety, quality assurance, adherence to procedure and regulation, and rigid documentation of what's going on. Commercial companies spend fortunes trying to develop that in their workforce. We have it here in abundance." (6/30)
ESA Offers Astronaut Training for European Space Tourism (Source: Flight Global)
To aid a European suborbital tourism industry the European Space Agency might provide astronaut training, but its first step is expected to be an annual conference or workshops to facilitate a dialogue between companies and other potential stakeholders. Such training and forums have been identified in ESA's new space tourism position paper. In the paper the agency envisages it providing human spaceflight services including astronaut training, engaging in partnerships with European space tourism ventures and contributing to the development of the necessary pan-European related legal framework. (6/30)
Japan a Low-Key Player in Space Race (Source: Japan Times)
Japan has launched Earth observation, communications and weather satellites as well as other space vehicles since it began its space program in the late 1960s. The program initially fell under the authority of the National Space Development Agency but is now under NASDA's successor, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA. Last year, U.S. space shuttles brought components of Japan's Kibo (Hope) space lab to be attached to the International Space Station. Despite the recession, the government budgeted ¥344.8 billion for space exploration in fiscal 2009, an increase of 10.4 percent from the previous year. Despite such ambitious outlays, Japan lags behind other nations in space. (6/30)
Ball Gets Analyst Upgrade, NASA Contract (Source: Daily Camera)
Ball Corp. is aggressively cutting costs and could soon benefit from a rising volume, an analyst said. Ball's volume hit a bottom in the first quarter "with an aggressive cost-cutting program and likely price increases in 2010 setting the stage for outsized earnings growth over the next three years." Separately, Ball's aerospace unit was awarded a $9.7 million contract to assess and potentially refurbish a NASA instrument to measure gases in Earth's upper atmosphere, officials announced Monday. (6/30)
Uranium Found on the Moon (Source: Space.com)
Uranium exists on the moon, according to new data from a Japanese spacecraft. The findings are the first conclusive evidence for the presence of the radioactive element in lunar dirt, the researchers said. They announced the discovery recently at the 40th Lunar and Planetary Conference. The revelation suggests that nuclear power plants could be built on the moon, or even that Earth's satellite could serve as a mining source for uranium needed back home. The Japanese Kaguya spacecraft, which was launched in 2007, detected uranium with a gamma-ray spectrometer. Scientists are using the instrument to create maps of the moon's surface composition, showing the presence of thorium, potassium, oxygen, magnesium, silicon, calcium, titanium and iron. (6/30)
June 29 News Items
Cargo Ship to Undock From ISS, Serve as Technical Platform (Source: RIA Novosti)
Russia's unmanned Progress spacecraft, due to undock from the International Space Station (ISS) on June 30, will be used as a technical space platform before being dumped in the Pacific. The modified version of the standard Progress craft docked on May 13, bringing 2.5 tons of supplies to the orbiter, including food, water, scientific equipment and messages for the three-member crew. It took the spacecraft five days instead of the usual two to reach the ISS, as the freighter underwent a number of flight tests en route to the orbital station. The freighter, equipped with an on-board digital control system, replaced the analog-controlled Progress spacecraft. (6/29)
NASA Increases Contract for Aerospace Vehicle Technology (Source: NASA)
NASA has increased the value of a current contract supporting R&D in structures and materials and aerodynamic, aerothermodynamic and acoustics technology for aerospace vehicles by nearly $20 million. The modification brings the value of the contract to $58.75 million. The contract was awarded to Analytical Services & Materials, Inc., Hampton, Va.; Boeing Company, Huntington Beach, Calif.; Lockheed Martin Corp., Palmdale, Calif.; and Northrop Grumman Corp., El Segundo, Calif. in August 2004. The period of performance ends in February 2010. (6/29)
Auditors: Galileo Project Ill-Conceived (Source: AFP)
Europe's much delayed satellite navigation network project Galileo has been ill-prepared and badly managed, the European Court of Auditors charged. "The programme lacked a strong strategic sponsor and supervisor: the (European) Commission did not proactively direct the programme, leaving it without a helmsman," the auditors' court opined after carrying out an audit of the ill-starred project. As well as the commission -- the EU's executive arm -- the 27 member states came into criticism for promoting their own industries first and foremost.
"Owing to their different programme expectations, member states intervened in the interest of their national industries and held up decisions. The compromises made led to implementation problems, delays and, in the end, to cost overruns," the official auditors declared. The 30-satellite network is meant to challenge the dominance of the US-built Global Positioning System (GPS), which is widely used in navigation devices in vehicles and ships. The EU aims to have it up in space by 2013. (6/29)
New Rocket to Create Jobs on Virginia Shore (Source: Baltimore Sun)
Ground will be broken Monday at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Atlantic, Va., on a launch facility that will test a new rocket designed to service the International Space Station once the shuttle retires. Construction will create 250 jobs and the launch site will eventually bring 400 high-tech jobs to the Eastern Shore by 2010, said Maryland Sen. Barbara Mikulski, who will attend the ceremony. The site, which is about 40 miles south of Ocean City, has been chosen by Orbital Sciences Corporation as the base of operations for development, assembly, and testing of the Taurus II rocket. Mikulski is chairwoman of the Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Subcommittee that funds NASA. (6/29)
NASA Wants Australian Wattle Plants in Space for Clean Air (Source: Daily Telegraph)
Astronauts exploring the far reaches of our solar system could in the future be breathing clean air from Australian plants such as wattles. The plants are a step closer to aiding deep space probes after the seeds of four types of Australian flora survived six months aboard the International Space Station. Canadian-born NASA astronaut Gregory Chamitoff, who was on that mission aboard the shuttle Discovery last May, said the seeds completed more than 2800 orbits of the Earth with no signs of "space fatigue or damage".
"From NASA's perspective, we are interested in seeds that might be hardy enough to survive long duration exposure to the space environment and then germinate in greenhouses in space or on other planets," he said. "Ultimately, this will be essential to support self-sustaining outposts or colonies with food and oxygen." (6/29)
NASA Unveils Astronaut Class That Will Never Fly on Shuttle (Source: Space.com)
NASA has unveiled the nine Americans making up its newest class of astronaut candidates, a group that will never fly on the space shuttle. The six-man, three-woman astronaut class of 2009 is NASA's first batch of new spaceflying recruits in five years. The new astronaut candidates will likely only train to fly aboard the space station, Russian Soyuz vehicles, and NASA's shuttle replacement - the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle and its Ares rockets tapped to ferry spaceflyers to orbit and back to the moon by 2020. The 11 astronauts of NASA's 2004 class are all expected to have flown once on a shuttle by the fleet's retirement next year, NASA officials have said. (6/29)
Apollo Monument Dedication Planned in Titusville on Jul. 17 (Source: SWF Foundation)
The U. S. Space Walk of Fame Foundation on Jul. 17 will dedicate the Apollo Monument in Space View Park downtown Titusville. The dedication ceremony begins at 10:00 a.m. and will feature astronaut Al Worden and other special guests. Twelve bronze panels will surround the base of the monument telling the Apollo story. On permanent display at Apollo are bronzed handprints of all the living Apollo Astronauts. Raised bronze profiles, by Artist Sandy Storm, are there for those astronauts who have died. An Apollo Reunion will follow the ceremony at Fox Lake Park. Visit http://www.spacewalkoffame.com for information. (6/29)
You Weigh In on NASA's Next Rocket Choice (Source: Florida Today)
I got a virtual bag full of mail following up on the columns I've written the last couple weeks. The first asked people to speak their mind to the presidential panel studying NASA's human space flight plans. The second pointed out the Ares rocket is not the only way to get NASA's shuttle replacement spaceship to orbit. The conversation was civil, lively and on point. That's just the kind of discussion we want about important space issues.
Dave Bonnar of Viera voiced the concern of many that NASA ought to aim higher than the moon. The space agency, Bonner and others told me, ought to be doing things that lead to a human expedition to Mars rather than repeating past feats. "The large NASA projected cost of returning to the moon with a manned station on the moon is not affordable and a waste of funding," Bonnar wrote in a longer letter. "The longer term vision for America should include the manned Mars mission goal." I heard most about my failure to write about the Direct launch system. Direct, touted by a mostly-anonymous band of engineers inside and outside NASA, is another means of cobbling together various shuttle launch components to make a new rocket. So, why didn't I talk about that? (6/29)
Lessons For The Future of Human Space Flight (Source: Space Review)
As the Augustine commission reviews NASA's human spaceflight plans, it is receiving no shortage of advice. Former NASA associate administrator Wes Huntress offers some lessons learned for the future of human space exploration. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1406/1 to view the article. (6/29)
To Boldly Go... Anywhere? (Source: Space Review)
The "Star Trek" franchise got a much-needed and successful re-launch with its latest movie. Eric Sterner argues that it's also time to re-think what NASA does and how much we are willing to spend to support it. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1405/1 to view the article. (6/29)
Big Sky Ranch (Source: Space Review)
You may not have heard of Bill King, but he was one of the pioneers of America's satellite reconnaissance program. Dwayne Day recalls the life and career of King, who recently passed away. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1404/1 to view the article. (6/29)
North Korea's Missiles: How Will They Use Their Ultimate Asset (Source: Space Review)
North Korea appears to be preparing for another missile test, perhaps disguised again as a satellite launch attempt. Taylor Dinerman looks at how the West's reaction, including South Korea's development of its own space launch system, could affect the North's plans. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1403/1 to view the article. (6/29)
Buzz Aldrin Calls For Focus on Manned Mars Mission (Source: Tech Herald)
Legendary Moon walker and NASA spaceman Buzz Aldrin has said the race to establish a permanent Moon base should be the result of international cooperation with the real focus on a manned mission to Mars. Aldrin said the next race to be the first to host a manned presence on the Moon should not be a financially damaging "space race" but an international effort combining the resources of China, Europe, India, Japan and Russia. He said a lunar race is, in fact, a "damaging" detour from what should be NASA's principal objective -- namely, the preparation for a manned mission to Mars. (6/29)
Frontiers are Meant to Challenge (Source: Lompoc Record)
Folks living here on the Central Coast of California have a long and abiding interest in space launches, in large part because we are privileged to witnessed several of them a year. The spectacle of rockets roaring into the heavens from Vandenberg is truly awe-inspiring. And there is an undeniable sense of pride when one of these marvels of modern engineering takes flight, because so many of our neighbors are the geniuses behind the local space program. But NASA's latest lunar adventure comes at a point in time when many believe the half-billion dollars in startup money for a future moon colony might be better spent providing health care to the millions of Americans who cannot now afford such care. With so many on this planet in need, can we really justify the expense, time, energy and resources to continue our push toward the stars? The short answer is, yes, we can — and we should. (6/29)
International Spacemen to Meet in Korea (Source: Chosun.com)
The city of Daejeon will be the venue for the 60th International Astronautical Congress. The major international conference to be held Oct. 12 to 16 this year is often dubbed the "Aerospace Olympics." Some 3,000 professionals from space agencies and industry as well as experts from around 60 nations will attend to share their knowledge about the latest developments in the field. Specialists from NASA, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and more will discuss cooperation with other countries and ways to expand participation of developing countries in Asia and Africa. Companies such as Boeing Astrium and Arianespace will be on hand to exhibit their latest space technologies. (6/29)
Space Command Resources Increased by Force Realignment (Source: USAF)
The Air Force released its proposed FY10 force structure announcement, supported by the FY10 President's Budget, resulting in an increase in personnel throughout Air Force Space Command, civilian and military. "The proposed increase of approximately 700 positions across the command will help AFSPC meet our ongoing commitment to space and cyberspace missions," said Gen. C. Robert Kehler, commander of AFSPC. Final decisions will be made only after the appropriate environmental analyses have been completed and the National Environmental Protection Act conformity requirements have been met. (6/29)
Going Beyond The Status Quo In Space (Source: SpaceRef.com)
Why the Moon? While appearing barren, the Moon has the resources upon which to build a prototype space civilization. It is a power-rich environment, permitting initial steps to be undertaken using proven, inexpensive solar power generation technology. The Moon is readily accessible from Earth at almost any time. This accessibility makes it a practical site for such a pioneering development - one that is convenient enough to Earth so as to enable trade, travel and telepresence operation. In contrast, Mars and the inner solar system asteroids have infrequent travel opportunities and comparatively long trip times. They won't work for first steps towards economic development of the solar system. With experience and technology from developing the Moon in hand, Mars can then be settled and the rest of the inner solar system can be developed in a cost effective manner. (6/29)
Commercial Spaceflight Group Lobbies Augustine Panel (Source: Hyperbola)
The Commercial Spaceflight Federation recommended to the Augustine Panel that NASA should invest in commercial human spaceflight capabilities to the International Space Station. Without leveraging the resources of the private sector, NASA will simply not be able to afford to meet the twin goals of (a) fully utilizing the Space Station, potentially through 2020, and (b) conducting sustainable exploration beyond Low Earth Orbit. "We believe this program should be modeled on the success of NASA's existing Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program, which is enabling the development of commercial capabilities to deliver cargo to the International Space Station, based on the principles of fixed-price, milestone-based, competitive awards." (6/29)
Russia's unmanned Progress spacecraft, due to undock from the International Space Station (ISS) on June 30, will be used as a technical space platform before being dumped in the Pacific. The modified version of the standard Progress craft docked on May 13, bringing 2.5 tons of supplies to the orbiter, including food, water, scientific equipment and messages for the three-member crew. It took the spacecraft five days instead of the usual two to reach the ISS, as the freighter underwent a number of flight tests en route to the orbital station. The freighter, equipped with an on-board digital control system, replaced the analog-controlled Progress spacecraft. (6/29)
NASA Increases Contract for Aerospace Vehicle Technology (Source: NASA)
NASA has increased the value of a current contract supporting R&D in structures and materials and aerodynamic, aerothermodynamic and acoustics technology for aerospace vehicles by nearly $20 million. The modification brings the value of the contract to $58.75 million. The contract was awarded to Analytical Services & Materials, Inc., Hampton, Va.; Boeing Company, Huntington Beach, Calif.; Lockheed Martin Corp., Palmdale, Calif.; and Northrop Grumman Corp., El Segundo, Calif. in August 2004. The period of performance ends in February 2010. (6/29)
Auditors: Galileo Project Ill-Conceived (Source: AFP)
Europe's much delayed satellite navigation network project Galileo has been ill-prepared and badly managed, the European Court of Auditors charged. "The programme lacked a strong strategic sponsor and supervisor: the (European) Commission did not proactively direct the programme, leaving it without a helmsman," the auditors' court opined after carrying out an audit of the ill-starred project. As well as the commission -- the EU's executive arm -- the 27 member states came into criticism for promoting their own industries first and foremost.
"Owing to their different programme expectations, member states intervened in the interest of their national industries and held up decisions. The compromises made led to implementation problems, delays and, in the end, to cost overruns," the official auditors declared. The 30-satellite network is meant to challenge the dominance of the US-built Global Positioning System (GPS), which is widely used in navigation devices in vehicles and ships. The EU aims to have it up in space by 2013. (6/29)
New Rocket to Create Jobs on Virginia Shore (Source: Baltimore Sun)
Ground will be broken Monday at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Atlantic, Va., on a launch facility that will test a new rocket designed to service the International Space Station once the shuttle retires. Construction will create 250 jobs and the launch site will eventually bring 400 high-tech jobs to the Eastern Shore by 2010, said Maryland Sen. Barbara Mikulski, who will attend the ceremony. The site, which is about 40 miles south of Ocean City, has been chosen by Orbital Sciences Corporation as the base of operations for development, assembly, and testing of the Taurus II rocket. Mikulski is chairwoman of the Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Subcommittee that funds NASA. (6/29)
NASA Wants Australian Wattle Plants in Space for Clean Air (Source: Daily Telegraph)
Astronauts exploring the far reaches of our solar system could in the future be breathing clean air from Australian plants such as wattles. The plants are a step closer to aiding deep space probes after the seeds of four types of Australian flora survived six months aboard the International Space Station. Canadian-born NASA astronaut Gregory Chamitoff, who was on that mission aboard the shuttle Discovery last May, said the seeds completed more than 2800 orbits of the Earth with no signs of "space fatigue or damage".
"From NASA's perspective, we are interested in seeds that might be hardy enough to survive long duration exposure to the space environment and then germinate in greenhouses in space or on other planets," he said. "Ultimately, this will be essential to support self-sustaining outposts or colonies with food and oxygen." (6/29)
NASA Unveils Astronaut Class That Will Never Fly on Shuttle (Source: Space.com)
NASA has unveiled the nine Americans making up its newest class of astronaut candidates, a group that will never fly on the space shuttle. The six-man, three-woman astronaut class of 2009 is NASA's first batch of new spaceflying recruits in five years. The new astronaut candidates will likely only train to fly aboard the space station, Russian Soyuz vehicles, and NASA's shuttle replacement - the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle and its Ares rockets tapped to ferry spaceflyers to orbit and back to the moon by 2020. The 11 astronauts of NASA's 2004 class are all expected to have flown once on a shuttle by the fleet's retirement next year, NASA officials have said. (6/29)
Apollo Monument Dedication Planned in Titusville on Jul. 17 (Source: SWF Foundation)
The U. S. Space Walk of Fame Foundation on Jul. 17 will dedicate the Apollo Monument in Space View Park downtown Titusville. The dedication ceremony begins at 10:00 a.m. and will feature astronaut Al Worden and other special guests. Twelve bronze panels will surround the base of the monument telling the Apollo story. On permanent display at Apollo are bronzed handprints of all the living Apollo Astronauts. Raised bronze profiles, by Artist Sandy Storm, are there for those astronauts who have died. An Apollo Reunion will follow the ceremony at Fox Lake Park. Visit http://www.spacewalkoffame.com for information. (6/29)
You Weigh In on NASA's Next Rocket Choice (Source: Florida Today)
I got a virtual bag full of mail following up on the columns I've written the last couple weeks. The first asked people to speak their mind to the presidential panel studying NASA's human space flight plans. The second pointed out the Ares rocket is not the only way to get NASA's shuttle replacement spaceship to orbit. The conversation was civil, lively and on point. That's just the kind of discussion we want about important space issues.
Dave Bonnar of Viera voiced the concern of many that NASA ought to aim higher than the moon. The space agency, Bonner and others told me, ought to be doing things that lead to a human expedition to Mars rather than repeating past feats. "The large NASA projected cost of returning to the moon with a manned station on the moon is not affordable and a waste of funding," Bonnar wrote in a longer letter. "The longer term vision for America should include the manned Mars mission goal." I heard most about my failure to write about the Direct launch system. Direct, touted by a mostly-anonymous band of engineers inside and outside NASA, is another means of cobbling together various shuttle launch components to make a new rocket. So, why didn't I talk about that? (6/29)
Lessons For The Future of Human Space Flight (Source: Space Review)
As the Augustine commission reviews NASA's human spaceflight plans, it is receiving no shortage of advice. Former NASA associate administrator Wes Huntress offers some lessons learned for the future of human space exploration. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1406/1 to view the article. (6/29)
To Boldly Go... Anywhere? (Source: Space Review)
The "Star Trek" franchise got a much-needed and successful re-launch with its latest movie. Eric Sterner argues that it's also time to re-think what NASA does and how much we are willing to spend to support it. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1405/1 to view the article. (6/29)
Big Sky Ranch (Source: Space Review)
You may not have heard of Bill King, but he was one of the pioneers of America's satellite reconnaissance program. Dwayne Day recalls the life and career of King, who recently passed away. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1404/1 to view the article. (6/29)
North Korea's Missiles: How Will They Use Their Ultimate Asset (Source: Space Review)
North Korea appears to be preparing for another missile test, perhaps disguised again as a satellite launch attempt. Taylor Dinerman looks at how the West's reaction, including South Korea's development of its own space launch system, could affect the North's plans. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1403/1 to view the article. (6/29)
Buzz Aldrin Calls For Focus on Manned Mars Mission (Source: Tech Herald)
Legendary Moon walker and NASA spaceman Buzz Aldrin has said the race to establish a permanent Moon base should be the result of international cooperation with the real focus on a manned mission to Mars. Aldrin said the next race to be the first to host a manned presence on the Moon should not be a financially damaging "space race" but an international effort combining the resources of China, Europe, India, Japan and Russia. He said a lunar race is, in fact, a "damaging" detour from what should be NASA's principal objective -- namely, the preparation for a manned mission to Mars. (6/29)
Frontiers are Meant to Challenge (Source: Lompoc Record)
Folks living here on the Central Coast of California have a long and abiding interest in space launches, in large part because we are privileged to witnessed several of them a year. The spectacle of rockets roaring into the heavens from Vandenberg is truly awe-inspiring. And there is an undeniable sense of pride when one of these marvels of modern engineering takes flight, because so many of our neighbors are the geniuses behind the local space program. But NASA's latest lunar adventure comes at a point in time when many believe the half-billion dollars in startup money for a future moon colony might be better spent providing health care to the millions of Americans who cannot now afford such care. With so many on this planet in need, can we really justify the expense, time, energy and resources to continue our push toward the stars? The short answer is, yes, we can — and we should. (6/29)
International Spacemen to Meet in Korea (Source: Chosun.com)
The city of Daejeon will be the venue for the 60th International Astronautical Congress. The major international conference to be held Oct. 12 to 16 this year is often dubbed the "Aerospace Olympics." Some 3,000 professionals from space agencies and industry as well as experts from around 60 nations will attend to share their knowledge about the latest developments in the field. Specialists from NASA, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and more will discuss cooperation with other countries and ways to expand participation of developing countries in Asia and Africa. Companies such as Boeing Astrium and Arianespace will be on hand to exhibit their latest space technologies. (6/29)
Space Command Resources Increased by Force Realignment (Source: USAF)
The Air Force released its proposed FY10 force structure announcement, supported by the FY10 President's Budget, resulting in an increase in personnel throughout Air Force Space Command, civilian and military. "The proposed increase of approximately 700 positions across the command will help AFSPC meet our ongoing commitment to space and cyberspace missions," said Gen. C. Robert Kehler, commander of AFSPC. Final decisions will be made only after the appropriate environmental analyses have been completed and the National Environmental Protection Act conformity requirements have been met. (6/29)
Going Beyond The Status Quo In Space (Source: SpaceRef.com)
Why the Moon? While appearing barren, the Moon has the resources upon which to build a prototype space civilization. It is a power-rich environment, permitting initial steps to be undertaken using proven, inexpensive solar power generation technology. The Moon is readily accessible from Earth at almost any time. This accessibility makes it a practical site for such a pioneering development - one that is convenient enough to Earth so as to enable trade, travel and telepresence operation. In contrast, Mars and the inner solar system asteroids have infrequent travel opportunities and comparatively long trip times. They won't work for first steps towards economic development of the solar system. With experience and technology from developing the Moon in hand, Mars can then be settled and the rest of the inner solar system can be developed in a cost effective manner. (6/29)
Commercial Spaceflight Group Lobbies Augustine Panel (Source: Hyperbola)
The Commercial Spaceflight Federation recommended to the Augustine Panel that NASA should invest in commercial human spaceflight capabilities to the International Space Station. Without leveraging the resources of the private sector, NASA will simply not be able to afford to meet the twin goals of (a) fully utilizing the Space Station, potentially through 2020, and (b) conducting sustainable exploration beyond Low Earth Orbit. "We believe this program should be modeled on the success of NASA's existing Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program, which is enabling the development of commercial capabilities to deliver cargo to the International Space Station, based on the principles of fixed-price, milestone-based, competitive awards." (6/29)
June 28 News Items
Could Ares-1 Test Imperil Space Coast? (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
The violent shaking that threatens to destroy the Ares I rocket that NASA hopes will one day return astronauts to the moon is also threatening to delay — or even cancel — the first flight of its test version, the Ares I-X. Air Force officials who have safety jurisdiction over all launches from Kennedy Space Center are worried that the rocket's vibrations could knock out the self-destruct mechanism required in case the launch goes awry.
If the Ares I-X went out of control during its scheduled launch Aug. 30, and the destruct mechanism failed, the rocket could threaten populated areas along the Space Coast. And the possibility that the $360 million prototype will veer off course is a real risk, according to both the Air Force 45th Space Wing and NASA managers, because the rocket's vibrations could also wreck its steering system, known as the Thrust Vector Control, or TVC.
"There are [sound waves and vibrations during the ascent] both that affect components of the Thrust Vector Control system as well as the Flight Termination System," said Jon Cowart, NASA's deputy Ares I-X program manager, in an interview. "For the TVC system ... it jeopardizes our ability, supposedly, to control the rocket. And this is something, of course, that the [Air Force] would be concerned about. They don't want us to veer off course." (6/28)
Air Force Has Other Issues With Ares/Orion (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
The Ares I-X destruct system concern raised by the Air Force is not the first time that it has disagreed with NASA over the safety of its new moon-rocket program. It recently questioned the effectiveness of the emergency-abort system being designed for the Orion crew capsule that will ride on top of Ares I. Brig. Gen. Edward Bolton, commander of the 45th Space Wing, warned NASA in a memo last month that if the rocket's first stage exploded, his safety engineers do not think the escape system would be able to power Orion away from "Ford Escort-sized" chunks of speeding solid-rocket debris. NASA says its studies say the system is fine and more study is planned. (6/28)
Crippen Editorial: Obama Must Minimize Downtime Before NASA's Next Big Project (Source: Houston Chronicle)
The Apollo 11 anniversary this year and the scheduled end of the shuttle program next year evoke many of the same conflicting emotions we felt behind the scenes in 1969. When Apollo missions ended in 1972, thousands of our brightest and most committed became unemployed. The current plan calls for a several-years-long gap between the end of the shuttle program and the first flight of the Constellation program, NASA’s initiative to return to the moon and beyond. That gap could mean another brain drain as talented, skilled contractors and NASA employees must take their institutional knowledge elsewhere. We were in that situation when we started the shuttle program — training a new, inexperienced workforce. As one of the few people in the world who has piloted a never-before-flown spacecraft, I’m here to tell you — you want experienced engineers and technicians on your team.
I also witnessed firsthand the economic devastation of the aerospace industry downturn while working at Kennedy Space Center in Florida in the 1970s. The six-year gap between the Apollo and shuttle programs cost America more than 400,000 jobs. The Space Coast, Houston and other cities that thrived on aerospace were hit especially hard. Once again, we face the prospect of thousands of layoffs and the residual economic blow nationwide. (6/28)
Former ISRO Chairman Decries Meager Funding for Space Research (Source: Indian Express)
Professor U R Rao, the former chairman of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and the incumbent chairman of the Governing Council of Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, has called the Rs 23 crore fund allocation for space research in India, as “ridiculous”. He said given the amount of possibilities and the pace at which space research has evolved in the country, “we must provide enough support and allow scientists to work at their pace.” (6/27)
Wisconsin Group Shoots For Stars With Spaceport (Source: WTMJ)
Move over bratwurst. Sheboygan is poised to become a gateway to the stars. It's called Spaceport Sheboygan, and a group of determined business leaders is making it happen. The obvious question: why Sheboygan? Here's why: the restricted airspace around the city. Back in the 40's, the United States government created a restricted airspace from Manitowoc to Port Washington, spanning nearly across Lake Michigan. That means the airspace is empty of commercial air traffic, and, GLASEC leaders reasoned, perfect for commercial space travel. (6/27)
Scottish Business Leader Wades Into Row Over Space Event (Source: Aberdeen Press & Journal)
The row over Moray Council’s decision to pull out of an upcoming space tourism conference took another twist last night as a business leader offered to pay for representatives to attend the event. The local authority had been due to spend £440 on sending an officer and a councilor to the Royal Aeronautical Society's space tourism conference in London which will include a talk on Moray’s potential future as a base for space tourism. Lossiemouth Business Association chairman Tony Rook branded the decision not to send representatives as “a total and utter disgrace” and a wasted opportunity.
A report due to go before the council’s planning and regulatory services committee earlier this week said Virgin Galactic had “expressed interest” in developing space tourism from Moray. It concluded it would be good to be represented at the event as it would “provide a platform” for putting Moray on the map. But at the start of the meeting chairman Stewart Cree said there would be no benefit in attending and withdrew the paper. (6/27)
Senators Give NASA Full Funding Request (Source: The Hill)
Senate appropriators agreed to give NASA its full spending request for next year, putting the upper chamber at odds with House colleagues who opted to cut back a bit on space travel. The Senate Appropriations Committee approved its version of the Commerce, Justice and Science spending bill with $18.7 billion NASA. That’s $500 million more for space exploration than the House, which only provided $18.2 billion for the space agency. (6/27)
The violent shaking that threatens to destroy the Ares I rocket that NASA hopes will one day return astronauts to the moon is also threatening to delay — or even cancel — the first flight of its test version, the Ares I-X. Air Force officials who have safety jurisdiction over all launches from Kennedy Space Center are worried that the rocket's vibrations could knock out the self-destruct mechanism required in case the launch goes awry.
If the Ares I-X went out of control during its scheduled launch Aug. 30, and the destruct mechanism failed, the rocket could threaten populated areas along the Space Coast. And the possibility that the $360 million prototype will veer off course is a real risk, according to both the Air Force 45th Space Wing and NASA managers, because the rocket's vibrations could also wreck its steering system, known as the Thrust Vector Control, or TVC.
"There are [sound waves and vibrations during the ascent] both that affect components of the Thrust Vector Control system as well as the Flight Termination System," said Jon Cowart, NASA's deputy Ares I-X program manager, in an interview. "For the TVC system ... it jeopardizes our ability, supposedly, to control the rocket. And this is something, of course, that the [Air Force] would be concerned about. They don't want us to veer off course." (6/28)
Air Force Has Other Issues With Ares/Orion (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
The Ares I-X destruct system concern raised by the Air Force is not the first time that it has disagreed with NASA over the safety of its new moon-rocket program. It recently questioned the effectiveness of the emergency-abort system being designed for the Orion crew capsule that will ride on top of Ares I. Brig. Gen. Edward Bolton, commander of the 45th Space Wing, warned NASA in a memo last month that if the rocket's first stage exploded, his safety engineers do not think the escape system would be able to power Orion away from "Ford Escort-sized" chunks of speeding solid-rocket debris. NASA says its studies say the system is fine and more study is planned. (6/28)
Crippen Editorial: Obama Must Minimize Downtime Before NASA's Next Big Project (Source: Houston Chronicle)
The Apollo 11 anniversary this year and the scheduled end of the shuttle program next year evoke many of the same conflicting emotions we felt behind the scenes in 1969. When Apollo missions ended in 1972, thousands of our brightest and most committed became unemployed. The current plan calls for a several-years-long gap between the end of the shuttle program and the first flight of the Constellation program, NASA’s initiative to return to the moon and beyond. That gap could mean another brain drain as talented, skilled contractors and NASA employees must take their institutional knowledge elsewhere. We were in that situation when we started the shuttle program — training a new, inexperienced workforce. As one of the few people in the world who has piloted a never-before-flown spacecraft, I’m here to tell you — you want experienced engineers and technicians on your team.
I also witnessed firsthand the economic devastation of the aerospace industry downturn while working at Kennedy Space Center in Florida in the 1970s. The six-year gap between the Apollo and shuttle programs cost America more than 400,000 jobs. The Space Coast, Houston and other cities that thrived on aerospace were hit especially hard. Once again, we face the prospect of thousands of layoffs and the residual economic blow nationwide. (6/28)
Former ISRO Chairman Decries Meager Funding for Space Research (Source: Indian Express)
Professor U R Rao, the former chairman of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and the incumbent chairman of the Governing Council of Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, has called the Rs 23 crore fund allocation for space research in India, as “ridiculous”. He said given the amount of possibilities and the pace at which space research has evolved in the country, “we must provide enough support and allow scientists to work at their pace.” (6/27)
Wisconsin Group Shoots For Stars With Spaceport (Source: WTMJ)
Move over bratwurst. Sheboygan is poised to become a gateway to the stars. It's called Spaceport Sheboygan, and a group of determined business leaders is making it happen. The obvious question: why Sheboygan? Here's why: the restricted airspace around the city. Back in the 40's, the United States government created a restricted airspace from Manitowoc to Port Washington, spanning nearly across Lake Michigan. That means the airspace is empty of commercial air traffic, and, GLASEC leaders reasoned, perfect for commercial space travel. (6/27)
Scottish Business Leader Wades Into Row Over Space Event (Source: Aberdeen Press & Journal)
The row over Moray Council’s decision to pull out of an upcoming space tourism conference took another twist last night as a business leader offered to pay for representatives to attend the event. The local authority had been due to spend £440 on sending an officer and a councilor to the Royal Aeronautical Society's space tourism conference in London which will include a talk on Moray’s potential future as a base for space tourism. Lossiemouth Business Association chairman Tony Rook branded the decision not to send representatives as “a total and utter disgrace” and a wasted opportunity.
A report due to go before the council’s planning and regulatory services committee earlier this week said Virgin Galactic had “expressed interest” in developing space tourism from Moray. It concluded it would be good to be represented at the event as it would “provide a platform” for putting Moray on the map. But at the start of the meeting chairman Stewart Cree said there would be no benefit in attending and withdrew the paper. (6/27)
Senators Give NASA Full Funding Request (Source: The Hill)
Senate appropriators agreed to give NASA its full spending request for next year, putting the upper chamber at odds with House colleagues who opted to cut back a bit on space travel. The Senate Appropriations Committee approved its version of the Commerce, Justice and Science spending bill with $18.7 billion NASA. That’s $500 million more for space exploration than the House, which only provided $18.2 billion for the space agency. (6/27)
June 27 News Items
Delta-4 Leaps Off Its Launch Pad (Source: Florida Today)
A Delta-4 rocket with a new national weather satellite blasted off from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. A storm cell swept within 10 miles of Launch Complex 37 as countdown clocks ticked toward zero, and the targeted liftoff time was reset three times before the rocket and its payload -- a Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite -- left the pad. (6/27)
NASA, ESA Prepare To Pull Plug on Ulysses Sun Probe (Source: Space News)
The U.S.-European Ulysses solar-science satellite is scheduled to be switched off on June 30 after more than 18 years of studying the sun's polar regions, a mission that was originally designed to last just five years, NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) announced. (6/26)
Hearing For NASA Picks Could Take Place July 8 (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee is expected to hold a confirmation hearing July 8 for retired Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Charles Bolden and Lori Garver, the White House's nominees for NASA administrator and NASA deputy administrator, respectively. (6/26)
Extra $80M for NPOESS Included In Defense Bill (Source: Space News)
The Senate Armed Services Committee added $80 million to the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) during a June 25 closed-door markup of the Pentagon's $534 billion spending request for 2010. The Air Force, which is developing the program jointly with NASA and NOAA, requested $400 million for the effort. However, the bill directs that the Air Force spend no more than half of the funds until the Pentagon, Commerce Department and NASA submit a program management and funding plan to Congress. A NOAA official said the agency is prepared to take lead responsibility for the program, which is over budget, behind schedule and hamstrung by a dysfunctional management structure, according to recent government and independent reports. (6/26)
NASA Scientist Arrested At Coal Mining Protest (Source: Space News)
Outspoken NASA climatologist James Hansen was arrested June 23 during a mountaintop coal mining protest in West Virginia. Hansen, the director of the Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York, was among 31 protesters arrested on charges of impeding traffic and obstructing police officers. (6/26)
Sea Launch Bankruptcy Stokes Fears of Rising Launch Prices (Source: Space News)
Major commercial satellite fleet operators said the June 22 Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing by Sea Launch is bad news for the health of the industry despite repeated claims by some launch service providers that the global market is oversupplied with rockets. Industry officials said that while the oversupply situation often detailed by Arianespace Chief Executive Jean-Yves Le Gall and International Launch Services (ILS) President Frank McKenna is technically true, it is often at variance with the market's day-to-day reality.
Given political restrictions and technical issues with Chinese, Indian and Japanese rockets, these competitors have not been able to fully serve the commercial launch market. The result has been that, for many commercial satellite competitions, it is only ILS, Arianespace, and Sea Launch that are able to field serious bids for new launch business. All the major satellite fleet operators in recent months have voiced concerns about being able to secure launch services on a timely basis. They all remember the weeks following Sea Launch's January 2007 on-pad rocket failure, which sent customers scrambling to secure launch slots in what one launch services provider referred to as "a panic." (6/27)
Sea Launch Loss Would Cut Into U.S. Commercial Launch Share (Sources: SPACErePORT)
The international commercial market for launching geosynchronous telecommunications satellites currently can be serviced by large rockets like the Ariane-5 (Europe), Atlas-5, Delta-2/4, H-2 (Japan), Long March (China), PSLV/GSLV (India), Proton (Russia), Soyuz (Russia), and Zenit (Ukraine). Russian and European rockets dominate this market segment. According to Space News, "the two principal U.S. rockets, Atlas and Delta, have in effect removed themselves from the market to focus on more profitable U.S. government business." Although its rockets are produced abroad and launched from the equatorial Pacific Ocean, Sea Launch Zenit launches have been licensed by the FAA as U.S. commercial missions, and they have made up the majority of the U.S. share of the geosynchronous launch market. (6/27)
Ariane-6 Would Be a Single-Payload Launcher With Limited Commercial Use (Source: Space News)
The Ariane-5 is designed to carry two large satellites into geosynchronous orbit. A recent French government report for French Prime Minister Francois Fillon concluded that the successor to today's Ariane 5 rocket should limit itself to carrying one 6,000-kilogram satellite at a time into orbit. After Ariane 5, the report concludes, Arianespace should seek to perform only the minimum number of commercial launches needed to sustain the rocket's reliability for the European governments who will pay for its development. Seeking commercial market share above that, the report concludes, is not worth the investment. (6/27)
Rocket Carrying Students' Experiments Launches from Virginia Spaceport (Source: Virginian-Pilot)
A suborbital two-stage Terrier-Orion rocket launched from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility. The two-stage Terrier-Orion rocket carried experiments from nearly 100 university instructors and students who have been attending a week-long workshop at the Wallops Island facility. The rocket carried the experiments to an altitude of 73 miles. They were recovered and the results will be analyzed by the students this afternoon. The workshop, RockOn/RockSat is a program held in partnership with the Virginia Space Grant Consortium and the Colorado Space Grant Consortium, the release says. (6/26)
International Space University and Singularity University Opening Ceremony at Ames (Source: ISU)
NASA Ames Research Center will welcome more than 500 guests, including an international cadre of students and faculty from nearly 40 countries for the International Space University and Singularity University Opening Ceremony on June 29. The ceremony will be held in the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts and will feature a multimedia celebration of space. The event will welcome the students of ISU's 22nd annual Space Studies Program and the inaugural class of the SU Graduate Studies Program to NASA, Silicon Valley and California. NASA will also hold a Space and Technology Showcase in the Civic Center Plaza in Mountain View, Calif., with more than 30 interactive demonstrations. (6/26)
Space Panel Visits Marshall (Source: Hunsville Times)
The committee charged with evaluating NASA's human spaceflight plans spent about half a day Thursday at Marshall Space Flight Center talking with engineers and program managers. While there was plenty of local interest in the visit to Marshall and the United Launch Alliance rocket plant in Decatur, it may take some time to find out what members think about the work here. The committee made no public comments during the trip. A public meeting of the officially titled Review of Human Space Flight Plans Committee will be held in Huntsville on July 28. A time and location have not yet been set. (6/27)
India Strides to Space, Eyes $120 Million Annual Business (Source: Reuters)
India's space agency plans to double its revenues to $120 million a year by increasing satellite launches to claim a bigger chunk of the global space business, the head of its space agency said on Friday. Last April, India sent 10 satellites into orbit from a single rocket, signaling its intention to expand into that business. It also dispatched its first unmanned moon mission last October to join the Asian space race in the footsteps of rival China. ISRO has signed an agreement with 26 countries for launching satellites and joint research work, including Russia, France, Germany and Italy, along with South Africa and Brazil. "We are opening up our market further and by next March we are looking at $120 million worth business," said ISRO Chairman G. Madhavan Nair. (6/27)
UK Company on Lunar Course (Source: New Electronics)
A Cambridge based thermal imaging company is heading to the moon as part of NASA's mission to search for the presence of water. The Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) will test the theory that ancient ice lies buried there by blasting impactors into a crater. Thermoteknix' Miricle TB2-30 ultra ruggedised thermal imaging camera will be used to monitor temperature variations in the blasts within the crater and the resulting plume. The system is calibrated for temperature measurement in extremely harsh environments under the most extreme vibration conditions. (6/27)
SpacePort Indiana: Real Launches, Real Space Data, Real Time (Source: Midwest usiness)
A fully operational space launch facility in southern Indiana? With a $4 million contract with Raytheon, funding from NASA, direct support and collaboration from the FAA and multiple commercial launch and testing contracts, SpacePort Indiana is turning heads around the country. Located on a massive concrete pad in the middle of the Columbus Municipal Airport (a former U.S. Air Force base), SpacePort Indiana (SPI) expects to complete more than 130 rocket and high-altitude balloon launches during 2009, according to SPI CEO Brian Tanner.
The growing testing facility at Columbus and other commercial SpacePorts springing up around the country will likely be sites where NASA will test and validate numerous subsystems for the new Constellation program vehicles. Aside from the high-altitude balloons, how big are the rockets actually being launched out of Columbus? Tanner said: "We launch rockets in the 'sounding' class that are generally 15 to 20 feet tall and eight to 11 inches in diameter." These rockets carry commercial payloads that transmit data to ground stations in the region.
"Our engineering staff builds rockets here and uses rockets and rocket engines supplied by customers. The rockets supplied by customers tend to be design platforms that are evaluating a proprietary technology." SPI launches vehicles with both solid-fuel and hybrid design (solid and liquid fuel). The Hoosier space company, which has plans for a new 25,000-square-foot building, also has a rocket-engine testing platform that can test engines with up to 3,000 pounds of thrust. As a new industry will require a new work force with specialized skills, Tanner is actively collaborating with the Purdue School of Technology to inaugurate a formal certification program to train a new generation of space-centric workers. Click here to view the article. (6/27)
Knob Puts Atlantis in Tight Spot (Source: Florida Today)
NASA will try to free a knob stuck between the dashboard and a cockpit window on shuttle Atlantis -- a problem that some fear could trigger lengthy launch delays or even an early retirement for the orbiter. A notched rotary knob from a lighting bracket somehow got wedged between the orbiter's cockpit instrument panel and a forward window during the Hubble repair mission. Flying "as-is" is not an option. NASA cannot adequately evaluate the structural integrity of the window with the knob wedged against it. Another fear is that the effort to free the knob might be so invasive that it could cause serious delays in future Atlantis flights. The next one is scheduled for Nov. 12. (6/27)
Virginia Space Authority Director Wins Entrepreneur Award (Source: Parabolic Arc)
Billie Reed, executive director of the Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority, was given the 2009 Entrepreneur of the Year Award by Inside Business for his work to bring the authority from being 100 percent supported by public funds to 85 percent self-supported. His award also honors the eventual launch of operations and services for clients valued at more than $200 million as well as a partnership with Orbital Sciences Corp., valued at $1.9 billion to resupply the International Space Station. (6/27)
A Delta-4 rocket with a new national weather satellite blasted off from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. A storm cell swept within 10 miles of Launch Complex 37 as countdown clocks ticked toward zero, and the targeted liftoff time was reset three times before the rocket and its payload -- a Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite -- left the pad. (6/27)
NASA, ESA Prepare To Pull Plug on Ulysses Sun Probe (Source: Space News)
The U.S.-European Ulysses solar-science satellite is scheduled to be switched off on June 30 after more than 18 years of studying the sun's polar regions, a mission that was originally designed to last just five years, NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) announced. (6/26)
Hearing For NASA Picks Could Take Place July 8 (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee is expected to hold a confirmation hearing July 8 for retired Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Charles Bolden and Lori Garver, the White House's nominees for NASA administrator and NASA deputy administrator, respectively. (6/26)
Extra $80M for NPOESS Included In Defense Bill (Source: Space News)
The Senate Armed Services Committee added $80 million to the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) during a June 25 closed-door markup of the Pentagon's $534 billion spending request for 2010. The Air Force, which is developing the program jointly with NASA and NOAA, requested $400 million for the effort. However, the bill directs that the Air Force spend no more than half of the funds until the Pentagon, Commerce Department and NASA submit a program management and funding plan to Congress. A NOAA official said the agency is prepared to take lead responsibility for the program, which is over budget, behind schedule and hamstrung by a dysfunctional management structure, according to recent government and independent reports. (6/26)
NASA Scientist Arrested At Coal Mining Protest (Source: Space News)
Outspoken NASA climatologist James Hansen was arrested June 23 during a mountaintop coal mining protest in West Virginia. Hansen, the director of the Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York, was among 31 protesters arrested on charges of impeding traffic and obstructing police officers. (6/26)
Sea Launch Bankruptcy Stokes Fears of Rising Launch Prices (Source: Space News)
Major commercial satellite fleet operators said the June 22 Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing by Sea Launch is bad news for the health of the industry despite repeated claims by some launch service providers that the global market is oversupplied with rockets. Industry officials said that while the oversupply situation often detailed by Arianespace Chief Executive Jean-Yves Le Gall and International Launch Services (ILS) President Frank McKenna is technically true, it is often at variance with the market's day-to-day reality.
Given political restrictions and technical issues with Chinese, Indian and Japanese rockets, these competitors have not been able to fully serve the commercial launch market. The result has been that, for many commercial satellite competitions, it is only ILS, Arianespace, and Sea Launch that are able to field serious bids for new launch business. All the major satellite fleet operators in recent months have voiced concerns about being able to secure launch services on a timely basis. They all remember the weeks following Sea Launch's January 2007 on-pad rocket failure, which sent customers scrambling to secure launch slots in what one launch services provider referred to as "a panic." (6/27)
Sea Launch Loss Would Cut Into U.S. Commercial Launch Share (Sources: SPACErePORT)
The international commercial market for launching geosynchronous telecommunications satellites currently can be serviced by large rockets like the Ariane-5 (Europe), Atlas-5, Delta-2/4, H-2 (Japan), Long March (China), PSLV/GSLV (India), Proton (Russia), Soyuz (Russia), and Zenit (Ukraine). Russian and European rockets dominate this market segment. According to Space News, "the two principal U.S. rockets, Atlas and Delta, have in effect removed themselves from the market to focus on more profitable U.S. government business." Although its rockets are produced abroad and launched from the equatorial Pacific Ocean, Sea Launch Zenit launches have been licensed by the FAA as U.S. commercial missions, and they have made up the majority of the U.S. share of the geosynchronous launch market. (6/27)
Ariane-6 Would Be a Single-Payload Launcher With Limited Commercial Use (Source: Space News)
The Ariane-5 is designed to carry two large satellites into geosynchronous orbit. A recent French government report for French Prime Minister Francois Fillon concluded that the successor to today's Ariane 5 rocket should limit itself to carrying one 6,000-kilogram satellite at a time into orbit. After Ariane 5, the report concludes, Arianespace should seek to perform only the minimum number of commercial launches needed to sustain the rocket's reliability for the European governments who will pay for its development. Seeking commercial market share above that, the report concludes, is not worth the investment. (6/27)
Rocket Carrying Students' Experiments Launches from Virginia Spaceport (Source: Virginian-Pilot)
A suborbital two-stage Terrier-Orion rocket launched from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility. The two-stage Terrier-Orion rocket carried experiments from nearly 100 university instructors and students who have been attending a week-long workshop at the Wallops Island facility. The rocket carried the experiments to an altitude of 73 miles. They were recovered and the results will be analyzed by the students this afternoon. The workshop, RockOn/RockSat is a program held in partnership with the Virginia Space Grant Consortium and the Colorado Space Grant Consortium, the release says. (6/26)
International Space University and Singularity University Opening Ceremony at Ames (Source: ISU)
NASA Ames Research Center will welcome more than 500 guests, including an international cadre of students and faculty from nearly 40 countries for the International Space University and Singularity University Opening Ceremony on June 29. The ceremony will be held in the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts and will feature a multimedia celebration of space. The event will welcome the students of ISU's 22nd annual Space Studies Program and the inaugural class of the SU Graduate Studies Program to NASA, Silicon Valley and California. NASA will also hold a Space and Technology Showcase in the Civic Center Plaza in Mountain View, Calif., with more than 30 interactive demonstrations. (6/26)
Space Panel Visits Marshall (Source: Hunsville Times)
The committee charged with evaluating NASA's human spaceflight plans spent about half a day Thursday at Marshall Space Flight Center talking with engineers and program managers. While there was plenty of local interest in the visit to Marshall and the United Launch Alliance rocket plant in Decatur, it may take some time to find out what members think about the work here. The committee made no public comments during the trip. A public meeting of the officially titled Review of Human Space Flight Plans Committee will be held in Huntsville on July 28. A time and location have not yet been set. (6/27)
India Strides to Space, Eyes $120 Million Annual Business (Source: Reuters)
India's space agency plans to double its revenues to $120 million a year by increasing satellite launches to claim a bigger chunk of the global space business, the head of its space agency said on Friday. Last April, India sent 10 satellites into orbit from a single rocket, signaling its intention to expand into that business. It also dispatched its first unmanned moon mission last October to join the Asian space race in the footsteps of rival China. ISRO has signed an agreement with 26 countries for launching satellites and joint research work, including Russia, France, Germany and Italy, along with South Africa and Brazil. "We are opening up our market further and by next March we are looking at $120 million worth business," said ISRO Chairman G. Madhavan Nair. (6/27)
UK Company on Lunar Course (Source: New Electronics)
A Cambridge based thermal imaging company is heading to the moon as part of NASA's mission to search for the presence of water. The Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) will test the theory that ancient ice lies buried there by blasting impactors into a crater. Thermoteknix' Miricle TB2-30 ultra ruggedised thermal imaging camera will be used to monitor temperature variations in the blasts within the crater and the resulting plume. The system is calibrated for temperature measurement in extremely harsh environments under the most extreme vibration conditions. (6/27)
SpacePort Indiana: Real Launches, Real Space Data, Real Time (Source: Midwest usiness)
A fully operational space launch facility in southern Indiana? With a $4 million contract with Raytheon, funding from NASA, direct support and collaboration from the FAA and multiple commercial launch and testing contracts, SpacePort Indiana is turning heads around the country. Located on a massive concrete pad in the middle of the Columbus Municipal Airport (a former U.S. Air Force base), SpacePort Indiana (SPI) expects to complete more than 130 rocket and high-altitude balloon launches during 2009, according to SPI CEO Brian Tanner.
The growing testing facility at Columbus and other commercial SpacePorts springing up around the country will likely be sites where NASA will test and validate numerous subsystems for the new Constellation program vehicles. Aside from the high-altitude balloons, how big are the rockets actually being launched out of Columbus? Tanner said: "We launch rockets in the 'sounding' class that are generally 15 to 20 feet tall and eight to 11 inches in diameter." These rockets carry commercial payloads that transmit data to ground stations in the region.
"Our engineering staff builds rockets here and uses rockets and rocket engines supplied by customers. The rockets supplied by customers tend to be design platforms that are evaluating a proprietary technology." SPI launches vehicles with both solid-fuel and hybrid design (solid and liquid fuel). The Hoosier space company, which has plans for a new 25,000-square-foot building, also has a rocket-engine testing platform that can test engines with up to 3,000 pounds of thrust. As a new industry will require a new work force with specialized skills, Tanner is actively collaborating with the Purdue School of Technology to inaugurate a formal certification program to train a new generation of space-centric workers. Click here to view the article. (6/27)
Knob Puts Atlantis in Tight Spot (Source: Florida Today)
NASA will try to free a knob stuck between the dashboard and a cockpit window on shuttle Atlantis -- a problem that some fear could trigger lengthy launch delays or even an early retirement for the orbiter. A notched rotary knob from a lighting bracket somehow got wedged between the orbiter's cockpit instrument panel and a forward window during the Hubble repair mission. Flying "as-is" is not an option. NASA cannot adequately evaluate the structural integrity of the window with the knob wedged against it. Another fear is that the effort to free the knob might be so invasive that it could cause serious delays in future Atlantis flights. The next one is scheduled for Nov. 12. (6/27)
Virginia Space Authority Director Wins Entrepreneur Award (Source: Parabolic Arc)
Billie Reed, executive director of the Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority, was given the 2009 Entrepreneur of the Year Award by Inside Business for his work to bring the authority from being 100 percent supported by public funds to 85 percent self-supported. His award also honors the eventual launch of operations and services for clients valued at more than $200 million as well as a partnership with Orbital Sciences Corp., valued at $1.9 billion to resupply the International Space Station. (6/27)
June 26 News Items
Augustine Panelists Assigned to Work Groups for Study (Source: SPACErePORT)
The blue-ribbon panel studying NASA's human spaceflight goals and programs has split itself into five work groups. Group 1 includes the entire panel and focuses on U.S. goals for human spaceflight. Group 2 focuses on ISS and the Space Shuttle. Group 3 focuses on exploration beyond LEO. Group 4 focuses on "integration" (including international and inter-agency issues and budgeting). Group 5 focuses on LEO access. (6/26)
"Skill Base" Focus Suggests Workforce Issues Among Augustine Panel Priorities (Source: SPACErePORT)
Four of the five work groups established by the Augustine Panel will include "industrial skill base" among the issues they'll address. This is encouraging news for Florida space advocates who have suggested that the "brain drain" likely to occur after the Shuttle retires will result in a loss of critical skills at the spaceport that would affect the nation's capability to support next-generation launch systems. Click here to view a chart of the panel's work group assignments. (6/26)
Mojave Space Port Gets FAA License for SpaceShip Two (Source: Hyperbola)
The Mojave Air and Space Port's FAA license for Scaled Composite's SpaceShip One flights was to expire this year on 17 June. The FAA has confirmed that the licence has been renewed and that it was for five years and it is open ended on the number of flights. (6/26)
Space 'Hotel' Takes Shape for Business or Pleasure (Source: ABC)
Imagine yourself, sometime in the next decade, with a fantastic idea for a new business that requires manufacturing in the weightlessness of space. Or maybe, having made your fortune on Earth, you'd simply like to vacation in a very high place. The Russians charge upward of $50 million for a short trip to the International Space Station.
NASA can't help you at all. But there's a Nevada company ready to offer a month's stay in Earth orbit for $15 million -- a bargain, considering that for 40 years, the cost of space travel has stubbornly refused to come down. Sounds like one of those things guaranteed never to happen? Maybe, but Robert Bigelow has two prototype space habitats, unmanned but functional, orbiting 350 miles above Earth, right now. Click here to view the article. (6/26)
Sea Launch Bankruptcy Hits Boeing's Second Quarter Earnings (Source: Space News)
Boeing expects to take a pretax charge of $35 million to its second-quarter earnings as a result of the Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing of Sea Launch Co., a commercial launch services provider in which Boeing is a 40 percent shareholder. Boeing said that, if Sea Launch's other shareholders do not make good on their obligations, Boeing could face additional pretax charges of up to $478 million. (6/25)
Boeing Could Face Half-Billion-Dollar Hit in Sea Launch Bankruptcy (Source: Seattle Times)
Boeing's financial exposure in the Sea Launch bankruptcy could include covering now-due loans and credit guarantees for about $478 million. Boeing is a 40 percent owner in Sea Launch, along with partner companies from Russia, Ukraine and Norway. Boeing will seek payment from its partners so it doesn't end up paying more than 40 percent of the tab. Boeing itself is owed $978 million by Sea Launch, court documents say. (6/26)
NASA's Next Rocket (Source: New Scientist)
NASA's plan to return to the moon by 2020 is looking shaky - rather like Ares I, the rocket it hopes will carry astronauts to space. Ares I has been beset by technical problems and its advocates now find themselves struggling to defend it against rival spacecraft. What were fringe alternatives a few months ago are now being seriously considered.
All the rockets have enough muscle to take a crew capsule to the International Space Station, which is in low-Earth orbit, but only a few can handle more distant missions. The most powerful are the largest of the Jupiter group and the Heavy Launch Vehicle, each of which could provide the lift needed for moon missions. The Jupiter rocket could even bring Mars within reach, its backers claim. Many now doubt that Congress will be willing to fund more than one new rocket, so if the agency continues with Ares I, it may be the only rocket it gets. Click here to view a chart showing the capabilities of Ares-1 and its alternatives. (6/25)
Mars May Hide Secret Water Table (Source: New Scientist)
The Red Planet could have a water table hidden underground, despite satellite data suggesting otherwise. Today the small amount of water detected on the planet is locked in the polar ice caps, but recently discovered geological features suggest liquid water once flowed on its surface. This could now be hiding beneath the rocky crust. Europe's Mars Express satellite has used ground-penetrating radar in some areas to look for a water table but found no evidence for one, despite research that concluded any water would be found within 9 kilometers of the surface - well within the reach of the probe's instruments. (6/26)
The blue-ribbon panel studying NASA's human spaceflight goals and programs has split itself into five work groups. Group 1 includes the entire panel and focuses on U.S. goals for human spaceflight. Group 2 focuses on ISS and the Space Shuttle. Group 3 focuses on exploration beyond LEO. Group 4 focuses on "integration" (including international and inter-agency issues and budgeting). Group 5 focuses on LEO access. (6/26)
"Skill Base" Focus Suggests Workforce Issues Among Augustine Panel Priorities (Source: SPACErePORT)
Four of the five work groups established by the Augustine Panel will include "industrial skill base" among the issues they'll address. This is encouraging news for Florida space advocates who have suggested that the "brain drain" likely to occur after the Shuttle retires will result in a loss of critical skills at the spaceport that would affect the nation's capability to support next-generation launch systems. Click here to view a chart of the panel's work group assignments. (6/26)
Mojave Space Port Gets FAA License for SpaceShip Two (Source: Hyperbola)
The Mojave Air and Space Port's FAA license for Scaled Composite's SpaceShip One flights was to expire this year on 17 June. The FAA has confirmed that the licence has been renewed and that it was for five years and it is open ended on the number of flights. (6/26)
Space 'Hotel' Takes Shape for Business or Pleasure (Source: ABC)
Imagine yourself, sometime in the next decade, with a fantastic idea for a new business that requires manufacturing in the weightlessness of space. Or maybe, having made your fortune on Earth, you'd simply like to vacation in a very high place. The Russians charge upward of $50 million for a short trip to the International Space Station.
NASA can't help you at all. But there's a Nevada company ready to offer a month's stay in Earth orbit for $15 million -- a bargain, considering that for 40 years, the cost of space travel has stubbornly refused to come down. Sounds like one of those things guaranteed never to happen? Maybe, but Robert Bigelow has two prototype space habitats, unmanned but functional, orbiting 350 miles above Earth, right now. Click here to view the article. (6/26)
Sea Launch Bankruptcy Hits Boeing's Second Quarter Earnings (Source: Space News)
Boeing expects to take a pretax charge of $35 million to its second-quarter earnings as a result of the Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing of Sea Launch Co., a commercial launch services provider in which Boeing is a 40 percent shareholder. Boeing said that, if Sea Launch's other shareholders do not make good on their obligations, Boeing could face additional pretax charges of up to $478 million. (6/25)
Boeing Could Face Half-Billion-Dollar Hit in Sea Launch Bankruptcy (Source: Seattle Times)
Boeing's financial exposure in the Sea Launch bankruptcy could include covering now-due loans and credit guarantees for about $478 million. Boeing is a 40 percent owner in Sea Launch, along with partner companies from Russia, Ukraine and Norway. Boeing will seek payment from its partners so it doesn't end up paying more than 40 percent of the tab. Boeing itself is owed $978 million by Sea Launch, court documents say. (6/26)
NASA's Next Rocket (Source: New Scientist)
NASA's plan to return to the moon by 2020 is looking shaky - rather like Ares I, the rocket it hopes will carry astronauts to space. Ares I has been beset by technical problems and its advocates now find themselves struggling to defend it against rival spacecraft. What were fringe alternatives a few months ago are now being seriously considered.
All the rockets have enough muscle to take a crew capsule to the International Space Station, which is in low-Earth orbit, but only a few can handle more distant missions. The most powerful are the largest of the Jupiter group and the Heavy Launch Vehicle, each of which could provide the lift needed for moon missions. The Jupiter rocket could even bring Mars within reach, its backers claim. Many now doubt that Congress will be willing to fund more than one new rocket, so if the agency continues with Ares I, it may be the only rocket it gets. Click here to view a chart showing the capabilities of Ares-1 and its alternatives. (6/25)
Mars May Hide Secret Water Table (Source: New Scientist)
The Red Planet could have a water table hidden underground, despite satellite data suggesting otherwise. Today the small amount of water detected on the planet is locked in the polar ice caps, but recently discovered geological features suggest liquid water once flowed on its surface. This could now be hiding beneath the rocky crust. Europe's Mars Express satellite has used ground-penetrating radar in some areas to look for a water table but found no evidence for one, despite research that concluded any water would be found within 9 kilometers of the surface - well within the reach of the probe's instruments. (6/26)
June 25 News Items
NASA Partners With California Space Authority (Source: SpaceDaily.com)
NASA has signed an agreement with the California Space Authority (CSA) to collaborate on participatory science and public outreach using a simulated lunar surface environment. Under the terms of a Space Act Agreement, CSA will establish an office at NASA's Ames Research Center in NASA Research Park. This fall, NASA Ames and CSA, along with its sister organization, the California Space Education and Workforce Institute, will host the Regolith Excavation Challenge, a prize competition focused on developing improved lunar regolith handling technologies.
During the Regolith Challenge scheduled Oct. 17-18, 2009, teams from across the country will design and build robotic machines to excavate simulated lunar soil, otherwise known as regolith, in hopes of winning a $750,000 prize funded by the NASA Centennial Challenges program. CSA will provide a Lunar Regolith Simulant Testbed, a sandbox containing a sand-like material that simulates the lunar surface. The testbed is used for various education and outreach activities, such as the Regolith Challenge. (6/25)
NASA Readies Plan B for Moon Rockets (Source: MSNBC)
NASA has a backup plan to launch crew and cargo to the moon, reduce the gap between shuttle retirement and a replacement ship's debut, and save taxpayers billions of dollars. They call it the side-mount shuttle. It's basically the space shuttle system without the winged orbiters. Preliminary NASA studies show that using the existing shuttle's solid rocket boosters, fuel tank and main engines as a launch system, with some minor modifications, could be the foundation of an alternative to the planned Ares rocket program currently under development. By some estimates, the cost would be less than the expense of developing an all-new Ares I/V launch system. (6/25)
Astrotech Regains NASDAQ Listing (Source: Astrotech)
Astrotech has received notice from the NASDAQ Stock Market confirming that it has regained compliance with the minimum bid price rule for continued listing. NASDAQ confirmed that the closing bid price of the Company's common stock has been at $1.00 per share or greater for at least 10 consecutive trading days. As a result, the Company is currently in compliance with all continued listing standards. The Company previously received notification indicating that the company's minimum stock price had fallen below $1.00 for 30 consecutive trading days and that it was therefore not in compliance with the NASDAQ listing rule. The Company was given a period of time to regain compliance. (6/25)
Delta Launch 70-Percent "No-Go" (Source: Florida Today)
A readiness review for the planned launch Friday of a Delta IV rocket and a new national weather satellite is under way this morning but there is a good chance stormy weather could force a scrub. The 206-foot-tall United Launch Alliance rocket is scheduled to blast off from Launch Complex 37 at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport during a window that will extend from 6:14 p.m. to 7:14 p.m. Friday. Meteorologists, however, expect seasonal thunderstorms to bring electrically charged clouds into the area during the window -- conditions that would prohibit a launch. Forecasters say there is a 70-percent chance of the weather will be "no-go." (6/25)
SpaceX Gets New Financing (Source: PE Hub)
Rocket aficionado Steve Jurvetson and his DFJ partners have agreed lead a major investment in space transportation provider SpaceX. The round could be worth upwards of $60 million, and would include existing SpaceX backer Founders Fund. Jurvetson declined to discuss the specifics of SpaceX’s financing. Regulatory filings show the company had raised $15 million toward a proposed $60 million round as recently as March. Jurvetson says that the round has either closed already or will close within the next 14 days. The Hawthorne, Calif.-based company has raised $112 million in funding since 2002, according to regulatory filings. Most of that financing has come directly from SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who holds the title of CEO, CTO and founder of the company. (6/25)
Sea Launch Bankruptcy Filing was Last-Minute Decision (Source: Space News)
Sea Launch Chief Executive Kjell Karlsen said his launch services company resorted to a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing only at the last minute, after concluding that it could not reach an agreement with a former customer, Hughes Communications, on a stretched-out payment of a $52.3 million arbitration award Hughes won against Sea Launch. (6/25)
Pro-Con | Is NASA's LRO/LCROSS Moon Mission Necessary? (Source: Kansas City Star)
YES - In an unprecedented scientific endeavor — and what may be one of the coolest space missions ever — NASA's four-month mission could discover whether water is frozen in the perpetual darkness of craters near the moon’s south pole. As a source of oxygen for life support and hydrogen for rocket fuel, that water would be a tremendous boost to NASA’s plans to restart human exploration of the moon.
NO - With more than $1.7 trillion in deficits in 2009, the U.S. is hardly in a position to retain its place as leader in space flight. NASA’s funding has been severely reduced, despite President Barack Obama’s support during the campaign for space exploration and sending people to the moon. (6/25)
Saturn Moon Enceladus May Have Building Blocks of Life (Source: St. Louis Today)
One of Saturn's moons may have an underground briny ocean that could provide the building blocks for life, according to a study in the journal Nature. Scientists have determined that sodium salt in icy grains in one of Saturn's rings was probably blasted into space by geysers on the moon, Enceladus, and they speculate the material originates from a body of water beneath the moon's surface. Such sub-surface water "is very good for the formation of life precursors," said one of the authors of the study. "The whole moon is fascinating. Nobody would have expected such a small moon to have so much going on." (6/25)
Saturn Moon Titan's Chemistry Could Sprout Exotic Life (Source: Astrobiology)
A new study has found that hydrocarbon lakes on Titan could be good hosts for a certain type of chemistry that could lead to life. Saturn's largest moon is not a good candidate for Earth-like life because it usually lacks liquid water on the surface. But one of Titan's most promising features is the presence of lakes filled with liquid hydrocarbons, or molecules made of hydrogen and carbon, such as methane and ethane. These lakes were recently spotted by the Cassini-Huygens mission, a NASA/European Space Agency/Italian Space Agency spacecraft currently in orbit around Saturn. Titan is now the only body in our solar system other than Earth known to have liquid on its surface. (6/25)
Window Damage on Atlantis Threatens Six Month Delay to STS-129 (Source: NasaSpaceFlight.com)
Meetings have been taking place on Wednesday into evaluating damage to the pressure pane on Atlantis’ number 5 window, after a work light knob was observed to be embedded between the pane and the dashboard panel. The damage can only be fully assessed once the knob is removed, with the threat of a six month schedule impact to STS-129 noted, should the damage prove to be unacceptable for flight. (6/24)
NASA Aims to Fix Endeavour Fuel Leak Next Week (Source: Florida Today)
NASA aims to fix dangerous gaseous hydrogen leaks and carry out a fuel-loading test Wednesday -- moves that would clear the way for a July 11 launch of Endeavour on an International Space Station assembly mission. But if the repairs don't work, and elevated levels of the highly flammable gas are detected again, NASA could be forced to switch out the shuttle's external tank and solid rocket boosters. Such a swap would trigger significant delays and make it more difficult for NASA to fly eight remaining shuttle missions and finish station assembly by the end of 2010. The leak caused back-to-back launch scrubs June 13 and June 17 and another in March. (6/25)
Photography - Dateline: Space (Source: New York Times)
On the first American orbital space mission in 1962, John Glenn was allowed to bring two pounds of personal effects aboard Friendship 7. He packed a St. Christopher medal, other good luck charms from friends and a 35-millimeter Ansco Autoset by Minolta that he had purchased near the launch site. Just minutes after reaching orbit, he photographed — in soft focus — the glowing surface of planet Earth, on grainy Eastmancolor negative film. One modest shot for man; one giant leap for mankind. For nearly a half century since then, handheld cameras have been indispensable cargo in space exploration. Click here to view the article and photos. (6/25)
TRDA Plans Emerging Tech Forum on Space Coast on Aug. 11 (Source: TRDA)
Learn about emerging technologies and the businesses behind them at the Technological Research and Development Authority's (TRDA) Technology Opportunity Forum 2009. Meet 25 of the Southeast's most promising technology companies developing solutions for the Department of Defense, NASA and the commercial sector. This fast-paced day of presentations is for decision makers, acquisition managers and investors interested in emerging energy, communications, materials, lasers, information technologies, electronics and more. The event will be held at the TRDA Business Innovation Center in Melbourne. Visit http://www.trda.org/index.asp for information. (6/25)
NASA has signed an agreement with the California Space Authority (CSA) to collaborate on participatory science and public outreach using a simulated lunar surface environment. Under the terms of a Space Act Agreement, CSA will establish an office at NASA's Ames Research Center in NASA Research Park. This fall, NASA Ames and CSA, along with its sister organization, the California Space Education and Workforce Institute, will host the Regolith Excavation Challenge, a prize competition focused on developing improved lunar regolith handling technologies.
During the Regolith Challenge scheduled Oct. 17-18, 2009, teams from across the country will design and build robotic machines to excavate simulated lunar soil, otherwise known as regolith, in hopes of winning a $750,000 prize funded by the NASA Centennial Challenges program. CSA will provide a Lunar Regolith Simulant Testbed, a sandbox containing a sand-like material that simulates the lunar surface. The testbed is used for various education and outreach activities, such as the Regolith Challenge. (6/25)
NASA Readies Plan B for Moon Rockets (Source: MSNBC)
NASA has a backup plan to launch crew and cargo to the moon, reduce the gap between shuttle retirement and a replacement ship's debut, and save taxpayers billions of dollars. They call it the side-mount shuttle. It's basically the space shuttle system without the winged orbiters. Preliminary NASA studies show that using the existing shuttle's solid rocket boosters, fuel tank and main engines as a launch system, with some minor modifications, could be the foundation of an alternative to the planned Ares rocket program currently under development. By some estimates, the cost would be less than the expense of developing an all-new Ares I/V launch system. (6/25)
Astrotech Regains NASDAQ Listing (Source: Astrotech)
Astrotech has received notice from the NASDAQ Stock Market confirming that it has regained compliance with the minimum bid price rule for continued listing. NASDAQ confirmed that the closing bid price of the Company's common stock has been at $1.00 per share or greater for at least 10 consecutive trading days. As a result, the Company is currently in compliance with all continued listing standards. The Company previously received notification indicating that the company's minimum stock price had fallen below $1.00 for 30 consecutive trading days and that it was therefore not in compliance with the NASDAQ listing rule. The Company was given a period of time to regain compliance. (6/25)
Delta Launch 70-Percent "No-Go" (Source: Florida Today)
A readiness review for the planned launch Friday of a Delta IV rocket and a new national weather satellite is under way this morning but there is a good chance stormy weather could force a scrub. The 206-foot-tall United Launch Alliance rocket is scheduled to blast off from Launch Complex 37 at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport during a window that will extend from 6:14 p.m. to 7:14 p.m. Friday. Meteorologists, however, expect seasonal thunderstorms to bring electrically charged clouds into the area during the window -- conditions that would prohibit a launch. Forecasters say there is a 70-percent chance of the weather will be "no-go." (6/25)
SpaceX Gets New Financing (Source: PE Hub)
Rocket aficionado Steve Jurvetson and his DFJ partners have agreed lead a major investment in space transportation provider SpaceX. The round could be worth upwards of $60 million, and would include existing SpaceX backer Founders Fund. Jurvetson declined to discuss the specifics of SpaceX’s financing. Regulatory filings show the company had raised $15 million toward a proposed $60 million round as recently as March. Jurvetson says that the round has either closed already or will close within the next 14 days. The Hawthorne, Calif.-based company has raised $112 million in funding since 2002, according to regulatory filings. Most of that financing has come directly from SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who holds the title of CEO, CTO and founder of the company. (6/25)
Sea Launch Bankruptcy Filing was Last-Minute Decision (Source: Space News)
Sea Launch Chief Executive Kjell Karlsen said his launch services company resorted to a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing only at the last minute, after concluding that it could not reach an agreement with a former customer, Hughes Communications, on a stretched-out payment of a $52.3 million arbitration award Hughes won against Sea Launch. (6/25)
Pro-Con | Is NASA's LRO/LCROSS Moon Mission Necessary? (Source: Kansas City Star)
YES - In an unprecedented scientific endeavor — and what may be one of the coolest space missions ever — NASA's four-month mission could discover whether water is frozen in the perpetual darkness of craters near the moon’s south pole. As a source of oxygen for life support and hydrogen for rocket fuel, that water would be a tremendous boost to NASA’s plans to restart human exploration of the moon.
NO - With more than $1.7 trillion in deficits in 2009, the U.S. is hardly in a position to retain its place as leader in space flight. NASA’s funding has been severely reduced, despite President Barack Obama’s support during the campaign for space exploration and sending people to the moon. (6/25)
Saturn Moon Enceladus May Have Building Blocks of Life (Source: St. Louis Today)
One of Saturn's moons may have an underground briny ocean that could provide the building blocks for life, according to a study in the journal Nature. Scientists have determined that sodium salt in icy grains in one of Saturn's rings was probably blasted into space by geysers on the moon, Enceladus, and they speculate the material originates from a body of water beneath the moon's surface. Such sub-surface water "is very good for the formation of life precursors," said one of the authors of the study. "The whole moon is fascinating. Nobody would have expected such a small moon to have so much going on." (6/25)
Saturn Moon Titan's Chemistry Could Sprout Exotic Life (Source: Astrobiology)
A new study has found that hydrocarbon lakes on Titan could be good hosts for a certain type of chemistry that could lead to life. Saturn's largest moon is not a good candidate for Earth-like life because it usually lacks liquid water on the surface. But one of Titan's most promising features is the presence of lakes filled with liquid hydrocarbons, or molecules made of hydrogen and carbon, such as methane and ethane. These lakes were recently spotted by the Cassini-Huygens mission, a NASA/European Space Agency/Italian Space Agency spacecraft currently in orbit around Saturn. Titan is now the only body in our solar system other than Earth known to have liquid on its surface. (6/25)
Window Damage on Atlantis Threatens Six Month Delay to STS-129 (Source: NasaSpaceFlight.com)
Meetings have been taking place on Wednesday into evaluating damage to the pressure pane on Atlantis’ number 5 window, after a work light knob was observed to be embedded between the pane and the dashboard panel. The damage can only be fully assessed once the knob is removed, with the threat of a six month schedule impact to STS-129 noted, should the damage prove to be unacceptable for flight. (6/24)
NASA Aims to Fix Endeavour Fuel Leak Next Week (Source: Florida Today)
NASA aims to fix dangerous gaseous hydrogen leaks and carry out a fuel-loading test Wednesday -- moves that would clear the way for a July 11 launch of Endeavour on an International Space Station assembly mission. But if the repairs don't work, and elevated levels of the highly flammable gas are detected again, NASA could be forced to switch out the shuttle's external tank and solid rocket boosters. Such a swap would trigger significant delays and make it more difficult for NASA to fly eight remaining shuttle missions and finish station assembly by the end of 2010. The leak caused back-to-back launch scrubs June 13 and June 17 and another in March. (6/25)
Photography - Dateline: Space (Source: New York Times)
On the first American orbital space mission in 1962, John Glenn was allowed to bring two pounds of personal effects aboard Friendship 7. He packed a St. Christopher medal, other good luck charms from friends and a 35-millimeter Ansco Autoset by Minolta that he had purchased near the launch site. Just minutes after reaching orbit, he photographed — in soft focus — the glowing surface of planet Earth, on grainy Eastmancolor negative film. One modest shot for man; one giant leap for mankind. For nearly a half century since then, handheld cameras have been indispensable cargo in space exploration. Click here to view the article and photos. (6/25)
TRDA Plans Emerging Tech Forum on Space Coast on Aug. 11 (Source: TRDA)
Learn about emerging technologies and the businesses behind them at the Technological Research and Development Authority's (TRDA) Technology Opportunity Forum 2009. Meet 25 of the Southeast's most promising technology companies developing solutions for the Department of Defense, NASA and the commercial sector. This fast-paced day of presentations is for decision makers, acquisition managers and investors interested in emerging energy, communications, materials, lasers, information technologies, electronics and more. The event will be held at the TRDA Business Innovation Center in Melbourne. Visit http://www.trda.org/index.asp for information. (6/25)
June 24 News Items
Nelson Inserts Three NASA Earmarks Into Spending Bill (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Three projects on Florida’s Space Coast would get $1.6 million in funding next year as part of an overall $18.7 billion budget for NASA approved by a Senate spending committee. The earmarks, were inserted by Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Florida, and would help build a testing facility and launch pad in Brevard County, as well as steer $100,000 toward helping local aerospace businesses. The requests approved by the subcommittee were far less than what Nelson initially wanted. And approval today doesn’t guarantee funding. To become law, the earmarks must survive further votes in the Senate and a conference with House negotiators before going to the White House.
The requests include $400,000 for a Space Florida thermal vacuum chamber at KSC, which would support testing and qualification for NASA exploration components; $1.1 million for Space Florida infrastructure at Launch Complexes 36 and 46; and $100,000 for the Florida Technological Research And Development Authority's Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program for small businesses. (6/24)
Space Florida Competes for Minotaur-4 Mission Capability (Source: SPACErePORT)
Space Florida is proposing the use of Launch Complex 46 for military Minotaur launches under a "Spaceports-3" solicitation by the Air Force. The solicitation would qualify mulitple U.S. commercial spaceports to support the launches on a task-order basis. LC-46 is a Navy-managed launch pad that was converted in the late 1990s by the Spaceport Florida Authority for multiple types of small-class rockets. Space Florida must renew the state's agreement with the Navy, obtain a renewed Air Force license, and then renew the site's FAA license.
The Minotaur-4 is based on deactivated military Peacekeeper missiles. The Peacekeeper first stage was the basis for the Castor-120 rocket motor that powered the two commercial Athena rockets that first used LC-46 under the Spaceport Florida Authority's FAA license. The similarity ensures that LC-46 can accommodate the Minotaur-4, but START treaty limitations are viewed as a potential obstacle to using the deactivated missile stages at the launch complex. (6/24)
Space Florida Considers Hangar Swap to NASA (Source: SPACErePORT)
Space Florida's board was advised by the agency's staff of a potential opportunity to swap its KSC-based Reusable Launch Vehicle Hangar to NASA in exchange for continued KSC support at the Space Life Sciences (SLS) Lab and/or for support to Space Florida in developing the KSC-based Exploration Park. The no-cash swap would establish a "fair market value" based on the replacement cost for the hangar. Board members were lukewarm on the idea and requested a more detailed analysis of the opportunity. NASA was said to have sufficient requirements for the facility to justify the swap, while Space Florida has had difficulty finding qualified users for it. Board members expressed concern about giving up the hangar while the Shuttle Landing Facility will soon become available to support commercial users. Senator Thad Altman called it "counter-intuitive." NASA has established an office at KSC to market non-NASA access to the center's excess capacity, including the Shuttle Landing Facility. (6/24)
StarFighters Wins NASA Contract for Aircraft Services (Source: SPACErePORT)
StarFighters, a Florida company that uses privately owned F-104 high-performance aircraft for demonstration flights, has won a NASA contract that could be worth up to $10 million for flight services in support of NASA research and training, including high-altitude experiments and range technology testing. StarFighters has flown some flights at KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility, but the flights under this contract can be conducted from other NASA centers. (6/24)
Reinventing NASA's Rocket Reputation (Source: Aviation Week)
Among the more significant challenges the Augustine panel faces is the fate of the Ares-1. As has been the case with every previous human-rated launch vehicle, Ares-1 has encountered serious performance issues and stability concerns during its development. Critics have been particularly vocal in calling for its replacement with different vehicles, ranging from new designs to versions of the existing expendable fleet. If Augustine's review confirms NASA's current course, the challenge will be for the critics to close ranks and cease their sniping. But if the panel recommends replacement with another launch system, a more complex problem awaits.
Much of NASA and the entire management chain of Marshall Spaceflight Center have staked their rocket-making reputation on their design of the Ares-1. Its cancellation would set in motion a virtual rejection of the entire culture of NASA and the Huntsville rocketeers. Such has never happened before in NASA’s half century history and one could only imagine the resulting mess that Charlie Bolden’s new management team would inherit. Questions of the credibility of NASA’s whole launch vehicle design process would be called into question--with uncertain consequences. Will the Augustine group consider those effects in its review? (6/24)
NASA Again Delays MLAS Launch From Virginia Spaceport (Source:
The test launch of NASA's Max Launch Abort System (MLAS), a proposed alternative for carrying the Orion space capsule out of harms way in the event of an Ares-1 malfunction, has been postponed again. A new date is TBD. (6/24)
Sea Launch Flames Out (Source: Motley Fool)
Sea Launch is in dire straits, possessing less than $500 million in assets with which to satisfy more than $1 billion in liabilities. And while technically, Monday's filing called for a Chapter 11 restructuring, the company's intention to sell off "one or more" of its divisions suggests that whatever emerges from the other end of this bankruptcy process may be unable to perform as Sea Launch was intended.
Perhaps the best that can be hoped for -- from an investor's point of view -- might be that the parties who formed Sea Launch in the first place would bid for the to-be-divested divisions and make more profitable use of them independently. Boeing, for example, could perhaps gather whatever Sea Launch flotsam floats to shore, and use it to strengthen its United Launch Alliance partnership with Lockheed Martin. (6/24)
Florida's Wackenhut Wins NASA-Wide Security Contract (Source: NASA)
NASA has selected Wackenhut Services of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., to perform an agency-wide consolidated contract for protective services. The initial contract value for a possible 10-year period totals approximately $1.2 billion. Wackenhut will provide fire services, security services, emergency management, export control, protective services training, and protective services information assurance and information technology security. (6/24)
Delta IV Preps On Track For Launch On Friday (Source: Florida Today)
A Delta IV rocket and a new national weather satellite are being readied for launch Friday from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport, and mission managers already are keeping close tabs on the weather. The weather forecast calls for a 60-percent chance that seasonal summer thunderstorms might force a launch scrub. (6/24)
Senate Subcommittee Restores NASA Funding in 2010 Budget Bill (Source: U.S. Senate)
The U.S. Senate's Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies has approved $18.68 billion for NASA's FY-2010 budget. That's $477 million more than the $18.2 billion approved by the House a couple weeks ago. It's also $903 million above the FY-2009 level and equal to the President’s request. It includes $3.16 billion for Space Shuttle operations; $2.27 billion for Space Station operations; $3.5 billion for development of the next generation Crew Launch Vehicle and Crew Exploration Vehicle and Cargo Launch Vehicle; $4.5 billion for science; and $507 million for aeronautics research. (6/24)
House Bill Seeks to Shorten NASA Spending Authority (Source: @kenmonroe)
The House-passed version of NASA's latest budget bill seeks to convert NASA's R&D accounts from two-year duration to one-year duration. What does this mean? NASA is the third largest R&D agency in the Federal Government, representing 7.7 percent of total R&D spending in FY2010. Because of the duration and complexity of R&D programs, two-year funding has been a widespread practice in virtually all Federal R&D activities, including those at DoD, NSF, NIST, NOAA, EPA and USGS. NASA has long relied on its two-year funding to write contracts that cross fiscal years (as most things do).
While NASA orders 98 percent of its work within one fiscal year, only about 77 percent of that work is performed in the same fiscal year. 23 percent of the total FY2008 budget (excluding grants and construction) had not been expensed by the end of FY2008. Under the proposed limitation, if enacted, funds available for only one year could not be expended in the second year. (6/24)
Astronauts Witness Volcano Eruption from the International Space Station (Source: Guardian)
A chance recording by astronauts on the International Space Station has captured the moment a volcano explosively erupted, sending massive shockwaves through the atmosphere. Sarychev Peak, one of the most active volcanoes in the world, had been sitting quietly in the Kuril Island chain near Japan for 20 years, when it suddenly sprang to life on June 12. Fortuitously, the International Space Station was flying overhead at the time, and managed to capture a spectacular image of the ash-cloud tearing through the atmosphere, sending clouds scattering in its wake in a perfect circle. Click here to view the article. (6/24)
4Frontiers Team Members to Lead Simulated Mars Mission on Devon Island (Source: 4Frontiers)
4Frontiers Corp., a NewSpace company based in New Port Richie, FL, is spearheading this summer’s expedition to the Mars Society’s Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station (FMARS) on Devon Island in the Canadian Arctic. 4Frontiers consultant Walter Vernon Kramer has been selected as commander of a crew of six. He will be assisted by 4Frontiers Vice President Joseph Palaia, who will serve as his executive officer. The crew will conduct a sustained program of field exploration during the month of July, while operating under Mars mission constraints. The objective is to improve understanding of the technical and human factors which may be faced by the first human Mars explorers.
Kramer will leverage his background in mineral exploration and extraction to conduct field EVAs using a Maveric UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle), to be operated by Palaia. The UAV is provided by Prioria Robotics of Gainesville, FL. 4Frontiers also has engaged three summer interns through a grant provided by the NASA Exploration Systems Mission Directorate administered by the Florida Space Grant Consortium. One intern, Jason Rhian, a recent University of South Florida graduate, will serve as media coordinator for the expedition, being responsible for scheduling press interviews, developing media releases and keeping the public up to date on the latest expedition news and developments.
Spencer Frank and Eric Travis, both students at the University of Central Florida, have also been engaged as summer interns. They will work closely with 4Frontiers partner, the Omega Envoy team that is pursing the Google Lunar X-Prize. They are assembling Omega Envoy’s lunar rover prototype, which Palaia will transport to Devon Island. Frank and Travis will lead a group of students at the University of Central Florida to control the rover remotely. (6/24)
Ares I Not Dead: Review Could Mean More Studies Says NASA Shuttle Manager (Source: Hyperbola)
NASA's John Shannon expressed views on the outcome of the Augustine Panel review that could cheer some but perhaps concern a lot more: "There is not enough time to do this super detailed review and I really don't expect them to come out and say you should build this rocket. What I suspect is that they will have a 'NASA should go look or consider at these options with this architecture for this budget number' and we'll go work that with Congress and White House and whatever budget numbers we get will define a lot of what happens next," he said. The implication is that NASA would continue working on Ares for some time to come.
More uncertainty extending into 2010 would surely be the worst outcome. More delay and more studies would simply make the situation worse for the likes of Kennedy Space Center and the wider industry if, as Shuttle retires, there is doubt about the new vehicles and all current work was abandoned - love or loathe Ares I its keeping capability and jobs alive come 2011. A post-Augustine technical investigation could, paradoxically, ensure Ares I wins by default because by the time any such study concluded the maturity of the crew launch vehicle design and propinquity of the 2015 target date could close the book on other proposals. (6/24)
Musk Gets Auto Loan for Tesla Production (Source: Slashdot)
Tesla Motors, based in San Carlos, California, was approved yesterday for $465M in loans from the Department of Energy's Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing program. Tesla plans to use $365M of the money to finance a manufacturing facility for the Model S and $100M for a powertrain manufacturing plant in California. 'Tesla will use the ATVM loan precisely the way that Congress intended — as the capital needed to build sustainable transport,' said Tesla CEO and Product Architect Elon Musk. Tesla expects the Model S to ship in late 2011 and the base cost to be $57,400 ($49,900 after a federal tax credit). Ford received $5.9B and Nissan received $1.6B under the same program. (6/24)
Florida "Governor's School" Program Hosted by Florida Tech (Source: Florida Tech)
The Florida Institute of Technology and NASA are partnering to offer the 2009 Governor's School for Space Science and Technology for gifted Florida high school seniors. Astronaut Dr. Sam Durrance and space physicist Dr. Niescja Turner, both Florida Tech professors, will lead the two-week residential academy this summer at Kennedy Space Center. Delegates will study the science behind space exploration and technology, get a behind-the-scenes look at launch facilities and scientific labs at KSC, and participate in a research project flying a payload on an F-104 Starfighter jet. Visit http://govschool.fit.edu/ for information. (6/24)
December Trial Set for Love-Triangle US Astronaut (Source: Space Daily)
Miami (AFP) June 24, 2009 - A trial for an American astronaut who drove halfway across the United States to confront a romantic rival in a NASA love triangle has been set for December 7, a Florida court said Wednesday. Lisa Nowak, a 44-year-old mother of three, was arrested and charged with kidnapping and battery for allegedly attacking Colleen Shipman with pepper spray at the Orlando International Airport in Florida. (6/24)
Virginia Spaceport's Project Manager Thrives in a Unique Job (Source: Eastern Shore News)
When the Minotaur rocket blasted off last month from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, one of the people who helped it happen was a Saxis native and mother of two whose job it is to ensure spaceport customers have everything they need to succeed. Michelle Marshall is the spaceport's launch project manager, responsible for assisting customers all the way from the initial planning stages of a mission through launch day and afterward.
She is one of only three employees in the spaceport office, located in a former gas station on the main base at NASA Wallops Flight Facility. She, Spaceport Manager Rick Baldwin and recently hired Construction Manager Sheila Taylor share the cramped quarters from which the budding spaceport's business is conducted. In the last year, the pace picked up considerably after Orbital Sciences Corp.'s announcement last summer that it would use the spaceport as its base of operations for a 2010 test mission of its new Taurus II rocket, which is being developed to carry cargo to the International Space Station. (6/24)
South Korea Prepares for Crucial Rocket Launch (Source: Korea Times)
One of the most important moments in Korean science history will take place on July 30 at the brand new Naro Space Center in Goheung, South Jeolla Province, when the country launches its first spacecraft from its own soil. Should the rocket, the Korea Space Launch Vehicle-1, successfully deliver an experimental satellite into low earth orbit, Korea will become the world's 10th nation to send a domestically-produced satellite into space from its own territory. Public excitement for the event is great, and adds to the pressure for scientists and engineers at the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), who are trying to retain cautious optimism while also reminding anyone with ears that the chances for a successful first launch are less than 50 percent. (6/24)
Three projects on Florida’s Space Coast would get $1.6 million in funding next year as part of an overall $18.7 billion budget for NASA approved by a Senate spending committee. The earmarks, were inserted by Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Florida, and would help build a testing facility and launch pad in Brevard County, as well as steer $100,000 toward helping local aerospace businesses. The requests approved by the subcommittee were far less than what Nelson initially wanted. And approval today doesn’t guarantee funding. To become law, the earmarks must survive further votes in the Senate and a conference with House negotiators before going to the White House.
The requests include $400,000 for a Space Florida thermal vacuum chamber at KSC, which would support testing and qualification for NASA exploration components; $1.1 million for Space Florida infrastructure at Launch Complexes 36 and 46; and $100,000 for the Florida Technological Research And Development Authority's Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program for small businesses. (6/24)
Space Florida Competes for Minotaur-4 Mission Capability (Source: SPACErePORT)
Space Florida is proposing the use of Launch Complex 46 for military Minotaur launches under a "Spaceports-3" solicitation by the Air Force. The solicitation would qualify mulitple U.S. commercial spaceports to support the launches on a task-order basis. LC-46 is a Navy-managed launch pad that was converted in the late 1990s by the Spaceport Florida Authority for multiple types of small-class rockets. Space Florida must renew the state's agreement with the Navy, obtain a renewed Air Force license, and then renew the site's FAA license.
The Minotaur-4 is based on deactivated military Peacekeeper missiles. The Peacekeeper first stage was the basis for the Castor-120 rocket motor that powered the two commercial Athena rockets that first used LC-46 under the Spaceport Florida Authority's FAA license. The similarity ensures that LC-46 can accommodate the Minotaur-4, but START treaty limitations are viewed as a potential obstacle to using the deactivated missile stages at the launch complex. (6/24)
Space Florida Considers Hangar Swap to NASA (Source: SPACErePORT)
Space Florida's board was advised by the agency's staff of a potential opportunity to swap its KSC-based Reusable Launch Vehicle Hangar to NASA in exchange for continued KSC support at the Space Life Sciences (SLS) Lab and/or for support to Space Florida in developing the KSC-based Exploration Park. The no-cash swap would establish a "fair market value" based on the replacement cost for the hangar. Board members were lukewarm on the idea and requested a more detailed analysis of the opportunity. NASA was said to have sufficient requirements for the facility to justify the swap, while Space Florida has had difficulty finding qualified users for it. Board members expressed concern about giving up the hangar while the Shuttle Landing Facility will soon become available to support commercial users. Senator Thad Altman called it "counter-intuitive." NASA has established an office at KSC to market non-NASA access to the center's excess capacity, including the Shuttle Landing Facility. (6/24)
StarFighters Wins NASA Contract for Aircraft Services (Source: SPACErePORT)
StarFighters, a Florida company that uses privately owned F-104 high-performance aircraft for demonstration flights, has won a NASA contract that could be worth up to $10 million for flight services in support of NASA research and training, including high-altitude experiments and range technology testing. StarFighters has flown some flights at KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility, but the flights under this contract can be conducted from other NASA centers. (6/24)
Reinventing NASA's Rocket Reputation (Source: Aviation Week)
Among the more significant challenges the Augustine panel faces is the fate of the Ares-1. As has been the case with every previous human-rated launch vehicle, Ares-1 has encountered serious performance issues and stability concerns during its development. Critics have been particularly vocal in calling for its replacement with different vehicles, ranging from new designs to versions of the existing expendable fleet. If Augustine's review confirms NASA's current course, the challenge will be for the critics to close ranks and cease their sniping. But if the panel recommends replacement with another launch system, a more complex problem awaits.
Much of NASA and the entire management chain of Marshall Spaceflight Center have staked their rocket-making reputation on their design of the Ares-1. Its cancellation would set in motion a virtual rejection of the entire culture of NASA and the Huntsville rocketeers. Such has never happened before in NASA’s half century history and one could only imagine the resulting mess that Charlie Bolden’s new management team would inherit. Questions of the credibility of NASA’s whole launch vehicle design process would be called into question--with uncertain consequences. Will the Augustine group consider those effects in its review? (6/24)
NASA Again Delays MLAS Launch From Virginia Spaceport (Source:
The test launch of NASA's Max Launch Abort System (MLAS), a proposed alternative for carrying the Orion space capsule out of harms way in the event of an Ares-1 malfunction, has been postponed again. A new date is TBD. (6/24)
Sea Launch Flames Out (Source: Motley Fool)
Sea Launch is in dire straits, possessing less than $500 million in assets with which to satisfy more than $1 billion in liabilities. And while technically, Monday's filing called for a Chapter 11 restructuring, the company's intention to sell off "one or more" of its divisions suggests that whatever emerges from the other end of this bankruptcy process may be unable to perform as Sea Launch was intended.
Perhaps the best that can be hoped for -- from an investor's point of view -- might be that the parties who formed Sea Launch in the first place would bid for the to-be-divested divisions and make more profitable use of them independently. Boeing, for example, could perhaps gather whatever Sea Launch flotsam floats to shore, and use it to strengthen its United Launch Alliance partnership with Lockheed Martin. (6/24)
Florida's Wackenhut Wins NASA-Wide Security Contract (Source: NASA)
NASA has selected Wackenhut Services of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., to perform an agency-wide consolidated contract for protective services. The initial contract value for a possible 10-year period totals approximately $1.2 billion. Wackenhut will provide fire services, security services, emergency management, export control, protective services training, and protective services information assurance and information technology security. (6/24)
Delta IV Preps On Track For Launch On Friday (Source: Florida Today)
A Delta IV rocket and a new national weather satellite are being readied for launch Friday from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport, and mission managers already are keeping close tabs on the weather. The weather forecast calls for a 60-percent chance that seasonal summer thunderstorms might force a launch scrub. (6/24)
Senate Subcommittee Restores NASA Funding in 2010 Budget Bill (Source: U.S. Senate)
The U.S. Senate's Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies has approved $18.68 billion for NASA's FY-2010 budget. That's $477 million more than the $18.2 billion approved by the House a couple weeks ago. It's also $903 million above the FY-2009 level and equal to the President’s request. It includes $3.16 billion for Space Shuttle operations; $2.27 billion for Space Station operations; $3.5 billion for development of the next generation Crew Launch Vehicle and Crew Exploration Vehicle and Cargo Launch Vehicle; $4.5 billion for science; and $507 million for aeronautics research. (6/24)
House Bill Seeks to Shorten NASA Spending Authority (Source: @kenmonroe)
The House-passed version of NASA's latest budget bill seeks to convert NASA's R&D accounts from two-year duration to one-year duration. What does this mean? NASA is the third largest R&D agency in the Federal Government, representing 7.7 percent of total R&D spending in FY2010. Because of the duration and complexity of R&D programs, two-year funding has been a widespread practice in virtually all Federal R&D activities, including those at DoD, NSF, NIST, NOAA, EPA and USGS. NASA has long relied on its two-year funding to write contracts that cross fiscal years (as most things do).
While NASA orders 98 percent of its work within one fiscal year, only about 77 percent of that work is performed in the same fiscal year. 23 percent of the total FY2008 budget (excluding grants and construction) had not been expensed by the end of FY2008. Under the proposed limitation, if enacted, funds available for only one year could not be expended in the second year. (6/24)
Astronauts Witness Volcano Eruption from the International Space Station (Source: Guardian)
A chance recording by astronauts on the International Space Station has captured the moment a volcano explosively erupted, sending massive shockwaves through the atmosphere. Sarychev Peak, one of the most active volcanoes in the world, had been sitting quietly in the Kuril Island chain near Japan for 20 years, when it suddenly sprang to life on June 12. Fortuitously, the International Space Station was flying overhead at the time, and managed to capture a spectacular image of the ash-cloud tearing through the atmosphere, sending clouds scattering in its wake in a perfect circle. Click here to view the article. (6/24)
4Frontiers Team Members to Lead Simulated Mars Mission on Devon Island (Source: 4Frontiers)
4Frontiers Corp., a NewSpace company based in New Port Richie, FL, is spearheading this summer’s expedition to the Mars Society’s Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station (FMARS) on Devon Island in the Canadian Arctic. 4Frontiers consultant Walter Vernon Kramer has been selected as commander of a crew of six. He will be assisted by 4Frontiers Vice President Joseph Palaia, who will serve as his executive officer. The crew will conduct a sustained program of field exploration during the month of July, while operating under Mars mission constraints. The objective is to improve understanding of the technical and human factors which may be faced by the first human Mars explorers.
Kramer will leverage his background in mineral exploration and extraction to conduct field EVAs using a Maveric UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle), to be operated by Palaia. The UAV is provided by Prioria Robotics of Gainesville, FL. 4Frontiers also has engaged three summer interns through a grant provided by the NASA Exploration Systems Mission Directorate administered by the Florida Space Grant Consortium. One intern, Jason Rhian, a recent University of South Florida graduate, will serve as media coordinator for the expedition, being responsible for scheduling press interviews, developing media releases and keeping the public up to date on the latest expedition news and developments.
Spencer Frank and Eric Travis, both students at the University of Central Florida, have also been engaged as summer interns. They will work closely with 4Frontiers partner, the Omega Envoy team that is pursing the Google Lunar X-Prize. They are assembling Omega Envoy’s lunar rover prototype, which Palaia will transport to Devon Island. Frank and Travis will lead a group of students at the University of Central Florida to control the rover remotely. (6/24)
Ares I Not Dead: Review Could Mean More Studies Says NASA Shuttle Manager (Source: Hyperbola)
NASA's John Shannon expressed views on the outcome of the Augustine Panel review that could cheer some but perhaps concern a lot more: "There is not enough time to do this super detailed review and I really don't expect them to come out and say you should build this rocket. What I suspect is that they will have a 'NASA should go look or consider at these options with this architecture for this budget number' and we'll go work that with Congress and White House and whatever budget numbers we get will define a lot of what happens next," he said. The implication is that NASA would continue working on Ares for some time to come.
More uncertainty extending into 2010 would surely be the worst outcome. More delay and more studies would simply make the situation worse for the likes of Kennedy Space Center and the wider industry if, as Shuttle retires, there is doubt about the new vehicles and all current work was abandoned - love or loathe Ares I its keeping capability and jobs alive come 2011. A post-Augustine technical investigation could, paradoxically, ensure Ares I wins by default because by the time any such study concluded the maturity of the crew launch vehicle design and propinquity of the 2015 target date could close the book on other proposals. (6/24)
Musk Gets Auto Loan for Tesla Production (Source: Slashdot)
Tesla Motors, based in San Carlos, California, was approved yesterday for $465M in loans from the Department of Energy's Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing program. Tesla plans to use $365M of the money to finance a manufacturing facility for the Model S and $100M for a powertrain manufacturing plant in California. 'Tesla will use the ATVM loan precisely the way that Congress intended — as the capital needed to build sustainable transport,' said Tesla CEO and Product Architect Elon Musk. Tesla expects the Model S to ship in late 2011 and the base cost to be $57,400 ($49,900 after a federal tax credit). Ford received $5.9B and Nissan received $1.6B under the same program. (6/24)
Florida "Governor's School" Program Hosted by Florida Tech (Source: Florida Tech)
The Florida Institute of Technology and NASA are partnering to offer the 2009 Governor's School for Space Science and Technology for gifted Florida high school seniors. Astronaut Dr. Sam Durrance and space physicist Dr. Niescja Turner, both Florida Tech professors, will lead the two-week residential academy this summer at Kennedy Space Center. Delegates will study the science behind space exploration and technology, get a behind-the-scenes look at launch facilities and scientific labs at KSC, and participate in a research project flying a payload on an F-104 Starfighter jet. Visit http://govschool.fit.edu/ for information. (6/24)
December Trial Set for Love-Triangle US Astronaut (Source: Space Daily)
Miami (AFP) June 24, 2009 - A trial for an American astronaut who drove halfway across the United States to confront a romantic rival in a NASA love triangle has been set for December 7, a Florida court said Wednesday. Lisa Nowak, a 44-year-old mother of three, was arrested and charged with kidnapping and battery for allegedly attacking Colleen Shipman with pepper spray at the Orlando International Airport in Florida. (6/24)
Virginia Spaceport's Project Manager Thrives in a Unique Job (Source: Eastern Shore News)
When the Minotaur rocket blasted off last month from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, one of the people who helped it happen was a Saxis native and mother of two whose job it is to ensure spaceport customers have everything they need to succeed. Michelle Marshall is the spaceport's launch project manager, responsible for assisting customers all the way from the initial planning stages of a mission through launch day and afterward.
She is one of only three employees in the spaceport office, located in a former gas station on the main base at NASA Wallops Flight Facility. She, Spaceport Manager Rick Baldwin and recently hired Construction Manager Sheila Taylor share the cramped quarters from which the budding spaceport's business is conducted. In the last year, the pace picked up considerably after Orbital Sciences Corp.'s announcement last summer that it would use the spaceport as its base of operations for a 2010 test mission of its new Taurus II rocket, which is being developed to carry cargo to the International Space Station. (6/24)
South Korea Prepares for Crucial Rocket Launch (Source: Korea Times)
One of the most important moments in Korean science history will take place on July 30 at the brand new Naro Space Center in Goheung, South Jeolla Province, when the country launches its first spacecraft from its own soil. Should the rocket, the Korea Space Launch Vehicle-1, successfully deliver an experimental satellite into low earth orbit, Korea will become the world's 10th nation to send a domestically-produced satellite into space from its own territory. Public excitement for the event is great, and adds to the pressure for scientists and engineers at the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), who are trying to retain cautious optimism while also reminding anyone with ears that the chances for a successful first launch are less than 50 percent. (6/24)
June 23 News Items
Space Florida Plans United Launch Alliance Financing Deal (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Space Florida and United Launch Alliance (ULA) are planning a $100 million debt restructuring for Launch Complex 41 at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. The Atlas-5 launch facility was originally financed by the Spaceport Florida Authority in a $300+ million deal with Lockheed Martin. According to Space Florida's interim President Frank DiBello, the old financing deal had to be redone to avoid legal problems and disruptions associated with the facility's transfer to ULA, a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Boeing. DiBello said the restructuring deal was arranged in record time – less than 30 days. ULA employs about 750 people at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport, and the refinancing deal had been touted as something that could save those potentially endangered jobs. DiBello played down any direct impact the deal would have on ULA employment, but he said the deal did make sure they could work uninterrupted. (6/23)
Sea Launch Files Chapter 11 to Address Financial Challenges (Source: Sea Launch)
Sea Launch, a leading provider of launch services to the commercial satellite industry, has filed voluntary petitions to reorganize under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code. The members of Sea Launch have unanimously determined that Chapter 11 reorganization is in the best interests of the Company, its customers, shareholders, employees and other related parties. Sea Launch intends to continue to maintain all normal business operations after the filing for reorganization. Subject to court approval, Sea Launch will initially use its cash balance to meet operational requirements during the reorganization process and is addressing Debtor in Possession financing, if necessary. In the court filing, Sea Launch listed assets of between $100 million and $500 million against liabilities of between $500 million and $1 billion. (6/22)
16 Year Old Infant Refuses to Age - Research Useful for Space Flight? (Source: ABC News)
Brooke Greenberg is the size of an infant, with the mental capacity of a toddler. She turned 16 in January. At about 16 pounds and 30 inches, 16-year-old Brooke Greenberg has not aged significantly, physically or apparently cognitively, since she was a toddler. Doctors hope that her case could shed light on the mysterious genetics behind aging.
Dr. Richard Walker of the University of South Florida College of Medicine says Brooke's body is not developing as a coordinated unit, but as independent parts that are out of sync. She has never been diagnosed with any known genetic syndrome or chromosomal abnormality that would help explain why. He hopes his research on her condition can provide valuable insights on controlling the aging process. One possible reason to slow the aging process, Walker suggested, would be to allow astronauts to travel in space for long periods of time. "But right now, it's only conjecture," he said. Click here to view the article. (6/23)
Time to Re-Think Space Treaties? (Source: Wall Street Journal)
Around 2020 we could get a bottleneck on the moon, with manned and unmanned probes from several countries whizzing around it from different directions. Various nations could even begin planting flags into its lunar soil. Let's hope they don't bump into each other, creating the first global conflict in space. To be sure, going to the moon is largely symbolic, rather than strategic. The moon gives no cosmic military advantage. And the moon has no air or water. The moon does have minerals, but mining the Earth is infinitely cheaper than mining the moon.
This raises another question: Can any nation plant its flag on lunar soil, claiming the moon as its own? The Outer Space Treaty of 1967 forbade nuclear weapons in space and prohibited countries from claiming territory on the moon or any other celestial body. But the treaty is vague and out of date. Perhaps now is the best time to strengthen and rethink this old treaty before national rivalries and tensions heat up as we approach 2020. Editor's Note: The outdated treaty's vague language also is a barrier to foreseeable types of commercial initiatives on the Moon and other space destinations. (6/22)
The Next Giant Leap (Source: GQ)
Forty years ago this month, NASA achieved the greatest feat in history: landing two men on the surface of the moon. Today, NASA is planning a return—to the moon again, and then beyond to Mars—but first they need to reinvent, from scratch, how to get there. Oh, and their other problem: explaining what the hell it is we’re doing in space. Click here to view the article. (6/23)
European Groups Talk Space at SpaceLand Expo in Italy (Source: SpaceLand)
Italy's SpaceLand group plans a Space Expo-Congress in Sardinia on Sep. 21-22 as part of the European Year of Creativity and Innovation. The event gathers players government, industry and academia who are directly or indirectly involved with aerospace technology, life & material sciences related to space exploration as well as "spin-off" programs. ESA will also present its policy on Space Tourism. SpaceLand will address with Italian Space Agency officers the opportunities for education and research in lunar-gravity, Mars-gravity and zero-gravity conditions aboard parabolic aircraft flights for the advancement of biomedicine and biotech, physical-chemical sciences, robotic & crewed space exploration. Visit http://www.SpaceLand.it for information. (6/23)
Many Nations Are Looking to Repeat Apollo's Feat (Source: New York Times)
Last Thursday, NASA sent two probes to the moon in search of a possible site for a manned lunar station. Both China and the U.S. have announced that they plan to send manned missions to the moon around 2020. India and Japan are not far behind, launching their own unmanned probes to the moon and laying out their timetables for sending men there. Will we see a pileup on the moon around 2020? The idea of a traffic jam on the moon would have seemed preposterous to President John Kennedy when he announced the United States' goal of "landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to Earth" by the end of the 1960s. Back then, the moon seemed impossibly distant. Click here to view the article. (6/23)
NASA's Lunar Spacecraft Arrives at Moon (Source: Florida Today)
NASA's first spacecraft to visit the moon in more than a decade has settled into lunar orbit. The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, fired its engines for 40 minutes, putting it in position to be captured by the moon's gravity. It is preparing to start a yearlong, $511 million mapping mission to identify safe landing sites and interesting areas for future human exploration. First, the spacecraft will spend two months in an elliptical orbit testing its systems and seven science instruments, which will detail the lunar surface's topography, temperatures, resources and radiation exposure. (6/23)
Space Florida and United Launch Alliance (ULA) are planning a $100 million debt restructuring for Launch Complex 41 at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. The Atlas-5 launch facility was originally financed by the Spaceport Florida Authority in a $300+ million deal with Lockheed Martin. According to Space Florida's interim President Frank DiBello, the old financing deal had to be redone to avoid legal problems and disruptions associated with the facility's transfer to ULA, a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Boeing. DiBello said the restructuring deal was arranged in record time – less than 30 days. ULA employs about 750 people at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport, and the refinancing deal had been touted as something that could save those potentially endangered jobs. DiBello played down any direct impact the deal would have on ULA employment, but he said the deal did make sure they could work uninterrupted. (6/23)
Sea Launch Files Chapter 11 to Address Financial Challenges (Source: Sea Launch)
Sea Launch, a leading provider of launch services to the commercial satellite industry, has filed voluntary petitions to reorganize under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code. The members of Sea Launch have unanimously determined that Chapter 11 reorganization is in the best interests of the Company, its customers, shareholders, employees and other related parties. Sea Launch intends to continue to maintain all normal business operations after the filing for reorganization. Subject to court approval, Sea Launch will initially use its cash balance to meet operational requirements during the reorganization process and is addressing Debtor in Possession financing, if necessary. In the court filing, Sea Launch listed assets of between $100 million and $500 million against liabilities of between $500 million and $1 billion. (6/22)
16 Year Old Infant Refuses to Age - Research Useful for Space Flight? (Source: ABC News)
Brooke Greenberg is the size of an infant, with the mental capacity of a toddler. She turned 16 in January. At about 16 pounds and 30 inches, 16-year-old Brooke Greenberg has not aged significantly, physically or apparently cognitively, since she was a toddler. Doctors hope that her case could shed light on the mysterious genetics behind aging.
Dr. Richard Walker of the University of South Florida College of Medicine says Brooke's body is not developing as a coordinated unit, but as independent parts that are out of sync. She has never been diagnosed with any known genetic syndrome or chromosomal abnormality that would help explain why. He hopes his research on her condition can provide valuable insights on controlling the aging process. One possible reason to slow the aging process, Walker suggested, would be to allow astronauts to travel in space for long periods of time. "But right now, it's only conjecture," he said. Click here to view the article. (6/23)
Time to Re-Think Space Treaties? (Source: Wall Street Journal)
Around 2020 we could get a bottleneck on the moon, with manned and unmanned probes from several countries whizzing around it from different directions. Various nations could even begin planting flags into its lunar soil. Let's hope they don't bump into each other, creating the first global conflict in space. To be sure, going to the moon is largely symbolic, rather than strategic. The moon gives no cosmic military advantage. And the moon has no air or water. The moon does have minerals, but mining the Earth is infinitely cheaper than mining the moon.
This raises another question: Can any nation plant its flag on lunar soil, claiming the moon as its own? The Outer Space Treaty of 1967 forbade nuclear weapons in space and prohibited countries from claiming territory on the moon or any other celestial body. But the treaty is vague and out of date. Perhaps now is the best time to strengthen and rethink this old treaty before national rivalries and tensions heat up as we approach 2020. Editor's Note: The outdated treaty's vague language also is a barrier to foreseeable types of commercial initiatives on the Moon and other space destinations. (6/22)
The Next Giant Leap (Source: GQ)
Forty years ago this month, NASA achieved the greatest feat in history: landing two men on the surface of the moon. Today, NASA is planning a return—to the moon again, and then beyond to Mars—but first they need to reinvent, from scratch, how to get there. Oh, and their other problem: explaining what the hell it is we’re doing in space. Click here to view the article. (6/23)
European Groups Talk Space at SpaceLand Expo in Italy (Source: SpaceLand)
Italy's SpaceLand group plans a Space Expo-Congress in Sardinia on Sep. 21-22 as part of the European Year of Creativity and Innovation. The event gathers players government, industry and academia who are directly or indirectly involved with aerospace technology, life & material sciences related to space exploration as well as "spin-off" programs. ESA will also present its policy on Space Tourism. SpaceLand will address with Italian Space Agency officers the opportunities for education and research in lunar-gravity, Mars-gravity and zero-gravity conditions aboard parabolic aircraft flights for the advancement of biomedicine and biotech, physical-chemical sciences, robotic & crewed space exploration. Visit http://www.SpaceLand.it for information. (6/23)
Many Nations Are Looking to Repeat Apollo's Feat (Source: New York Times)
Last Thursday, NASA sent two probes to the moon in search of a possible site for a manned lunar station. Both China and the U.S. have announced that they plan to send manned missions to the moon around 2020. India and Japan are not far behind, launching their own unmanned probes to the moon and laying out their timetables for sending men there. Will we see a pileup on the moon around 2020? The idea of a traffic jam on the moon would have seemed preposterous to President John Kennedy when he announced the United States' goal of "landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to Earth" by the end of the 1960s. Back then, the moon seemed impossibly distant. Click here to view the article. (6/23)
NASA's Lunar Spacecraft Arrives at Moon (Source: Florida Today)
NASA's first spacecraft to visit the moon in more than a decade has settled into lunar orbit. The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, fired its engines for 40 minutes, putting it in position to be captured by the moon's gravity. It is preparing to start a yearlong, $511 million mapping mission to identify safe landing sites and interesting areas for future human exploration. First, the spacecraft will spend two months in an elliptical orbit testing its systems and seven science instruments, which will detail the lunar surface's topography, temperatures, resources and radiation exposure. (6/23)
June 22 News Items
Constellation and its Challengers (Source: Space Review)
The committee charged with examining the future of NASA's human spaceflight programs kicked off its work last week with a public hearing in Washington. Jeff Foust reviews the event, which largely shaped up to be an examination of Constellation and several potential alternatives. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1401/1 to view the article. (6/22)
Gum in the Keyhole (Source: Space Review)
A proposal for a new series of reconnaissance satellites that are only marginally different from an older series has generated opposition from one key member of Congress. Dwayne Day looks at what may be for the intelligence community another case of political theater. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1400/1 to view the article. (6/22)
Why Is It So Hard To Go Back To The Moon? (Source: Space Review)
Next month marks the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11, and serves as a reminder of what we have not accomplished in space in the intervening decades. Taylor Dinerman wonders just how it will be before the United States, or someone else, sends people back there. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1398/1 to view the article. (6/22)
Tourism Companies Partner for Space Travel (Source: Travel Agent Central)
Ensemble Travel Group has a new partnership with Rocketship Tours, a company dedicated to making space travel accessible and relatively affordable to those who aspire to such an out-of-this-world adventure. This unique space experience includes a five-day, four-night training program at a deluxe resort in Arizona, medical evaluation and screening, and cancellation insurance. Guests will travel to the edge of space in the suborbital Lynx rocket ship. Unlike other programs, the RocketShip Tours adventure is truly intimate, pairing just a single passenger on each flight—-who sits in the co-pilot’s seat—-next to the astronaut-pilot who’s flying the space vehicle.
The Lynx rocket ship is being built in Mojave, CA by XCOR Aerospace, headed up by Jeff Greason, who was recently named to a White House panel to review NASA space flight programs. Once completed next year, the space vehicle will undergo a series of test flights in preparation for its official launch in 2011. RocketShip Tours, headed by travel pioneer and entrepreneur Jules Klar, is the exclusive global provider of passenger services for the Lynx. (6/22)
Using Weather Satellites To Predict Epidemics? (Source: NPR)
The swine flu outbreak caused a minor panic all over the world, but swine flu's got nothing on the great Rift Valley fever epidemic of 2006. Don't remember that epidemic? That's because it never actually happened. Scientists at NASA and the Department of Agriculture used some high-flying technology to help stop the outbreak. Scientists can use weather satellites to track things like sea surface temperature and cloud cover, which are good indicators of heavy rainfall. But what does that have to do with Rift Valley fever? It turns out that rainfall is the key to the disease. (6/22)
DHS to Kill Domestic Satellite Spying (Source: AP)
A government official says Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano plans to kill a controversial program begun by the Bush administration to use U.S. spy satellites for domestic security and law enforcement. The program was announced in 2007 and was to have been run by Homeland Security. It has been delayed because of privacy and civil liberty concerns. The Federal Emergency Management Agency and Interior Department will continue to have access to this satellite imagery. (6/22)
The Weirdest Object in the Solar System? (Source: Space.com)
The dwarf planets and other objects that litter the Kuiper belt in the far reaches of our solar system are a strange bunch, but astronomers have found what they think might be the weirdest one. Discovered in 2004, the minor planet now known as the dwarf planet Haumea, to honor its Hawaiian discovery, is as big across as Pluto and one-third of its mass, but shaped something "like a big squashed cigar," said one of the astronomers who studies the object, Mike Brown of Caltech. (6/22)
France Wants Replacement for Ariane 5 Space Launcher (Source: Reuters)
France wants Europe to start looking into a space rocket launcher to replace Ariane 5 at some point between 2020 and 2025, President Nicolas Sarkozy's office said on Saturday. The Ariane-5, which is billed as a cost-effective launcher for large satellites, has launched satellites for European telecoms operators, telescopes and scientific space observatories. But it was time to start working on Ariane 6, the president's office said in a statement. (6/22)
NASA Criticized for Sticking to Imperial Units (Source: New Scientist)
NASA's decision to engineer its replacement for the space shuttle using imperial measurement units rather than metric could derail efforts to develop a globalised civilian space industry, says a leading light in the nascent commercial spaceflight sector. "We in the private sector are doing everything possible to create a global market with as much commonality and interoperability as possible," says Mike Gold of the US firm Bigelow Aerospace, which hopes to fly commercial space stations in orbitMovie Camera. "But NASA still can't make the jump to metric." (6/22)
Pad Work Continues Ahead of Ares Flight Test (Source: Florida Today)
While a presidential panel reviews the future of NASA's human spaceflight program, work continues to renovate a launch pad for the first flight test of the rocket being designed to replace the space shuttle. Over the weekend at KSC, workers removed the walkway that 53 shuttle crews traversed to enter their spaceship for launches from pad 39B between 1986 and 2006. The 64,000-pound, 65-foot orbiter access arm, which includes the "white room" that is the astronauts' last stop before boarding the shuttle, was located at the pad's 195-foot level. (6/22)
Moon Blanket Could Protect Lunar Colony (Source: Cosmos)
The first astronauts to return to the Moon could be shielded from cosmic and solar radiation with a flexible covering designed by university students. Textile engineering students at North Carolina State University were challenged by their professor to design the multi-layered, multi-purpose Lunar TexShield as part of their third-year classes. The TexShield won the students second prize in a NASA competition. (6/22)
Europe to Study ATV Freighter Upgrade (Source: BBC)
The European Space Agency is about to look in detail at how it might upgrade its space station freighter so it can return cargo safely to Earth. At the moment, the Automated Transfer Vehicle is discarded after delivering supplies to the orbiting platform. The agency will ask industry in the coming weeks to define the requirements for a far more capable ship. To be known as the Advanced Re-entry Vehicle (ARV), it could be the first step to an eventual manned vehicle. The Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV), which made such an impressive debut at the space station last year, is seen as the starting point in all these discussions. (6/22)
Editorial: Everybody's Going to the Moon (Source: Guardian)
Between 1976, when a Soviet Luna 24 robot landed, scooped up some soil and returned to Earth, and 1990, when a Japanese spacecraft began a highly elliptical orbit that took it 10 times past the moon, nobody paid much attention to our nearest neighbour. Between 1994 and 2008 there were two automaton visitors from the US, one from the European Space Agency, and one each from Japan, China and India. Right now, almost 40 years after the historic landing of two astronauts aboard Apollo 11, America is once more heading for the moon with a pair of unmanned probes.
The Russians have plans for at least one new robot mission; China has announced a second lunar explorer; the US plans three more probes. Enthusiasts inside both the European and US space agencies are pushing for a permanent manned lunar base. Britain wilfully abandoned its space ambitions in 1971, after launching one British satellite, Prospero, from one British rocket, Black Arrow. The Thatcher and Major administrations were only grudging partners in the European Space Agency, and successive UK governments have obdurately refused to have anything to do with manned space flight. Such attitudes were complacently justified at the time as down-to-earth. They seem short-sighted now. A great adventure is afoot, and we are not part of it. (6/22)
ITAR Slows SpaceX Launch Support (Source: Aviation Week)
The vibration problem that has delayed the SpaceX launch of Malaysia's RazakSat satellite could have been fixed with a minor adjustment to the satllite, but ITAR regulations prohibited the company from assisting the satellite owner. Instead, SpaceX had to provide a shock-absorbing interface to accommodate the payload. (6/22)
NASA Awards Space Station Contract to ARES Corp. (Source: NASA)
NASA has signed a $144 million follow-on contract with ARES Corp. of Burlingame, Calif., for International Space Station Program integration and control services. ARES will provide support for configuration management, data management, information technology, safety and mission assurance, vehicle integrated performance, resource and budget analysis, program schedule development, engineering and technical services, spacecraft integration, international partner integration and strategic analysis planning. The three-year contract includes two one-year options that could extend the contract through 2014. If both options are exercised, the total value would be $180 million. (6/22)
Space Florida Update (Source: SPACErePORT)
During a series of Space Florida advisory committee meetings this week, the agency described its progress on several high-profile space transportation projects. Having committed $4.5 million of its $14.5 million budget for the facility, the agency continues its "get-ready" work at Launch Complex 36, obtaining permits and designing basic pad elements that can support multiple users. Spending the remaining $10 million is contingent upon finalizing commitments from one or more of the facility's potential users.
Meanwhile, the agency is proposing to re-license Launch Complex 46 (formerly converted by the Spaceport Florida Authority) to support military and commercial launches. In February, the FAA approved a plan for consolidating Space Florida's pending launch site operator's license to include both LC-36 and LC-46. (6/22)
Stockton Firm Wins Space-Vehicle Contract (Source: San Joaquin Record)
Applied Aerospace Structures Corp. has won a contract to build and test a structural portion of the Cygnus spacecraft, an unmanned vehicle NASA needs to carry supplies to the International Space Station after the retirement of the Space Shuttle. The contract comes from Orbital Sciences Corp. Dulles, Va., which has $2 billion in NASA contracts to develop the Taurus II missile and cargo-delivery system. Earlier Stockton-based Applied Aerospace won contracts to build nose cones and other components for the Taurus II. (6/22)
Arkansas Researchers to Help NASA Look for Signs of Life on Mars (Source: Arkansas News Bureau)
NASA has awarded a team of Arkansas researchers a $1.5 million grant to develop a system to look for signs of life on Mars, officials at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock announced. The Arkansas team won for its proposal “Mobile Surveying for Atmospheric and Near-Surface Gases of Biological Origin.” The researchers are developing a system to look for signs of life in a broad region around a landing site on Mars. (6/22)
Martian Lightning Detected (Source: Science News)
Scientists say they have seen the first direct evidence of lightning on Mars, in the form of electrical discharges during a Martian dust storm. The finding has implications for human travel to the Red Planet and for studying possible origins of life on Mars. It has been thought that lightning might be possible on Mars. Bits of dust rubbing against each other in one of the planet’s famous dust devils could charge up the particles the same way that running on a carpet charges up socks. All that charge could then be discharged in a zap, either as lightning or a shock. (6/22)
Work in Space Communication Nets Award for Caltech Professor (Source: Pasadena Star News)
To get a true sense of Robert J. McEliece's field of expertise, you'd have be positioned far out in space - give or take a billion miles. Because that's where his work with algebraic error-correcting codes comes into play. These are the codes that help make reliable deep-space communication with interplanetary spacecraft possible. Put simply, the codes ensure that as much information as possible is being transmitted from Point A to Point B. McEliece will be honored Thursday for his contributions to the field when he receives the coveted IEEE Alexander Graham Bell Medal. (6/22)
Stellar Solutions CEO Named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year (Source: Stellar Solutions)
Stellar Solutions CEO Celeste Ford received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2009 Award in the services category in Northern California. According to Ernst & Young LLP, the award recognizes outstanding entrepreneurs who are building and leading dynamic, growing businesses. Celeste Ford was selected by an independent panel of judges, and the award was presented at a gala event at The San Jose Fairmont on June 13, 2009. (6/22)
The committee charged with examining the future of NASA's human spaceflight programs kicked off its work last week with a public hearing in Washington. Jeff Foust reviews the event, which largely shaped up to be an examination of Constellation and several potential alternatives. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1401/1 to view the article. (6/22)
Gum in the Keyhole (Source: Space Review)
A proposal for a new series of reconnaissance satellites that are only marginally different from an older series has generated opposition from one key member of Congress. Dwayne Day looks at what may be for the intelligence community another case of political theater. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1400/1 to view the article. (6/22)
Why Is It So Hard To Go Back To The Moon? (Source: Space Review)
Next month marks the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11, and serves as a reminder of what we have not accomplished in space in the intervening decades. Taylor Dinerman wonders just how it will be before the United States, or someone else, sends people back there. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1398/1 to view the article. (6/22)
Tourism Companies Partner for Space Travel (Source: Travel Agent Central)
Ensemble Travel Group has a new partnership with Rocketship Tours, a company dedicated to making space travel accessible and relatively affordable to those who aspire to such an out-of-this-world adventure. This unique space experience includes a five-day, four-night training program at a deluxe resort in Arizona, medical evaluation and screening, and cancellation insurance. Guests will travel to the edge of space in the suborbital Lynx rocket ship. Unlike other programs, the RocketShip Tours adventure is truly intimate, pairing just a single passenger on each flight—-who sits in the co-pilot’s seat—-next to the astronaut-pilot who’s flying the space vehicle.
The Lynx rocket ship is being built in Mojave, CA by XCOR Aerospace, headed up by Jeff Greason, who was recently named to a White House panel to review NASA space flight programs. Once completed next year, the space vehicle will undergo a series of test flights in preparation for its official launch in 2011. RocketShip Tours, headed by travel pioneer and entrepreneur Jules Klar, is the exclusive global provider of passenger services for the Lynx. (6/22)
Using Weather Satellites To Predict Epidemics? (Source: NPR)
The swine flu outbreak caused a minor panic all over the world, but swine flu's got nothing on the great Rift Valley fever epidemic of 2006. Don't remember that epidemic? That's because it never actually happened. Scientists at NASA and the Department of Agriculture used some high-flying technology to help stop the outbreak. Scientists can use weather satellites to track things like sea surface temperature and cloud cover, which are good indicators of heavy rainfall. But what does that have to do with Rift Valley fever? It turns out that rainfall is the key to the disease. (6/22)
DHS to Kill Domestic Satellite Spying (Source: AP)
A government official says Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano plans to kill a controversial program begun by the Bush administration to use U.S. spy satellites for domestic security and law enforcement. The program was announced in 2007 and was to have been run by Homeland Security. It has been delayed because of privacy and civil liberty concerns. The Federal Emergency Management Agency and Interior Department will continue to have access to this satellite imagery. (6/22)
The Weirdest Object in the Solar System? (Source: Space.com)
The dwarf planets and other objects that litter the Kuiper belt in the far reaches of our solar system are a strange bunch, but astronomers have found what they think might be the weirdest one. Discovered in 2004, the minor planet now known as the dwarf planet Haumea, to honor its Hawaiian discovery, is as big across as Pluto and one-third of its mass, but shaped something "like a big squashed cigar," said one of the astronomers who studies the object, Mike Brown of Caltech. (6/22)
France Wants Replacement for Ariane 5 Space Launcher (Source: Reuters)
France wants Europe to start looking into a space rocket launcher to replace Ariane 5 at some point between 2020 and 2025, President Nicolas Sarkozy's office said on Saturday. The Ariane-5, which is billed as a cost-effective launcher for large satellites, has launched satellites for European telecoms operators, telescopes and scientific space observatories. But it was time to start working on Ariane 6, the president's office said in a statement. (6/22)
NASA Criticized for Sticking to Imperial Units (Source: New Scientist)
NASA's decision to engineer its replacement for the space shuttle using imperial measurement units rather than metric could derail efforts to develop a globalised civilian space industry, says a leading light in the nascent commercial spaceflight sector. "We in the private sector are doing everything possible to create a global market with as much commonality and interoperability as possible," says Mike Gold of the US firm Bigelow Aerospace, which hopes to fly commercial space stations in orbitMovie Camera. "But NASA still can't make the jump to metric." (6/22)
Pad Work Continues Ahead of Ares Flight Test (Source: Florida Today)
While a presidential panel reviews the future of NASA's human spaceflight program, work continues to renovate a launch pad for the first flight test of the rocket being designed to replace the space shuttle. Over the weekend at KSC, workers removed the walkway that 53 shuttle crews traversed to enter their spaceship for launches from pad 39B between 1986 and 2006. The 64,000-pound, 65-foot orbiter access arm, which includes the "white room" that is the astronauts' last stop before boarding the shuttle, was located at the pad's 195-foot level. (6/22)
Moon Blanket Could Protect Lunar Colony (Source: Cosmos)
The first astronauts to return to the Moon could be shielded from cosmic and solar radiation with a flexible covering designed by university students. Textile engineering students at North Carolina State University were challenged by their professor to design the multi-layered, multi-purpose Lunar TexShield as part of their third-year classes. The TexShield won the students second prize in a NASA competition. (6/22)
Europe to Study ATV Freighter Upgrade (Source: BBC)
The European Space Agency is about to look in detail at how it might upgrade its space station freighter so it can return cargo safely to Earth. At the moment, the Automated Transfer Vehicle is discarded after delivering supplies to the orbiting platform. The agency will ask industry in the coming weeks to define the requirements for a far more capable ship. To be known as the Advanced Re-entry Vehicle (ARV), it could be the first step to an eventual manned vehicle. The Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV), which made such an impressive debut at the space station last year, is seen as the starting point in all these discussions. (6/22)
Editorial: Everybody's Going to the Moon (Source: Guardian)
Between 1976, when a Soviet Luna 24 robot landed, scooped up some soil and returned to Earth, and 1990, when a Japanese spacecraft began a highly elliptical orbit that took it 10 times past the moon, nobody paid much attention to our nearest neighbour. Between 1994 and 2008 there were two automaton visitors from the US, one from the European Space Agency, and one each from Japan, China and India. Right now, almost 40 years after the historic landing of two astronauts aboard Apollo 11, America is once more heading for the moon with a pair of unmanned probes.
The Russians have plans for at least one new robot mission; China has announced a second lunar explorer; the US plans three more probes. Enthusiasts inside both the European and US space agencies are pushing for a permanent manned lunar base. Britain wilfully abandoned its space ambitions in 1971, after launching one British satellite, Prospero, from one British rocket, Black Arrow. The Thatcher and Major administrations were only grudging partners in the European Space Agency, and successive UK governments have obdurately refused to have anything to do with manned space flight. Such attitudes were complacently justified at the time as down-to-earth. They seem short-sighted now. A great adventure is afoot, and we are not part of it. (6/22)
ITAR Slows SpaceX Launch Support (Source: Aviation Week)
The vibration problem that has delayed the SpaceX launch of Malaysia's RazakSat satellite could have been fixed with a minor adjustment to the satllite, but ITAR regulations prohibited the company from assisting the satellite owner. Instead, SpaceX had to provide a shock-absorbing interface to accommodate the payload. (6/22)
NASA Awards Space Station Contract to ARES Corp. (Source: NASA)
NASA has signed a $144 million follow-on contract with ARES Corp. of Burlingame, Calif., for International Space Station Program integration and control services. ARES will provide support for configuration management, data management, information technology, safety and mission assurance, vehicle integrated performance, resource and budget analysis, program schedule development, engineering and technical services, spacecraft integration, international partner integration and strategic analysis planning. The three-year contract includes two one-year options that could extend the contract through 2014. If both options are exercised, the total value would be $180 million. (6/22)
Space Florida Update (Source: SPACErePORT)
During a series of Space Florida advisory committee meetings this week, the agency described its progress on several high-profile space transportation projects. Having committed $4.5 million of its $14.5 million budget for the facility, the agency continues its "get-ready" work at Launch Complex 36, obtaining permits and designing basic pad elements that can support multiple users. Spending the remaining $10 million is contingent upon finalizing commitments from one or more of the facility's potential users.
Meanwhile, the agency is proposing to re-license Launch Complex 46 (formerly converted by the Spaceport Florida Authority) to support military and commercial launches. In February, the FAA approved a plan for consolidating Space Florida's pending launch site operator's license to include both LC-36 and LC-46. (6/22)
Stockton Firm Wins Space-Vehicle Contract (Source: San Joaquin Record)
Applied Aerospace Structures Corp. has won a contract to build and test a structural portion of the Cygnus spacecraft, an unmanned vehicle NASA needs to carry supplies to the International Space Station after the retirement of the Space Shuttle. The contract comes from Orbital Sciences Corp. Dulles, Va., which has $2 billion in NASA contracts to develop the Taurus II missile and cargo-delivery system. Earlier Stockton-based Applied Aerospace won contracts to build nose cones and other components for the Taurus II. (6/22)
Arkansas Researchers to Help NASA Look for Signs of Life on Mars (Source: Arkansas News Bureau)
NASA has awarded a team of Arkansas researchers a $1.5 million grant to develop a system to look for signs of life on Mars, officials at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock announced. The Arkansas team won for its proposal “Mobile Surveying for Atmospheric and Near-Surface Gases of Biological Origin.” The researchers are developing a system to look for signs of life in a broad region around a landing site on Mars. (6/22)
Martian Lightning Detected (Source: Science News)
Scientists say they have seen the first direct evidence of lightning on Mars, in the form of electrical discharges during a Martian dust storm. The finding has implications for human travel to the Red Planet and for studying possible origins of life on Mars. It has been thought that lightning might be possible on Mars. Bits of dust rubbing against each other in one of the planet’s famous dust devils could charge up the particles the same way that running on a carpet charges up socks. All that charge could then be discharged in a zap, either as lightning or a shock. (6/22)
Work in Space Communication Nets Award for Caltech Professor (Source: Pasadena Star News)
To get a true sense of Robert J. McEliece's field of expertise, you'd have be positioned far out in space - give or take a billion miles. Because that's where his work with algebraic error-correcting codes comes into play. These are the codes that help make reliable deep-space communication with interplanetary spacecraft possible. Put simply, the codes ensure that as much information as possible is being transmitted from Point A to Point B. McEliece will be honored Thursday for his contributions to the field when he receives the coveted IEEE Alexander Graham Bell Medal. (6/22)
Stellar Solutions CEO Named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year (Source: Stellar Solutions)
Stellar Solutions CEO Celeste Ford received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2009 Award in the services category in Northern California. According to Ernst & Young LLP, the award recognizes outstanding entrepreneurs who are building and leading dynamic, growing businesses. Celeste Ford was selected by an independent panel of judges, and the award was presented at a gala event at The San Jose Fairmont on June 13, 2009. (6/22)
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