April 10, 2010

Ariane Launch Scrubbed (Source: SpaceToday.net)
The launch of two European satellites on an Ariane 5 was postponed again Friday night because of a vehicle pressurization problem. The Ariane 5 ECA was scheduled to launch Friday evening from Kourou, French Guiana, and place the ASTRA 3B and COMSAT Bw-2 communications satellites into orbit, but the countdown was stopped less than a minute before the launch time. Arianespace said in a statement that the launch was postponed because of an anomaly in the launch vehicle's pressurization system, but provided no additional details. No new launch date has been announced. The launch had been scheduled for late March but was postponed several hours before launch because of an unidentified vehicle anomaly. (4/10)

Bigelow Aerospace Eyes Wallops for Rocket Launches (Source: Daily Press)
Michael Gold, an attorney who represents Bigelow Aerospace, said the Nevada-based company will work at Wallops provided the nation commits to the commercial spaceflight agenda outlined by President Obama. "We will be here," Gold told a group of about 50 people recently after a tour of Wallops, where NASA has launched rockets from since 1945.

The company's success will be determined by finding a reusable vehicle to send humans into space, Gold said. Key to that is NASA's Commercial Crew Development (CCD), a program created to stimulate the development of privately operated space vehicles. NASA awarded CCD contracts to several companies, including Boeing, which subcontracted with Bigelow and is developing a space capsule called Orion Lite. Bigelow hopes the partnership will lead to regular launches its commercial space station.

Gold specifically mentioned the Atlas-5 as a possible launch vehicle. The Atlas launches from Cape Canaveral, but could shift to Wallops, Gold said. Such a move could create hundreds of high-paying jobs on the Eastern Shore. "The economic impact of human spaceflight cannot be underestimated," Gold said. (4/10)

UCF Space Institute Reorganizing, Seeking Director (Source: UCF)
As Congress contemplates a new direction for the U.S. space program, UCF is reorganizing its space-related research institute to focus more resources on basic research as well as on projects that will benefit the Florida space industry. The Florida Space Institute, which for the past five years has operated out of the College of Engineering and Computer Science, will now focus more on interdisciplinary research and will become part of the Office of Research and Commercialization.

“By consolidating our many faceted space-related activities, such as spacecraft design, remote sensing, planetary science, human factors, and other disciplines, we can more effectively develop projects to support the space industry in the state and the nation,” said M.J. Soileau, vice president for research and commercialization.

A national search is being conducted for a new director to lead the center and coordinate industry, research and administrative efforts in space science, engineering and education for UCF. UCF currently has more than $14 million in active space-related research projects, sponsored by agencies such as NASA and the National Science Foundation and also by a host of industry partners including Raytheon, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Applied Sensor Research & Development Corp. and others. (3/12)

Deborah A. Wreyford Named President of The W Foundation (Source: W Foundation)
Bay Area philanthropist Deborah A. Wreyford is the new President of the space education group, The W Foundation. This organization is a volunteer staffed & privately funded 501c3 non-profit corporation, which Ms. Wreyford and her husband, Ken Winans, founded in 2004. It owns and displays one of the largest private collections of U.S., Russian and Soviet space exploration artifacts in existence.

Items from this extensive collection of space exploration artifacts have been on display for many years at such Bay Area institutions as Chabot Space Science Center, The USS Hornet Museum, and it sponsors the "Navy in Space" exhibit during Fleet Week. It has also attracted legendary figures such as Apollo 12 Astronaut Dick Gordon, award winning actor Bill Pullman and video game designer Will Wright to its Board of Advisers. Ms. Wreyford is also involved with The San Francisco Fleet Week Association, The Magic Theatre, and The Wreyford Family Foundation. (4/10)

Governor Schwarzenegger Establishes Office of Economic Development (Source: CSA)
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today signed an executive order establishing the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GoED), a one-stop shop to help businesses acquire the direction, information and resources they need to invest, succeed and expand in California. Visit http://www.gov.ca.gov/press-release/14844/ for information. (4/10)

Monterey Students Receive Call from Orbiting Astronauts--Including Former Teacher (Source: CSA)
Eighth grade students and children of the military community in California's Monterey Peninsula spoke with astronauts orbiting 220 miles above Earth on April 10. Click here for information. (4/10)

First Weather Sat Launched 20 Years Ago - Lockheed Involved From the Beginning (Source: CSA)
TIROS-1-the first Television and Infrared Observation Satellite-and its successors revolutionized weather observation and forecasting. Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) and its heritage companies built every one of the TIROS series of spacecraft, from TIROS-1- launched on April 1, 1960- through NOAA-N Prime, launched on February 6, 2009. Click here for information. (4/10)

Yuri’s Night 2010 Festivities Begin This Weekend (Source: Yuri's Night)
April 9, marks the official kickoff of festivities for the 2010 edition of Yuri’s Night, a global celebration of the rich history and future potential of humanity in space. Thousands of people around the world are expected to participate in over 180 Yuri’s Night events in 63 countries on all 7 continents. Yuri’s Night is traditionally held on April 12, the date of Yuri Gagarin’s first human space flight (in 1961) and the first launch of NASA’s Space Shuttle (in 1981). However, many events will be held on Saturday, April 10 this year, including the Yuri’s Night flagship event at San Francisco’s NASA Ames Research Center.

Yuri’s Night Bay Area will feature performances by The Black Keys, N.E.R.D. and Grammy-award winning artist Common, as well as talks given by Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and private space adventurer Richard Garriott. Click here to view a list of parties around the globe. (4/9)