Honeywell Aerospace to Lay Off 265 in Arizona (Source: AIA)
Honeywell Aerospace says it will cut 265 jobs in Phoenix in 2010 and will temporarily close its Phoenix-area operations next week in order to reduce costs. The company already closed some operations for the holidays and will close more in the first week of January. Operations affected include the Honeywell Aerospace plant near Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, and operations in Glendale and north Phoenix. (12/31)
Commercial Spaceflight: Big Decade, Big Future (Source: Space.com)
It's been a wild and crazy ride in space since the first decade of the 21st century began, but as it nears its close the realm of commercial space travel has taken one giant leap into reality. Now, commercial space is on a growth-curve, with a whirlwind of large and small companies ready to offer a variety of skills.
There is growing recognition of this fact, evidenced by the recent Review of U.S. Human Space Flight Plans Committee – a report that spotlighted the commercial space industry, advising NASA to encourage and use more commercial space services to support future human space missions.
Even so, the coming year is shaping up like a space-based game of "Truth or Dare". Some see a tradition-breaking paradigm in the offing, one that increases the reliance on the private sector for space tasks. Others are not sure, envisioning risky hand-shakes with firms that offer little in the way of track record. Click here to view the article. (12/31)
NASA Plans Backup Astronaut Escape System (Source: Discovery)
With NASA retiring the shuttle fleet in 2010, next generation spaceships are being developed with a renewed focus on safety. Determined never to repeat the tragic Challenger launch accident, NASA not only is developing a crew escape system for the space shuttles' replacements; the space agency also has a backup system that could fly astronauts to safety in case of an emergency.
Significantly improving safety is one of the reasons the U.S. is retiring its three-ship shuttle fleet after five more missions in 2010 to complete construction of the International Space Station. Like the venerable Russian Soyuz capsules still in use today, previous U.S. spaceships had emergency escape systems that could fly a crew module to safety in case of an accident on the launch pad or during the early phases of flight. The escape system is such an important part of NASA's planned Orion vehicles, that NASA decided to develop a whole new technology should Orion run into problems with the tried-and-true tower-style escape system.
NASA asked its independent engineering and safety center, set up in the wake of the 2003 Columbia disaster, to come up with a crew escape system that eliminated Orion's planned 40-foot-tall, rocket-laced tower that would pull the capsule away in case of a launch emergency. A small team of NASA engineers and contractors created and tested what it called the Max Launch Abort System, or MLAS. "Max" is a nod to the late Maxime Faget, the designer of the Mercury capsule, the first U.S. manned spacecraft, and to Faget's engineering design philosophy: Build rapidly and test. (12/31)
Loral Selected to Provide Echostar Satellite (Source: Loral)
Loral was selected to provide a new direct broadcast satellite (DBS), EchoStar XVI, to a subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation (Nasdaq:SATS). EchoStar XVI is the seventh satellite contract awarded to SS/L in 2009. It is planned for launch in 2012. The space-proven SS/L 1300 satellite bus, used by EchoStar XVI, provides the flexibility for a broad range of applications. Loral currently has 59 satellites on orbit and has amassed more than 1,600 years of reliable on-orbit service. (12/31)
December 30 News Items
Editorial: Space Station's Mission Up In Air (Source: St. Petersburg Times)
NASA has some decisions to make. After a quarter-century of work and nearly $100 billion, the International Space Station is almost completed. But that is a bittersweet milestone since, just as the space station becomes fully functional, the United States is set to retire its space shuttle fleet and reassess NASA's mission. The Obama administration, Congress and the space agency need a plan for maximizing this asset, which contributes to both science and global security.
So far, America and the 14 international partners in the space station have spent most of their time building the orbiting lab. Once construction ends next year, the focus turns to research. But 2010 is also the date that the United States has set to retire its shuttle fleet, a workhorse for the space station. And NASA has no money budgeted for the station beyond 2015. Without a change in course, NASA will have just a five-year window for research at the space station after spending at least $49 billion in direct costs for the project since 1994. Walking away would be a waste of money and a loss for research and diplomacy.
The administration and NASA need to develop an action plan for the station, and Congress needs to show its support. Given the long lag time that research requires, especially to develop technology for the marketplace, the private sector will need to see a strong commitment by NASA and Congress before it steps up as a major partner in the station. Florida has much at stake, too, with the planned retirement of the shuttle. The station needs a clear, strong mission now that its astronauts can devote their time to research. (12/30)
Obama Set to Launch Vision for NASA (Source: USA Today)
President Obama will chart a course for NASA within weeks, based on the advice of a handful of key advisers in the administration and Congress.
Obama, who met Dec. 16 with NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, hasn't said when or how he'll announce his new policy. The announcement likely will come by the time the president releases his fiscal 2011 budget in early February, because he must decide how much money the space agency should get.
In determining NASA's future policy, Obama must decide whether to increase the agency's budget to pay for goals such as sending astronauts to the moon or Mars in missions that could be decades away. The Augustine Panel urged Obama to increase the agency's budget by $3 billion a year — above the nearly $19 billion per year it receives now — to finance circumnavigating the moon and Mars, landing on one of Mars' moons, and landing on or docking with an asteroid during the next 15 years. The question is whether Obama will embrace one of those options or any of the others the committee suggested. (12/30)
Lost Couple Can't Blame GPS, Air Force Says (Source: Space.com)
The U.S. Air Force wants to set the record straight: Neither aging GPS satellites nor a weak GPS signal were responsible for an elderly couple getting stranded in the woods for several days after following directions in their GPS-enabled SUV. On Christmas day, John Rhoads, 65, and his wife, Starry Bush-Rhoads, 67, drove their vehicle down a remote road in eastern Oregon, where it became stuck in 1-1/2 feet of snow. The couple was stranded for three days before authorities located them using a faint signal emitted by the couple's GPS-enabled phone.
Some news reports of the couple's adventure were accompanied by headlines such as "GPS Strands Couple and Then Saves Them: Aging Satellites?" On Tuesday, the Air Force Space Command (AFSPC), which operates the suite of satellites that make up the GPS system, used Twitter to clear up the misconception. AFSPC said: "While we do not want to speculate on what caused the couple to get stuck in the snow; the cause was not due to the GPS signal." (12/30)
Washington University a Finalist for NASA Space Mission (Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
A Washington University-led project is among three proposals selected by NASA to be candidates for the agency’s next space venture in our solar system. That project, led by Bradley Jolliff, a research associate professor of earth and planetary sciences, would place a robotic lander in a basin near the moon’s south pole and return two pounds of lunar rocks for study. Scientists hope the material would provide new insight into the early history of the Earth-moon system. (12/30)
Russia Weighs In on Asteroid Worries (Source: MSNBC)
Russia’s space chief said Wednesday that a spacecraft may be dispatched to shift an asteroid's course and reduce the chances of Earth impact, even though U.S. experts say such a scenario is unlikely. Anatoly Perminov, the head of Russia's Federal Space Agency, said officials would hold a meeting soon to assess a mission to the asteroid Apophis. He said his agency might eventually invite NASA, the European Space Agency, the Chinese space agency and others to join the project.
Studies have ruled out the possibility of an impact in 2029, when the asteroid is expected to come no closer than 18,300 miles (29,450 kilometers) from Earth’s surface, but they indicated a small possibility of a hit on subsequent encounters. Researchers currently put the chances that Apophis could hit Earth in 2036 at 1 in 233,000, and NASA says another close encounter in 2068 involves a 1-in-330,000 chance of impact. (12/30)
China Building Large Radio Telescope for Space Observation (Source: Xinhua)
Construction of a 65-meter-diameter radio telescope started Tuesday in Shanghai, an official from one of funders said. The telescope, a form of directional radio antenna used in radio astronomy, will be used in tracking and collecting data from satellites and space probes including Chinese astronomical projects like Chang'e lunar probe, YH-1 Mars exploration and other deep space explorations, said a deputy dean of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).
The facility is also capable of receiving data for Jupiter and Saturn exploration, said Hong Xiaoyu, head of Shanghai Astronomical Observation, which will run the project after it is expected to be fully completed in 2015. The $29.3 million project, funded by CAS, Shanghai Municipal Government and Chinese lunar probe project, will have a bowl-like surface composed by 1,008 panels as large as eight basketball courts in total area. (12/30)
University of Colorado a Finalist for NASA Space Mission (Source: Boulder County Business Report)
The University of Colorado at Boulder received $3.3 million from NASA for a one-year concept study to explore the feasibility of landing a spacecraft on Venus. The CU study will focus primarily on Venus' surface, climate and atmosphere in order to better compare the planet with Earth, Mars and Mercury. The university will provide science leadership, data archiving, education and public outreach for the mission.
"It has been 25 years since a spacecraft last landed on Venus, and our curiosity and scientific capabilities have increased dramatically," said Larry Esposito, a CU professor and the team leader on the study. "This mission will be a big step forward in understanding planetary evolution both in our own solar system and in planetary systems around other stars." As part of the mission, the spacecraft would land on the edge of an active volcano, dig into the surface and collect data on the surface composition and texture. (12/30)
University of Arizona a Finalist for NASA Space Mission (Source: Arizona Daily Star)
The University of Arizona is a finalist for a NASA-funded space mission that would send a spacecraft to an asteroid. The project is one of three finalists for the third installment of NASA’s New Frontiers program. The spacecraft would be called the Origins Spectral Interpretation Resource Identification Security Regolith Explorer, or Osiris-Rex. It would rendezvous and orbit a primitive asteroid, take measurements and collect surface samples, according to a NASA press release.
“The returned samples would help scientists better understand and answer long-held questions about the formation of our solar system and the origin of complex molecules necessary for life,” according to the press release. The winning project will be announced in 2011. The UA team will get $3.3 million to complete a detailed mission concept study in the coming year. The study has to include implementation feasibility, cost, management and technical plans, plans for educational outreach and small business opportunities. If the UA is selected, funding could be up to $650 million. (12/30)
NASA has some decisions to make. After a quarter-century of work and nearly $100 billion, the International Space Station is almost completed. But that is a bittersweet milestone since, just as the space station becomes fully functional, the United States is set to retire its space shuttle fleet and reassess NASA's mission. The Obama administration, Congress and the space agency need a plan for maximizing this asset, which contributes to both science and global security.
So far, America and the 14 international partners in the space station have spent most of their time building the orbiting lab. Once construction ends next year, the focus turns to research. But 2010 is also the date that the United States has set to retire its shuttle fleet, a workhorse for the space station. And NASA has no money budgeted for the station beyond 2015. Without a change in course, NASA will have just a five-year window for research at the space station after spending at least $49 billion in direct costs for the project since 1994. Walking away would be a waste of money and a loss for research and diplomacy.
The administration and NASA need to develop an action plan for the station, and Congress needs to show its support. Given the long lag time that research requires, especially to develop technology for the marketplace, the private sector will need to see a strong commitment by NASA and Congress before it steps up as a major partner in the station. Florida has much at stake, too, with the planned retirement of the shuttle. The station needs a clear, strong mission now that its astronauts can devote their time to research. (12/30)
Obama Set to Launch Vision for NASA (Source: USA Today)
President Obama will chart a course for NASA within weeks, based on the advice of a handful of key advisers in the administration and Congress.
Obama, who met Dec. 16 with NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, hasn't said when or how he'll announce his new policy. The announcement likely will come by the time the president releases his fiscal 2011 budget in early February, because he must decide how much money the space agency should get.
In determining NASA's future policy, Obama must decide whether to increase the agency's budget to pay for goals such as sending astronauts to the moon or Mars in missions that could be decades away. The Augustine Panel urged Obama to increase the agency's budget by $3 billion a year — above the nearly $19 billion per year it receives now — to finance circumnavigating the moon and Mars, landing on one of Mars' moons, and landing on or docking with an asteroid during the next 15 years. The question is whether Obama will embrace one of those options or any of the others the committee suggested. (12/30)
Lost Couple Can't Blame GPS, Air Force Says (Source: Space.com)
The U.S. Air Force wants to set the record straight: Neither aging GPS satellites nor a weak GPS signal were responsible for an elderly couple getting stranded in the woods for several days after following directions in their GPS-enabled SUV. On Christmas day, John Rhoads, 65, and his wife, Starry Bush-Rhoads, 67, drove their vehicle down a remote road in eastern Oregon, where it became stuck in 1-1/2 feet of snow. The couple was stranded for three days before authorities located them using a faint signal emitted by the couple's GPS-enabled phone.
Some news reports of the couple's adventure were accompanied by headlines such as "GPS Strands Couple and Then Saves Them: Aging Satellites?" On Tuesday, the Air Force Space Command (AFSPC), which operates the suite of satellites that make up the GPS system, used Twitter to clear up the misconception. AFSPC said: "While we do not want to speculate on what caused the couple to get stuck in the snow; the cause was not due to the GPS signal." (12/30)
Washington University a Finalist for NASA Space Mission (Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
A Washington University-led project is among three proposals selected by NASA to be candidates for the agency’s next space venture in our solar system. That project, led by Bradley Jolliff, a research associate professor of earth and planetary sciences, would place a robotic lander in a basin near the moon’s south pole and return two pounds of lunar rocks for study. Scientists hope the material would provide new insight into the early history of the Earth-moon system. (12/30)
Russia Weighs In on Asteroid Worries (Source: MSNBC)
Russia’s space chief said Wednesday that a spacecraft may be dispatched to shift an asteroid's course and reduce the chances of Earth impact, even though U.S. experts say such a scenario is unlikely. Anatoly Perminov, the head of Russia's Federal Space Agency, said officials would hold a meeting soon to assess a mission to the asteroid Apophis. He said his agency might eventually invite NASA, the European Space Agency, the Chinese space agency and others to join the project.
Studies have ruled out the possibility of an impact in 2029, when the asteroid is expected to come no closer than 18,300 miles (29,450 kilometers) from Earth’s surface, but they indicated a small possibility of a hit on subsequent encounters. Researchers currently put the chances that Apophis could hit Earth in 2036 at 1 in 233,000, and NASA says another close encounter in 2068 involves a 1-in-330,000 chance of impact. (12/30)
China Building Large Radio Telescope for Space Observation (Source: Xinhua)
Construction of a 65-meter-diameter radio telescope started Tuesday in Shanghai, an official from one of funders said. The telescope, a form of directional radio antenna used in radio astronomy, will be used in tracking and collecting data from satellites and space probes including Chinese astronomical projects like Chang'e lunar probe, YH-1 Mars exploration and other deep space explorations, said a deputy dean of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).
The facility is also capable of receiving data for Jupiter and Saturn exploration, said Hong Xiaoyu, head of Shanghai Astronomical Observation, which will run the project after it is expected to be fully completed in 2015. The $29.3 million project, funded by CAS, Shanghai Municipal Government and Chinese lunar probe project, will have a bowl-like surface composed by 1,008 panels as large as eight basketball courts in total area. (12/30)
University of Colorado a Finalist for NASA Space Mission (Source: Boulder County Business Report)
The University of Colorado at Boulder received $3.3 million from NASA for a one-year concept study to explore the feasibility of landing a spacecraft on Venus. The CU study will focus primarily on Venus' surface, climate and atmosphere in order to better compare the planet with Earth, Mars and Mercury. The university will provide science leadership, data archiving, education and public outreach for the mission.
"It has been 25 years since a spacecraft last landed on Venus, and our curiosity and scientific capabilities have increased dramatically," said Larry Esposito, a CU professor and the team leader on the study. "This mission will be a big step forward in understanding planetary evolution both in our own solar system and in planetary systems around other stars." As part of the mission, the spacecraft would land on the edge of an active volcano, dig into the surface and collect data on the surface composition and texture. (12/30)
University of Arizona a Finalist for NASA Space Mission (Source: Arizona Daily Star)
The University of Arizona is a finalist for a NASA-funded space mission that would send a spacecraft to an asteroid. The project is one of three finalists for the third installment of NASA’s New Frontiers program. The spacecraft would be called the Origins Spectral Interpretation Resource Identification Security Regolith Explorer, or Osiris-Rex. It would rendezvous and orbit a primitive asteroid, take measurements and collect surface samples, according to a NASA press release.
“The returned samples would help scientists better understand and answer long-held questions about the formation of our solar system and the origin of complex molecules necessary for life,” according to the press release. The winning project will be announced in 2011. The UA team will get $3.3 million to complete a detailed mission concept study in the coming year. The study has to include implementation feasibility, cost, management and technical plans, plans for educational outreach and small business opportunities. If the UA is selected, funding could be up to $650 million. (12/30)
December 29 News Items
Google Lunar X Prize’s Micro-Space Wins NASA SBIR Award (Source: Parabolic Arc)
Google Lunar X Prize competitor Micro-Space has been selected for one of NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research award. The Denver-based company will develop an automatic system for Solar and Celestial Navigation for use on the moon and Mars. (12/29)
President Signs Commercial Launch Liability Bill (Source: Space Policy Online)
President Obama yesterday signed into law the Commmercial Space Launch Liability Indemnification extension. That was the last space-related law waiting for signature from the first session of the 111th Congress. Check out Space Policy Online's updated fact sheet on major space-related legislation of the 111th Congress, first session. (12/29)
JPL Space Telescope Will Get First Glimpse at the Sky (Source: Pasadena Star-News)
For the first time since NASA's Wide-field Infrared Satellite Explorer (WISE) blasted off two weeks ago, the space telescope will be getting its first glimpse of the sky. The highly-sensitive infrared telescope aboard WISE is housed inside a cryostat filled with solid hydrogen that works like a thermos. Until Tuesday, this thermos had a cover that protected it from heat from the Earth and the sun until the satellite could be launched into orbit and get its bearings.
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory-managed mission has to stay cool extremely cool - just a few degrees above absolute zero - so that it can observe the heat coming from dim objects that might otherwise fade into the darkness of space - like asteroids, brown dwarfs and distant ultraluminous galaxies. (12/29)
Sustainable Aliens: A New Theory On Why E.T. Hasn't Arrived (Source: NPR)
Part of a scientist's job is to read scientific papers -- lots and lots of scientific papers. You don't just read them: you also skim, peruse, look through, glance at and, occasionally, pore over them. There are just so many papers and just too much else going on. Still, some ideas just stick in your head and, with that in mind, I would like to present my Sort-Of-Best-Unheralded-Scientific-Paper of 2009.
People who think about extraterrestrial life have been bothered for a long time by a rather obvious fact: There isn't any here. This is sometimes called the Fermi Paradox. Its an old conundrum that asks "If space-traveling ETs exist, why aren't they with us already?" The idea is simple. Start with a civilization that colonizes one world. Then that world colonizes two more planets. Those worlds go on and do their own colonization. Follow this logic and you end up with a very, very rapid expansion of even a single star-faring civilization. Even one ET with space travel can, in a pretty short time, lead to a galaxy teeming with intelligent life.
One answer to the Fermi Dilemma is simple. Civilizations, even extraterrestrial ones, can't grow without limits. Instead of using the question the Fermi Paradox raises to infer that we are the only intelligent species in the galaxy, Haqq-Misra & Baum us it to infer that these civilizations have learned a lesson which we are just starting to grasp. You have to pace yourself. You have to live within your means and exponential growth is not likely to be sustainable. Click here to view the article. (12/29)
Google Lunar X Prize’s Omega Envoy Adds SolidWorks as Sponsor (Source: Earthrise Space)
The Omega Envoy Project has gained SolidWorks as a sponsor for the only student-led entry in a $30 million international competition, sponsored by Google, to land a robot on the moon. The addition of SolidWorks will allow Omega Envoy’s lunar rover development program to accomplish far more than it is currently capable of. SolidWorks is a division of Dassault Systemes, and will be sponsoring the effort of landing a rover on the moon by supplying the Omega Envoy team with CAD and analysis software.
The end goal is to win Google’s $30 million Lunar X PRIZE which will be awarded to the first team to safely land a robot on the surface of the Moon, travel 500 meters over the lunar surface, and send images and data back to the Earth. Omega Envoy's primary sponsor is Earthrise Space, Inc., a non-profit organization that is founded by students and professionals at the University of Central Florida with the common goal of advancing private and commercial space exploration. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is also supporting the Omega Envoy initiative. (12/29)
Japan Announces Proof of Civilization on Earth's Moon (Source: Examiner)
Is this evidence of film manipulation to deceive the public? Are there truly major structures on the Moon? We came across this new footage submitted to You Tube which depicts more evidence of structures and buildings on the moon. Our crew has seen many such illustrations and mind blowing collections of recently released images of buildings on the Lunar surface which were leaked out by NASA operatives and real citizens with the aim of disclosing the lies regarding such projects. According to many of you investigative enthusiasts who have submitted information about the structures on the Moon, some of the building are ancient old belonging to extraterrestrial civilizations and others are new structures built by covert entities based here on Earth. Use your imagination on that one. Click here to read the article. (12/29)
Chinese Scientists Seek Support for Dark Matter Mission (Source: Xinhua)
Chinese scientists are lobbying for greater government support for a groundbreaking project that would see the launch of a satellite to investigate mysterious dark matter in space. The Center for Space Science and Applied Research (CSSAR) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences was focusing on developing China's first astronomical satellite to prove the existence of dark matter.
Dark matter and dark energy represent the vast majority of the mass in the observable universe, but their presence is only inferred from their gravitational effects on visible matter. Dark matter is believed to play a central role in galaxy evolution and the formation of universe. They had no schedule for the satellite project, but supporters are appealing for greater investment from the state. (12/29)
Commercial Satellite Photos Find Wide Range of Applications (Source: AIA)
With three satellites in orbit and another one coming soon, "No place on Earth can escape our gaze," says an official with Virginia-based GeoEye, which provides high-resolution satellite photos to customers ranging from governments to Google. GeoEye-1, launched in September 2008, can spot objects as small as 16 inches, while GeoEye-2, currently in development, promises the ability to identify even smaller subjects. Images provided by GeoEye have helped to track global warming, identify underground nuclear test sites and estimate the crowd size at President Barack Obama's inauguration. (12/29)
A Space Odyssey for California Astronaut (Source: San Joaquin Record)
Stockton has produced a Hollywood star (Janet Leigh) and a famous singer-songwriter (Chris Isaak), but never had a Stockton resident traveled into space. Until 2009. In August, Jose Hernandez made San Joaquin County history by becoming the first astronaut from the county to be part of a U.S. space mission.
Hernandez, 47, was born in French Camp to migrant farm workers Julia and Salvador Hernandez. They are now retired in Lodi. Jose Hernandez grew up in Stockton, helping his parents work in the fields while aspiring to fly into space one day. As a student, he excelled in math and science. Hernandez is a graduate of Franklin High School and University of the Pacific's mechanical engineering program. The engineer's dream of space travel never changed. (12/29)
Russia Launches US Satellite (Source: AFP)
Russia launched a US telecommunications satellite from Kazakhstan on Tuesday. "The launch went as planned, the satellite will reach its orbit at" 0932 GMT, an official from Russia's Roskosmos space agency was quoted as saying by the RIA Novosti news agency. The DirectTV-12 satellite is due to provide communications, Internet and satellite television services for US customers. (12/28)
Texas Senator's Fight to Cut Debt Carries Political Price (Source: Houston Chronicle)
When Texas Sen. John Cornyn recently voted against legislation funding NASA, with its thousands of jobs at Houston’s Johnson’s Space Center, it caused a bit of a stir back home. After all, the Republican senator always prided himself on being a champion of home-state interests. Even Cornyn readily admits that his vote is an about-face. But there’s a clear explanation for the change: Cornyn says he’s trying to strike a balance between his dual roles as a senator seeking federal spending in Texas and as an emerging GOP congressional leader fighting to cut government expenditures. (12/27)
Google Lunar X Prize competitor Micro-Space has been selected for one of NASA’s Small Business Innovation Research award. The Denver-based company will develop an automatic system for Solar and Celestial Navigation for use on the moon and Mars. (12/29)
President Signs Commercial Launch Liability Bill (Source: Space Policy Online)
President Obama yesterday signed into law the Commmercial Space Launch Liability Indemnification extension. That was the last space-related law waiting for signature from the first session of the 111th Congress. Check out Space Policy Online's updated fact sheet on major space-related legislation of the 111th Congress, first session. (12/29)
JPL Space Telescope Will Get First Glimpse at the Sky (Source: Pasadena Star-News)
For the first time since NASA's Wide-field Infrared Satellite Explorer (WISE) blasted off two weeks ago, the space telescope will be getting its first glimpse of the sky. The highly-sensitive infrared telescope aboard WISE is housed inside a cryostat filled with solid hydrogen that works like a thermos. Until Tuesday, this thermos had a cover that protected it from heat from the Earth and the sun until the satellite could be launched into orbit and get its bearings.
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory-managed mission has to stay cool extremely cool - just a few degrees above absolute zero - so that it can observe the heat coming from dim objects that might otherwise fade into the darkness of space - like asteroids, brown dwarfs and distant ultraluminous galaxies. (12/29)
Sustainable Aliens: A New Theory On Why E.T. Hasn't Arrived (Source: NPR)
Part of a scientist's job is to read scientific papers -- lots and lots of scientific papers. You don't just read them: you also skim, peruse, look through, glance at and, occasionally, pore over them. There are just so many papers and just too much else going on. Still, some ideas just stick in your head and, with that in mind, I would like to present my Sort-Of-Best-Unheralded-Scientific-Paper of 2009.
People who think about extraterrestrial life have been bothered for a long time by a rather obvious fact: There isn't any here. This is sometimes called the Fermi Paradox. Its an old conundrum that asks "If space-traveling ETs exist, why aren't they with us already?" The idea is simple. Start with a civilization that colonizes one world. Then that world colonizes two more planets. Those worlds go on and do their own colonization. Follow this logic and you end up with a very, very rapid expansion of even a single star-faring civilization. Even one ET with space travel can, in a pretty short time, lead to a galaxy teeming with intelligent life.
One answer to the Fermi Dilemma is simple. Civilizations, even extraterrestrial ones, can't grow without limits. Instead of using the question the Fermi Paradox raises to infer that we are the only intelligent species in the galaxy, Haqq-Misra & Baum us it to infer that these civilizations have learned a lesson which we are just starting to grasp. You have to pace yourself. You have to live within your means and exponential growth is not likely to be sustainable. Click here to view the article. (12/29)
Google Lunar X Prize’s Omega Envoy Adds SolidWorks as Sponsor (Source: Earthrise Space)
The Omega Envoy Project has gained SolidWorks as a sponsor for the only student-led entry in a $30 million international competition, sponsored by Google, to land a robot on the moon. The addition of SolidWorks will allow Omega Envoy’s lunar rover development program to accomplish far more than it is currently capable of. SolidWorks is a division of Dassault Systemes, and will be sponsoring the effort of landing a rover on the moon by supplying the Omega Envoy team with CAD and analysis software.
The end goal is to win Google’s $30 million Lunar X PRIZE which will be awarded to the first team to safely land a robot on the surface of the Moon, travel 500 meters over the lunar surface, and send images and data back to the Earth. Omega Envoy's primary sponsor is Earthrise Space, Inc., a non-profit organization that is founded by students and professionals at the University of Central Florida with the common goal of advancing private and commercial space exploration. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is also supporting the Omega Envoy initiative. (12/29)
Japan Announces Proof of Civilization on Earth's Moon (Source: Examiner)
Is this evidence of film manipulation to deceive the public? Are there truly major structures on the Moon? We came across this new footage submitted to You Tube which depicts more evidence of structures and buildings on the moon. Our crew has seen many such illustrations and mind blowing collections of recently released images of buildings on the Lunar surface which were leaked out by NASA operatives and real citizens with the aim of disclosing the lies regarding such projects. According to many of you investigative enthusiasts who have submitted information about the structures on the Moon, some of the building are ancient old belonging to extraterrestrial civilizations and others are new structures built by covert entities based here on Earth. Use your imagination on that one. Click here to read the article. (12/29)
Chinese Scientists Seek Support for Dark Matter Mission (Source: Xinhua)
Chinese scientists are lobbying for greater government support for a groundbreaking project that would see the launch of a satellite to investigate mysterious dark matter in space. The Center for Space Science and Applied Research (CSSAR) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences was focusing on developing China's first astronomical satellite to prove the existence of dark matter.
Dark matter and dark energy represent the vast majority of the mass in the observable universe, but their presence is only inferred from their gravitational effects on visible matter. Dark matter is believed to play a central role in galaxy evolution and the formation of universe. They had no schedule for the satellite project, but supporters are appealing for greater investment from the state. (12/29)
Commercial Satellite Photos Find Wide Range of Applications (Source: AIA)
With three satellites in orbit and another one coming soon, "No place on Earth can escape our gaze," says an official with Virginia-based GeoEye, which provides high-resolution satellite photos to customers ranging from governments to Google. GeoEye-1, launched in September 2008, can spot objects as small as 16 inches, while GeoEye-2, currently in development, promises the ability to identify even smaller subjects. Images provided by GeoEye have helped to track global warming, identify underground nuclear test sites and estimate the crowd size at President Barack Obama's inauguration. (12/29)
A Space Odyssey for California Astronaut (Source: San Joaquin Record)
Stockton has produced a Hollywood star (Janet Leigh) and a famous singer-songwriter (Chris Isaak), but never had a Stockton resident traveled into space. Until 2009. In August, Jose Hernandez made San Joaquin County history by becoming the first astronaut from the county to be part of a U.S. space mission.
Hernandez, 47, was born in French Camp to migrant farm workers Julia and Salvador Hernandez. They are now retired in Lodi. Jose Hernandez grew up in Stockton, helping his parents work in the fields while aspiring to fly into space one day. As a student, he excelled in math and science. Hernandez is a graduate of Franklin High School and University of the Pacific's mechanical engineering program. The engineer's dream of space travel never changed. (12/29)
Russia Launches US Satellite (Source: AFP)
Russia launched a US telecommunications satellite from Kazakhstan on Tuesday. "The launch went as planned, the satellite will reach its orbit at" 0932 GMT, an official from Russia's Roskosmos space agency was quoted as saying by the RIA Novosti news agency. The DirectTV-12 satellite is due to provide communications, Internet and satellite television services for US customers. (12/28)
Texas Senator's Fight to Cut Debt Carries Political Price (Source: Houston Chronicle)
When Texas Sen. John Cornyn recently voted against legislation funding NASA, with its thousands of jobs at Houston’s Johnson’s Space Center, it caused a bit of a stir back home. After all, the Republican senator always prided himself on being a champion of home-state interests. Even Cornyn readily admits that his vote is an about-face. But there’s a clear explanation for the change: Cornyn says he’s trying to strike a balance between his dual roles as a senator seeking federal spending in Texas and as an emerging GOP congressional leader fighting to cut government expenditures. (12/27)
December 28 News Items
Space Florida's Vision for 2020 (Source: Florida Trend)
Frank DiBello was named president of Space Florida in September after serving as interim leader of the group formed in May 2006 when the Legislature consolidated three existing organizations, Florida Space Authority, Florida Space Research Institute and Florida Aerospace Finance Corp. DiBello formerly served as president and CEO of Florida Aerospace Finance Corp. He spoke with Florida Trend about Vision 2020, Space Florida’s long-range plan. Click here to read the interview. (12/28)
NASA Voyager Sends Back Striking Images, Information From Galaxy (Source: AIA)
Images sent from NASA's Voyager 2, which is now more than 8.3 billion miles away from the sun, indicate the galaxy's magenetic field beyond the solar system is stronger than expected and is unexpectedly tilted 30 degrees out of alignment with its disk. (12/28)
Iran to Unveil New Home-Built Satellite (Source: AFP)
Iran will unveil a new home-built satellite in February, a newspaper reported Thursday, amid Western concerns that Tehran is using its nuclear and space industries to develop atomic and ballistic weapons. "The new generation of Iran's national satellite called Toloo (Dawn) will be unveiled in February," Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi was quoted as saying by the governmental Iran paper. The satellite has been designed by Sa Iran, also known as Iran Electronics Industries, an affiliate company of the defence ministry, the report said. (12/28)
Congrats to ULA for a Job Well Done (Source: Florida Today)
This year has been one of the most eventful in space history, but there's a hidden gem that deserves extra attention. Astronauts installed the last of the international partners' laboratory modules at the space station. The space shuttle program marched toward its retirement. NASA launched a gargantuan new moon rocket on its first test flight. The White House conducted a review of the entire space program.
With the future of human space exploration up in the air, it's no surprise that dominated headlines throughout 2009. Let's not let this year pass without recognizing one of the most important achievements in U.S. aerospace in recent years: the successful deployment of the United Launch Alliance. The joint venture of The Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin Corp. has come into its own this year, apparently overcoming a long list of challenges to merging the country's two biggest rocket developers into a single, functional team. (12/28)
Russian Space Program to be Fully Funded in 2010 (Source: Interfax)
The Russian space program will be fully funded in 2010, Federal Space Agency head Anatoly Perminov said. "The government has fully met our funding request despite the complicated times," he said. "I think the same will happen in 2011," he remarked. At the same time, the 2011 allocations will be twice as small than in 2009. "We have implemented much of the federal space program. This year's results are positive," Perminov said. (12/28)
Search for Extraterrestrial Civilizations Comes of Age (Source: Discovery)
Good things come to those who wait, and wait, ... and wait. This may someday be the opening sentence at a press conference at the SETI Institute in Mountain View, California to announce mankind's first evidence of intelligent life off the Earth. We've listened for transmissions from alien civilizations for 50 years without any luck. And there isn't the slightest clue when real data -– if ever -– may come. This bores some scientists who scornfully look at SETI as lost purely in "hypothetical-space."
Detractors say (1) nobody's out there, (2) we're listening on the wrong medium, (3) it's a scientifically meaningless experiment unsupported by any tangible hypothesis because of all the unknowns (as listed in the famous Drake equation). It's borderline pure faith. However, there's no need for impatience with a null result. With the influence of former NASA Associate Administrator Alan Stern (also the principal investigator on the New Horizons 2015 Pluto flyby), NASA is reconsidering funding SETI proposals and Congress isn't saying "no." (12/28)
Search for Extraterrestrial Life Gains Momentum Around the World (Source: Washington Post)
The initial phase of the planned 350-dish Allen Telescope Array, near Hat Creek, California, are designed to systematically scan the skies for radio signals sent by advanced civilizations from distant star systems and planets. Fifty years after it began -- and 18 years since Congress voted to strip taxpayer money from the effort -- the nation's search for extraterrestrial intelligence is alive and growing.
The Hat Creek array, which began operation two years ago, is a joint project of the SETI Institute and the nearby radio astronomy laboratory of the University of California at Berkeley. Made possible by an almost $25 million donation from Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, the array is unique and on the cutting edge of radio astronomy. SETI and Berkeley share both the facility, 290 miles northeast of San Francisco, and all the data it collects. Click here to view the article. (12/28)
Editorial: Toward a New Frontier? (Source: Waco Tribune)
Indications are the Obama administration is not only looking at 2010 with more promise, they’re also looking up — and that could mean things also are looking up for SpaceX, including its rocket-testing facility near McGregor. President Barack Obama is likely to weigh in for diversifying space funding, partly as a way of hedging bets on NASA, which has suffered frequent budget shortfalls and unrealistic schedules.
That means spunky outfits such as SpaceX, the California-based rocket company that seems to be winning more and more contracts, including its $1.6 billion commission to haul cargo to the International Space Station for NASA. Its success has only catapulted SpaceX into further contracts that include possibly moving humans into space... Which makes us a little more tolerant when Falcon 9 tests at the local site rattle our windows and shake our homes. All that noise could well mean progress for our area if the Falcon 9’s launch tests this spring at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport put it in orbit for manned missions. (12/28)
The Post-Space Shuttle Trough (Source: Florida Trend)
For years, the most significant business-related headline from Floridas Space Coast has remained the same: Shuttle to End in 2010, Thousands of Jobs at Risk. Even if the final planned missions carry over into 2011, the program is winding down, and the companies that service and launch the shuttle have begun laying off hundreds of workers. The organization that is supposed to do something about this is Space Florida.
Space Florida has a somewhat tortured history. It started life as the Spaceport Florida Authority in the late 1980s, then split into three organizations in the early 2000s. A special commission put the three pieces back together as Space Florida in 2006. Along the way, it seems, a forum would occur every few years at which state lawmakers, government officials and the space crowd got together to kick the political football, remind each other solemnly how important the space industry is to Florida, and promise to do something to help it.
A few things got done, but the state never ponied up enough money to compete for the occasional space plum (a commercial launch operation or rocket assembly facility, for example) against more aggressive states with better incentives and more cohesive congressional delegations. And until very recently, it never even made much headway with the military in making the Cape friendlier to the commercial launch business. The inconvenient truth is that NASA cast such a big shadow in Florida that anything the state did would look puny until that shadow got smaller or changed somehow. Click here to view the article. (12/28)
Editorial: Faster, NASA, Faster (Source: New York Times)
In Silicon Valley we have a saying: launch early, launch often. It’s an acknowledgment that successful, innovative companies are the ones that rapidly try new ideas, see what works, improve their products and repeat. Businesses that launch frequently are also able to take advantage of economies of scale to make launchings faster and easier. In many ways, the key to innovation is speed of execution. NASA, an agency that depends on innovation, could benefit from the same mindset.
To meet its new goals for human spaceflight, NASA must be able to be creative and take risks, or else it will be unable to adapt to new technology and changing political realities. Grand plans stretching over decades will become irrelevant and eventually collapse. In the 12 years before I left NASA in 2007, we averaged about four space shuttle launchings per year. We had periods when the rate was even lower. I saw firsthand the harm that low launching rates do to innovation.
With precious few flights, every available opportunity to test new equipment or run scientific investigations was filled for years into the future, and this discouraged engineers from trying out new ideas. Without actual flight test data on, for example, prototypes for new life-support equipment, management was forced to substitute analysis for real engineering experience. (12/22)
Frank DiBello was named president of Space Florida in September after serving as interim leader of the group formed in May 2006 when the Legislature consolidated three existing organizations, Florida Space Authority, Florida Space Research Institute and Florida Aerospace Finance Corp. DiBello formerly served as president and CEO of Florida Aerospace Finance Corp. He spoke with Florida Trend about Vision 2020, Space Florida’s long-range plan. Click here to read the interview. (12/28)
NASA Voyager Sends Back Striking Images, Information From Galaxy (Source: AIA)
Images sent from NASA's Voyager 2, which is now more than 8.3 billion miles away from the sun, indicate the galaxy's magenetic field beyond the solar system is stronger than expected and is unexpectedly tilted 30 degrees out of alignment with its disk. (12/28)
Iran to Unveil New Home-Built Satellite (Source: AFP)
Iran will unveil a new home-built satellite in February, a newspaper reported Thursday, amid Western concerns that Tehran is using its nuclear and space industries to develop atomic and ballistic weapons. "The new generation of Iran's national satellite called Toloo (Dawn) will be unveiled in February," Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi was quoted as saying by the governmental Iran paper. The satellite has been designed by Sa Iran, also known as Iran Electronics Industries, an affiliate company of the defence ministry, the report said. (12/28)
Congrats to ULA for a Job Well Done (Source: Florida Today)
This year has been one of the most eventful in space history, but there's a hidden gem that deserves extra attention. Astronauts installed the last of the international partners' laboratory modules at the space station. The space shuttle program marched toward its retirement. NASA launched a gargantuan new moon rocket on its first test flight. The White House conducted a review of the entire space program.
With the future of human space exploration up in the air, it's no surprise that dominated headlines throughout 2009. Let's not let this year pass without recognizing one of the most important achievements in U.S. aerospace in recent years: the successful deployment of the United Launch Alliance. The joint venture of The Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin Corp. has come into its own this year, apparently overcoming a long list of challenges to merging the country's two biggest rocket developers into a single, functional team. (12/28)
Russian Space Program to be Fully Funded in 2010 (Source: Interfax)
The Russian space program will be fully funded in 2010, Federal Space Agency head Anatoly Perminov said. "The government has fully met our funding request despite the complicated times," he said. "I think the same will happen in 2011," he remarked. At the same time, the 2011 allocations will be twice as small than in 2009. "We have implemented much of the federal space program. This year's results are positive," Perminov said. (12/28)
Search for Extraterrestrial Civilizations Comes of Age (Source: Discovery)
Good things come to those who wait, and wait, ... and wait. This may someday be the opening sentence at a press conference at the SETI Institute in Mountain View, California to announce mankind's first evidence of intelligent life off the Earth. We've listened for transmissions from alien civilizations for 50 years without any luck. And there isn't the slightest clue when real data -– if ever -– may come. This bores some scientists who scornfully look at SETI as lost purely in "hypothetical-space."
Detractors say (1) nobody's out there, (2) we're listening on the wrong medium, (3) it's a scientifically meaningless experiment unsupported by any tangible hypothesis because of all the unknowns (as listed in the famous Drake equation). It's borderline pure faith. However, there's no need for impatience with a null result. With the influence of former NASA Associate Administrator Alan Stern (also the principal investigator on the New Horizons 2015 Pluto flyby), NASA is reconsidering funding SETI proposals and Congress isn't saying "no." (12/28)
Search for Extraterrestrial Life Gains Momentum Around the World (Source: Washington Post)
The initial phase of the planned 350-dish Allen Telescope Array, near Hat Creek, California, are designed to systematically scan the skies for radio signals sent by advanced civilizations from distant star systems and planets. Fifty years after it began -- and 18 years since Congress voted to strip taxpayer money from the effort -- the nation's search for extraterrestrial intelligence is alive and growing.
The Hat Creek array, which began operation two years ago, is a joint project of the SETI Institute and the nearby radio astronomy laboratory of the University of California at Berkeley. Made possible by an almost $25 million donation from Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, the array is unique and on the cutting edge of radio astronomy. SETI and Berkeley share both the facility, 290 miles northeast of San Francisco, and all the data it collects. Click here to view the article. (12/28)
Editorial: Toward a New Frontier? (Source: Waco Tribune)
Indications are the Obama administration is not only looking at 2010 with more promise, they’re also looking up — and that could mean things also are looking up for SpaceX, including its rocket-testing facility near McGregor. President Barack Obama is likely to weigh in for diversifying space funding, partly as a way of hedging bets on NASA, which has suffered frequent budget shortfalls and unrealistic schedules.
That means spunky outfits such as SpaceX, the California-based rocket company that seems to be winning more and more contracts, including its $1.6 billion commission to haul cargo to the International Space Station for NASA. Its success has only catapulted SpaceX into further contracts that include possibly moving humans into space... Which makes us a little more tolerant when Falcon 9 tests at the local site rattle our windows and shake our homes. All that noise could well mean progress for our area if the Falcon 9’s launch tests this spring at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport put it in orbit for manned missions. (12/28)
The Post-Space Shuttle Trough (Source: Florida Trend)
For years, the most significant business-related headline from Floridas Space Coast has remained the same: Shuttle to End in 2010, Thousands of Jobs at Risk. Even if the final planned missions carry over into 2011, the program is winding down, and the companies that service and launch the shuttle have begun laying off hundreds of workers. The organization that is supposed to do something about this is Space Florida.
Space Florida has a somewhat tortured history. It started life as the Spaceport Florida Authority in the late 1980s, then split into three organizations in the early 2000s. A special commission put the three pieces back together as Space Florida in 2006. Along the way, it seems, a forum would occur every few years at which state lawmakers, government officials and the space crowd got together to kick the political football, remind each other solemnly how important the space industry is to Florida, and promise to do something to help it.
A few things got done, but the state never ponied up enough money to compete for the occasional space plum (a commercial launch operation or rocket assembly facility, for example) against more aggressive states with better incentives and more cohesive congressional delegations. And until very recently, it never even made much headway with the military in making the Cape friendlier to the commercial launch business. The inconvenient truth is that NASA cast such a big shadow in Florida that anything the state did would look puny until that shadow got smaller or changed somehow. Click here to view the article. (12/28)
Editorial: Faster, NASA, Faster (Source: New York Times)
In Silicon Valley we have a saying: launch early, launch often. It’s an acknowledgment that successful, innovative companies are the ones that rapidly try new ideas, see what works, improve their products and repeat. Businesses that launch frequently are also able to take advantage of economies of scale to make launchings faster and easier. In many ways, the key to innovation is speed of execution. NASA, an agency that depends on innovation, could benefit from the same mindset.
To meet its new goals for human spaceflight, NASA must be able to be creative and take risks, or else it will be unable to adapt to new technology and changing political realities. Grand plans stretching over decades will become irrelevant and eventually collapse. In the 12 years before I left NASA in 2007, we averaged about four space shuttle launchings per year. We had periods when the rate was even lower. I saw firsthand the harm that low launching rates do to innovation.
With precious few flights, every available opportunity to test new equipment or run scientific investigations was filled for years into the future, and this discouraged engineers from trying out new ideas. Without actual flight test data on, for example, prototypes for new life-support equipment, management was forced to substitute analysis for real engineering experience. (12/22)
December 27 News Items
Ocean-Watching Satellite Facing Delays in Argentina (Source: Spaceflight Now)
The launch of a joint mission between NASA and Argentina to measure salt in Earth's oceans could be delayed nearly one year due to trouble at the spacecraft's factory. The mission is a joint endeavor between NASA and Argentina's space agency, CONAE. NASA's Aquarius instrument will measure ocean salinity levels across the globe to learn new information about the water cycle, a key driver of the world's climate.
CONAE is providing a spacecraft named SAC-D to host the Aquarius payload and six other instruments from Argentina, Italy and France. The 3,100-pound satellite was scheduled to lift off in May 2010, but the official launch date is now undetermined. SAC-D will launch on a Delta 2 rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. The launch may slip until early 2011, according to industry sources. (12/27)
Pennsylvania Knows Where its Moon Rocks Are; Few Other Recipients Do (Source: Patriot News)
They don’t look like much, a few pebbles trapped in Lucite balls and mounted on labeled wooden plaques in The State Museum of Pennsylvania. Don’t be fooled by their humdrum appearance. The two chunks of stone came from the moon. They were presented to Pennsylvania by President Richard M. Nixon. Forty years after the first moon landing, Pennsylvania is apparently one of a small number of recipients that has any idea where its moon rocks are.
The fact that Pennsylvania’s rocks are on display makes it stand out among the 50 states, said J. Richard Gutheinz Jr., a retired senior special agent with NASA’s Office of Inspector General. Every state in the union and more than 100 countries received what the Nixon administration called Goodwill Moon Rocks. But it would seem the message of good will did not matter as much as Nixon might have hoped.
Ireland’s Apollo 11 moon rock was destroyed in a fire. Malta’s Apollo 17 rock was stolen from an unlocked case in an unguarded museum. And Cyprus’ rock was stolen by a diplomat’s child. Spain’s moon rock was offered for sale in Switzerland. Editor's Note: Florida's moon rock was on public display in the Governor's Office until a 2002 incident at Johnson Space Center raised concerns about their safekeeping. Some NASA interns at JSC stole a cache of rocks at JSC, raising awareness of their incredible value and prompting Florida to put its rocks in safekeeping. (12/27)
Ground Control to NASA TV: Liven Up! (Source: LA Times)
If they can put a man on the moon, why can't they create interesting television? Though the question could be aimed at any number of networks, it is perhaps most aptly directed at the people who really did put a man on the moon -- the clever workers at NASA, who are appearing in more living rooms than ever thanks to the expanding lineups of satellite and cable networks.
Viewers who tune in to NASA Television for the first time might rightly expect to be starry-eyed with wonder at the incomprehensible mystery and vastness of space. But clearly, a universe of possibilities does not assure an abundance of riveting programs. Witness one recent segment about the recovery of a Soyuz capsule upon its return to Earth. The dark, bullet-like object landed in the featureless steppes of Kazakhstan. Coverage consisted of video shot from an all-terrain vehicle approaching it -- mostly soundless footage of tall grass going by -- with an occasional word by an unnamed commentator. (12/27)
Nigeria to Assume Enviable Position in Space Science (Source: Daily Triumph)
The Director-General of the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Dr. Seidu Onailo Mohammed has assured that the Agency shall put Nigeria in an enviable position as an active player in the field of space science and technology. According to him, the major thrust of Nigerian nation space Policy Program is to make space research and development activities part of the overall strategies for sustained national development.
The director-general of stated this during the 2009 National Media Conference on Space Science and Technology held at the Confluence Beach Hotel Lokoja, Kogi state. He said that the United Nations has constituted several committees for space development because space is not only a measure for development but also, tool for technological revolution in any society. (12/27)
White House Science Office Reports U.S. Rocket Propulsion Work Lagging (Source: Huntsville Times)
Limited demand for rocket engines could slow advanced U.S. propulsion work, according to a report released by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. "Despite the importance of space to government and commercial activities the U.S. space launch industry has seen a decline in launch services over the past decade ... From 2004-2008 the U.S. shared of commercial launches was about 17 percent, compared with 42 percent for Russia, 21 percent for Europe and 18 percent for the multi-national company SeaLaunch."
From 1999-2008, rocket launches in the United States dropped by half - down from 31 to 15. The slow down in the global economy is partly to blame. U.S. government launches comprise 80 percent of that market. Several rocket engines are under development for launch vehicles like SpaceX's Falcon 9, but lack of global demand slows research and development of rocket engines. (12/27)
The launch of a joint mission between NASA and Argentina to measure salt in Earth's oceans could be delayed nearly one year due to trouble at the spacecraft's factory. The mission is a joint endeavor between NASA and Argentina's space agency, CONAE. NASA's Aquarius instrument will measure ocean salinity levels across the globe to learn new information about the water cycle, a key driver of the world's climate.
CONAE is providing a spacecraft named SAC-D to host the Aquarius payload and six other instruments from Argentina, Italy and France. The 3,100-pound satellite was scheduled to lift off in May 2010, but the official launch date is now undetermined. SAC-D will launch on a Delta 2 rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. The launch may slip until early 2011, according to industry sources. (12/27)
Pennsylvania Knows Where its Moon Rocks Are; Few Other Recipients Do (Source: Patriot News)
They don’t look like much, a few pebbles trapped in Lucite balls and mounted on labeled wooden plaques in The State Museum of Pennsylvania. Don’t be fooled by their humdrum appearance. The two chunks of stone came from the moon. They were presented to Pennsylvania by President Richard M. Nixon. Forty years after the first moon landing, Pennsylvania is apparently one of a small number of recipients that has any idea where its moon rocks are.
The fact that Pennsylvania’s rocks are on display makes it stand out among the 50 states, said J. Richard Gutheinz Jr., a retired senior special agent with NASA’s Office of Inspector General. Every state in the union and more than 100 countries received what the Nixon administration called Goodwill Moon Rocks. But it would seem the message of good will did not matter as much as Nixon might have hoped.
Ireland’s Apollo 11 moon rock was destroyed in a fire. Malta’s Apollo 17 rock was stolen from an unlocked case in an unguarded museum. And Cyprus’ rock was stolen by a diplomat’s child. Spain’s moon rock was offered for sale in Switzerland. Editor's Note: Florida's moon rock was on public display in the Governor's Office until a 2002 incident at Johnson Space Center raised concerns about their safekeeping. Some NASA interns at JSC stole a cache of rocks at JSC, raising awareness of their incredible value and prompting Florida to put its rocks in safekeeping. (12/27)
Ground Control to NASA TV: Liven Up! (Source: LA Times)
If they can put a man on the moon, why can't they create interesting television? Though the question could be aimed at any number of networks, it is perhaps most aptly directed at the people who really did put a man on the moon -- the clever workers at NASA, who are appearing in more living rooms than ever thanks to the expanding lineups of satellite and cable networks.
Viewers who tune in to NASA Television for the first time might rightly expect to be starry-eyed with wonder at the incomprehensible mystery and vastness of space. But clearly, a universe of possibilities does not assure an abundance of riveting programs. Witness one recent segment about the recovery of a Soyuz capsule upon its return to Earth. The dark, bullet-like object landed in the featureless steppes of Kazakhstan. Coverage consisted of video shot from an all-terrain vehicle approaching it -- mostly soundless footage of tall grass going by -- with an occasional word by an unnamed commentator. (12/27)
Nigeria to Assume Enviable Position in Space Science (Source: Daily Triumph)
The Director-General of the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Dr. Seidu Onailo Mohammed has assured that the Agency shall put Nigeria in an enviable position as an active player in the field of space science and technology. According to him, the major thrust of Nigerian nation space Policy Program is to make space research and development activities part of the overall strategies for sustained national development.
The director-general of stated this during the 2009 National Media Conference on Space Science and Technology held at the Confluence Beach Hotel Lokoja, Kogi state. He said that the United Nations has constituted several committees for space development because space is not only a measure for development but also, tool for technological revolution in any society. (12/27)
White House Science Office Reports U.S. Rocket Propulsion Work Lagging (Source: Huntsville Times)
Limited demand for rocket engines could slow advanced U.S. propulsion work, according to a report released by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. "Despite the importance of space to government and commercial activities the U.S. space launch industry has seen a decline in launch services over the past decade ... From 2004-2008 the U.S. shared of commercial launches was about 17 percent, compared with 42 percent for Russia, 21 percent for Europe and 18 percent for the multi-national company SeaLaunch."
From 1999-2008, rocket launches in the United States dropped by half - down from 31 to 15. The slow down in the global economy is partly to blame. U.S. government launches comprise 80 percent of that market. Several rocket engines are under development for launch vehicles like SpaceX's Falcon 9, but lack of global demand slows research and development of rocket engines. (12/27)
December 26 News Items
Virginia to Boost Commercial Spaceport Budget (Source: Spaceports Blog)
Virginia's spaceport is on the move in 2010 with outgoing Governor Tim Kaine including $1.37 million in the next state budget [114 (K)] for each of two years to the Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority (VCSFA) to operate the commercial launch facility. The budget amendment was backed by Governor-elect Robert F. McDonnell during the 2009 statewide political campaign. (12/22)
Transition Phase Means a Full Plate (Source: Huntsville Times)
As a new decade begins, Marshall Space Flight Center workers will begin the final countdown for the four-decade-old space shuttle program and continue supporting the International Space Station. About 350 federal employees at Marshall work directly for the shuttle program, with another 500 splitting their time between the shuttle and other work, said Marshall Director Robert Lightfoot. We've got people here that have spent 20 to 30 years only working shuttle. There will be some who retire, but we will put people from shuttle into Ares mostly. "Anybody who has a job will have one when shuttle retires." (12/26)
Five Injured in Hotel Fire in Cosmonauts' Town (Source: RIA Novosti)
At least five people were injured in a hotel fire in a cosmonauts' town northeast of Moscow early on Saturday. The fire at the Orbita hotel occurred at about 8:00 a.m. in Star City, a famous location just 25 km (16 miles) northeast of Moscow where cosmonauts have lived and trained since the 1960s. Three injured people have already been hospitalized, and over 30 people have been evacuated, the source said. According to preliminary reports, the hotel accommodated Russian army officers and their families.
Experts Outline Steps to Create Pan-Arab Space Agency (Source: Gulf News)
Leading regional and international space industry experts gathered in Abu Dhabi earlier this month, at the region's leading platform for space and satellite technology. The second edition of the Global Space Technology Forum (GSTF) was officially inaugurated by Saudi Arabia's Prince Sultan Bin Salman Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, President of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities. The three day event at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center came at an exciting time for the region's space industry with many exciting projects on the horizon.
In a session on space policy, regulations and economics, Dr Mohammad Argoun, the former Director of the Egyptian Space Program, discussed the economic and social benefits for nations of the Middle East embarking on space-based initiatives. He also presented a detailed outline of the necessary steps and milestones that governments in the region must reach before creating a Pan-Arab space agency. (12/26)
Trio of NASA Missions for 2010 Probe Secrets of Earth, Sun (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
NASA heads into 2010 with the bittersweet assignment of retiring the space shuttle after nearly three decades. But that's not all the agency has planned: There are also launches of three new satellites aimed at better understanding the Earth's climate and oceans, and the sun. Two of the probes will examine Earth -- specifically the concentration of salt in the world's oceans and the presence of aerosol particles, such as soot, in the atmosphere. A third mission will study the sun and its effect on space weather including solar flares that can disrupt communication on Earth. (12/26)
El Segundo Man Working on Largest Space Telescope Ever Built (Source: Daily Breeze)
As a young boy, Robert Luetgens looked up to the heavens and fantasized about soaring in space as an astronaut. Decades later, Luetgens works on a device that will not only observe the heavens, but also peer into our universe's past. Luetgens, 42, serves as a supervising technician for the James Webb Space Telescope at Northrop Grumman Corp.'s Space Park campus in Redondo Beach.
James Webb will be the largest space telescope ever built. NASA plans to launch the telescope in 2014 to an orbit 1 million miles from Earth in order to observe glimpses of the universe when it was only a few hundred million years old. Luetgens, an El Segundo resident, specifically works on the James Webb's optical telescope, which is the primary mirror. (12/25)
Congress Extends Liability Protection for Commercial Launches (Sources: Orlando Sentinel, Space Politics)
In a move essential to Florida’s efforts to develop an expanded commercial launch industry, the U.S. Senate passed legislation late Wednesday that would extend federal liability protection for commercial space launch providers against catastrophic events. Every time a commercial company launches rocket with any payload, the potential third-party liability is enormous—a rocket could conceivably do billions of dollars worth of damage to infrastructure and people.
Under the measure approved by the Senate, the U.S. government would continue for three more years to indemnify commercial launch operators against third-party claims for launch-related damages that exceed $500 million, up to a total of $1.5 billion. First established by Congress as part of the Commercial Space Launch Act Amendments of 1988, the liability-limiting legislation been extended four times. The House passed the same bill two months ago, so it will go on to the President for his signature, with the current indemnification provision expiring on December 31.
In order to obtain a commercial launch license, a company is required to purchase a private insurance policy that covers the third-party liability up to what’s called the “maximum probable loss”. Under the legislation, the government agrees to indemnify the companies beyond the MPL up to the $1.5 billion threshold. However, payment of claims is not automatic. Congressional approval is required for any payment. If claims go beyond $1.5 billion, liability reverts to the commercial launch operator. (12/25)
Jacobs Buys TYBRIN (Source: Trading Markets)
California-based Jacobs Engineering Group has announced the purchase of defense contractor TYBRIN Corp., with headquarters in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. Jacobs announced the sale in a news release issued Thursday. Terms were not disclosed. Like TYBRIN, Jacobs has a presence at multiple government installations in Florida. TYBRIN provides services for the Department of Defense, NASA and state governments. It has more than 1,400 employees at 235 locations in 47 states and 18 overseas sites. (12/25)
Virginia's spaceport is on the move in 2010 with outgoing Governor Tim Kaine including $1.37 million in the next state budget [114 (K)] for each of two years to the Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority (VCSFA) to operate the commercial launch facility. The budget amendment was backed by Governor-elect Robert F. McDonnell during the 2009 statewide political campaign. (12/22)
Transition Phase Means a Full Plate (Source: Huntsville Times)
As a new decade begins, Marshall Space Flight Center workers will begin the final countdown for the four-decade-old space shuttle program and continue supporting the International Space Station. About 350 federal employees at Marshall work directly for the shuttle program, with another 500 splitting their time between the shuttle and other work, said Marshall Director Robert Lightfoot. We've got people here that have spent 20 to 30 years only working shuttle. There will be some who retire, but we will put people from shuttle into Ares mostly. "Anybody who has a job will have one when shuttle retires." (12/26)
Five Injured in Hotel Fire in Cosmonauts' Town (Source: RIA Novosti)
At least five people were injured in a hotel fire in a cosmonauts' town northeast of Moscow early on Saturday. The fire at the Orbita hotel occurred at about 8:00 a.m. in Star City, a famous location just 25 km (16 miles) northeast of Moscow where cosmonauts have lived and trained since the 1960s. Three injured people have already been hospitalized, and over 30 people have been evacuated, the source said. According to preliminary reports, the hotel accommodated Russian army officers and their families.
Experts Outline Steps to Create Pan-Arab Space Agency (Source: Gulf News)
Leading regional and international space industry experts gathered in Abu Dhabi earlier this month, at the region's leading platform for space and satellite technology. The second edition of the Global Space Technology Forum (GSTF) was officially inaugurated by Saudi Arabia's Prince Sultan Bin Salman Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, President of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities. The three day event at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center came at an exciting time for the region's space industry with many exciting projects on the horizon.
In a session on space policy, regulations and economics, Dr Mohammad Argoun, the former Director of the Egyptian Space Program, discussed the economic and social benefits for nations of the Middle East embarking on space-based initiatives. He also presented a detailed outline of the necessary steps and milestones that governments in the region must reach before creating a Pan-Arab space agency. (12/26)
Trio of NASA Missions for 2010 Probe Secrets of Earth, Sun (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
NASA heads into 2010 with the bittersweet assignment of retiring the space shuttle after nearly three decades. But that's not all the agency has planned: There are also launches of three new satellites aimed at better understanding the Earth's climate and oceans, and the sun. Two of the probes will examine Earth -- specifically the concentration of salt in the world's oceans and the presence of aerosol particles, such as soot, in the atmosphere. A third mission will study the sun and its effect on space weather including solar flares that can disrupt communication on Earth. (12/26)
El Segundo Man Working on Largest Space Telescope Ever Built (Source: Daily Breeze)
As a young boy, Robert Luetgens looked up to the heavens and fantasized about soaring in space as an astronaut. Decades later, Luetgens works on a device that will not only observe the heavens, but also peer into our universe's past. Luetgens, 42, serves as a supervising technician for the James Webb Space Telescope at Northrop Grumman Corp.'s Space Park campus in Redondo Beach.
James Webb will be the largest space telescope ever built. NASA plans to launch the telescope in 2014 to an orbit 1 million miles from Earth in order to observe glimpses of the universe when it was only a few hundred million years old. Luetgens, an El Segundo resident, specifically works on the James Webb's optical telescope, which is the primary mirror. (12/25)
Congress Extends Liability Protection for Commercial Launches (Sources: Orlando Sentinel, Space Politics)
In a move essential to Florida’s efforts to develop an expanded commercial launch industry, the U.S. Senate passed legislation late Wednesday that would extend federal liability protection for commercial space launch providers against catastrophic events. Every time a commercial company launches rocket with any payload, the potential third-party liability is enormous—a rocket could conceivably do billions of dollars worth of damage to infrastructure and people.
Under the measure approved by the Senate, the U.S. government would continue for three more years to indemnify commercial launch operators against third-party claims for launch-related damages that exceed $500 million, up to a total of $1.5 billion. First established by Congress as part of the Commercial Space Launch Act Amendments of 1988, the liability-limiting legislation been extended four times. The House passed the same bill two months ago, so it will go on to the President for his signature, with the current indemnification provision expiring on December 31.
In order to obtain a commercial launch license, a company is required to purchase a private insurance policy that covers the third-party liability up to what’s called the “maximum probable loss”. Under the legislation, the government agrees to indemnify the companies beyond the MPL up to the $1.5 billion threshold. However, payment of claims is not automatic. Congressional approval is required for any payment. If claims go beyond $1.5 billion, liability reverts to the commercial launch operator. (12/25)
Jacobs Buys TYBRIN (Source: Trading Markets)
California-based Jacobs Engineering Group has announced the purchase of defense contractor TYBRIN Corp., with headquarters in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. Jacobs announced the sale in a news release issued Thursday. Terms were not disclosed. Like TYBRIN, Jacobs has a presence at multiple government installations in Florida. TYBRIN provides services for the Department of Defense, NASA and state governments. It has more than 1,400 employees at 235 locations in 47 states and 18 overseas sites. (12/25)
December 24 News Items
Space Butterflies Dead (Source: Discovery)
I hate to break this news on Christmas Eve, but I can't think of a better time to remember our orbital space pioneers. The International Space Station (ISS) butterflies have died. Unfortunately, I don't think they perfected the art of flight inside their habitat (although they did flap a bit), but they appeared to live a whole butterfly life-cycle in space -- the first time this has ever been achieved. The space butterfly ISS outreach experiment was organized by BioServe Space Technologies and the University of Colorado for school kids to follow the progress of the orbiting creatures. This experiment offered an unparalleled experience to compare a control (ground-based) group of butterflies with their cousins in space. (12/24)
New Mexico Spaceport Authority Awards Contract for Apron Construction (Source: Las Cruces Sun-News)
The New Mexico Spaceport Authority board on Tuesday awarded a $5.75 million contract to build the facility's apron, the concrete slab that surrounds the terminal-hangar facility. The authority awarded the contract to David Montoya Construction, of Albuquerque, which already has a $29.5 million contract to build the 10,000-foot runway at Spaceport America. Once built, the apron will be 440,000 square-feet in surface area and will eventually connect to the taxiway, which leads to the runway. Landeene said it will serve as an area for launch vehicles to maneuver outside the terminal. (12/24)
Another Obama Space-Related Promise Ranked as "In the Works" (Source: Politifact)
During his campaign, President Obama promised to support an improved weather prediction program, launching "without further delay" the Global Precipitation Measurement mission as "an international effort to improve climate, weather, and hydrological predictions through more accurate and more frequent precipitation measurements." The folks at PolitiFact have updated the status of this promise to "In the Works." Click here for more. (12/24)
Colorado Program Enables Visitors to Interact with Space Program (Source: The Coloradoan)
Come to the Fort Collins Museum & Discovery Science Center to participate in Under Pressure, a program presented via live, interactive videoconference in collaboration with Space Center Houston. Learn more about the challenges of air pressure and flying meteorites that space suit designers have to face in Suit Up for Space between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Participants can make their own miniature space suit out of balloons as well as create some astronaut food. On Tuesday the museum will connect with educators at Space Center Houston for the videoconference, during which visitors can learn how and why astronaut suits are designed they way they are. Visitors will also have a chance to test the durability of their homemade, balloon space suits against meteorite impacts. (12/24)
Engineers Work Hard to Keep Endeavour Toasty (Source: Florida Today)
Space shuttle Endeavour has been kept warm and cozy in Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building, even as temperatures dipped below 45 degrees outside. Air circulating through the crew cabin and various purge lines maintain the vehicle's temperature near 70 degrees and relative humidity around 50 percent. "We're trying to keep moisture from setting up in there," said George Diller, a KSC spokesman. "The intent is to keep all the critical systems warm and dry, as well as the inside of the ship itself." Some of those critical systems include the main engines and thrusters at the orbiter's nose and tail. (12/24)
Astrium Starts Work On Ariane 5 ME (Source: Aviation Week)
The European Space Agency (ESA) has contracted with EADS Astrium for definition of a higher-power, more versatile variant of the Ariane 5 heavy-lift booster. The new version, known as the Ariane 5 ME (Midlife Evolution), will feature a new upper stage, a re-ignitable Vinci upper stage engine and enhanced avionics and flight software. Expected to make its first flight around 2017, the Ariane 5 ME will have a payload capacity of 12 metric tons, compared to 10 tons for the existing Ariane 5 ECA, and be capable of launching spacecraft into multiple orbits. It is intended to allow the Ariane 5 to remain competitive with new launch vehicles like China's Long March 5. (12/24)
I hate to break this news on Christmas Eve, but I can't think of a better time to remember our orbital space pioneers. The International Space Station (ISS) butterflies have died. Unfortunately, I don't think they perfected the art of flight inside their habitat (although they did flap a bit), but they appeared to live a whole butterfly life-cycle in space -- the first time this has ever been achieved. The space butterfly ISS outreach experiment was organized by BioServe Space Technologies and the University of Colorado for school kids to follow the progress of the orbiting creatures. This experiment offered an unparalleled experience to compare a control (ground-based) group of butterflies with their cousins in space. (12/24)
New Mexico Spaceport Authority Awards Contract for Apron Construction (Source: Las Cruces Sun-News)
The New Mexico Spaceport Authority board on Tuesday awarded a $5.75 million contract to build the facility's apron, the concrete slab that surrounds the terminal-hangar facility. The authority awarded the contract to David Montoya Construction, of Albuquerque, which already has a $29.5 million contract to build the 10,000-foot runway at Spaceport America. Once built, the apron will be 440,000 square-feet in surface area and will eventually connect to the taxiway, which leads to the runway. Landeene said it will serve as an area for launch vehicles to maneuver outside the terminal. (12/24)
Another Obama Space-Related Promise Ranked as "In the Works" (Source: Politifact)
During his campaign, President Obama promised to support an improved weather prediction program, launching "without further delay" the Global Precipitation Measurement mission as "an international effort to improve climate, weather, and hydrological predictions through more accurate and more frequent precipitation measurements." The folks at PolitiFact have updated the status of this promise to "In the Works." Click here for more. (12/24)
Colorado Program Enables Visitors to Interact with Space Program (Source: The Coloradoan)
Come to the Fort Collins Museum & Discovery Science Center to participate in Under Pressure, a program presented via live, interactive videoconference in collaboration with Space Center Houston. Learn more about the challenges of air pressure and flying meteorites that space suit designers have to face in Suit Up for Space between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Participants can make their own miniature space suit out of balloons as well as create some astronaut food. On Tuesday the museum will connect with educators at Space Center Houston for the videoconference, during which visitors can learn how and why astronaut suits are designed they way they are. Visitors will also have a chance to test the durability of their homemade, balloon space suits against meteorite impacts. (12/24)
Engineers Work Hard to Keep Endeavour Toasty (Source: Florida Today)
Space shuttle Endeavour has been kept warm and cozy in Kennedy Space Center's Vehicle Assembly Building, even as temperatures dipped below 45 degrees outside. Air circulating through the crew cabin and various purge lines maintain the vehicle's temperature near 70 degrees and relative humidity around 50 percent. "We're trying to keep moisture from setting up in there," said George Diller, a KSC spokesman. "The intent is to keep all the critical systems warm and dry, as well as the inside of the ship itself." Some of those critical systems include the main engines and thrusters at the orbiter's nose and tail. (12/24)
Astrium Starts Work On Ariane 5 ME (Source: Aviation Week)
The European Space Agency (ESA) has contracted with EADS Astrium for definition of a higher-power, more versatile variant of the Ariane 5 heavy-lift booster. The new version, known as the Ariane 5 ME (Midlife Evolution), will feature a new upper stage, a re-ignitable Vinci upper stage engine and enhanced avionics and flight software. Expected to make its first flight around 2017, the Ariane 5 ME will have a payload capacity of 12 metric tons, compared to 10 tons for the existing Ariane 5 ECA, and be capable of launching spacecraft into multiple orbits. It is intended to allow the Ariane 5 to remain competitive with new launch vehicles like China's Long March 5. (12/24)
December 23 News Items
New Crew Set To Begin Six-Month Stay On Station (Source: Florida Today)
A Russian spacecraft has safely delivered three new crew members to the International Space Station as the outpost flew 220 miles above Rio De Janeiro. An automated docking system successfully eased American astronaut T.J. Creamer, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kotov and Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi into a port on the Earth-facing side of Russian Zarya module, completing a two-day journey from Kazakhstan. (12/23)
Take the CSA Survey (Source: CSA)
The California Space Authority (CSA) is committed to bringing the perspective and priorities of the space enterprise community to Federal, State, and local policymakers. We have prepared a survey to obtain input and ask that you and your colleagues take a moment to review the suggested action items and prioritize them by pointing out those in need of the most immediate attention. There is also a location for you to add any additional ideas that may not have come to the surface through the planning process. Click here to take the survey. Thank you! (12/23)
Are We Looking in the Wrong Places for Water on the Moon? (Source: New Scientist)
Water is turning up in unexpected places on the moon, controversial new observations suggest. According to theory, water is not stable on the moon's surface above -167°C. As a result, ice should be concentrated in "cold traps" near the lunar poles, in craters that never get any sunlight. NASA's LCROSS spacecraft found water when it crashed into one such crater, called Cabeus, in October. But new observations from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) suggest that many of the permanently shadowed regions near the south pole are dry and several potentially wet regions are sunlit.
The observations come from the Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND) experiment, which looks for possible water deposits by measuring neutrons emitted from the moon. Water or other hydrogen-bearing compounds reduce the number of fast neutrons. LEND examined 37 permanently shadowed craters near the south pole and found that only three of them – Cabeus, Faustini, and Shoemaker – showed significant amounts of hydrogen. Yet several illuminated regions also appear to be hydrogen rich. (12/23)
Fed Auditors: Shuttle Vital to Science at Station (Source: Florida Today)
NASA will have a tough time pursuing research projects at the International Space Station because of the scheduled retirement of the shuttle next year, government auditors reported. The auditors' report, requested by Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla, and Rep. Bart Gordon, D-Tenn., chairman of the House Science and Technology Committee, notes that without the delivery of spare parts, supplies and other large items by the space shuttles, the station could end up in a crisis mode similar to the way it was operated during the hiatus in shuttle flights after the Columbia disaster.
Rep. Bill Posey, R-Fla, said the report explains why it's too soon to retire the shuttle. "This report makes the case for adding shuttle flights ... because absent these additional flights, the utilization of the ISS will fall far short of its full potential," Posey said. Said Nelson: "...We also need a vehicle to get there after the shuttle is retired, which is one reason why I've urged the president to adequately fund NASA." (12/23)
Bus Ride Launches Spaceport Tourism (Source: KRQE)
That new spaceport being built near Truth or Consequences is now hosting its first tourists, but instead of strapping themselves into a rocket, they're boarding a bus. They may not be launching from Spaceport America, but they are getting a close-up look not only at the work going into building it but the rich history of a once-dangerous part of the state. The long road to Spaceport America from T or C transports tourists across vast country and through time. "This country has more history than anyplace in the United States," science teacher Jerry Brown said. Brown, a former NASA engineer, takes tourists on weekends to look over spaceport construction and learn about the heritage of the place. (12/23)
Voyager Makes an Interstellar Discovery (Source: NASA)
The solar system is passing through an interstellar cloud that physics says should not exist. "Using data from Voyager, we have discovered a strong magnetic field just outside the solar system," explains lead author Merav Opher, a NASA Heliophysics Guest Investigator from George Mason University. "This magnetic field holds the interstellar cloud together and solves the long-standing puzzle of how it can exist at all." (12/23)
Orbital Gets Communications Satellite Deal (Source: AP)
Orbital Sciences Corp., which makes small rockets, satellites and other space equipment, received a contract for a communications satellite with OverHorizon, a satellite telephone and broadband provider. Thales Alenia Space, a European satellite systems company, will be Orbital's partner on the project. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The satellite is to provide mobile broadband communications for use with inexpensive terminals installed in vehicles such as cars, trucks, boats and airplanes, Orbital said. (12/23)
A Russian spacecraft has safely delivered three new crew members to the International Space Station as the outpost flew 220 miles above Rio De Janeiro. An automated docking system successfully eased American astronaut T.J. Creamer, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kotov and Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi into a port on the Earth-facing side of Russian Zarya module, completing a two-day journey from Kazakhstan. (12/23)
Take the CSA Survey (Source: CSA)
The California Space Authority (CSA) is committed to bringing the perspective and priorities of the space enterprise community to Federal, State, and local policymakers. We have prepared a survey to obtain input and ask that you and your colleagues take a moment to review the suggested action items and prioritize them by pointing out those in need of the most immediate attention. There is also a location for you to add any additional ideas that may not have come to the surface through the planning process. Click here to take the survey. Thank you! (12/23)
Are We Looking in the Wrong Places for Water on the Moon? (Source: New Scientist)
Water is turning up in unexpected places on the moon, controversial new observations suggest. According to theory, water is not stable on the moon's surface above -167°C. As a result, ice should be concentrated in "cold traps" near the lunar poles, in craters that never get any sunlight. NASA's LCROSS spacecraft found water when it crashed into one such crater, called Cabeus, in October. But new observations from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) suggest that many of the permanently shadowed regions near the south pole are dry and several potentially wet regions are sunlit.
The observations come from the Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND) experiment, which looks for possible water deposits by measuring neutrons emitted from the moon. Water or other hydrogen-bearing compounds reduce the number of fast neutrons. LEND examined 37 permanently shadowed craters near the south pole and found that only three of them – Cabeus, Faustini, and Shoemaker – showed significant amounts of hydrogen. Yet several illuminated regions also appear to be hydrogen rich. (12/23)
Fed Auditors: Shuttle Vital to Science at Station (Source: Florida Today)
NASA will have a tough time pursuing research projects at the International Space Station because of the scheduled retirement of the shuttle next year, government auditors reported. The auditors' report, requested by Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla, and Rep. Bart Gordon, D-Tenn., chairman of the House Science and Technology Committee, notes that without the delivery of spare parts, supplies and other large items by the space shuttles, the station could end up in a crisis mode similar to the way it was operated during the hiatus in shuttle flights after the Columbia disaster.
Rep. Bill Posey, R-Fla, said the report explains why it's too soon to retire the shuttle. "This report makes the case for adding shuttle flights ... because absent these additional flights, the utilization of the ISS will fall far short of its full potential," Posey said. Said Nelson: "...We also need a vehicle to get there after the shuttle is retired, which is one reason why I've urged the president to adequately fund NASA." (12/23)
Bus Ride Launches Spaceport Tourism (Source: KRQE)
That new spaceport being built near Truth or Consequences is now hosting its first tourists, but instead of strapping themselves into a rocket, they're boarding a bus. They may not be launching from Spaceport America, but they are getting a close-up look not only at the work going into building it but the rich history of a once-dangerous part of the state. The long road to Spaceport America from T or C transports tourists across vast country and through time. "This country has more history than anyplace in the United States," science teacher Jerry Brown said. Brown, a former NASA engineer, takes tourists on weekends to look over spaceport construction and learn about the heritage of the place. (12/23)
Voyager Makes an Interstellar Discovery (Source: NASA)
The solar system is passing through an interstellar cloud that physics says should not exist. "Using data from Voyager, we have discovered a strong magnetic field just outside the solar system," explains lead author Merav Opher, a NASA Heliophysics Guest Investigator from George Mason University. "This magnetic field holds the interstellar cloud together and solves the long-standing puzzle of how it can exist at all." (12/23)
Orbital Gets Communications Satellite Deal (Source: AP)
Orbital Sciences Corp., which makes small rockets, satellites and other space equipment, received a contract for a communications satellite with OverHorizon, a satellite telephone and broadband provider. Thales Alenia Space, a European satellite systems company, will be Orbital's partner on the project. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The satellite is to provide mobile broadband communications for use with inexpensive terminals installed in vehicles such as cars, trucks, boats and airplanes, Orbital said. (12/23)
December 22 News Items
Israeli Diamonds in Space - May Be a Satellite's Best Friend (Source: Israel National News)
Israeli diamonds now sparkle not only on the fingers of happy Jewish women but also amidst the twinkling stars, after the space shuttle Atlantis launched two fine specimens into outer space. Two diamonds cultivated by the Technion's Faculty of Chemistry will spend a year adorning Earth's orbit – roaming freely - after which time they will be returned to the Technion for studies of the damaging effects of the space environment, which may indicate their suitability in satellites. Diamond, nature's hardest material, typically stands up well to chemically erosive conditions. By studying the interaction between diamonds and the space environment, researchers are looking for a material which will endure years of harsh conditions in coatings for space satellites. (12/22)
Company Tests Rocket Engine for Affordable Access to Orbit for Small Satellites (Source: Huntsville Times)
Nowhere else but the Rocket City. Monday afternoon, in a trailer surrounded by cotton fields just west of Huntsville International Airport, a group gathered to watch the 5-second burn of a ground-breaking if not ground-shaking rocket engine. Orion Propulsion is developing it for the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command, which wants a low-cost, on-demand way to loft its new class of small "nanosatellites" into orbit so they don't have to wait for a piggyback ride into space aboard a larger launch vehicle. Besides providing the Army a low-cost, next-day satellite launch capability, the new engine could eventually open orbit to universities or private companies that don't have a good, inexpensive way into space. (12/22)
Can We Find a Living Planet by 2020? (Source: Discovery)
There was a lot of excitement last week about the discovery of a “waterworld” planet called GJ 1214b. This world belongs to an emerging class of planets dubbed “super-Earths.” It is 6.5 times Earth’s mass and nearly three times our diameter. Its mass, diameter and density suggest the planet is largely a ball of water with and icy/rocky core. The next big step is to chemically characterize the atmospheres of exoplanets. And this will inevitably lead us to the confirmation of life on other worlds -- presumably in stellar habitable zones.
Finding evidence for extraterrestrial life is a daunting task. First you need to measure and dissect the light reflected by the planet. Considering the parent star could be as much as 10 billion times brighter than the planet, it would be like trying to see a gnat crawling on the rim of a car headlight aimed at you. This is beyond the capabilities of the largest planned ground-based telescopes, and barely doable by immense space telescopes yet to be built. (12/22)
Russia to Start Research Into Spacecraft Nuclear Engines in 2010 (Source: RIA Novosti)
Russia will launch research into nuclear engines for spaceships from 2010, the head of the Federal Space Agency said. “Nuclear engines for spaceships are a very promising area. Such engines should be created to make flights to Mars and other planets, for example,” Anatoly Perminov said. Perminov earlier said that the development of Megawatt-class nuclear space power systems (MCNSPS) for manned spacecraft was crucial for Russia if the country wanted to maintain a competitive edge in the space race, including the exploration of the Moon and Mars. (12/22)
FAA Plans Center of Excellence for Commercial Space Transportation (Source: FAA)
The Federal Aviation Administration is planning to set up a new university-based Center of Excellence for Commercial Space Transportation (CST) next year. FAA would fund the center at $1 million per year, with additional funds coming from the host institution. A public meeting is planned on Feb. 9 to discuss the new center. Editor's Note: Embry-Riddle already leads one of the FAA's aviation-oriented Centers of Excellence, has established a Space Transportation Research & Development Institute (STRDI), and recently entered into an agreement with the FAA to support various space transportation research projects. (12/22)
Alabama Rep. Parker Griffith Switches Parties to GOP (Sources: CBS, Space Politics)
Rep. Parker Griffith, a freshman Democrat from Alabama, is switching parties to become a Republican. Some aren't surprised by Griffith's switch. He has voted against all major Democratic initiatives this year, including the stimulus, cap and trade and health care bills. He's also spoken out against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, saying that he would not vote for her to be speaker again.
"I have also been very concerned about support in Congress for our Defense and NASA programs...Since election to Congress I have fought hard to educate other members on the importance of a strong National Missile Defense program and that we must give our NASA programs more support if we are to maintain our lead in space. And while there are some great Democratic supporters of these programs I increasingly find that my allies in fighting for these initiatives come from within the Republican Party." (12/22)
Embry-Riddle Teams Fly High for Weightless Science (Source: NASA)
NASA has selected 28 undergraduate student teams to test their science experiments in simulated weightlessness. The teams were selected to fly in the summer of 2010 with NASA's Reduced Gravity Student Flight Opportunities and Systems Engineering Educational Discovery (SEED) programs. The program provides a rare academic experience for undergraduate students to propose, design, fabricate, fly and evaluate a reduced-gravity experiment.
Two teams from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University were selected to participate in the Reduced Gravity Student Flight Opportunities Program, along with teams from Utah State University, San Jacinto College North, the College of New Jersey, State University of New York at Buffalo, West Virginia University, Purdue University, Yale University, Austin Community College, the University of Washington, the University of Wisconsin at Madison, and two teams from the University of Michigan. (12/22)
GAO Recommends Alternative Management of Space Station (Source: SPACErePORT)
A new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report focuses on NASA's challenges in accommodating research aboard the International Space Station, part of which has been designated as a U.S. National Laboratory (ISSNL). Among other findings, the GAO recommends that NASA should manage the ISSNL in a manner similar to other U.S. National Laboratories, with a centralized management organization. "The NASA Administrator should establish a body that centrally oversees U.S. ISS research decision making, including the selection of all U.S. research to be conducted on board and ensuring that all U.S. ISS research is meritorious and valid. This body should also be able to strategically prioritize research proposed by many potential sponsors. The report can be downloaded here. Editor's Note: The GAO recommendation is consistent with an essay I developed on this topic, published in June 2009 by the Space Review, here. (12/22)
Centennial Challenges, Spaceport And Suborbital Science Receive Funds (Source: Space Daily)
NASA's Centennial Challenges prize program, FAA's Spaceports Infrastructure Grants initiative, and the new NASA Commercial Reusable Suborbital Research program (CRuSR) gained momentum after receiving funding in the NASA and FAA appropriations bills for Fiscal Year 2010, passed by Congress and signed by the President last week. $4 million in funding is being appropriated for new NASA prizes to promote technology innovation. Prizes are an innovative mechanism for technology advancement for the commercial spaceflight sector, and the funds will allow NASA to develop and announce more new prizes in the coming year.
$500,000 was provided for an FAA Space Transportation Infrastructure Matching Grants program, which will be competitively awarded to spaceports nationwide, the first time the grant program has been funded since being created in 1993. Existing and proposed spaceports in California, Florida, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Virginia / Maryland, Alaska, Wisconsin, Indiana, and other states, will be eligible for these competitively-awarded grants. NASA's Commercial Reusable Suborbital Research Program (CRuSR) program will receive $1 million to fly science, technology, and education payloads aboard next-generation commercial suborbital spacecraft. (12/22)
NASA Announces Final Fixes for Ares Shaking Danger (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
A NASA blog Monday afternoon announced that agency engineers have agreed on final fixes to possible shaking by the Ares I rocket on its ascent to orbit. The shaking problem, known as thrust oscillation, has been a concern dogging the rocket’s design since it was first identified in computer models two years ago. According to the blog post, “NASA and contractor engineers have developed multiple options” to damp out the vibrations caused by the way Ares I solid rocket first stage burns. “When we discover an engineering risk, like thrust oscillation, we tackle it with full rigor,” said Jeff Hanley, Constellation Program manager. “That’s what this team has done with thrust oscillation.” (12/22)
Russian Space Workhorse Soyuz Could Point the Way for Japanese Program (Source: Mainichi)
A Russian Soyuz spacecraft carrying Japanese national Soichi Noguchi and two other astronauts blasted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Monday in a perfect launch. Noguchi and the other astronauts will stay on the International Space Station for five months. Noguchi is the second Japanese astronaut to travel on a Soyuz spacecraft, after Toyohiro Akiyama made a journey 19 years ago. In the future, compatriots Satoshi Furukawa and Akihiko Hoshide will travel to and from the ISS aboard the Soyuz.
For Japan, Noguchi's trip provides the chance to come into contact with manned spacecraft technology differing from that of the U.S. -- and consider the underlying ideology. We hope that Japan will absorb knowledge from the trip and put this to use in its development of manned spaceship technology. Early during the Soyuz program, four people lost their lives, but there hasn't been a fatal accident for almost 40 years. Compared with the U.S. Space Shuttle program, in which 14 people have died in two accidents since the first flight in 1981, the Soyuz program appears relatively stable. Furthermore, few launches are delayed. (12/22)
Israeli diamonds now sparkle not only on the fingers of happy Jewish women but also amidst the twinkling stars, after the space shuttle Atlantis launched two fine specimens into outer space. Two diamonds cultivated by the Technion's Faculty of Chemistry will spend a year adorning Earth's orbit – roaming freely - after which time they will be returned to the Technion for studies of the damaging effects of the space environment, which may indicate their suitability in satellites. Diamond, nature's hardest material, typically stands up well to chemically erosive conditions. By studying the interaction between diamonds and the space environment, researchers are looking for a material which will endure years of harsh conditions in coatings for space satellites. (12/22)
Company Tests Rocket Engine for Affordable Access to Orbit for Small Satellites (Source: Huntsville Times)
Nowhere else but the Rocket City. Monday afternoon, in a trailer surrounded by cotton fields just west of Huntsville International Airport, a group gathered to watch the 5-second burn of a ground-breaking if not ground-shaking rocket engine. Orion Propulsion is developing it for the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command, which wants a low-cost, on-demand way to loft its new class of small "nanosatellites" into orbit so they don't have to wait for a piggyback ride into space aboard a larger launch vehicle. Besides providing the Army a low-cost, next-day satellite launch capability, the new engine could eventually open orbit to universities or private companies that don't have a good, inexpensive way into space. (12/22)
Can We Find a Living Planet by 2020? (Source: Discovery)
There was a lot of excitement last week about the discovery of a “waterworld” planet called GJ 1214b. This world belongs to an emerging class of planets dubbed “super-Earths.” It is 6.5 times Earth’s mass and nearly three times our diameter. Its mass, diameter and density suggest the planet is largely a ball of water with and icy/rocky core. The next big step is to chemically characterize the atmospheres of exoplanets. And this will inevitably lead us to the confirmation of life on other worlds -- presumably in stellar habitable zones.
Finding evidence for extraterrestrial life is a daunting task. First you need to measure and dissect the light reflected by the planet. Considering the parent star could be as much as 10 billion times brighter than the planet, it would be like trying to see a gnat crawling on the rim of a car headlight aimed at you. This is beyond the capabilities of the largest planned ground-based telescopes, and barely doable by immense space telescopes yet to be built. (12/22)
Russia to Start Research Into Spacecraft Nuclear Engines in 2010 (Source: RIA Novosti)
Russia will launch research into nuclear engines for spaceships from 2010, the head of the Federal Space Agency said. “Nuclear engines for spaceships are a very promising area. Such engines should be created to make flights to Mars and other planets, for example,” Anatoly Perminov said. Perminov earlier said that the development of Megawatt-class nuclear space power systems (MCNSPS) for manned spacecraft was crucial for Russia if the country wanted to maintain a competitive edge in the space race, including the exploration of the Moon and Mars. (12/22)
FAA Plans Center of Excellence for Commercial Space Transportation (Source: FAA)
The Federal Aviation Administration is planning to set up a new university-based Center of Excellence for Commercial Space Transportation (CST) next year. FAA would fund the center at $1 million per year, with additional funds coming from the host institution. A public meeting is planned on Feb. 9 to discuss the new center. Editor's Note: Embry-Riddle already leads one of the FAA's aviation-oriented Centers of Excellence, has established a Space Transportation Research & Development Institute (STRDI), and recently entered into an agreement with the FAA to support various space transportation research projects. (12/22)
Alabama Rep. Parker Griffith Switches Parties to GOP (Sources: CBS, Space Politics)
Rep. Parker Griffith, a freshman Democrat from Alabama, is switching parties to become a Republican. Some aren't surprised by Griffith's switch. He has voted against all major Democratic initiatives this year, including the stimulus, cap and trade and health care bills. He's also spoken out against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, saying that he would not vote for her to be speaker again.
"I have also been very concerned about support in Congress for our Defense and NASA programs...Since election to Congress I have fought hard to educate other members on the importance of a strong National Missile Defense program and that we must give our NASA programs more support if we are to maintain our lead in space. And while there are some great Democratic supporters of these programs I increasingly find that my allies in fighting for these initiatives come from within the Republican Party." (12/22)
Embry-Riddle Teams Fly High for Weightless Science (Source: NASA)
NASA has selected 28 undergraduate student teams to test their science experiments in simulated weightlessness. The teams were selected to fly in the summer of 2010 with NASA's Reduced Gravity Student Flight Opportunities and Systems Engineering Educational Discovery (SEED) programs. The program provides a rare academic experience for undergraduate students to propose, design, fabricate, fly and evaluate a reduced-gravity experiment.
Two teams from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University were selected to participate in the Reduced Gravity Student Flight Opportunities Program, along with teams from Utah State University, San Jacinto College North, the College of New Jersey, State University of New York at Buffalo, West Virginia University, Purdue University, Yale University, Austin Community College, the University of Washington, the University of Wisconsin at Madison, and two teams from the University of Michigan. (12/22)
GAO Recommends Alternative Management of Space Station (Source: SPACErePORT)
A new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report focuses on NASA's challenges in accommodating research aboard the International Space Station, part of which has been designated as a U.S. National Laboratory (ISSNL). Among other findings, the GAO recommends that NASA should manage the ISSNL in a manner similar to other U.S. National Laboratories, with a centralized management organization. "The NASA Administrator should establish a body that centrally oversees U.S. ISS research decision making, including the selection of all U.S. research to be conducted on board and ensuring that all U.S. ISS research is meritorious and valid. This body should also be able to strategically prioritize research proposed by many potential sponsors. The report can be downloaded here. Editor's Note: The GAO recommendation is consistent with an essay I developed on this topic, published in June 2009 by the Space Review, here. (12/22)
Centennial Challenges, Spaceport And Suborbital Science Receive Funds (Source: Space Daily)
NASA's Centennial Challenges prize program, FAA's Spaceports Infrastructure Grants initiative, and the new NASA Commercial Reusable Suborbital Research program (CRuSR) gained momentum after receiving funding in the NASA and FAA appropriations bills for Fiscal Year 2010, passed by Congress and signed by the President last week. $4 million in funding is being appropriated for new NASA prizes to promote technology innovation. Prizes are an innovative mechanism for technology advancement for the commercial spaceflight sector, and the funds will allow NASA to develop and announce more new prizes in the coming year.
$500,000 was provided for an FAA Space Transportation Infrastructure Matching Grants program, which will be competitively awarded to spaceports nationwide, the first time the grant program has been funded since being created in 1993. Existing and proposed spaceports in California, Florida, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Virginia / Maryland, Alaska, Wisconsin, Indiana, and other states, will be eligible for these competitively-awarded grants. NASA's Commercial Reusable Suborbital Research Program (CRuSR) program will receive $1 million to fly science, technology, and education payloads aboard next-generation commercial suborbital spacecraft. (12/22)
NASA Announces Final Fixes for Ares Shaking Danger (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
A NASA blog Monday afternoon announced that agency engineers have agreed on final fixes to possible shaking by the Ares I rocket on its ascent to orbit. The shaking problem, known as thrust oscillation, has been a concern dogging the rocket’s design since it was first identified in computer models two years ago. According to the blog post, “NASA and contractor engineers have developed multiple options” to damp out the vibrations caused by the way Ares I solid rocket first stage burns. “When we discover an engineering risk, like thrust oscillation, we tackle it with full rigor,” said Jeff Hanley, Constellation Program manager. “That’s what this team has done with thrust oscillation.” (12/22)
Russian Space Workhorse Soyuz Could Point the Way for Japanese Program (Source: Mainichi)
A Russian Soyuz spacecraft carrying Japanese national Soichi Noguchi and two other astronauts blasted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on Monday in a perfect launch. Noguchi and the other astronauts will stay on the International Space Station for five months. Noguchi is the second Japanese astronaut to travel on a Soyuz spacecraft, after Toyohiro Akiyama made a journey 19 years ago. In the future, compatriots Satoshi Furukawa and Akihiko Hoshide will travel to and from the ISS aboard the Soyuz.
For Japan, Noguchi's trip provides the chance to come into contact with manned spacecraft technology differing from that of the U.S. -- and consider the underlying ideology. We hope that Japan will absorb knowledge from the trip and put this to use in its development of manned spaceship technology. Early during the Soyuz program, four people lost their lives, but there hasn't been a fatal accident for almost 40 years. Compared with the U.S. Space Shuttle program, in which 14 people have died in two accidents since the first flight in 1981, the Soyuz program appears relatively stable. Furthermore, few launches are delayed. (12/22)
December 21 News Items
Soviet 'Monkey Nursery' Now Wants To Send An Ape To Mars (Source: Popular Science)
Some rivalries die hard. Ham the American chimpanzee stirred up some Cold War ire when he became the first hominid in space in early 1961; now, scientists at the Institute of Experimental Pathology and Therapy, the pride of early Soviet space science, want to send one of their 350 apes on a mission to Mars -- with a robot overseer, naturally. The institute resides in Sukhumi in the breakaway Georgian province of Abkhazia (remember that brief military tangle last year when Russia rolled through its former Soviet satellite?), where it once churned out medical research, as well as two rhesus monkeys that traveled into space in 1987. When the Soviet Union collapsed so did the institute's benefactor, but a renewed relationship with Russia since seceding from Georgia has rekindled Abkhaz-Russian relations, as well as the prospect for sending one of the institute's many surviving apes into space. (12/21)
NASA Ponders Post-Shuttle Reorganization (Source: Aviation Week)
Managers across NASA are looking for an "innovative and inspirational" way to deal with budget realities facing the agency, and are working on a plan to merge the spaceflight and exploration mission directorates into a single unit as the shuttle era draws to a close. Headquarters mission-directorate chiefs and field center directors met behind closed doors to ponder organizational adjustments that likely will be necessary once President Barack Obama issues his long-awaited space policy, probably early next year. The spaceflight/exploration merger was one topic of discussion. (12/21)
Africa Establishes New Space Partnerships (Source: Space Daily)
The use of space-based technologies can help achieve sustainable development in Africa, a capacity recently bolstered in that continent by creation of two regional space partnerships. The third African Leadership Conference on Space Science and Technology for Sustainable Development was held on December 7-9 in Algiers. The conference was hosted by the Algerian Space Agency. (12/21)
Deficits Hamper European Space Spending (Source: Forbes)
Cash-strapped member states are reluctant to increase E.U. space funding. Before the Lisbon Treaty, the European Space Agency and E.U. were in effect separate organizations. The ESA had a different set of members and was prohibited from developing explicit military- or security-related programs. The E.U. is a policy-making body, the ESA the executive arm for European space activities. Non-E.U. ESA states have now agreed to alter this relationship, and the E.U. and ESA may now develop a more dual-technology approach to key programs such as the satellite navigation and positioning system Galileo and the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) network.
The E.U. spends some 700 million euros ($1.05 billion) per year on space, which is a small proportion of the 6 billion euros the ESA and European states--predominantly France, Germany and Italy--spend. Compared to the U.S. space budget and other competitors such as China, even this is small. The division between the E.U. and ESA and the lack of an appropriate policy framework were partly responsible for incoherent European space policies, but differing procurement and managerial approaches to Europe's largest programs played their part too. (12/21)
The Commercial Space Race Heats Up (Source: True Slant)
Although the Augustine Commission did not offer up “recommendations” – it is clear they want NASA to focus on moving beyond low earth orbit – creating some space – if you will – for entrepreneurs to boldly go where only the government has gone before. The man in the vanguard of this push is one Elon Musk – the PayPal multimillionaire – who now heads SpaceX. The California company won the NASA contract to build rockets that will deliver cargo to the International Space Station – but Musk hopes to do more than that – one day offering a ride to orbit for human beings. Click here to view an interview with SpaceX's Ken Bowersox. (12/21)
ESA Signs Contract for Ariane 5 Rocket Enhancements (Source: SpaceFlightNow.com)
The European Space Agency has awarded a contract to the maker of the Ariane 5 rocket for early development of a new upper stage to increase the launcher's capacity. The contract covers the development of a more powerful version of the rocket with a new upper stage and upgraded avionics and software. The enhancements are part of the Ariane 5 Midlife Evolution program. Astrium says the contract is worth more than $200 million over the next two years. (12/21)
World Awaits U.S. Decision on Space Exploration (Source: Florida Today)
Don’t let the political jawboning fool you. America is not falling behind, because there is no space race. Indeed, the rest of the world is waiting for the U.S. to decide humankind’s next great adventure in space exploration. They’re waiting to follow. Yes, the Russians and the Chinese can fly people to space. Yes, they have grand ambitions. The Russians propose a nuclear-powered spaceship to take cosmonauts to Mars, yet they’ve barely got the funding necessary to operate their portion of the International Space Station. The Chinese say they will build their own space station, yet they’re talking behind the scenes with U.S. and Russian officials to break down remaining barriers to joining the International Space Station project. Click here to view the article. (12/21)
Space Activism's Obsession with Technological and Ideological Saviors (Source: Space Review)
Many space activists have pinned their hopes for humanity's future in space on specific technologies or ideologies. Dwayne Day describes why such "fetishism" is doomed to fail. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1534/1 to view the article. (12/21)
Britain's New Space Agency: a Provincial Subcommittee or a National Asset? (Source: Space Review)
Earlier this month the British government announced that, at long last, it would create a standalone space agency. Taylor Dinerman examines the impact this new agency could have and the importance of keeping civil and military space efforts separate. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1533/1 to view the article. (12/21)
Why Should Humans go to Mars? (Source: Space Review)
Mars is widely seen as the long-term goal for human space exploration, even among those who don't favor near-term missions there, but why go to Mars at all? Frank Stratford argues that exploring Mars is all about preserving, and challenging, humanity. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1532/1 to view the article. (12/21)
South Korea Prepares for Second Space Launch (Source: Yonhap News)
South Korea will prepare for the second launch of a locally assembled space rocket and try to secure export deals for its research reactors in 2010, the government said Monday. The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology said in its annual policy report to President Lee Myung-bak that it is currently examining the cause behind the "half-successful" firing of the first Korea Space Launch Vehicle-1 (KSLV-1) on Aug. 25. It said based on the review of the first KSLV-1 launch, engineers will take all possible steps to make certain that the second launch scheduled for the first half of next year is successful. (12/21)
New Course for Space Exploration Promotes Private Firms (Source: Wall Street Journal)
The Obama administration appears set to chart a new course for U.S. space exploration by promoting the use of private companies to ferry astronauts into orbit, according to people familiar with the matter. The controversial plan would mark a trailblazing departure for the nation's space program by allowing a group of closely held start-up companies, for the first time, to compete for a central role in an arena previously dominated by much larger, publicly traded contractors with long track records working for NASA. The initiative is part of a broader realignment of goals for an agency suffering from low morale and chronic budget shortfalls that also has been whipsawed by changing priorities in successive administrations. (12/21)
Engage the X Drive: Ten Ways to Traverse Deep Space (Source: New Scientist)
In 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first human being to reach outer space. Eight years later, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin made it to the surface of the moon. And that is as far as any of us has ventured. Apart from the mundane problems of budgets and political will, the major roadblock is that our dominant space-flight technology – chemically fuelled rockets – just isn't up to the distances involved. We can send robot probes to the outer planets, but they take years to get there. Click here to review 10 intriguing alternatives for space propulsion. (12/21)
Moon Mission Gets Help in Congress (Source: Houston Chronicle)
Fearful that the White House might scale back manned space exploration, a bipartisan group of lawmakers slipped a provision into a massive government spending package last week that would force President Barack Obama to seek congressional approval for any changes to the ambitious Bush-era, back-to-the-moon program.
The little-noticed legislative maneuver could yield massive payoffs for the Houston area, which has tens of thousands of jobs tied to manned space exploration. The congressional action hands NASA supporters additional leverage in their behind-the-scenes campaign to persuade Obama to budget an extra $3 billion a year to finance the return of astronauts to the moon by 2020 rather than revamping — and cutting — the manned space effort. “Congress' commitment to our nation's human spaceflight program is unwavering with respect to the path we have already charted,” says Rep. Pete Olson, R-Sugar Land, whose congressional district includes Johnson Space Center. “The debate should not be if we are moving forward, but how we are going to pay for it.” (12/21)
Column: NASA Needs to Launch Early, Often (Source: New York Times)
To reach its goals for human spaceflight, NASA needs to learn from Silicon Valley and be innovative and take risks to avoid getting stuck in old technology and shifting political scenarios, according to this opinion piece from Edward Lu, a former astronaut and program manager for advanced projects at Google. NASA needs to speed up its rate of rocket launches and launch early and often because only a few launches a year will hinder the innovation needed for a long-term program. (12/21)
Conflict of Interest? Congresswoman Staunchly Backs Constellation -- and is Wed to Astronaut (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
For nearly two hours last September, members of a House science committee hammered Norm Augustine, the head of a White House panel reviewing NASA's space plans. U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., led the charge, attacking the panel's suggestion that the agency ditch its Constellation moon-rocket program. "I don't see the logic of scrapping what the nation has spent years and billions of dollars to develop," complained Giffords. Backed by fellow House science committee members from Texas and California, states with big NASA centers, she blamed Augustine's group for "losing ground" and accused him of providing Congress with recommendations that "look almost like cartoons."
Finally, the roasting became too much for U.S. Rep. Vernon Ehlers, R-Mich. "I'm not from Texas, California or Florida, and I'm not married to an astronaut, so I can try to be as objective as possible," he told Augustine. "They have given you a rough time, which I don't think you deserve." It was an uncomfortable reminder of a fact that deeply disturbs critics of NASA's Constellation program: Giffords, 39, the chairwoman of the House space subcommittee, is married to a NASA astronaut, a man who until recently worked on the agency's beleaguered Constellation program.
In the two years since her Arizona wedding to Mark Kelly, Giffords has become a key champion of Constellation — even as a growing number of critics have attacked its Ares I rocket as too expensive and behind schedule and as President Barack Obama considers sweeping changes to NASA's manned-space program. Her unflinching support for Constellation has made her a standard bearer for both Democrats and Republicans who are opposed to Obama shaking up NASA. And as oversight subcommittee chairwoman, she already has called hearings to criticize proposals for more international cooperation and a greater use of commercial rockets. Click here to view the article. (12/20)
Some rivalries die hard. Ham the American chimpanzee stirred up some Cold War ire when he became the first hominid in space in early 1961; now, scientists at the Institute of Experimental Pathology and Therapy, the pride of early Soviet space science, want to send one of their 350 apes on a mission to Mars -- with a robot overseer, naturally. The institute resides in Sukhumi in the breakaway Georgian province of Abkhazia (remember that brief military tangle last year when Russia rolled through its former Soviet satellite?), where it once churned out medical research, as well as two rhesus monkeys that traveled into space in 1987. When the Soviet Union collapsed so did the institute's benefactor, but a renewed relationship with Russia since seceding from Georgia has rekindled Abkhaz-Russian relations, as well as the prospect for sending one of the institute's many surviving apes into space. (12/21)
NASA Ponders Post-Shuttle Reorganization (Source: Aviation Week)
Managers across NASA are looking for an "innovative and inspirational" way to deal with budget realities facing the agency, and are working on a plan to merge the spaceflight and exploration mission directorates into a single unit as the shuttle era draws to a close. Headquarters mission-directorate chiefs and field center directors met behind closed doors to ponder organizational adjustments that likely will be necessary once President Barack Obama issues his long-awaited space policy, probably early next year. The spaceflight/exploration merger was one topic of discussion. (12/21)
Africa Establishes New Space Partnerships (Source: Space Daily)
The use of space-based technologies can help achieve sustainable development in Africa, a capacity recently bolstered in that continent by creation of two regional space partnerships. The third African Leadership Conference on Space Science and Technology for Sustainable Development was held on December 7-9 in Algiers. The conference was hosted by the Algerian Space Agency. (12/21)
Deficits Hamper European Space Spending (Source: Forbes)
Cash-strapped member states are reluctant to increase E.U. space funding. Before the Lisbon Treaty, the European Space Agency and E.U. were in effect separate organizations. The ESA had a different set of members and was prohibited from developing explicit military- or security-related programs. The E.U. is a policy-making body, the ESA the executive arm for European space activities. Non-E.U. ESA states have now agreed to alter this relationship, and the E.U. and ESA may now develop a more dual-technology approach to key programs such as the satellite navigation and positioning system Galileo and the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) network.
The E.U. spends some 700 million euros ($1.05 billion) per year on space, which is a small proportion of the 6 billion euros the ESA and European states--predominantly France, Germany and Italy--spend. Compared to the U.S. space budget and other competitors such as China, even this is small. The division between the E.U. and ESA and the lack of an appropriate policy framework were partly responsible for incoherent European space policies, but differing procurement and managerial approaches to Europe's largest programs played their part too. (12/21)
The Commercial Space Race Heats Up (Source: True Slant)
Although the Augustine Commission did not offer up “recommendations” – it is clear they want NASA to focus on moving beyond low earth orbit – creating some space – if you will – for entrepreneurs to boldly go where only the government has gone before. The man in the vanguard of this push is one Elon Musk – the PayPal multimillionaire – who now heads SpaceX. The California company won the NASA contract to build rockets that will deliver cargo to the International Space Station – but Musk hopes to do more than that – one day offering a ride to orbit for human beings. Click here to view an interview with SpaceX's Ken Bowersox. (12/21)
ESA Signs Contract for Ariane 5 Rocket Enhancements (Source: SpaceFlightNow.com)
The European Space Agency has awarded a contract to the maker of the Ariane 5 rocket for early development of a new upper stage to increase the launcher's capacity. The contract covers the development of a more powerful version of the rocket with a new upper stage and upgraded avionics and software. The enhancements are part of the Ariane 5 Midlife Evolution program. Astrium says the contract is worth more than $200 million over the next two years. (12/21)
World Awaits U.S. Decision on Space Exploration (Source: Florida Today)
Don’t let the political jawboning fool you. America is not falling behind, because there is no space race. Indeed, the rest of the world is waiting for the U.S. to decide humankind’s next great adventure in space exploration. They’re waiting to follow. Yes, the Russians and the Chinese can fly people to space. Yes, they have grand ambitions. The Russians propose a nuclear-powered spaceship to take cosmonauts to Mars, yet they’ve barely got the funding necessary to operate their portion of the International Space Station. The Chinese say they will build their own space station, yet they’re talking behind the scenes with U.S. and Russian officials to break down remaining barriers to joining the International Space Station project. Click here to view the article. (12/21)
Space Activism's Obsession with Technological and Ideological Saviors (Source: Space Review)
Many space activists have pinned their hopes for humanity's future in space on specific technologies or ideologies. Dwayne Day describes why such "fetishism" is doomed to fail. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1534/1 to view the article. (12/21)
Britain's New Space Agency: a Provincial Subcommittee or a National Asset? (Source: Space Review)
Earlier this month the British government announced that, at long last, it would create a standalone space agency. Taylor Dinerman examines the impact this new agency could have and the importance of keeping civil and military space efforts separate. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1533/1 to view the article. (12/21)
Why Should Humans go to Mars? (Source: Space Review)
Mars is widely seen as the long-term goal for human space exploration, even among those who don't favor near-term missions there, but why go to Mars at all? Frank Stratford argues that exploring Mars is all about preserving, and challenging, humanity. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1532/1 to view the article. (12/21)
South Korea Prepares for Second Space Launch (Source: Yonhap News)
South Korea will prepare for the second launch of a locally assembled space rocket and try to secure export deals for its research reactors in 2010, the government said Monday. The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology said in its annual policy report to President Lee Myung-bak that it is currently examining the cause behind the "half-successful" firing of the first Korea Space Launch Vehicle-1 (KSLV-1) on Aug. 25. It said based on the review of the first KSLV-1 launch, engineers will take all possible steps to make certain that the second launch scheduled for the first half of next year is successful. (12/21)
New Course for Space Exploration Promotes Private Firms (Source: Wall Street Journal)
The Obama administration appears set to chart a new course for U.S. space exploration by promoting the use of private companies to ferry astronauts into orbit, according to people familiar with the matter. The controversial plan would mark a trailblazing departure for the nation's space program by allowing a group of closely held start-up companies, for the first time, to compete for a central role in an arena previously dominated by much larger, publicly traded contractors with long track records working for NASA. The initiative is part of a broader realignment of goals for an agency suffering from low morale and chronic budget shortfalls that also has been whipsawed by changing priorities in successive administrations. (12/21)
Engage the X Drive: Ten Ways to Traverse Deep Space (Source: New Scientist)
In 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first human being to reach outer space. Eight years later, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin made it to the surface of the moon. And that is as far as any of us has ventured. Apart from the mundane problems of budgets and political will, the major roadblock is that our dominant space-flight technology – chemically fuelled rockets – just isn't up to the distances involved. We can send robot probes to the outer planets, but they take years to get there. Click here to review 10 intriguing alternatives for space propulsion. (12/21)
Moon Mission Gets Help in Congress (Source: Houston Chronicle)
Fearful that the White House might scale back manned space exploration, a bipartisan group of lawmakers slipped a provision into a massive government spending package last week that would force President Barack Obama to seek congressional approval for any changes to the ambitious Bush-era, back-to-the-moon program.
The little-noticed legislative maneuver could yield massive payoffs for the Houston area, which has tens of thousands of jobs tied to manned space exploration. The congressional action hands NASA supporters additional leverage in their behind-the-scenes campaign to persuade Obama to budget an extra $3 billion a year to finance the return of astronauts to the moon by 2020 rather than revamping — and cutting — the manned space effort. “Congress' commitment to our nation's human spaceflight program is unwavering with respect to the path we have already charted,” says Rep. Pete Olson, R-Sugar Land, whose congressional district includes Johnson Space Center. “The debate should not be if we are moving forward, but how we are going to pay for it.” (12/21)
Column: NASA Needs to Launch Early, Often (Source: New York Times)
To reach its goals for human spaceflight, NASA needs to learn from Silicon Valley and be innovative and take risks to avoid getting stuck in old technology and shifting political scenarios, according to this opinion piece from Edward Lu, a former astronaut and program manager for advanced projects at Google. NASA needs to speed up its rate of rocket launches and launch early and often because only a few launches a year will hinder the innovation needed for a long-term program. (12/21)
Conflict of Interest? Congresswoman Staunchly Backs Constellation -- and is Wed to Astronaut (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
For nearly two hours last September, members of a House science committee hammered Norm Augustine, the head of a White House panel reviewing NASA's space plans. U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., led the charge, attacking the panel's suggestion that the agency ditch its Constellation moon-rocket program. "I don't see the logic of scrapping what the nation has spent years and billions of dollars to develop," complained Giffords. Backed by fellow House science committee members from Texas and California, states with big NASA centers, she blamed Augustine's group for "losing ground" and accused him of providing Congress with recommendations that "look almost like cartoons."
Finally, the roasting became too much for U.S. Rep. Vernon Ehlers, R-Mich. "I'm not from Texas, California or Florida, and I'm not married to an astronaut, so I can try to be as objective as possible," he told Augustine. "They have given you a rough time, which I don't think you deserve." It was an uncomfortable reminder of a fact that deeply disturbs critics of NASA's Constellation program: Giffords, 39, the chairwoman of the House space subcommittee, is married to a NASA astronaut, a man who until recently worked on the agency's beleaguered Constellation program.
In the two years since her Arizona wedding to Mark Kelly, Giffords has become a key champion of Constellation — even as a growing number of critics have attacked its Ares I rocket as too expensive and behind schedule and as President Barack Obama considers sweeping changes to NASA's manned-space program. Her unflinching support for Constellation has made her a standard bearer for both Democrats and Republicans who are opposed to Obama shaking up NASA. And as oversight subcommittee chairwoman, she already has called hearings to criticize proposals for more international cooperation and a greater use of commercial rockets. Click here to view the article. (12/20)
December 20 News Items
Space Debris Reaching Tipping Point? (Source: eWeek)
As space debris grew 13 percent in 2009, engineers and scientists are facing a daunting challenge: how to mitigate the dangers to the $200 billion a year satellite and launch industries from hundreds of thousands of bits of space debris whizzing around the Earth at 17,000 miles-per-hour. The orbital debris count is currently estimated at more than 300,000 objects dangerously whizzing around the Earth at 17,000 miles-per-hour. In 2009, the debris count increased 13 per cent, adding even more risk to the dicey $200 billion a year satellite and launch industries. (12/20)
Editorial: NASA in Need of a Major Overhaul (Source: Houston Chronicle)
There are only five shuttle missions left. Setting aside the views of critics who argue that human exploration in space is an economically unsound activity, it is our contention that it would be desirable to get the United States back in the manned launch-vehicle business as soon as possible. To do this, NASA must engage in a comprehensive overhaul of its processes and business culture for the challenges of the new decade. This seems to make sense to NASA chief Charles Bolden, who says the agency must “accelerate with a sense of urgency the development of a next-generation launch system and human carrier..." To meet this urgent call for action means radically revamping the way the agency does business, in line with reform currently taking place at other federal agencies, not least the Pentagon.
Changing a few regulations or coming up with a new feel-good marketing campaign won't cure the NASA culture. What's needed is a transformation that encourages an entrepreneurial, rather than bureaucratic, culture. Compare Bolden's NASA with Robert Gates' Department of Defense, and you will see some guideposts for what is needed from the NASA leadership. Gates has had the fortitude to dismiss subordinates when things go wrong. He halted further production of the F-22 fighter, a $350 million machine that has yet to contribute sortie one to the fighting in Afghanistan or Iraq.
What gives us hope is that the entrepreneurial spirit of Silicon Valley is deeply interested in the future of spaceflight, manned and unmanned. Google recently put some $30 million in award money on the table for teams able to land a robotic lunar rover on the moon as part of the X Prize Foundation's efforts to stimulate activity in spaceflight and exploration. This should stand as an indicator of where the NASA mission is headed. NASA's brightest potential future is one where it serves as an enabler, standards-setter and coordinating body for the more entrepreneurial activity needed to bring the cost of spaceflight down. (12/20)
Orbital Wins DARPA Contract for Spacecraft Clusters (Source: Space News)
DARPA has awarded Dulles, Va.-based Orbital Sciences Corp. a $75 million contract to develop the final design for a radically new space architecture in which traditional, large spacecraft are replaced by clusters of wirelessly connected orbiting modules. Dubbed System F6, short for Future, Fast, Flexible, Fractionated, Free-Flying spacecraft, Orbital’s design was selected among four competing study contracts issued in 2008 and 2009. The new contract is valued at $74.6 million over a one-year period. (12/20)
As space debris grew 13 percent in 2009, engineers and scientists are facing a daunting challenge: how to mitigate the dangers to the $200 billion a year satellite and launch industries from hundreds of thousands of bits of space debris whizzing around the Earth at 17,000 miles-per-hour. The orbital debris count is currently estimated at more than 300,000 objects dangerously whizzing around the Earth at 17,000 miles-per-hour. In 2009, the debris count increased 13 per cent, adding even more risk to the dicey $200 billion a year satellite and launch industries. (12/20)
Editorial: NASA in Need of a Major Overhaul (Source: Houston Chronicle)
There are only five shuttle missions left. Setting aside the views of critics who argue that human exploration in space is an economically unsound activity, it is our contention that it would be desirable to get the United States back in the manned launch-vehicle business as soon as possible. To do this, NASA must engage in a comprehensive overhaul of its processes and business culture for the challenges of the new decade. This seems to make sense to NASA chief Charles Bolden, who says the agency must “accelerate with a sense of urgency the development of a next-generation launch system and human carrier..." To meet this urgent call for action means radically revamping the way the agency does business, in line with reform currently taking place at other federal agencies, not least the Pentagon.
Changing a few regulations or coming up with a new feel-good marketing campaign won't cure the NASA culture. What's needed is a transformation that encourages an entrepreneurial, rather than bureaucratic, culture. Compare Bolden's NASA with Robert Gates' Department of Defense, and you will see some guideposts for what is needed from the NASA leadership. Gates has had the fortitude to dismiss subordinates when things go wrong. He halted further production of the F-22 fighter, a $350 million machine that has yet to contribute sortie one to the fighting in Afghanistan or Iraq.
What gives us hope is that the entrepreneurial spirit of Silicon Valley is deeply interested in the future of spaceflight, manned and unmanned. Google recently put some $30 million in award money on the table for teams able to land a robotic lunar rover on the moon as part of the X Prize Foundation's efforts to stimulate activity in spaceflight and exploration. This should stand as an indicator of where the NASA mission is headed. NASA's brightest potential future is one where it serves as an enabler, standards-setter and coordinating body for the more entrepreneurial activity needed to bring the cost of spaceflight down. (12/20)
Orbital Wins DARPA Contract for Spacecraft Clusters (Source: Space News)
DARPA has awarded Dulles, Va.-based Orbital Sciences Corp. a $75 million contract to develop the final design for a radically new space architecture in which traditional, large spacecraft are replaced by clusters of wirelessly connected orbiting modules. Dubbed System F6, short for Future, Fast, Flexible, Fractionated, Free-Flying spacecraft, Orbital’s design was selected among four competing study contracts issued in 2008 and 2009. The new contract is valued at $74.6 million over a one-year period. (12/20)
December 19 News Items
Astronauts Set for Christmas Space Mission (Source: AP)
Three astronauts from the United States, Japan and Russia received the go-ahead Saturday for a holiday season rocket launch to the International Space Station from Russia's remote space complex in southern Kazakhstan. Their Soyuz TMA-17 spacecraft has been hoisted into place at the Baikonur center for a mission that will boost the number of crew at the orbital laboratory to five members. NASA's Timothy J. Creamer, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kotov and Soichi Noguchi of Japan will blast off at 4:52 p.m. EST Sunday in the first-ever launch of a Soyuz spaceship on a winter night. (12/19)
University Leaders Meet at Florida Spaceport (Source: SPACErePORT)
Space Florida President Frank DiBello and State University System Chancellor Frank Brogan last week hosted a meeting of university leaders at the state-owned Space Life Sciences Lab at KSC. Embry-Riddle, Florida Tech, FSU, UCF, and UF were represented, along with the Space Transportation Research & Development Institute (STRDI), Institute for Human & Machine Cognition (IHMC), and the Florida Center for Advanced Aerospace Propulsion (FCAAP). The meeting focused on options for expanding the state’s involvement in space R&D. Follow-up actions will likely be discussed at a February summit with Gov. Charlie Crist. (12/18)
NASA Versus the Deficit (Source: Space Politics)
A likely battle in Congress in 2010 will revolve around the budget deficit and attempts to reduce it, given the massive deficit accumulated in FY2009. At the same time it appears that Congressional space supporters, and perhaps the White House, will be seeking additional funding for NASA in FY-2011. Are these two efforts on a collision course? Cutting NASA alone doesn’t do much for deficit relief. However, if Congress does get serious in 2010 about deficit reduction, any program that’s proposed to get an increase is likely going to come under special scrutiny. Are the agency’s supporters in Congress—-particularly those who also cast themselves as fiscal conservatives-—prepared to respond?
Congressman Parker Griffith (D-AL) mentioned both NASA and deficit reduction as priorities. Asked at the end of the interview about what his priorities were in 2010, he said, “It’s the continuing funding of Ares 1 and Ares 5, pushing our job creation here, but, most important, America needs to reduce its deficit and retain and maintain its dominance in space and in our military.” Griffith isn’t the only space supporter also positioning himself as a deficit hawk. In an op-ed in The Hill earlier this week, Congressman Pete Olson (R-TX) complained about the willingness of the White House and Congressional leadership to spend. “In a recession with extremely limited resources, Congress has gone on a spending spree writing costly checks that taxpayers simply cannot afford to cash,” he wrote. And Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) introduced legislation in October to require a balanced budget. (12/19)
New Mexico Petition Seeks University Aerospace Funding (Source: Las Cruces Bulletin)
Technology-oriented professionals are spearheading an effort to petition the Legislature to restore funding to New Mexico State University’s new aerospace engineering program. Funding for the degree program that has enjoyed robust enrollment since its inception in 2003 has been cut by 38 percent as part of the state’s efforts to shore up the budget deficit, according to Thomas Burton, department head. At a recent meeting of the High TechConsortium of Southern New Mexico, Julie Seton, a founding member of the group, distributed a petition to urge lawmakers to restore funding to the program. (12/19)
Enceladus Plume is Half Ice (Source: Nature)
Researchers have upped their estimates of the proportion of ice in Enceladus's plume. As much as 50% of the plume shooting out of geysers on Saturn's moon Enceladus could be ice, a researcher revealed yesterday at a meeting of the American Geophysical Union. Previously, scientists had thought that only 10–20% of the plume was made up of ice, with the rest being water vapor. Some researchers think that the study backs the idea that the plumes are caused by a sub-surface lake boiling off into space rather than the product of colder processes such as sublimation. (12/19)
Three astronauts from the United States, Japan and Russia received the go-ahead Saturday for a holiday season rocket launch to the International Space Station from Russia's remote space complex in southern Kazakhstan. Their Soyuz TMA-17 spacecraft has been hoisted into place at the Baikonur center for a mission that will boost the number of crew at the orbital laboratory to five members. NASA's Timothy J. Creamer, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kotov and Soichi Noguchi of Japan will blast off at 4:52 p.m. EST Sunday in the first-ever launch of a Soyuz spaceship on a winter night. (12/19)
University Leaders Meet at Florida Spaceport (Source: SPACErePORT)
Space Florida President Frank DiBello and State University System Chancellor Frank Brogan last week hosted a meeting of university leaders at the state-owned Space Life Sciences Lab at KSC. Embry-Riddle, Florida Tech, FSU, UCF, and UF were represented, along with the Space Transportation Research & Development Institute (STRDI), Institute for Human & Machine Cognition (IHMC), and the Florida Center for Advanced Aerospace Propulsion (FCAAP). The meeting focused on options for expanding the state’s involvement in space R&D. Follow-up actions will likely be discussed at a February summit with Gov. Charlie Crist. (12/18)
NASA Versus the Deficit (Source: Space Politics)
A likely battle in Congress in 2010 will revolve around the budget deficit and attempts to reduce it, given the massive deficit accumulated in FY2009. At the same time it appears that Congressional space supporters, and perhaps the White House, will be seeking additional funding for NASA in FY-2011. Are these two efforts on a collision course? Cutting NASA alone doesn’t do much for deficit relief. However, if Congress does get serious in 2010 about deficit reduction, any program that’s proposed to get an increase is likely going to come under special scrutiny. Are the agency’s supporters in Congress—-particularly those who also cast themselves as fiscal conservatives-—prepared to respond?
Congressman Parker Griffith (D-AL) mentioned both NASA and deficit reduction as priorities. Asked at the end of the interview about what his priorities were in 2010, he said, “It’s the continuing funding of Ares 1 and Ares 5, pushing our job creation here, but, most important, America needs to reduce its deficit and retain and maintain its dominance in space and in our military.” Griffith isn’t the only space supporter also positioning himself as a deficit hawk. In an op-ed in The Hill earlier this week, Congressman Pete Olson (R-TX) complained about the willingness of the White House and Congressional leadership to spend. “In a recession with extremely limited resources, Congress has gone on a spending spree writing costly checks that taxpayers simply cannot afford to cash,” he wrote. And Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL) introduced legislation in October to require a balanced budget. (12/19)
New Mexico Petition Seeks University Aerospace Funding (Source: Las Cruces Bulletin)
Technology-oriented professionals are spearheading an effort to petition the Legislature to restore funding to New Mexico State University’s new aerospace engineering program. Funding for the degree program that has enjoyed robust enrollment since its inception in 2003 has been cut by 38 percent as part of the state’s efforts to shore up the budget deficit, according to Thomas Burton, department head. At a recent meeting of the High TechConsortium of Southern New Mexico, Julie Seton, a founding member of the group, distributed a petition to urge lawmakers to restore funding to the program. (12/19)
Enceladus Plume is Half Ice (Source: Nature)
Researchers have upped their estimates of the proportion of ice in Enceladus's plume. As much as 50% of the plume shooting out of geysers on Saturn's moon Enceladus could be ice, a researcher revealed yesterday at a meeting of the American Geophysical Union. Previously, scientists had thought that only 10–20% of the plume was made up of ice, with the rest being water vapor. Some researchers think that the study backs the idea that the plumes are caused by a sub-surface lake boiling off into space rather than the product of colder processes such as sublimation. (12/19)
December 18 News Items
Editorial: Find Money to Fund Road to Spaceport (Source: Las Cruces Sun-News)
Many of the once pie-in-the-sky dreams regarding a spaceport in New Mexico are edging closer and closer to hard reality. But a decidedly non-pie-in-the-sky project vital to the spaceport could potentially get snagged in the web of the state's spidery budget woes. For more than three years now, the construction of a road has been authorized by the state legislature. Unfortunately, it has yet to be included in a budget bill, so its funding has not been appropriated. And, oh yeah, it's got a price tag of $7.5 million. (12/17)
Kosmas Responds to Pelosi on NASA (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
U.S. Rep. Suzanne Kosmas of New Smyrna Beach came to NASA’s defense on Friday, days after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she wasn’t a “big fan” of human spaceflight (story here) and that NASA faced tough “competition for the dollar in future federal budgets. The freshman Democrat, who represents Kennedy Space Center, wrote a polite letter to Pelosi that argued in favor of manned spaceflight for job creation. KSC faces thousands of job losses once the space shuttle is retired in 2010 and a replacement is years away.
That means KSC job losses could remain vacant for much of the next decade. The prospect has Florida lawmakers and other NASA allies scrambling to either get more money for NASA’s next vehicle or find another program that could utilize the center’s ability to launch crewed spacecraft. “I urge you to keep in mind both the tangible and intangible benefits provided by investing in NASA and our nation’s human space flight program,” wrote Kosmas. “There is no question that increased funding for NASA … will help to create and retain highly-skilled, high-paying jobs across the country, including up to 7,000 direct jobs currently at risk in Florida.” (12/18)
Editorial: Pelosi Flat-Out Wrong on NASA's Job-Creation Role (Source: Florida Today)
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi,when it comes to space, clearly doesn’t get it. In a session with reporters, she said she’s “not been a big fan of manned expeditions to outer space” and doubted NASA’s ability to create jobs at a time when Congress is looking for new ways to attack high unemployment. To that end, the California Democrat said the $3 billion boost in funding the Augustine panel says NASA needs will be weighed against other spending requests “as to what it does in terms of job creation.” Pelosi is flat-out wrong in her skepticism about NASA’s job creation power.
Pelosi should read the letter recently sent to President Obama from the NASA House Action team, a bipartisan group of 82 lawmakers that’s co-chaired by Democratic Space Coast Congresswoman Suzanne Kosmas. The letter told the president he has a “significant and fleeting opportunity” to ensure the U.S. maintains its global leadership in space and he should seize the day by making it “a national priority through presidential leadership.”
It also said NASA’s work is vital to the economy in maintaining the industrial and technological base, boosting global competitiveness and strengthening national security. They get it, and Pelosi should wake up and do the same. (12/18)
Report That Obama Decided on Space Policy May be Premature (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
A report by Science Insider that said President Barack Obama has decided on a new space policy for NASA may be premature, according to Write Stuff sources. The report quoted unnamed sources saying the president decided to add an extra $1 billion to NASA’s budget. According to the report, the money would go toward developing a simple heavy launch vehicle to ferry astronauts beyond low Earth orbit. It would also bolster the agency’s fleet of robotic Earth-monitoring spacecraft. It said Obama would ask international partners to start work on “a lunar lander and modules for a moon base, saving the U.S. several billion dollars.”
However, nobody inside the White House or NASA would confirm that Obama has made a final call on space policy yet, though there has been a preference among many administration officials to get rid of Ares I, fund a new heavy launch vehicle and increase the involvement of commercial space companies and international partners. (12/18)
ESA Signs New Contracts Worth Over 500 Million Euros (Source: Space News)
The European Space Agency (ESA) has reopened its payment spigot after a three-week moratorium, signing well over 500 million euros ($720 million) in new contracts in the week ending Dec. 18 for three Earth observation satellites and work on a new upper stage for the Ariane 5 rocket and a winged space-plane demonstrator, according to ESA and European industry officials. The flurry of year-end activity followed an assessment by ESA’s finance directorate that the agency’s cash deficit, which had been estimated at up to 400 million euros by late 2010, is likely to be much less severe. ESA officials have concluded that they do not need to take out a loan to cover the shortfall and that if the agency faces liquidity issues next year, they can be handled by less-drastic means as they arise. (12/18)
Arianespace Launches HELIOS Satellite (Source: Arianespace)
Arianespace has successfully launched the HELIOS 2B observation satellite. Following a flight lasting 59 minutes and 20 seconds, the Ariane 5 launch vehicle precisely injected the HELIOS 2B satellite into its sun-synchronous polar orbit. This was the 49th Ariane 5 launch, the 7th Ariane 5 launch in 2009, and Arianespace's 35th success in a row. (12/18)
NASA Names New Deputy Associate Administrator for Exploration (Source: NASA)
Laurie Leshin has been named the new deputy associate administrator of the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters, effective in January. Leshin previously served as the deputy center director for science and technology at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. She has led the formulation of strategy and the start of new missions since 2008 as Goddard's senior scientist, while providing extensive scientific guidance to lunar architecture and other human spaceflight planning activities. (12/18)
Reports: NASA Looks at New Rocket, May Leave Ares I Behind (Source: Huntsville Times)
NASA's plans to send astronauts to the moon are under review. The space agency has been working to develop new launch vehicles - like an Earth Departure Stage pictured above - to return to the moon or go to Mars. According to online reports late Thursday, NASA will shift its focus to a heavy lift rocket launcher, akin to a Saturn V vehicle, after a meeting between NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and President Barack Obama Wednesday. ScienceInsider and NASAWatch have reported that the space agency will be redirected next year to develop another launch vehicle, effectively cancelling the Ares I rocket, in order to take human missions to an asteroid, the moon or Mars. (12/18)
Interorbital Plans Launch in December 2010 (Source: Parabolic Arc)
California-based Interorbital (IOS) currently has 7 TubeSats and 1 CubeSat on its launch manifest for a December 2010 orbital mission, with 20 additional sales pending. Suborbital launches of the IOS Common Propulsion Module (CPM) are also planned. These test launches are precursors to the orbital delivery of several NPS TubeSats by the NEPTUNE 30 in late 2010. (12/18)
CSA: SpaceShipTwo Shows Power of California Innovation (Source: CSA)
California’s Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and New Mexico’s Governor Bill Richardson were both present at Virgin Galactic's recent unveiling ceremony for SpaceShipTwo, each extolling the significant impact space tourism will have on the economy of his state. California remains the space enterprise community’s research, development and manufacturing leader, while New Mexico will host the inland spaceport from which SpaceShipTwo will operate under the corporate banner of Virgin Galactic.
“We gathered tonight for another of California’s many industry firsts,” extolled Andrea Seastrand, Executive Director of the California Space Authority (CSA). “The technology showcased tonight will change the course of travel and space access. It’s exciting to know that California is at the forefront of the commercial space age.”
Enthusiasts look forward to the day when spaceports can be found worldwide. Methods of travel, weightless research, and increased services from space technologies will ultimately drive access costs down and, in turn, stimulate further expansion. (12/18)
Ohio Lawmakers Pushing to Keep NASA Glenn Research Center Relevant (Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer)
With the nation's space exploration program at a major crossroads, Ohio lawmakers are pressing NASA to preserve jobs and work at Cleveland's Glenn Research Center. On Thursday, all 20 members of Ohio's congressional delegation asked to meet with new NASA administrator Charles Bolden to discuss the Glenn center's prospects. Glenn and its satellite facility, Plum Brook Station, have a yearly economic impact of more than $1.2 billion, sparking jobs and innovations that "extend to every corner of Ohio," said the letter initiated by Sen. George Voinovich and signed by the state's Republican and Democratic Congress members.
"With the [space] agency going through a thorough and necessary evaluation of the human space flight program, we would like to take this opportunity to speak with you about Ohio's future in America's space program," the letter said. Voinovich spokeswoman Garrette Silverman said the senator is confident he and his colleagues can convince Bolden that Glenn is "an irreplaceable piece of NASA's vision and future." (12/18)
Kraken Mare: a Reflecting Surface of a Lake on Saturn's Moon Titan (Source: DLR)
There are more and more signs that lakes exist on Saturn's moon Titan, filled with liquid hydrocarbons. Scientists from the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) have made another important discovery. With a spectrometer onboard the planetary space probe Cassini, they found glints that have their origin in reflections of the Sun's radiation from the surface of a large lake near Titan's North Pole. (12/18)
At a Mine’s Bottom, Hints of Dark Matter (Source: New York Times)
An international team of physicists working in the bottom of an old iron mine in Minnesota said Thursday that they might have registered the first faint hints of a ghostly sea of subatomic particles known as dark matter long thought to permeate the cosmos. The particles showed as two tiny pulses of heat deposited over the course of two years in chunks of germanium and silicon that had been cooled to a temperature near absolute zero. But, the scientists said, there was more than a 20 percent chance that the pulses were caused by fluctuations in the background radioactivity of their cavern, so the results were tantalizing, but not definitive. (12/18)
Many of the once pie-in-the-sky dreams regarding a spaceport in New Mexico are edging closer and closer to hard reality. But a decidedly non-pie-in-the-sky project vital to the spaceport could potentially get snagged in the web of the state's spidery budget woes. For more than three years now, the construction of a road has been authorized by the state legislature. Unfortunately, it has yet to be included in a budget bill, so its funding has not been appropriated. And, oh yeah, it's got a price tag of $7.5 million. (12/17)
Kosmas Responds to Pelosi on NASA (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
U.S. Rep. Suzanne Kosmas of New Smyrna Beach came to NASA’s defense on Friday, days after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she wasn’t a “big fan” of human spaceflight (story here) and that NASA faced tough “competition for the dollar in future federal budgets. The freshman Democrat, who represents Kennedy Space Center, wrote a polite letter to Pelosi that argued in favor of manned spaceflight for job creation. KSC faces thousands of job losses once the space shuttle is retired in 2010 and a replacement is years away.
That means KSC job losses could remain vacant for much of the next decade. The prospect has Florida lawmakers and other NASA allies scrambling to either get more money for NASA’s next vehicle or find another program that could utilize the center’s ability to launch crewed spacecraft. “I urge you to keep in mind both the tangible and intangible benefits provided by investing in NASA and our nation’s human space flight program,” wrote Kosmas. “There is no question that increased funding for NASA … will help to create and retain highly-skilled, high-paying jobs across the country, including up to 7,000 direct jobs currently at risk in Florida.” (12/18)
Editorial: Pelosi Flat-Out Wrong on NASA's Job-Creation Role (Source: Florida Today)
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi,when it comes to space, clearly doesn’t get it. In a session with reporters, she said she’s “not been a big fan of manned expeditions to outer space” and doubted NASA’s ability to create jobs at a time when Congress is looking for new ways to attack high unemployment. To that end, the California Democrat said the $3 billion boost in funding the Augustine panel says NASA needs will be weighed against other spending requests “as to what it does in terms of job creation.” Pelosi is flat-out wrong in her skepticism about NASA’s job creation power.
Pelosi should read the letter recently sent to President Obama from the NASA House Action team, a bipartisan group of 82 lawmakers that’s co-chaired by Democratic Space Coast Congresswoman Suzanne Kosmas. The letter told the president he has a “significant and fleeting opportunity” to ensure the U.S. maintains its global leadership in space and he should seize the day by making it “a national priority through presidential leadership.”
It also said NASA’s work is vital to the economy in maintaining the industrial and technological base, boosting global competitiveness and strengthening national security. They get it, and Pelosi should wake up and do the same. (12/18)
Report That Obama Decided on Space Policy May be Premature (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
A report by Science Insider that said President Barack Obama has decided on a new space policy for NASA may be premature, according to Write Stuff sources. The report quoted unnamed sources saying the president decided to add an extra $1 billion to NASA’s budget. According to the report, the money would go toward developing a simple heavy launch vehicle to ferry astronauts beyond low Earth orbit. It would also bolster the agency’s fleet of robotic Earth-monitoring spacecraft. It said Obama would ask international partners to start work on “a lunar lander and modules for a moon base, saving the U.S. several billion dollars.”
However, nobody inside the White House or NASA would confirm that Obama has made a final call on space policy yet, though there has been a preference among many administration officials to get rid of Ares I, fund a new heavy launch vehicle and increase the involvement of commercial space companies and international partners. (12/18)
ESA Signs New Contracts Worth Over 500 Million Euros (Source: Space News)
The European Space Agency (ESA) has reopened its payment spigot after a three-week moratorium, signing well over 500 million euros ($720 million) in new contracts in the week ending Dec. 18 for three Earth observation satellites and work on a new upper stage for the Ariane 5 rocket and a winged space-plane demonstrator, according to ESA and European industry officials. The flurry of year-end activity followed an assessment by ESA’s finance directorate that the agency’s cash deficit, which had been estimated at up to 400 million euros by late 2010, is likely to be much less severe. ESA officials have concluded that they do not need to take out a loan to cover the shortfall and that if the agency faces liquidity issues next year, they can be handled by less-drastic means as they arise. (12/18)
Arianespace Launches HELIOS Satellite (Source: Arianespace)
Arianespace has successfully launched the HELIOS 2B observation satellite. Following a flight lasting 59 minutes and 20 seconds, the Ariane 5 launch vehicle precisely injected the HELIOS 2B satellite into its sun-synchronous polar orbit. This was the 49th Ariane 5 launch, the 7th Ariane 5 launch in 2009, and Arianespace's 35th success in a row. (12/18)
NASA Names New Deputy Associate Administrator for Exploration (Source: NASA)
Laurie Leshin has been named the new deputy associate administrator of the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters, effective in January. Leshin previously served as the deputy center director for science and technology at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. She has led the formulation of strategy and the start of new missions since 2008 as Goddard's senior scientist, while providing extensive scientific guidance to lunar architecture and other human spaceflight planning activities. (12/18)
Reports: NASA Looks at New Rocket, May Leave Ares I Behind (Source: Huntsville Times)
NASA's plans to send astronauts to the moon are under review. The space agency has been working to develop new launch vehicles - like an Earth Departure Stage pictured above - to return to the moon or go to Mars. According to online reports late Thursday, NASA will shift its focus to a heavy lift rocket launcher, akin to a Saturn V vehicle, after a meeting between NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and President Barack Obama Wednesday. ScienceInsider and NASAWatch have reported that the space agency will be redirected next year to develop another launch vehicle, effectively cancelling the Ares I rocket, in order to take human missions to an asteroid, the moon or Mars. (12/18)
Interorbital Plans Launch in December 2010 (Source: Parabolic Arc)
California-based Interorbital (IOS) currently has 7 TubeSats and 1 CubeSat on its launch manifest for a December 2010 orbital mission, with 20 additional sales pending. Suborbital launches of the IOS Common Propulsion Module (CPM) are also planned. These test launches are precursors to the orbital delivery of several NPS TubeSats by the NEPTUNE 30 in late 2010. (12/18)
CSA: SpaceShipTwo Shows Power of California Innovation (Source: CSA)
California’s Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and New Mexico’s Governor Bill Richardson were both present at Virgin Galactic's recent unveiling ceremony for SpaceShipTwo, each extolling the significant impact space tourism will have on the economy of his state. California remains the space enterprise community’s research, development and manufacturing leader, while New Mexico will host the inland spaceport from which SpaceShipTwo will operate under the corporate banner of Virgin Galactic.
“We gathered tonight for another of California’s many industry firsts,” extolled Andrea Seastrand, Executive Director of the California Space Authority (CSA). “The technology showcased tonight will change the course of travel and space access. It’s exciting to know that California is at the forefront of the commercial space age.”
Enthusiasts look forward to the day when spaceports can be found worldwide. Methods of travel, weightless research, and increased services from space technologies will ultimately drive access costs down and, in turn, stimulate further expansion. (12/18)
Ohio Lawmakers Pushing to Keep NASA Glenn Research Center Relevant (Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer)
With the nation's space exploration program at a major crossroads, Ohio lawmakers are pressing NASA to preserve jobs and work at Cleveland's Glenn Research Center. On Thursday, all 20 members of Ohio's congressional delegation asked to meet with new NASA administrator Charles Bolden to discuss the Glenn center's prospects. Glenn and its satellite facility, Plum Brook Station, have a yearly economic impact of more than $1.2 billion, sparking jobs and innovations that "extend to every corner of Ohio," said the letter initiated by Sen. George Voinovich and signed by the state's Republican and Democratic Congress members.
"With the [space] agency going through a thorough and necessary evaluation of the human space flight program, we would like to take this opportunity to speak with you about Ohio's future in America's space program," the letter said. Voinovich spokeswoman Garrette Silverman said the senator is confident he and his colleagues can convince Bolden that Glenn is "an irreplaceable piece of NASA's vision and future." (12/18)
Kraken Mare: a Reflecting Surface of a Lake on Saturn's Moon Titan (Source: DLR)
There are more and more signs that lakes exist on Saturn's moon Titan, filled with liquid hydrocarbons. Scientists from the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) have made another important discovery. With a spectrometer onboard the planetary space probe Cassini, they found glints that have their origin in reflections of the Sun's radiation from the surface of a large lake near Titan's North Pole. (12/18)
At a Mine’s Bottom, Hints of Dark Matter (Source: New York Times)
An international team of physicists working in the bottom of an old iron mine in Minnesota said Thursday that they might have registered the first faint hints of a ghostly sea of subatomic particles known as dark matter long thought to permeate the cosmos. The particles showed as two tiny pulses of heat deposited over the course of two years in chunks of germanium and silicon that had been cooled to a temperature near absolute zero. But, the scientists said, there was more than a 20 percent chance that the pulses were caused by fluctuations in the background radioactivity of their cavern, so the results were tantalizing, but not definitive. (12/18)
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