Undue Blame for the Obama
Administration and CRS (Source: Space Politics)
An article published by the Washington Examiner attempts to tie the
flawed-but-successful Falcon-9 mission to Elon Musk’s political
contributions to the Obama campaign. The article makes some odd claims
(including suggesting that because the Falcon lost an engine it “only
delivered 882 of the promised 1,800 pounds of resupply cargo for the
space station”; Dragon delivered all 400 kilograms of cargo it was
loaded with to the ISS) and then goes on mention Musk’s contributions
to the Obama campaign and perceived flaws in the use of Space Act
Agreements (“a carte blanche handover of public money without litmus
tests”) to support such efforts.
The problem is that the Dragon and Falcon-9 were developed under a COTS
award made in 2006, during the Bush Administration. That, too, was a
Space Act Agreement, which makes former NASA Administrator Mike
Griffin’s criticism of such agreements, mentioned in the Examiner
article, look odd. In addition, the Commercial Resupply Services (CRS)
contract, which this Dragon mission is the first of twelve, was awarded
by NASA to SpaceX in December 2008, a month before President Obama took
office. (10/12)
NASA Signs Agreement to Develop Nasal
Spray for Motion Sickness (Source: NASA Watch)
Under the Space Act Agreement, Epiomed will formulate the drug, called
intranasal scopolamine, or INSCOP. Astronauts often experience motion
sickness in space. As a result, NASA has conducted extensive research
into the causes and treatments for the condition. Scopolamine is
effective and can be administered as a tablet or injected. With a
precise dosage, the NASA spray formulation has been shown to work
faster and more reliably than the oral form. (10/12)
New Government Travel Restrictions
Force AAS to Cancel Conference (Source: Space Policy Online)
The American Astronautical Society (AAS) announced today that it must
cancel its annual National Conference in November because new travel
restrictions for government employees caused all of the high level NASA
officials who were scheduled to speak at the conference to withdraw.
The decision does not affect next week's AAS Von Braun symposium in
Huntsville which will proceed as scheduled. (10/11)
Favorites Emerge in the Google Moon
Race (Source: Popular Mechanics)
Twenty-five teams are officially in the running for the Google Lunar X
PRIZE (GLXP), the $30 million prize for soft-landing a privately funded
unmanned spacecraft on the moon. As the 2015 deadline approaches,
however, it has become clear which teams are the early leaders in the
chase to pull off a feat achieved only by two world superpowers, and
not since the 1970s.
Moon Express is building a lander that will fire up its descent and
landing rockets to "hop" (rather than roll) the required 500 meters
across the lunar surface to qualify for the GLXP win. Another top
competitor is Astrobotic Technology, based at Carnegie Mellon
University. They have a launch contract with SpaceX for a ride on the
Falcon 9 rocket. And this week, Astrobotic announced that it had
completed a fully working prototype for its Polaris moon rover.
Of the 23 other teams in the competition, only one other group claims
to have made launch arrangements. The Barcelona Moon Team said in
August that it had secured a launch aboard a Chinese Long March 2C
rocket. Editor's Note: Earthrise Space says they are in negotiations
for a launch opportunity, with an announcement possible soon. (10/13)
How a Martian Meteorite Rocked the
World (Source: Space.com)
On July 18, 2011, at 2 a.m. local time, nomads living in a desert
valley in southern Morocco near the Algerian border reported seeing a
fireball light up the sky followed by two sonic booms. This was a truly
rare event, not just the arrival of a Martian meteorite, but a
meteorite fall that had witnesses.
Since this meteorite, later dubbed Tissint, landed, even the smallest
fragments have been scooped up and distributed among collectors,
museums and research institutions around the world. Researchers have
begun examining them for clues about their home planet. And sales of
the Mars rocks continue, with two pieces of Tissint going up for sale
on Sunday (Oct. 14) during a public auction based in Manhattan. (10/13)
Bill Nye Needs Your Help to Restore
NASA’s Space Exploration Budget (Source: Beta Beat)
Millennial icon Bill Nye the Science Guy, whom this reporter once had
the immense pleasure of interviewing, currently serves as the CEO of
the Planetary Society. There, he’s worked to raise awareness about the
Curiosity Rover’s mission to Mars, as well as advised Elon Musk on what
the space research community needs out of a commercial space program.
(“We need cheap access to orbit,” Mr. Nye told us in an interview.
“It’s the key first step. Getting to orbit right now is too expensive.”)
Mr. Nye is working to raise awareness about NASA’s gutted space
exploration budget. Yesterday, his team published a YouTube video of
Mr. Nye urging viewers to send a letter to the President, asking him to
restore the budget. “Even if you don’t like the president, we’d like
you to write to him because he’s the guy that can make that last thing
happen to make sure that the budget for planetary science gets
restored,” Mr. Nye says. (10/13)
Endeavour Rolls Through Los Angeles
(Source: New York Times)
The space shuttle Endeavour rolled out of Los Angeles International
Airport around 2 a.m. Friday for what has been named Mission 26: the
two-day crawl through urban streets to retirement at the California
Science Center 12 miles away. Actually, crawling might have been
faster. Traveling aboard a specially designed 80-wheel transporter and
stopping frequently while it maneuvered carefully between streetlights
and waiting for overhanging tree branches to be felled, the shuttle
took hours to cover just its first couple of miles.
But the slow progress only facilitated the paradelike atmosphere that
followed the spaceship. By the time the sun was up Friday morning,
thousands had gathered in the parking lot where the Endeavour had
pulled in for a rest. “Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness!” said Lealind
Vitello, 7, who stood, gaping, outside her elementary school across the
street. “It’s parked just in front of the school. I go to that school!”
(10/12)
Architect Sees Big Things Ahead for KSC
(Source: Florida Today)
For Nick Gigante, building a retirement home for shuttle Atlantis
simply marks a transition for the space industry in Brevard County. The
director of architecture for Melbourne-based BRPH Architects-Engineers
Inc. is excited about being the engineer of record for the new
structure at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, which will
permanently house the retired orbiter. He’s also excited about what’s
happening within the gates at KSC.
“There is a lot going on,” said Gigante, who lives on north Merritt
Island. “NASA has looked at what they have, and they are getting ready
to improve a lot of those facilities for the future.” He said BRPH has
been fortunate to be part of projects that are looking toward the
future. BRPH specializes in aerospace, aviation and education
facilities. The company has been involved in other launch facilities in
Virginia, Alaska and California, but Gigante says KSC holds more
potential. (10/13)
Builder Hopes to See New Projects at
KSC (Source: Florida Today)
In his teens, Kevin Ivey began working at the space center for the
construction company his father started in 1973. Now, as president and
owner of Merritt Island-based Ivey’s Construction Inc., he is helping
move Atlantis to Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, where the
orbiter will go on display. He hopes this marks a new period of
activity in the space industry.
“We are waiting for that next big program to start up,” said Ivey,
whose company’s work includes modifications to launch complexes. Work
has slowed for Ivey since the end of the shuttle program and
cancellation of the Ares return-to-the-moon program. The future is
uncertain for Ivey and his company. “We are anxious to see where it
goes as far as the new programs starting up,” Ivey said. (10/13)
USA Lays Off 304 More KSC Workers
(Source: Florida Today)
United Space Alliance announced layoffs of 304 Kenndy Space Center
workers on Friday in Administrative and Support and Waste Management
and Remediation Services. A total of 344 workers will be terminated in
Florida and Houston between Dec. 7 and Jan. 4, said USA spokeswoman
Ilene Walsh in Houston. With these cuts, the former prime shuttle
contractor will reduce its workforce to 773 in Florida and 1,154 in
Texas. Additional workforce reductions are tentatively scheduled for
March or April, Walsh said. (10/13)
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