First Hotel in Space On Schedule, To Open in 2012 (Source: IBN Live)
The company behind plans to open the first hotel in space says they are still on target to accept the first paying guests in 2012. The Barcelona-based architects of Galactic Suite say the space hotel will be the most expensive in the galaxy, costing €3 million, or $4.5 million, for a three-night stay. During that time guests would see the sun rise 15 times a day and travel around the world every 90 minutes.
Galactic Suite's CEO said the project will put them at the forefront of an infant industry with a huge future ahead of it. Company Director Xavier Claramunt believes that within a few years space travel will become a common occurrence. (10/31)
Rocketeers Take Lead in $1 Million Competition (Source: MSNBC)
Masten Space Systems' Xoie rocket prototype has apparently taken the lead in a nail-biting race for a million-dollar prize from NASA. The Masten team's "try, try again" effort at California's Mojave Air and Space Port was aimed at winning the top prize in the Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge's Level 2 contest. Although the contest's outcome hasn't been announced, it looks as if Friday's flight was good enough to best Texas-based Armadillo Aerospace, which qualified for the prize with its Scorpius rocket last month.
A dark-horse team in the race, California-based Unreasonable Rocket, was still doing flights over the weekend, but had to abort its Level 1 attempt after an in-flight malfunction. That team is extremely unlikely to outdo Masten Space Systems. Masten's performance appears to ensure that all the prizes in the three-year-old, $2 million Lunar Lander Challenge program will be given away. (10/31)
October 30 News Items
U.S.-China Space Cooperation: More Costs Than Benefits (Source: Heritage Foundation)
With the delivery of the full report from Augustine Panel the potential for a substantial, multi-year gap in U.S. manned spaceflight capability has drawn increased attention. In light of this problem, the idea has been raised in some quarters, including in the report, that the United States should expand its cooperation with the People's Republic of China (PRC) and leverage Chinese space capabilities. Such cooperation has far more potential cost than benefit.
The idea of relying on Chinese cooperation glosses over very real problems. At a minimum, it is an open question whether the PRC is capable of providing substantial support to the International Space Station (ISS) in the timeframes discussed by the report. Beyond the technical issues, however, there are more fundamental political concerns. The U.S. military depends on space as a strategic high ground. Space technology is also dual-use in nature: Almost any technology or information that is exchanged in a cooperative venture is likely to have military utility. Sharing such information with China, therefore, would undercut American tactical and technological military advantages. (10/30)
FAA Mulls GPS Interference Detector, Corrector (Source: Flight Global)
The FAA is studying the possibility of deploying a nationwide network of GPS interference detectors that would be placed on cellular communications towers to "mitigate interference in order to protect air navigation system". Protecting GPS signals from jamming, whether intentional or unintentional, will be a critical aspect of the next generation air transportation system (NextGen) as the industry transfers from ground-based networks to GPS for navigation guidance. (10/30)
Grand Jury Indicts UF Professor, Wife in Fraud Case (Source: St. Petersburg Times)
A University of Florida professor and his wife have been indicted by a federal grand jury on multiple counts of wire fraud and money laundering that stem from $3.7 million in contracts the couple entered into with NASA, the Air Force and the Navy. In the 71-count indictment, the federal grand jury charged Samim Anghaie, 60; and his wife, Sousan Anghaie, 55, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 50 counts of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, 17 counts of money laundering, and one count of making false statements to the government.
According to the indictment, the engineering professor served as director of the Innovation Nuclear Space Power and Propulsion Institute at UF and also as president and registered agent of New Era Technology Inc., a business in which Sousan Anghaie had previously served as director and vice president. Authorities say the couple submitted proposals for contracts with NASA, the Air Force, and Navy that contained false information. (10/30)
Boeing Seeks To Reduce Losses from Sea Launch Bankruptcy (Source: Sea Launch)
Seeking to reduce its losses from the Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing of launch-services provider Sea Launch Co., Boeing has filed a demand for arbitration in Sweden to force Sea Launch’s Russian and Ukrainian owners to repay $147 million in loan guarantees Boeing made to the struggling firm. (10/30)
ULA & Boeing Hope for Increased Air Force Funding for EELV Launches (Source: Space News)
Boeing said it may be obliged to record $386 million in pre-tax losses if the Air Force maintains its refusal to pay higher prices for four United Launch Alliance (ULA) launches. Boeing has agreed to indemnify ULA against potential losses on these four missions if the Air Force refuses to raise the agreed-to contract price. Denver-based ULA in December requested price increases for two of the four contracts, a request that the Air Force refused in March. ULA appealed the decision in June. (10/30)
Air Force Studying Wider Use of Missile Defense Radars for Space Tracking (Source: Space News)
The Air Force has hired Raytheon to study the possibility of integrating additional Missile Defense Agency (MDA) sensors into the U.S. Space Surveillance Network that tracks orbiting satellites. Raytheon was awarded a $3 million contract for a program called the Enterprise Sensing Prototype Architecture for Space Situational Awareness (ESP-SSA). (10/30)
Bond Denied for Space Scientist Charged with Attempted Espionage (Source: Gazette.net)
The investigation into a space scientist charged with espionage has led all the way to a safe deposit box allegedly filled with hard drives and gold coins in southern California. Stewart Nozette was denied bond as prosecutors argued that he was too much of a flight risk to be released from custody before his trial. Espionage is not the only legal problem facing Nozette. He is scheduled to be sentenced in November for tax evasion and conspiracy related to the company he founded, the Alliance for Competitive Technology. (10/30)
Masten Qualifies for $1 Million Prize with Mojave Flight (Source: Earth Times)
Masten Space Systems successfully qualified for first place in Level Two of the Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge. Flying a brand new vehicle named XA-0.1E (nicknamed Xoie), Masten demonstrated their ability to build, debug and fly a vehicle on a very short timeline. Masten's qualification flight came at the final Lunar Lander Challenge flight window on Friday morning at California's Mojave Air & Space Port. (10/30)
Boeing to Lay Off 330 at Cape Canaveral Spaceport (Source: Florida Today)
Boeing announced Friday it will lay off 330 workers next year from its Checkout, Assembly and Payload Processing Services program at Kennedy Space Center. The layoffs, which represent a third of the company’s KSC work force, will come in January, May and August, as the shuttle program heads toward retirement. (10/30)
Space Auction Promises the Moon (Source: ASF)
Ever wanted to shoot the breeze with a legendary moonwalker? Own a genuine relic of space travel from an astronaut’s personal collection? Don a real astronaut flight suit? Now’s your chance! Starting today, you can bid on these and other cool space artifacts in the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation’s (ASF) 7th Annual Astronaut Experiences and Memorabilia Auction at www.astronautscholarship.org/auction. (10/30)
Two Parachutes Malfunctioned in NASA Test Flight (Soure: AP)
NASA says two of three parachutes malfunctioned in the test flight of a prototype moon rocket earlier this week. The problem caused the Ares I-X booster to slam into the Atlantic Ocean harder than expected. The booster was badly dented by the impact. Mission manager Bob Ess said Friday the damage is irrelevant because the booster is not meant to fly again. He says the parachute trouble does not detract from the overall success of Wednesday's flight. (10/30)
KSC Topics Among NASA Postdoctoral Research Opportunities (Source: NASA)
The NASA Postdoctoral Program provides talented postdoctoral scientists and engineers with valuable opportunities to engage in ongoing NASA research programs and serves as a source of talent to ensure the continued quality of the NASA research workforce. These one- to three-year Fellowship appointments are competitive and are designed to advance NASA's missions in space science, earth science, aeronautics, space operations, exploration systems, and astrobiology. KSC topics include: 1) Development of Dust Mitigation Technologies for Lunar Exploration; 2) Development of Smart Coatings for Corrosion Detection and Control; and 3) Life Support System Microbiology. Click here for information. (10/30)
Bolden Revamps NASA Advisory Council (Source: Space News)
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden has revamped the NASA Advisory Council (NAC), adding four new committees, including a commercial space committee led by Brett Alexander, the executive director of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation. Bolden also asked retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Al Edmonds to oversee a committee to help the space agency manage its information technology and associated infrastructure.
In addition, Bolden created a committee to focus on public outreach and education, chaired by Miles O’Brien, former CNN anchor and space correspondent, as well as a technology and innovation panel led by Est. her Dyson, an information technology investor and space travel enthusiast. (10/30)
India's $3 Billion Manned Capsule Awaits Approval (Source: Flight Global)
The Indian Space Research Organization expects by the end of the year to have government approval for a $3 billion manned spacecraft program designed to launch a three-crew capsule to orbit by 2016. Using ISRO's Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle MkIII rocket to launch the capsule, the agency has had discussions with Russia's Federal Space Agency, which helped China with its manned space program. Nair says that the capsule would be an entirely domestic design and that Russia could provide "test facilities and the astronaut training we need." ISRO wants to join the International Space Station program and it could provide crew transport. (10/30)
Fire Thwarts Rocket in Lunar Lander Competition (Source: Sign On San Diego)
A rocket flew halfway through a simulated lunar landing mission in the Mojave Desert on Thursday before a fire thwarted the attempt to win a $1 million prize. Masten Space Systems' Xoie, a robotic rocket, took off from a launch pad at Mojave Air & Space Port and flew to another pad where it set down on its legs among large boulders as flame licked up the side.
The fire damaged wires, a tube and insulation but the rocket could be ready to fly as early as Friday, said David Masten, president and chief executive of Masten Space Systems, based in Mojave, Calif. However, Thursday's effort had been expected to be Masten's last chance and it was unclear if the judges of the NASA-backed Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge would allow another attempt. The rocket landed only 16 centimeters from its target, Masten said. Landing accuracy is one of the factors that could determine the winner. (10/30)
With the delivery of the full report from Augustine Panel the potential for a substantial, multi-year gap in U.S. manned spaceflight capability has drawn increased attention. In light of this problem, the idea has been raised in some quarters, including in the report, that the United States should expand its cooperation with the People's Republic of China (PRC) and leverage Chinese space capabilities. Such cooperation has far more potential cost than benefit.
The idea of relying on Chinese cooperation glosses over very real problems. At a minimum, it is an open question whether the PRC is capable of providing substantial support to the International Space Station (ISS) in the timeframes discussed by the report. Beyond the technical issues, however, there are more fundamental political concerns. The U.S. military depends on space as a strategic high ground. Space technology is also dual-use in nature: Almost any technology or information that is exchanged in a cooperative venture is likely to have military utility. Sharing such information with China, therefore, would undercut American tactical and technological military advantages. (10/30)
FAA Mulls GPS Interference Detector, Corrector (Source: Flight Global)
The FAA is studying the possibility of deploying a nationwide network of GPS interference detectors that would be placed on cellular communications towers to "mitigate interference in order to protect air navigation system". Protecting GPS signals from jamming, whether intentional or unintentional, will be a critical aspect of the next generation air transportation system (NextGen) as the industry transfers from ground-based networks to GPS for navigation guidance. (10/30)
Grand Jury Indicts UF Professor, Wife in Fraud Case (Source: St. Petersburg Times)
A University of Florida professor and his wife have been indicted by a federal grand jury on multiple counts of wire fraud and money laundering that stem from $3.7 million in contracts the couple entered into with NASA, the Air Force and the Navy. In the 71-count indictment, the federal grand jury charged Samim Anghaie, 60; and his wife, Sousan Anghaie, 55, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 50 counts of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, 17 counts of money laundering, and one count of making false statements to the government.
According to the indictment, the engineering professor served as director of the Innovation Nuclear Space Power and Propulsion Institute at UF and also as president and registered agent of New Era Technology Inc., a business in which Sousan Anghaie had previously served as director and vice president. Authorities say the couple submitted proposals for contracts with NASA, the Air Force, and Navy that contained false information. (10/30)
Boeing Seeks To Reduce Losses from Sea Launch Bankruptcy (Source: Sea Launch)
Seeking to reduce its losses from the Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing of launch-services provider Sea Launch Co., Boeing has filed a demand for arbitration in Sweden to force Sea Launch’s Russian and Ukrainian owners to repay $147 million in loan guarantees Boeing made to the struggling firm. (10/30)
ULA & Boeing Hope for Increased Air Force Funding for EELV Launches (Source: Space News)
Boeing said it may be obliged to record $386 million in pre-tax losses if the Air Force maintains its refusal to pay higher prices for four United Launch Alliance (ULA) launches. Boeing has agreed to indemnify ULA against potential losses on these four missions if the Air Force refuses to raise the agreed-to contract price. Denver-based ULA in December requested price increases for two of the four contracts, a request that the Air Force refused in March. ULA appealed the decision in June. (10/30)
Air Force Studying Wider Use of Missile Defense Radars for Space Tracking (Source: Space News)
The Air Force has hired Raytheon to study the possibility of integrating additional Missile Defense Agency (MDA) sensors into the U.S. Space Surveillance Network that tracks orbiting satellites. Raytheon was awarded a $3 million contract for a program called the Enterprise Sensing Prototype Architecture for Space Situational Awareness (ESP-SSA). (10/30)
Bond Denied for Space Scientist Charged with Attempted Espionage (Source: Gazette.net)
The investigation into a space scientist charged with espionage has led all the way to a safe deposit box allegedly filled with hard drives and gold coins in southern California. Stewart Nozette was denied bond as prosecutors argued that he was too much of a flight risk to be released from custody before his trial. Espionage is not the only legal problem facing Nozette. He is scheduled to be sentenced in November for tax evasion and conspiracy related to the company he founded, the Alliance for Competitive Technology. (10/30)
Masten Qualifies for $1 Million Prize with Mojave Flight (Source: Earth Times)
Masten Space Systems successfully qualified for first place in Level Two of the Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge. Flying a brand new vehicle named XA-0.1E (nicknamed Xoie), Masten demonstrated their ability to build, debug and fly a vehicle on a very short timeline. Masten's qualification flight came at the final Lunar Lander Challenge flight window on Friday morning at California's Mojave Air & Space Port. (10/30)
Boeing to Lay Off 330 at Cape Canaveral Spaceport (Source: Florida Today)
Boeing announced Friday it will lay off 330 workers next year from its Checkout, Assembly and Payload Processing Services program at Kennedy Space Center. The layoffs, which represent a third of the company’s KSC work force, will come in January, May and August, as the shuttle program heads toward retirement. (10/30)
Space Auction Promises the Moon (Source: ASF)
Ever wanted to shoot the breeze with a legendary moonwalker? Own a genuine relic of space travel from an astronaut’s personal collection? Don a real astronaut flight suit? Now’s your chance! Starting today, you can bid on these and other cool space artifacts in the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation’s (ASF) 7th Annual Astronaut Experiences and Memorabilia Auction at www.astronautscholarship.org/auction. (10/30)
Two Parachutes Malfunctioned in NASA Test Flight (Soure: AP)
NASA says two of three parachutes malfunctioned in the test flight of a prototype moon rocket earlier this week. The problem caused the Ares I-X booster to slam into the Atlantic Ocean harder than expected. The booster was badly dented by the impact. Mission manager Bob Ess said Friday the damage is irrelevant because the booster is not meant to fly again. He says the parachute trouble does not detract from the overall success of Wednesday's flight. (10/30)
KSC Topics Among NASA Postdoctoral Research Opportunities (Source: NASA)
The NASA Postdoctoral Program provides talented postdoctoral scientists and engineers with valuable opportunities to engage in ongoing NASA research programs and serves as a source of talent to ensure the continued quality of the NASA research workforce. These one- to three-year Fellowship appointments are competitive and are designed to advance NASA's missions in space science, earth science, aeronautics, space operations, exploration systems, and astrobiology. KSC topics include: 1) Development of Dust Mitigation Technologies for Lunar Exploration; 2) Development of Smart Coatings for Corrosion Detection and Control; and 3) Life Support System Microbiology. Click here for information. (10/30)
Bolden Revamps NASA Advisory Council (Source: Space News)
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden has revamped the NASA Advisory Council (NAC), adding four new committees, including a commercial space committee led by Brett Alexander, the executive director of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation. Bolden also asked retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Al Edmonds to oversee a committee to help the space agency manage its information technology and associated infrastructure.
In addition, Bolden created a committee to focus on public outreach and education, chaired by Miles O’Brien, former CNN anchor and space correspondent, as well as a technology and innovation panel led by Est. her Dyson, an information technology investor and space travel enthusiast. (10/30)
India's $3 Billion Manned Capsule Awaits Approval (Source: Flight Global)
The Indian Space Research Organization expects by the end of the year to have government approval for a $3 billion manned spacecraft program designed to launch a three-crew capsule to orbit by 2016. Using ISRO's Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle MkIII rocket to launch the capsule, the agency has had discussions with Russia's Federal Space Agency, which helped China with its manned space program. Nair says that the capsule would be an entirely domestic design and that Russia could provide "test facilities and the astronaut training we need." ISRO wants to join the International Space Station program and it could provide crew transport. (10/30)
Fire Thwarts Rocket in Lunar Lander Competition (Source: Sign On San Diego)
A rocket flew halfway through a simulated lunar landing mission in the Mojave Desert on Thursday before a fire thwarted the attempt to win a $1 million prize. Masten Space Systems' Xoie, a robotic rocket, took off from a launch pad at Mojave Air & Space Port and flew to another pad where it set down on its legs among large boulders as flame licked up the side.
The fire damaged wires, a tube and insulation but the rocket could be ready to fly as early as Friday, said David Masten, president and chief executive of Masten Space Systems, based in Mojave, Calif. However, Thursday's effort had been expected to be Masten's last chance and it was unclear if the judges of the NASA-backed Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge would allow another attempt. The rocket landed only 16 centimeters from its target, Masten said. Landing accuracy is one of the factors that could determine the winner. (10/30)
October 29 News Items
Arianespace Orbits Two Commercial Satellites (Source: Space Daily)
The sixth Ariane 5 flight of 2009 marked another success for this heavy-lift launcher, carrying the first satellite launched by Arianespace for Telenor Satellite Broadcasting, THOR 6, along with the 32nd spacecraft for SES. "It...confirms that Arianespace is the only launch services company capable of orbiting four commercial satellites in four weeks - which I also think is a new record." (10/29)
Will Ares I-X Success Change Minds About the Embattled Program? (Source: Huntsville Times)
Will Wednesday's successful test launch of the Ares I-X rocket, coming on the heels of the Augustine Commission study that recommends its cancellation, change perceptions of the embattled NASA program? "A successful flight test can never help you because it is expected. But a failure can hurt you," said former NASA Administrator Dr. Mike Griffin, now King-McDonald Eminent Scholar at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. "So today, with this brilliant engineering success, the NASA team avoided potential political damage," he said. (10/29)
NASA Assessing Dented Booster from Ares 1-X Launch (Source: SpaceFlightNow.com)
One of the three 150-foot-wide parachutes designed to gently lower NASA's Ares I-X first stage deflated after deployment, resulting in a harder splashdown than expected. An initial inspection of the retrieved booster, sources said, revealed the sort of paint blistering that is typically found on shuttle boosters, along with an area of apparent buckling in the lower segment.
The test of the new parachute system was one of several major objectives of the Ares I-X test flight, intended to generate data needed to perfect the design of NASA's planned shuttle replacement, the more-powerful Ares I rocket. (10/29)
Requested Falcon 9 Range Date Has Conflict (Source: Space News)
SpaceX has requested a Feb. 2 range date for the maiden flight of its Falcon 9 medium-lift rocket, according to a 90-day launch range forecast issued Oct. 28 by the Air Force’s 45th Space Wing. But SpaceX’s proposed 11 a.m. EST liftoff would conflict with an already approved Atlas 5 launch of NASA’s Solar Dynamic Observatory, the range forecast shows. (10/29)
Space Junk Threat Delays Japanese Spaceship's Station Departure (Source: Space.com)
A piece of space junk orbiting Earth has forced NASA to tweak upcoming plans for the Friday departure of Japan's first cargo ship to the International Space Station. The debris, a wayward chunk of an old Russian satellite, poses no risk to the space station, but could be a threat to the H-2 Transfer Vehicle, an unmanned Japanese freighter making its maiden flight, after it departs Friday. (10/29)
Huge Explosion Was Biggest Space Rock to Strike Earth Since 1994 (Source: Space.com)
A space rock explosion earlier this month over an island region of Indonesia is now being viewed as perhaps the biggest object to tangle with the Earth in more than a decade. On Oct. 8, reports from Indonesia told of a loud air blast around 11 a.m. local time. One report indicated a bright fireball, accompanied by an explosion and lingering dust cloud. The blast is thought to be due to the atmospheric entry of an asteroid more than 30 feet (10 meters) in diameter. Due to atmospheric pressure, the object is thought to have detonated in the atmosphere, yielding an energy release of about 50 kilotons (the equivalent of 110,000,000 pounds of TNT explosives). (10/29)
MDA Eyes Role as Telecom Satellite Prime Contractor (Source: Space News)
Satellite component manufacturer MacDonald, Dettwiler & Associates Ltd. (MDA) of Canada wants to move up the food chain to produce complete commercial telecommunications satellites and is targeting opportunities among Central Asian nations that were once part of the Soviet Union. (10/29)
NASA Targeting Nov. 16 Atlantis Launch (Source: Florida Today)
The Space Shuttle mission dubbed STS-129 is one of six remaining shuttle flights. It will deliver critical spare parts to the International Space Station and bring home station flight engineer Nicole Stott. NASA is targeting 2:28 p.m. on Nov. 16 for the liftoff. (10/29)
Launch Pad Suffers Damage With Hazardous Gas Leaks After Ares-1X (Source: SpaceFlightNow.com)
NASA says there has been another leak of toxic propellant at launch pad 39B this morning after yesterday's launch of the Ares 1-X test rocket caused more damage to the complex than normal. Today's leak involved plumbing for hydrazine fuel, a caustic substance used by the space shuttle's maneuvering jets while in space. Sensors at the pad detected concentrations of the fuel around 8:30 a.m. EDT this morning. Leaking nitrogen tetroxide oxidizer formed a reddish-brown cloud of toxic vapors a few hours after launch yesterday. The propellants are considered hazardous and could cause injury or death with exposure. (10/29)
NASA Finds Issues With Ares-1X Upper Stage Separation (Source: Huntsville Times)
One area of concern comes from the separation of the first-stage solid rocket booster and the upper stage mockup, Davis said. "We are looking into that. It appeared the upper stage could have come back and made contact with the first-stage booster," he said. "That's what testing a design is all about, though. We've had some concerns, and now we've got hard information coming back so we can improve on Ares. (10/29)
AIA: Obama Merits an "A" on Pentagon Spending Initiatives (Source: AIA)
President Barack Obama signed a $680 billion Pentagon spending bill Wednesday, marking a successful effort at spending restraint that some predicted would be impossible. "They probably get an 'A' from the standpoint of their success on their major initiatives," said Fred Downey, Vice President, National Security at AIA. "They probably got all of them but one or maybe two, and that's an extraordinarily high score." (10/29)
Russia Eyes Nuclear-Powered Successor to Soyuz Spacecraft (Source: AIA)
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is backing a proposal to build a $600 million nuclear-powered spaceship capable of transporting humans to Mars. Anatoly Perminov, the chief of the Russian space program, says the technologically challenging design could be ready as early as 2012, though production of the ship would take nearly another decade. (10/29)
Jacksonville's Cecil Field Celebrates Expansion (Source: JAA)
The Jacksonville Aviation Authority owns and manages the 6,000-acre airport portion of Cecil Commerce Center, which includes three, 8,000-foot runways, one 12,500-foot runway and 1.4 million square feet of aircraft hangar and office space. Today, Cecil Field has 11 mostly aviation-related tenants that together employ about 3,000 personnel.
Florida State College at Jacksonville and JAA broke ground on an Aircraft Services Educational Facility. The 104,000-square-foot aircraft painting facility will consist of one hangar bay capable of housing an aircraft up to the size of a Boeing 767 and two hangar bays capable of housing a Boeing 757 size aircraft in addition to shop, office, and other space set aside for the educational component.
The $20 million complex is being funded by JAA and Florida State College at Jacksonville and will provide about 200 new jobs when it opens in the fall of 2010. Flightstar Aircraft Services, a current tenant at Cecil, will operate the facility. (10/29)
ATK Has Huge Stake in Ares, Which Faces Uncertain Future (Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune)
The minutes-long test flight of the prototype Ares I rocket, equipped with hundreds of sensors, was a major achievement for Alliant Techsystems, a key contractor on the Ares I program. But the contractor still faces political clouds, as the Obama administration considers pulling the plug on the Ares I project, heralded as the next-generation of America's space program.
Decisions in Washington are closely tied to Alliant Tech's bottom line and employment levels. In its most recent fiscal year that ended in March, about 70 percent of Alliant's business was linked to the Department of Defense and NASA.
The company's space systems division supplied about $1.6 billion in sales revenue in fiscal 2009, out of total sales of $4.6 billion. About $700 million of that revenue came from Alliant's work on the space shuttle and Ares programs. Another $700 million will flow to Alliant Tech in the 2010 fiscal year for those two programs. (10/29)
Florida Groups Offer Space Industry Stats (Sources: Save Space, Enterprise Florida)
In FY-2008, the total economic impact of NASA in Florida was: $4.1 billion in output; $2.1 billion in household income; 40,802 jobs; $246 million in federal taxes; and $103 million in state and local taxes. In 2007, Florida had 175 companies involved in space and missile industries, employing over 9,000 workers with an annual payroll of over $850 million. The aerospace industry's total economic impact has been identified as $43.9 billion statewide. Click here to view a map of the state's aerospace employers. (10/28)
China's 4th Satellite Launch Center to be Built in Hainan (Source: Xinhua)
A new satellite launch center is now under construction near Wenchang in China's southernmost island province of Hainan. Once completed, it will be the country's fourth satellite launch center and replace the Xichang Satellite Launch Center (XSLC) for geosynchronous orbit (GEO) and other space launch missions. Covering 20 square kilometers, the complex will include a launch tower that is about 800 meters away from the seaside. (10/29)
The sixth Ariane 5 flight of 2009 marked another success for this heavy-lift launcher, carrying the first satellite launched by Arianespace for Telenor Satellite Broadcasting, THOR 6, along with the 32nd spacecraft for SES. "It...confirms that Arianespace is the only launch services company capable of orbiting four commercial satellites in four weeks - which I also think is a new record." (10/29)
Will Ares I-X Success Change Minds About the Embattled Program? (Source: Huntsville Times)
Will Wednesday's successful test launch of the Ares I-X rocket, coming on the heels of the Augustine Commission study that recommends its cancellation, change perceptions of the embattled NASA program? "A successful flight test can never help you because it is expected. But a failure can hurt you," said former NASA Administrator Dr. Mike Griffin, now King-McDonald Eminent Scholar at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. "So today, with this brilliant engineering success, the NASA team avoided potential political damage," he said. (10/29)
NASA Assessing Dented Booster from Ares 1-X Launch (Source: SpaceFlightNow.com)
One of the three 150-foot-wide parachutes designed to gently lower NASA's Ares I-X first stage deflated after deployment, resulting in a harder splashdown than expected. An initial inspection of the retrieved booster, sources said, revealed the sort of paint blistering that is typically found on shuttle boosters, along with an area of apparent buckling in the lower segment.
The test of the new parachute system was one of several major objectives of the Ares I-X test flight, intended to generate data needed to perfect the design of NASA's planned shuttle replacement, the more-powerful Ares I rocket. (10/29)
Requested Falcon 9 Range Date Has Conflict (Source: Space News)
SpaceX has requested a Feb. 2 range date for the maiden flight of its Falcon 9 medium-lift rocket, according to a 90-day launch range forecast issued Oct. 28 by the Air Force’s 45th Space Wing. But SpaceX’s proposed 11 a.m. EST liftoff would conflict with an already approved Atlas 5 launch of NASA’s Solar Dynamic Observatory, the range forecast shows. (10/29)
Space Junk Threat Delays Japanese Spaceship's Station Departure (Source: Space.com)
A piece of space junk orbiting Earth has forced NASA to tweak upcoming plans for the Friday departure of Japan's first cargo ship to the International Space Station. The debris, a wayward chunk of an old Russian satellite, poses no risk to the space station, but could be a threat to the H-2 Transfer Vehicle, an unmanned Japanese freighter making its maiden flight, after it departs Friday. (10/29)
Huge Explosion Was Biggest Space Rock to Strike Earth Since 1994 (Source: Space.com)
A space rock explosion earlier this month over an island region of Indonesia is now being viewed as perhaps the biggest object to tangle with the Earth in more than a decade. On Oct. 8, reports from Indonesia told of a loud air blast around 11 a.m. local time. One report indicated a bright fireball, accompanied by an explosion and lingering dust cloud. The blast is thought to be due to the atmospheric entry of an asteroid more than 30 feet (10 meters) in diameter. Due to atmospheric pressure, the object is thought to have detonated in the atmosphere, yielding an energy release of about 50 kilotons (the equivalent of 110,000,000 pounds of TNT explosives). (10/29)
MDA Eyes Role as Telecom Satellite Prime Contractor (Source: Space News)
Satellite component manufacturer MacDonald, Dettwiler & Associates Ltd. (MDA) of Canada wants to move up the food chain to produce complete commercial telecommunications satellites and is targeting opportunities among Central Asian nations that were once part of the Soviet Union. (10/29)
NASA Targeting Nov. 16 Atlantis Launch (Source: Florida Today)
The Space Shuttle mission dubbed STS-129 is one of six remaining shuttle flights. It will deliver critical spare parts to the International Space Station and bring home station flight engineer Nicole Stott. NASA is targeting 2:28 p.m. on Nov. 16 for the liftoff. (10/29)
Launch Pad Suffers Damage With Hazardous Gas Leaks After Ares-1X (Source: SpaceFlightNow.com)
NASA says there has been another leak of toxic propellant at launch pad 39B this morning after yesterday's launch of the Ares 1-X test rocket caused more damage to the complex than normal. Today's leak involved plumbing for hydrazine fuel, a caustic substance used by the space shuttle's maneuvering jets while in space. Sensors at the pad detected concentrations of the fuel around 8:30 a.m. EDT this morning. Leaking nitrogen tetroxide oxidizer formed a reddish-brown cloud of toxic vapors a few hours after launch yesterday. The propellants are considered hazardous and could cause injury or death with exposure. (10/29)
NASA Finds Issues With Ares-1X Upper Stage Separation (Source: Huntsville Times)
One area of concern comes from the separation of the first-stage solid rocket booster and the upper stage mockup, Davis said. "We are looking into that. It appeared the upper stage could have come back and made contact with the first-stage booster," he said. "That's what testing a design is all about, though. We've had some concerns, and now we've got hard information coming back so we can improve on Ares. (10/29)
AIA: Obama Merits an "A" on Pentagon Spending Initiatives (Source: AIA)
President Barack Obama signed a $680 billion Pentagon spending bill Wednesday, marking a successful effort at spending restraint that some predicted would be impossible. "They probably get an 'A' from the standpoint of their success on their major initiatives," said Fred Downey, Vice President, National Security at AIA. "They probably got all of them but one or maybe two, and that's an extraordinarily high score." (10/29)
Russia Eyes Nuclear-Powered Successor to Soyuz Spacecraft (Source: AIA)
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is backing a proposal to build a $600 million nuclear-powered spaceship capable of transporting humans to Mars. Anatoly Perminov, the chief of the Russian space program, says the technologically challenging design could be ready as early as 2012, though production of the ship would take nearly another decade. (10/29)
Jacksonville's Cecil Field Celebrates Expansion (Source: JAA)
The Jacksonville Aviation Authority owns and manages the 6,000-acre airport portion of Cecil Commerce Center, which includes three, 8,000-foot runways, one 12,500-foot runway and 1.4 million square feet of aircraft hangar and office space. Today, Cecil Field has 11 mostly aviation-related tenants that together employ about 3,000 personnel.
Florida State College at Jacksonville and JAA broke ground on an Aircraft Services Educational Facility. The 104,000-square-foot aircraft painting facility will consist of one hangar bay capable of housing an aircraft up to the size of a Boeing 767 and two hangar bays capable of housing a Boeing 757 size aircraft in addition to shop, office, and other space set aside for the educational component.
The $20 million complex is being funded by JAA and Florida State College at Jacksonville and will provide about 200 new jobs when it opens in the fall of 2010. Flightstar Aircraft Services, a current tenant at Cecil, will operate the facility. (10/29)
ATK Has Huge Stake in Ares, Which Faces Uncertain Future (Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune)
The minutes-long test flight of the prototype Ares I rocket, equipped with hundreds of sensors, was a major achievement for Alliant Techsystems, a key contractor on the Ares I program. But the contractor still faces political clouds, as the Obama administration considers pulling the plug on the Ares I project, heralded as the next-generation of America's space program.
Decisions in Washington are closely tied to Alliant Tech's bottom line and employment levels. In its most recent fiscal year that ended in March, about 70 percent of Alliant's business was linked to the Department of Defense and NASA.
The company's space systems division supplied about $1.6 billion in sales revenue in fiscal 2009, out of total sales of $4.6 billion. About $700 million of that revenue came from Alliant's work on the space shuttle and Ares programs. Another $700 million will flow to Alliant Tech in the 2010 fiscal year for those two programs. (10/29)
Florida Groups Offer Space Industry Stats (Sources: Save Space, Enterprise Florida)
In FY-2008, the total economic impact of NASA in Florida was: $4.1 billion in output; $2.1 billion in household income; 40,802 jobs; $246 million in federal taxes; and $103 million in state and local taxes. In 2007, Florida had 175 companies involved in space and missile industries, employing over 9,000 workers with an annual payroll of over $850 million. The aerospace industry's total economic impact has been identified as $43.9 billion statewide. Click here to view a map of the state's aerospace employers. (10/28)
China's 4th Satellite Launch Center to be Built in Hainan (Source: Xinhua)
A new satellite launch center is now under construction near Wenchang in China's southernmost island province of Hainan. Once completed, it will be the country's fourth satellite launch center and replace the Xichang Satellite Launch Center (XSLC) for geosynchronous orbit (GEO) and other space launch missions. Covering 20 square kilometers, the complex will include a launch tower that is about 800 meters away from the seaside. (10/29)
October 28 News Items
Most Distant Object Found; Light Pierced "Dark Age" Fog (Source: National Geographic)
The most distant object yet spied in the universe is the remnant of a star about 13 billion light-years from Earth that sheds new light on the earliest days of the universe. Two different teams of astronomers studied a brief but powerful flash of light, called a gamma-ray burst, from the star explosion. Because of the time it takes for light to travel such distances, scientists think the exploded star must have been born about 600 million years after the big bang, when the universe was just 4 percent of its current age. (10/28)
Guests Try Out Challenger Center's Moon Mission (Source: Tallahassee Democrat)
If you have ever wanted to go to the moon, now is your chance. The Challenger Learning Center has had more than 300,000 students over the past six years use its Space Mission Simulator program. Starting Nov. 14, the program will be open to the public.
During simulated missions, each person is assigned a different task either to work in the Mission Control Room or the Space Station. Both are designed to look and operate like mission control at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, and the laboratory on the orbiting International Space Station. Participants can be scientists or engineers, serving as navigator, probe engineer, medic or communications specialist. (10/28)
Mars Orbiter Reported Facing a Potentially Fatal Scenario (Source: Arizona Daily Star)
The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter carrying UA's HiRISE camera is entering its ninth week in a precautionary safe-mode, facing its greatest challenge since it launched in 2005. Engineers are busily working to safeguard the orbiter against an unlikely but potentially fatal scenario that was discovered when the orbiter unexpectedly put itself into safe-mode for the fourth time this year. All of the orbiter's functions have been put on hold as a result of the orbiter's initializing safe-mode. (10/28)
Special Relativity Passes Key Test (Source: Physics World)
Scientists studying radiation from a distant gamma-ray burst have found that the speed of light does not vary with wavelength down to distance scales below that of the Planck length. They say that this disfavours certain theories of quantum gravity that postulate the violation of Lorentz invariance.
Lorentz invariance stipulates that the laws of physics are the same for all observers, regardless of where they are in the universe. Einstein used this principle as a postulate of special relativity, assuming that the speed of light in a vacuum does not depend on who is measuring it, so long as that person is in an inertial frame of reference. (10/28)
Lunar Lander Rocket Aborts Contest Attempt (Source: San Francisco Chronicle)
An unmanned private rocket attempting to win a $1 million Prize in a simulated moon landing competition has failed to lift off in the Mojave Desert. Masten Space Systems' Xoie (ZOH-ee) rocket had two launch aborts Wednesday at Mojave Air and Space Port.
The team plans to try again Thursday. The aborts may have been triggered by a communication problem between the onboard and ground computers. The NASA-backed Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge requires a rocket to stay aloft for a specified time, fly to a simulated moon surface and land on a target. It must then be refueled and make a return trip. Another contender, Armadillo Aerospace, has already qualified with its rocket. (10/28)
DARPA Looks To Send The Internet Into Orbit (Source: Space Daily)
There've been satellites orbiting Earth for half a century. But getting information to and from them is still a pain. Which is why Pentagon research arm DARPA is looking to finally hook the orbiting spacecraft up with reliable broadband connections. It's part of a larger movement to extend terrestrial networks into space, and eventually build an "Interplanetary Internet." (10/28)
Aerospace Industry Leaders To Debate America's Next Steps In Space (Source: Space Daily)
Aerospace industry leaders will meet on Nov. 2 to debate the future of America's space programs in light of the recent findings by the Augustine Commission.
The half-day event, "Does the Final Frontier Have a Future? Debating America's Next Steps in Human Space Flight," will feature panelists from leading space exploration companies as well as from NASA and academia. Organized by AIAA, the discussion is free and open to the public, and takes place at 1:00 p.m. in Room 106, Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C. (10/28)
Colorado Incubator Calls For Next Round Of Space Entrepreneurs (Source: Space Daily)
eSpace: The Center for Space Entrepreneurship, a non-profit business incubator and workforce development organization for aerospace companies, has announced that it is seeking a second round of aerospace entrepreneurs to participate in the eSpace incubator. By opening its first center in Colorado, eSpace has placed itself in the middle of the nation's second largest aerospace economy. The organization is once again actively seeking space entrepreneur candidates regardless of company size, maturity and technology sector; however, candidates for this second round must be Colorado-based companies. (10/28)
Colorado Space Coalition Provides New Space Business Stats (Source: Space Daily)
According to the Colorado Space Coalition, 176,930 Coloradans are employed in space-related jobs; private sector aerospace employment in the state grew by 25.7 from 2003-2008 (compared to 11.5 percent nationally); over 130 aerospace companies operated in Colorado during 2008 (half of these companies employ fewer than 10 people); there was a 9.2 percent increase in the number of aerospace companies in Colorado from 2003-2008 (compared to approximately one percent nationally); and seven major aerospace contractors that have significant presence in Colorado (Ball, Boeing, ITT Corp., Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, United Launch Alliance). (10/28)
Horse Races with Rocket Engines (Source: Huffington Post)
Everything is better with a little competition: sports, free markets, and now, rocketry. No, we're not talking about a new space race between China and the USA. Instead, we're talking about a new era wherein entrepreneurs try their hands at building rockets large and small, pitting their best ideas against each other in an effort to win contracts from NASA as well potentially lucrative tourist and scientific customers. We're clearly coming into an era where commercial competition will have a major impact on the aerospace community -- and on the financial community as well.
The Augustine Panel mentioned the word "commercial" more than 200 times in the 120 page final report it released last week, a dramatic change from previous such reports. A lot of that attention stems from the recent Commercial Resupply Services contract, in which NASA awarded $3.5 billion to Orbital Sciences and SpaceX to carry cargo to the Space Station. The Falcon 9 rocket, the largest rocket yet produced by Space-X, will be shipped to Cape Canaveral within the next few weeks. Coming just on the heels of the launch of a much-criticized new NASA test rocket, the Ares 1-X, the Falcon 9 launch will be a major milestone for proponents of the emerging entrepreneurial space sector. Click here to view the article. (10/28)
Florida A&M Wins NASA Grant (Source: NASA)
NASA has awarded education grants to five minority serving institutions to develop innovative projects in support of higher education teaching and learning in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, disciplines. Florida A&M University in Tallahassee is among the recipients. The projects will receive funding ranging from $90,800 to $345,850. They are eligible for renewal for two years, based on project performance and funding availability. NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida manages the project for the agency. (10/28)
Florida A&M Project Aims to Expand Minority Involvement in Prize Competitions (Sources: FAMU, NASA)
Under a new NASA grant, the Florida A&M University (FAMU) will establish a Minority Innovation Challenges Institute (MICI) to mentor students at Minority Serving Institutions around the country, to spur their interest in STEM content offered by technical prize competitions sponsored by NASA. MICI will feature a year-round virtual conference to provide video, Q&A sessions, networking opportunities, and other resources, with a focus on a different contest each month. (10/28)
China Hawks Target US Tech Transfer Shuffle (Source: Asia Times)
The White House in late September released a "presidential determination" that delegated responsibility to the Secretary of Commerce to certify, under Section 1512 of Public Law 105-261, that U.S. launch industry interests are protected during the export of technologies to China. Section 1512 seeks to ensure that China's missile or space launch capabilities would not be somehow directly or indirectly improved by such exports.
The Washington Times ran a story suggesting that China could now celebrate because by shifting authority to Commerce, Obama had rewritten the rulebook on exports of missile and space-related technology to China. The Commerce Department, which was blamed for mishandling a series of rocket tech transfers in the late 1990s, dismissed claims U.S. national security would be harmed. It turns out Commerce was right.
"There has been no substantive change of export control policy in regard to missile and space technology for China or any other nation," said Michael Gold of Bigelow Aerospace. As another export policy scholar pointed out, "Items on the US Munitions List are licensed by DDTC and are subject to the embargo in section 126.1 of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations [ITAR], meaning, of course, that none of these items will be approved for export to [China]. Nothing in the bemoaned action by the Obama administration changed any of that or shifted any licensing authority over Missile Technology Control Regime items from State to Commerce," he wrote. "Suggestions that this change is effective to handing over US nuclear missile technology to Beijing are, simply put, crazy talk," Burns wrote. (10/28)
Ares-1X Flies From Cape Canaveral Spaceport (Source: SPACErePORT)
NASA's Ares-1X test rocket lifted off successfully on Wednesday morning from a converted Space Shuttle launch pad (LC-39B) at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. The launch appeared to be flawless, though video and telemetry from the mission will be analyzed in the hours and days ahead to determine if all systems functioned as planned. (10/28)
Satellites: The Pentagon's Big Blind Spot (Source: Business Week)
In January 2007, the Chinese military launched a missile 500 miles into space, shattering an orbiting satellite. The assault was only a test that took out one of China's own weather satellites. But it sparked an international outcry over the country's willingness to use weapons in space. A spokesman for the U.S. National Security Council called the test "inconsistent" with efforts for international cooperation.
Military experts have since become concerned that space could become the next battleground for global conflicts. Of particular concern is the lack of visibility with some missile strikes, such as China's in 2007. Some experts say that if an enemy were to launch a similar attack against an American satellite over the Southern Hemisphere, the U.S. military might not know about it. The southern half of the world is something of a blind spot for military space tracking systems, say both senior defense officials involved in space policy and private satellite operators.
"If a collision happens down there, you don't see it," says Paul Graziani, president of Analytical Graphics, which makes systems used by the military to operate and guide satellites. "It takes 45 minutes for the satellite to come back into the Northern Hemisphere. We would be expecting to see a satellite coming around whole but instead just see a bunch of pieces." (10/28)
NASA Ames Celebrates 70th Anniversary with Exhibits in Mountain View (Source: NASA)
Celebrating 70 years of innovative research and development, NASA's Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., will showcase its history in downtown Mountain View, Calif. News media are invited to a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open the 70th anniversary exhibits in businesses along Castro Street from 5 – 6 p.m. PDT on Monday, Nov. 2, 2009. The ceremony will feature remarks from S. Pete Worden, Ames Director, Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga, the City of Mountain View, Jack Boyd, Ames historian, Julie Smiley, executive director of the Central Business Association and other dignitaries including City Council members from Mountain View and Sunnyvale, Calif. (10/28)
General Dynamics Reports Lower Profit Despite Growing Defense Sales (Source: AIA)
Weak demand for business jets helped drag down third-quarter profit at General Dynamics by almost 10%, even as gains in defense-related sales led the company to increase its full-year profit forecast. A plunge in deliveries of Gulfstream jets led to a 55.5% drop in operating profit for the Gulfstream Aerospace division, while combat systems, military vehicles and information systems all experienced sales growth. (10/28)
L-3 Reports 5% Sales Gain for 3rd Quarter (Source: AIA)
Third-quarter earnings at L-3 Communications Holdings jumped nearly 20% on growing sales and tax benefits, the company announced Tuesday. Government services lagged, but overall sales were up 5% because of strength in aircraft modernization and maintenance as well as in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. (10/28)
Space Junk May Drive Up Cost of Future Missions (Source: New Scientist)
Scientists fear a "blizzard" of space debris will make future rocket launches dramatically more expensive. With the U.S. now tracking 19,000 objects in orbit around Earth, Hugh Lewis of the University of Southampton in the U.K. predicts a 50% rise in near-misses over the next decade -- and a 400% jump by 2059. By that year, his statistics show, satellite operators will have to take five times as many collision-avoidance measures as they will in 2019 (10/28)
The most distant object yet spied in the universe is the remnant of a star about 13 billion light-years from Earth that sheds new light on the earliest days of the universe. Two different teams of astronomers studied a brief but powerful flash of light, called a gamma-ray burst, from the star explosion. Because of the time it takes for light to travel such distances, scientists think the exploded star must have been born about 600 million years after the big bang, when the universe was just 4 percent of its current age. (10/28)
Guests Try Out Challenger Center's Moon Mission (Source: Tallahassee Democrat)
If you have ever wanted to go to the moon, now is your chance. The Challenger Learning Center has had more than 300,000 students over the past six years use its Space Mission Simulator program. Starting Nov. 14, the program will be open to the public.
During simulated missions, each person is assigned a different task either to work in the Mission Control Room or the Space Station. Both are designed to look and operate like mission control at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, and the laboratory on the orbiting International Space Station. Participants can be scientists or engineers, serving as navigator, probe engineer, medic or communications specialist. (10/28)
Mars Orbiter Reported Facing a Potentially Fatal Scenario (Source: Arizona Daily Star)
The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter carrying UA's HiRISE camera is entering its ninth week in a precautionary safe-mode, facing its greatest challenge since it launched in 2005. Engineers are busily working to safeguard the orbiter against an unlikely but potentially fatal scenario that was discovered when the orbiter unexpectedly put itself into safe-mode for the fourth time this year. All of the orbiter's functions have been put on hold as a result of the orbiter's initializing safe-mode. (10/28)
Special Relativity Passes Key Test (Source: Physics World)
Scientists studying radiation from a distant gamma-ray burst have found that the speed of light does not vary with wavelength down to distance scales below that of the Planck length. They say that this disfavours certain theories of quantum gravity that postulate the violation of Lorentz invariance.
Lorentz invariance stipulates that the laws of physics are the same for all observers, regardless of where they are in the universe. Einstein used this principle as a postulate of special relativity, assuming that the speed of light in a vacuum does not depend on who is measuring it, so long as that person is in an inertial frame of reference. (10/28)
Lunar Lander Rocket Aborts Contest Attempt (Source: San Francisco Chronicle)
An unmanned private rocket attempting to win a $1 million Prize in a simulated moon landing competition has failed to lift off in the Mojave Desert. Masten Space Systems' Xoie (ZOH-ee) rocket had two launch aborts Wednesday at Mojave Air and Space Port.
The team plans to try again Thursday. The aborts may have been triggered by a communication problem between the onboard and ground computers. The NASA-backed Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge requires a rocket to stay aloft for a specified time, fly to a simulated moon surface and land on a target. It must then be refueled and make a return trip. Another contender, Armadillo Aerospace, has already qualified with its rocket. (10/28)
DARPA Looks To Send The Internet Into Orbit (Source: Space Daily)
There've been satellites orbiting Earth for half a century. But getting information to and from them is still a pain. Which is why Pentagon research arm DARPA is looking to finally hook the orbiting spacecraft up with reliable broadband connections. It's part of a larger movement to extend terrestrial networks into space, and eventually build an "Interplanetary Internet." (10/28)
Aerospace Industry Leaders To Debate America's Next Steps In Space (Source: Space Daily)
Aerospace industry leaders will meet on Nov. 2 to debate the future of America's space programs in light of the recent findings by the Augustine Commission.
The half-day event, "Does the Final Frontier Have a Future? Debating America's Next Steps in Human Space Flight," will feature panelists from leading space exploration companies as well as from NASA and academia. Organized by AIAA, the discussion is free and open to the public, and takes place at 1:00 p.m. in Room 106, Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C. (10/28)
Colorado Incubator Calls For Next Round Of Space Entrepreneurs (Source: Space Daily)
eSpace: The Center for Space Entrepreneurship, a non-profit business incubator and workforce development organization for aerospace companies, has announced that it is seeking a second round of aerospace entrepreneurs to participate in the eSpace incubator. By opening its first center in Colorado, eSpace has placed itself in the middle of the nation's second largest aerospace economy. The organization is once again actively seeking space entrepreneur candidates regardless of company size, maturity and technology sector; however, candidates for this second round must be Colorado-based companies. (10/28)
Colorado Space Coalition Provides New Space Business Stats (Source: Space Daily)
According to the Colorado Space Coalition, 176,930 Coloradans are employed in space-related jobs; private sector aerospace employment in the state grew by 25.7 from 2003-2008 (compared to 11.5 percent nationally); over 130 aerospace companies operated in Colorado during 2008 (half of these companies employ fewer than 10 people); there was a 9.2 percent increase in the number of aerospace companies in Colorado from 2003-2008 (compared to approximately one percent nationally); and seven major aerospace contractors that have significant presence in Colorado (Ball, Boeing, ITT Corp., Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, United Launch Alliance). (10/28)
Horse Races with Rocket Engines (Source: Huffington Post)
Everything is better with a little competition: sports, free markets, and now, rocketry. No, we're not talking about a new space race between China and the USA. Instead, we're talking about a new era wherein entrepreneurs try their hands at building rockets large and small, pitting their best ideas against each other in an effort to win contracts from NASA as well potentially lucrative tourist and scientific customers. We're clearly coming into an era where commercial competition will have a major impact on the aerospace community -- and on the financial community as well.
The Augustine Panel mentioned the word "commercial" more than 200 times in the 120 page final report it released last week, a dramatic change from previous such reports. A lot of that attention stems from the recent Commercial Resupply Services contract, in which NASA awarded $3.5 billion to Orbital Sciences and SpaceX to carry cargo to the Space Station. The Falcon 9 rocket, the largest rocket yet produced by Space-X, will be shipped to Cape Canaveral within the next few weeks. Coming just on the heels of the launch of a much-criticized new NASA test rocket, the Ares 1-X, the Falcon 9 launch will be a major milestone for proponents of the emerging entrepreneurial space sector. Click here to view the article. (10/28)
Florida A&M Wins NASA Grant (Source: NASA)
NASA has awarded education grants to five minority serving institutions to develop innovative projects in support of higher education teaching and learning in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, disciplines. Florida A&M University in Tallahassee is among the recipients. The projects will receive funding ranging from $90,800 to $345,850. They are eligible for renewal for two years, based on project performance and funding availability. NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida manages the project for the agency. (10/28)
Florida A&M Project Aims to Expand Minority Involvement in Prize Competitions (Sources: FAMU, NASA)
Under a new NASA grant, the Florida A&M University (FAMU) will establish a Minority Innovation Challenges Institute (MICI) to mentor students at Minority Serving Institutions around the country, to spur their interest in STEM content offered by technical prize competitions sponsored by NASA. MICI will feature a year-round virtual conference to provide video, Q&A sessions, networking opportunities, and other resources, with a focus on a different contest each month. (10/28)
China Hawks Target US Tech Transfer Shuffle (Source: Asia Times)
The White House in late September released a "presidential determination" that delegated responsibility to the Secretary of Commerce to certify, under Section 1512 of Public Law 105-261, that U.S. launch industry interests are protected during the export of technologies to China. Section 1512 seeks to ensure that China's missile or space launch capabilities would not be somehow directly or indirectly improved by such exports.
The Washington Times ran a story suggesting that China could now celebrate because by shifting authority to Commerce, Obama had rewritten the rulebook on exports of missile and space-related technology to China. The Commerce Department, which was blamed for mishandling a series of rocket tech transfers in the late 1990s, dismissed claims U.S. national security would be harmed. It turns out Commerce was right.
"There has been no substantive change of export control policy in regard to missile and space technology for China or any other nation," said Michael Gold of Bigelow Aerospace. As another export policy scholar pointed out, "Items on the US Munitions List are licensed by DDTC and are subject to the embargo in section 126.1 of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations [ITAR], meaning, of course, that none of these items will be approved for export to [China]. Nothing in the bemoaned action by the Obama administration changed any of that or shifted any licensing authority over Missile Technology Control Regime items from State to Commerce," he wrote. "Suggestions that this change is effective to handing over US nuclear missile technology to Beijing are, simply put, crazy talk," Burns wrote. (10/28)
Ares-1X Flies From Cape Canaveral Spaceport (Source: SPACErePORT)
NASA's Ares-1X test rocket lifted off successfully on Wednesday morning from a converted Space Shuttle launch pad (LC-39B) at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. The launch appeared to be flawless, though video and telemetry from the mission will be analyzed in the hours and days ahead to determine if all systems functioned as planned. (10/28)
Satellites: The Pentagon's Big Blind Spot (Source: Business Week)
In January 2007, the Chinese military launched a missile 500 miles into space, shattering an orbiting satellite. The assault was only a test that took out one of China's own weather satellites. But it sparked an international outcry over the country's willingness to use weapons in space. A spokesman for the U.S. National Security Council called the test "inconsistent" with efforts for international cooperation.
Military experts have since become concerned that space could become the next battleground for global conflicts. Of particular concern is the lack of visibility with some missile strikes, such as China's in 2007. Some experts say that if an enemy were to launch a similar attack against an American satellite over the Southern Hemisphere, the U.S. military might not know about it. The southern half of the world is something of a blind spot for military space tracking systems, say both senior defense officials involved in space policy and private satellite operators.
"If a collision happens down there, you don't see it," says Paul Graziani, president of Analytical Graphics, which makes systems used by the military to operate and guide satellites. "It takes 45 minutes for the satellite to come back into the Northern Hemisphere. We would be expecting to see a satellite coming around whole but instead just see a bunch of pieces." (10/28)
NASA Ames Celebrates 70th Anniversary with Exhibits in Mountain View (Source: NASA)
Celebrating 70 years of innovative research and development, NASA's Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., will showcase its history in downtown Mountain View, Calif. News media are invited to a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open the 70th anniversary exhibits in businesses along Castro Street from 5 – 6 p.m. PDT on Monday, Nov. 2, 2009. The ceremony will feature remarks from S. Pete Worden, Ames Director, Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga, the City of Mountain View, Jack Boyd, Ames historian, Julie Smiley, executive director of the Central Business Association and other dignitaries including City Council members from Mountain View and Sunnyvale, Calif. (10/28)
General Dynamics Reports Lower Profit Despite Growing Defense Sales (Source: AIA)
Weak demand for business jets helped drag down third-quarter profit at General Dynamics by almost 10%, even as gains in defense-related sales led the company to increase its full-year profit forecast. A plunge in deliveries of Gulfstream jets led to a 55.5% drop in operating profit for the Gulfstream Aerospace division, while combat systems, military vehicles and information systems all experienced sales growth. (10/28)
L-3 Reports 5% Sales Gain for 3rd Quarter (Source: AIA)
Third-quarter earnings at L-3 Communications Holdings jumped nearly 20% on growing sales and tax benefits, the company announced Tuesday. Government services lagged, but overall sales were up 5% because of strength in aircraft modernization and maintenance as well as in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. (10/28)
Space Junk May Drive Up Cost of Future Missions (Source: New Scientist)
Scientists fear a "blizzard" of space debris will make future rocket launches dramatically more expensive. With the U.S. now tracking 19,000 objects in orbit around Earth, Hugh Lewis of the University of Southampton in the U.K. predicts a 50% rise in near-misses over the next decade -- and a 400% jump by 2059. By that year, his statistics show, satellite operators will have to take five times as many collision-avoidance measures as they will in 2019 (10/28)
October 27 News Items
NASA Awards Space Radiobiology Research Grants (Source: NASA)
NASA is funding 12 proposals from nine states to investigate questions about the effects of space radiation on human explorers. The selected proposals from researchers in Alabama, California, Colorado, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Texas, Virginia and Washington have a total value of approximately $13.7 million. The ground-based studies will address the impact of space radiation on astronaut health. Research areas will include risk predictions for cancer and models for potential damage to the central nervous system and the heart. (10/27)
It's A Go For Next Ariane 5 Launch (Source: Space Daily)
Arianespace's sixth Ariane 5 flight of 2009 has been approved for its October 29 liftoff following the launch readiness review, performed at the Spaceport in French Guiana. Ariane 5's payload lift performance for this latest mission is 9,515 kg., which includes a combined total of about 8,700 kg. for the NSS-12 and THOR 6 spacecraft, plus the launch vehicle's dual-passenger dispenser system and satellite integration hardware. (10/27)
Satellites, Hypersonics Underpin Australian Space Goals (Source: Aviation Week)
The Australian government is signaling its intent to become a player in the space business by announcing plans to set up a formal national space policy, steered by a small group to facilitate the fledgling venture. At the same time, the country is also laying out a space sciences program, and has issued requests for proposals to industry, academia and other government agencies for basic science experiments to help kick-start the initiative into life. The plan is supported by a modest $37.07 million in initial “seed” money, which the government will use to match investment from winning proposals on a dollar-for-dollar basis.
Although smaller than the A$100 million originally sought when talk of a national space policy last hit the headlines two years ago, most domestic players seem happy with the initiative. “This is the opportunity to show we can do something, and to come up with a number of projects fairly quickly,” says Russell Boyce, Defense Sciences Technology Office (DSTO) and University of Queensland hypersonics chairman. “It is also a recognition by the Australian government that we depend incredibly heavily on space and space technology.” (10/27)
Gulf States Launch Aerospace Alliance (Source: NASA Watch)
Governors and other elected officials from Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi announced the launch of the Aerospace Alliance, a 501(c)(6) private/public organization that will establish the Gulf Coast and surrounding region as a world class aerospace, space and aviation corridor.
The members of The Aerospace Alliance include business leaders, economic development professionals and government officials. By promoting their common assets and the region's long-standing tradition of excellence in the aerospace industry, participating states and organizations will seize opportunities to grow the sector, attracting more jobs and suppliers to the region. Members will advocate for policies, programs and specific aerospace projects on the local, state and national level.
Florida U.S. Sens. Bill Nelson and George LeMieux said Northwest Florida is destined to become a world-class home for new aviation and aerospace jobs. The alliance establishes each state's Gulf coast region as part of "a world class" aerospace and aviation corridor." Editor's Note: Florida space industry stakeholders hope to expand the Alliance to include Texas, allowing support for space industry development "from JSC to KSC." (10/27)
NASA's Ares I-X Launch Rescheduled for Wednesday (Source: NASA)
NASA mission managers canceled Tuesday's scheduled launch of the Ares I-X flight test because of weather concerns at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Another launch attempt is targeted for Wednesday. A four-hour launch window opens at 8 a.m. EDT. Forecasters predict a 60 percent chance of favorable weather Wednesday. (10/27)
Boeing Submits Bid to Run KSC Ground Operations (Source: Wall Street Journal)
Boeing has submitted a proposal to NASA to run ground systems and launch-operation services for the agency's next-generation spacecraft. As the prime contractor for ground operations at the Kennedy Space Center, Boeing has thrown its hat into the ring to manage ground systems integration for the Constellation program, set to replace the shuttle. However, the Obama administration has yet to decide on funding and technology for continued human space exploration.
Boeing has already won several Ares 1 contracts in recent years and said Monday it expects to win the Exploration Ground Launch Services contract in April. The Obama administration is leaning toward outsourcing major components of its space program, such as ferrying cargo and astronauts to the International Space Station. The scale and nature of sending this type of work to private contractors, unheard of in NASA's history, could help the administration cope with an increasingly dire budget situation and fill crucial gaps in its program. (10/27)
Orbital Sciences Profits Slide 18% (Source: Washington Business Journal)
Revenue and profits declined at Orbital Sciences Corp. last quarter as more work on NASA’s space station resupply contract failed to make up for less contract activity on communications satellite and missile defense programs. Income in the third quarter of 2009 fell 18 percent to $9.4 million, compared to $11.4 million in the year-ago period. Revenue decreased 1.5 percent to $277.1 million.
The revenue growth leader for Orbital last quarter was the advanced space programs division which posted a 38 percent sales surge to $94.4 million compared to the year ago period as work increased on the Commercial Resupply Services contract with NASA. First awarded in December 2008, the deal could eventually produce revenue nearing $2 billion. Sales in the launch vehicles segment fell 2 percent to $110 million primarily as a result of the termination of the Kinetic Energy Interceptor program by the Missile Defense Agency. Satellites and space systems sales declined 24 percent to $75.7 million as work was completed on several communications satellite contracts. (10/27)
New Aerospace Options Could Mean 800 Colorado Jobs (Source: Denver Business Journal)
New programs to speed up commercial space flight options for U.S. astronauts would create more than 800 jobs in Colorado and thousands across the country. That’s the conclusion of a survey conducted by the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, a Washington D.C.-based trade group for companies pursuing passenger service to space for NASA astronauts and others. “I think it’s time for NASA to do the very hard things,” said Jim Voss, a vice president at Sierra Nevada Corp. subsidiary SpaceDev Inc., in Louisville. (10/16)
New Mexico Spaceport Visitor Center Approved (Source: KRWG)
The Board of Directors of the New Mexico Spaceport Authority (NMSA) has voted to establish a welcome center for Spaceport America in downtown Truth or Consequences. With the support of local residents who want the center to be located downtown, the NMSA has agreed to lease an old fire station from the city. A welcome center is also planned for the village of Hatch which is on the southern approach to Spaceport America.
"We budgeted $500,000 for the Sierra County/T or C welcome center, and we will review renovating the approximately 6,000-square foot firehouse if we can," said Steve Landeene, Executive Director of the NMSA. If the building can't be renovated economically, other options for the site may need to be explored. (10/27)
MoonScraper is the Best Method for Moving Lunar Soil (Source: Construction News Portal)
Lunar Regolith is the scientific term for moon dirt. It's a heavy, fine, and cohesive sand that covers the moon's surface several meters deep. Because of these properties Lunar Regolith is difficult to dig. A group of University of B.C. students, sponsored by Miskin Scrapers Works, Inc., have created a robotic MoonScraper that competed at a NASA-sponsored robotics challenge. The aim was to create a robot that could move the most simulated moon dirt in a 30-minute timed trial. (10/27)
Should Nations Fly to the Moon Together? (Source: Christian Science Monitor)
Ed Weiler of NASA and David Southwood of the European Space Agency (ESA) chatted amiably about their ultimate passion – and one of the holy grails of planetary science: bringing back a rock sample from Mars. But the conversation inevitably got bogged down in the hard reality of arithmetic. Both knew it would take at least $1 billion just to land a spacecraft on the Red Planet.
Why not have NASA and ESA team up on a venture? Not just one agency putting an instrument on another's spacecraft. An entire set of missions – jointly. As Weiler put it: "Maybe we ought to be conceiving these things upfront, together." The result: An announcement this past July of a pioneering agreement between the two agencies to develop a joint Mars exploration program. The effort would begin with missions in 2016 and 2018. It would reach its apex in the 2020s with the first return in the history of the human species of soil and rock samples from another planet. (10/27)
JPL Unveils New 'Environmentally Friendly' Flight Projects Center (Source: Pasadena Star-News)
On Monday, JPL unveiled its new environmentally friendly Flight Projects Center, a 193,491-square-foot building that boasts a variety of sustainable features. The six-story, $70 million facility will be used to house missions during their design and development phases, enabling engineers and scientists from various countries to more closely collaborate during critical mission phases. (10/27)
First Moon "Skylight" Found -- Could House Lunar Base? (Source: National Geographic)
A "skylight" found on the moon's surface could provide access to a cozy underground shelter for future humans on the moon, scientists say. Japan's Kaguya spacecraft recently captured pictures of the curious dark hole, which may open onto a large underground lava tube. Scientists have long searched for easy access to lava tubes on the moon, since the lunar caves hold promise as natural shelters, noted Junichi Haruyama, of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Institute of Space and Astronautical Science.
"Lava tubes … provide ready-made protection from the harsh lunar environment: meteorite bombardment, radiation from space, and the large changes in temperature through the lunar day," Haruyama said. Due to the moon's volcanic past, scientists have long expected that lava tubes exist in the lunar underground. But even with decades worth of pictures from various lunar orbiters, no skylights had ever been spotted. That's because the holes can be difficult to distinguish from craters when seen from orbit. (10/27)
NASA is funding 12 proposals from nine states to investigate questions about the effects of space radiation on human explorers. The selected proposals from researchers in Alabama, California, Colorado, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Texas, Virginia and Washington have a total value of approximately $13.7 million. The ground-based studies will address the impact of space radiation on astronaut health. Research areas will include risk predictions for cancer and models for potential damage to the central nervous system and the heart. (10/27)
It's A Go For Next Ariane 5 Launch (Source: Space Daily)
Arianespace's sixth Ariane 5 flight of 2009 has been approved for its October 29 liftoff following the launch readiness review, performed at the Spaceport in French Guiana. Ariane 5's payload lift performance for this latest mission is 9,515 kg., which includes a combined total of about 8,700 kg. for the NSS-12 and THOR 6 spacecraft, plus the launch vehicle's dual-passenger dispenser system and satellite integration hardware. (10/27)
Satellites, Hypersonics Underpin Australian Space Goals (Source: Aviation Week)
The Australian government is signaling its intent to become a player in the space business by announcing plans to set up a formal national space policy, steered by a small group to facilitate the fledgling venture. At the same time, the country is also laying out a space sciences program, and has issued requests for proposals to industry, academia and other government agencies for basic science experiments to help kick-start the initiative into life. The plan is supported by a modest $37.07 million in initial “seed” money, which the government will use to match investment from winning proposals on a dollar-for-dollar basis.
Although smaller than the A$100 million originally sought when talk of a national space policy last hit the headlines two years ago, most domestic players seem happy with the initiative. “This is the opportunity to show we can do something, and to come up with a number of projects fairly quickly,” says Russell Boyce, Defense Sciences Technology Office (DSTO) and University of Queensland hypersonics chairman. “It is also a recognition by the Australian government that we depend incredibly heavily on space and space technology.” (10/27)
Gulf States Launch Aerospace Alliance (Source: NASA Watch)
Governors and other elected officials from Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi announced the launch of the Aerospace Alliance, a 501(c)(6) private/public organization that will establish the Gulf Coast and surrounding region as a world class aerospace, space and aviation corridor.
The members of The Aerospace Alliance include business leaders, economic development professionals and government officials. By promoting their common assets and the region's long-standing tradition of excellence in the aerospace industry, participating states and organizations will seize opportunities to grow the sector, attracting more jobs and suppliers to the region. Members will advocate for policies, programs and specific aerospace projects on the local, state and national level.
Florida U.S. Sens. Bill Nelson and George LeMieux said Northwest Florida is destined to become a world-class home for new aviation and aerospace jobs. The alliance establishes each state's Gulf coast region as part of "a world class" aerospace and aviation corridor." Editor's Note: Florida space industry stakeholders hope to expand the Alliance to include Texas, allowing support for space industry development "from JSC to KSC." (10/27)
NASA's Ares I-X Launch Rescheduled for Wednesday (Source: NASA)
NASA mission managers canceled Tuesday's scheduled launch of the Ares I-X flight test because of weather concerns at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Another launch attempt is targeted for Wednesday. A four-hour launch window opens at 8 a.m. EDT. Forecasters predict a 60 percent chance of favorable weather Wednesday. (10/27)
Boeing Submits Bid to Run KSC Ground Operations (Source: Wall Street Journal)
Boeing has submitted a proposal to NASA to run ground systems and launch-operation services for the agency's next-generation spacecraft. As the prime contractor for ground operations at the Kennedy Space Center, Boeing has thrown its hat into the ring to manage ground systems integration for the Constellation program, set to replace the shuttle. However, the Obama administration has yet to decide on funding and technology for continued human space exploration.
Boeing has already won several Ares 1 contracts in recent years and said Monday it expects to win the Exploration Ground Launch Services contract in April. The Obama administration is leaning toward outsourcing major components of its space program, such as ferrying cargo and astronauts to the International Space Station. The scale and nature of sending this type of work to private contractors, unheard of in NASA's history, could help the administration cope with an increasingly dire budget situation and fill crucial gaps in its program. (10/27)
Orbital Sciences Profits Slide 18% (Source: Washington Business Journal)
Revenue and profits declined at Orbital Sciences Corp. last quarter as more work on NASA’s space station resupply contract failed to make up for less contract activity on communications satellite and missile defense programs. Income in the third quarter of 2009 fell 18 percent to $9.4 million, compared to $11.4 million in the year-ago period. Revenue decreased 1.5 percent to $277.1 million.
The revenue growth leader for Orbital last quarter was the advanced space programs division which posted a 38 percent sales surge to $94.4 million compared to the year ago period as work increased on the Commercial Resupply Services contract with NASA. First awarded in December 2008, the deal could eventually produce revenue nearing $2 billion. Sales in the launch vehicles segment fell 2 percent to $110 million primarily as a result of the termination of the Kinetic Energy Interceptor program by the Missile Defense Agency. Satellites and space systems sales declined 24 percent to $75.7 million as work was completed on several communications satellite contracts. (10/27)
New Aerospace Options Could Mean 800 Colorado Jobs (Source: Denver Business Journal)
New programs to speed up commercial space flight options for U.S. astronauts would create more than 800 jobs in Colorado and thousands across the country. That’s the conclusion of a survey conducted by the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, a Washington D.C.-based trade group for companies pursuing passenger service to space for NASA astronauts and others. “I think it’s time for NASA to do the very hard things,” said Jim Voss, a vice president at Sierra Nevada Corp. subsidiary SpaceDev Inc., in Louisville. (10/16)
New Mexico Spaceport Visitor Center Approved (Source: KRWG)
The Board of Directors of the New Mexico Spaceport Authority (NMSA) has voted to establish a welcome center for Spaceport America in downtown Truth or Consequences. With the support of local residents who want the center to be located downtown, the NMSA has agreed to lease an old fire station from the city. A welcome center is also planned for the village of Hatch which is on the southern approach to Spaceport America.
"We budgeted $500,000 for the Sierra County/T or C welcome center, and we will review renovating the approximately 6,000-square foot firehouse if we can," said Steve Landeene, Executive Director of the NMSA. If the building can't be renovated economically, other options for the site may need to be explored. (10/27)
MoonScraper is the Best Method for Moving Lunar Soil (Source: Construction News Portal)
Lunar Regolith is the scientific term for moon dirt. It's a heavy, fine, and cohesive sand that covers the moon's surface several meters deep. Because of these properties Lunar Regolith is difficult to dig. A group of University of B.C. students, sponsored by Miskin Scrapers Works, Inc., have created a robotic MoonScraper that competed at a NASA-sponsored robotics challenge. The aim was to create a robot that could move the most simulated moon dirt in a 30-minute timed trial. (10/27)
Should Nations Fly to the Moon Together? (Source: Christian Science Monitor)
Ed Weiler of NASA and David Southwood of the European Space Agency (ESA) chatted amiably about their ultimate passion – and one of the holy grails of planetary science: bringing back a rock sample from Mars. But the conversation inevitably got bogged down in the hard reality of arithmetic. Both knew it would take at least $1 billion just to land a spacecraft on the Red Planet.
Why not have NASA and ESA team up on a venture? Not just one agency putting an instrument on another's spacecraft. An entire set of missions – jointly. As Weiler put it: "Maybe we ought to be conceiving these things upfront, together." The result: An announcement this past July of a pioneering agreement between the two agencies to develop a joint Mars exploration program. The effort would begin with missions in 2016 and 2018. It would reach its apex in the 2020s with the first return in the history of the human species of soil and rock samples from another planet. (10/27)
JPL Unveils New 'Environmentally Friendly' Flight Projects Center (Source: Pasadena Star-News)
On Monday, JPL unveiled its new environmentally friendly Flight Projects Center, a 193,491-square-foot building that boasts a variety of sustainable features. The six-story, $70 million facility will be used to house missions during their design and development phases, enabling engineers and scientists from various countries to more closely collaborate during critical mission phases. (10/27)
First Moon "Skylight" Found -- Could House Lunar Base? (Source: National Geographic)
A "skylight" found on the moon's surface could provide access to a cozy underground shelter for future humans on the moon, scientists say. Japan's Kaguya spacecraft recently captured pictures of the curious dark hole, which may open onto a large underground lava tube. Scientists have long searched for easy access to lava tubes on the moon, since the lunar caves hold promise as natural shelters, noted Junichi Haruyama, of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Institute of Space and Astronautical Science.
"Lava tubes … provide ready-made protection from the harsh lunar environment: meteorite bombardment, radiation from space, and the large changes in temperature through the lunar day," Haruyama said. Due to the moon's volcanic past, scientists have long expected that lava tubes exist in the lunar underground. But even with decades worth of pictures from various lunar orbiters, no skylights had ever been spotted. That's because the holes can be difficult to distinguish from craters when seen from orbit. (10/27)
October 26 News Items
Scientist Pleaded Guilty to Overbilling NASA, DOD (Source: AP)
A former government scientist accused of attempted espionage pleaded guilty to overbilling NASA and the Department of Defense more than $265,000 for contracting work, according to newly unsealed court records. The plea in January by Stewart Nozette, 52, of Chevy Chase, Md., was done in secret because Nozette was cooperating in government corruption investigations, according to court papers unsealed last week following his arrest in an FBI sting operation.
The unsealed court documents state that Nozette admitted to overbilling NASA and the Defense Department between 2000 and 2006 to satisfy debts on real estate mortgages, auto loans and credit cards and to maintain a home swimming pool, pay medical bills and buy clothing. He pleaded guilty to tax evasion and conspiring to defraud the U.S. government. He faces sentencing Nov. 18 in that case. Separately, Nozette was arrested last week and accused of trying to sell classified information on U.S. defense secrets to an undercover FBI agent posing as an Israeli intelligence officer. Nozette faces a court appearance in that case on Thursday on two counts of attempted espionage. (10/26)
Hard Times: NASA Faces Tough Fight for Funds (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
It's a time-honored NASA tradition to give every new astronaut class a derogatory nickname, chosen by the class that preceded it. The latest group goes by "The Chumps" — a name that may prove prescient. As it stands, when the 14 rookies graduate about the end of 2011, they will be the first class in a generation without a U.S. spacecraft. Worse, the future of NASA's human space-exploration program is uncertain at best.
"It's not beyond the pale that NASA could have to stand down [from human spaceflight] for a number of years," said space historian Roger Launius of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Already, the White House and Congress are balking at the idea of giving NASA more money. And any change to NASA's structure — from its workforce to its rockets — will meet fierce resistance from politicians who protect hometown jobs and aerospace companies that guard lucrative contracts. The result is an uncertain future for both the Chumps and the future of U.S. human spaceflight. (10/26)
North Carolina: Getting Serious About NewSpace (Source: News Observer)
Early this year I asked in an opinion piece on this page, "Is North Carolina losing the commercial space race?" The answer was an unequivocal "Yes." Now, thanks to the visionary leadership of Dr. J. Anthony Sharp, director of aviation science at Elizabeth City State University, and Bill Greuling, vice president of the North Carolina Aerospace Alliance, our state has taken an important step toward getting in the race.
Why is this important? Consider this snapshot from the North Carolina Department of Commerce's 2009 Aerospace and Aviation report. The state has: 26,000 people are employed in engineering fields; 180+ aerospace manufacturing companies; 135+ aviation service companies; A solid aerospace supply chain; Five military installations; and Aerospace and aviation programs at universities and community colleges.
Combine these assets with the emerging entrepreneurial/commercial space industry (NewSpace) and you have a recipe for new business for existing companies, an exciting field for entrepreneurs, and job growth and economic development that can be tied to targeted industry clusters and regions across the state. In addition, demand for aerospace and aviation education feeds workforce development. Finally, an emerging space industry offers support for Governor Perdue's All-American Defense Initiative (the Air Force and Marines have demonstrated tremendous interest in the NewSpace industry). (10/26)
Opinion: Without Cash and Leadership, NASA is Set Adrift (Source: Houston Chronicle)
Four-time shuttle astronaut Tom Jones urges NASA to speed development of the Ares I rocket while pursuing the "flexible path" outlined by the Augustine Commission. "Stretching our space legs millions of miles beyond our Apollo footprints, we will use the asteroids as steppingstones to that ultimate scientific destination, Mars," Jones writes, arguing that an ambitious NASA agenda would still cost many times less than the federal stimulus package. The alternative, he writes, "would return NASA to flying on autopilot, the same paralyzing drift that led to the deaths of Columbia's crew six years ago." (10/26)
Lunar Lander Challenge Reaches Endgame (Source: MSNBC)
Five days from now, a bunch of no-longer-amateur rocketeers are going to be at least $1.15 million richer, thanks to a NASA-backed contest for lunar lander prototypes. But the identity of the winners is still up in the air. You need a scorecard to keep track of what's happening in the Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge, which ends this year's launch season on Saturday. Click here for a roundup that touches upon the four - oops, make that three - teams in the competition. (10/26)
How President Obama Can Keep His Space Promises (Source: Florida Today)
The presidential panel studying NASA's future covered a lot of ground, with decades of implications for the nation's space program and for our community. They did not recommend a plan for space. Instead, they gave President Barack Obama the exhaustive analysis he needed to make a long list of important decisions.
The choices are not clear-cut. Every choice affects another. It's complicated. But there is a good space plan in there, if the president picks and chooses cafeteria-style from all the options spelled out in the report. Click here to read the article. (10/26)
And Now We Wait (Source: Space Review)
For months the space community had been waiting for it, and on Thursday they finally got it: the final report of the Augustine committee. Jeff Foust reports on the reaction and how the report is the next step, but not the last step, in crafting a new space policy. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1499/1 to view the article. (10/26)
Saddam's Space Program (Source: Space Review)
Before the first Gulf War, Iraq was actively developing a launch vehicle for placing a satellite into orbit -- and perhaps other purposes. Dwayne Day looks at what's known about this effort from a United Nations report. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1498/1 to view the article. (10/26)
Is the RLV Industry Emerging from Hibernation? (Source: Space Review)
The development of reusable launch vehicles has been left almost entirely to entrepreneurial space companies for nearly a decade. Taylor Dinerman sees some encouraging signs that big companies and the government are taking a renewed interest in the field. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1497/1 to view the article. (10/26)
Clinical Immortality and Space Settlement (Source: Space Review)
New research shows that babies born in 2007 will have a median lifespan of 104 years. Sam Dinkin looks at how further improvements in morbidity can make space settlement imminent. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1496/1 to view the article. (10/26)
A former government scientist accused of attempted espionage pleaded guilty to overbilling NASA and the Department of Defense more than $265,000 for contracting work, according to newly unsealed court records. The plea in January by Stewart Nozette, 52, of Chevy Chase, Md., was done in secret because Nozette was cooperating in government corruption investigations, according to court papers unsealed last week following his arrest in an FBI sting operation.
The unsealed court documents state that Nozette admitted to overbilling NASA and the Defense Department between 2000 and 2006 to satisfy debts on real estate mortgages, auto loans and credit cards and to maintain a home swimming pool, pay medical bills and buy clothing. He pleaded guilty to tax evasion and conspiring to defraud the U.S. government. He faces sentencing Nov. 18 in that case. Separately, Nozette was arrested last week and accused of trying to sell classified information on U.S. defense secrets to an undercover FBI agent posing as an Israeli intelligence officer. Nozette faces a court appearance in that case on Thursday on two counts of attempted espionage. (10/26)
Hard Times: NASA Faces Tough Fight for Funds (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
It's a time-honored NASA tradition to give every new astronaut class a derogatory nickname, chosen by the class that preceded it. The latest group goes by "The Chumps" — a name that may prove prescient. As it stands, when the 14 rookies graduate about the end of 2011, they will be the first class in a generation without a U.S. spacecraft. Worse, the future of NASA's human space-exploration program is uncertain at best.
"It's not beyond the pale that NASA could have to stand down [from human spaceflight] for a number of years," said space historian Roger Launius of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. Already, the White House and Congress are balking at the idea of giving NASA more money. And any change to NASA's structure — from its workforce to its rockets — will meet fierce resistance from politicians who protect hometown jobs and aerospace companies that guard lucrative contracts. The result is an uncertain future for both the Chumps and the future of U.S. human spaceflight. (10/26)
North Carolina: Getting Serious About NewSpace (Source: News Observer)
Early this year I asked in an opinion piece on this page, "Is North Carolina losing the commercial space race?" The answer was an unequivocal "Yes." Now, thanks to the visionary leadership of Dr. J. Anthony Sharp, director of aviation science at Elizabeth City State University, and Bill Greuling, vice president of the North Carolina Aerospace Alliance, our state has taken an important step toward getting in the race.
Why is this important? Consider this snapshot from the North Carolina Department of Commerce's 2009 Aerospace and Aviation report. The state has: 26,000 people are employed in engineering fields; 180+ aerospace manufacturing companies; 135+ aviation service companies; A solid aerospace supply chain; Five military installations; and Aerospace and aviation programs at universities and community colleges.
Combine these assets with the emerging entrepreneurial/commercial space industry (NewSpace) and you have a recipe for new business for existing companies, an exciting field for entrepreneurs, and job growth and economic development that can be tied to targeted industry clusters and regions across the state. In addition, demand for aerospace and aviation education feeds workforce development. Finally, an emerging space industry offers support for Governor Perdue's All-American Defense Initiative (the Air Force and Marines have demonstrated tremendous interest in the NewSpace industry). (10/26)
Opinion: Without Cash and Leadership, NASA is Set Adrift (Source: Houston Chronicle)
Four-time shuttle astronaut Tom Jones urges NASA to speed development of the Ares I rocket while pursuing the "flexible path" outlined by the Augustine Commission. "Stretching our space legs millions of miles beyond our Apollo footprints, we will use the asteroids as steppingstones to that ultimate scientific destination, Mars," Jones writes, arguing that an ambitious NASA agenda would still cost many times less than the federal stimulus package. The alternative, he writes, "would return NASA to flying on autopilot, the same paralyzing drift that led to the deaths of Columbia's crew six years ago." (10/26)
Lunar Lander Challenge Reaches Endgame (Source: MSNBC)
Five days from now, a bunch of no-longer-amateur rocketeers are going to be at least $1.15 million richer, thanks to a NASA-backed contest for lunar lander prototypes. But the identity of the winners is still up in the air. You need a scorecard to keep track of what's happening in the Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge, which ends this year's launch season on Saturday. Click here for a roundup that touches upon the four - oops, make that three - teams in the competition. (10/26)
How President Obama Can Keep His Space Promises (Source: Florida Today)
The presidential panel studying NASA's future covered a lot of ground, with decades of implications for the nation's space program and for our community. They did not recommend a plan for space. Instead, they gave President Barack Obama the exhaustive analysis he needed to make a long list of important decisions.
The choices are not clear-cut. Every choice affects another. It's complicated. But there is a good space plan in there, if the president picks and chooses cafeteria-style from all the options spelled out in the report. Click here to read the article. (10/26)
And Now We Wait (Source: Space Review)
For months the space community had been waiting for it, and on Thursday they finally got it: the final report of the Augustine committee. Jeff Foust reports on the reaction and how the report is the next step, but not the last step, in crafting a new space policy. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1499/1 to view the article. (10/26)
Saddam's Space Program (Source: Space Review)
Before the first Gulf War, Iraq was actively developing a launch vehicle for placing a satellite into orbit -- and perhaps other purposes. Dwayne Day looks at what's known about this effort from a United Nations report. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1498/1 to view the article. (10/26)
Is the RLV Industry Emerging from Hibernation? (Source: Space Review)
The development of reusable launch vehicles has been left almost entirely to entrepreneurial space companies for nearly a decade. Taylor Dinerman sees some encouraging signs that big companies and the government are taking a renewed interest in the field. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1497/1 to view the article. (10/26)
Clinical Immortality and Space Settlement (Source: Space Review)
New research shows that babies born in 2007 will have a median lifespan of 104 years. Sam Dinkin looks at how further improvements in morbidity can make space settlement imminent. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1496/1 to view the article. (10/26)
October 25 News Items
Airborne Electrical Charge Can Pose Ares I-X Flight Risk (Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer)
The test flight of NASA's Ares I-X rocket will carry an upper stage mockup built at Cleveland's Glenn Research Center. The Ares I-X mission's launch weather officer said "triboelectrification," a static electric charge that can build up on flying vehicles, aircraft as well as spacecraft, as they move through particles in the atmosphere, can still cause enough static to garble telemetry between the rocket and ground contollers and threaten the Ares I-X flight. (10/25)
‘By 2015 India Will be Ready for Manned Moon Mission’ (Source: The Hindu)
K. Radhakrishnan, who has been appointed Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization, said on Saturday that by 2015 India would be ready for a manned moon mission. Work on Chandrayaan-II was progressing. Efforts would be made to take the benefits of space research to the common man, he told journalists here. Mr. Radhakrishnan received his appointment order while he was at the Sree Krishna Temple. The fax message was received at the devaswom board office in the evening. He had darshan and offered ‘thulabharam’ at the temple. (10/25)
Final WHite House Decision: Wait Till February? (Source: Space Politics)
Shortly after the Augustine committee released its final report, Alan Ladwig of NASA spoke at the luncheon of the International Symposium for Personal and Commercial Spaceflight in New Mexico. He said that policy leaders from a number of organizations would now meet to “transform the Augustine options into a recommendation or recommendations to be considered and acted on by the president.” He hoped that decisions would be made in time to influence the FY2010 budget and to be incorporated into FY2011 budget request. He noted that the budget request normally isn’t released until late January or early February. “So while it is likely that we’ll hear something about our fate from the president before the end of the year,” he suggested, “a complete view of the new-and-improved NASA may not be completely defined until the release of the 2011 budget.” (10/22)
Save Space: Catching On or Falling Short? (Source: Space Politics)
Florida Today provides an update today on the status of Save Space, a Space Coast effort to get half a million letters in support of space exploration delivered to the White House. The article gives the impression that the movement is gaining momentum, noting milestones like donated space on digital billboards across the country and the number of partner organizations that have joined.
However, there’s little evidence in the article that Save Space is anywhere near its goal of 500,000 letters by the end of this month. A spokesperson for the Brevard County government, which is hosting the site, says that it’s “impossible to determine” just how many letters have been sent to the White House. The Save Space Facebook page just passed 2,000 fans, the article adds, a stat that sounds good but again is still far short of the 500,000.
If the organizers could come through on their goal of 500,000 letters, they likely would get noticed by the White House. The White House is currently getting 65,000 letters a week, on top of thousands more phone calls, faxes, and emails: enough that there’s a backlog of mail that has to be processed. Dumping 500,000 letters there over a short period of time would presumably get some attention. A few thousand? Not so much. The campaign is now backing away from that October 31 deadline, as the article states it will now be “an open-ended venture” until the president makes a policy decision. (10/25)
Virginia Seeks Improved Space Flight Liability Law (Source: Spaceports Blog)
Virginia, the first state to adopt a human space flight liability and immunity statute, may review the 2007 law to remove a July 1, 2013 sunset provision to conform the state law with those subsequently enacted in Florida in 2008 and Texas in 2009 if State Del. Terry G. Kilgore proceeds with the bill as now planned. Kilgore's space flight legislation has the backing of space advocates in his district including the Southwestern Virginia Technology Council. (10/25)
Editorial: NASA. It's Worth It (Source: Houston Chronicle)
The title of the final report from the presidential commission studying the future course of NASA is “Seeking a Human Spaceflight Program Worthy of a Great Nation.” Its brutally frank conclusion is that the United States will get what it pays for. According to the report, NASA's current annual budget of $18.7 billion will only buy second-rate status among the space-faring nations of the 21st century.
The government has already allocated close to $800 billion on economic stimulus, so it's difficult to understand why NASA, with a full-time and contractor workforce totaling nearly 60,000 nationwide and 18,000 in the Clear Lake area, isn't worth an additional investment to continue manned space exploration. NASA's role in stimulating technological development with widespread applications to other industries is well established. As retired astronaut Robert Crippen told the Chronicle, a NASA budget boost would save thousands of high-tech jobs at a fraction of the cost of the stimulus package. (10/25)
Why Space Matters... (Source: CSA)
America’s efforts in space inspire, educate, and ignite our innovative spirit. The audacious pioneering achievements of NASA and the aerospace industry continue to motivate young people to study math, science and technology. America’s space program is an investment – in the leaders of tomorrow, in pioneering new technologies and, most importantly, in the future of our planet. It is time to renew our commitment to NASA for the continued exploration of space, science and aeronautics. Our decisions today will affect generations to come. Click here for more. (10/24)
Bolden Discusses Regolith Excavation Winner in Remarks (Source: CSA)
"Over this weekend, NASA just held a competition in California with $750,000 in prizes for anyone in America who could move the most “regolith” — or moon dirt — with a robot. Twenty-three teams competed. The winning team is “Paul’s Robotics”, led by a young man by the name Paul Ventimiglia. Paul not only beat out 22 other competitor teams, he beat teams of professional aerospace engineers, and teams of world-class robotics experts. Paul is a college student at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts. He heard about the competition from a high school teacher. Now that is inspiring. Let me say a little more. Paul’s team did not win by a nose, say by one or two percent. Paul’s team moved 84 percent more Moon dirt than the second place team that qualified to win the $150,000 prize." Click here to view Bolden's remarks. (10/24)
Columbia Space Center in Downey Set for Lift-Off (Source: CSA)
The launch date for the Columbia Memorial Space Center is set. The two-story, 20,000 square-foot facility, located at 12400 Clark Ave., next door to Downey Studios, has its grand opening Saturday and Sunday, noon-6 p.m. Tickets are required but free and available at the city manager's office, 11111 Brookshire Ave., third floor. For ticket information, call 562-904-1895 or 562-904-7286, or click here.
Nation's Newest USAF Environmental Satellite Launched (Source: CSA)
The Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) F-18 Block 5D-3 spacecraft, built under contract for the U.S. Air Force by Lockheed Martin, was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. at 9:12 am PDT. Click here for the full story. (10/24)
Loral to Name Patrick DeWitt Chairman of the Board (Source: CSA)
Space Systems/Loral (SS/L), a subsidiary of Loral Space & Communications (NASDAQ: LORL) and the leading provider of commercial satellites, today announced that Patrick DeWitt will be appointed to the SS/L Board of Directors as its Chairman and will relinquish his duties as Chief Executive Officer at the end of the year. Click here to view the article. (10/23)
The test flight of NASA's Ares I-X rocket will carry an upper stage mockup built at Cleveland's Glenn Research Center. The Ares I-X mission's launch weather officer said "triboelectrification," a static electric charge that can build up on flying vehicles, aircraft as well as spacecraft, as they move through particles in the atmosphere, can still cause enough static to garble telemetry between the rocket and ground contollers and threaten the Ares I-X flight. (10/25)
‘By 2015 India Will be Ready for Manned Moon Mission’ (Source: The Hindu)
K. Radhakrishnan, who has been appointed Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization, said on Saturday that by 2015 India would be ready for a manned moon mission. Work on Chandrayaan-II was progressing. Efforts would be made to take the benefits of space research to the common man, he told journalists here. Mr. Radhakrishnan received his appointment order while he was at the Sree Krishna Temple. The fax message was received at the devaswom board office in the evening. He had darshan and offered ‘thulabharam’ at the temple. (10/25)
Final WHite House Decision: Wait Till February? (Source: Space Politics)
Shortly after the Augustine committee released its final report, Alan Ladwig of NASA spoke at the luncheon of the International Symposium for Personal and Commercial Spaceflight in New Mexico. He said that policy leaders from a number of organizations would now meet to “transform the Augustine options into a recommendation or recommendations to be considered and acted on by the president.” He hoped that decisions would be made in time to influence the FY2010 budget and to be incorporated into FY2011 budget request. He noted that the budget request normally isn’t released until late January or early February. “So while it is likely that we’ll hear something about our fate from the president before the end of the year,” he suggested, “a complete view of the new-and-improved NASA may not be completely defined until the release of the 2011 budget.” (10/22)
Save Space: Catching On or Falling Short? (Source: Space Politics)
Florida Today provides an update today on the status of Save Space, a Space Coast effort to get half a million letters in support of space exploration delivered to the White House. The article gives the impression that the movement is gaining momentum, noting milestones like donated space on digital billboards across the country and the number of partner organizations that have joined.
However, there’s little evidence in the article that Save Space is anywhere near its goal of 500,000 letters by the end of this month. A spokesperson for the Brevard County government, which is hosting the site, says that it’s “impossible to determine” just how many letters have been sent to the White House. The Save Space Facebook page just passed 2,000 fans, the article adds, a stat that sounds good but again is still far short of the 500,000.
If the organizers could come through on their goal of 500,000 letters, they likely would get noticed by the White House. The White House is currently getting 65,000 letters a week, on top of thousands more phone calls, faxes, and emails: enough that there’s a backlog of mail that has to be processed. Dumping 500,000 letters there over a short period of time would presumably get some attention. A few thousand? Not so much. The campaign is now backing away from that October 31 deadline, as the article states it will now be “an open-ended venture” until the president makes a policy decision. (10/25)
Virginia Seeks Improved Space Flight Liability Law (Source: Spaceports Blog)
Virginia, the first state to adopt a human space flight liability and immunity statute, may review the 2007 law to remove a July 1, 2013 sunset provision to conform the state law with those subsequently enacted in Florida in 2008 and Texas in 2009 if State Del. Terry G. Kilgore proceeds with the bill as now planned. Kilgore's space flight legislation has the backing of space advocates in his district including the Southwestern Virginia Technology Council. (10/25)
Editorial: NASA. It's Worth It (Source: Houston Chronicle)
The title of the final report from the presidential commission studying the future course of NASA is “Seeking a Human Spaceflight Program Worthy of a Great Nation.” Its brutally frank conclusion is that the United States will get what it pays for. According to the report, NASA's current annual budget of $18.7 billion will only buy second-rate status among the space-faring nations of the 21st century.
The government has already allocated close to $800 billion on economic stimulus, so it's difficult to understand why NASA, with a full-time and contractor workforce totaling nearly 60,000 nationwide and 18,000 in the Clear Lake area, isn't worth an additional investment to continue manned space exploration. NASA's role in stimulating technological development with widespread applications to other industries is well established. As retired astronaut Robert Crippen told the Chronicle, a NASA budget boost would save thousands of high-tech jobs at a fraction of the cost of the stimulus package. (10/25)
Why Space Matters... (Source: CSA)
America’s efforts in space inspire, educate, and ignite our innovative spirit. The audacious pioneering achievements of NASA and the aerospace industry continue to motivate young people to study math, science and technology. America’s space program is an investment – in the leaders of tomorrow, in pioneering new technologies and, most importantly, in the future of our planet. It is time to renew our commitment to NASA for the continued exploration of space, science and aeronautics. Our decisions today will affect generations to come. Click here for more. (10/24)
Bolden Discusses Regolith Excavation Winner in Remarks (Source: CSA)
"Over this weekend, NASA just held a competition in California with $750,000 in prizes for anyone in America who could move the most “regolith” — or moon dirt — with a robot. Twenty-three teams competed. The winning team is “Paul’s Robotics”, led by a young man by the name Paul Ventimiglia. Paul not only beat out 22 other competitor teams, he beat teams of professional aerospace engineers, and teams of world-class robotics experts. Paul is a college student at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts. He heard about the competition from a high school teacher. Now that is inspiring. Let me say a little more. Paul’s team did not win by a nose, say by one or two percent. Paul’s team moved 84 percent more Moon dirt than the second place team that qualified to win the $150,000 prize." Click here to view Bolden's remarks. (10/24)
Columbia Space Center in Downey Set for Lift-Off (Source: CSA)
The launch date for the Columbia Memorial Space Center is set. The two-story, 20,000 square-foot facility, located at 12400 Clark Ave., next door to Downey Studios, has its grand opening Saturday and Sunday, noon-6 p.m. Tickets are required but free and available at the city manager's office, 11111 Brookshire Ave., third floor. For ticket information, call 562-904-1895 or 562-904-7286, or click here.
Nation's Newest USAF Environmental Satellite Launched (Source: CSA)
The Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) F-18 Block 5D-3 spacecraft, built under contract for the U.S. Air Force by Lockheed Martin, was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. at 9:12 am PDT. Click here for the full story. (10/24)
Loral to Name Patrick DeWitt Chairman of the Board (Source: CSA)
Space Systems/Loral (SS/L), a subsidiary of Loral Space & Communications (NASDAQ: LORL) and the leading provider of commercial satellites, today announced that Patrick DeWitt will be appointed to the SS/L Board of Directors as its Chairman and will relinquish his duties as Chief Executive Officer at the end of the year. Click here to view the article. (10/23)
October 24 News Items
Starfighters Strikes Deal for Use of State-Developed KSC Hangar (Source: Space Florida)
NASA and Starfighters announced the signing of a Space Act Agreement enabling Starfighters, a private aerospace company that operates high performance fighter aircraft, to use the Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) to conduct flight operations providing commercial space flight training, support research and development, test and engineering for the benefit of the emerging commercial space industry, and to otherwise advance aerospace and space-related technology in Florida.
Space Florida and Starfighters partnered in 2008 to house and maintain the jet aircraft in the State-owned and operated Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) Hangar, located adjacent to the SLF. “Our alliance with Space Florida is a natural fit,” said Rick Svetkoff, Starfighters President and Chief Pilot. “We both want to see the commercial aerospace industry grow in Florida. With Space Florida’s assistance, we are making real strides toward that vision.” (10/22)
Alabama Lawmakers in Washington Blast Augustine Panel Report (Source: Huntsville Times)
U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Ala, said the report provide no safety data that would help the White House or leaders in Congress to guide the future of NASA. U.S. Rep. Parker Griffith, D-Ala, said the report was incomplete, ill-conceived and would delay NASA's progress. U.S Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala, said the report does not address safety concerns that could come about from extending the space shuttle past its planned 2010 retirement date and using the International Space Station as it ages. U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala, said if the Obama administration is serious about space and NASA it will make sure the extra $3 billion a year the Augustine panel said NASA needs is in the federal budget. (10/24)
Six Surprise Passages From the Full Augustine Report (Source: Popular Mechanics)
The 157-page Augustine Panel report lacked an endorsement of an overall strategy, but there are a few passages of interest that were not included in the summary that was released in September. Here are a few passages that leapt out at us: 1) The gap is worse than we feared; 2) The current Ares plan to support ISS will be too late to help; 3) The Orion capsule may be too big, and it's too late to fix; 4) Bush and Obama are both guilty of underfunding Constellation; 5) Using EELV rockets may be cheaper, but would mean a radical restructuring at NASA; and 6) NASA is handicapped by rules that limit the way it does business. Click here to read the article. (10/24)
Bolivia, China, ITU Sign Agreement for Satellite Construction (Source: Xinhua)
The Bolivian government, China's Great Wall Industry Corporation and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) signed an agreement on Friday to construct and set a satellite in orbit. During the signing ceremony, Bolivian President Evo Morales said it statement confirmed that Bolivia would have its own space satellite in three years. This would promote the country's economic, social and technological development. The satellite would be called "Tupac Katari" in honor of an indigenous leader of the 18th century in Bolivia who fought for national independence. (10/24)
Seven Questions That Keep Physicists Up at Night (Source: New Scientist)
A panel of leading physicists spilled the beans about what keeps them tossing and turning in the wee hours. Here are seven key conundrums: 1) Why this universe?; 2) What is everything made of?; 3) How does complexity happen?; 4) Will string theory ever be proved correct?; 5) What is the singularity?; 6) What is really really?; and 7) How far can physics take us? Click here to read explanations of each question. (10/24)
Panel's Final Report Recommends In-Space Refueling (Source: Popular Science)
The Augustine Panel appears to once again favor private commercial spaceflight for launching cargo and crews to orbit, such as SpaceX's Falcon rockets. The report makes mention of a modified Ares V rocket and the Orion spacecraft as NASA's backup in case private industry fails to deliver, but does not mention the Ares-I rocket that is slated for its first test flight next week.
It also touts in-space refueling as a way to give both smaller and larger rockets longer legs on space missions. The report noted that a rocket would typically burn part of its fuel during launch, and then spend the rest injecting its payload toward whatever destination beyond low-Earth orbit. But a space tanker or fuel depot could provide more fuel for a greater boost. (10/23)
Mars Can Wait; NASA Should Try Landing on Asteroids First (Source: Ars Technica)
Forget all this talk about manned missions to Mars; is it time to scale back US space plans and land on an asteroid instead, Armageddon style? The committee has concluded that NASA now has plans that don't reflect any sort of budgetary reality, and suggests that a "flexible path" series of missions to asteroids and orbital LaGrange points as realistic goals for the next few decades. Mars can wait. (10/24)
NASA and Starfighters announced the signing of a Space Act Agreement enabling Starfighters, a private aerospace company that operates high performance fighter aircraft, to use the Shuttle Landing Facility (SLF) to conduct flight operations providing commercial space flight training, support research and development, test and engineering for the benefit of the emerging commercial space industry, and to otherwise advance aerospace and space-related technology in Florida.
Space Florida and Starfighters partnered in 2008 to house and maintain the jet aircraft in the State-owned and operated Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) Hangar, located adjacent to the SLF. “Our alliance with Space Florida is a natural fit,” said Rick Svetkoff, Starfighters President and Chief Pilot. “We both want to see the commercial aerospace industry grow in Florida. With Space Florida’s assistance, we are making real strides toward that vision.” (10/22)
Alabama Lawmakers in Washington Blast Augustine Panel Report (Source: Huntsville Times)
U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Ala, said the report provide no safety data that would help the White House or leaders in Congress to guide the future of NASA. U.S. Rep. Parker Griffith, D-Ala, said the report was incomplete, ill-conceived and would delay NASA's progress. U.S Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala, said the report does not address safety concerns that could come about from extending the space shuttle past its planned 2010 retirement date and using the International Space Station as it ages. U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala, said if the Obama administration is serious about space and NASA it will make sure the extra $3 billion a year the Augustine panel said NASA needs is in the federal budget. (10/24)
Six Surprise Passages From the Full Augustine Report (Source: Popular Mechanics)
The 157-page Augustine Panel report lacked an endorsement of an overall strategy, but there are a few passages of interest that were not included in the summary that was released in September. Here are a few passages that leapt out at us: 1) The gap is worse than we feared; 2) The current Ares plan to support ISS will be too late to help; 3) The Orion capsule may be too big, and it's too late to fix; 4) Bush and Obama are both guilty of underfunding Constellation; 5) Using EELV rockets may be cheaper, but would mean a radical restructuring at NASA; and 6) NASA is handicapped by rules that limit the way it does business. Click here to read the article. (10/24)
Bolivia, China, ITU Sign Agreement for Satellite Construction (Source: Xinhua)
The Bolivian government, China's Great Wall Industry Corporation and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) signed an agreement on Friday to construct and set a satellite in orbit. During the signing ceremony, Bolivian President Evo Morales said it statement confirmed that Bolivia would have its own space satellite in three years. This would promote the country's economic, social and technological development. The satellite would be called "Tupac Katari" in honor of an indigenous leader of the 18th century in Bolivia who fought for national independence. (10/24)
Seven Questions That Keep Physicists Up at Night (Source: New Scientist)
A panel of leading physicists spilled the beans about what keeps them tossing and turning in the wee hours. Here are seven key conundrums: 1) Why this universe?; 2) What is everything made of?; 3) How does complexity happen?; 4) Will string theory ever be proved correct?; 5) What is the singularity?; 6) What is really really?; and 7) How far can physics take us? Click here to read explanations of each question. (10/24)
Panel's Final Report Recommends In-Space Refueling (Source: Popular Science)
The Augustine Panel appears to once again favor private commercial spaceflight for launching cargo and crews to orbit, such as SpaceX's Falcon rockets. The report makes mention of a modified Ares V rocket and the Orion spacecraft as NASA's backup in case private industry fails to deliver, but does not mention the Ares-I rocket that is slated for its first test flight next week.
It also touts in-space refueling as a way to give both smaller and larger rockets longer legs on space missions. The report noted that a rocket would typically burn part of its fuel during launch, and then spend the rest injecting its payload toward whatever destination beyond low-Earth orbit. But a space tanker or fuel depot could provide more fuel for a greater boost. (10/23)
Mars Can Wait; NASA Should Try Landing on Asteroids First (Source: Ars Technica)
Forget all this talk about manned missions to Mars; is it time to scale back US space plans and land on an asteroid instead, Armageddon style? The committee has concluded that NASA now has plans that don't reflect any sort of budgetary reality, and suggests that a "flexible path" series of missions to asteroids and orbital LaGrange points as realistic goals for the next few decades. Mars can wait. (10/24)
October 23 News Items
Despite Gloomy Future for Ares I Rocket, the Ares I-X Test is "Go" (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
It's at the launchpad, but its purpose is not as clear as it was even a week ago. On Thursday, the Augustine Panel recommended scrapping the Ares I rocket. Nonetheless, NASA today gave the green light to launch its prototype, the Ares I-X, next Tuesday morning. It's a bittersweet moment for the agency that has worked so hard on getting the test rocket ready as the "first flight of a new era." Here's the press release just in from NASA. NASA has completed a review of the Ares I-X development rocket's readiness and has scheduled its liftoff for 8 a.m. EDT from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. (10/23)
Vega Rocket Testing Continues as ESA Maps Out Operations (Source: SpaceFlightNow.com)
Europe's small satellite launcher is on the home stretch of its protracted development, as engineers methodically check to ensure each of the Vega rocket's parts are qualified for flight. The Vega is still undergoing software and electronics testing, even though its rocket motors and launch pad are nearly ready to go. The mission simulations, which will continue into 2010, are the now the pacing items to wrap up Vega's development phase. Now scheduled for its debut launch next fall, the Italian-led Vega rocket is tailored to send lightweight ESA institutional satellites into orbit. (10/23)
New NASA iPhone App Arrives (Source: WIRED)
The new NASA iPhone app means that even when you are away from your computer (or telescope), you can gawk at nebulas and sunspots. NASA’s image-of-the-day and astronomy-photo-of-the-day collections are right there in searchable thumbnail grids. (We like the “nebula” and “mass ejection” searches.) Plus, you can e-mail or save them to your phone. It’s hard to think of a better way to get nerdy/sublime backgrounds than this app.
You can also watch videos from NASA TV of science updates, mission activity, rocket launches and other events. Another fun option is checking in on NASA’s various missions with status updates and live countdowns clocks. And if you need to know exactly where the International Space Station or space shuttle is right now, NASA has you covered with their orbit tracks overlain on Google Earth or a map with political boundaries, or both. (10/23)
Greason: It's Time to Base U.S. Space Policy on the "Truth" (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Jeff Greason is a founder of XCOR Aerospace company, the Personal Spaceflight Federation, and one of the most outspoken members of the Augustine Panel. "My opinion is...there are elements of the current architecture which would probably would continue to be useful in a variety of future architectures, and there are elements of the current architecture that I really don’t agree give us good value going forward. The current architecture, for example, depends for its budget assumptions the assumption that the space station will be canceled in 2016."
"I don’t agree that's good value for the nation. The current architecture employs a one-and-a-half launch architecture in which the flight rate of the small launcher, Ares I, is very low, with the result being that we would be investing a lot of money in a small booster that duplicates the ability we have elsewhere that we don’t expect to fly very much. And it would arrive late to serve the program that it is intended to serve. So, I don’t think it’s a fair characterization to say that what we found is that everything is wonderful." Click here to read the interview. (10/23)
European Reps Express Support for Big Investment in Exploration (Source: Space.com)
Representatives from most of the 27 member governments of the European Union (EU) on Oct. 23 expressed support for a major, if still undefined, financial investment in space exploration alongside the European Space Agency (ESA) but conceded it will take a year before they are ready to set firm budget and policy goals. They said that by late 2010 they should be able to make initial decisions on a space exploration roadmap that includes robotic and manned missions in collaboration with the United States, Russia, Japan and other nations including China and India.
They also acknowledged that the United States, which they view as the natural coordinator of a major exploration initiative, will need the next 12 months to align U.S. space exploration objectives with NASA’s likely budget. European Commission Vice President Guenter Verheugen, who has been a major force in putting space on the agenda of the commission, urged European governments to view space exploration as something more than a source of new technologies or other practical spinoffs. (10/23)
NASA Pledges To Rebalance Technology Development Efforts (Source: Space News)
Amid criticism that NASA has strayed from its research and development roots in recent years, a senior agency official told a congressional panel that NASA would be changing the way it invests in advanced technologies. “Earlier this year we recognized that our investments in technology have changed. They’ve changed their focus to a more near-term focus as opposed to a longer-term focus for a variety of reasons,” NASA Associate Administrator Chris Scolese said. “So we asked a team to go off and look at what we could do...You can expect to see some changes in how NASA does technology in the future.” (10/23)
Video Advocates Option 4B for Shuttle Extension (Source: SPACErePORT)
A new video is circulating with snippets from Augustine Panel meetings and other commentary in favor of Option 4B, the scenario put forward in the Augustine Panel's final report that would extend the Space Shuttle to 2015 and replace it with a shuttle-derived heavy-lift vehicle. See the video at http://www.vimeo.com/7209149. (10/23)
It's at the launchpad, but its purpose is not as clear as it was even a week ago. On Thursday, the Augustine Panel recommended scrapping the Ares I rocket. Nonetheless, NASA today gave the green light to launch its prototype, the Ares I-X, next Tuesday morning. It's a bittersweet moment for the agency that has worked so hard on getting the test rocket ready as the "first flight of a new era." Here's the press release just in from NASA. NASA has completed a review of the Ares I-X development rocket's readiness and has scheduled its liftoff for 8 a.m. EDT from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. (10/23)
Vega Rocket Testing Continues as ESA Maps Out Operations (Source: SpaceFlightNow.com)
Europe's small satellite launcher is on the home stretch of its protracted development, as engineers methodically check to ensure each of the Vega rocket's parts are qualified for flight. The Vega is still undergoing software and electronics testing, even though its rocket motors and launch pad are nearly ready to go. The mission simulations, which will continue into 2010, are the now the pacing items to wrap up Vega's development phase. Now scheduled for its debut launch next fall, the Italian-led Vega rocket is tailored to send lightweight ESA institutional satellites into orbit. (10/23)
New NASA iPhone App Arrives (Source: WIRED)
The new NASA iPhone app means that even when you are away from your computer (or telescope), you can gawk at nebulas and sunspots. NASA’s image-of-the-day and astronomy-photo-of-the-day collections are right there in searchable thumbnail grids. (We like the “nebula” and “mass ejection” searches.) Plus, you can e-mail or save them to your phone. It’s hard to think of a better way to get nerdy/sublime backgrounds than this app.
You can also watch videos from NASA TV of science updates, mission activity, rocket launches and other events. Another fun option is checking in on NASA’s various missions with status updates and live countdowns clocks. And if you need to know exactly where the International Space Station or space shuttle is right now, NASA has you covered with their orbit tracks overlain on Google Earth or a map with political boundaries, or both. (10/23)
Greason: It's Time to Base U.S. Space Policy on the "Truth" (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Jeff Greason is a founder of XCOR Aerospace company, the Personal Spaceflight Federation, and one of the most outspoken members of the Augustine Panel. "My opinion is...there are elements of the current architecture which would probably would continue to be useful in a variety of future architectures, and there are elements of the current architecture that I really don’t agree give us good value going forward. The current architecture, for example, depends for its budget assumptions the assumption that the space station will be canceled in 2016."
"I don’t agree that's good value for the nation. The current architecture employs a one-and-a-half launch architecture in which the flight rate of the small launcher, Ares I, is very low, with the result being that we would be investing a lot of money in a small booster that duplicates the ability we have elsewhere that we don’t expect to fly very much. And it would arrive late to serve the program that it is intended to serve. So, I don’t think it’s a fair characterization to say that what we found is that everything is wonderful." Click here to read the interview. (10/23)
European Reps Express Support for Big Investment in Exploration (Source: Space.com)
Representatives from most of the 27 member governments of the European Union (EU) on Oct. 23 expressed support for a major, if still undefined, financial investment in space exploration alongside the European Space Agency (ESA) but conceded it will take a year before they are ready to set firm budget and policy goals. They said that by late 2010 they should be able to make initial decisions on a space exploration roadmap that includes robotic and manned missions in collaboration with the United States, Russia, Japan and other nations including China and India.
They also acknowledged that the United States, which they view as the natural coordinator of a major exploration initiative, will need the next 12 months to align U.S. space exploration objectives with NASA’s likely budget. European Commission Vice President Guenter Verheugen, who has been a major force in putting space on the agenda of the commission, urged European governments to view space exploration as something more than a source of new technologies or other practical spinoffs. (10/23)
NASA Pledges To Rebalance Technology Development Efforts (Source: Space News)
Amid criticism that NASA has strayed from its research and development roots in recent years, a senior agency official told a congressional panel that NASA would be changing the way it invests in advanced technologies. “Earlier this year we recognized that our investments in technology have changed. They’ve changed their focus to a more near-term focus as opposed to a longer-term focus for a variety of reasons,” NASA Associate Administrator Chris Scolese said. “So we asked a team to go off and look at what we could do...You can expect to see some changes in how NASA does technology in the future.” (10/23)
Video Advocates Option 4B for Shuttle Extension (Source: SPACErePORT)
A new video is circulating with snippets from Augustine Panel meetings and other commentary in favor of Option 4B, the scenario put forward in the Augustine Panel's final report that would extend the Space Shuttle to 2015 and replace it with a shuttle-derived heavy-lift vehicle. See the video at http://www.vimeo.com/7209149. (10/23)
October 22 News Items
Space Future is Up To White House (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
While the Augustine Panel report mostly lists options, it indicates that members felt that the best way forward was for NASA to pick a good rocket, invite other countries to share the cost and use commercial rockets to take astronauts and cargo to the space station so that the agency can explore the inner solar system and ultimately Mars. "If, after designing cleverly, building alliances with partners, and engaging commercial providers, the nation cannot afford to fund the effort to pursue the goals it would like to embrace, it should accept the disappointment of setting lesser goals," the report said.
Despite the list of options, however, there are signs that President Barack Obama may reject all or most of the committee's suggested increase to NASA's current $18 billion budget. Privately, senior policy advisers monitoring the committee's work have said that NASA's current Constellation moon-rocket program is "busted" and that the Ares-1 rocket, at least, should be canceled. "That just says that we have a program that doesn't work," said one administration official. "I am not psyched about that, but that's just the honest truth." (10/22)
Huntsville Rep. Parker Griffith Says Augustine Panel Report "Lacks Ambition" for NASA (Source: Huntsville Times)
The Augustine Panel report is incomplete and lacks ambition, according to Huntsville Democrat Rep. Parker Griffith. Griffith says the report keeps NASA from growing and pursuing new, challenging missions.
"We did not get to where we are today by settling for the status quo... The report...lacks the ambition and drive that first put our astronauts in space, beat the Russians to the moon, and is synonymous with the American space program," Griffith said. "Time and again, the Constellation program has proven to be the best and safest option to continue America's legacy as the leader in manned spaceflight, but the full report seems to ignore every positive study, every report, every positive conclusion that demonstrates this." (10/22)
Panel Says NASA Should Consider Canceling Ares-1 (Source: New York Times)
Ares-1 and Orion are not scheduled to begin operation until March 2015. Because of NASA’s budget constraints, the Augustine Panel concluded that the date of the first flight would very likely slip two years. The panel did not call Ares-1 an engineering failure but rather a victim of smaller-than-expected budgets and changing circumstances. “With time and sufficient funds, NASA could develop, build and fly the Ares-1 successfully,” the panel wrote. “The question is, should it?”
Because of the delays, the Ares-1 may be too late for one of its primary tasks, ferrying astronauts to and from the space station. Its defenders point to its simple design, arguing that it will be far safer than earlier rockets. While agreeing that the Ares-1’s simplicity was an asset, the panel was unconvinced that the rocket would be markedly safer than competing concepts.
Further, the planned launching rate for the Ares-1 is no more than two per year, “raising questions about the sustainability of safe operations,” the panel said. In turning away from the Ares I, the panel also makes a strong push for turning transportation to low-Earth orbit to private space companies. (10/22)
Posey Favors Shuttle-Extension Option (Source: Rep. Posey)
“If the President is going to keep his promise to close the gap and keep America first in space he must revise his budget plan and put more money back into the NASA budget. I would fully support such a plan and, in fact, introduced a bill to do just this more than six months ago.”
“The report confirms what some of us have been saying for months and that is that the marginal costs of continuing to fly the Shuttle are not as large as many assume,” added Posey. The report makes clear that the only way to close the gap significantly is to extend Shuttle flights beyond 2010 and that the “savings resulting from Shuttle retirement are not as great as they appear. Conversely, the marginal costs of flying the Shuttle are less than implied by the existing bookkeeping.” This is largely due to the fact that NASA’s fixed costs will remain whether the Shuttle continues to fly or is retired. (10/22)
Confusion Cleared Over Need for $3 Billion Increase (Sources: Space Policy Online, SPACErePORT)
The Augustine Panel called for a $3 billion increase to NASA's budget, but the approach to achieving that increase has been the subject of some debate and confusion. Some observers believed the requirement to be for compounded increases of $3 billion per year. Some thought it called for an immediate and sustained increase of $3 billion. Some thought it called for a ramp-up to a sustained $3 billion increase.
Mr. Augustine cleared up the confusion by confirming that his panel envisioned a gradual ramp-up to the $3 billion figure by FY-2014, sustained in the years thereafter. This might be good news for federal budgeteers trying to locate the money, but it is less aggressive than Florida and Texas lawmakers who are seeking an immediate infusion of $3 billion from unspent federal stimulus funding. (10/22)
NASA’s Fundamental Budgetary Conundrum (Source: Augustine Panel)
"Within the current structure of the budget, NASA essentially has the resources either to build a major new system or to operate one, but not to do both. This is the root cause of the gap in capability of launching crew to low-Earth orbit under the current budget and will likely be the source of other gaps in the future." (10/22)
Several Panel "Findings" Focus on Right-Sizing NASA Workforce, Centers, Etc. (Source: Augustine Panel)
"NASA’s budget should match its mission and goals. Further, NASA should be given the ability to shape its organization and infrastructure accordingly, while maintaining facilities deemed to be of national importance."
"The NASA Administrator and program managers need to be given the responsibility and authority to manage their endeavors. This includes providing flexibility to tailor resources, including people, facilities and funds, to fit mission needs."
"There are significant fixed costs in the NASA system. Given that reality, reducing the funding profile much below the optimum for the development of a given program has an amplified effect of delaying benefits and increasing total program cost." (10/22)
Giffords Stays Put on Constellation Support (Source: House Science Committee)
Space & Aeronautics Subcommittee Chairwoman Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) offered the following remarks in the context of the Augustine Panel's report release: "Congress has already made its decisions on the issues considered by the panel. Now that both internal and external independent reviews have confirmed that the Constellation program is being well executed, we know what needs to be done. Let’s get on with it and cease contemplating our collective navels.” (10/22)
Greason Counters Shelby Assertion on Launch Vehicle Safety (Source: Space Politics)
In comments at the International Symposium on Personal & Commercial Spaceflight, Augustine Panel member Jeff Greason's comments were in direct opposition to assertions made by Sen. Shelby of Alabama that proposed commercial crew systems would not be as safe as NASA-developed Constellation vehicles. Greason begged to differ.
"The the truth is, Ares 1 is, right now, a paper booster,” Greason said. “And the further truth is, its projected launch rate is extremely low, so it will never get out of ‘infant mortality,’” that initial phase of non-probabilistic failures. “Even if Ares 1 were built exactly as planned, we would never find out whether its mature probabilistic risk assessment was or was not achievable as planned, because we would never get through the phase of life where we’re supposed to work out all the teething problems.” (10/22)
Northrop: Sales Rise Four Percent, Profits Drop Four Percent (Source: Torrance Daily Breeze)
Northrop Grumman earnings for the third quarter were hurt by higher pension costs, but results handily beat analyst estimates, and the maker of military aircraft and defense electronics lifted its profit outlook for the year. Third-quarter sales rose to $8.73 billion, up from $8.38 billion in the third quarter of last year. Net earnings dropped to $490 million, from $512 million a year earlier. (10/21)
Nelson on NASA: Return is Vastly Greater Than Investment (Source: WDBO)
Senator Bill Nelson said Wednesday that NASA gets less than 1% of the federal budget, but people think it's more, because of the value they place on its discoveries. Nelson said the Augustine Panel report will provide President Barack Obama "with a stark choice to continue on the path that we're on, which is underfunding and underallocating the space program, or we can choose a different course." (10/21)
Russia Delays Launch of Three Glonass Satellites (Source: RIA Novosti)
The Oct. 29 launch of a carrier rocket bearing three Glonass navigation satellites has been delayed until Feb. 2010, Roscosmos said. Roscosmos said the delay was caused by the need to carry out work to increase the reliability of the satellites. Roscosmos head Anatoly Perminov earlier pledged that all six satellites required to complete the Glonass satellite grouping would be launched by the end of 2009.
A total of 9.9 billion rubles ($360 million at the current exchange rate) was allocated for Glonass from the federal budget in 2007, and 4.7 billion rubles ($170 million) in 2006. (10/22)
California Street Named After Space Shuttle (Source: Long Beach Press-Telegram)
A divided Downy City Council agreed this week to rename Clark Avenue in honor of the Space Shuttle Columbia and the new learning center built in its name. In a special session, the City Council voted 3-2 to change Clark to Columbia Way inside city limits, Mayor Mario Guerra said Wednesday. (10/22)
It Came From the Moon, and Now it's Dying (Source: Philadelphia Daily News)
In Washington Square Park, in soil that once cradled the dead bodies of slaves, soldiers and strangers, it took root. Where some of the darkest memories of our planet were buried, so, too, was a tree that had been to the darkest side of our moon. Of the approximately 400 seeds that NASA astronaut Stuart Roosa took with him to the moon in 1971, only about 60 "moon trees" are confirmed to exist today, said Dave Williams, NASA planetary curation scientist. Philadelphia has one - and it's dying. (10/22)
Oceanic-Route GPS System Shows Promise of NextGen (Source: AIA)
Satellite-based air-traffic control systems now being used over much of the world's oceans offer a glimpse into the benefits of NextGen. In the U.S., Lockheed Martin's ATOP, or Advanced Technology and Oceanic Procedures, has been in use on oceanic routes for four years, saving airlines some 10 million gallons of fuel by allowing more direct flight paths. The system automates altitude changes and other routine pilot requests, freeing controllers for more essential duties. "It's really changed the way we do business," says an FAA official. (10/22)
Raytheon Beats Expectations, Predicts Profit in 2010 (Source: AIA)
Raytheon beat Wall Street expectations by announcing net income of $490 million for the third quarter, well ahead of analysts' forecast. Raytheon boosted its full-year earnings guidance and predicted another profitable year in 2010. (10/22)
"Old Space" and "New Space" Converge Under New NASA Policy (Source: AIA)
Experts say the line between public and private spaceflight is beginning to blur as NASA and for-profit companies move toward greater cooperation. On Tuesday, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden told a financial conference that "space may someday soon become the new thing in investing" as his agency partners with private firms to speed innovation. (10/22)
Editorial: The Quest for New Space Pioneers (Source: Huntsville Times)
The nation's top space chief diverted from some space-related appearances Wednesday in Huntsville to visit several area schools. Charles Bolden talked to students about the importance of getting a good education, making wise choices and not being afraid to fail. The student outreach seemed timely. About 70 percent of the aerospace workforce in Huntsville will be eligible to retire in about five years. Without new talent to replace them, the nation's space program could be paralyzed. No NASA administrator in recent memory had devoted so much time to schools during visits to Huntsville. (10/22)
Posey, Olson, Coffman: We Should Keep Investing in Space (Source: The Examiner)
What do we aspire to achieve and what means are needed? Today, space is one area in which the United States is undeniably and universally respected around the world. Decisions in the near future will determine if this will be the case for much longer. NASA's current budget is $18 billion. The Augustine Committee reports that for NASA to have a viable program it will need an additional $3 billion both immediately and into the future. We do not take spending $3 billion lightly, but it is our strong belief that the failure to do so will be even more costly in the long run. (10/22)
While the Augustine Panel report mostly lists options, it indicates that members felt that the best way forward was for NASA to pick a good rocket, invite other countries to share the cost and use commercial rockets to take astronauts and cargo to the space station so that the agency can explore the inner solar system and ultimately Mars. "If, after designing cleverly, building alliances with partners, and engaging commercial providers, the nation cannot afford to fund the effort to pursue the goals it would like to embrace, it should accept the disappointment of setting lesser goals," the report said.
Despite the list of options, however, there are signs that President Barack Obama may reject all or most of the committee's suggested increase to NASA's current $18 billion budget. Privately, senior policy advisers monitoring the committee's work have said that NASA's current Constellation moon-rocket program is "busted" and that the Ares-1 rocket, at least, should be canceled. "That just says that we have a program that doesn't work," said one administration official. "I am not psyched about that, but that's just the honest truth." (10/22)
Huntsville Rep. Parker Griffith Says Augustine Panel Report "Lacks Ambition" for NASA (Source: Huntsville Times)
The Augustine Panel report is incomplete and lacks ambition, according to Huntsville Democrat Rep. Parker Griffith. Griffith says the report keeps NASA from growing and pursuing new, challenging missions.
"We did not get to where we are today by settling for the status quo... The report...lacks the ambition and drive that first put our astronauts in space, beat the Russians to the moon, and is synonymous with the American space program," Griffith said. "Time and again, the Constellation program has proven to be the best and safest option to continue America's legacy as the leader in manned spaceflight, but the full report seems to ignore every positive study, every report, every positive conclusion that demonstrates this." (10/22)
Panel Says NASA Should Consider Canceling Ares-1 (Source: New York Times)
Ares-1 and Orion are not scheduled to begin operation until March 2015. Because of NASA’s budget constraints, the Augustine Panel concluded that the date of the first flight would very likely slip two years. The panel did not call Ares-1 an engineering failure but rather a victim of smaller-than-expected budgets and changing circumstances. “With time and sufficient funds, NASA could develop, build and fly the Ares-1 successfully,” the panel wrote. “The question is, should it?”
Because of the delays, the Ares-1 may be too late for one of its primary tasks, ferrying astronauts to and from the space station. Its defenders point to its simple design, arguing that it will be far safer than earlier rockets. While agreeing that the Ares-1’s simplicity was an asset, the panel was unconvinced that the rocket would be markedly safer than competing concepts.
Further, the planned launching rate for the Ares-1 is no more than two per year, “raising questions about the sustainability of safe operations,” the panel said. In turning away from the Ares I, the panel also makes a strong push for turning transportation to low-Earth orbit to private space companies. (10/22)
Posey Favors Shuttle-Extension Option (Source: Rep. Posey)
“If the President is going to keep his promise to close the gap and keep America first in space he must revise his budget plan and put more money back into the NASA budget. I would fully support such a plan and, in fact, introduced a bill to do just this more than six months ago.”
“The report confirms what some of us have been saying for months and that is that the marginal costs of continuing to fly the Shuttle are not as large as many assume,” added Posey. The report makes clear that the only way to close the gap significantly is to extend Shuttle flights beyond 2010 and that the “savings resulting from Shuttle retirement are not as great as they appear. Conversely, the marginal costs of flying the Shuttle are less than implied by the existing bookkeeping.” This is largely due to the fact that NASA’s fixed costs will remain whether the Shuttle continues to fly or is retired. (10/22)
Confusion Cleared Over Need for $3 Billion Increase (Sources: Space Policy Online, SPACErePORT)
The Augustine Panel called for a $3 billion increase to NASA's budget, but the approach to achieving that increase has been the subject of some debate and confusion. Some observers believed the requirement to be for compounded increases of $3 billion per year. Some thought it called for an immediate and sustained increase of $3 billion. Some thought it called for a ramp-up to a sustained $3 billion increase.
Mr. Augustine cleared up the confusion by confirming that his panel envisioned a gradual ramp-up to the $3 billion figure by FY-2014, sustained in the years thereafter. This might be good news for federal budgeteers trying to locate the money, but it is less aggressive than Florida and Texas lawmakers who are seeking an immediate infusion of $3 billion from unspent federal stimulus funding. (10/22)
NASA’s Fundamental Budgetary Conundrum (Source: Augustine Panel)
"Within the current structure of the budget, NASA essentially has the resources either to build a major new system or to operate one, but not to do both. This is the root cause of the gap in capability of launching crew to low-Earth orbit under the current budget and will likely be the source of other gaps in the future." (10/22)
Several Panel "Findings" Focus on Right-Sizing NASA Workforce, Centers, Etc. (Source: Augustine Panel)
"NASA’s budget should match its mission and goals. Further, NASA should be given the ability to shape its organization and infrastructure accordingly, while maintaining facilities deemed to be of national importance."
"The NASA Administrator and program managers need to be given the responsibility and authority to manage their endeavors. This includes providing flexibility to tailor resources, including people, facilities and funds, to fit mission needs."
"There are significant fixed costs in the NASA system. Given that reality, reducing the funding profile much below the optimum for the development of a given program has an amplified effect of delaying benefits and increasing total program cost." (10/22)
Giffords Stays Put on Constellation Support (Source: House Science Committee)
Space & Aeronautics Subcommittee Chairwoman Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) offered the following remarks in the context of the Augustine Panel's report release: "Congress has already made its decisions on the issues considered by the panel. Now that both internal and external independent reviews have confirmed that the Constellation program is being well executed, we know what needs to be done. Let’s get on with it and cease contemplating our collective navels.” (10/22)
Greason Counters Shelby Assertion on Launch Vehicle Safety (Source: Space Politics)
In comments at the International Symposium on Personal & Commercial Spaceflight, Augustine Panel member Jeff Greason's comments were in direct opposition to assertions made by Sen. Shelby of Alabama that proposed commercial crew systems would not be as safe as NASA-developed Constellation vehicles. Greason begged to differ.
"The the truth is, Ares 1 is, right now, a paper booster,” Greason said. “And the further truth is, its projected launch rate is extremely low, so it will never get out of ‘infant mortality,’” that initial phase of non-probabilistic failures. “Even if Ares 1 were built exactly as planned, we would never find out whether its mature probabilistic risk assessment was or was not achievable as planned, because we would never get through the phase of life where we’re supposed to work out all the teething problems.” (10/22)
Northrop: Sales Rise Four Percent, Profits Drop Four Percent (Source: Torrance Daily Breeze)
Northrop Grumman earnings for the third quarter were hurt by higher pension costs, but results handily beat analyst estimates, and the maker of military aircraft and defense electronics lifted its profit outlook for the year. Third-quarter sales rose to $8.73 billion, up from $8.38 billion in the third quarter of last year. Net earnings dropped to $490 million, from $512 million a year earlier. (10/21)
Nelson on NASA: Return is Vastly Greater Than Investment (Source: WDBO)
Senator Bill Nelson said Wednesday that NASA gets less than 1% of the federal budget, but people think it's more, because of the value they place on its discoveries. Nelson said the Augustine Panel report will provide President Barack Obama "with a stark choice to continue on the path that we're on, which is underfunding and underallocating the space program, or we can choose a different course." (10/21)
Russia Delays Launch of Three Glonass Satellites (Source: RIA Novosti)
The Oct. 29 launch of a carrier rocket bearing three Glonass navigation satellites has been delayed until Feb. 2010, Roscosmos said. Roscosmos said the delay was caused by the need to carry out work to increase the reliability of the satellites. Roscosmos head Anatoly Perminov earlier pledged that all six satellites required to complete the Glonass satellite grouping would be launched by the end of 2009.
A total of 9.9 billion rubles ($360 million at the current exchange rate) was allocated for Glonass from the federal budget in 2007, and 4.7 billion rubles ($170 million) in 2006. (10/22)
California Street Named After Space Shuttle (Source: Long Beach Press-Telegram)
A divided Downy City Council agreed this week to rename Clark Avenue in honor of the Space Shuttle Columbia and the new learning center built in its name. In a special session, the City Council voted 3-2 to change Clark to Columbia Way inside city limits, Mayor Mario Guerra said Wednesday. (10/22)
It Came From the Moon, and Now it's Dying (Source: Philadelphia Daily News)
In Washington Square Park, in soil that once cradled the dead bodies of slaves, soldiers and strangers, it took root. Where some of the darkest memories of our planet were buried, so, too, was a tree that had been to the darkest side of our moon. Of the approximately 400 seeds that NASA astronaut Stuart Roosa took with him to the moon in 1971, only about 60 "moon trees" are confirmed to exist today, said Dave Williams, NASA planetary curation scientist. Philadelphia has one - and it's dying. (10/22)
Oceanic-Route GPS System Shows Promise of NextGen (Source: AIA)
Satellite-based air-traffic control systems now being used over much of the world's oceans offer a glimpse into the benefits of NextGen. In the U.S., Lockheed Martin's ATOP, or Advanced Technology and Oceanic Procedures, has been in use on oceanic routes for four years, saving airlines some 10 million gallons of fuel by allowing more direct flight paths. The system automates altitude changes and other routine pilot requests, freeing controllers for more essential duties. "It's really changed the way we do business," says an FAA official. (10/22)
Raytheon Beats Expectations, Predicts Profit in 2010 (Source: AIA)
Raytheon beat Wall Street expectations by announcing net income of $490 million for the third quarter, well ahead of analysts' forecast. Raytheon boosted its full-year earnings guidance and predicted another profitable year in 2010. (10/22)
"Old Space" and "New Space" Converge Under New NASA Policy (Source: AIA)
Experts say the line between public and private spaceflight is beginning to blur as NASA and for-profit companies move toward greater cooperation. On Tuesday, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden told a financial conference that "space may someday soon become the new thing in investing" as his agency partners with private firms to speed innovation. (10/22)
Editorial: The Quest for New Space Pioneers (Source: Huntsville Times)
The nation's top space chief diverted from some space-related appearances Wednesday in Huntsville to visit several area schools. Charles Bolden talked to students about the importance of getting a good education, making wise choices and not being afraid to fail. The student outreach seemed timely. About 70 percent of the aerospace workforce in Huntsville will be eligible to retire in about five years. Without new talent to replace them, the nation's space program could be paralyzed. No NASA administrator in recent memory had devoted so much time to schools during visits to Huntsville. (10/22)
Posey, Olson, Coffman: We Should Keep Investing in Space (Source: The Examiner)
What do we aspire to achieve and what means are needed? Today, space is one area in which the United States is undeniably and universally respected around the world. Decisions in the near future will determine if this will be the case for much longer. NASA's current budget is $18 billion. The Augustine Committee reports that for NASA to have a viable program it will need an additional $3 billion both immediately and into the future. We do not take spending $3 billion lightly, but it is our strong belief that the failure to do so will be even more costly in the long run. (10/22)
October 21 News Items
Boeing Loses $1.5 Billion for Quarter (Source: Financial Times)
Boeing reported a quarterly net loss of more than $1.5 billion, missed Wall Street’s revenue expectations and slashed its annual profit forecast by more than half. The third-quarter net loss of $1.56 billion, compared with net income of $695 million a year earlier. Revenue climbed 9 percent to $16.7 billion. Boeing will also fall short of its goal of eliminating 10,000 jobs by the end of the year. But the final tally would exceed that goal in 2010. Boeing’s workforce stood at just over 158,000 at the end of September. (10/21)
NRO Director Decries State of U.S. Launch Industry (Source: Space News)
Two of the biggest concerns today at the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) are a steep decline in funding for science and technology development projects and the state of the U.S. space launch industry, Director Bruce Carlson said. He said change is required to fix the policies that have left the United States with a single heavy-lift launch provider and only two sites from which to launch satellites that are critical to national security. Part of the solution is more NASA involvement in launch efforts, he said.
“The business of launch and the state of launch is not very good,” Carlson said. “Many of you out there have packages ready to go. That’s a dickens of a way to have a space program. You wouldn’t go to a rental car place if it had people standing around waiting to rent a car.”
Carlson also said the NRO’s budget for science and technology programs has shrunk by 50 percent during the last five years. “That is the seed corn for the future,” he said. “That’s what keeps our young scientists and engineers excited to come to work every day to work on these kinds of projects." (10/21)
Nelson Makes Push for Space Exploration Funding (Source: Florida Today)
Sen. Bill Nelson is making a late push for additional funding for space exploration. From breakthroughs in cancer research to automated robot vacuums, a Senate panel took testimony promoting the value of NASA at a critical juncture in the agency’s future. "The realization of these benefits is not a given without presidential leadership," Nelson said during the hearing.
Nelson has been advocating an increase in funding for NASA of about $3 billion a year so that it can continue putting people in space. The $3 billion annual increase is expected to be included in Thursday’s final recommendation from the committee chaired by Norman Augustine. (10/21)
Shelby Lashes Out at Augustine Panel (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Republican Senator Richard Shelby launched a preemptive strike on President Barack Obama's blue ribbon space panel ther day before its due to release its final report, calling the committee's findings "worthless." Shelby, a staunch defender of NASA's Marshal Space Flight Center In Huntsville, Alabama, said in a Senate floor speech that the committee failed to consider safety when it ranked various rocket options for the White House to consider. "Without an honest and thorough examination of the safety and reliability aspects of the various designs and options for manned space flight, the findings of this report are worthless," said Shelby." (10/21)
Florida Project Wins NASA Steckler Space Grant (Source: NASA)
NASA has chosen 18 proposals from universities around the country to receive up to $70,000 for Phase One of the NASA Ralph Steckler Space Grant Colonization Research and Technology Development Opportunity. The UCF-based Florida Space Grant Consortium is among the Phase One grantees.
The purpose of Phase One is to establish the scientific and technical merit and feasibility of a proposed innovation, research, or technology development effort that could enable space colonization or settlement. Primary exploration elements include habitation, rovers, surface power, communications and extravehicular activity systems. Phase Two, which lasts two years, will provide a maximum of $250,000 each to four of the most promising Phase One projects through a competitive selection based on scientific and technical merit. (10/21)
California Project Wins NASA Steckler Space Grant (Source: NASA)
NASA has chosen 18 proposals from universities around the country to receive up to $70,000 for Phase One of the NASA Ralph Steckler Space Grant Colonization Research and Technology Development Opportunity. The University of California in San Diego is among the Phase One grantees.
The purpose of Phase One is to establish the scientific and technical merit and feasibility of a proposed innovation, research, or technology development effort that could enable space colonization or settlement. Primary exploration elements include habitation, rovers, surface power, communications and extravehicular activity systems. Phase Two, which lasts two years, will provide a maximum of $250,000 each to four of the most promising Phase One projects through a competitive selection based on scientific and technical merit. (10/21)
Florida Project Wins NASA Climate Change Education Grant (Source: NASA)
NASA has awarded $6.1 million in cooperative agreements to 15 organizations across the US to enhance learning through the use of NASA's Earth Science resources. The selected organizations include colleges and universities, nonprofit groups, museums, science centers and a school district. The awards have up to a three-year period of performance and range in value from about $170,000 to $650,000. The University of South Florida is among the winners, for "Global Climate Change Education: Advancing Student Knowledge Through Teacher Education." (10/21)
California Project Wins NASA Climate Change Education Grant (Source: NASA)
NASA has awarded $6.1 million in cooperative agreements to 15 organizations across the US to enhance learning through the use of NASA's Earth Science resources. The selected organizations include colleges and universities, nonprofit groups, museums, science centers and a school district. The awards have up to a three-year period of performance and range in value from about $170,000 to $650,000. The University of California is among the winners, for "Lifelines for High School Climate Change Education." (10/21)
Star Trek’s Next Generation Cast Embarks on Astronaut Autograph Show (Source: ASF)
“Star Trek: The Next Generation” cast will teleport to the already stellar line-up of celebrity astronauts at the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation’s (ASF) Astronaut Autograph and Memorabilia Show at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, on Nov. 7–8. Visit http://www.AstronautScholarship.org for information. (10/21)
UN Food Agency Offers Free Satellite Monitoring of Forests (Source: AFP)
The UN food agency Tuesday announced a satellite image database on the degradation of the world's forests as part of efforts to reduce global warming caused by greenhouse gases.
The Food and Agriculture Organization will provide high-resolution satellite data free to developing countries in partnership with other organizations including the State University of South Dakota and US Geological Survey in the United States and European Union Joint Research Center. (10/20)
Kosmas and Posey Legislation Would Support University-Led Space Transportation R&D Centers (Source: Rep. Kosmas)
Reps Suzanne Kosmas (D-FL) and Bill Posey (R-FL) introduced legislation to help minimize the impact of the impending human spaceflight gap by encouraging the development of the commercial spaceflight industry. The bipartisan bill would establish a competitive Commercial Space Transportation R&D “Centers of Excellence” (COE) program within NASA.
“The U.S. commercial launch industry has reached another crossroads. After almost two decades of decline, the retirement of the Space Shuttle is offering a new opportunity for the U.S. to reclaim its competitiveness in this strategically important enterprise,” said Christina Frederick-Recascino, vice president for research at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. “With emerging markets for commercial human spaceflight, and new technologies being applied throughout the industry, this is a ripe area for applied research by universities.”
The NASA Commercial Space Transportation Centers of Excellence program is based on the successful Federal Aviation Administration Air Transportation COE program, which, since enactment in 1990, has established eight centers that conduct long- and short-term aviation related research, education and training. Under the program, federal funding is matched by contributions from COE member universities, their affiliates from industry, and other stakeholders. (10/21)
Falcon-9 First Stage Headed to Cape Canaveral for Vehicle Integration (Source: SpaceX)
SpaceX successfully conducted two static firings of the first stage, nine engine cluster for its Falcon 9 launch vehicle. The firings took place at SpaceX’s Texas Test Site, a 300-acre structural and propulsion testing facility just outside of Waco, Texas. With completion of these tests, the first stage has now passed both structural and propulsion acceptance testing and will ship to Cape Canaveral in preparation for the first flight of Falcon 9. (10/21)
Northrop Reports Lower Profit, Higher Expectations (Source: AIA)
Higher revenues in all business segments led Northrop Grumman to raise its full-year profit forecast on Wednesday, despite a 4.3% drop in third-quarter earnings attributed to increased pension costs. Northrop's aerospace unit enjoyed 5% revenue growth for the quarter, outpacing gains of 4% in the information division. Overall, Northrop reported a profit of $490 million, down from $512 million in the same quarter last year. (10/21)
Bolden Directs MSFC Special Team to Evaluate HLV Alternatives (Source: NasaSpaceFlight.com)
NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden has asked for a “Special Team” at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) to evaluate the Heavy Lift alternatives – including DIRECT’s Jupiter launch vehicle – as a “top priority”. The team has been asked to create a report on their findings in time for Thanksgiving, in an apparent reaction to the final Augustine Commission report – which will be published on Thursday. (10/21)
Is $360 Million Too Much for Ares I-X ? (Source: Florida Today)
The towering Ares I-X test rocket that crawled to its launch pad Tuesday is about the same size, shape and weight as the real thing. Similarities between the test model and the Ares I rocket that NASA hopes will someday launch its new, manned Orion spaceship end there. Differences below the surface are enough to make some critics question the value of the $360 million test flight, set to launch Tuesday from Kennedy Space Center.
"I would say that it doesn't have zero value, but it's certainly not worth the money," said Rand Simberg, a veteran aerospace engineer, analyst and writer. Others say it's worthwhile. "True, the test article differs significantly from the envisioned flight configuration. But, there are things to be learned," said Leroy Chiao, a former NASA astronaut who serves on the presidential panel studying NASA's future. (10/21)
Embry-Riddle Students Plan for Radio Contact with Space Station Alumna (Source: ERAU)
Embry-Riddle alumna/astronaut Nicole Stott is expected to converse with students during a radio linkup from the International Space Station. The event will occur during the week of Nov. 22, with the specific day and time to be determined by NASA. Students are invited to submit questions to mailto:lisa.davids@erau.edu by Oct. 30. (10/21)
House Approves Bill to Extend Commercial Space Transportation Liability Regime (Source: S&T Committee)
The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 3819, a bill to extend the commercial space transportation liability regime. The liability law was first established by Congress as part of the Commercial Space Launch Act Amendments of 1988 and has been extended four times since its original enactment. The current liability risk-sharing regime extension expires at the end of the year; H.R. 3819 would extend it for three more years.
“The commercial space transportation liability and insurance regime has worked, has not cost the American taxpayer a single dollar in claims payments to date, has strengthened the U.S. competitiveness in commercial space launch, and is not a blank check since any potential claims payments would be subject to prior Congressional appropriation,” stated Chairman Gordon, who managed the bill and resolutions on the floor. (10/21)
Life's Ingredients Found Around Exoplanet (Source: Astronomy Now)
A gas giant orbiting a sun 150 light years away boasts water, methane and carbon dioxide, the second planet outside our Solar System found to display signs of life's basic building blocks. Although the planet is not inhabitable – it is a torrid gas planet much larger than Jupiter – if these chemical fingerprints were found around a rocky planet it could indicate the presence of life. (10/21)
Lockheed Profit Up, but Outlook Weakens (Source: Washington Post)
Demand for military cargo jets helped boost Lockheed Martin's third-quarter earnings, but the company said it is cautious about 2010 as the Obama administration shifts defense priorities away from some traditional weapons systems. Lockheed reported third-quarter profit of $797 million ($2.07 a share) up from $782 million ($1.92) for the same period last year, beating analysts' expectations. Revenue increased to $11.1 billion for the quarter compared with $10.6 billion last year. (10/21)
EADS Hires Ex-NASA Chief (Source: Financial Times)
EADS, the European aerospace and defence group that owns aircraft maker Airbus, has appointed Sean O'Keefe, a former head of NASA, as chief executive of its North American business. He will start next month. Mr O'Keefe replaces Ralph Crosby at a sensitive time. EADS is competing against Boeing for a contract to replace the US Air Force's ageing fleet of air-refuelling tankers that could be worth up to $50 billion. Mr O'Keefe is regarded as a heavy-hitter in the sector. In addition to running NASA between 2001 and 2005, Mr O'Keefe is a former secretary of the navy and chief financial officer of the defence department. (10/21)
Augustine Panelist Endorses Sticking with Ares 1 (Source: Space News)
Two days before a blue-ribbon panel’s final report on options for the U.S. human spaceflight program is due, a key panelist issued a strong personal endorsement of the NASA’s existing plan to go back to the Moon with the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle and Ares family of rockets. “I’m a rocket engineer, a rocket scientist. I’m a big, big believer in the need for rocket technology, so I personally want to see Ares 1 going and the program going as it’s currently structured,” said retired Air Force Gen. Lester Lyles. Lyles, who led the Augustine panel’s subcommittee on interagency and international cooperation, said while it may be prudent to study other options, he would not want to “disrupt” what he considers a successful program. (10/21)
Spaceflight Report Could Send Man to Mars (Source: AIA)
A report on manned spaceflight due out this week could recommend that NASA skips sending man back to the moon and instead sets its sights on Mars. Draft versions of the report currently circulating among White House and NASA officials suggest focusing on asteroid rendezvous and Mars flyby missions and also propose outsourcing International Space Station transport flights to the private sector. "This is an attractive option within NASA," says an agency official. "The question now is funding." (10/20)
Boeing reported a quarterly net loss of more than $1.5 billion, missed Wall Street’s revenue expectations and slashed its annual profit forecast by more than half. The third-quarter net loss of $1.56 billion, compared with net income of $695 million a year earlier. Revenue climbed 9 percent to $16.7 billion. Boeing will also fall short of its goal of eliminating 10,000 jobs by the end of the year. But the final tally would exceed that goal in 2010. Boeing’s workforce stood at just over 158,000 at the end of September. (10/21)
NRO Director Decries State of U.S. Launch Industry (Source: Space News)
Two of the biggest concerns today at the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) are a steep decline in funding for science and technology development projects and the state of the U.S. space launch industry, Director Bruce Carlson said. He said change is required to fix the policies that have left the United States with a single heavy-lift launch provider and only two sites from which to launch satellites that are critical to national security. Part of the solution is more NASA involvement in launch efforts, he said.
“The business of launch and the state of launch is not very good,” Carlson said. “Many of you out there have packages ready to go. That’s a dickens of a way to have a space program. You wouldn’t go to a rental car place if it had people standing around waiting to rent a car.”
Carlson also said the NRO’s budget for science and technology programs has shrunk by 50 percent during the last five years. “That is the seed corn for the future,” he said. “That’s what keeps our young scientists and engineers excited to come to work every day to work on these kinds of projects." (10/21)
Nelson Makes Push for Space Exploration Funding (Source: Florida Today)
Sen. Bill Nelson is making a late push for additional funding for space exploration. From breakthroughs in cancer research to automated robot vacuums, a Senate panel took testimony promoting the value of NASA at a critical juncture in the agency’s future. "The realization of these benefits is not a given without presidential leadership," Nelson said during the hearing.
Nelson has been advocating an increase in funding for NASA of about $3 billion a year so that it can continue putting people in space. The $3 billion annual increase is expected to be included in Thursday’s final recommendation from the committee chaired by Norman Augustine. (10/21)
Shelby Lashes Out at Augustine Panel (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Republican Senator Richard Shelby launched a preemptive strike on President Barack Obama's blue ribbon space panel ther day before its due to release its final report, calling the committee's findings "worthless." Shelby, a staunch defender of NASA's Marshal Space Flight Center In Huntsville, Alabama, said in a Senate floor speech that the committee failed to consider safety when it ranked various rocket options for the White House to consider. "Without an honest and thorough examination of the safety and reliability aspects of the various designs and options for manned space flight, the findings of this report are worthless," said Shelby." (10/21)
Florida Project Wins NASA Steckler Space Grant (Source: NASA)
NASA has chosen 18 proposals from universities around the country to receive up to $70,000 for Phase One of the NASA Ralph Steckler Space Grant Colonization Research and Technology Development Opportunity. The UCF-based Florida Space Grant Consortium is among the Phase One grantees.
The purpose of Phase One is to establish the scientific and technical merit and feasibility of a proposed innovation, research, or technology development effort that could enable space colonization or settlement. Primary exploration elements include habitation, rovers, surface power, communications and extravehicular activity systems. Phase Two, which lasts two years, will provide a maximum of $250,000 each to four of the most promising Phase One projects through a competitive selection based on scientific and technical merit. (10/21)
California Project Wins NASA Steckler Space Grant (Source: NASA)
NASA has chosen 18 proposals from universities around the country to receive up to $70,000 for Phase One of the NASA Ralph Steckler Space Grant Colonization Research and Technology Development Opportunity. The University of California in San Diego is among the Phase One grantees.
The purpose of Phase One is to establish the scientific and technical merit and feasibility of a proposed innovation, research, or technology development effort that could enable space colonization or settlement. Primary exploration elements include habitation, rovers, surface power, communications and extravehicular activity systems. Phase Two, which lasts two years, will provide a maximum of $250,000 each to four of the most promising Phase One projects through a competitive selection based on scientific and technical merit. (10/21)
Florida Project Wins NASA Climate Change Education Grant (Source: NASA)
NASA has awarded $6.1 million in cooperative agreements to 15 organizations across the US to enhance learning through the use of NASA's Earth Science resources. The selected organizations include colleges and universities, nonprofit groups, museums, science centers and a school district. The awards have up to a three-year period of performance and range in value from about $170,000 to $650,000. The University of South Florida is among the winners, for "Global Climate Change Education: Advancing Student Knowledge Through Teacher Education." (10/21)
California Project Wins NASA Climate Change Education Grant (Source: NASA)
NASA has awarded $6.1 million in cooperative agreements to 15 organizations across the US to enhance learning through the use of NASA's Earth Science resources. The selected organizations include colleges and universities, nonprofit groups, museums, science centers and a school district. The awards have up to a three-year period of performance and range in value from about $170,000 to $650,000. The University of California is among the winners, for "Lifelines for High School Climate Change Education." (10/21)
Star Trek’s Next Generation Cast Embarks on Astronaut Autograph Show (Source: ASF)
“Star Trek: The Next Generation” cast will teleport to the already stellar line-up of celebrity astronauts at the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation’s (ASF) Astronaut Autograph and Memorabilia Show at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, on Nov. 7–8. Visit http://www.AstronautScholarship.org for information. (10/21)
UN Food Agency Offers Free Satellite Monitoring of Forests (Source: AFP)
The UN food agency Tuesday announced a satellite image database on the degradation of the world's forests as part of efforts to reduce global warming caused by greenhouse gases.
The Food and Agriculture Organization will provide high-resolution satellite data free to developing countries in partnership with other organizations including the State University of South Dakota and US Geological Survey in the United States and European Union Joint Research Center. (10/20)
Kosmas and Posey Legislation Would Support University-Led Space Transportation R&D Centers (Source: Rep. Kosmas)
Reps Suzanne Kosmas (D-FL) and Bill Posey (R-FL) introduced legislation to help minimize the impact of the impending human spaceflight gap by encouraging the development of the commercial spaceflight industry. The bipartisan bill would establish a competitive Commercial Space Transportation R&D “Centers of Excellence” (COE) program within NASA.
“The U.S. commercial launch industry has reached another crossroads. After almost two decades of decline, the retirement of the Space Shuttle is offering a new opportunity for the U.S. to reclaim its competitiveness in this strategically important enterprise,” said Christina Frederick-Recascino, vice president for research at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. “With emerging markets for commercial human spaceflight, and new technologies being applied throughout the industry, this is a ripe area for applied research by universities.”
The NASA Commercial Space Transportation Centers of Excellence program is based on the successful Federal Aviation Administration Air Transportation COE program, which, since enactment in 1990, has established eight centers that conduct long- and short-term aviation related research, education and training. Under the program, federal funding is matched by contributions from COE member universities, their affiliates from industry, and other stakeholders. (10/21)
Falcon-9 First Stage Headed to Cape Canaveral for Vehicle Integration (Source: SpaceX)
SpaceX successfully conducted two static firings of the first stage, nine engine cluster for its Falcon 9 launch vehicle. The firings took place at SpaceX’s Texas Test Site, a 300-acre structural and propulsion testing facility just outside of Waco, Texas. With completion of these tests, the first stage has now passed both structural and propulsion acceptance testing and will ship to Cape Canaveral in preparation for the first flight of Falcon 9. (10/21)
Northrop Reports Lower Profit, Higher Expectations (Source: AIA)
Higher revenues in all business segments led Northrop Grumman to raise its full-year profit forecast on Wednesday, despite a 4.3% drop in third-quarter earnings attributed to increased pension costs. Northrop's aerospace unit enjoyed 5% revenue growth for the quarter, outpacing gains of 4% in the information division. Overall, Northrop reported a profit of $490 million, down from $512 million in the same quarter last year. (10/21)
Bolden Directs MSFC Special Team to Evaluate HLV Alternatives (Source: NasaSpaceFlight.com)
NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden has asked for a “Special Team” at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) to evaluate the Heavy Lift alternatives – including DIRECT’s Jupiter launch vehicle – as a “top priority”. The team has been asked to create a report on their findings in time for Thanksgiving, in an apparent reaction to the final Augustine Commission report – which will be published on Thursday. (10/21)
Is $360 Million Too Much for Ares I-X ? (Source: Florida Today)
The towering Ares I-X test rocket that crawled to its launch pad Tuesday is about the same size, shape and weight as the real thing. Similarities between the test model and the Ares I rocket that NASA hopes will someday launch its new, manned Orion spaceship end there. Differences below the surface are enough to make some critics question the value of the $360 million test flight, set to launch Tuesday from Kennedy Space Center.
"I would say that it doesn't have zero value, but it's certainly not worth the money," said Rand Simberg, a veteran aerospace engineer, analyst and writer. Others say it's worthwhile. "True, the test article differs significantly from the envisioned flight configuration. But, there are things to be learned," said Leroy Chiao, a former NASA astronaut who serves on the presidential panel studying NASA's future. (10/21)
Embry-Riddle Students Plan for Radio Contact with Space Station Alumna (Source: ERAU)
Embry-Riddle alumna/astronaut Nicole Stott is expected to converse with students during a radio linkup from the International Space Station. The event will occur during the week of Nov. 22, with the specific day and time to be determined by NASA. Students are invited to submit questions to mailto:lisa.davids@erau.edu by Oct. 30. (10/21)
House Approves Bill to Extend Commercial Space Transportation Liability Regime (Source: S&T Committee)
The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 3819, a bill to extend the commercial space transportation liability regime. The liability law was first established by Congress as part of the Commercial Space Launch Act Amendments of 1988 and has been extended four times since its original enactment. The current liability risk-sharing regime extension expires at the end of the year; H.R. 3819 would extend it for three more years.
“The commercial space transportation liability and insurance regime has worked, has not cost the American taxpayer a single dollar in claims payments to date, has strengthened the U.S. competitiveness in commercial space launch, and is not a blank check since any potential claims payments would be subject to prior Congressional appropriation,” stated Chairman Gordon, who managed the bill and resolutions on the floor. (10/21)
Life's Ingredients Found Around Exoplanet (Source: Astronomy Now)
A gas giant orbiting a sun 150 light years away boasts water, methane and carbon dioxide, the second planet outside our Solar System found to display signs of life's basic building blocks. Although the planet is not inhabitable – it is a torrid gas planet much larger than Jupiter – if these chemical fingerprints were found around a rocky planet it could indicate the presence of life. (10/21)
Lockheed Profit Up, but Outlook Weakens (Source: Washington Post)
Demand for military cargo jets helped boost Lockheed Martin's third-quarter earnings, but the company said it is cautious about 2010 as the Obama administration shifts defense priorities away from some traditional weapons systems. Lockheed reported third-quarter profit of $797 million ($2.07 a share) up from $782 million ($1.92) for the same period last year, beating analysts' expectations. Revenue increased to $11.1 billion for the quarter compared with $10.6 billion last year. (10/21)
EADS Hires Ex-NASA Chief (Source: Financial Times)
EADS, the European aerospace and defence group that owns aircraft maker Airbus, has appointed Sean O'Keefe, a former head of NASA, as chief executive of its North American business. He will start next month. Mr O'Keefe replaces Ralph Crosby at a sensitive time. EADS is competing against Boeing for a contract to replace the US Air Force's ageing fleet of air-refuelling tankers that could be worth up to $50 billion. Mr O'Keefe is regarded as a heavy-hitter in the sector. In addition to running NASA between 2001 and 2005, Mr O'Keefe is a former secretary of the navy and chief financial officer of the defence department. (10/21)
Augustine Panelist Endorses Sticking with Ares 1 (Source: Space News)
Two days before a blue-ribbon panel’s final report on options for the U.S. human spaceflight program is due, a key panelist issued a strong personal endorsement of the NASA’s existing plan to go back to the Moon with the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle and Ares family of rockets. “I’m a rocket engineer, a rocket scientist. I’m a big, big believer in the need for rocket technology, so I personally want to see Ares 1 going and the program going as it’s currently structured,” said retired Air Force Gen. Lester Lyles. Lyles, who led the Augustine panel’s subcommittee on interagency and international cooperation, said while it may be prudent to study other options, he would not want to “disrupt” what he considers a successful program. (10/21)
Spaceflight Report Could Send Man to Mars (Source: AIA)
A report on manned spaceflight due out this week could recommend that NASA skips sending man back to the moon and instead sets its sights on Mars. Draft versions of the report currently circulating among White House and NASA officials suggest focusing on asteroid rendezvous and Mars flyby missions and also propose outsourcing International Space Station transport flights to the private sector. "This is an attractive option within NASA," says an agency official. "The question now is funding." (10/20)
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