HASC Wants Answers on DOD Use of
Foreign Commercial Satellites (Source: Space Policy Online)
House Armed Services Committee (HASC) Chairman Howard "Buck" McKeon
(R-CA) has released the text of the draft FY2014 National Defense
Authorization Act (NDAA) his committee will markup on Wednesday. Among
the provisions in the 426-page bill, H.R.1960, is one that requires the
Secretary of Defense to answer questions about why DOD leases
communications satellite services from certain countries subject to
U.S. sanctions.
At a hearing before HASC's Strategic Forces subcommittee in April,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy Doug Loverro
revealed that DOD is leasing services on a Chinese-owned communications
satellite. The revelation came as a surprise considering that many
House Republicans are opposed to civilian space cooperation with China
and the law prohibits NASA and the White House Office of Science and
Technology Policy (OSTP) from spending any money in connection with
China unless certain conditions are met. No similar restrictions have
been placed on DOD, however. At least not yet. (6/3)
Is Catching An Asteroid The Best Way
To Mars? (Source: Aviation Week)
Frustrated lawmakers on the House Science, Space and Technology
Committee may force a public debate on U.S. human spaceflight plans as
they prepare a new authorization bill for NASA this summer. Their
efforts may actually bring an important discussion about what the U.S.
is doing in civil space out of closed government meeting rooms and into
the view of taxpayers, who ultimately will fund it. At issue, as stated
with unusual clarity by science-panel leaders in a May 21 hearing, is
the best way to send humans to Mars.
Members of both parties were lukewarm at best in their assessment of
the space agency's new plan to capture a small asteroid and divert it
into lunar orbit for astronauts to study from an Orion capsule. Rep.
Steve Palazzo (R-Miss.), chairman of the House Science space
subcommittee, said he worries the asteroid-capture plan is “a detour”
on the way to Mars. Rep. Donna Edwards of Maryland, ranking Democrat on
the space panel, warns that “before we look at interim steps, we need
first to understand what it takes to get to Mars.” (6/3)
Bolden Lacks Faith in America (Source:
Citizens in Space)
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden has explained his recent comment that
NASA is not going back to the Moon. In the process, he demonstrates a
certain myopia: "I have never said the United States is not going back
to the lunar surface. I just said that in the foreseeable future, given
the budget that NASA currently has and given where we are and what we
need technologically if we’re going to go to Mars, then it will not be
the United States that leads an expedition to the lunar surface."
Editor's Note:
I think Bolden was referring to NASA when he said "United States."
Obviously there are U.S. commercial efforts aimed at the Moon and NASA
will likely support them. (6/4)
Experimental Radar at KSC Keeps Eye on
Asteroids (Source: Florida Today)
In a remote area of Kennedy Space Center, NASA lifted the veil on a
project that could lead to a sophisticated early-warning system — one
that could save the world from inbound asteroids that could slam into
the planet and snuff out the human species. “This is a technology
demonstration that could help us identify some of those objects,” said
NASA Associate Administrator Robert Lightfoot – the agency’s highest
ranked civil servant.
And the three-year project also could help NASA spot an asteroid to go
fetch for a human expedition outlined in President Barack Obama’s
proposed $17.7 billion budget for NASA in 2014. Situated near
alligator-infested swamps and lakes at KSC, three 40-foot-diameter
radar antenna dishes stand in a triangular formation, each 197 feet
apart.
Antenna operators put them through the paces, commanding the dishes to
make slight, repeated movements to track the sun. A slow, audible
whoosh-whoosh washed over the site. It sounded like a giant windshield
wiper at work. Mark Seibert, a manager with the technology development
office at KSC, said the three antennas are linked together by computers
and custom-made algorithms. (6/5)
Space Solar Power: Key to a Livable
Planet Earth (Source: NSS)
National Space Society (NSS) announces a new space solar power
international initiative. NSS endorses this initiative and will work to
forge an international organization involving America, India and other
nations to develop space solar power. This has the potential of solving
humanity's energy needs and greatly mitigating climate change.
The following is a joint statement of Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Former
President of the Republic of India and Mr. Mark Hopkins, Executive
Committee Chairman, National Space Society. We, Dr. Kalam and Mr.
Hopkins, have long shared humanity's dream of all nations living
together in prosperity and peace and moving forwards through global
collaboration in space to meet the challenges that now face our Planet
Earth.
We are conscious that all nations have to strive to make our planet
livable again, after centuries of devastation of its environment and
ecosystems and rapid depletion of its precious mineral resources,
including fossil fuels and fresh water. Today, we begin working
together to realize such a 21st Century global collaboration; and
together help to lay the structural foundation for an international
collaboration to develop and deploy space solar power systems. (6/10)
NASA Looks to 'Discover New Worlds'
with Consumer Technology (Source: Wall Street Journal)
NASA is turning to consumer technology to help cut costs for missions.
The agency is suffering financially from the effects of sequestration.
"We want to discover new worlds with consumer devices that make the
missions more affordable," said Tom Soderstrom of JPL. The agency has
created an "IT petting zoo" where it experiments with emerging consumer
technology. Click here.
(6/4)
Sierra Nevada Begins Dream Chaser
Hybrid Motor Testing (Source: SNC)
Sierra Nevada announces the successful start of the latest phase of
hybrid rocket motor qualification testing for the Dream Chaser flight
vehicle. SNC completed two tests this week at its rocket test facility
in San Diego. A motor firing and ignition test was completed in
preparation for upcoming motor tests under the current Commercial Crew
Integrated Capability (CCiCap) award. SNC will conduct another series
of hybrid motor firings to meet the next CCiCap contracted milestone
beginning this summer.
After required modifications were completed, the test firing was
conducted in order to validate Dream Chaser’s motor test stand. This
was after required modifications were completed and to ensure that SNC
can move forward with the future heavy weight motor test series with
minimal test stand risk. The Dream Chaser version of the hybrid rocket
motor was last tested in 2010 under the Commercial Crew Development
Program (CCDev1) Space Act Agreement during which SNC completed three
successful test firings of a single hybrid motor in one day. (6/10)
U.S. Air Force Soliciting Input on
Launch Services (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Air Force is asking industry for feedback on ways to enhance
competition in the national security launch market, according to a
notice published in the Federal Register May 29. The feedback is being
requested by the deputy undersecretary of the Air Force for space,
Richard McKinney, as part of an ongoing strategic National Security
Space Launch Assessment.
The notice asks launch companies for information including short- and
long-term plans for offering launch services to the Defense Department,
any critical issues of concern and recommendations for improving or
lowering the cost of launch services. The Air Force procures launch
services under the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program,
whose costs have soared in the past several years.
Currently, the Air Force is negotiating the purchase of up to 36 rocket
cores over five years from the incumbent EELV contractor, United Launch
Alliance of Denver, and plans to competitively award an additional 14
missions to give newcomers such as Space Exploration Technologies Corp.
a chance. (6/3)
Chinese Shenzhou Spacecraft Set to
Launch in Mid-June (Sources: SpaceFlightNow.com, NASA Watch)
Chinese engineers transferred a 191-foot-tall Long March rocket to the
launch pad Monday as officials gear up for liftoff of China's next
human spaceflight in mid-June, state media reported. The Long March 2F
rocket rolled about one mile from an assembly building to the launch
pad at the Jiuquan space center, a military-run base in northwest
China's Gobi desert.
It took an hour to complete the rollout, according to China's state-run
CCTV television network. Sitting atop a mobile launch platform, the
Long March 2F was towed along dual rail tracks amid throngs of
employees and guests at the remote launch base. The rocket and China's
Shenzhou 10 spacecraft reached the launch pad at about 10:15 a.m.
Beijing time, according to an update posted online by the China
Aerospace Science and Technology Corp.
The Shenzhou-10 manned spacecraft will be launched at 5:38 p.m.
Tuesday, said China's manned space program spokeswoman on Monday. The
spacecraft will take three astronauts, two male and one female, into
the space, said Wu Ping, the program's spokeswoman. (6/10)
NASA Announces 2013 Space Technology
Research Grants (Source: NASA)
NASA has selected 65 graduate students as the 2013 class of Space
Technology Research Fellows. This third class of space technology
graduate students will conduct research relevant to agency technology
challenges aligned with NASA's space technology roadmaps, while
pursuing degrees in related disciplines at their respective
institutions. Editor's
Note: One Florida student was selected. Drew Burgett from USF
will study radiation-resistance and power efficiency for nano-magnetic
logic. (6/10)
China Reveals First Space-Based
Quantum Communications Experiment (Source: MIT Tech Review)
The Chinese claim another small victory in the quantum space race.
Jian-Wei Pan at the University of Science and Technology of China in
Shanghai and a few pals say they've bounced single photons off an
orbiting satellite and detected them back on Earth. That's significant
because it simulates a satellite sending single photons from orbit to
the Surface, crossing off another proof-of-principle milestone in their
quantum checklist.
"... Why publish it now? The answer may be a small but significant
detail revealed in the final paragraph of the paper. Here Jian-Wei and
co announce that they plan to launch the first quantum science
experiment into space. The spacecraft is called the Chinese Quantum
Science Satellite and it is scheduled for launch in 2016." (6/10)
Suborbital Research Enters a Time of
Transition (Source: Space Review)
For the last several years, scientists and spaceflight advocates have
been promoting suborbital reusable launch vehicles as an ideal platform
for research. Now, Jeff Foust reports, those efforts may finally be
paying off as those vehicles get closer to flight. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/2311/1
to view the article. (6/10)
"We Don't Take Girls": Hillary Clinton
and Her NASA Letter (Source: Space Review)
Former senator and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said on
multiple occasions that she wrote to NASA as a girl and was told she
could not become an astronaut. James Oberg examines what records exist
of that era to see how likely it would have been for NASA to send such
a letter. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/2310/1
to view the article. (6/10)
A Values-Based Approach Toward
National Space Policy (Source: Space Review)
A long-standing challenge in national space policy is developing
compelling rationale for human spaceflight. Matt Greenhouse argues that
human spaceflight can provide value by supporting missions of
discovery. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/2309/1
to view the article. (6/10)
Red Dreams (Source: The
Economist)
Mars has always been Shangri-La for space buffs. Two new private
missions show that its lure is as strong as ever. Two privately run
organizations in particular—Inspiration Mars, brainchild of Dennis
Tito, an American tycoon who became the world’s first space tourist in
2001, and Mars One, run by Bas Lansdorp, a Dutch entrepreneur—have
announced plans to send people to Mars without relying on the resources
of a state.
Mr Lansdorp admits that, on hearing about his plans, people’s first
response is that he must be crazy. But both he and Mr Tito (who started
his career as an engineer at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, JPL, in
Pasadena, which runs NASA’s unmanned Mars missions) insist they are
serious. Technical studies have been done, astronaut applications are
being processed and deals are being signed with the firms that will
build the spacecraft. Click here.
(6/1)
Craig Keeps Crucial Technology
Operating (Source: Florida Today)
Craig Technologies recently showed off a shuttle-era facility it plans
to use to capture new business in what a NASA official called a good
example of public-private cooperation. Nearly a year after reaching an
agreement with the space agency that allowed Craig Technologies to take
possession of hundreds of pieces of machine shop and lab equipment used
in the space shuttle program, the company opened its facility for a
public peek.
Craig Technologies’ five-year Space Act Agreement with NASA’s Kennedy
Space Center led to the company consolidating its operations in
Melbourne and at Port Canaveral into the 161,000-square-foot property
formerly known as the NASA Shuttle Logistics Depot in Cape Canaveral.
The company, which employes about 340 people, intends to use the
equipment to service private companies’ space ventures, and to provide
other aerospace and manufacturing services.
Kennedy Space Center Director Robert Cabana, who joined about 125
community leaders for a tour of the facility, said the unique
arrangement with Craig Technologies was mutually beneficial. Cabana
said the arrangement with Craig Technologies is saving NASA about $3.4
million. “I think that’s fantastic,” he said. (6/4)
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