March 31, 2010

AeroAstro Wins DOD Satellite Contract from SBIR Work (Source: DOD)
AeroAstro, Inc. is being awarded a $37,923,746 cost-plus-fixed-fee completion contract for the purchase of a highly-capable, low-jitter, high-accuracy spacecraft bus to support the Joint Milliarcsecond Pathfinder Survey mission. This bus will be designed, built, and tested by AeroAstro, and will use the spacecraft conceptual design that was developed as part of the enhancement of the Small Business Innovative Research Phase II effort. This contract contains an option which. if exercised, will bring the contract value to $42,110,248.

Rep. Posey Writes The White House About Space (Source: AmericaSpace)
When the White House announced its re-alignment of NASA and America’s human spaceflight program, it created a political and policy firestorm of epic proportions. And that was just nationally. What the White House’s termination of Constellation created in Florida was something that would make the hurricanes that occasionally hit Florida look like a thunderstorm.

In an effort at damage control in a state that will be critical to the President’s re-election bid in 2012, the White House announced in early March that the President would visit the Space Coast to hold a town hall summit conference to talk about his vision for NASA. The only problem is, here we are three weeks later and no details what-so-ever have emerged about the President’s event, which is a mere 2 weeks out.

In an attempt at priming the engine of information, Congressman Bill Posey (FL-15) wrote the President to enquire about the President’s upcoming trip and remind him of his past statements of strong support for NASA’s human space program. Click here to view the letter. (3/30)

Florida Legislators Debate Space Funding (Source: Florida Today)
As the Florida House of Representatives prepares its budget proposal this week, members are initially planning to allocate about $8 million less toward supporting the space industry than the $32.6 million requested by Gov. Charlie Crist. State Rep. Steve Crisafulli, R-Merritt Island said the House has marked $24.5 million to support the space industry. "The process is not over," Crisafulli said. "We're fighting for what we believe is a priority for us." The Senate last week approved a broad jobs bill with about $24 million in appropriations for the space industry, including $3.2 million to retrain shuttle workers and $10 million to support financing for commercial space efforts. (3/30)

Virgin Galactic Plane and Spaceship to Fly Over Spaceport America This Year (Source: Las Cruces Sun-News)
The WhiteKnightTwo and SpaceshipTwo vehicles will conduct a flyover at Spaceport America later this year, at the inauguration of the spaceport's runway. It will be the first long-distance test flight of the spaceship and mothership together. The flight will take place Oct. 22, marking the conclusion of this year's symposium. (3/30)

Researchers Begin Starfighters Suborbital Spaceflight Training (Source: SwRI)
As part of the next phase in advancing suborbital research opportunities and their own flight preparations, Southwest Research Institute researchers and suborbital payload specialists Dr. Alan Stern and Dr. Dan Durda have begun a new element of spaceflight training with a series of jet fighter flights in F-104 aircraft operated by Starfighters Inc. at the Kennedy Space Center. The first SwRI Starfighters flights and the associated ground training, took place March 15-16. The intensive, two-day course, which Stern and Durda took to inaugurate this element of their spaceflight training, included classroom instruction, aircraft cockpit familiarization, and actual flights flown from the Shuttle Landing Facility. (3/29)

USAF Payload Manifesting Changes Could Swap Launch Sites, Rockets (Source: SpaceFlightNow.com)
In an attempt to streamline procedures and relieve cramped manifests, managers could transfer some Atlas and Delta rocket missions from Florida to California and assign U.S. military payloads to specific boosters closer to launch, according to the Air Force's top space official. "We're looking at better ways to manifest satellites on a particular rocket. Right now, we do that about two years in advance," said Gary Payton, the undersecretary of the Air Force for space.

"A particular satellite is married to a particular launch vehicle about two years in advance." Officials are considering reducing that time to cushion the impact of a payload problem on downstream flights in the launch manifest. The unavailability of payloads has triggered ripple delays on the Atlas and Delta launch schedule more often than rocket problems.

"We would like to be able to get to the point where we can project six months or a year down the road that we're going to have a surge of launches all ganged too close together, that we may pull a GPS launch over to Vandenberg," Payton said. "The same rocket and orbitology allows you to launch out of Vandenberg. The only issue is whether proper facilities are available at Vandenberg to prepare GPS spacecraft for launch. (3/29)

SkyTerra Buyer Commits to Multibillion-Dollar Ground Network (Source: Space News)
A U.S. hedge fund that has invested in three mobile satellite services providers and is acquiring full control of one of them is guaranteeing to U.S. regulators that it will spend several billion dollars, starting immediately, to deploy a nationwide mobile-broadband network that will reach “at least 260 million people” by early 2016. Harbinger Capital Partners, whose purchase of mobile satellite services provider SkyTerra was approved March 26 by the FCC, agreed as a condition of the deal to an aggressive roll-out of services using ground-based signal boosters employing the same L-band radio spectrum to be used by the two SkyTerra satellites planned for launch in the next 12 months. (3/29)

Some Feel Spaceport Construction Isn't Creating Local Jobs (Source: Las Cruces Sun-News)
As construction progresses on the $200 million Spaceport America, some southern Doña Ana County residents say they're concerned the project is picking up steam without them. Arturo Uribe, community activist in Mesquite, said there's frustration among some area truckers, who aren't seeing the benefits of spaceport contracts. The companies carrying out the work, he noted, aren't obligated to make use of local employees or subcontractors.

"You have a lot of folks looking at the job situation," he said. "Why are we as Doña Ana County residents, who are paying the most of the two counties paying a tax, not getting a lot of jobs that are coming out?" Uribe referred to a 1/4 of 1 percent sales tax Doña Ana County voters imposed upon themselves in 2007 to help pay for the spaceport. The measure generated about $49 million toward construction. (3/29)

Cape Breton, Fort Churchill Eyed for Satellite Launches (Source: CTV)
Cape Breton may become a Canadian version of Florida's historic Cape Canaveral where astronauts and rockets have been launched into outer space for decades. The Canadian Space Agency is looking at the Nova Scotia island as one of two possible sites to blast small satellites into orbit using an indigenous rocket launch system. The other possible micro-satellite launch site is Fort Churchill in Manitoba, near Hudson Bay, where hundreds of small research rockets have been launched in the past. Pre-feasibility studies were done in 2008 and the first indication is it would be possible for Canada to launch its own rockets. (3/29)

Space Conference at UCF Set for 2011 (Source: Central Florida Future)
In 2011, UCF will host the Second Annual Next-Generation Suborbital Researchers Conference. The three day event will be held Feb. 28 to Mar. 2 and will attract people interested in the fields related to suborbital science and microgravity research from all over the world. “We anticipate up to 500 individuals from colleges and universities, NASA, commercial launch providers, museums and science centers and other government agencies,” UCF's Josh Colwell said.

The conference will provide a forum for researchers, engineers, educators, government officials and launch providers to learn about progress in research. Independent companies and developers will showcase their suborbital vehicles under development and discuss the educational and public outreach possibilities. Some of the companies include Armadillo Aerospace, Blue Origin, Masten Space Systems, Virgin Galactic and XCOR Aerospace. (3/29)

Virginia Suborbital Launch Carries Kentucky Payload (Source: Fox41.com)
A nonprofit has launched a student-build spacecraft carrying test hardware and software nearly four miles into space. Frontier 1 went into space for about 10 minutes on Saturday after being launched from the NASA Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia's eastern shore aboard a NASA rocket. Kentucky Science and Technology Corporation president Kris Kimmell says the spacecraft was built to test hardware and software systems that will be flown on an orbital satellite, KentuckySat 1, set to launch in November with NASA's Glory Mission. (3/28)

Sens. Gillibrand & schumer Support Effort to Land Shuttle in NYC (Source: NY Daily News)
Take it from the kids - a space shuttle in New York would be out of this world. "You could see a real space shuttle and all the controls and how they get into space," said Will Siverson, 6, who came to the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum Sunday with his Cub Scouts den from Fairfield, Conn. The students joined New York Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand and Intrepid President Bill White to help boost the museum's chances of getting one of three soon-to-be retired shuttles for permanent display. (3/28)

Sen. McCain Joins Fight to Bring Shuttle to NYC (Source: NY Daily News)
New York's quest to get a space shuttle docked at the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum just got a boost from the ship's most famous fighter pilot - John McCain. The 2008 GOP presidential nominee and Arizona senator, who served on the aircraft carrier during the Vietnam War, is giving the Big Apple a big thumbs up. "As a former Navy pilot who flew air missions off the deck of the Intrepid in the 1960s, I can think of few better locations for a retired NASA space shuttle," McCain said. (3/28)

Iridium Solicits Piggyback Payloads (Source: SpaceFlightNow.com)
The U.S. Air Force is answering a call from Iridium to put payloads, experiments and sensors on the company's next-generation satellites, a top military official said this week. "We've looked at a couple of different potential applications of secondary hosted payloads on Iridium," said Gary Payton, undersecretary of the Air Force for space programs. (3/27)

Virgin Galactic One Step Closer to Middle East Space Tourism (Source: Arabian Aerospace)
Space tourism in the Middle East came a step closer this week after Virgin Galactic's successful test flight of its new spaceship over the Mojave desert in California. Tests will continue on the VSS Enterprise until 2011, before the first commercial flights take place in the USA. As reported in an earlier edition of Arabian Aerospace there will eventually be space tourism flights from Abu Dhabi. (3/27)

3 Astronauts, Lt. Governor to Address 'Save Space' Rally in Florida (Source: Florida Today)
Three astronauts who flew on the space shuttle will be among the featured speakers at a "Save Space" community rally April 11 at the Cocoa Expo Sports Center. During a planning meeting Friday, rally organizer and Brevard County Commissioner Robin Fisher said astronauts Jon McBride, Winston Scott and Bob Springer have agreed to be speakers. Florida Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp also is expected to speak at the event, along with various elected officials and community leaders. Fisher is hoping to attract 5,000 people to the event. (3/28)

Virginia May Give More Money For Commercial Spaceflight (Source: Daily Press)
The Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority will receive nearly $838,000 for each of the next two years. The authority in the past has received about $100,000 a year. Del. Lynwood Lewis, an Eastern Shore Democrat who district includes Wallops, argues the funding isn't enough. In a blog post on his Web site, Lewis states the authority should receive $1.2 million, which is near its original request of $1.37 million. Gov. Bob McDonnell's office has indicated a willingness to amend the budget to include $1.2 million before the GA meets April 21. (3/28)

Florida Students Building Moon Buggy for Huntsville Race (Source: Palm Beach Post)
No cup holder. But just about everything else is on the moonbuggy designed by five Jupiter High School engineering students including old bicycle gears, brakes and handlebars. So creative is their lunar rover, that NASA has selected them as the only Florida high school team to attend the Great Moonbuggy Race in Huntsville on April 9-10.

"The final product is not determined by the materials. It's how creative you are with what you got," said Malachi Rosenfield, 15, a ninth-grader. The buggies are based on the four-wheel-drive vehicles that American astronauts unpacked and drove across the dusty moon's surface during the Apollo 15, 16 and 17 missions in the early 1970s. Winners get a weeklong visit at the space camp at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville. (3/29)

Space Issues Gain Momentum in Tallahassee (Source: SaveSpace)
Space is receiving significant attention in Tallahassee where the 2010 legislative session is at the midpoint with 30 days remaining. There are seven bills moving through the committee process that would directly benefit the Space industry with various incentives, workforce initiatives, enhancements to the Space Florida board, and funding for business development and infrastructure projects. One has passed the House and one has passed the Senate. There are also several memorials urging congress to support NASA, space exploration and Florida’s Space economy, and two bills that would provide additional opportunities for high tech industries like Space.

There are significant funds for Space in the budget proposals for all three branches of state government, including $32.6 million in the Governor's budget; $27.5 million in the Senate budget; and $24.5 million in the House budget. You can check the status of all the Space bills at www.SaveSpace.US. Just click on the BILLS tab at the top. (3/31)

Space Florida Partners with Lockheed Martin for Undergraduate Academy (Source: Space Florida)
Space Florida and Lockheed Martin will sponsor a May 10-14 five-day undergraduate academy program. This workforce and education program will be held at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and is provided free to accepted applicants. Additional partners include the Florida Space Grant Consortium and NASA-KSC. Academy goals are to provide opportunities for Florida undergraduates to visit KSC and interact with the knowledgeable workforce, while gaining valuable hands-on experience by building scientific payloads. Application forms and further details are available at http://www.spaceflorida.gov/index.php/en/education. (3/31)

Celebrate Space Day With Events Nationwide (Source: NASA)
This year’s official Space Day celebration takes place on May 7. And the fun continues on May 8, 2010, with the Space Day Family Day event taking place in Washington, D.C. Since its launch in 1997, the Space Day educational initiative, which takes place on the first Friday of each May, has evolved into a massive grassroots effort dedicated to the extraordinary achievements, benefits and opportunities in the exploration and use of space. Visit http://www.spaceday.org. (3/31)

Russians Report Snag in Space Safety System (Source: MSNBC)
When astronauts blast off to the International Space Station in a Soyuz spacecraft on Friday, they'll be relying on a safety system that failed in a still-unexplained manner less than a year ago, a top Russian space official said. NASA representatives in Russia had heard about the problem with the Soyuz's launch escape system — but were assured that it was no big deal. Other NASA sources said that they hadn't been told that the system malfunctioned during a launch last May. And by all accounts, the cause of that malfunction has not yet been determined. (3/31)

Orbitec Gets Piece of Five-Year NASA Contract (Source: Madison
Madison-based Orbital Technologies Corp. (Orbitec) is one of five companies nationwide to be awarded a piece of a five-year contract worth a total of up to $50 million to develop space propulsion systems for NASA. CEO Eric Rice on Wednesday said he didn’t know how much of the $50 million his company could receive, noting it depended on how work was parceled out over the years. He said each of the companies was guaranteed at least $30,000 worth of work supporting research and technology development activities at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. (3/31)

South Korean Rocket will Launch Again in June (Source: SpaceFlightNow.com)
South Korea plans another flight of its small satellite launcher in June, nearly a year after the rocket's first mission was doomed when its payload shroud did not separate, according to the rocket's Russian contractor. The KSLV's first launch in August 2009 fell short of orbit. The first stage of the Korea Space Launch Vehicle is about to be shipped from Russia to South Korea. The 93-foot-long first stage was transported by train from Khrunichev to an airfield Wednesday. The vehicle will next be loaded into a cargo plane to fly to Busan, South Korea. (3/31)

Discovery To Help Prep ISS For Research (Source: Aviation Week)
NASA’s workhorse space shuttle orbiter Discovery is set to deliver a load of science racks and other gear to the International Space Station (ISS) for long-term operations, as assembly gives way to research on the orbiting laboratory. Discovery will carry the Italian-built Leonardo pressurized logistics module, packed with science supplies that future station crews will use for what the station-partnership space agencies hope will be at least a decade. The seven STS-131 astronauts will help the six ISS crewmembers unload Leonardo and refill it with scientific samples, trash and other material that needs to be returned to Earth while the shuttles’ commodious payload bays are still available. (3/31)

Official: New NASA Vision Change In Method (Source: Aviation Week)
NASA’s abandonment of the Constellation program represents a “change in approach and philosophy,” but not a change to the ultimate goal of sending human explorers into the Solar System, according to the agency’s number two exploration official. “The change in philosophy and approach is more of a multidestination approach,” Deputy Associate Administrator for Exploration Laurie Leshin said. Leshin characterizes these future deep-space human exploration systems as “only a few years away.” She told Aviation Week she hopes firmer schedule details may emerge by the time NASA’s Fiscal 2012 budget is formulated. (3/31)

India Plans to Launch 10 Satellites Every Year (Source: IANS)
Indian space scientists and engineers are bracing up to launch an average of 10 satellites per year to meet the rising demand for various space applications, including communications and remote sensing, a top space scientist said. "We have a series of satellites and launch vehicles at various stages of preparation," Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) chairman K. Radhakrishnan said. (3/31)

Houston, We Have a Real Problem (Source: Politico)
There has been much speculation about the future of NASA without Constellation. But this goes beyond the future of NASA — to the future of America as a whole. No one has to be reminded of the motivation and imagination that human space flight has inspired. Many a career in science, engineering or math began with a young child dreaming of space flight.

The administration’s decision to kill NASA’s Constellation program isn’t just the death knell for U.S. human space exploration, it is a decision to place America’s space program in the category of second, or even third, in the world. America’s dominance in space has always been so much more than a race to be first. It has signaled our nation’s commitment to forge paths once unimaginable. Scientific and technological discoveries are born from both necessity and risk taking.

The journey of space exploration has taken the United States to global leadership on many fronts. Our dominance in human space coincided with our status as a superpower. That is no accident. Our commitments to be the best in national security and space exploration go hand in hand. This is one reason why there has been long-standing bipartisan support for NASA and human space flight. (3/31)

Security High as Russian Rocket Rolled Out for Launch (Source: AFP)
Armed interior ministry forces patrolled the train tracks at Russia's Baikonur cosmodrome on Wednesday, amid heightened security ahead of a launch to the International Space Station. The Soyuz rocket set to blast off on Friday was rolled out of its hangar and out across the barren Kazakh steppe under tighter than normal security two days after a pair of suicide bombers killed dozens in the Moscow metro. (3/31)

Transportation Dept. Seeks NASA's Help in Toyota Probe (Source: USA Today)
Federal transportation officials have asked NASA and the National Academy of Sciences to help them investigate unintended-acceleration problems in Toyota and other vehicles and look at potential causes ranging from driver error to mechanical problems to electromagnetic interference (EMI). The Transportation Department is "determined to get to the bottom of unintended acceleration," Secretary Ray LaHood said Tuesday. (3/31)

Space Fans Save Buzz Aldrin from Elimination on "Dancing with the Stars" (Source: CollectSpace.com)
Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin went from last place to first-to-be-spared Tuesday night, when ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" host Brooke Burke named him as "safe to dance again" during the opening moments of the reality TV show's live broadcast. Judging by the moment's pause that it took him to react to the news, Aldrin was indeed surprised. (3/31)

Analyst: Space Tourism Poised to Blast Off (Source: USA Today)
Space is the next frontier in adventure travel, suggests a survey analysis, with sub-orbital tourism perhaps embracing the modern-day jet set this year. In the current Acta Astronautica journal, Véronique Ziliotto of Holland's European Space Research and Technology Center, looks at recent polls and industry estimates to reckon the chances of space tourism getting off the ground. Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo effort, in particular, looks to start flights as soon as this year, she notes, and already has about 200 flight reservations.

"In 2003, luxury travel had 20 million customers globally and generated 91 billion in revenue, which represents 20% of tourism revenues worldwide. This large untapped market represents a unique chance for space tourism," Ziliotto writes. Since then, she adds, "(t)hanks to recent technological achievements such as Burt Rutan's SpaceShipOne in 2004, Bigelow's Genesis I in July 2006 and Genesis II in July 2007 and the success of space adventures' flights to the ISS, space tourism is leaving the realm of science-fiction." (3/31)

GAO: GPS 2F Launch Schedule May Slip Further (Source: Space News)
The long-delayed launch of the first U.S. Air Force GPS 2F navigation satellite, now scheduled for May, could be pushed back further due to recently identified technical issues, according to a government watchdog agency. Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems of Seal Beach, Calif., is the GPS 2F prime contractor, responsible for delivering 12 spacecraft. The program has more than doubled its original $729 million price tag and is already three-and-a-half years behind schedule. (3/30)

Unmanned Space Shuttle to Get Trial Run (Source: Discovery)
As NASA wraps up 30 years of experience flying reusable space planes, the military is preparing to launch an unmanned mini shuttle drone that can stay in orbit for nine months at a stretch, then leave orbit and land itself on a runway. Launch of the Orbital Test Vehicle, which is about one-quarter the size of a space shuttle orbiter, is planned for April 19 aboard an unmanned Atlas 5 rocket from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. The military is vague about what it plans to do with the space plane, but using it to fly astronauts is not among the options. (3/31)

Editorial: Athena Plan a Step in the Right Direction for Florida (Source: Florida Today)
The debate in Washington on NASA's plans for Constellation should not stop efforts to build a robust commercial launch industry at Cape Canaveral — nor is it — as one new announcement shows. Lockheed Martin and Alliant Techsystems are teaming up to fly next-generation Athena rockets from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in at decision that could create 100 jobs. It sends another signal the Cape’s open for businesses and creating an environment that’s more pro-businesses and less government red tape, which in the past has sent space entrepreneurs elsewhere.

However, there’s this caveat: The rockets also can be launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, Kodiak Launch Complex in Alaska and NASA-Wallops Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport in Virginia, showing the intense competition the Cape’s facing. That’s why we again urge the Legislature to significantly increase Space Florida’s funding to $32.6 million, an allocation that’s passing key hurdles in the Senate but still faces the House. The funds would be used in a variety of ways to gain space businesses, and if not forthcoming will damage Florida at a time when it cannot afford it.

A major part of that equation would involve private companies that may launch astronauts. That includes start-ups such as SpaceX, which is planning a major test flight of its Falcon rocket from the Cape next month. Meanwhile, aerospace giant United Launch Alliance is also expected to enter the game by trying to convert their Delta IV or Atlas V rockets to carry NASA crews. In short, Florida must take the broadest approach to gain commercial space business, and that includes snaring rockets such as the Athena that can fill a market niche. (3/30)

Boeing Eyes Collaboration with ISRO (Source: The Hindu)
Boeing has evinced interest in collaborating with Indian Space Research Organization in the area of communication satellites, and the two entities are exploring joint opportunities, a senior ISRO official said. But the future possible cooperation with Boeing is unlikely in the field of joint-building of communication satellites as the Indian Space agency already has a tieup in this segment with EADS Astrium. (3/30)

Britain Needs a Damn Good Rocket (Source: Telegraph)
For more than 30 years Britain has not done space rockets. But perhaps there is hope. There are two new UK space facilities planned: the International Space Innovation Center and the British location for a European Space Agency base. This cluster of expertise is already drawing interest from abroad, including Russia and America, and could catalyse a far more prominent British space program. And even more excitingly, the seeds of a new generation of space rockets is being planted. They will be powered by novel types of engine that breathe air at low altitudes before switching over to tanked propellants as they near space.

When these vehicles fly, the cost of reaching orbit will really start to drop, and a new Space Age will dawn. And then, perhaps, a few more people will realise how Britain has pushed mankind towards the stars. Editor's Note: A couple decades ago, there was an effort to establish a launch capability on Ascencion Island in the equatorial Atlantic Ocean. Ascension is a British territory that has been used by the U.S. Air Force as a launch vehicle tracking station for the Eastern Range. (3/30)

NASA Continues Constellation Work According to Fiscal 2010 Budget (Source: AIA)
Top NASA managers say they are in the tough position of preparing for a White House-ordered shift to commercial human flights for the Constellation program and long-term exploration technology development -- while trying to comply with a congressional directive that none of the funds appropriated in fiscal 2010 be used to cancel or modify Constellation contracts without lawmakers' approval. Work on the Ares I Crew launch vehicle and Orion crew exploration vehicle continue, while companies also forge ahead on alternatives to the Constellation alternatives. (3/31)

Second Educational Rocket Launch Set (Source: Las Cruces Sun-News)
The second annual educational rocket launch at Spaceport America is slated for May 1. In addition to carrying payloads designed and built by New Mexico students, the vehicle also will be dedicated to the memory of Debbie Prell, a Farmington science and technology teacher who died of breast cancer in 2005.

"The promise of a new commercial space industry has created an increased interest in technology and science programs in New Mexico classrooms," said Patricia Hynes, director of the New Mexico Space Grant Consortium. Last year's launch, carrying high school and college students' payloads, failed to reach its target altitude of 75 miles. (3/31)

Russia May Supply Soviet-Era Engines for U.S. Space Rockets (Source: RIA Novosti)
Russia could soon sign a contract with a U.S. space company on the delivery of Soviet-era rocket NK-33 boosters in support of the development of the Taurus II space launch vehicle by Orbital Sciences Corp. The basic NK-33 engine was originally designed and produced in Russia in late 1960s for the Russian N1 lunar launch vehicle.

"Aerojet bought about 40 NK-33 engines in mid-1990s, paying $1 million for each unit. The U.S. company has 30 engines at present and will need 20 for 10 launches to the International Space Station," Nikitin said. "The price for newly delivered engines should be much higher," he said, adding that comparable RD-180 space engines are sold to the U.S. (for Atlas-5 rockets) by Russia's Energomash company for $6 million. (3/31)

NASA Picks Contractors for Rapid Satellite Development (Source: NASA)
NASA has awarded contracts to eight aerospace firms for Rapid Spacecraft Acquisition III spacecraft and related services. Each contractor has one or more core spacecraft offerings available under its Rapid III contract. Contracts have a combined potential maximum value of $4 billion. The contractors are: Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin, Orbital Sciences Corp., Surrey Satellite Technology US LLC, Northrop Grumman, and Thales Alenia divisions in Italy and France. (3/30)

NASA Extends Ames Supercomputing Contract (Source: NASA)
NASA will exercise a one-year extension option on a contract with Computer Sciences Corporation to provide supercomputing support services at NASA's Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, Calif. The extension is valued at approximately $57 million. The contract consists of a two-year base period and eight one-year priced options with a maximum value of approximately $597 million if all options are exercised. (3/30)

India Developing Winged Reusable Rocket (Source: Space Daily)
India is developing a winged reusable rocket and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has configured a Technology Demonstrator as a first step towards realizing it. This is a first step towards realizing a Two Stage To Orbit (TSTO) fully re-reusable launch vehicle, according to Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). Editor's Note: Looks a lot like the USAF spaceplane demonstrator that will be launched soon from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. Click here. (3/30)

March 30, 2010

Embry-Riddle and MITRE Collaborate on ADS-B Rocket Test (Source: ERAU)
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and The MITRE Corporation’s Center for Advanced Aviation System Development plan to test an Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) unit on an upcoming high-power rocket flight, in conjunction with Embry-Riddle’s entry in the Intercollegiate Rocket Engineering Competition. ADS-B is an FAA NextGen technology for aircraft to collect and share GPS data. ADS-B also will have likely applications to space vehicles traversing regulated airspace.

IREC is an annual event hosted by the Experimental Sounding Rocket Association in Utah, to launch a rocket with a ten pound payload to ten thousand feet. Embry-Riddle’s student built Pathfinder II vehicle has flown successfully to 8000 feet, and is being re-engineered to meet the contest requirements, and MITRE’s objectives. The test will be conducted under a Memorandum of Agreement between MITRE and Embry-Riddle. (3/23)

Projects Left in Limbo Amid Plans to Cancel NASA Shuttle Program (Source: Washington Post)
President Barack Obama's proposal to end NASA's Constellation program has left much uncertainty in Cape Canaveral, Fla., and plenty of projects with questionable futures. Among them is the $500 million, 355-foot, steel mobile launch tower, which was built for the Ares 1 rocket that now may never be built. Click here to view the article. (3/28)

Looking Forward to Tax Day (Source: Space Review)
Many in the space community wonder what President Obama will say in his space conference on "Tax Day", April 15. Edward Ellegood offers some suggestions to him in order to make improvements on the original plan and ease concerns in Florida. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1597/1 to view the article. (3/30)

Responsible Launching: Space Security, Technology, and Emerging Space States (Source: Space Review)
As the number of nations that operate satellites grows, so does the risk of incidents in orbit caused by these new operators' lack of expertise. Ben Baseley-Walker proposes one way that countries that launch satellites can mitigate this problem. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1596/1 to view the article. (3/30)

Prospects and Concerns for Export Control Reform (Source: Space Review)
The prospects for reforming the US export control systems for space products look better now then they have in years. Jeff Foust reports on the potential reforms and the obstacles that stand in the path of achieving them. Visit
http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1595/1 to view the article. (3/30)

Prognosticating NASA's Future (Source: Space Review)
What are the prospects for NASA's proposed new exploration plan? Bob Mahoney brackets the range of potential outcomes to see what the most likely scenarios are. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1594/1 to view the article. (3/30)

Per Ardua ad Astra (Source: Space Review)
Last week the British government formally announced the creation of the UK Space Agency. Andrew Weston sees this as an opportunity for greater cooperation between the UK and the US in space exploration and commercialization. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1593/1 to view the article. (3/30)

2,229 Space Payloads Projected by Survey (Source: Space Daily)
Teal Group has revised upward its Worldwide Mission Model of future space payloads. According to the Teal survey, there are 2,229 space payloads proposed for launch to earth or lunar orbits or deep space trajectories from 2010-2029. "Our payload count for the next 20 years is nearly 10 percent higher than it was a year ago," said Teal's Marco Caceres.

Civil and commercial payloads account nearly equally for 77 percent of the total payloads in the Mission Model, while military and university payloads account for 19 percent and 4 percent respectively. Approximately one-quarter of the civil payloads are crew transfer and resupply capsules for the International Space Station (ISS) missions. (3/30)

SpaceX Activates ISS Communications System For Dragon Spacecraft (Source: Space Daily)
SpaceX announces the successful activation of its new Dragon spacecraft communication hardware aboard the International Space Station (ISS) during a series of operations conducted in January and March. Dubbed the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) Ultra High Frequency (UHF) Communication Unit, the new system will allow ISS crewmembers to monitor and command approaching or departing Dragon spacecraft during cargo delivery missions to the orbiting laboratory. (3/29)

U.K. Space Logo Proves Graphic Design Is Rocket Science (Source: Fast Company)
Britain's space industry can grow to £40bn a year and create 100,000 jobs in 20 years." This all sounds exciting, but the new agency's logo unveiled at the event is nothing to cheer about. The design recipe is simple, right? Take a square, add a Union Jack, thrust an arrow through it and BAM! The net result looks terribly fractured and unstable. Not the ideal visual for space flight.

To make matters worse, the U.K. Space Agency will have the inevitable and unfortunate acronym "U.K.S.A." which sounds like something translated into Pig Latin. In Britain's defense, this mark just joins the other less-than-stellar logos representing space agencies from other nations. (3/29)

Moonwalker Buzz Aldrin Risks Elimination on "Dancing With the Stars" (Source: CollectSpace)
The second man to walk on the Moon may be the first to be danced off stage as the first results for ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" are revealed Tuesday evening. Astronaut Buzz Aldrin's future on the reality TV show now rests on how many fan votes he received after two weeks of live dance performances that the show's judges ranked as the lowest among the ten other contestants.

"How can you not be a fan of Buzz Aldrin?" asked judge Len Goodman, a British professional ballroom dancer, on Monday night's show. "How difficult it is to try to criticize a legend, so I am not even going to try." Unfortunately for Aldrin, the other judges were not equally reserved in their critiques. (3/30)

Alien Planet Hunter Develops a Blind Spot (Source: New Scientist)
Our best eye on alien worlds has developed a blind spot. NASA's planet-hunting telescope Kepler has developed a fault that means it sees the equivalent of static in some parts of its view. Kepler launched in 2009 to hunt for planets orbiting other stars. Many giant planets on tight orbits have already been found, but the telescope's main aim is to find Earth-sized planets orbiting their stars at distances that can support the presence of liquid water and potentially life.

A total of 42 light-detecting chips called CCDs are used to look for periodic dips in starlight when planets pass in front of their host stars. But one of the 21 modules – containing two CCDs – is now malfunctioning, rendering the stars in its view invisible. Since the craft rotates its field of view by 90 degrees every three months, the fault means that four regions of the sky are only observable 75 per cent of the time. The good news is that the problem is not expected to spread, and it might be possible to repair it. (3/30)

Why Space Shuttle Exhaust Races to the Poles (Source: New Scientist)
Space shuttle exhaust plumes tend to move and spread faster than they should - seemingly because they are fast-tracked inside a low-density part of the atmosphere. The shuttle leaves over 300 tons of water in the atmosphere and a 1000-kilometer-long exhaust trail. This creates a plume, parts of which travel to the poles far faster than expected.

Now Robert Meier of George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, and colleagues have found that simple diffusion can explain the anomaly. Satellite images in a paper to appear in Geophysical Research Letters reveal that the exhaust diffuses upwards into less dense regions of the atmosphere, where diffusion rates are naturally faster. "Once you get the gas up into a more rarefied region of the atmosphere it's really easy to spread sideways," says Meier. (3/30)

Space Economy Leadership Summit Planned in Texas on May 5 (Source: SPACErePORT)
Join leaders from Texas, DC, Florida, Alabama, California and across the nation for a special one day summit as they discuss technology and economic policy that will fundamentally transform the Space Economy. U.S. competitiveness depends on a vital economic engine of job creation - and one of the greatest opportunities for job growth is fueled by our commitment to scientific discovery and our leadership position in the global Space Economy. Visit www.spaceeconomyleadership.org for information and reservations. (3/30)

March 27, 2010

Russia to Boost Share in Global Space Market (Source: RIA Novosti)
Russia wants to increase its share in the global space market by building a new space center, the head of Russia's Energia space corporation said on Friday. "More than 80% of the space market is controlled by the United States. It has unquestionable supremacy in space. Russia only has 0.5% of the market, but when the Vostochny space center is built, we would like to have at least 10% of the market. That's in the region of $30 billion, which is realistic," Vitaly Lopota said.

Russia will spend around $14 billion building the Vostochny space center in its Far Eastern Amur Region. The new space center, which will employ 20,000-25,000 people, will ensure Russia's independence in the launch of piloted space vehicles, currently carried out at Baikonur. The first launch from the new center is scheduled for 2015 and the first piloted spacecraft are intended to blast off in 2018. (3/26)

U.S. Government Missing Hosted Payload Opportunities (Source: Space News)
Eighteen commercial satellites that could have carried U.S. government piggyback payloads have been placed into production in the past two years, but only one is slated to host such a payload because the government still has no policy on the matter, U.S. government and industry officials said here March 17. "These are missed opportunities,” Joseph Rouge, director of the U.S. National Security Space Office. “We should have been on all 18 of these satellites.”

As they have for years, commercial satellite operators said they are only too happy to host U.S. government instruments. Depending on how the contract is structured, the government pays an annual fee to the satellite operator, or a sizable up-front fee that can offset the company’s prelaunch investment in the satellite. (3/26)

Contractors Preserving Constellation Funds To Pay for Program Closeout (Source: Space News)
Lockheed Martin could be forced to slow or stop work on the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle this spring in order to preserve enough money to cover the cost of shutting down the project as soon as this fall. While NASA is asking Congress for $2.5 billion to shutter Constellation, agency officials say they do not know whether that money will be enough to pay for the government’s closeout costs and still cover the termination expenses NASA contractors would incur as a result of having to cancel orders, vacate leases and pink-slip employees when the program is ordered shutdown.

As a result, some contractors — including Denver-based Lockheed Martin Space Systems — are preparing to slow or stop work on Constellation in order to set aside program money to cover their own termination expenses when NASA formally issues the shutdown orders. “They have to either gamble that these programs are going to continue or they’re going to have to start slowing work and saving money for shutdown costs,” said one congressional source. “It’s an indirect but powerful way of shutting down those programs.” (3/26)

California Congressman Supports Commercial Crew Concept (Source: Space News)
Most of the subcommittee members in attendance at last week's space hearing were skeptical of Obama’s plan, though at least one, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.), said he supports handing crew transportation to the private sector. “If the private sector can do something for half as much, or even one-fifth as much, as what the public sector can do, we are limiting what our accomplishments are going to be in space by insisting that the government and the bureaucracy is the only one who can really be trusted to get the job done,” he said. (3/26)

Probe Says ISRO Shots Were all from Guard's Service Rifle (Source: DNA India)
An investigation into the shooting that occurred in the wee hours of March 16 at the Byalalu unit of the Indian Space Research Organization (Isro) revealed that there was no firing from intruders. Ballistic experts submitted a report to state police confirming that there was no firing from outside. The report was submitted after a two-day examination of the site revealed that there was no evidence to support the claims of the security guard on duty at the time. The incident was understood to be an indicator of the vulnerability of sensitive installations to terror attacks. (3/26)

Comet Crash Creates Potential for Life (Source: Nature)
Striking a glancing blow to a planet could create the perfect conditions in a comet's icy core to create amino acids — molecules that are vital to forming life on Earth. This shock-compression theory for making amino acids has been developed by Nir Goldman and his colleagues at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, California. Goldman presented their results on 24 March at the American Chemical Society meeting in San Francisco, California. (3/26)

New Spacecraft Discovers Dozens of Asteroids ... Every Day (Source: Space.com)
Dozens of asteroids that have been lurking undetected in our solar system are being discovered every day by NASA's newest space telescope, scientists say. The Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) telescope was designed to search for "dark" objects in space, such as brown dwarf stars, vast dust clouds, and yes, asteroids. Many of the asteroids WISE is spotting are darker asteroids that were likely missed by past surveys conducted by visible light telescopes. (3/26)

Orbit Tweaks Urged For OCO Replacement Sat (Source: Aviation Week)
A National Academies report on monitoring compliance with climate change treaties formally endorses NASA’s plan to build and launch a replacement for its Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO) spacecraft, although it suggests the agency consider changing its planned orbit to allow better monitoring of human sources of greenhouse gases. The replacement would be built by Orbital Sciences Corp. (3/26)

Pentagon Not Yet Concerned Over NASA Changes (Source: Aviation Week)
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told House defense appropriators March 24 that they were not yet aware of specific concerns within the Pentagon over ramifications stemming from proposed changes at NASA. Pressed by new defense spending subcommittee Chairman Norm Dicks (D-Wash.) about Pentagon concerns already voiced, both Gates and Mullen said they were not yet aware of particular concerns over heavy-lift rockets or the industrial base if the Obama administration’s plans for the civilian space agency take hold.

Mullen did mention, however, that he and other defense officials have had longstanding concerns over the space industrial base, much the same way they do for shipbuilding. Like with warships, the admiral said there is consensus that the Defense Department is paying too much for old systems when it comes to space assets. (3/26)

New Yorkers Tell NASA to Bring Discovery to Intrepid Museum (Source: NY Daily News)
The space shuttle Discovery is the early favorite to land permanently at the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum - if New Yorkers have a say. "The name fits. Discovery. New York is a place where people find new things, new lives, learn expression and inspiration," said Amira McLaughlin, a 35-year-old graphic designer from Brooklyn.

The Intrepid is considered a front-runner as museums across the country vie to be the permanent hangar for NASA's soon-to-be-retired shuttles - Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour. (3/26)

Lack of Full Funding for Virginia Spaceport Concerns Legislator (Source: Spaceports Blog)
Virginia State Del. Lynwood Lewis has expressed public concern with state funding for "the lack of full funding for the budget request, which had been supported by the Governor's office for the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport. While the spaceport did receive a significant increase in funding, it is not enough to do what must be done in light of the terrific projects evolving at the spaceport."

The spaceport will soon have two operational launch pads capable of Minatour I and V boosters along with the yet-to-be-tested Taurus II scheduled to deliver commercial cargo to the Space Station beginning in 2011. The launch facility has a lunar orbiter spacecraft mission in the manifest for 2012.

Last year Virginia supported spaceport operations with less than $100,000 annually. In the 2010 General Assembly, the spaceport budget was increased to $838,000 annually for the next two years but about $500,000 less than the $1.37 million requested annually. "The Governor's office has indicated that they are willing to mount an effort between now and the reconvened session on April 21, to amend the budget to provide for full funding of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport budget request," Del. Lewis, representing the district where the Virginia spaceport is situated, said. (3/26)

Legislation Could Steer Retired Shuttles to Pre-Identified Communities (Source: Space Politics)
A provision tucked into legislation introduced earlier this month could shortcircuit the bid by New York and many other cities seeking to land an orbiter, from Seattle to Tulsa. The “Human Space Flight Capability Assurance and Enhancement Act of 2010″ (S. 3068 and HR 4804) states that, once the shuttle fleet is decommissioned (several years later than planned), the orbiters would be awarded to institutions under a competitive process like the current one, but with “priority consideration given to eligible applicants meeting all conditions of that plan which would provide for the location, display, and maintenance of one Orbiter at or near the Johnson Space Center, in Houston, Texas, and one Orbiter at or near the Kennedy Space Center near Titusville, Florida.” With one orbiter already expected to go the National Air and Space Museum, that would shut out the Intrepid and anyone else. (3/26)

Discovery Set for April 5 Blastoff to Space Station (Source: Florida Today)
Discovery and seven astronauts are officially scheduled to blast off to the International Space Station at 6:21 a.m. April 5 -- the year's second shuttle flight and one of four remaining. NASA confirmed the targeted launch date today following an all-day flight readiness review at Kennedy Space Center. (3/26)

Over the Mojave Desert, Suborbital Vehicles Take Flight (Source: CSF)
Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo and Masten Space Systems’ Xombie vehicle both completed milestone test flights recently over the Mojave Desert, another step on the path towards commercial suborbital flights to space. On March 20, Masten Space Systems’ Xombie vehicle, which successfully competed in NASA’s Lunar Lander Challenge last year, reached its highest altitude yet, 1046 feet, during a test launch. The recent flight marks another milestone towards Masten’s stated goal of providing “affordable access to space for a variety of scientific payloads” including “microgravity, space, and earth science experiments.”

On March 22, Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo, built by Scaled Composites, successfully completed its first “captive carry” atmospheric test flight at Mojave Spaceport attached to the WhiteKnightTwo mother aircraft, remaining aloft for 3 hours. “This is a momentous day for the Scaled and Virgin Teams,” said Burt Rutan, founder of Scaled Composites. “The captive carry flight signifies the start of what we believe will be extremely exciting and successful spaceship flight test program.” (3/26)

Spaceport Begins Work on Virgin Galactic Hangar (Source: Las Cruces Bulletin)
With construction under way on the 110,152-square-foot Terminal Hangar Facility at Spaceport America, Virgin Galactic’s new space liner took to the skies for the first time carrying its rocket spaceship. Virgin Galactic will be the anchor tenant at Spaceport America, and the Terminal Hangar Facility is being built for its operations. The foundation for the facility’s steel towers has been laid and the building is on track to be turned over to Virgin Galactic by early 2011. (3/26)

More to Come at Spaceport America, Despite "Jaundiced View" of Some Legislators (Source: Las Cruces Bulletin)
Steve Landeene said he expects to soon be making other announcements about significant private space companies coming to Spaceport America. With NASA rethinking its mission, private companies providing affordable access to space will become more significant partners in the future, Landeene said. NASA recently announced it intends to spend $75 million on development of suborbital vehicles.

It also helped that the Legislature passed and Gov. Bill Richardson signed into law informed consent legislation, which defines the passengers as participants who know they are taking a risk in these private space flights. State Sen. Steve Fischmann agreed with Landeene that many northern lawmakers have a “jaundiced view” of the spaceport until they learn more about R&D potential that’s possible along with the space tourism.

Landeene admitted some won’t be able to get behind the spaceport until they’ve seen it work and produce more local activity. He said his office continues to investigate other opportunities for providing more “supply chain” business to the local area, as well as packaging tourist experiences. The spaceport’s construction, however, is the primary task of his office, he noted. (3/26)

Technical Hitch Delays Ariane Rocket Launch (Source: Reuters)
A technical problem has delayed the launch of an Ariane rocket scheduled to launch two satellites from French Guiana on Friday. "During final countdown operations for Flight 194 slated for today, an anomaly occurred in a launcher subsystem," Arianespace said in a statement. "As a result, Arianespace has decided to replace this part, and thus to postpone the launch for a few days," it said. (3/26)

ITU Implores Iran To Help Stop Jamming (Source: Space News)
The global regulator of satellite orbital slot and broadcast frequencies on March 26 asked Iran to track down the source of intentional jamming of Eutelsat satellite signals that carry news broadcasts into Iran. In a delicately worded statement apparently designed not to antagonize Iranian authorities, the Geneva-based International Telecommunication Union (ITU) said it accepted the findings of the French National Frequencies Agency concluding that the interference to Eutelsat signals, particularly those from the BBC reporting on Iranian politics, is coming from Iranian territory. (3/26)

In Bid for Space Station Status, China to Build 'Heavenly Palace' (Source: CS Monitor)
The crew of the International Space Station (ISS) may want to draw up a large “Welcome to the Neighborhood” sign. China has announced plans to launch a modest space station of its own next year. Two women will be chosen to be space station astronauts from among China’s 16 female Air Force pilots.

Initially, the 8.5-metric-ton module will be unmanned, providing a target that China’s budding human-spaceflight program can use to practice on-orbit dockings. If all goes well, however, taikonauts (Chinese astronauts) will move in. After launching its first taikonaut into space in October 2003, China is now moving methodically and deliberately to catch up with other major space-faring nations.

China’s module, floridly named Tiangong 1 (Heavenly Palace), represents the first step in the country’s three-stage plan to assemble an orbiting lab. This first step is more akin to NASA’s Skylab, a converted second stage from Apollo-era Saturn V rockets that was launched in 1973. It hosted three crews between 1973 and 1974. (3/26)

March 26, 2010

NASA Glenn Awards Propulsion R&D Contracts (Source: NASA)
NASA Glenn Research Center has awarded contracts to five companies to provide air-breathing engine technologies in support of the center's aerospace propulsion R&D. Each of the five contracts have a maximum value of $125 million over the next five years. The companies selected are GE Aviation; Honeywell; Pratt & Whitney; Rolls-Royce; and Williams International. The work will provide for the development and demonstration of advanced turbine engine technologies to enhance aviation safety and reduce aircraft emissions, noise and fuel burning. (3/26)

Space Florida: State and Federal Funds Available for Multi-User Athena Pad (Source: Space Florida)
Space Florida is in discussions now with Lockheed Martin and ATK to ease their access to Launch Complex 46 for their new Athena family of rockets. The pad is also being readied for Minotaur and other solid-fuel rockets. "We continue working with a number of launch providers to make SLC-46 a multi-use site, and ultimately increase the total number of launches from Florida.”

Space Florida received directed 2009 federal appropriations from Senator Nelson, through NASA, and will utilize this funding toward planning infrastructure improvements at SLC-46 and SLC-36, as NASA-directed funding cannot be used for construction. Additionally, the Florida House and Senate each have passed legislation to free-up funding for infrastructure investments at multiple launch pads. (3/26)

Air Safety Investigator Speaks at Embry-Riddle on Mar. 31 (Source: ERAU)
Dr. Bob Matthews, Senior Safety Analyst with the FAA's Office of Accident Investigation, will be a guest speaker at an International Society of Air Safety Investigators (ISASI) student chapter meeting at Embry-Riddle's Daytona Beach campus on Mar. 31. The meeting, which is open to non ISASI students and faculty at the university, will be held in the College of Aviation, Room 354.

Editor's Note: The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) (an agency separate from USDOT and the FAA), has asked Congress to give it explicit responsibility for commercial space transportation accident investigations. Also, there was some debate last week in the U.S. Senate over whether NASA or the FAA would be responsible for crew safety during commercial launches of astronauts. Mr. Matthews may provide some insight to ERAU students on how these issues are evolving at the FAA. (3/26)

March 25, 2010

Augustine Letter to Rep. Wolf Seeks to Clarify Committee's Position (Source: Space Policy Online)
Responding to a letter from Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA), ranking member of the House Appropriations Commerce-Justice-Science subcommittee, Norm Augustine clarified that canceling the Constellation program was not specifically one of the options his committee put forward last year. Mr. Augustine stressed that his committee was asked to develop options, not recommendations, and that the President's proposal to cancel Constellation came closest the committee's option 5B.

"[The President's plan] perhaps most closely approximates Option 5B; however, the difference in available funding, even though increased relative to the prior budget plan, obviously has to be considered. It could be argued that were one to decide to terminate the Ares I development (as is the case in Option 5B), and with the not unimportant exception of its impact on the Orion effort, that action is tantamount to canceling the entire Constellation program in its present form since work has barely begun on the Ares V and the Altair."

At the time the President's proposal to cancel Constellation was announced, the White House posted a letter from Mr. Augustine on the OSTP website that was similarly careful in its language, but was viewed by many as supporting the decision. (3/25)

New Delta IV Heavy Launch Site Ready For Use in California (Source: Aviation Week)
A single, classified mission for the National Reconnaissance Office is the only pending business here for the Delta IV Heavy launcher, but United Launch Alliance undertook a three-year, $58-million modification of the storied Space Launch Complex-6 to make it possible. The Delta IV Heavy brings a capability that has been absent from the U.S. since the Titan IV was retired in 2005. Though mighty, Titan launches were more than twice as expensive as a Delta Heavy’s, which is officially in excess of $100 million. The newer vehicle also is regarded as more reliable. (3/25)

Watch out NASA: Up Aerospace Sends Cargo Into Space Too (Source: Smart Planet)
Jerry Larson builds rockets that can go into space, all by himself. In May, he will finally show off his blue rocket at a vertical launch pad at Spaceport America in New Mexico. Larson hopes to create a new market for commercial air cargo and in a way make his startup company, Up Aerospace, the US Airways (for cargo). Virgin Galactic is making space tourism possible, so it’s reasonable to think Up Aerospace could do the same for cargo. The cost of a single rocket is $200,000, which is much cheaper than the millions of dollars it costs NASA. The rockets are hydraulically driven and are controlled by a remote control. This May, US Navy experiments, school kid projects, and cremated remains will hitch a ride in Larson’s rocket. But they will have to share a ride in separate compartments. (3/25)

Profit from the New Space Race (Source: Money Week)
President Obama recently threw open America’s space program to private companies – announcing a 6% increase in NASA's five-year budget. After years of keeping space travel the strict preserve of government, private space groups will now be encouraged to build and operate spacecraft of their own. This is massive opportunity for us as investors. For the first time ever it will provide big business with the necessary funding, expertise and guaranteed work to transform the space industry in the same fashion as the airline sector took-off after the second world war.

Back then the military flew most planes, but private companies eventually started operating aircraft - especially when they got a guaranteed customer in the US government to deliver air mail. And that's what NASA would be: a cast-iron income stream, loaded up to the tune of $6 billion to transport astronauts back and forth to the ISS. How long before you and I get to take a trip beyond the Earth’s atmosphere? Well we will have a while to wait yet. As it stands, the Russian Space Agency is the only carrier providing transport, courtesy of spare seats. And neither is it exactly cheap, since the price for a flight brokered by Space Adventures to the ISS aboard a Soyuz spacecraft is around $20m–$35m per trip. However this vast expense is coming down fast as technology improves and more competition comes on stream. (3/25)

Planetary Lander “Egg Drop” Competition Planned for Florida Schools (Source: Space Florida)
Space Florida, NASA-KSC and the Florida Department of Education have partnered to provide an opportunity for Florida elementary, middle and high school students to participate in an innovative Planetary Lander ‘Egg-Drop’ Competition at Universal CityWalk on May 29. The competition is open to all Florida schools and home-schoolers, and invites Florida teachers and students to register teams through Space Florida. Each team will design and build their own Lander, in which a raw egg will serve as the payload and must survive a drop of nearly 20 feet (just as a real NASA Lander should on the Moon, Mars or an asteroid). The deadline for Florida schools teams to register with Space Florida is May 7, 2010. Due to the enormous interest in this competition however, team leaders are advised to register ASAP. Applicants should apply for a Registration Package by contacting Space Florida Education Manager Emma Rader, at erader@spaceflorida.gov. (3/25)

No End for the Shuttle This Year? (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
NASA is unlikely to fly the final four missions of the space shuttle this year as planned, according to a new report issued by the agency’s internal watchdog. NASA Inspector General Paul Martin came to that conclusion based on the shuttle’s history of flight delays and not on any specific problems. His team estimates that the final mission likely would fly in January 2011 — one month after funding for shuttle flights is expected to sunset. A delay into next year could cause major headaches for NASA. The launch of an Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer to the International Space Station could be delayed from its scheduled July 29 date due to technical problems with the payload. If that delay goes beyond 2010, then there is the possibility that the Obama administration simply could cancel the flight, warned the inspector general. (3/25)

Lockheed Martin, ATK Reintroduce Athena Rocket Line (Source: Space News)
Lockheed Martin and Alliant Techsystems (ATK) will attempt to resurrect the long-dormant Athena series of small-satellite launchers. The upgraded Athena 1c and Athena 2c rockets will feature the same Castor 120 solid rocket motors as their predecessors, but use the newly developed Castor 30 motor for their upper stage, the companies said in a press release. The original Athena vehicles used the Orbus 21D motor as an upper stage. The new Athena vehicles will launch payloads weighing up to 1,712 kilograms into low Earth orbit and could be available for launches starting in 2012.

Lockheed Martin, which developed the original Athena in the 1990s, will provide the launch services, while ATK provides the motors. The solid-fueled Castor 30 upper stage was developed for Orbital’s planned Taurus 2 rocket and has been tested on the ground. The Castor 120 has been used on Orbital’s Taurus 1 rocket in addition to the original Athena line. Athena’s target market is currently served by Orbital with its Pegasus, Taurus 1 and Minotaur family of vehicles, and by SpaceX with its Falcon 1E rocket.

Editor's Note: Athena-1 and Athena-2 rockets were both launched from Florida's spaceport authority launch pad (LC-46) before Lockheed ended the Athena program in the 1990s. The infrastructure on LC-46 was developed specifically for this vehicle. The updated Athena rockets will also launch from Florida's LC-46, as well as from spaceports in California, Alaska and Virginia. Here's a photo of an Athena-2 on the pad, with the service tower looking very much like it does today. (3/25)

Athena Will Drive Upgrades to Florida Launch Pad (Source: Florida Today)
To meet the needs of the new Athena rockets at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport, a refurbishment project at Launch Complex 46 will employ about 75 people for more than a year, officials said. A core launch operations team of about 20 at the Cape will surge to about 50 during launches. Officials expect to fly at least two missions per year from Launch Complex 46, which the U.S. Navy used to test Trident fleet ballistic missiles. Editor's Note: Space Florida expects to receive state legislative authorization to invest previously-appropriated funds for the infrastructure project. (3/25)

Flight Termination System Work Sets First Falcon-9 Launch for Late April (Source: Florida Today)
The first flight of the SpaceX Falcon 9 likely will occur in late April after the rocket's Flight Termination System is certified. The Falcon 9 holds an April 12 launch date on the Air Force Eastern Range. The supplier of the rocket’s flight termination system still must finish testing and gain final flight approval from the Air Force. (3/25)

NASA Ames Seeks Education/Outreach Officer (Source: NASA)
The Education and Public Outreach Branch of the Strategic Communications and Education Division at NASA’s Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif., currently is seeking interested applicants for the position of Supervisory Education Programs and Outreach Officer. The incumbent serves as the Director of Education and Outreach and is responsible for the management, administration and evaluation of NASA’s unique education and outreach programs. Applications are currently being accepted through April 5, 2010. For more information about this job opening and to apply online, visit http://jobview.usajobs.gov/GetJob.aspx?JobID=86957292&JobTitle=Superviso. (3/25)

March 24, 2010

NASA to Devise New Spending Plan to Placate Congress (Source: Wall Street Journal)
NASA is scrambling to come up with a new budget proposal to placate congressional critics as senior members of the House Appropriations Committee say that White House's plan for the agency won't fly on Capitol Hill. The Obama administration had initially proposed to allocate $6 billion over five years for a program that eventually would outsource manned space missions to private companies. Members of the appropriations subcommittee, including Rep. Frank Wolf of Virginia, its ranking Republican, have told NASA in recent weeks that they won't support the White House's proposed budget.

If there is such work, though (which presumably would have to be supported by the White House), NASA administrator Charles Bolden wasn’t letting on during the subcommittee’s hearing about the budget proposal this afternoon. Bolden reiterated his wholehearted support for the plan. “I think that the budget that we got is the best budget for the nation and the best budget for NASA, and it essentially represents what I recommended to the president,” Bolden said during questioning from Wolf. (3/23)

Embry-Riddle Supports KSC Workshop for Commercial Space Industry (Source: SPACErePORT)
NASA sponsored a Commercial Space Transportation Industry Workshop on Wednesday and Thursday at KSC, in cooperation with Space Florida, the U.S. Air Force, and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (the luncheon sponsor). The workshop facilitated a technical exchange between KSC and both established and emerging space transportation companies. Discussion centered on how KSC and the Eastern Range can best be modernized and otherwise improved to enable and support the commercial space transport industry and other users. The President's proposed FY 2011 budget has included a line item for $1.9 billion to address such needs.

KSC officials said they will work closely with the commercial launch industry, the Air Force 45th Space Wing, and other stakeholders to update the KSC master plan for spaceport development, and to gain insights to plan for and prioritize investments should Congress authorize the proposed initiative. Companies participating in the workshop included the known contenders for the anticipated NASA initiative for procuring commercial crew transportation services to the International Space Station, and other entrepreneurial providers developing suborbital launch systems. (3/24)

Common Crew Capsule Approach Favored by Bolden (Source: Space Politics)
NASA administrator Charles Bolden told lawmakers he favors a “common crew module” that could be launched on multiple vehicles, rather than have each potential commercial crew provider develop their own spacecraft. “One of the things I would like to do is to help them use some of the research and development money that we have to help build a common crew module that could be interchangeably used on a number of launch vehicles,” he said. Such an approach would result in cost savings and simplify training for crews, he said. “I would like to help the commercial entities design a single crew module because it’s good for us to train in… and that can be used interchangeably on any launch vehicle.” Left unsaid is whether such an approach would incorporate any elements of Orion. (3/24)

Hunt is On for Obama Meeting Site (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
It remains to be seen what exactly White House plans are for the April 15 meeting, which is now being called a “Space Conference.” NASA deputy administrator Lori Garver was at Kennedy Space Center last week scoping out possible venues for the meeting. Her choices are the Operations and Checkout (O&C) building that was recently refurbished as a factory to assemble the Orion crew capsule that is now on the Constellation chopping block; the Operations Support Building 2; the Training Auditorium; the Debus Center at the visitor complex; and the Saturn Center.

According to KSC officials, Garver really liked the O&C building because it was designed to be energy-efficient and could be used to assemble commercial capsules that would launch from nearby pads. The location of the meeting isn’t the only aspect of the conference taxing officials’ minds. Administration insiders are still discussing various formats as well as whom to invite to the event. There is some talk about a Town Hall meeting with space workers, but many people — not least KSC Center Director Bob Cabana — are reportedly opposed to the idea because tensions are running high at KSC.

As many as 9,000 shuttle workers are set to lose their jobs when the shuttle stops flying, perhaps later this year. The sad part is that despite all the rhetoric flying around, no program – neither Obama’s nor Constellation – is likely to offset those numbers anytime soon. (3/24)

Commercial Crew Launch Approach Debated in Congress (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
In response to lawmaker questions, Thomas Young, a former Lockheed Martin executive, said the White House plan was untenable and that NASA should not rely on new commercial rockets to transport astronauts. “In my view, this is a risk too high and not a responsible course. The commercial crew option should not be approved,” he said. Young, however, had a narrowly defined definition for what commercial rockets entailed and did not include the Atlas V or Delta IV rockets, run by a joint venture of defense giants Lockheed Martin and Boeing.

Michael Gass, head of the United Launch Alliance partnership, recently told Congress that ULA could do its own version of commercial crew after the space shuttle is retired this year. Young’s comments instead appeared directed at new commercial companies such as SpaceX, which is working to design a spacecraft capable of taking NASA cargo to the Space Station. The company also aims to one day carry crew into orbit and has designed its capsules in preparation of this possibility.

U.S. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-California, argued against Young’s logic and said that the U.S. has a long tradition of relying on commercial companies for domestic priorities, including delivering mail by air or building railroads to link the nation’s cities. He said using commercial companies could significantly reduce government costs and still do the mission, citing upcoming efforts by SpaceX to launch the first flight of its Falcon 9 rocket after getting less than $300 million from NASA to design a spacecraft capable of transporting cargo. (3/24)

China To Complete Wenchang Space Center By 2015 (Source: Space Daily)
China's fourth space center, Wenchang, will be put into service between 2014 and 2015, not in 2013 as it was previously announced. Located in a forest of coconut palms on the northeast coast of the Hainan tropical island, Wenchang will be the country's first low-latitude space center. Its latitude of only 19 degrees north of the equator will contribute to lower fuel consumption and maximum payload. (3/24)

Cosmos has Billions More Stars Than Thought (Source: AFP)
Astronomers may have underestimated the tally of galaxies in some parts of the Universe by as much as 90 percent, according to a study reported on Wednesday in Nature, the weekly British science journal. Surveys of the cosmos are based on a signature of ultraviolet light that turns out to be a poor indicator of what's out there, its authors say. In the case of very distant, old galaxies, the telltale light may not reach Earth as it is blocked by interstellar clouds of dust and gas -- and, as a result, these galaxies are missed by the map-makers. (3/24)

Florida Lt. Gov. Wants to Debate President on Space (Source: Florida Today)
Florida's lieutenant governor doesn't fool around when looking for a debate opponent. Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp, who is seeking the Republican nomination for attorney general, issued a public challenge Wednesday to President Obama, who is widely regarded as a highly skilled orator and debater. Kottkamp said he wants to debate the merits of a new space exploration program with the president, who is scheduled to be in Florida next month for a space summit. Obama's recommended budget for fiscal year 2011 calls for an end to the space shuttle program, which could lead to several thousand jobs being lost at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. (3/24)

A New Hope for Obama NASA Plan? (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Congressional opposition to a new White House plan for NASA appears to have softened slightly, as Democratic lawmakers on a key U.S. House panel said they would be willing to work with the administration during a Tuesday hearing with NASA chief Charles Bolden. Democratic members of the House subcommittee that controls NASA spending were not as hostile to the proposal as their counterparts on the House Science and Technology committee. Support from the appropriations committee – who write the budget — is critical.

“I think this will be a collaborative process,” said U.S. Rep. Alan Mollohan, the West Virginia Democrat who chairs the appropriations subcommittee on Commerce, Science and Justice. “My sense is that there is a lot of openness on all sides.” But Republican lawmakers reiterated concerns that canceling Constellation — and its aim of returning astronauts to the moon — amounted to surrendering U.S. supremacy in space. They also raised concerns about using commercial rockets, rather than an in-house program such as Constellation.

“Can you imagine the United States government having to lease the USS Harry Truman from Northrop Grumman?” asked U.S. Rep. John Culberson, R-Texas, responding to an earlier characterization that Bolden made about “leasing” spacecraft for NASA missions. The most heated exchange came when U.S. Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Virginia, asked Bolden which country — the United States or China — would send humans to the moon next. Bolden started to respond by saying it didn’t matter — because the U.S. already has been there — when Wolf cut him off. “Well it does to me,” he snapped. “It does to me, and I think it matters, with all respect, to a lot of Americans.” (3/24)

Air Force Eyes Northrop as Builder of Military Weather Satellites (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Defense Department is developing requirements for its next-generation weather satellite system and might tap Northrop Grumman to build it, possibly using the contract vehicle already in place for a now-defunct effort to field a joint civil-military constellation, according to a senior Pentagon official. Los Angeles-based Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems since 2002 has been the prime contractor for the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS), which was intended to satisfy the climate and weather data needs of military and civilian users. The program was hobbled by an ineffective tri-agency management structure and encountered years of cost growth and delays. NPOESS cancellation was announced in February. (3/24)

Where's the Science in the UK's Space Agency? (Source: New Scientist)
The UK Space Agency has been launched, to much excitement and enthusiasm. Forty million pounds was announced to set the whole thing up. It will be located alongside the ESA offices in Harwell, Oxfordshire. The UK space industry, we were told, supports 68,000 jobs directly and indirectly, and contributes £6 billion to the economy. The plan is to grow this over the next 20 years to create 100,000 jobs and contribute £40 billion a year to the economy. But largely absent from the morning's announcements was any mention of science. In the UK, it seems space is about revitalizing manufacturing industry now that we have lost faith in the financial sector to make the country prosper. It is not about science, astronomy or planetary exploration. (3/24)

ERC Wins NASA Ames R&D Contract (Source: NASA)
NASA has contracted with ERC Inc., of Huntsville, Ala., for space technology research and development activities at the agency's Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, Calif. The contract has a maximum value of $45 million. ERC Inc. will support the Space Technology Division in the Office of the Director of Exploration Technology at Ames. The division develops technologies used to design and fabricate prototype hypervelocity vehicles that could travel in the atmospheres of Earth and other planetary bodies in the solar system. (3/24)

Space Coast Rally Planned Before Obama Visit (Source: Florida Today)
The location and format for President Obama's planned April 15 space conference in Florida remain unconfirmed by the White House. But NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden said Tuesday during congressional testimony that he expects the president to tour KSC facilities and possibly talk to employees. "It is intended to be a space conference in Florida where the president and members of Congress will participate," Bolden told lawmakers. "The primary purpose of the president is to allow him to provide his vision to the nation and the world, actually, and also to allow him to have an opportunity, which he has not so far, to at least see some of the facilities at the Kennedy Space Center, and hopefully talk to some of the workers and the like."

Space Coast residents are planning a community space rally to send the president a message that the current budget proposal is unacceptable, according to organizers. An April 11 rally in Cocoa is being organized by Brevard County Commissioner Robin Fisher. Fisher's office today confirmed the attendance of U.S. Rep. Bill Posey, R-Rockledge. Florida Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp is also confirmed. (3/24)

More NASA From Bolden (Source: Aviation Week)
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden is asking Congress to be patient as his agency grinds out the details of the turnabout space program embodied in the Fiscal 2011 White House budget request, telling lawmakers that more programmatic information will be released soon. Bolden also says he has been in touch with U.S. Air Force Sec. Michael Donley and top military and intelligence officials on their mutual need for a heavy-lift launch vehicle. And he says he personally would like to “lease” commercial human-rated vehicles that NASA’s astronauts could pilot to the International Space Station (ISS), guided by a mixed team of NASA and contractor personnel at Mission Control Center – Houston.

“Very soon we will be announcing program office assignments needed to carry out the president’s vision, and challenges to NASA. Other details will become available in the coming weeks.” Those details still must clear the White House review process that apparently stymied releases of the full NASA budget along with the rest of the federal request on Feb. 1. Although Bolden took the blame personally for the uncoordinated budget release, members of the panel continued to express frustration that they still have not received a full explanation of the White House plan for the space agency. (3/24)

Embry-Riddle Plans Another Astronomy Open House (Source: ERAU)
Embry-Riddle's Creekside Observatory is planning a March 26 Open House for students and the public. The event will be held between 8:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. Visit http://observatory.db.erau.edu for information. (3/24)

March 23, 2010

Louisiana Workers Prep For Final NASA Missions At Michoud (Source: WDSU)
Hundreds of workers have been laid off at Michoud over the past two years. Lockheed Martin was contracted between 1973 and 2008 to do $10.7 billion in work for the federal government. With federal funding for NASA in question, the 1,426 people who still work there wonder what is next for the agency and for themselves.

Lockheed Martin, one of the largest employers in Louisiana, has a payroll totaling $174.6 million. The company has laid off more than 1,300 workers at Michoud in the past two years, and with even more cuts to NASA expected in the president's next budget, everyone is nervous. NASA has hired an outside company to oversee site operations at Michoud with a goal of leasing out space on the 800-acre facility. (3/23)

NASA Glenn Begins Public Tours of Premier Research Facilities (Source: NASA)
NASA's Glenn Research Center invites the general public to tour its laboratory and testing facilities on the first and third Saturday of each month, beginning April 3. Tours are free to all ages and available to U.S. citizens. Reservations are required and can be made up to 30 days in advance but must be made at least one day in advance of the actual tour.

"We are expanding our tour program to allow more people to experience what goes on at Glenn and taking information out into the community about NASA, science and the benefits of careers in math, science and engineering," said Linda Dukes-Campbell, chief of the Community and Media Relations Office. "The ultimate goal is to share with the public our cutting-edge technologies in aeronautics and space." (3/23)

India to Start Building Space Capsule for Manned Mission (Source: Live Mint)
The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) will begin building a space capsule to carry two astronauts on its maiden manned mission, scheduled to take place by 2016. ISRO will fabricate the three-member capsule using anthropometric data, or information on physical attributes peculiar to Indians. The center will also bridge the gap in developing key restricted technologies and help plan for future missions to the moon. Unlike the US space shuttles that glide in from space to land on a runway on their return, India will follow the Russian and Chinese method of recovering the space capsule after it drops into the ocean. (3/23)

Bolden Sticking by Cancellation of Constellation (Source: Florida Today)
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden insisted Tuesday that the Constellation program was too expensive to pursue, as he faced another House grilling about the agency's budget. Rep. Alan Mollohan, D-W.Va., the chairman of the House Appropriations subcommittee on science, asked Bolden why the administration would discard the Constellation program of returning to the moon after spending $9 billion on it. "Why is this drastic step proposed?" Mollohan asked.

But Bolden said Constellation wouldn't have reached the moon before 2030. Even then, he said the Ares rocket and Orion capsule wouldn't have had a way to return from the moon’s surface because that facet of the program hasn’t been budgeted. "I just couldn't in good conscience recommend that to the president," Bolden said.

Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va., asked Bolden to reply to a congressional request for alternatives to keep American access to the International Space Station, rather than relying on Russian rockets after the retirement of the shuttle this year. "We are unable to do that," Bolden said. In terms of compromising on a budget, Bolden said, "There is no alternative budget. There is no plan B." (3/23)

NASA Shutters Constellation Program Even as Lawmakers Fight Closure (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Delicately but deliberately, NASA is closing down the agency's once-vaunted Constellation program. President Obama wants to cancel Constellation, but Congress has not agreed and says Constellation cannot be legally scrapped without its OK. That leaves NASA caught in a tug of war, putting the agency in the difficult position of trying to meet White House orders for a dramatic shift while pacifying lawmakers favoring the status quo.

As a result, engineers are building pieces of Constellation while at the same time NASA is turning off parts of the program that it never officially started with contracts. In recent weeks, the agency has pulled the plug on bidding to run ground operations for the program at Kennedy Space Center and decided not to award contracts for alternative designs of the Altair lander, which one day astronauts were to ride down to the moon's surface.

Nearly two weeks ago, it took another step, advising contractors that "there will be no further evaluation of their proposals nor will there be an award" to develop the first phase of the Ares V cargo lifter. But as NASA slows down in some areas of Constellation, it is pressing ahead in others. It is conducting studies for more test flights at KSC of the behind-schedule and over-budget Ares I rocket. Click here to view the article. (3/23)

South Africa Wants to be Regional Space Hub (Source: DefenceWeb)
Science & Technology minister Naledi Pandor says South Africa has ambitions to be a regional satellite launch hub and will re-activate apartheid-era ace rocket launch sites to fast-track a national space program. Pandor last week reportedly told the Sunday Times SA had two sites, the Overberg Test Range (OTB) outside Bredasdorp, and Houwteq near Grabouw. Pandor said the Houwteq site already had a "launch integration building" where a launch vehicle had been assembled by apartheid-era engineers. She said the facilities could be used to kick-start a space program that would focus on human development rather than on defense, the paper said. (3/23)

Can a Person Own the Moon? (Source: Mother Nature Network)
At times, it seems the super wealthy own the heavens. Now a wealthy video game developer has laid claim to just that. American entrepreneur and space aficionado Richard Garriott purchased the former Soviet Union's Luna 21 lander and the Lunokhod 2 rover for $68,000 at a Sotheby’s space auction in 1993. He is trying to determine if owning these devices on the moon entitles him to ownership of the property they rest on. Last week, NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter located the Lunokhod 2, sitting clearly on the planet’s surface. It had originally landed on the moon’s surface in January 1973, and it was thought to have crashed into a lunar wall and left covered by moon dirt. Not so, according to the new images from NASA.

Editor's Note: This is a very gray area. If the laws of the high seas apply, this hardware might be treated like a sunken ship. Can the owner of the ship sell salvage rights to anyone, or does the ship become salvageable by anyone who is capable? (3/23)

UK Space Agency Launched in London (Source: Telegraph)
Britain's own space agency has been launched, represented by the Union Flag morphed into a soaring arrow. The UK Space Agency, as it is officially named, took off with the help of British astronaut Major Timothy Peake. But the accent at the launch in London was on the dry realities of economics rather than Dan Dare.

Lord Mandelson was on hand to keep proceedings firmly grounded, despite the Science Minister Lord Drayson confessing that he would "like to see human beings living on Mars". The Business Secretary said: ''I think it is important to remember that although it is cutting edge, this stuff is not sci-fi. It may start in space, but it comes down to Earth very quickly and is directly relevant to all our daily lives." Britain's mini-version of Nasa will take overall responsibility for UK space activities, replacing the soon-to-be defunct British National Space Centre (BNSC). (3/23)

Noted Physicist Jim Gates to Speak on Supergravity at Embry-Riddle (Source: ERAU)
World-renowned physicist Dr. Jim Gates will deliver the ninth annual Elston Memorial Lecture at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University on April 10. The lecture, which is free and open to the public, is scheduled for 7 p.m. in the auditorium of the Willie Miller Instructional Center at Embry-Riddle’s Daytona Beach campus, 600 S. Clyde Morris Blvd.

In his lecture, titled “Supergravity: The Quest for Unification,” Gates will explain how the concept of a single, unifying theory describing the entire universe has determined much of the direction of modern physics, from electricity and magnets to the concept of supergravity. He is well known for his groundbreaking work in both supergravity and supersymmetry, areas that are closely related to string theory, and is the co-author of the book Superspace or 1001 Lessons in Supersymmetry, a standard text in the field. Click here for info. (3/23)

AIA Product Support Conference Planned in Clearwater on May 3-5 (Source: AIA)
The AIA product support conference is set for May 3-5 and examines the principal topics from the 2009 Product Support Assessment Report. Up for discussion are the current and future state of product support and strategies industry and government can adopt to meet the enduring product support needs of our warfighter. Click here for details. (3/23)