Florida-Based Federal R&D Obligations Rise to $2.7 Billion (Source: SSTI)
In 2007, the federal government dedicated $111.4 billion to R&D, an amount roughly equal to 0.81 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product (GDP), according to a recent report from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Research-intensive states, such as California, Maryland, Massachusetts and Virginia were the leading recipients of this funding. Montana, Washington, Utah, Tennessee and Colorado led the country in expanding their federal R&D obligations. New Mexico ranked with the top states in federal obligations relative to their gross state product (GSP).
Despite a general pattern of positive growth around much of the country, federal obligation rates fell in many southern states during the five-year period between 2002 and 2007. Florida-based obligations in 2007 were $2.71 billion, an 18.06% increase over the five year period. (Colorado's 2007 obligations were $2.62 billion, but the state's five-year rate of increase was 63.19%.)
NASA's Last Two Space Shuttle External Tanks Are Being Built at Michoud (Source: SpaceRef.com)
The last two Space Shuttle External Tanks (ET's) likely to be produced in history are entering their final closeout assembly operations at the NASA-owned Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF) in New Orleans as the shuttle program draws ever closer to its looming retirement date, now reset to early 2011. These two final tanks are destined for the last scheduled flight of the shuttle program - STS 134 - and what's currently base lined as the Launch-On-Need (LON) rescue mission (STS 335), respectively. They are designated as tanks ET-138 and ET-122. STS 134 is currently scheduled to lift off on Feb. 28, 2011. (6/30)
NASA Tests Engine Technology to Assist With Future Space Vehicle Landings (Source: NASA)
Spacecraft attempting to land on an unfamiliar surface need to perform a maneuver called “deep throttling" -- a step that allows the vehicle to precisely throttle down to perform a smooth, controlled landing. NASA, in partnership with Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne (PWR) headquartered in Canoga Park, Calif., has demonstrated this type of engine control capability to help design a more reliable and robust descent engine that could be used to land space exploration vehicles on the moon, an asteroid or another planet.
The Common Extensible Cryogenic Engine, also known as CECE, recently completed the fourth and final series of hot-fire tests on a 15,000-pound thrust class cryogenic technology demonstrator rocket engine, increasing the throttling capability by 35 percent over previous tests. This test series demonstrated this engine could go from a thrust range of 104 percent power down to 5.9 percent. This equates to an unprecedented 17.6:1 deep-throttling capability, which means this cryogenic engine can throttle up and back down quickly. (6/30)
Mysterious Rock Formations Discovered on Mars (Source: Astronomy Now)
The Mars Express mission, led by the European Space Agency, has discovered a windblown plateau and strange rocky mounds near to the Magellan crater on Mars. The Ferdinand Magellan crater, named after the famous Portugese navigator, is about 100 kilometers across, and was the target of the exploration that revealed the strange surface features. They were found in a region located to the southwest of the volcanic region Tharsis on the southern highlands of Mars that covers a surface area of about 21,280 square kilometres – roughly the size of Slovenia. (6/30)
Eutelsat Picks Astrium To Build W5A Satellite (Source: Space News)
Astrium Satellites of Europe will build the Eutelsat all-Ku-band W5A satellite for launch over Asia in late 2012 following a contract announced June 30 by the satellite fleet operator. The announcement came three weeks after Eutelsat awarded a contract to Thales Alenia Space of Europe to build the all-Ku-band W6A satellite and illustrates the Paris-based company’s policy of alternating suppliers, mainly between Europe’s two principal satellite prime contractors. (6/30)
102 Huntsville Constellation Workers Laid Off Tuesday; Total Nears 300 (Source: Huntsville Times)
A key NASA contractor laid off 102 aerospace workers in Huntsville Tuesday, sources said, bringing to nearly 300 the number reportedly sent home in the last week as the Constellation rocket program collapses toward a funding deadline. Jacobs ESTS group, a prime contractor for Constellation, made the cuts, according to workers who asked not to be identified and a new Facebook page called Huntsville Space Professionals. Jacobs terminated another 185 workers last week, according to one poster to the Facebook page created to link laid-off workers with jobs. (6/30)
Lockheed Martin to Get $163 Million to Keep Orion Work Going (Source: Denver Business Journal)
NASA is paying $163 million to Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co. to keep the company from halting working on the Orion space capsule amid budget uncertainty. The Colorado-based division of Lockheed Martin Corp. is overseeing development of the capsule, which has been intended to replace the space shuttle as the nation’s manned spacecraft.
Earlier this year, NASA canceled the Constellation program — a pair of new rockets, a lunar lander and the Orion capsule — in its fiscal year 2011 budget. The agency decided to hold onto Orion, however, and use it as a lifeboat for the International Space Station. (6/30)
Another Florida Senate Candidate Visits Space Coast (Source: SPACErePORT)
The Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast will sponsor a discussion on aerospace policy and the future of this critical industry with Jeff Greene, U.S. Senate candidate. This policy forum will center on the substantive transition in the aerospace industry which has the potential for extreme effects on our economy. It will also afford you the opportunity for open communication directly with Mr. Greene in relation to this critical matter and provide information that could help shape national space policy. The meeting will occur on July 8 in Cape Canaveral. (6/30)
Building It and Hoping It Will Come (Source: Space News)
Hoping to land one of NASA's soon-to-be-retired space shuttle orbiters, Seattle's Museum of Flight broke ground June 29 on a $12 million glass-facade building to house the giant space artifact. Museum chief Bonnie Dunbar, a veteran of five shuttle missions, said it's not a done deal, but feels confident the Seattle museum is one of the few that meets all of NASA's requirements for publicly displaying a shuttle orbiter. (6/30)
House Panel Approves $4.2B for Obama's Space Plan, With Caveat (Source: AIA)
A House subcommittee voted on Tuesday to approve the entire $4.2 billion that President Barack Obama requested for manned space exploration next year, with the caveat that any expenditures be blocked until Congress approves a plan for NASA's future. The vote by the Democrat-led subcommittee gives Obama a symbolic victory while at the same time giving Congress a say in decisions. (6/30)
House Appropriators Look to Authorizers for NASA Direction (Source: Space News)
House appropriators fully funded NASA’s $19 billion budget request for 2011 in a June 29 mark-up of proposed spending legislation, though most of the $4.2 billion the agency requested for manned space exploration programs would be fenced off and therefore unavailable until a new NASA authorization bill is enacted.
“Any major change to the direction of the nation’s space program should come through an authorization passed by Congress,” Rep. Alan Mollohan (D-W.Va.), chairman of the House Appropriations commerce, justice, science subcommittee, said in opening remarks at the mark-up hearing. Mollohan said it was unfortunate that NASA’s manned spaceflight plans have been “effectively on hold for over a year.” (6/30)
NASA Ames Research Center Helps Underserved School Receive Used Computers (Source: SpaceRef.com)
Times are tough, but none more so than for schools and their students. To promote equal opportunity for all children, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., recently helped Park Avenue Elementary School in the Yuba City Unified District, receive 24 used computers and servers for data storage. It was a perfect match. NASA had surplus computers and equipment that it wanted to give away, and Park Avenue Elementary School needed more computers for its 563 student population, which is 86 percent Hispanic. (6/30)
Editorial: The Challenge Ahead for SpaceX (Source: Space News)
While SpaceX and NASA couldn’t have hoped for a better maiden launch outcome for Falcon-9, it is only over a series of successful launches that any vehicle can establish a track record for reliability. Orbital’s air-launched Pegasus rocket, for example, was successful in its debut but suffered several glitches, including two outright failures, over its next eight missions. The next several Falcon 9 launches are bound to be white-knuckle affairs; SpaceX and NASA, along with other current and prospective customers, have to be prepared for setbacks.
SpaceX is well behind schedule on the three Falcon-9 / Dragon demonstration flights it signed up for under its Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) agreement with NASA, and these must be completed before the company can begin fulfilling its $1.6 billion contract to deliver cargo to the space station. Originally scheduled to commence in 2008, the COTS demos are now officially slated for this year, but NASA and SpaceX recently acknowledged that the second and third have pushed well into 2011. Delays invariably cost money, which in this case presumably would come out of SpaceX’s pocket given the way the COTS program is structured. (6/30)
Russian Military Set to Continue Bulava Missile Tests (Source: RIA Novosti)
A state investigation commission has recommended the continuation of tests on the troubled Bulava ballistic missile following a probe into the most recent test failure, a first deputy defense minister said. Only 5 of the 12 Bulava launches have been officially reported as successful and late last month the commission sent the government the results of its investigation into the latest failure: a launch from the Dmitry Donskoy cruiser in the White Sea in early December 2009.
The Russian Navy is planning to resume the Bulava tests as early as November this year. The Bulava (SS-NX-30) is a three-stage liquid and solid-propellant submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM). It carries up to 10 MIRV warheads and has a range of over 8,000 kilometers (5,000 miles). The future development of Bulava has been questioned by some lawmakers and defense industry officials who suggest that the Russian Navy should keep using the more reliable Sineva SLBM. (6/30)
India To Relaunch GLSV Within One Year (Source: Space Daily)
The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is planning to relaunch the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) with a home-grown cryogenic engine in a year's time after the failure in April this year. "We have come across a few scenarios after detailed analysis of the failure. Now the immediate task is to test it on the ground and we look forward to relaunch it next year," ISRO chairman K Radhakrishnan said.
The five earlier versions of the GSLV had Russia-supplied cryogenic engines. India's cryogenic upper stage (CUS) engine was meant to replace the Russian engines. The GSLV D-3, the satellite launch vehicle showcasing the country's indigenous cryogenic technology, trailed off its designated course and went out of control shortly after the lift-off on April 15. (6/30)
Piper to Furlough Florida Workers for One Week (Source: AIA)
Piper Aircraft plans to shut down its manufacturing plant in Vero Beach, Fla., for one week in August. The majority of Piper employees will take an unpaid furlough for the week of Aug. 9. Piper Aircraft employs more than 900 people in the region. (6/30)
June 29, 2010
European Earth Observation Program Faces Big Funding Shortfall (Source: Space News)
Europe’s ambitious GMES satellite-based Earth observation program is an estimated $600 million short of what it needs to complete development of satellites already under construction and assure the promised data continuity to users in the period from 2011 to 2014, with potential funding sources drying up with each new development in Europe’s sovereign-debt crisis, European government and industry officials said. (6/29)
Arianespace Lands Arsat-1 Launch Contract (Source: Space News)
Arianespace will launch the Arsat-1 satellite for Argentine satellite operator Empresa Argentina de Soluciones Satelitales Sociedad Anonima, or Arsat, in mid-2012 under a contract announced June 28 by the Evry, France-based launch services provider. (6/29)
House Spending Panel Punts on NASA Policy (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
A key congressional committee today sidestepped a potential vote on NASA’s future, opting to take “no position” on White House plans to scrap NASA’s moon rocket program and replace the space shuttle with commercial rockets. The House subcommittee with oversight of NASA’s budget did, however, agree unanimously to withhold funding for the agency’s human exploration program until Congress authorizes a plan for the agency — a move that normally could cause headaches for the administration.
But because Congress is unlikely to move this spending bill — or any 2011 spending bill — until after election season, the prohibition essentially is rendered moot. With that procedure aside, much of the rest of the two-hour hearing turned into a debate about NASA should do after the shuttle era. The hearing appeared to do little to advance the debate in any direction, other than to agree to fund NASA at $19 billion next year as requested by the administration. (6/29)
Man Survived Life-Threatening Space Vacuum Exposure (Source: Huffington Post)
Jim LeBlanc was the test subject for a dangerous NASA test in 1965 designed to test if space suits could withstand a zero-pressure vacuum, just like there would be on the moon. But when the tube pressurizing his suit became disconnected, disaster almost struck. "As I stumbled backwards, I could feel the saliva on my tongue starting to bubble just before I went unconscious and that's the last thing I remember," recalls LeBlanc. "Essentially, he had no pressure on the outside of his body and that's a very unusual case to get," explains Cliff Hess, the supervising engineer. "There's very little in the medical literature about what happens when you have that. There's a lot of conjecture, that your fluids will boil." Click here for the story. (6/29)
Space Policy To Boost Tech Investment (Source: Information Week)
The Obama administration this week unveiled a new space policy that calls for more investment in advanced technologies from the aerospace industry so the U.S. can compete better globally. The plan, unveiled Monday, also increases the program's focus on using space technology to study and monitor global climate change and the environment. This move was expected after NASA in April said that playing a stronger role in environmental research was part of a new agency roadmap that anticipated the end of the space shuttle program later this year.
According to the plan, the federal government will actively promote using domestic technology and services for space-related research and development as a way to bolster U.S. industry, as long as it does not interfere with international cooperative agreements. The policy also calls for NASA to seek partnerships with the private sector to develop new technologies for human space travel beyond Earth, including commercial spaceflights to the International Space Station. The administration hopes to send people to new space destinations by 2025. (6/29)
NASA Seeks “Affordable” Heavy Rocket Ideas for Human Spaceflight (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
NASA asked the aerospace industry on Tuesday to come up with ideas for new “affordable” rocket systems and propulsion technology to replace the agency’s current over-budget line of launch vehicles that make up the ill-fated Constellation Program. President Barack Obama proposes cancelling Constellation’s Ares rockets and replacing them with new generation boosters that are more affordable to build and fly.
Many members of Congress, especially those representing districts working on the Ares rockets, object to the change and are fighting to keep Constellation alive. Others lawmakers want the agency to build a compromise rocket using parts of the space shuttle. According to the “Broad Agency Announcement for Heavy Lift Studies,” NASA is “seeking an innovative path for human space exploration that strengthens its capability to extend human and robotic presence throughout the solar system. The information also may help lay the groundwork for humans to safely reach multiple potential destinations, including asteroids, Lagrange points, the moon and Mars.” (6/29)
Musk's Tesla Motors Goes Public (Source: Space News)
Tesla Motors, the electric car company founded by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, is set to go public today with its shares pricing yesterday at $17, exceeding the forecast range of $14-$16 a share, the Wall Street Journal and others reported. The Palo Alto, Calif.-based firm and its shareholders — including Musk — unloaded 13.3 million shares Monday June 28 ahead of the IPO to raise $226 million. (6/29)
Russia, Canada Seek Joint Arctic Space Monitoring Project (Source: RIA Novosti)
Russia and Canada will start negotiations on the integration of their national space systems to monitor the Arctic, a Russian space official said. Anatoly Shilov, deputy head of the Federal Space Agency, Roscosmos, said the first Russian-Canadian meeting was scheduled for August. "We are currently discussing which services will be provided by Russian satellites and which by Canadian satellites," he said. He said the Russian government had made a decision to create a multipurpose space system called Arktika (Arctic), worth around 70 billion rubles ($2.5 billion). (6/29)
Huge Potential Advances in European Space Exploration (Source: Public Service)
As Europe's Goce satellite delivers insight into the subtle but pervasive influence that gravity has on the planet, the European Space Agency's Jean-Jacques Dordain considers the strategic and economic importance of space. For Europe, NASA has always provided the benchmark for space activities. It will always remain "the Space Agency that landed men on the Moon". Our technical culture at the European Space Agency (ESA) is to a large extent inspired from NASA culture and our cooperation with them has grown to the point where many, if not the majority, of our science missions – for instance – have been developed in cooperation with our American partners.
In 1957, the USSR sent the first satellite ever into orbit (Sputnik), the first man in space was a Russian (Yuri Gagarin, in 1961), as was the first human being to conduct a "spacewalk" outside a spaceship (Alexei Leonov, 1965). The Russians will be remembered for all these firsts. But they have also taught us many things in space activities: ESA's cooperation with Russia is long-lasting. We have flown several ESA astronauts on Russian space capsules, and unmanned Soyuz launchers will soon lift off from Europe's spaceport in French Guiana.
Probably less well known around the world, the European Space Agency, in over 40 years of existence, has also had its share of firsts of which Europeans can be very proud: Ariane is leader on the global commercial launcher market; ESA's Envisat satellite is second to none at delivering environment-related data; ESA safely landed its Huygens probe on Titan – the most distant landing ever achieved – to unveil the secrets of Saturn's largest moon; ESA is orbiting Mars and Venus, chasing comets with its Rosetta mission, while water on Mars was first discovered by a European probe (Mars Express) only a few years ago. (6/29)
Utah Senator Blasts Space Policy (Source: Sen. Hatch)
U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) issued the following statement today blasting President Obama’s new National Space Policy: “The Administration is yet again trying to sell this country a failed space policy that irrevocably diminishes our central role in space exploration. The President says he is committed to ‘reinvigorating U.S. leadership in space,’ but what he’s proposing makes us more dependent on Russia and other nations. That’s not how I would define leadership...[I]t’s hard to understand how the President is committed to ‘a robust and competitive industrial base,’ when he’s dismantling a proven and effective space program that has propelled our nation to tremendous heights. In fact, [NASA] has taken extraordinary steps to terminate Project Constellation without Congressional approval, and contrary to the law. I urge the President to rethink this flawed policy, because while this might be a new direction for manned space flight, it’s a direction we don’t want to take.” (6/29)
Aerojet Sponsors Mars Education Challenge (Source: EWORLDWIRE)
Explore Mars Inc. is pleased to announce the launch of the Mars Education Challenge (MEC). The goal of this program will be to challenge science educators around the United States to develop ingenious ways to fit Mars science and exploration into the classroom. While this may not be an easy task, the organization calls on science educators around the United States to develop Mars-related curricula that can be easily adopted in accordance with the majority of curriculum standards around the country.
The inaugural challenge will recognize six (6) winning curricula entries, with five (5) regional awards and one (1) national award. Winners will receive awards of between $2500-$5000 and will also be provided opportunities to do field research with well-known planetary scientists. The official launch date will be on August 23, 2010, but interested educators are urged to start planning their curricula this summer. Explore Mars will be happy to answer any questions that potential participants or other interested parties may have. Click here for information. (6/29)
Canadian Space Agency Invests in Concept Studies (Source: CSA)
The Canadian Space Agency has awarded two contracts to MDA and a contract to the University of Calgary to develop three different concept studies for Canada's participation in NASA's New Frontiers program—-the next space mission to another celestial body in our solar system. Under these contracts (valued at $500,000 each), MDA and the University of Calgary will work with international science teams to develop preliminary designs for three proposed missions, one of which will be selected by NASA for launch in the 2016-18 timeframe. Click here to read the article. (6/29)
First Directly Imaged Exo-Planet Confirmed Around Sun-Like Star (Source: Gemini Observatory)
A planet only about eight times the mass of Jupiter has been confirmed orbiting a Sun-like star at over 300 times farther from the star than the Earth is from our Sun. The newly confirmed planet is the least massive planet known to orbit at such a great distance from its host star. The discovery utilized high-resolution adaptive optics technology at the Gemini Observatory to take direct images and spectra of the planet. The Gemini Observatory is an international collaboration with two identical 8-meter telescopes, in Hawaii and Chile. (6/29)
White House Space Policy: Good News For Greens (Source: TIME)
NASA junkies continue to howl at the Obama administration's plans for human space exploration, and with good reason: there's just no there there. Space partisans won't be any happier with a 14-pg. policy statement released by the White House yesterday. But if there's not much to cheer folks longing for a return to the moon, there's plenty to keep greens happy. This policy statement is written like most government policy statements—which is to say it's vague and platitudinous—but buried in the pabulum are bits of real initiative. Yes, NASA will essentially be abdicating its role in manned spaceflight, and yes it will be relying on the private sector to get Americans back into orbit and beyond. And no, there's no clear target for what "beyond" means, apart from a general idea that we might visit an asteroid sometime after 2025 and go to Mars sometime in the mid-2030s—though you'd be wise not to try to book now. (6/29)
Cosmic Noise Could Improve Space Weather Forecasts (Source: Space.com)
A signal astrophysicists once dismissed as contamination of X-ray observations could actually improve forecasts of dangerous space weather that threatens Earth. Charged particles within the solar wind give off so-called soft X-rays when they collide with the magnetic field that shrouds the Earth. The soft X-rays have longer wavelengths and lower frequencies than their hard X-ray cousins. This signal was once dismissed as local cosmic noise that interfered with space observatory surveys of hot, distant objects such as supernovas, until some scientists realized its significance for Earth. (6/29)
Obama Declares War on Space Junk (Source: New Scientist)
Keeping space debris in check has become a national mission for the US. The White House announced plans to share more information with other countries in a bid to prevent satellite collisions. The US will also fund research into cleaning up the space junk that's already there. Each new US president issues a list of priorities and positions related to outer space. Many elements, such as support for space exploration, tend to stay constant from one administration to the next. However, Barack Obama's National Space Policy includes new language on space debris, calling for the US government's orbital tracking information and collision predictions to be shared with industry and other countries – a move that some have long sought. (6/29)
Secretary of Defense Supports White House's Space Policy (Source: Florida Today)
Defense Secretary Robert Gates fully supported the new U.S. space policy to enhance international collaboration and reduce the country's vulnerabilities. "Space-based capabilities are critical to our military's ability to navigate accurately, strike precisely, and gather battle space awareness efficiently," Gates said last night. "However, changes in the space environment over the last decade challenge our operations. Today, space is increasingly contested as our systems face threats of disruption and attack, increasingly competitive as more states, private firms, and others develop space-based capabilities, and increasingly congested with orbital debris." (6/29)
ICBM Test Set June 30 at Vandenberg (Source: Spaceports Blog)
A Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile [ICBM] operational test flight is scheduled to launch from North Vandenberg Wednesday, June 30, 2010 between 3:01 a.m. to 9:01 a.m. PDT to determine the weapon system's reliability and accuracy. The USAF 576th Flight Test Squadron, which will direct the missile launch, installed tracking, telemetry and command destruct systems on the missile to collect data and meet safety requirements. Maintenance and operations task force personnel from the USAF 341st Missile Wing, Malmstrom AFB, Montana, are conducting operational tasks supporting the launch. (6/29)
UN Sponsors Space Study in Nigeria (Source: Next)
A comprehensive study of the equatorial plane, its attributes and characteristics will soon be conducted by the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) having received formal approval of the International Academy of Astronautics for the projects which will be sponsored by the United Nations Office for Peaceful uses of Outer Space (UNOOSA) “It will be useful for us during our launching of the satellite as information obtained will be applied to it,” said NASDRA's director, adding that the approval, which is first of its kind for any African Nation was given at the end of the meeting of the 53rd session of the committee on the peaceful uses of outer space held in Vienna.
Nigeria initiated the project by making a formal request to the International Academy of Astronauts. The UN support according to Mr. Mohammed will in the form of both technical and financial assistance as the sponsors will take responsibility for the expenses incurred by the researchers and also sponsor a workshop in December 2010, as part the project. Countries around the world occupy different geographical locations on the globe and are classified along the lines of the locations they occupy. Each country can then use this outer space environment and even develop its resources such as earth’s orbit for its benefits. (6/29)
Russia Using South Korea to Test Angara (Source: Chosun Ilbo)
Tomifumi Godai, a former president of the International Astronautical Federation, questions the level of contribution Russian technology is making to Korea's space exploration program. "The first-stage Naro rocket, which was manufactured by Russia, is not a finished product," Gadai, who is considered the architect of Japan's successful H-2 rocket launch in 1994, told the Chosun Ilbo last week. "Russia is using Korean money to test its Angara rocket," which is under development as Russia's next-generation space launch vehicle. "It would make sense if there is a complete sharing of information about the latest mishap, but the Russians produce the hardware and Korean scientists can't touch it." (6/29)
The Right and Wrong Stuff for Space Cooperation (Source: MSNBC)
President Barack Obama's space policy paper stresses international cooperation as a means of advancing national goals in space. But when are these heavenly marriages advantageous to the United States, and when might they be so harmful that "going it alone" is preferable? The 14-page report says that spaceflight has already become multinational because of the growth of national (and commercial) players, and the wide array of teaming among these players for different activities. The report’s brief introduction ends with a “pledge of cooperation,” offered “in the belief that with strengthened international collaboration and reinvigorated U.S. leadership, all nations and peoples will find their horizons broadened, their knowledge enhanced, and their lives greatly improved.”
But these fine words collide with still-powerful international distrust, exemplified by the recent flap over China’s role as a potential partner. Last week, NASA had to deny a report that the Russians were inviting the Chinese to become players on the International Space Station, based on their expected ability to docking their own crewed spacecraft to the outpost. That same week, widespread objections followed the announcement of China’s participation at a NASA-sponsored world conclave on coordination of each country’s space programs.
And now the White House policy paper prominently lists expansion of international cooperation as one of the top goals of the U.S. space program. Such cooperation has proven useful in the past. But expanding cooperation merely for the sake of cooperating, as a goal in itself rather than a means toward a goal, can become an empty (but potentially costly) gesture. In assessing which future projects could benefit from which candidate partners, it's useful to assess the international track record in space. Old partners such as the Europeans, Canadians and Japanese have proved their worth. They stuck to joint projects even after Washington's course changes and delays multiplied the costs and difficulties enormously. Click here for more. (6/29)
Recovered Colorado Moon Rock Finds Home at School of Mines (Source: Denver Post)
Colorado's once-forgotten moon rock will get a permanent home at the Colorado School of Mines Geology Museum in Golden. No date has been set for the ceremonial unveiling. The rock was gathered during the Apollo 17 trip to the moon in 1974 and given to former Colorado Gov. John D. Vanderhoof by President Richard Nixon. Vanderhoof, 88, had the rock in his possession for almost 40 years because he couldn't garner any interest in displaying it, he said. Colorado's other rocks, from the Apollo 11 moon walk, were missing until about 10 years ago. Those are now available for public viewing on the third floor of the Capitol. Each state received a rock from both the Apollo 11 and Apollo 17 missions.
The same week the Colorado moon rock was found, a student tracked down one of West Virginia's missing rocks. A retired dentist, Robert Connor, has had the rock for the 10 years after finding it among his deceased brother's belongings and didn't realize its value. Shelton was honored by the state for her detective work. (6/29)
US to Enhance Space Cooperation with India (Source: Deccan Herald)
Looking to India as a ''great'' up and coming space-faring nation, the US said its newly announced space policy attached "vital" importance to enhance cooperation with that country. "By and large, we are looking to India as a great up and coming space-faring nation to work with us," Peter Marquez, Director of Space Policy, at the National Security Council, said after the White House unveiled the new National Space Policy. The new policy is designed to strengthen US' leadership in space and putting emphasis on greater cooperation with India in this field. (6/29)
NASA Contractor Trading Shuttles for Orion, Home in Exploration Park (Source: CFL-13)
From job fairs to state funding, the process to help the thousands of space workers transition to new work as the shuttle program comes to an end has been taxing. Many will have to leave the area if they can’t find work, and the Space Coast’s economy will suffer all the more. But one of them isn’t waiting for the pink slip to come -- and he’s staying in town. “They told us to find a Plan B, that you really need to start thinking about what you’re going to do post-shuttle,” said Tim Crannel, who has worked as a United Space Alliance flight crew engineer for 23 years.
Crannel and his associates handle all the things the crew would transport to the International Space Station on a shuttle mission -- anything from experiments to cameras, down to food and clothing. He now has started his own local business in Titusville. “Orion Aerospace is a small company going after the space business,” Crannel said. “The commercial guys -- Bigelow Aerospace, SpaceX. We also plan on going after the big guys -- Lockheed, Boeing.” Partnering with Space Florida, Orion Aerospace has four employees, each a United Space Alliance worker making the transition. The group hopes to soon lease space at the new Exploration Park at the Kennedy Space Center, and the three-year goal is to employ 100 former shuttle contract workers. (6/29)
Don't Be Subtle, Nuke that Asteroid! (Source: Discovery)
In recent years, there's been some uncertainty as to how we should deal with a nasty-looking asteroid tumbling toward Earth. If we're to believe the movies, we need to throw our nuclear arsenal at the offending space rock. But more recently, there have been some very strong arguments for more subtle asteroid deflection techniques. Going against the recommendations of not using nuclear explosions destroy an asteroid on a collision course with Earth, physicist David Dearborn of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has turned the "softly, softly" approach on its head. Yes, prepare the missile silos again, it's time to detonate a 100 megaton firework. Click here to read the article. (6/29)
Difficult Rebirth for Russian Space Science (Source: BBC)
Earlier this month, inside Paris' majestic Grand Palace, Russia was showcasing its cultural and technological achievements. Portraying a harmonious and progressive society, colourful musical performances and art exhibits were showing alongside impressive displays of Russia's aerospace power, oil industry and other high-tech sectors. At the heart of the Russian space pavilion was an exhibit for the NPO Lavochkin design bureau - the nation's veteran developer of unmanned planetary probes. Lavochkin's exhibit proudly displayed a scale-model of the Phobos-Grunt spacecraft, a mission to land on the potato-shaped moon of Mars and return grains of its mysteriously light surface back to Earth.
Involving a number of international participants, Phobos-Grunt was being advertised as Russia's flagship deep-space mission, paving the way for the country's return to planetary exploration after a two-decade hiatus. The problem, however, is that Phobos-Grunt developed a credibility problem in the international space community. Conceived in the midst of the post-Soviet economic crisis at the end of the 1990s, it remained a paper project for years. Then, the rebound of the Russian economy afforded the revival of the program. However, as history proved many times, money could not buy what only years of efforts could acquire, be it Olympic gold or the complex world of cutting-edge science.
While Russia's cosmonauts continued to rocket into orbit with Swiss-clock regularity, even in the worst economic times, all efforts to jump-start the nation's neglected planetary exploration programme had so far failed. In the meantime, NASA's planetary spacecraft ventured into the farthest expanses of the Solar System, its rovers logged many miles on the dunes of Mars. Specialised probes penetrated the atmosphere of Jupiter and landed on the surface of Titan. (6/29)
Europe’s ambitious GMES satellite-based Earth observation program is an estimated $600 million short of what it needs to complete development of satellites already under construction and assure the promised data continuity to users in the period from 2011 to 2014, with potential funding sources drying up with each new development in Europe’s sovereign-debt crisis, European government and industry officials said. (6/29)
Arianespace Lands Arsat-1 Launch Contract (Source: Space News)
Arianespace will launch the Arsat-1 satellite for Argentine satellite operator Empresa Argentina de Soluciones Satelitales Sociedad Anonima, or Arsat, in mid-2012 under a contract announced June 28 by the Evry, France-based launch services provider. (6/29)
House Spending Panel Punts on NASA Policy (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
A key congressional committee today sidestepped a potential vote on NASA’s future, opting to take “no position” on White House plans to scrap NASA’s moon rocket program and replace the space shuttle with commercial rockets. The House subcommittee with oversight of NASA’s budget did, however, agree unanimously to withhold funding for the agency’s human exploration program until Congress authorizes a plan for the agency — a move that normally could cause headaches for the administration.
But because Congress is unlikely to move this spending bill — or any 2011 spending bill — until after election season, the prohibition essentially is rendered moot. With that procedure aside, much of the rest of the two-hour hearing turned into a debate about NASA should do after the shuttle era. The hearing appeared to do little to advance the debate in any direction, other than to agree to fund NASA at $19 billion next year as requested by the administration. (6/29)
Man Survived Life-Threatening Space Vacuum Exposure (Source: Huffington Post)
Jim LeBlanc was the test subject for a dangerous NASA test in 1965 designed to test if space suits could withstand a zero-pressure vacuum, just like there would be on the moon. But when the tube pressurizing his suit became disconnected, disaster almost struck. "As I stumbled backwards, I could feel the saliva on my tongue starting to bubble just before I went unconscious and that's the last thing I remember," recalls LeBlanc. "Essentially, he had no pressure on the outside of his body and that's a very unusual case to get," explains Cliff Hess, the supervising engineer. "There's very little in the medical literature about what happens when you have that. There's a lot of conjecture, that your fluids will boil." Click here for the story. (6/29)
Space Policy To Boost Tech Investment (Source: Information Week)
The Obama administration this week unveiled a new space policy that calls for more investment in advanced technologies from the aerospace industry so the U.S. can compete better globally. The plan, unveiled Monday, also increases the program's focus on using space technology to study and monitor global climate change and the environment. This move was expected after NASA in April said that playing a stronger role in environmental research was part of a new agency roadmap that anticipated the end of the space shuttle program later this year.
According to the plan, the federal government will actively promote using domestic technology and services for space-related research and development as a way to bolster U.S. industry, as long as it does not interfere with international cooperative agreements. The policy also calls for NASA to seek partnerships with the private sector to develop new technologies for human space travel beyond Earth, including commercial spaceflights to the International Space Station. The administration hopes to send people to new space destinations by 2025. (6/29)
NASA Seeks “Affordable” Heavy Rocket Ideas for Human Spaceflight (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
NASA asked the aerospace industry on Tuesday to come up with ideas for new “affordable” rocket systems and propulsion technology to replace the agency’s current over-budget line of launch vehicles that make up the ill-fated Constellation Program. President Barack Obama proposes cancelling Constellation’s Ares rockets and replacing them with new generation boosters that are more affordable to build and fly.
Many members of Congress, especially those representing districts working on the Ares rockets, object to the change and are fighting to keep Constellation alive. Others lawmakers want the agency to build a compromise rocket using parts of the space shuttle. According to the “Broad Agency Announcement for Heavy Lift Studies,” NASA is “seeking an innovative path for human space exploration that strengthens its capability to extend human and robotic presence throughout the solar system. The information also may help lay the groundwork for humans to safely reach multiple potential destinations, including asteroids, Lagrange points, the moon and Mars.” (6/29)
Musk's Tesla Motors Goes Public (Source: Space News)
Tesla Motors, the electric car company founded by SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, is set to go public today with its shares pricing yesterday at $17, exceeding the forecast range of $14-$16 a share, the Wall Street Journal and others reported. The Palo Alto, Calif.-based firm and its shareholders — including Musk — unloaded 13.3 million shares Monday June 28 ahead of the IPO to raise $226 million. (6/29)
Russia, Canada Seek Joint Arctic Space Monitoring Project (Source: RIA Novosti)
Russia and Canada will start negotiations on the integration of their national space systems to monitor the Arctic, a Russian space official said. Anatoly Shilov, deputy head of the Federal Space Agency, Roscosmos, said the first Russian-Canadian meeting was scheduled for August. "We are currently discussing which services will be provided by Russian satellites and which by Canadian satellites," he said. He said the Russian government had made a decision to create a multipurpose space system called Arktika (Arctic), worth around 70 billion rubles ($2.5 billion). (6/29)
Huge Potential Advances in European Space Exploration (Source: Public Service)
As Europe's Goce satellite delivers insight into the subtle but pervasive influence that gravity has on the planet, the European Space Agency's Jean-Jacques Dordain considers the strategic and economic importance of space. For Europe, NASA has always provided the benchmark for space activities. It will always remain "the Space Agency that landed men on the Moon". Our technical culture at the European Space Agency (ESA) is to a large extent inspired from NASA culture and our cooperation with them has grown to the point where many, if not the majority, of our science missions – for instance – have been developed in cooperation with our American partners.
In 1957, the USSR sent the first satellite ever into orbit (Sputnik), the first man in space was a Russian (Yuri Gagarin, in 1961), as was the first human being to conduct a "spacewalk" outside a spaceship (Alexei Leonov, 1965). The Russians will be remembered for all these firsts. But they have also taught us many things in space activities: ESA's cooperation with Russia is long-lasting. We have flown several ESA astronauts on Russian space capsules, and unmanned Soyuz launchers will soon lift off from Europe's spaceport in French Guiana.
Probably less well known around the world, the European Space Agency, in over 40 years of existence, has also had its share of firsts of which Europeans can be very proud: Ariane is leader on the global commercial launcher market; ESA's Envisat satellite is second to none at delivering environment-related data; ESA safely landed its Huygens probe on Titan – the most distant landing ever achieved – to unveil the secrets of Saturn's largest moon; ESA is orbiting Mars and Venus, chasing comets with its Rosetta mission, while water on Mars was first discovered by a European probe (Mars Express) only a few years ago. (6/29)
Utah Senator Blasts Space Policy (Source: Sen. Hatch)
U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) issued the following statement today blasting President Obama’s new National Space Policy: “The Administration is yet again trying to sell this country a failed space policy that irrevocably diminishes our central role in space exploration. The President says he is committed to ‘reinvigorating U.S. leadership in space,’ but what he’s proposing makes us more dependent on Russia and other nations. That’s not how I would define leadership...[I]t’s hard to understand how the President is committed to ‘a robust and competitive industrial base,’ when he’s dismantling a proven and effective space program that has propelled our nation to tremendous heights. In fact, [NASA] has taken extraordinary steps to terminate Project Constellation without Congressional approval, and contrary to the law. I urge the President to rethink this flawed policy, because while this might be a new direction for manned space flight, it’s a direction we don’t want to take.” (6/29)
Aerojet Sponsors Mars Education Challenge (Source: EWORLDWIRE)
Explore Mars Inc. is pleased to announce the launch of the Mars Education Challenge (MEC). The goal of this program will be to challenge science educators around the United States to develop ingenious ways to fit Mars science and exploration into the classroom. While this may not be an easy task, the organization calls on science educators around the United States to develop Mars-related curricula that can be easily adopted in accordance with the majority of curriculum standards around the country.
The inaugural challenge will recognize six (6) winning curricula entries, with five (5) regional awards and one (1) national award. Winners will receive awards of between $2500-$5000 and will also be provided opportunities to do field research with well-known planetary scientists. The official launch date will be on August 23, 2010, but interested educators are urged to start planning their curricula this summer. Explore Mars will be happy to answer any questions that potential participants or other interested parties may have. Click here for information. (6/29)
Canadian Space Agency Invests in Concept Studies (Source: CSA)
The Canadian Space Agency has awarded two contracts to MDA and a contract to the University of Calgary to develop three different concept studies for Canada's participation in NASA's New Frontiers program—-the next space mission to another celestial body in our solar system. Under these contracts (valued at $500,000 each), MDA and the University of Calgary will work with international science teams to develop preliminary designs for three proposed missions, one of which will be selected by NASA for launch in the 2016-18 timeframe. Click here to read the article. (6/29)
First Directly Imaged Exo-Planet Confirmed Around Sun-Like Star (Source: Gemini Observatory)
A planet only about eight times the mass of Jupiter has been confirmed orbiting a Sun-like star at over 300 times farther from the star than the Earth is from our Sun. The newly confirmed planet is the least massive planet known to orbit at such a great distance from its host star. The discovery utilized high-resolution adaptive optics technology at the Gemini Observatory to take direct images and spectra of the planet. The Gemini Observatory is an international collaboration with two identical 8-meter telescopes, in Hawaii and Chile. (6/29)
White House Space Policy: Good News For Greens (Source: TIME)
NASA junkies continue to howl at the Obama administration's plans for human space exploration, and with good reason: there's just no there there. Space partisans won't be any happier with a 14-pg. policy statement released by the White House yesterday. But if there's not much to cheer folks longing for a return to the moon, there's plenty to keep greens happy. This policy statement is written like most government policy statements—which is to say it's vague and platitudinous—but buried in the pabulum are bits of real initiative. Yes, NASA will essentially be abdicating its role in manned spaceflight, and yes it will be relying on the private sector to get Americans back into orbit and beyond. And no, there's no clear target for what "beyond" means, apart from a general idea that we might visit an asteroid sometime after 2025 and go to Mars sometime in the mid-2030s—though you'd be wise not to try to book now. (6/29)
Cosmic Noise Could Improve Space Weather Forecasts (Source: Space.com)
A signal astrophysicists once dismissed as contamination of X-ray observations could actually improve forecasts of dangerous space weather that threatens Earth. Charged particles within the solar wind give off so-called soft X-rays when they collide with the magnetic field that shrouds the Earth. The soft X-rays have longer wavelengths and lower frequencies than their hard X-ray cousins. This signal was once dismissed as local cosmic noise that interfered with space observatory surveys of hot, distant objects such as supernovas, until some scientists realized its significance for Earth. (6/29)
Obama Declares War on Space Junk (Source: New Scientist)
Keeping space debris in check has become a national mission for the US. The White House announced plans to share more information with other countries in a bid to prevent satellite collisions. The US will also fund research into cleaning up the space junk that's already there. Each new US president issues a list of priorities and positions related to outer space. Many elements, such as support for space exploration, tend to stay constant from one administration to the next. However, Barack Obama's National Space Policy includes new language on space debris, calling for the US government's orbital tracking information and collision predictions to be shared with industry and other countries – a move that some have long sought. (6/29)
Secretary of Defense Supports White House's Space Policy (Source: Florida Today)
Defense Secretary Robert Gates fully supported the new U.S. space policy to enhance international collaboration and reduce the country's vulnerabilities. "Space-based capabilities are critical to our military's ability to navigate accurately, strike precisely, and gather battle space awareness efficiently," Gates said last night. "However, changes in the space environment over the last decade challenge our operations. Today, space is increasingly contested as our systems face threats of disruption and attack, increasingly competitive as more states, private firms, and others develop space-based capabilities, and increasingly congested with orbital debris." (6/29)
ICBM Test Set June 30 at Vandenberg (Source: Spaceports Blog)
A Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile [ICBM] operational test flight is scheduled to launch from North Vandenberg Wednesday, June 30, 2010 between 3:01 a.m. to 9:01 a.m. PDT to determine the weapon system's reliability and accuracy. The USAF 576th Flight Test Squadron, which will direct the missile launch, installed tracking, telemetry and command destruct systems on the missile to collect data and meet safety requirements. Maintenance and operations task force personnel from the USAF 341st Missile Wing, Malmstrom AFB, Montana, are conducting operational tasks supporting the launch. (6/29)
UN Sponsors Space Study in Nigeria (Source: Next)
A comprehensive study of the equatorial plane, its attributes and characteristics will soon be conducted by the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) having received formal approval of the International Academy of Astronautics for the projects which will be sponsored by the United Nations Office for Peaceful uses of Outer Space (UNOOSA) “It will be useful for us during our launching of the satellite as information obtained will be applied to it,” said NASDRA's director, adding that the approval, which is first of its kind for any African Nation was given at the end of the meeting of the 53rd session of the committee on the peaceful uses of outer space held in Vienna.
Nigeria initiated the project by making a formal request to the International Academy of Astronauts. The UN support according to Mr. Mohammed will in the form of both technical and financial assistance as the sponsors will take responsibility for the expenses incurred by the researchers and also sponsor a workshop in December 2010, as part the project. Countries around the world occupy different geographical locations on the globe and are classified along the lines of the locations they occupy. Each country can then use this outer space environment and even develop its resources such as earth’s orbit for its benefits. (6/29)
Russia Using South Korea to Test Angara (Source: Chosun Ilbo)
Tomifumi Godai, a former president of the International Astronautical Federation, questions the level of contribution Russian technology is making to Korea's space exploration program. "The first-stage Naro rocket, which was manufactured by Russia, is not a finished product," Gadai, who is considered the architect of Japan's successful H-2 rocket launch in 1994, told the Chosun Ilbo last week. "Russia is using Korean money to test its Angara rocket," which is under development as Russia's next-generation space launch vehicle. "It would make sense if there is a complete sharing of information about the latest mishap, but the Russians produce the hardware and Korean scientists can't touch it." (6/29)
The Right and Wrong Stuff for Space Cooperation (Source: MSNBC)
President Barack Obama's space policy paper stresses international cooperation as a means of advancing national goals in space. But when are these heavenly marriages advantageous to the United States, and when might they be so harmful that "going it alone" is preferable? The 14-page report says that spaceflight has already become multinational because of the growth of national (and commercial) players, and the wide array of teaming among these players for different activities. The report’s brief introduction ends with a “pledge of cooperation,” offered “in the belief that with strengthened international collaboration and reinvigorated U.S. leadership, all nations and peoples will find their horizons broadened, their knowledge enhanced, and their lives greatly improved.”
But these fine words collide with still-powerful international distrust, exemplified by the recent flap over China’s role as a potential partner. Last week, NASA had to deny a report that the Russians were inviting the Chinese to become players on the International Space Station, based on their expected ability to docking their own crewed spacecraft to the outpost. That same week, widespread objections followed the announcement of China’s participation at a NASA-sponsored world conclave on coordination of each country’s space programs.
And now the White House policy paper prominently lists expansion of international cooperation as one of the top goals of the U.S. space program. Such cooperation has proven useful in the past. But expanding cooperation merely for the sake of cooperating, as a goal in itself rather than a means toward a goal, can become an empty (but potentially costly) gesture. In assessing which future projects could benefit from which candidate partners, it's useful to assess the international track record in space. Old partners such as the Europeans, Canadians and Japanese have proved their worth. They stuck to joint projects even after Washington's course changes and delays multiplied the costs and difficulties enormously. Click here for more. (6/29)
Recovered Colorado Moon Rock Finds Home at School of Mines (Source: Denver Post)
Colorado's once-forgotten moon rock will get a permanent home at the Colorado School of Mines Geology Museum in Golden. No date has been set for the ceremonial unveiling. The rock was gathered during the Apollo 17 trip to the moon in 1974 and given to former Colorado Gov. John D. Vanderhoof by President Richard Nixon. Vanderhoof, 88, had the rock in his possession for almost 40 years because he couldn't garner any interest in displaying it, he said. Colorado's other rocks, from the Apollo 11 moon walk, were missing until about 10 years ago. Those are now available for public viewing on the third floor of the Capitol. Each state received a rock from both the Apollo 11 and Apollo 17 missions.
The same week the Colorado moon rock was found, a student tracked down one of West Virginia's missing rocks. A retired dentist, Robert Connor, has had the rock for the 10 years after finding it among his deceased brother's belongings and didn't realize its value. Shelton was honored by the state for her detective work. (6/29)
US to Enhance Space Cooperation with India (Source: Deccan Herald)
Looking to India as a ''great'' up and coming space-faring nation, the US said its newly announced space policy attached "vital" importance to enhance cooperation with that country. "By and large, we are looking to India as a great up and coming space-faring nation to work with us," Peter Marquez, Director of Space Policy, at the National Security Council, said after the White House unveiled the new National Space Policy. The new policy is designed to strengthen US' leadership in space and putting emphasis on greater cooperation with India in this field. (6/29)
NASA Contractor Trading Shuttles for Orion, Home in Exploration Park (Source: CFL-13)
From job fairs to state funding, the process to help the thousands of space workers transition to new work as the shuttle program comes to an end has been taxing. Many will have to leave the area if they can’t find work, and the Space Coast’s economy will suffer all the more. But one of them isn’t waiting for the pink slip to come -- and he’s staying in town. “They told us to find a Plan B, that you really need to start thinking about what you’re going to do post-shuttle,” said Tim Crannel, who has worked as a United Space Alliance flight crew engineer for 23 years.
Crannel and his associates handle all the things the crew would transport to the International Space Station on a shuttle mission -- anything from experiments to cameras, down to food and clothing. He now has started his own local business in Titusville. “Orion Aerospace is a small company going after the space business,” Crannel said. “The commercial guys -- Bigelow Aerospace, SpaceX. We also plan on going after the big guys -- Lockheed, Boeing.” Partnering with Space Florida, Orion Aerospace has four employees, each a United Space Alliance worker making the transition. The group hopes to soon lease space at the new Exploration Park at the Kennedy Space Center, and the three-year goal is to employ 100 former shuttle contract workers. (6/29)
Don't Be Subtle, Nuke that Asteroid! (Source: Discovery)
In recent years, there's been some uncertainty as to how we should deal with a nasty-looking asteroid tumbling toward Earth. If we're to believe the movies, we need to throw our nuclear arsenal at the offending space rock. But more recently, there have been some very strong arguments for more subtle asteroid deflection techniques. Going against the recommendations of not using nuclear explosions destroy an asteroid on a collision course with Earth, physicist David Dearborn of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has turned the "softly, softly" approach on its head. Yes, prepare the missile silos again, it's time to detonate a 100 megaton firework. Click here to read the article. (6/29)
Difficult Rebirth for Russian Space Science (Source: BBC)
Earlier this month, inside Paris' majestic Grand Palace, Russia was showcasing its cultural and technological achievements. Portraying a harmonious and progressive society, colourful musical performances and art exhibits were showing alongside impressive displays of Russia's aerospace power, oil industry and other high-tech sectors. At the heart of the Russian space pavilion was an exhibit for the NPO Lavochkin design bureau - the nation's veteran developer of unmanned planetary probes. Lavochkin's exhibit proudly displayed a scale-model of the Phobos-Grunt spacecraft, a mission to land on the potato-shaped moon of Mars and return grains of its mysteriously light surface back to Earth.
Involving a number of international participants, Phobos-Grunt was being advertised as Russia's flagship deep-space mission, paving the way for the country's return to planetary exploration after a two-decade hiatus. The problem, however, is that Phobos-Grunt developed a credibility problem in the international space community. Conceived in the midst of the post-Soviet economic crisis at the end of the 1990s, it remained a paper project for years. Then, the rebound of the Russian economy afforded the revival of the program. However, as history proved many times, money could not buy what only years of efforts could acquire, be it Olympic gold or the complex world of cutting-edge science.
While Russia's cosmonauts continued to rocket into orbit with Swiss-clock regularity, even in the worst economic times, all efforts to jump-start the nation's neglected planetary exploration programme had so far failed. In the meantime, NASA's planetary spacecraft ventured into the farthest expanses of the Solar System, its rovers logged many miles on the dunes of Mars. Specialised probes penetrated the atmosphere of Jupiter and landed on the surface of Titan. (6/29)
June 28, 2010
Lawmakers Plan Bill to Force NASA to Fund Constellation Program (Source: Huntsville Times)
U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Alabama, is leading a group of lawmakers that will try to force NASA to continue funding the Constellation rocket program for the rest of the fiscal year. Aderholt will introduce a bill in the House titled the "Protecting Human Space Flight Act of 2010." It would require NASA to spend 90 percent of the remaining funds on the program in this last quarter of the fiscal year. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden would also be barred from terminating or shrinking any Constellation contract. The legislation specifically issues the spending order "notwithstanding" the federal Anti-Deficiency Act NASA cited earlier this month to stop most spending on Constellation. NASA said Constellation contractors hadn't set aside nearly $1 billion required by that Anti-Deficiency law as a shutdown contingency fund, so NASA would set the funds aside itself. (6/28)
Space Florida Announces Forum to Gather "Best Ideas" for Federal Task Force (Source: Space Florida)
The Best Ideas Forum is an open, participatory workshop to showcase projects and concepts that may help the region create new jobs and diversify its economy as the state’s aerospace sector transitions after the Shuttle program. Forum topics and presentations will be driven by participants. All concepts that are submitted will be provided to The Federal Task Force on Space Industry Workforce and Economic Development for consideration. The event will be held on July 6 at the Orlando Airport Hyatt, beginning at 9:00 a.m. Click here for information. (6/28)
Russia Moves Ahead on Angara, Nuclear Rockets (Source: Parabolic Arc)
Production of Russia's new Angara rocket (Russia's answer to the US family of EELV rockets) could begin by the end of the year. Engineers expect to complete test firings of Angara’s first and second stages in the third quarter. Financial issues that had delayed construction of an Angara launch pad at Plesetsk have been resolved. An official also said Russia will start developing super-heavy LV after 2018 and consider designing of reusable space vehicles. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev tasked Keldysh R&D Center to design the megawatt nuclear propulsion system. (6/28)
Obama Reverses Bush’s Space Policy (Source: New York Times)
The Obama administration on Monday unveiled a space policy that renounces the unilateral stance of the Bush administration and instead emphasizes international cooperation, including the possibility of an arms control treaty that would limit the development of space weapons. In recent years, both China and the United States have destroyed satellites in orbit, raising fears about the start of a costly arms race that might ultimately hurt the United States because it dominates the military use of space. China smashed a satellite in January 2007, and the United States did so in February 2008.
The new space policy explicitly says that Washington will “consider proposals and concepts for arms control measures if they are equitable, effectively verifiable and enhance the national security of the United States and its allies.” The Bush administration, in the space policy it released in August 2006, said it “rejects any limitations on the fundamental right of the United States to operate in and acquire data from space,” a phrase that was interpreted as giving a green light to the development and use of antisatellite weapons. (6/28)
UCF Plans Graduate Education Fair at KSC (Source: UCF)
The University of Central Florida will be holding a Graduate Education Fair on Wednesday July 7th from 3:30-6:00 p.m. at the Center for Space Education at Kennedy Space Center for all Brevard County residents who are interested in learning more about graduate programs offered by UCF. If you would kindly forward the attached flyer with more information on to employees at your organization, I would really appreciate your assistance. Representatives will be present at the fair on July 7th to answer questions about undergraduate programs offered on our UCF Cocoa and UCF Palm Bay campuses as well. Click here for information. (6/28)
University Of Hawaii Approves Giant Telescope (Source: Huffington Post)
The University of Hawaii Board of Regents unanimously approved a plan Monday to build the world's largest telescope at Mauna Kea's summit. The decision clears the way for managers of the proposed Thirty Meter Telescope to seek a permit from the state to build the facility on conservation land. Some Native Hawaiians have opposed the telescope on the grounds it would defile Mauna Kea's summit, which they consider sacred. Environmentalists say the telescope would harm the rare wekiu bug. But the board was moved by the potential it offered for advancing science, providing jobs and helping the economy. (6/28)
White House Releases New National Space Policy (Source: Space Policy Online)
The White House released a new national space policy on Monday. Its tone is markedly different from that of the 2006 policy released by President George W. Bush, reaching out to industry and international partners. In a written press statement, the President said that "above all, this policy is about the boundless possibilities of the future...We do not fear the future; we embrace the future. Even in times of trial, we do not turn inward; we harness the ingenuity and talents of our people, we set bold goals for our nation, and we lead the world in new frontiers..." Click here to view a fact sheet on the new policy. (6/28)
NASA Plays Key Exploration Role in New Administration Space Policy (Source: NASA)
"NASA is pleased to be an integral part of President Obama's National Space Policy," said Administrator Charlie Bolden. NASA's new direction, announced as part of the fiscal year 2011 budget, is embodied in the new National Space Policy...NASA has a key role in achieving the goals defined in the new policy. We are committed to working with other agencies, industry, and international partners to achieve national goals in exploration - human and robotic - and technology development that will ensure a robust future for the U.S. and our friends around the world." (6/28)
Florida Next-Gen Suborbital Space Research Workshop Planned for July 27 (Source: FSGC)
The Florida Space Grant Consortium will sponsor a July 27 workshop focused on Next-Gen Suborbital Research Opportunities. The workshop will be held at the KSC Center for Space Education, beginning at 9:00 a.m. and running until early afternoon. Briefings by Alan Stern will describe the capabilities of the emerging fleet of suborbital vehicles. Workshop participants will individually present and discuss concepts for how Florida Space Grant institutions might exploit the opportunities presented by these vehicles, and how Florida Space Grant can move forward with other entities in the State to be at the forefront of next-generation suborbital applications. Please RSVP to jmukherj@mail.ucf.edu by July 15. (6/28)
Falcon Upper Stage & Dragon Meet Fiery End After Three Weeks in Orbit (Source: SpaceFlightNow.com)
After riding a flame into Earth orbit more than three weeks ago, the dormant upper stage of the first Falcon 9 rocket plunged back into the atmosphere this weekend, a fiery finale for the historic privately-developed spacecraft. The Dragon qualification unit and Falcon 9 second stage during launch preparations earlier this year. The rocket and its dummy payload entered Earth's atmosphere around 8:50 p.m. EDT Saturday, according to U.S. military tracking data. The truck-sized vehicle probably streaked back into the atmosphere and burned up over Iraq and Syria. But the uncertainty in the exact re-entry time means the rocket and Dragon capsule could have come back to Earth anywhere along its ground track for more than two orbits. Most of the 12-foot-wide rocket stage likely burned up during re-entry. (6/28)
Arianespace, Russia Expand Soyuz Agreement (Source: Flight Global)
With a new Soyuz launch site under construction at the Centre Spatial Guyanais outside Kourou, French Guiana, Arianespace and Russian space agency Roscosmos have signed a contract for 10 Soyuz launches. The additional launches and related support will run until 2016. The deal brings the total of number of Soyuz flights from the center to 24. Arianespace already has 17 Soyuz launches on the books for various customers, including five for Europe's Galileo navigational satellite system. (6/28)
Florida Ranked a National Leader in Infrastructure (#1) and Workforce Development (#2) (Source: Enterprise Florida)
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Chamber Foundation have ranked Florida a national leader in infrastructure (#1) and workforce development & training (#2). Click here for the "Enterprising States" report, and here for the Florida profile. The Florida profile describes some of the state's commercial space tax incentives. (6/28)
Pentagon Acquisition Chief, Defense Industry Leaders to Tackle Costs (Source: AIA)
Pentagon acquisition chief Ashton Carter was set to meet with defense industry leaders on Monday to discuss the Pentagon's efforts to trim more than $100 billion in administrative costs over the next several years. The discussion is expected to address overhead costs built into many deals and question the amount of profit that is attached to certain contracts. (6/28)
Arizona's Aerospace Jobs Impact Greater Than You Might Imagine (Source: Arizona Republic)
With the United States engaged in two conflicts and with an economy struggling to get back on its feet, no other industry finds itself in such a pivotal position as the defense and aerospace industry does right now. On the economic side, a recent Arizona Chamber Foundation analysis reveals that defense and aerospace are directly responsible for more than 37,000 jobs in Arizona and represent 21 percent of total manufacturing jobs in the state. Moreover, defense and aerospace jobs are desirable ones, paying an average salary of $85,000 - more than double the average Arizona salary across all industries. (6/28)
Picking Up the Torch vs. Dropping the Ball (Source: Space Review)
Have recent achievements demonstrated that the development of space launch systems is now within the realm of individual investors? Dwayne Day criticizes a recent analysis that tried to make that case. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1655/1 to view the article. (6/28)
An Embarrassment of Riches (Source: Space Review)
It sounds like the perfect definition of "swords into plowshares": converting ICBMs into satellite launch vehicles. Wayne Eleazer discusses the controversy proposals to do so have generated in the US launch industry over the years. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1654/1 to view the article. (6/28)
An Intrepid Quest for a Shuttle in New York (Source: Space Review)
Among the sites seeking one of NASA's space shuttles upon their retirement is New York's Intrepid museum. Jeff Foust examines how the museum stacks up against the competition and whether a shuttle would be good fit in the Big Apple. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1653/1 to view the article. (6/28)
Space Leaders Support Commercial Crew to ISS and Accelerated Human Exploration Beyond (Source: Space Review)
Last week a diverse group of space industry leaders released a joint letter supporting key elements of NASA's proposed new direction. Alan Stern provides some background about the letter as well as the letter itself. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1652/1 to view the article. (6/28)
NASA and International Space Agencies Discuss Exploration Collaboration (Source: NASA)
NASA senior managers met with their counterparts representing other space agencies on June 23 to discuss globally-coordinated human and robotic space exploration. The meeting participants agreed that significant progress has been made since the joint release of The Global Exploration Strategy (GES) in May 2007. They agreed steps should be taken to coordinate a long-term space exploration vision that is sustainable and affordable.
The meeting included representatives from the Italian Space Agency, the French Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales, China National Space Administration, Canadian Space Agency, German Aerospace Center, European Space Agency, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Korea Aerospace Research Institute, NASA, National Space Agency of Ukraine, Russian Federal Space Agency and the U.K. Space Agency. (6/28)
No Sex for Astronauts in Space (Source: Straits Times)
There is no room for romance on board the cosy confines of the International Space Station, a NASA space shuttle commander said on Monday when asked what would happen if astronauts had sex in space. 'We are a group of professionals,' said Space Shuttle Discovery Commander Alan Poindexter during a visit to Tokyo. 'We treat each other with respect and we have a great working relationship. Personal relationships are not ... an issue,' he said. The April voyage broke new ground by putting four women in orbit for the first time, with three female crew joining one woman already on the station. (6/28)
Journey Into the Unknown: Simulating a Trip to Mars (Source: The Independent)
In a large hall at the Institute of Biomedical Problems in Moscow, six astronauts have begun the first full-duration Mars simulation mission. After a brief ceremony, the hatch of their mock-up spaceship was closed on 3 June. It will not open again for 520 days – the time it takes to get to Mars and back using conventional rocket technology. It's not certain they will make it. They'll be subjected to the psychological stress of isolation, and forced to live and work with others. Their health, moods, performance and interactions will all be monitored, Big Brother-style. Few will be surprised if before the year is out some are hammering at the walls trying to get out. (6/28)
U.S. Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Alabama, is leading a group of lawmakers that will try to force NASA to continue funding the Constellation rocket program for the rest of the fiscal year. Aderholt will introduce a bill in the House titled the "Protecting Human Space Flight Act of 2010." It would require NASA to spend 90 percent of the remaining funds on the program in this last quarter of the fiscal year. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden would also be barred from terminating or shrinking any Constellation contract. The legislation specifically issues the spending order "notwithstanding" the federal Anti-Deficiency Act NASA cited earlier this month to stop most spending on Constellation. NASA said Constellation contractors hadn't set aside nearly $1 billion required by that Anti-Deficiency law as a shutdown contingency fund, so NASA would set the funds aside itself. (6/28)
Space Florida Announces Forum to Gather "Best Ideas" for Federal Task Force (Source: Space Florida)
The Best Ideas Forum is an open, participatory workshop to showcase projects and concepts that may help the region create new jobs and diversify its economy as the state’s aerospace sector transitions after the Shuttle program. Forum topics and presentations will be driven by participants. All concepts that are submitted will be provided to The Federal Task Force on Space Industry Workforce and Economic Development for consideration. The event will be held on July 6 at the Orlando Airport Hyatt, beginning at 9:00 a.m. Click here for information. (6/28)
Russia Moves Ahead on Angara, Nuclear Rockets (Source: Parabolic Arc)
Production of Russia's new Angara rocket (Russia's answer to the US family of EELV rockets) could begin by the end of the year. Engineers expect to complete test firings of Angara’s first and second stages in the third quarter. Financial issues that had delayed construction of an Angara launch pad at Plesetsk have been resolved. An official also said Russia will start developing super-heavy LV after 2018 and consider designing of reusable space vehicles. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev tasked Keldysh R&D Center to design the megawatt nuclear propulsion system. (6/28)
Obama Reverses Bush’s Space Policy (Source: New York Times)
The Obama administration on Monday unveiled a space policy that renounces the unilateral stance of the Bush administration and instead emphasizes international cooperation, including the possibility of an arms control treaty that would limit the development of space weapons. In recent years, both China and the United States have destroyed satellites in orbit, raising fears about the start of a costly arms race that might ultimately hurt the United States because it dominates the military use of space. China smashed a satellite in January 2007, and the United States did so in February 2008.
The new space policy explicitly says that Washington will “consider proposals and concepts for arms control measures if they are equitable, effectively verifiable and enhance the national security of the United States and its allies.” The Bush administration, in the space policy it released in August 2006, said it “rejects any limitations on the fundamental right of the United States to operate in and acquire data from space,” a phrase that was interpreted as giving a green light to the development and use of antisatellite weapons. (6/28)
UCF Plans Graduate Education Fair at KSC (Source: UCF)
The University of Central Florida will be holding a Graduate Education Fair on Wednesday July 7th from 3:30-6:00 p.m. at the Center for Space Education at Kennedy Space Center for all Brevard County residents who are interested in learning more about graduate programs offered by UCF. If you would kindly forward the attached flyer with more information on to employees at your organization, I would really appreciate your assistance. Representatives will be present at the fair on July 7th to answer questions about undergraduate programs offered on our UCF Cocoa and UCF Palm Bay campuses as well. Click here for information. (6/28)
University Of Hawaii Approves Giant Telescope (Source: Huffington Post)
The University of Hawaii Board of Regents unanimously approved a plan Monday to build the world's largest telescope at Mauna Kea's summit. The decision clears the way for managers of the proposed Thirty Meter Telescope to seek a permit from the state to build the facility on conservation land. Some Native Hawaiians have opposed the telescope on the grounds it would defile Mauna Kea's summit, which they consider sacred. Environmentalists say the telescope would harm the rare wekiu bug. But the board was moved by the potential it offered for advancing science, providing jobs and helping the economy. (6/28)
White House Releases New National Space Policy (Source: Space Policy Online)
The White House released a new national space policy on Monday. Its tone is markedly different from that of the 2006 policy released by President George W. Bush, reaching out to industry and international partners. In a written press statement, the President said that "above all, this policy is about the boundless possibilities of the future...We do not fear the future; we embrace the future. Even in times of trial, we do not turn inward; we harness the ingenuity and talents of our people, we set bold goals for our nation, and we lead the world in new frontiers..." Click here to view a fact sheet on the new policy. (6/28)
NASA Plays Key Exploration Role in New Administration Space Policy (Source: NASA)
"NASA is pleased to be an integral part of President Obama's National Space Policy," said Administrator Charlie Bolden. NASA's new direction, announced as part of the fiscal year 2011 budget, is embodied in the new National Space Policy...NASA has a key role in achieving the goals defined in the new policy. We are committed to working with other agencies, industry, and international partners to achieve national goals in exploration - human and robotic - and technology development that will ensure a robust future for the U.S. and our friends around the world." (6/28)
Florida Next-Gen Suborbital Space Research Workshop Planned for July 27 (Source: FSGC)
The Florida Space Grant Consortium will sponsor a July 27 workshop focused on Next-Gen Suborbital Research Opportunities. The workshop will be held at the KSC Center for Space Education, beginning at 9:00 a.m. and running until early afternoon. Briefings by Alan Stern will describe the capabilities of the emerging fleet of suborbital vehicles. Workshop participants will individually present and discuss concepts for how Florida Space Grant institutions might exploit the opportunities presented by these vehicles, and how Florida Space Grant can move forward with other entities in the State to be at the forefront of next-generation suborbital applications. Please RSVP to jmukherj@mail.ucf.edu by July 15. (6/28)
Falcon Upper Stage & Dragon Meet Fiery End After Three Weeks in Orbit (Source: SpaceFlightNow.com)
After riding a flame into Earth orbit more than three weeks ago, the dormant upper stage of the first Falcon 9 rocket plunged back into the atmosphere this weekend, a fiery finale for the historic privately-developed spacecraft. The Dragon qualification unit and Falcon 9 second stage during launch preparations earlier this year. The rocket and its dummy payload entered Earth's atmosphere around 8:50 p.m. EDT Saturday, according to U.S. military tracking data. The truck-sized vehicle probably streaked back into the atmosphere and burned up over Iraq and Syria. But the uncertainty in the exact re-entry time means the rocket and Dragon capsule could have come back to Earth anywhere along its ground track for more than two orbits. Most of the 12-foot-wide rocket stage likely burned up during re-entry. (6/28)
Arianespace, Russia Expand Soyuz Agreement (Source: Flight Global)
With a new Soyuz launch site under construction at the Centre Spatial Guyanais outside Kourou, French Guiana, Arianespace and Russian space agency Roscosmos have signed a contract for 10 Soyuz launches. The additional launches and related support will run until 2016. The deal brings the total of number of Soyuz flights from the center to 24. Arianespace already has 17 Soyuz launches on the books for various customers, including five for Europe's Galileo navigational satellite system. (6/28)
Florida Ranked a National Leader in Infrastructure (#1) and Workforce Development (#2) (Source: Enterprise Florida)
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Chamber Foundation have ranked Florida a national leader in infrastructure (#1) and workforce development & training (#2). Click here for the "Enterprising States" report, and here for the Florida profile. The Florida profile describes some of the state's commercial space tax incentives. (6/28)
Pentagon Acquisition Chief, Defense Industry Leaders to Tackle Costs (Source: AIA)
Pentagon acquisition chief Ashton Carter was set to meet with defense industry leaders on Monday to discuss the Pentagon's efforts to trim more than $100 billion in administrative costs over the next several years. The discussion is expected to address overhead costs built into many deals and question the amount of profit that is attached to certain contracts. (6/28)
Arizona's Aerospace Jobs Impact Greater Than You Might Imagine (Source: Arizona Republic)
With the United States engaged in two conflicts and with an economy struggling to get back on its feet, no other industry finds itself in such a pivotal position as the defense and aerospace industry does right now. On the economic side, a recent Arizona Chamber Foundation analysis reveals that defense and aerospace are directly responsible for more than 37,000 jobs in Arizona and represent 21 percent of total manufacturing jobs in the state. Moreover, defense and aerospace jobs are desirable ones, paying an average salary of $85,000 - more than double the average Arizona salary across all industries. (6/28)
Picking Up the Torch vs. Dropping the Ball (Source: Space Review)
Have recent achievements demonstrated that the development of space launch systems is now within the realm of individual investors? Dwayne Day criticizes a recent analysis that tried to make that case. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1655/1 to view the article. (6/28)
An Embarrassment of Riches (Source: Space Review)
It sounds like the perfect definition of "swords into plowshares": converting ICBMs into satellite launch vehicles. Wayne Eleazer discusses the controversy proposals to do so have generated in the US launch industry over the years. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1654/1 to view the article. (6/28)
An Intrepid Quest for a Shuttle in New York (Source: Space Review)
Among the sites seeking one of NASA's space shuttles upon their retirement is New York's Intrepid museum. Jeff Foust examines how the museum stacks up against the competition and whether a shuttle would be good fit in the Big Apple. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1653/1 to view the article. (6/28)
Space Leaders Support Commercial Crew to ISS and Accelerated Human Exploration Beyond (Source: Space Review)
Last week a diverse group of space industry leaders released a joint letter supporting key elements of NASA's proposed new direction. Alan Stern provides some background about the letter as well as the letter itself. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1652/1 to view the article. (6/28)
NASA and International Space Agencies Discuss Exploration Collaboration (Source: NASA)
NASA senior managers met with their counterparts representing other space agencies on June 23 to discuss globally-coordinated human and robotic space exploration. The meeting participants agreed that significant progress has been made since the joint release of The Global Exploration Strategy (GES) in May 2007. They agreed steps should be taken to coordinate a long-term space exploration vision that is sustainable and affordable.
The meeting included representatives from the Italian Space Agency, the French Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales, China National Space Administration, Canadian Space Agency, German Aerospace Center, European Space Agency, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Korea Aerospace Research Institute, NASA, National Space Agency of Ukraine, Russian Federal Space Agency and the U.K. Space Agency. (6/28)
No Sex for Astronauts in Space (Source: Straits Times)
There is no room for romance on board the cosy confines of the International Space Station, a NASA space shuttle commander said on Monday when asked what would happen if astronauts had sex in space. 'We are a group of professionals,' said Space Shuttle Discovery Commander Alan Poindexter during a visit to Tokyo. 'We treat each other with respect and we have a great working relationship. Personal relationships are not ... an issue,' he said. The April voyage broke new ground by putting four women in orbit for the first time, with three female crew joining one woman already on the station. (6/28)
Journey Into the Unknown: Simulating a Trip to Mars (Source: The Independent)
In a large hall at the Institute of Biomedical Problems in Moscow, six astronauts have begun the first full-duration Mars simulation mission. After a brief ceremony, the hatch of their mock-up spaceship was closed on 3 June. It will not open again for 520 days – the time it takes to get to Mars and back using conventional rocket technology. It's not certain they will make it. They'll be subjected to the psychological stress of isolation, and forced to live and work with others. Their health, moods, performance and interactions will all be monitored, Big Brother-style. Few will be surprised if before the year is out some are hammering at the walls trying to get out. (6/28)
June 27, 2010
ATK: NASA Releases Funds: Ares Rocket Work May Continue Through at Least September (Source: McClatchy-Tribune)
Thousands of Alliant Techsystems workers in Utah will likely have their jobs at least through September. Company officials confirmed Thursday that NASA released to them the remainder of the 2010 funding for work on the Ares rocket, a project that employs the majority of ATK's Utah workers. NASA in the last month threatened to withhold funding and enforce a contract clause that could force ATK to put up $500 million in termination costs for Ares, which is part of the Constellation space project. ATK officials would not confirm it, but NASA projected the termination clause would cost more than 2,000 jobs at the Top of Utah company. (6/27)
With Cheaper Launches, Sky's the Limit for Colorado Rocket Maker (Source: Denver Post)
In his Highlands Ranch workshop, Jerry Larson works on hardware and avionics for the 20-foot-high Spaceloft XL rockets that he builds. Larson's UP Aerospace Inc. is a one-man company — started in his home — that is making its mark with low-cost launches of small payloads from Spaceport America. Since 2006, UP Aerospace has launched nine times from Spaceport America, including in 2007 when Larson sent up ashes of "Star Trek" actor James "Scotty" Doohan and astronaut Gordon Cooper into space, along with student experiments and some commercial payloads.
"The beauty of Spaceport America is it is being built from the ground up," said Larson, whose company was the facility's first tenant. Larson, who leases the spaceport's vertical- launch facilities on a per-launch basis, said it means less red tape "and a leaner and faster operation." It also is a less-expensive alternative to reaching suborbital space than launching from Cape Canaveral in Florida and Vandenberg Air Force Base in California — two sites where Larson assisted in launches during his 20 years with Lockheed Martin. (6/27)
Names From Space Exploration History Pushed for New Mexico's Future (Source: Denver Post)
Barely a month after Gov. Bill Richardson took office in 2003, a contingent of grizzled space veterans crowded into his top aide's office. They had plans, seed money and dreams of building a spaceport in New Mexico's Jornada del Muerto — "Route of the Dead Man" — a desert locale with a lot of launch attributes despite its forbidding name. "These guys are the space pioneers," said Rick Homans, who was Richardson's economic development secretary. Earlier this month, Homans was named the spaceport's executive director.
The "space pioneers" — men with long space backgrounds — "had been talking about building a commercial spaceport since 1994," said Lou Gomez, the spaceport's program manager. Gomez was familiar with the site from his 26 years at NASA Johnson Space Center's White Sands Test Facility on the other side of the San Andres Mountains. The late astronaut Pete Conrad talked with Gomez about the site's potential in 1964 while Conrad was doing flight training at White Sands.
Stanford University's Burton Lee formally proposed the concept in 1990. Lee made designs, secured a $1.4 million earmark from Congress and developed spaceport support. Lee worked with other "space pioneers" with New Mexico State University in nearby Las Cruces. The group formed the Southwest Space Task Force in 1992 to push commercial approaches, and made spaceport proposals to earlier state administrations. It wasn't until Homans that the idea found fertile ground. (6/27)
Stars Were Aligned for New Mexico's Spaceport (Source: Denver Post)
A new gateway to space is nearing completion in this sunbaked Southwestern desert, a site that is a day's drive down Interstate 25 but has nonetheless caught the attention of Colorado's aerospace community. Billed as the world's first "purpose-built" commercial spaceport, Spaceport America in southern New Mexico owes its existence to public money, political will, a rich space heritage and the tenacity of its visionaries.
"A lot of things came together at the right time," New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said in a phone interview last week. "We couldn't do it now." State coffers were rich with oil and gas revenues. It was pre-2008, before the economy tanked. Richardson's popularity was at its peak. The governor also landed Virgin Galactic as the spaceport's anchor tenant, persuaded the legislature to appropriate $140 million and led the campaign that resulted in two adjacent counties approving a 25-cent sales tax on every $100 to build Spaceport America. (6/27)
Thousands of Alliant Techsystems workers in Utah will likely have their jobs at least through September. Company officials confirmed Thursday that NASA released to them the remainder of the 2010 funding for work on the Ares rocket, a project that employs the majority of ATK's Utah workers. NASA in the last month threatened to withhold funding and enforce a contract clause that could force ATK to put up $500 million in termination costs for Ares, which is part of the Constellation space project. ATK officials would not confirm it, but NASA projected the termination clause would cost more than 2,000 jobs at the Top of Utah company. (6/27)
With Cheaper Launches, Sky's the Limit for Colorado Rocket Maker (Source: Denver Post)
In his Highlands Ranch workshop, Jerry Larson works on hardware and avionics for the 20-foot-high Spaceloft XL rockets that he builds. Larson's UP Aerospace Inc. is a one-man company — started in his home — that is making its mark with low-cost launches of small payloads from Spaceport America. Since 2006, UP Aerospace has launched nine times from Spaceport America, including in 2007 when Larson sent up ashes of "Star Trek" actor James "Scotty" Doohan and astronaut Gordon Cooper into space, along with student experiments and some commercial payloads.
"The beauty of Spaceport America is it is being built from the ground up," said Larson, whose company was the facility's first tenant. Larson, who leases the spaceport's vertical- launch facilities on a per-launch basis, said it means less red tape "and a leaner and faster operation." It also is a less-expensive alternative to reaching suborbital space than launching from Cape Canaveral in Florida and Vandenberg Air Force Base in California — two sites where Larson assisted in launches during his 20 years with Lockheed Martin. (6/27)
Names From Space Exploration History Pushed for New Mexico's Future (Source: Denver Post)
Barely a month after Gov. Bill Richardson took office in 2003, a contingent of grizzled space veterans crowded into his top aide's office. They had plans, seed money and dreams of building a spaceport in New Mexico's Jornada del Muerto — "Route of the Dead Man" — a desert locale with a lot of launch attributes despite its forbidding name. "These guys are the space pioneers," said Rick Homans, who was Richardson's economic development secretary. Earlier this month, Homans was named the spaceport's executive director.
The "space pioneers" — men with long space backgrounds — "had been talking about building a commercial spaceport since 1994," said Lou Gomez, the spaceport's program manager. Gomez was familiar with the site from his 26 years at NASA Johnson Space Center's White Sands Test Facility on the other side of the San Andres Mountains. The late astronaut Pete Conrad talked with Gomez about the site's potential in 1964 while Conrad was doing flight training at White Sands.
Stanford University's Burton Lee formally proposed the concept in 1990. Lee made designs, secured a $1.4 million earmark from Congress and developed spaceport support. Lee worked with other "space pioneers" with New Mexico State University in nearby Las Cruces. The group formed the Southwest Space Task Force in 1992 to push commercial approaches, and made spaceport proposals to earlier state administrations. It wasn't until Homans that the idea found fertile ground. (6/27)
Stars Were Aligned for New Mexico's Spaceport (Source: Denver Post)
A new gateway to space is nearing completion in this sunbaked Southwestern desert, a site that is a day's drive down Interstate 25 but has nonetheless caught the attention of Colorado's aerospace community. Billed as the world's first "purpose-built" commercial spaceport, Spaceport America in southern New Mexico owes its existence to public money, political will, a rich space heritage and the tenacity of its visionaries.
"A lot of things came together at the right time," New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said in a phone interview last week. "We couldn't do it now." State coffers were rich with oil and gas revenues. It was pre-2008, before the economy tanked. Richardson's popularity was at its peak. The governor also landed Virgin Galactic as the spaceport's anchor tenant, persuaded the legislature to appropriate $140 million and led the campaign that resulted in two adjacent counties approving a 25-cent sales tax on every $100 to build Spaceport America. (6/27)
June 26, 2010
The Budget Debate Heats Up (Source: Space Politics)
It appears that NASA has complied, at least partially, with a request by a House committee for documents about the FY11 budget process. NASA apparently sent over documents to the House Science and Technology Committee Friday evening, which staff members are now reviewing. The committee demanded the documents last week after NASA was not forthcoming with earlier requests for information about aspects of the budget.
Meanwhile, six senators have written to NASA administrator Charles Bolden, asking him to abandon efforts to slow down Constellation by requiring contractors to withhold funds to cover termination liability. In the letter the senators cite concerns about “inconsistent treatment and the counter-productive effect of withholding funding” on NASA contractors. The letter was organized by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and signed by Sens. Robert Bennett (R-UT), Jon Cornyn (R-TX), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), George LeMieux (R-FL), and David Vitter (R-LA). While the signers are all from states that have perhaps the most to lose from the cancellation of Constellation, interestingly, neither Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), [Sen. Bill Nelson,] nor Alabama’s two senators signed the letter.
All this comes as the House is expected to finally start to take action on the NASA budget proposal. Next Tuesday afternoon the Commerce, Justice, and Science Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee will markup its version of the FY11 spending bill, which includes NASA. The House is also expected to take up next week a supplemental appropriations bill for FY10, including deciding whether to include language similar to the Senate version that requires NASA to fund “continued performance of Constellation contracts” with the remaining funding this fiscal year. (6/26)
Six Senators Write Bolden About Constellation Contracts (Source: Florida Today)
Six senators from rocket-building and -launching states urged NASA Administrator Charles Bolden to stop trying to cut off nearly $1 billion in funding for the Constellation program. The letter Friday from Sen. George LeMieux, R-Fla., and others is the latest salvo in the congressional battle to protect the return-to-the-moon program that President Barack Obama proposed to abandon.
The dispute is that as Congress debates Obama's budget, NASA began sending letters to contractors telling them to hold $994 million in anticipation of potentially terminating the program. But as part of a spending bill for the current year, Congress prohibited NASA from cancelling Constellation until lawmakers vote on Obama's budget.
In his June 9 letter explaining to move to lawmakers, Bolden said the action was intended to "pace" Constellation funding rather than "terminate" it. That move angered lawmakers particularly in states such as Utah and Lousiana that build Constellation's Ares rocket. "The president's plan wastes billions of dollars and years of valuable time," said Sen. Orrin Hatch, a Utah Republican who organized the letter. (6/25)
Chinese Shenzhou Vehicle Eyed as ISS Backup to Russian Soyuz (Source: Parabolic Arc)
Roscosmos chief Anatoly Perminov said the International Space Station partners are awaiting a response from China on an invitation to join the project. The interesting aspect is why the offer was made: Russia doesn’t want to be solely responsible for crew transport once the space shuttle retires.
“This is rather dangerous, any expert recognizes that. There must a backup for the Soyuz.We wish some country would have it, and we contacted China with its human spaceflight program mature enough to maintain crew transportation in the program, asking to join the ISS partnership. However there was no response,” Perminov said.
Oh, I can’t imagine this going over very well with Congress. Not. At. All. NASA issued a formal statement about this story on Friday: “We checked and confirmed with the director of the Russian Federal Space Agency human space flight program that Russia has not issued an invitation to China to join the International Space Station Program.” (6/26)
New Boeing Spaceship Targets Commercial Missions (Source: Space.com)
As NASA's space shuttle fleet draws close to retirement, aerospace juggernaut Boeing is hard at work developing a new capsule-based spaceship to fly people to and from the International Space Station. The new Boeing space capsule is a project using the company's recent $18 million award from NASA to advance the concepts and technology necessary to build a commercial crew space transportation system. It is one of several efforts by different U.S. companies to come with new spaceships to fill the void left by NASA's retiring shuttles.
"We're right on schedule for all of our demonstrations," Reiley told SPACE.com. "We've done 50 to 60 percent of our milestones, and all of them have been on time or ahead of time." At the heart of Boeing’s new spaceship design is the CST-100 capsule, which will look similar to the cone-shaped Apollo and Orion spacecraft. Boeing plans to launch the CST-100 capsule from Florida, but has yet to determine which rocket will carry it into space.
The spacecraft is being designed for compatibility with a variety of rockets, in much the same way that commercial satellites are. This will give Boeing the flexibility to select an appropriate rocket later in the development process. And while NASA has outlined a launch target for 2016, the new capsule could be rolled out sooner than expected, which could help fill the gap in future human spaceflight should NASA scrap its Constellation program. (6/26)
Orbital Urges NASA To Hold Orion Lifeboat Competition (Source: Space News)
An Orbital Sciences Corp. executive told a Capitol Hill audience June 24 that the contract for the space station crew lifeboat NASA has been directed to build should be put out for bid rather than assigned to Lockheed Martin without a competition. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden told Congress in May the agency expects to spend roughly $4.5 billion on a crew lifeboat based on the Orion capsule Lockheed Martin Space Systems of Denver has been designing since 2005 to fly astronauts on Moon missions President Barack Obama intends to shelve. (6/26)
Ariane 5 Launches Arab and South Korean Satellites (Sources: SpaceFlightNow.com)
Europe's Ariane 5 commercial launcher carried out another uneventful trek to orbit Saturday night, successfully deploying a powerful broadcasting satellite for the Arab world and a unique spacecraft to see and communicate with South Korea. The rocket roared away from a jungle launch base on the northeastern coast of South America atop the thrust produced by its hydrogen-fueled main engine and twin solid boosters.
Tracking eastward across the Atlantic Ocean and then Africa during the half-hour flight, the cryogenic upper stage delivered the required push to reach a geosynchronous transfer orbit with Arabsat 5A and COMS, the Communication, Ocean and Meteorological Satellite. (6/26)
Patent Purchase Cleared Way for Iridium Next Satellite Contract (Source: Space News)
A patent-mining company that owned much of the intellectual property supporting the Iridium constellation of low-orbiting mobile communications satellites has sold these and other patents to satellite builder Thales Alenia Space in a transaction that Thales Alenia Space said was crucial for Iridium’s future development.
The transaction was completed June 1, just hours before the satellite manufacturer signed a $2.1 billion contract to build 81 satellites for Iridium’s second-generation constellation. Cannes, France-based Thales Alenia Space embedded the value of the Iridium patents into its contract with Virginia-based Iridium Communications. (6/26)
Orbital Debris, Planetary Defense, Space Sustainability Issues Detailed Before UN (Source: Newswise)
Dealing with the troublesome trend in the growth of Earth-circling orbital debris is a major element to ensure the sustainability of space. Moreover, human and environmental security can be maximized by global cooperative use of space systems to benefit all of humanity.
These were among the topics highlighted by Secure World Foundation (SWF) during the Fifty-third session of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS), held June 9-18 in Vienna, Austria. “In all of our work, we actively promote the development of sound policies to support the long term sustainability of outer space activities and the peaceful use of space activities for the benefit of Earth and its peoples,” explained Dr. Ray Williamson, SWF’s Executive Director. (6/26)
Boeing Rocket Lab set to open July 2 in Santa Ana (Source: Seattle PI)
The Boeing Rocket Lab will open to the public July 2 in the 8,000-square-foot "cube" at Discovery Science Center, in Santa Ana, California. "Boeing Rocket Lab is the first phase of our Space Exploration Gallery, a $6 million expansion project that will further Discovery Science Center's mission of engaging guests through interactive, hands-on exhibits," Center President Joe Adams said.
The exhibit includes a Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne RS-68 main rocket engine, which powers the Boeing Delta IV family of rockets. Visitors standing underneath the engine's nozzle will experience the sensation of a rocket launch through fog, light, sound and video effects. There also are stations that explore the chemistry of rocket fuels and let guests launch rockets using compressed air or compressed air and water. (6/26)
Smaller Planets Rule the Galaxy (Source: Discovery)
Like Indiana Jones opening a new vault of buried treasure, the much-awaited first year treasure trove of NASA Kepler space telescope observations of distant planets went public last week. Or at least some of the data have, as reported by Nicole Gugliucci regarding the dilemma of long-sought exoplanet detections being released to everyone after a one-year propriety period.
Several science papers from the Kepler team were immediately posted on the Internet, and will be published in journals once peer-reviewed. The targets are cautiously called "planet candidates" until follow-up dynamical observations can be done from ground-based telescopes.
Nevertheless, Kepler's first harvest provides an entirely new vista on the exoplanet landscape. This is thanks to Kepler’s unique ability -- enabled by being located in space -- to detect comparatively small planets passing in front of (transiting) their stars. This produces as very slight dimming of light (a fraction of a percent) coming from the star. The dip is only clearly measurable from above Earth’s atmosphere for the deep starfield sampled by Kepler. (6/26)
At Companies Tied to NASA, Casualties of a Changing Mission (Source: New York Times)
In the political battle over the nation’s space program, the first casualties are people like Donny Smith, an engineer who received his layoff notice Monday. “I’ve been preparing, trying to find something else to move to,” said Mr. Smith, who works for Bastion Technologies, one of the companies NASA has hired to help design rockets to return astronauts to the moon as part of its Constellation program.
Workers at Bastion and elsewhere are caught in a growing conflict between Congress, which has banned NASA from canceling any part of Constellation, and agency leaders who have directed program managers to scale back their work while preserving the parts that would fit into the new space policy proposed by President Obama. The entire layoff brunt so far is landing on people like Mr. Smith and not NASA government employees. In Huntsville, Ala., often called the Rocket City, Mayor Tommy Battle said he had heard that 700 people could be affected in his city. Nationwide, NASA has estimated that 2,500 to 5,000 jobs could be lost. (6/26)
It appears that NASA has complied, at least partially, with a request by a House committee for documents about the FY11 budget process. NASA apparently sent over documents to the House Science and Technology Committee Friday evening, which staff members are now reviewing. The committee demanded the documents last week after NASA was not forthcoming with earlier requests for information about aspects of the budget.
Meanwhile, six senators have written to NASA administrator Charles Bolden, asking him to abandon efforts to slow down Constellation by requiring contractors to withhold funds to cover termination liability. In the letter the senators cite concerns about “inconsistent treatment and the counter-productive effect of withholding funding” on NASA contractors. The letter was organized by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and signed by Sens. Robert Bennett (R-UT), Jon Cornyn (R-TX), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), George LeMieux (R-FL), and David Vitter (R-LA). While the signers are all from states that have perhaps the most to lose from the cancellation of Constellation, interestingly, neither Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), [Sen. Bill Nelson,] nor Alabama’s two senators signed the letter.
All this comes as the House is expected to finally start to take action on the NASA budget proposal. Next Tuesday afternoon the Commerce, Justice, and Science Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee will markup its version of the FY11 spending bill, which includes NASA. The House is also expected to take up next week a supplemental appropriations bill for FY10, including deciding whether to include language similar to the Senate version that requires NASA to fund “continued performance of Constellation contracts” with the remaining funding this fiscal year. (6/26)
Six Senators Write Bolden About Constellation Contracts (Source: Florida Today)
Six senators from rocket-building and -launching states urged NASA Administrator Charles Bolden to stop trying to cut off nearly $1 billion in funding for the Constellation program. The letter Friday from Sen. George LeMieux, R-Fla., and others is the latest salvo in the congressional battle to protect the return-to-the-moon program that President Barack Obama proposed to abandon.
The dispute is that as Congress debates Obama's budget, NASA began sending letters to contractors telling them to hold $994 million in anticipation of potentially terminating the program. But as part of a spending bill for the current year, Congress prohibited NASA from cancelling Constellation until lawmakers vote on Obama's budget.
In his June 9 letter explaining to move to lawmakers, Bolden said the action was intended to "pace" Constellation funding rather than "terminate" it. That move angered lawmakers particularly in states such as Utah and Lousiana that build Constellation's Ares rocket. "The president's plan wastes billions of dollars and years of valuable time," said Sen. Orrin Hatch, a Utah Republican who organized the letter. (6/25)
Chinese Shenzhou Vehicle Eyed as ISS Backup to Russian Soyuz (Source: Parabolic Arc)
Roscosmos chief Anatoly Perminov said the International Space Station partners are awaiting a response from China on an invitation to join the project. The interesting aspect is why the offer was made: Russia doesn’t want to be solely responsible for crew transport once the space shuttle retires.
“This is rather dangerous, any expert recognizes that. There must a backup for the Soyuz.We wish some country would have it, and we contacted China with its human spaceflight program mature enough to maintain crew transportation in the program, asking to join the ISS partnership. However there was no response,” Perminov said.
Oh, I can’t imagine this going over very well with Congress. Not. At. All. NASA issued a formal statement about this story on Friday: “We checked and confirmed with the director of the Russian Federal Space Agency human space flight program that Russia has not issued an invitation to China to join the International Space Station Program.” (6/26)
New Boeing Spaceship Targets Commercial Missions (Source: Space.com)
As NASA's space shuttle fleet draws close to retirement, aerospace juggernaut Boeing is hard at work developing a new capsule-based spaceship to fly people to and from the International Space Station. The new Boeing space capsule is a project using the company's recent $18 million award from NASA to advance the concepts and technology necessary to build a commercial crew space transportation system. It is one of several efforts by different U.S. companies to come with new spaceships to fill the void left by NASA's retiring shuttles.
"We're right on schedule for all of our demonstrations," Reiley told SPACE.com. "We've done 50 to 60 percent of our milestones, and all of them have been on time or ahead of time." At the heart of Boeing’s new spaceship design is the CST-100 capsule, which will look similar to the cone-shaped Apollo and Orion spacecraft. Boeing plans to launch the CST-100 capsule from Florida, but has yet to determine which rocket will carry it into space.
The spacecraft is being designed for compatibility with a variety of rockets, in much the same way that commercial satellites are. This will give Boeing the flexibility to select an appropriate rocket later in the development process. And while NASA has outlined a launch target for 2016, the new capsule could be rolled out sooner than expected, which could help fill the gap in future human spaceflight should NASA scrap its Constellation program. (6/26)
Orbital Urges NASA To Hold Orion Lifeboat Competition (Source: Space News)
An Orbital Sciences Corp. executive told a Capitol Hill audience June 24 that the contract for the space station crew lifeboat NASA has been directed to build should be put out for bid rather than assigned to Lockheed Martin without a competition. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden told Congress in May the agency expects to spend roughly $4.5 billion on a crew lifeboat based on the Orion capsule Lockheed Martin Space Systems of Denver has been designing since 2005 to fly astronauts on Moon missions President Barack Obama intends to shelve. (6/26)
Ariane 5 Launches Arab and South Korean Satellites (Sources: SpaceFlightNow.com)
Europe's Ariane 5 commercial launcher carried out another uneventful trek to orbit Saturday night, successfully deploying a powerful broadcasting satellite for the Arab world and a unique spacecraft to see and communicate with South Korea. The rocket roared away from a jungle launch base on the northeastern coast of South America atop the thrust produced by its hydrogen-fueled main engine and twin solid boosters.
Tracking eastward across the Atlantic Ocean and then Africa during the half-hour flight, the cryogenic upper stage delivered the required push to reach a geosynchronous transfer orbit with Arabsat 5A and COMS, the Communication, Ocean and Meteorological Satellite. (6/26)
Patent Purchase Cleared Way for Iridium Next Satellite Contract (Source: Space News)
A patent-mining company that owned much of the intellectual property supporting the Iridium constellation of low-orbiting mobile communications satellites has sold these and other patents to satellite builder Thales Alenia Space in a transaction that Thales Alenia Space said was crucial for Iridium’s future development.
The transaction was completed June 1, just hours before the satellite manufacturer signed a $2.1 billion contract to build 81 satellites for Iridium’s second-generation constellation. Cannes, France-based Thales Alenia Space embedded the value of the Iridium patents into its contract with Virginia-based Iridium Communications. (6/26)
Orbital Debris, Planetary Defense, Space Sustainability Issues Detailed Before UN (Source: Newswise)
Dealing with the troublesome trend in the growth of Earth-circling orbital debris is a major element to ensure the sustainability of space. Moreover, human and environmental security can be maximized by global cooperative use of space systems to benefit all of humanity.
These were among the topics highlighted by Secure World Foundation (SWF) during the Fifty-third session of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS), held June 9-18 in Vienna, Austria. “In all of our work, we actively promote the development of sound policies to support the long term sustainability of outer space activities and the peaceful use of space activities for the benefit of Earth and its peoples,” explained Dr. Ray Williamson, SWF’s Executive Director. (6/26)
Boeing Rocket Lab set to open July 2 in Santa Ana (Source: Seattle PI)
The Boeing Rocket Lab will open to the public July 2 in the 8,000-square-foot "cube" at Discovery Science Center, in Santa Ana, California. "Boeing Rocket Lab is the first phase of our Space Exploration Gallery, a $6 million expansion project that will further Discovery Science Center's mission of engaging guests through interactive, hands-on exhibits," Center President Joe Adams said.
The exhibit includes a Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne RS-68 main rocket engine, which powers the Boeing Delta IV family of rockets. Visitors standing underneath the engine's nozzle will experience the sensation of a rocket launch through fog, light, sound and video effects. There also are stations that explore the chemistry of rocket fuels and let guests launch rockets using compressed air or compressed air and water. (6/26)
Smaller Planets Rule the Galaxy (Source: Discovery)
Like Indiana Jones opening a new vault of buried treasure, the much-awaited first year treasure trove of NASA Kepler space telescope observations of distant planets went public last week. Or at least some of the data have, as reported by Nicole Gugliucci regarding the dilemma of long-sought exoplanet detections being released to everyone after a one-year propriety period.
Several science papers from the Kepler team were immediately posted on the Internet, and will be published in journals once peer-reviewed. The targets are cautiously called "planet candidates" until follow-up dynamical observations can be done from ground-based telescopes.
Nevertheless, Kepler's first harvest provides an entirely new vista on the exoplanet landscape. This is thanks to Kepler’s unique ability -- enabled by being located in space -- to detect comparatively small planets passing in front of (transiting) their stars. This produces as very slight dimming of light (a fraction of a percent) coming from the star. The dip is only clearly measurable from above Earth’s atmosphere for the deep starfield sampled by Kepler. (6/26)
At Companies Tied to NASA, Casualties of a Changing Mission (Source: New York Times)
In the political battle over the nation’s space program, the first casualties are people like Donny Smith, an engineer who received his layoff notice Monday. “I’ve been preparing, trying to find something else to move to,” said Mr. Smith, who works for Bastion Technologies, one of the companies NASA has hired to help design rockets to return astronauts to the moon as part of its Constellation program.
Workers at Bastion and elsewhere are caught in a growing conflict between Congress, which has banned NASA from canceling any part of Constellation, and agency leaders who have directed program managers to scale back their work while preserving the parts that would fit into the new space policy proposed by President Obama. The entire layoff brunt so far is landing on people like Mr. Smith and not NASA government employees. In Huntsville, Ala., often called the Rocket City, Mayor Tommy Battle said he had heard that 700 people could be affected in his city. Nationwide, NASA has estimated that 2,500 to 5,000 jobs could be lost. (6/26)
June 25, 2010
New U.S. Space Policy To Emphasize Cooperation (Source: Space News)
The White House is expected to unveil a new U.S. space policy June 28 that emphasizes international cooperation and commercial space. “This policy seeks to strengthen our domestic commercial space industry and reestablish U.S. leadership in the international community,” states a one-page summary of the policy. The June 25 document — “National Space Policy Top-Level Messages” — was created by Peter Marquez, director of space policy for the White House National Security Council. “The United States,” the document says, “considers the sustainability, stability, and free access to, and use of, space vital to its national interests.
“It is the shared interest of all nations to act responsibly in ways that emphasize openness and transparency, and help prevent mishaps, misperceptions, and mistrust.” The document also says, “A robust and competitive commercial space sector is vital to continued progress in space. “The United States is committed to encouraging and facilitating the growth of a U.S. commercial space sector that supports U.S. needs, is globally competitive, and advances U.S. leadership in the generation of new markets and innovative entrepreneurship.” Click here to read the article. (6/25)
NASA Awards Space Station Mission Integration Contract (Source: NASA)
NASA has awarded a contract with a maximum value of $273 million to Barrios Technology, Ltd., of Houston for International Space Station mission integration services support. Barrios Technology will provide support for engineering and technical services required to support the International Space Station Program. This includes products and services for space station mission planning; integration and operations; international partner integration; and Russian language and logistics services. (6/25)
Advocates Encouraged to Vote for California Space Center Funding (Source: WashingtonWatch.com)
Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA) is supporting a $2 million funding request for a new California Space Center near Vandenberg Air Force Base. Local advocates are encouraged to visit http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/history/ED_49129.html to register their support for the proposed appropriation. (6/25)
NSBRI Postdoctoral Fellowship Program Soliciting Applications (Source: NSBRI)
The National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) is soliciting applications for its Postdoctoral Fellowship Program. Two-year fellowships are available in any U.S. laboratory carrying out space-related biomedical or biotechnological research that supports the NSBRI’s goals. NSBRI research addresses and seeks solutions to the various health concerns associated with long-duration human space exploration. Detailed program and application submission information is available on the NSBRI Web site at www.nsbri.org/Announcements/rfa10-01.html. (6/25)
Lockheed Martin Trident II D5 Missile Achieves New Record of 134 Successful Flight Tests in a Row (Source: LMCO)
The U.S. Navy conducted successful test flights June 8 and 9 of four Trident II D5 Fleet Ballistic Missiles (FBMs) built by Lockheed Martin. The Navy launched the unarmed missiles from the submerged submarine USS Maryland (SSBN 738) in the Atlantic Ocean. Click here for details. (6/25)
United Launch Alliance Joins the Commercial Spaceflight Federation (Source: CSF)
The Commercial Spaceflight Federation is pleased to announce that United Launch Alliance has joined the Federation as an Executive Member. ULA operates the Atlas V, Delta II, and Delta IV launch vehicles. ULA is a funded participant in NASA’s Commercial Crew Development Program. So joining the Commercial Spaceflight Federation is a natural fit for us, and we are proud to do so.” (6/25)
NASA Radar Images Show How Mexico Quake Deformed Earth (Source: NASA)
NASA has released the first-ever airborne radar images of the deformation in Earth's surface caused by a major earthquake -- the magnitude 7.2 temblor that rocked Mexico's state of Baja California and parts of the American Southwest on April 4. Click here to view the article. (6/25)
California Space Center Receives Environmental Clearance (Source: CSA)
The California Space Authority (CSA) has received a Finding of No Significant Impact and Finding of No Practicable Alternative (FONSI/FONPA) for the California Space Center. This document is the formal completion of a two-year National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process. Its completion is a significant milestone toward development of the multi-faceted facility, which is devoted to the inspiration of students to study science, technology, education and math as well as to educate the public about space enterprise in California. Click here for information. (6/25)
Development Begins at New KSC-Based "Exploration Park" (Source: SPACErePORT)
Officials from Space Florida, NASA KSC, and Pizzuti Co. broke ground on Friday for the construction of roadway and utility infrastructure at KSC-based "Exploration Park". With over $7 million from state and county governments, workers will now begin building an access road that will connect the state-developed Space Life Sciences Lab to a nearby "Space Commerce Way" state-funded road. This will allow the SLS Lab to become part of Exploration Park, outside of KSC's security fenceline.
The developers announced a commitment to develop a "spec" building at the park, to be completed in early 2012. They also said they are in negotiations with multiple potential tenants who would like to build other facilities as part of the park's "phase-one", and they expect multiple universities to have a presence there. Companies like Lockheed Martin, NASTAR Center, and XCOR Aerospace were present at the groundbreaking event. (6/25)
Purdue Space Program to Continue, Despite Shuttle Retirement (Source: AIA)
Students have traditionally been attracted to join the elite group of 22 astronauts educated at Purdue University along with the thousands of other engineers who have worked on shuttle missions. But with the government's decision to retire the shuttle program, there could be no jobs in the U.S. along those lines. Purdue says it will nevertheless continue its current space-based curriculum, which has about 600 students. (6/25)
Job Fair Targets Former KSC Workers (Source: CFL-13)
Thousands of space industry workers in Brevard County are worried about their future. But a job fair targeting those that have already been laid off in the space industry gives some hope. Organizers said they didn't know how many people to expect out for Friday’s job fair. They said they had a good turn out Thursday, which was the first day of the space industry job fair. They estimated somewhere between 2,500 to 3,000 people attended the job fair held on site at the Kennedy Space Center.
Friday’s job fair was for current or displaced KSC employees. There were about 41 booths set up, and of those, about 18 are based locally. Organizers said they are planning another job fair for workers in the space industry sometime in the fall, when more layoffs are expected. (6/25)
Kennedy Space Center Job Fair Attracts Thousands (Source: Florida Today)
Hundreds of soon-to-be-unemployed space workers packed into a job fair at Kennedy Space Center on Thursday as they try to prepare for the end of the shuttle program that threatens to idle more than half of the 15,000 workers at the center. "I'm prepared for the worst case," Gary Whitmore, 53, a United Space Alliance safety engineer from Port St. John, said. The worst case would losing his job after 27½ years working in the shuttle program and being forced to leave Brevard County to find work. An uneasy acceptance has settled over the work force, he said.
"They kind of know the end is coming," Whitmore said. "It's something you have no control over, so you accept it." Whitmore was among an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 aerospace workers to show up for the job fair that included 60 government and private employers eager to court the highly trained aerospace workers. The shuttle program's end is no surprise, but Whitmore has procrastinated in preparing for it. "We've had over six years to get ready for it," he said. "I just drew up my resume the other day." (6/25)
California Space Center Expands its Hours (Source: Downey Patriot)
The Columbia Memorial Space Center will expand its hours of operation beginning July 6. The space center will now be open Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission prices will remain the same at $5 per person, groups of 10 or more are $3 per person, and children 3 and younger are free. The goal of the space center is to teach young people about careers in space exploration and aviation, focusing on engineering, technology and space. (6/25)
UF Astronomers Pioneer New Planet-Observing Technique (Source: UF)
Using the world’s largest optical telescope, a team of University of Florida astronomers has pioneered a new method of observing planets outside our solar system. The method suggests that large Earth-based telescopes could play a leading role in rapidly accelerating research on “extrasolar” planets.
The results obtained from the Gran Telescopio Canarias, a telescope in Spain’s Canary Islands partially owned by the University of Florida, are of such high precision that the astronomers are already planning to use the technique to learn more about “super-Earth-sized” planets – larger than Earth but smaller than Neptune – that have already been identified by space-based observatories. (6/25)
India Joins Thirty Meter Telescope Project (Source: TMT)
The Minister of Science and Technology of India, Mr. Prithviraj Chavan, announced the decision of India to join the Thirty Meter Telescope Project (TMT) as an Observer. TMT is the next-generation astronomical observatory that is scheduled to begin scientific operations in 2018 on Mauna Kea, Hawaii. Observer status is the first step in becoming a full partner in TMT and participating in the engineering development and scientific use of what will be the world’s most advanced and capable astronomical observatory. (6/25)
New Problem Delays Ariane Rocket Launch (Source: Reuters)
A technical problem Thursday delayed for the second day running the scheduled launch of an Ariane rocket carrying two satellites, the Arianespace company said. "We once again had a no-go linked to a problem of the pressurization of the lower stage of the launch vehicle," Jean-Yves Le Gall, Arianespace president said. "So the countdown has been halted and we will investigate and understand what happened." (6/25)
Satellite Firm Cuts Hamas TV Broadcasts to Europe (Source: AFP)
A Gaza-based television station, accused of inciting hatred of Jews and Israel, has had its broadcasts to Europe shut off, Eutelsat said. Paris-based Eutelsat said its client Noorsat, the operator which handles the broadcasting of Al-Aqsa TV to parts of Europe and throughout the Middle East, cut the satellite signal on Thursday.
Reacting to the move, Al-Aqsa director Hazem al-Charawi said: "The legal battle has just started and we are determined to pursue it." He told a news conference in Gaza City late on Thursday that the shutdown of its broadcasts to Europe amounted to "another layer of the Gaza blockade imposed by the Zionist lobby with France's help." Charawi also pledged to expand broadcasts in Latin America by striking deals with Arab satellites that beam to that part of the world "in order to make the (Israeli) occupier and his crimes known" to the world. (6/25)
Climate Change is Leaving Us with Extra Space Junk (Source: New Scientist)
Rising sea levels, vanishing glaciers and earlier blooming of flowers are among the well-documented effects of climate change. An increase in space junk can now be added to that list. The upper layers of the atmosphere have a braking effect on defunct satellites and spent rockets, eventually causing them to drop out of orbit and burn up. Researchers at the University of Southampton studied the orbits of 30 satellites over the past 40 years, and recorded a gradual increase in the time they remain in orbit. They attribute this to the cooling and reduced density of the upper atmosphere caused by increasing carbon dioxide levels.
The researchers calculate that the atmosphere is reducing in density by 5 percent every decade at an altitude of 300 kilometers. "The lower molecular braking means debris can remain in orbit up to 25 percent longer." This raises the risk of collisions with satellites and makes it more hazardous to launch spacecraft. Space agencies may need to double the amount of debris they plan to remove from orbit, the researchers say. (6/25)
New Israeli Recon Sat Targets Iran (Source: Aviation Week)
Israel’s newest reconnaissance satellite is seen as boosting the country’s intelligence capabilities against Iran. With the observation satellite Ofeq-9 placed in low Earth orbit June 22, Israel now has six operational remote sensing satellites in space: the Ofeq-5 and 7 military observation satellites; ImageSat’s commercial/military EROS-A and EROS-B1, and Israel Aerospace Industries’ (AIA) TechSAR day/night all-weather synthetic aperture radar satellite, now designated Ofeq-8.
“From now on, no country in the region will be able to conduct clandestine activities at times when there is no Israeli satellite above it, since there will be no such times,” said Yitzhak Ben-Israel, chairman of the Israeli Space Agency. (6/25)
Russians Deny Fault in South Korean Launch Failure (Source: Flight Global)
The cause of the 10 June explosion that ended South Korea's second attempt to launch a satellite has yet to be determined - but the failure was not caused by the Russian-built first stage of the rocket, says the Russian Federal Space Agency. "The commission investigating causes of the accident continues its work and has several versions. But I am almost positive that the breakdown of the KSLV-1 rocket-carrier was not caused by Russia's first stage," says Vitaly Davydov, deputy chief of the Russian space agency. (6/25)
The White House is expected to unveil a new U.S. space policy June 28 that emphasizes international cooperation and commercial space. “This policy seeks to strengthen our domestic commercial space industry and reestablish U.S. leadership in the international community,” states a one-page summary of the policy. The June 25 document — “National Space Policy Top-Level Messages” — was created by Peter Marquez, director of space policy for the White House National Security Council. “The United States,” the document says, “considers the sustainability, stability, and free access to, and use of, space vital to its national interests.
“It is the shared interest of all nations to act responsibly in ways that emphasize openness and transparency, and help prevent mishaps, misperceptions, and mistrust.” The document also says, “A robust and competitive commercial space sector is vital to continued progress in space. “The United States is committed to encouraging and facilitating the growth of a U.S. commercial space sector that supports U.S. needs, is globally competitive, and advances U.S. leadership in the generation of new markets and innovative entrepreneurship.” Click here to read the article. (6/25)
NASA Awards Space Station Mission Integration Contract (Source: NASA)
NASA has awarded a contract with a maximum value of $273 million to Barrios Technology, Ltd., of Houston for International Space Station mission integration services support. Barrios Technology will provide support for engineering and technical services required to support the International Space Station Program. This includes products and services for space station mission planning; integration and operations; international partner integration; and Russian language and logistics services. (6/25)
Advocates Encouraged to Vote for California Space Center Funding (Source: WashingtonWatch.com)
Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA) is supporting a $2 million funding request for a new California Space Center near Vandenberg Air Force Base. Local advocates are encouraged to visit http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/history/ED_49129.html to register their support for the proposed appropriation. (6/25)
NSBRI Postdoctoral Fellowship Program Soliciting Applications (Source: NSBRI)
The National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) is soliciting applications for its Postdoctoral Fellowship Program. Two-year fellowships are available in any U.S. laboratory carrying out space-related biomedical or biotechnological research that supports the NSBRI’s goals. NSBRI research addresses and seeks solutions to the various health concerns associated with long-duration human space exploration. Detailed program and application submission information is available on the NSBRI Web site at www.nsbri.org/Announcements/rfa10-01.html. (6/25)
Lockheed Martin Trident II D5 Missile Achieves New Record of 134 Successful Flight Tests in a Row (Source: LMCO)
The U.S. Navy conducted successful test flights June 8 and 9 of four Trident II D5 Fleet Ballistic Missiles (FBMs) built by Lockheed Martin. The Navy launched the unarmed missiles from the submerged submarine USS Maryland (SSBN 738) in the Atlantic Ocean. Click here for details. (6/25)
United Launch Alliance Joins the Commercial Spaceflight Federation (Source: CSF)
The Commercial Spaceflight Federation is pleased to announce that United Launch Alliance has joined the Federation as an Executive Member. ULA operates the Atlas V, Delta II, and Delta IV launch vehicles. ULA is a funded participant in NASA’s Commercial Crew Development Program. So joining the Commercial Spaceflight Federation is a natural fit for us, and we are proud to do so.” (6/25)
NASA Radar Images Show How Mexico Quake Deformed Earth (Source: NASA)
NASA has released the first-ever airborne radar images of the deformation in Earth's surface caused by a major earthquake -- the magnitude 7.2 temblor that rocked Mexico's state of Baja California and parts of the American Southwest on April 4. Click here to view the article. (6/25)
California Space Center Receives Environmental Clearance (Source: CSA)
The California Space Authority (CSA) has received a Finding of No Significant Impact and Finding of No Practicable Alternative (FONSI/FONPA) for the California Space Center. This document is the formal completion of a two-year National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process. Its completion is a significant milestone toward development of the multi-faceted facility, which is devoted to the inspiration of students to study science, technology, education and math as well as to educate the public about space enterprise in California. Click here for information. (6/25)
Development Begins at New KSC-Based "Exploration Park" (Source: SPACErePORT)
Officials from Space Florida, NASA KSC, and Pizzuti Co. broke ground on Friday for the construction of roadway and utility infrastructure at KSC-based "Exploration Park". With over $7 million from state and county governments, workers will now begin building an access road that will connect the state-developed Space Life Sciences Lab to a nearby "Space Commerce Way" state-funded road. This will allow the SLS Lab to become part of Exploration Park, outside of KSC's security fenceline.
The developers announced a commitment to develop a "spec" building at the park, to be completed in early 2012. They also said they are in negotiations with multiple potential tenants who would like to build other facilities as part of the park's "phase-one", and they expect multiple universities to have a presence there. Companies like Lockheed Martin, NASTAR Center, and XCOR Aerospace were present at the groundbreaking event. (6/25)
Purdue Space Program to Continue, Despite Shuttle Retirement (Source: AIA)
Students have traditionally been attracted to join the elite group of 22 astronauts educated at Purdue University along with the thousands of other engineers who have worked on shuttle missions. But with the government's decision to retire the shuttle program, there could be no jobs in the U.S. along those lines. Purdue says it will nevertheless continue its current space-based curriculum, which has about 600 students. (6/25)
Job Fair Targets Former KSC Workers (Source: CFL-13)
Thousands of space industry workers in Brevard County are worried about their future. But a job fair targeting those that have already been laid off in the space industry gives some hope. Organizers said they didn't know how many people to expect out for Friday’s job fair. They said they had a good turn out Thursday, which was the first day of the space industry job fair. They estimated somewhere between 2,500 to 3,000 people attended the job fair held on site at the Kennedy Space Center.
Friday’s job fair was for current or displaced KSC employees. There were about 41 booths set up, and of those, about 18 are based locally. Organizers said they are planning another job fair for workers in the space industry sometime in the fall, when more layoffs are expected. (6/25)
Kennedy Space Center Job Fair Attracts Thousands (Source: Florida Today)
Hundreds of soon-to-be-unemployed space workers packed into a job fair at Kennedy Space Center on Thursday as they try to prepare for the end of the shuttle program that threatens to idle more than half of the 15,000 workers at the center. "I'm prepared for the worst case," Gary Whitmore, 53, a United Space Alliance safety engineer from Port St. John, said. The worst case would losing his job after 27½ years working in the shuttle program and being forced to leave Brevard County to find work. An uneasy acceptance has settled over the work force, he said.
"They kind of know the end is coming," Whitmore said. "It's something you have no control over, so you accept it." Whitmore was among an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 aerospace workers to show up for the job fair that included 60 government and private employers eager to court the highly trained aerospace workers. The shuttle program's end is no surprise, but Whitmore has procrastinated in preparing for it. "We've had over six years to get ready for it," he said. "I just drew up my resume the other day." (6/25)
California Space Center Expands its Hours (Source: Downey Patriot)
The Columbia Memorial Space Center will expand its hours of operation beginning July 6. The space center will now be open Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission prices will remain the same at $5 per person, groups of 10 or more are $3 per person, and children 3 and younger are free. The goal of the space center is to teach young people about careers in space exploration and aviation, focusing on engineering, technology and space. (6/25)
UF Astronomers Pioneer New Planet-Observing Technique (Source: UF)
Using the world’s largest optical telescope, a team of University of Florida astronomers has pioneered a new method of observing planets outside our solar system. The method suggests that large Earth-based telescopes could play a leading role in rapidly accelerating research on “extrasolar” planets.
The results obtained from the Gran Telescopio Canarias, a telescope in Spain’s Canary Islands partially owned by the University of Florida, are of such high precision that the astronomers are already planning to use the technique to learn more about “super-Earth-sized” planets – larger than Earth but smaller than Neptune – that have already been identified by space-based observatories. (6/25)
India Joins Thirty Meter Telescope Project (Source: TMT)
The Minister of Science and Technology of India, Mr. Prithviraj Chavan, announced the decision of India to join the Thirty Meter Telescope Project (TMT) as an Observer. TMT is the next-generation astronomical observatory that is scheduled to begin scientific operations in 2018 on Mauna Kea, Hawaii. Observer status is the first step in becoming a full partner in TMT and participating in the engineering development and scientific use of what will be the world’s most advanced and capable astronomical observatory. (6/25)
New Problem Delays Ariane Rocket Launch (Source: Reuters)
A technical problem Thursday delayed for the second day running the scheduled launch of an Ariane rocket carrying two satellites, the Arianespace company said. "We once again had a no-go linked to a problem of the pressurization of the lower stage of the launch vehicle," Jean-Yves Le Gall, Arianespace president said. "So the countdown has been halted and we will investigate and understand what happened." (6/25)
Satellite Firm Cuts Hamas TV Broadcasts to Europe (Source: AFP)
A Gaza-based television station, accused of inciting hatred of Jews and Israel, has had its broadcasts to Europe shut off, Eutelsat said. Paris-based Eutelsat said its client Noorsat, the operator which handles the broadcasting of Al-Aqsa TV to parts of Europe and throughout the Middle East, cut the satellite signal on Thursday.
Reacting to the move, Al-Aqsa director Hazem al-Charawi said: "The legal battle has just started and we are determined to pursue it." He told a news conference in Gaza City late on Thursday that the shutdown of its broadcasts to Europe amounted to "another layer of the Gaza blockade imposed by the Zionist lobby with France's help." Charawi also pledged to expand broadcasts in Latin America by striking deals with Arab satellites that beam to that part of the world "in order to make the (Israeli) occupier and his crimes known" to the world. (6/25)
Climate Change is Leaving Us with Extra Space Junk (Source: New Scientist)
Rising sea levels, vanishing glaciers and earlier blooming of flowers are among the well-documented effects of climate change. An increase in space junk can now be added to that list. The upper layers of the atmosphere have a braking effect on defunct satellites and spent rockets, eventually causing them to drop out of orbit and burn up. Researchers at the University of Southampton studied the orbits of 30 satellites over the past 40 years, and recorded a gradual increase in the time they remain in orbit. They attribute this to the cooling and reduced density of the upper atmosphere caused by increasing carbon dioxide levels.
The researchers calculate that the atmosphere is reducing in density by 5 percent every decade at an altitude of 300 kilometers. "The lower molecular braking means debris can remain in orbit up to 25 percent longer." This raises the risk of collisions with satellites and makes it more hazardous to launch spacecraft. Space agencies may need to double the amount of debris they plan to remove from orbit, the researchers say. (6/25)
New Israeli Recon Sat Targets Iran (Source: Aviation Week)
Israel’s newest reconnaissance satellite is seen as boosting the country’s intelligence capabilities against Iran. With the observation satellite Ofeq-9 placed in low Earth orbit June 22, Israel now has six operational remote sensing satellites in space: the Ofeq-5 and 7 military observation satellites; ImageSat’s commercial/military EROS-A and EROS-B1, and Israel Aerospace Industries’ (AIA) TechSAR day/night all-weather synthetic aperture radar satellite, now designated Ofeq-8.
“From now on, no country in the region will be able to conduct clandestine activities at times when there is no Israeli satellite above it, since there will be no such times,” said Yitzhak Ben-Israel, chairman of the Israeli Space Agency. (6/25)
Russians Deny Fault in South Korean Launch Failure (Source: Flight Global)
The cause of the 10 June explosion that ended South Korea's second attempt to launch a satellite has yet to be determined - but the failure was not caused by the Russian-built first stage of the rocket, says the Russian Federal Space Agency. "The commission investigating causes of the accident continues its work and has several versions. But I am almost positive that the breakdown of the KSLV-1 rocket-carrier was not caused by Russia's first stage," says Vitaly Davydov, deputy chief of the Russian space agency. (6/25)
June 24, 2010
Laid Off Huntsville Workers Could End Up With Defense Jobs (Source: Parabolic Arc)
Despite NASA’s efforts to end the Constellation program, things may not be entirely bleak for workers in Huntsville. The Alabama city is experiencing a net growth in defense jobs as a result of decisions made by the Base Realignment and Closure Commission, which was created to consolidate U.S. military bases. Approximately 2,300 BRAC jobs will soon move to the area, and only 15-20 percent of the people now holding those jobs are expected to move with them. If 20 percent or 460 people come, that still would leave about 1,800 jobs to fill locally.
Editor's Note: One of the concerns of Florida officials is that space workers at KSC will be forced to move to Alabama (or South Carolina, where Boeing is expanding its aircraft manufacturing) to obtain employment that matches their skills. The "brain drain" would not only impact NASA's future plans, but also the region's economic competitiveness. (6/24)
Space Shuttle External Tank Inventory (Source: CFL-13)
So what's the story on how many External Fuel Tanks are available for the Space Shuttle? I heard a rumor that there were components manufactured, but not assembled, for at least a couple more ETs. I checked with NASA. There are some tank components available, but only for a flight or two, it looks like. And it would take time to properly prepare what is available. As to cranking up the assembly again, in the unlikely event that the decision is made to keep flying shuttles, that would also take a couple of years or more, I'm told, to get the assembly line going again. Click here for the details. (6/24)
SpaceX Plans Another Round Of Tests (Source: KWTX)
Local (Texas) rocket engine developer SpaceX is scheduled to begin another round of tests for its Falcon 9 rocket engine this week. The first test could occur anytime between noon and 8:30 p.m Thursday and will only last about ten seconds. A second test is scheduled in the days that follow and will last about 30 seconds. The Falcon 9, along with SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft, was recently selected by NASA to resupply the International Space Station starting in 2011. (6/24)
Harris Corp. Wins $140 Million NASA Deal for Satellite Network Tech (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Melbourne-based Harris Corp. has won a contract worth $140 million to produce next-generation technology for ground-based stations of NASA's communications-satellite network. Harris snagged the deal from General Dynamics Corp., lead contractor for NASA's satellite-modernization work. The five-year deal calls for Harris to replace existing ground equipment used by NASA's Tracking and Data Relay System with advanced computers, high-speed modems, signal processors and other equipment. The company will also boost the network's reliability, efficiency and maintenance while reducing costs. (6/24)
Japan Lab Finds Trace of Gas in Deep Space Asteroid Pod (Source: AFP)
Japan's space agency said it had found a trace of gas Thursday in a capsule thought to contain asteroid dust that was brought back to Earth after a multi-billion-kilometer space journey. Researchers at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Sagamihara Campus in Kanagawa began opening the Hayabusa capsule, a process expected to take about a week, JAXA said. Using an optical microscope, they plan to analyze the inside of the container, which was shielded by a Frisbee-sized capsule. Opening the capsule on Thursday, they collected a trace of gas. "We still don't know exactly what kind of gas it is, but the researchers confirmed a trace of low-pressured gas in the capsule," a spokeswoman said. (6/24)
Misconceptions Swirl Around Obama Space Plan (Source: Space News)
Since its announcement earlier this year, President Barack Obama's new space exploration vision for NASA has met with a firestorm of outcry, confusion and misunderstanding. Some of the most common misconceptions are that the plan would take NASA out of the business of human spaceflight, that the President has introduced an untenable gap in U.S. spacefaring ability, and that NASA's budget has been slashed. There have also been claims that the new plan was a secret political scheme designed by hidden architects behind closed doors. NASA's leaders are trying to set the record straight, and the agency is ultimately hoping that the fervor will die down and people will come to embrace the new direction – which aims to send astronauts to visit an asteroid by 2025. (6/24)
Water Flowed on Mars More Recently Than Thought (Source: Space News)
Water flowed on Mars as recently as several hundred million years ago when sunlight melted a thin layer of glacier ice, researchers now say. The evidence lies in dozens of channels on Mars carved by melting glacier water during the cold, dry period that has dominated the red planet for the past 3.5 billion years, researchers said. Such youthful evidence surprised scientists, because it suggests that running water existed on Mars much more recently than previously found. (6/24)
Job Fair at Space Center for Workers Facing Layoffs (Source: CFL-13)
A job fair was held Thursday at Kennedy Space Center for workers facing layoffs when the shuttle fleet retires. An estimated 8,000 to 9,000 space shuttle workers at KSC are expected to lose their jobs. The job fair is for current KSC employees, a second job fair will be held for workers who have already lost their jobs. (6/24)
NASA Kicks Off New University Competition, for Inflatable Habitat "Loft" Concepts (Source: NASA)
The X-Hab Academic Innovation Competition is a university level competition designed to engage and retain students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) disciplines. The challenge is for a senior and graduate level design course in which students will design, manufacture, assemble, and test an inflatable loft that will be integrated onto an existing NASA built operational hard shell prototype. Concepts are to be self-deploying in a specified time, will install to a standard interface on NASA's hard shell Lab, and will meet total mass and volume constraints in both stowed and deployed configurations. Concept shapes and sizes will be determined by the proposer while meeting the constraints of the design requirements. Visit http://bit.ly/aRlxn1 for information. (6/24)
Space Florida Makes Commitment to Green Automaker Avera Motors (Source: Space Florida)
Space Florida has approved an R&D partnership with Avera Motors, a new Central Florida automotive company. The company has developed and plans U.S. manufacturing of innovative performance vehicles that are ultra-efficient, environmentally-friendly and affordable. Space Florida will support Avera Motors' demonstration of unique technologies tied to the new vehicle. Space Florida will purchase a prototype from Avera and plans to work with NASA to validate its new technologies. The vehicle development and testing phase will result in approximately 25 local jobs over the next six months. (6/24)
Task Force on Space Industry Workforce and Economic Development (Source: USDOC)
The Task Force on Space Industry Workforce and Economic Development today launched an interactive Web site to encourage public comment on ways to promote economic growth and sustainability in the Space Coast region as it adapts to changes in America’s space program. The site offers valuable information about the work the Obama administration is doing to create jobs in the region by fostering a more supportive entrepreneurial environment. Public comment can be shared on the Task Force Web site at: http://www.nasa.gov/spacecoasttaskforce. The Task Force will review all input. (6/24)
Arianespace Delays Rocket Launch (Source: AP)
The launch of a European rocket that is to put two satellites into orbit has been postponed in French Guiana because of technical problems. An Arianespace statement says an investigation has been started to figure out the cause of a launcher subsystem anomaly on the Ariane 5 rocket. The mission was delayed Wednesday evening during the final countdown. The rocket and its two payloads will remain in a safe standby mode on the launch pad. (6/24)
Editorial: Flawed Leadership by NASA Admin. Charles Bolden (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden may have one of the hardest jobs in Washington, D.C. He's trying to sell a skeptical public and Congress on President Obama's plan for space, which includes grounding the shuttle and scrapping its successor. Many lawmakers represent regions, including Florida's Space Coast, that have been counting on federal jobs and dollars from those two programs. As a former astronaut, Mr. Bolden speaks with authority on space issues. But spearheading a transformation in any area of public policy also calls for other assets, including skill in navigating the corridors of power and a sensitivity to public appearances.
Mr. Bolden weighed in against NASA's participation with the U.S. Navy in a project to develop ocean-based biofuels. He wrote in a series of e-mails that he did not think NASA should be the lead federal agency looking at alternative fuels. On its face, this is a defensible position. NASA is under tremendous budget pressure, and its leader is right to be wary of taking on commitments when the agency doesn't have enough money to adequately fund its core, space-related activities. NASA shouldn't spread itself too thin — especially now. But Mr. Bolden registered his opinion after running the biofuels project past Marathon Oil Corp., a Houston-based company that has invested in a different biofuels venture. Marathon advised against it. (6/24)
FAA Asks Industry for GPS Backup Ideas (Source: Flight Global)
The US FAA will hold a 3-day public meeting on 10-12 August in Stanford, California to gather industry ideas on alternative positioning, navigation and timing (APNT) methods that could be used if global navigation satellite services (GNSS) are interrupted. At present, the FAA says it uses a variety of non-GNSS equipment, including distance measuring equipment, VHF radio, instrument landing systems and radar surveillance, for APNT services. However the agency notes that with the coming of its space-based next generation air transportation system (NextGen), legacy backup systems will not provide the minimum level of APNT performance needed. (6/24)
Despite Orders, NASA Keeps Funding Projects (Source: Wall Street Journal)
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden's bid to launch astronauts aboard private rockets faces mounting opposition in Congress, but it also appears to be placing him at odds with some of his own agency officials. The White House wants to kill existing manned exploration programs, and invest more than $5 billion in the next few years to outsource astronaut transportation to companies that would build and operate commercial rockets and spacecraft on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's behalf.
As part of the strategy to use private boosters to put crews into orbit, Mr. Bolden in recent weeks issued directives intended to immediately halt or sharply curtail funding for continued work on some big-ticket projects. They include the family of Ares rockets being developed by Alliant Techsystems Inc. However, midlevel NASA contracting officials in the past few days released more than $160 million to Alliant. Andrew Hunter, a NASA budget official, said Wednesday the action was intended to prevent Alliant from being forced to abruptly stop all Ares work and lay off employees. Lockheed Martin Corp. also got the green light to receive $80 million for other work related to a crew capsule. (6/24)
Public Sees a Future Full of Promise and Peril (Source: Pew Research Center)
Many Americans see dramatic scientific and technological advancements on the horizon, with big developments in medicine, engineering, space travel and computers. In the wake of recent shifts in NASA’s plans for manned missions to the moon and the imminent end of the space shuttle program, Americans by and large remain optimistic that astronauts will land on Mars in the next 40 years.
However, fewer now say this is likely than did so 11 years ago (63% today, 76% in 1999). While there are few demographic differences in predictions about space exploration, college graduates are more doubtful than others; 57% of college graduates say astronauts will definitely or probably land on the red planet within 40 years, while 67% of those without college degrees expect this to happen.
The public is more divided when it comes to other space-related scientific advancements. Half (50%) say that by 2050 there definitely or probably will be evidence that humans are not alone in the universe, while 45% say that this evidence probably or definitely won’t exist by then. And about as many people anticipate that within 40 years ordinary people will be able to travel in space (53%) as think it unlikely this will happen (45%). (6/22)
Was Venus Once a Habitable Planet? (Source: ESA)
ESA's Venus Express is helping planetary scientists investigate whether Venus once had oceans. If it did, it may even have begun its existence as a habitable planet similar to Earth. These days, Earth and Venus seem completely different. Earth is a lush, clement world teeming with life, whilst Venus is hellish, its surface roasting at temperatures higher than those of a kitchen oven.
But underneath it all the two planets share a number of striking similarities. They are nearly identical in size and now, thanks to ESA's Venus Express orbiter, planetary scientists are seeing other similarities too. Billions of years ago, Venus probably had much more water. Venus Express has certainly confirmed that the planet has lost a large quantity of water into space. It happens because ultraviolet radiation from the Sun streams into Venus's atmosphere and breaks up the water molecules into atoms: two hydrogens and one oxygen. These then escape to space. (6/24)
Suborbital Rocket Launched from Wallops Island (Source: Virginian-Pilot)
A Terrier-Orion suborbital sounding rocket launched at 7:17 a.m. Thursday from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility. By 7:20 a.m., an official said that the launch appeared to be a success. The rocket carried 11 university experiments that were developed in part with a weeklong workshop on how to build small experiments for launch aboard suborbital rockets, a NASA news release said. A boat is expected to travel out more than 40 miles from shore to retrieve the rocket from the water, according to a NASA webcast. The students whose experiments were on board will have them returned for study. (6/24)
"Superstorm" Found on Exoplanet (Source: Space Today)
Astronomers announced this week evidence for a powerful "superstorm" in the atmosphere of an extrasolar planet. They found signs of powerful winds in the atmosphere of HD 209458b, a "hot Jupiter" exoplanet orbiting just 0.05 AU from its parent star. Astronomer studied the planet as it transited the disk of the star, using a high-resolution spectrograph mounted on the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope to measure variations in carbon monoxide lines as light from the star passes through the planet's dense atmosphere. Those spectral variations indicated that winds in the atmosphere are blowing at speeds of 5,000 to 10,000 km/h, likely caused by the fact that the planet is tidally locked to the star so that only one side is heated, causing large temperature variations and thus powerful winds. (6/24)
India Tells US to Remove ISRO and DRDO From Blacklist (Source: Business Standard)
India has asked the U.S. to remove its two state-run frontline technology establishments ISRO and DRDO from the entities list, in apparent anticipation of Washington and New Delhi opening cooperation in hi-tech systems. India has also asked American companies to invest in defense sector in the country with the visiting Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma assuring that the major changes in the liberalization of FDI policy were under debate.
"Now that the Indo-US relationship has gained a new momentum with the Strategic Dialogue, it makes no sense to keep vital research organizations like Indian Space and Research Organization (ISRO) and Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) in the entities list", Sharma said. (6/24)
Russia, Europe May Join Forces to Protect Earth From Asteroids (Source: RIA Novosti)
Russian space officials and members of the European Commission will meet in early July to discuss joining forces against thousands of potentially hazardous asteroids, the head of the Russian Federal Space Agency Roscosmos said. Despite the growing concern about the asteroid threat, no anti-asteroid defense programs have been developed in practice so far, with only several theoretical concepts being studied. At a meeting in Moscow on July 7, the European Commission will consider Roscosmos's proposal to start a joint anti-asteroid project with the European Union. (6/24)
Moon Orbiter Marks a Milestone (Source: MSNBC)
NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter began orbiting the moon one year ago today, and in honor of the anniversary, the space agency is offering a gallery of "10 cool things" observed by the space probe. This picture, documenting elevation on the moon's far side, is the most psychedelic pic in the set. The big blue blotch is the South Pole-Aitken Basin, one of the largest impact craters in the solar system.
The moon's south polar region is also home to the coldest place in the solar system, which counts as another cool thing on NASA's list. And how can we forget all those pictures of Apollo landing sites, which should take care of the moon-hoax myth once and for all. Do conspiracy theorists really think NASA can keep a secret from a multigenerational team of planetary scientists, spread across 15 institutions around the world? The truth is out there ... and it's pretty cool. (6/24)
Despite NASA’s efforts to end the Constellation program, things may not be entirely bleak for workers in Huntsville. The Alabama city is experiencing a net growth in defense jobs as a result of decisions made by the Base Realignment and Closure Commission, which was created to consolidate U.S. military bases. Approximately 2,300 BRAC jobs will soon move to the area, and only 15-20 percent of the people now holding those jobs are expected to move with them. If 20 percent or 460 people come, that still would leave about 1,800 jobs to fill locally.
Editor's Note: One of the concerns of Florida officials is that space workers at KSC will be forced to move to Alabama (or South Carolina, where Boeing is expanding its aircraft manufacturing) to obtain employment that matches their skills. The "brain drain" would not only impact NASA's future plans, but also the region's economic competitiveness. (6/24)
Space Shuttle External Tank Inventory (Source: CFL-13)
So what's the story on how many External Fuel Tanks are available for the Space Shuttle? I heard a rumor that there were components manufactured, but not assembled, for at least a couple more ETs. I checked with NASA. There are some tank components available, but only for a flight or two, it looks like. And it would take time to properly prepare what is available. As to cranking up the assembly again, in the unlikely event that the decision is made to keep flying shuttles, that would also take a couple of years or more, I'm told, to get the assembly line going again. Click here for the details. (6/24)
SpaceX Plans Another Round Of Tests (Source: KWTX)
Local (Texas) rocket engine developer SpaceX is scheduled to begin another round of tests for its Falcon 9 rocket engine this week. The first test could occur anytime between noon and 8:30 p.m Thursday and will only last about ten seconds. A second test is scheduled in the days that follow and will last about 30 seconds. The Falcon 9, along with SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft, was recently selected by NASA to resupply the International Space Station starting in 2011. (6/24)
Harris Corp. Wins $140 Million NASA Deal for Satellite Network Tech (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Melbourne-based Harris Corp. has won a contract worth $140 million to produce next-generation technology for ground-based stations of NASA's communications-satellite network. Harris snagged the deal from General Dynamics Corp., lead contractor for NASA's satellite-modernization work. The five-year deal calls for Harris to replace existing ground equipment used by NASA's Tracking and Data Relay System with advanced computers, high-speed modems, signal processors and other equipment. The company will also boost the network's reliability, efficiency and maintenance while reducing costs. (6/24)
Japan Lab Finds Trace of Gas in Deep Space Asteroid Pod (Source: AFP)
Japan's space agency said it had found a trace of gas Thursday in a capsule thought to contain asteroid dust that was brought back to Earth after a multi-billion-kilometer space journey. Researchers at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Sagamihara Campus in Kanagawa began opening the Hayabusa capsule, a process expected to take about a week, JAXA said. Using an optical microscope, they plan to analyze the inside of the container, which was shielded by a Frisbee-sized capsule. Opening the capsule on Thursday, they collected a trace of gas. "We still don't know exactly what kind of gas it is, but the researchers confirmed a trace of low-pressured gas in the capsule," a spokeswoman said. (6/24)
Misconceptions Swirl Around Obama Space Plan (Source: Space News)
Since its announcement earlier this year, President Barack Obama's new space exploration vision for NASA has met with a firestorm of outcry, confusion and misunderstanding. Some of the most common misconceptions are that the plan would take NASA out of the business of human spaceflight, that the President has introduced an untenable gap in U.S. spacefaring ability, and that NASA's budget has been slashed. There have also been claims that the new plan was a secret political scheme designed by hidden architects behind closed doors. NASA's leaders are trying to set the record straight, and the agency is ultimately hoping that the fervor will die down and people will come to embrace the new direction – which aims to send astronauts to visit an asteroid by 2025. (6/24)
Water Flowed on Mars More Recently Than Thought (Source: Space News)
Water flowed on Mars as recently as several hundred million years ago when sunlight melted a thin layer of glacier ice, researchers now say. The evidence lies in dozens of channels on Mars carved by melting glacier water during the cold, dry period that has dominated the red planet for the past 3.5 billion years, researchers said. Such youthful evidence surprised scientists, because it suggests that running water existed on Mars much more recently than previously found. (6/24)
Job Fair at Space Center for Workers Facing Layoffs (Source: CFL-13)
A job fair was held Thursday at Kennedy Space Center for workers facing layoffs when the shuttle fleet retires. An estimated 8,000 to 9,000 space shuttle workers at KSC are expected to lose their jobs. The job fair is for current KSC employees, a second job fair will be held for workers who have already lost their jobs. (6/24)
NASA Kicks Off New University Competition, for Inflatable Habitat "Loft" Concepts (Source: NASA)
The X-Hab Academic Innovation Competition is a university level competition designed to engage and retain students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) disciplines. The challenge is for a senior and graduate level design course in which students will design, manufacture, assemble, and test an inflatable loft that will be integrated onto an existing NASA built operational hard shell prototype. Concepts are to be self-deploying in a specified time, will install to a standard interface on NASA's hard shell Lab, and will meet total mass and volume constraints in both stowed and deployed configurations. Concept shapes and sizes will be determined by the proposer while meeting the constraints of the design requirements. Visit http://bit.ly/aRlxn1 for information. (6/24)
Space Florida Makes Commitment to Green Automaker Avera Motors (Source: Space Florida)
Space Florida has approved an R&D partnership with Avera Motors, a new Central Florida automotive company. The company has developed and plans U.S. manufacturing of innovative performance vehicles that are ultra-efficient, environmentally-friendly and affordable. Space Florida will support Avera Motors' demonstration of unique technologies tied to the new vehicle. Space Florida will purchase a prototype from Avera and plans to work with NASA to validate its new technologies. The vehicle development and testing phase will result in approximately 25 local jobs over the next six months. (6/24)
Task Force on Space Industry Workforce and Economic Development (Source: USDOC)
The Task Force on Space Industry Workforce and Economic Development today launched an interactive Web site to encourage public comment on ways to promote economic growth and sustainability in the Space Coast region as it adapts to changes in America’s space program. The site offers valuable information about the work the Obama administration is doing to create jobs in the region by fostering a more supportive entrepreneurial environment. Public comment can be shared on the Task Force Web site at: http://www.nasa.gov/spacecoasttaskforce. The Task Force will review all input. (6/24)
Arianespace Delays Rocket Launch (Source: AP)
The launch of a European rocket that is to put two satellites into orbit has been postponed in French Guiana because of technical problems. An Arianespace statement says an investigation has been started to figure out the cause of a launcher subsystem anomaly on the Ariane 5 rocket. The mission was delayed Wednesday evening during the final countdown. The rocket and its two payloads will remain in a safe standby mode on the launch pad. (6/24)
Editorial: Flawed Leadership by NASA Admin. Charles Bolden (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden may have one of the hardest jobs in Washington, D.C. He's trying to sell a skeptical public and Congress on President Obama's plan for space, which includes grounding the shuttle and scrapping its successor. Many lawmakers represent regions, including Florida's Space Coast, that have been counting on federal jobs and dollars from those two programs. As a former astronaut, Mr. Bolden speaks with authority on space issues. But spearheading a transformation in any area of public policy also calls for other assets, including skill in navigating the corridors of power and a sensitivity to public appearances.
Mr. Bolden weighed in against NASA's participation with the U.S. Navy in a project to develop ocean-based biofuels. He wrote in a series of e-mails that he did not think NASA should be the lead federal agency looking at alternative fuels. On its face, this is a defensible position. NASA is under tremendous budget pressure, and its leader is right to be wary of taking on commitments when the agency doesn't have enough money to adequately fund its core, space-related activities. NASA shouldn't spread itself too thin — especially now. But Mr. Bolden registered his opinion after running the biofuels project past Marathon Oil Corp., a Houston-based company that has invested in a different biofuels venture. Marathon advised against it. (6/24)
FAA Asks Industry for GPS Backup Ideas (Source: Flight Global)
The US FAA will hold a 3-day public meeting on 10-12 August in Stanford, California to gather industry ideas on alternative positioning, navigation and timing (APNT) methods that could be used if global navigation satellite services (GNSS) are interrupted. At present, the FAA says it uses a variety of non-GNSS equipment, including distance measuring equipment, VHF radio, instrument landing systems and radar surveillance, for APNT services. However the agency notes that with the coming of its space-based next generation air transportation system (NextGen), legacy backup systems will not provide the minimum level of APNT performance needed. (6/24)
Despite Orders, NASA Keeps Funding Projects (Source: Wall Street Journal)
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden's bid to launch astronauts aboard private rockets faces mounting opposition in Congress, but it also appears to be placing him at odds with some of his own agency officials. The White House wants to kill existing manned exploration programs, and invest more than $5 billion in the next few years to outsource astronaut transportation to companies that would build and operate commercial rockets and spacecraft on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's behalf.
As part of the strategy to use private boosters to put crews into orbit, Mr. Bolden in recent weeks issued directives intended to immediately halt or sharply curtail funding for continued work on some big-ticket projects. They include the family of Ares rockets being developed by Alliant Techsystems Inc. However, midlevel NASA contracting officials in the past few days released more than $160 million to Alliant. Andrew Hunter, a NASA budget official, said Wednesday the action was intended to prevent Alliant from being forced to abruptly stop all Ares work and lay off employees. Lockheed Martin Corp. also got the green light to receive $80 million for other work related to a crew capsule. (6/24)
Public Sees a Future Full of Promise and Peril (Source: Pew Research Center)
Many Americans see dramatic scientific and technological advancements on the horizon, with big developments in medicine, engineering, space travel and computers. In the wake of recent shifts in NASA’s plans for manned missions to the moon and the imminent end of the space shuttle program, Americans by and large remain optimistic that astronauts will land on Mars in the next 40 years.
However, fewer now say this is likely than did so 11 years ago (63% today, 76% in 1999). While there are few demographic differences in predictions about space exploration, college graduates are more doubtful than others; 57% of college graduates say astronauts will definitely or probably land on the red planet within 40 years, while 67% of those without college degrees expect this to happen.
The public is more divided when it comes to other space-related scientific advancements. Half (50%) say that by 2050 there definitely or probably will be evidence that humans are not alone in the universe, while 45% say that this evidence probably or definitely won’t exist by then. And about as many people anticipate that within 40 years ordinary people will be able to travel in space (53%) as think it unlikely this will happen (45%). (6/22)
Was Venus Once a Habitable Planet? (Source: ESA)
ESA's Venus Express is helping planetary scientists investigate whether Venus once had oceans. If it did, it may even have begun its existence as a habitable planet similar to Earth. These days, Earth and Venus seem completely different. Earth is a lush, clement world teeming with life, whilst Venus is hellish, its surface roasting at temperatures higher than those of a kitchen oven.
But underneath it all the two planets share a number of striking similarities. They are nearly identical in size and now, thanks to ESA's Venus Express orbiter, planetary scientists are seeing other similarities too. Billions of years ago, Venus probably had much more water. Venus Express has certainly confirmed that the planet has lost a large quantity of water into space. It happens because ultraviolet radiation from the Sun streams into Venus's atmosphere and breaks up the water molecules into atoms: two hydrogens and one oxygen. These then escape to space. (6/24)
Suborbital Rocket Launched from Wallops Island (Source: Virginian-Pilot)
A Terrier-Orion suborbital sounding rocket launched at 7:17 a.m. Thursday from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility. By 7:20 a.m., an official said that the launch appeared to be a success. The rocket carried 11 university experiments that were developed in part with a weeklong workshop on how to build small experiments for launch aboard suborbital rockets, a NASA news release said. A boat is expected to travel out more than 40 miles from shore to retrieve the rocket from the water, according to a NASA webcast. The students whose experiments were on board will have them returned for study. (6/24)
"Superstorm" Found on Exoplanet (Source: Space Today)
Astronomers announced this week evidence for a powerful "superstorm" in the atmosphere of an extrasolar planet. They found signs of powerful winds in the atmosphere of HD 209458b, a "hot Jupiter" exoplanet orbiting just 0.05 AU from its parent star. Astronomer studied the planet as it transited the disk of the star, using a high-resolution spectrograph mounted on the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope to measure variations in carbon monoxide lines as light from the star passes through the planet's dense atmosphere. Those spectral variations indicated that winds in the atmosphere are blowing at speeds of 5,000 to 10,000 km/h, likely caused by the fact that the planet is tidally locked to the star so that only one side is heated, causing large temperature variations and thus powerful winds. (6/24)
India Tells US to Remove ISRO and DRDO From Blacklist (Source: Business Standard)
India has asked the U.S. to remove its two state-run frontline technology establishments ISRO and DRDO from the entities list, in apparent anticipation of Washington and New Delhi opening cooperation in hi-tech systems. India has also asked American companies to invest in defense sector in the country with the visiting Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma assuring that the major changes in the liberalization of FDI policy were under debate.
"Now that the Indo-US relationship has gained a new momentum with the Strategic Dialogue, it makes no sense to keep vital research organizations like Indian Space and Research Organization (ISRO) and Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) in the entities list", Sharma said. (6/24)
Russia, Europe May Join Forces to Protect Earth From Asteroids (Source: RIA Novosti)
Russian space officials and members of the European Commission will meet in early July to discuss joining forces against thousands of potentially hazardous asteroids, the head of the Russian Federal Space Agency Roscosmos said. Despite the growing concern about the asteroid threat, no anti-asteroid defense programs have been developed in practice so far, with only several theoretical concepts being studied. At a meeting in Moscow on July 7, the European Commission will consider Roscosmos's proposal to start a joint anti-asteroid project with the European Union. (6/24)
Moon Orbiter Marks a Milestone (Source: MSNBC)
NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter began orbiting the moon one year ago today, and in honor of the anniversary, the space agency is offering a gallery of "10 cool things" observed by the space probe. This picture, documenting elevation on the moon's far side, is the most psychedelic pic in the set. The big blue blotch is the South Pole-Aitken Basin, one of the largest impact craters in the solar system.
The moon's south polar region is also home to the coldest place in the solar system, which counts as another cool thing on NASA's list. And how can we forget all those pictures of Apollo landing sites, which should take care of the moon-hoax myth once and for all. Do conspiracy theorists really think NASA can keep a secret from a multigenerational team of planetary scientists, spread across 15 institutions around the world? The truth is out there ... and it's pretty cool. (6/24)
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