A Footstep to Mars – and
Beyond (Source: WIRED)
Robots are much cheaper than astronauts, though arguably less capable.
Astronauts are more capable than robots, yet are fragile, with so many
requirements for survival and risk avoidance that their missions tend
to be very expensive... Robotic exploration is human exploration. The
army of people behind every move Curiosity makes on Mars is an army of
explorers, even if not one of them ever dons a space suit.
Similarly, human exploration is robotic exploration. Astronauts are
dependent on machines that transport and support them in the alien
environment of space. The Space Shuttle, though flown by astronauts in
certain circumstances, was a robot during the critical phases of ascent
and reentry. Click here.
(3/31)
Space Tourism: "Shuttle
Landing Experience" Offers Approach Flights to KSC Strip
(Source: SLE)
"The Shuttle is gone, but the dream lives on." Shuttle Landing
Experience takes you on a flight in a modified aircraft, duplicating
the sensation of landing in the actual Space Shuttle. Prices start as
low as $59.00 per seat. Click here.
(3/31)
Florida Companies Put
Drones in the Sky (Source: News-Press)
Some southwest Florida firms aren't waiting for the Federal Aviation
Administration to craft rules regarding drone use. The Naples Studio
and a Sanibel Island Realtor are sending drones into the sky to get
aerial shots for their businesses. "The FAA will work it out," said
Drew Townsend, president of The Naples Studio, speaking about
commercial drone use. "I'm not concerned about it." (3/29)
Wild New Solar System
Comes Into Focus (Source: SpaceFlight Insider)
A ring around an asteroid, a new dwarf planet, a fresh gully on Mars,
and preparations to land on a comet – it’s all happening in the solar
system at the moment. The last week or two has brought a slew of new
discoveries and the promise of many more to come in the very near
future. Click here.
(3/31)
Spaceport America
Southern Road Gets $6.4M Boost (Source: Las Cruces
Sun-News)
With the addition of $6.4 million approved by the New Mexico
Legislature this year, the New Mexico Spaceport Authority now has about
$14.5 million total for a paved southern road to the remote spaceport.
That is just $500,000 less than what it was before the spaceport
authority dipped into the road budget because of a delayed start to
operations by the spaceport's main tenant, Virgin Galactic, and the
fact it doesn't have a visitors center built and running, spaceport
officials said.
Both are expected to be key revenue streams for the $212 million
taxpayer-owned facility. Spaceport officials said they were pleased
lawmakers granted the additional funding. "It means we can build the
road," said Spaceport Authority chief Christine Anderson. The roughly
24-mile road branches off from Interstate 10 north of a U.S. Border
Patrol checkpoint. It heads north from the Upham exit through northern
Doña Ana County and crosses into Sierra County before reaching
Spaceport America. The route now is a dirt road, but spaceport and
county officials are proposing to pave it. (3/31)
India Delays GSLV Mk-III
Debut (Source: New Indian Express)
Space buffs will have to wait at least until June this year to see the
Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mk-III (GSLV Mk-III), India’s
biggest rocket, flight-tested. The original plan was to have the
sub-orbital test flight of the GSLV-Mk III in April, but the mission
has been put off by two months. “Work has progressed quickly on the
core stage of the rocket and its two strap-on boosters, but the upper
stage which uses a cryogenic engine will take another month to
complete,” ISRO officials said. (3/31)
Can Musk Convince Senate
to Level the Playing Field -- and Save Taxpayers Billions?
(Source: Motley Fool)
"SpaceX was founded to radically improve space transport technology.
... Today, it is one of the leading aerospace companies in the world,
with nearly 50 missions contracted ... eight [Falcon 9 rockets
launched] with 100% mission success, including four launches for NASA,
three to the International Space Station, and sophisticated
geostationary spacecraft for the world's leading satellite companies."
So began SpaceX founder Elon Musk when he sat down before the U.S.
Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee earlier this month. But
while all this sounds impressive already, Musk was just getting warmed
up -- and his next promise will shock you. Musk wants to wipe out
two-thirds of the cost of launching satellites into space, and break
Boeing and Lockheed Martin's monopoly over space launches in the
process.
As Musk reminded the Senate panel members, the U.S. government pays the
United Launch Alliance ("ULA" -- a Boeing-Lockheed Martin joint
venture) $1 billion a year to stand ready to send rockets into space.
Washington pays even if no launches actually happen. The actual cost
when a satellite goes up? On average, $380 million. Musk says SpaceX
can do the same job for just $100 million and would waive the $1
billion annual retainer. Click here.
(3/31)
Dwarf Planet Discovery
Could Help Show Life's Spread Through Solar System
(Source: Astrobiology)
Mapping tiny worlds at the Solar System's edge could one day show
scientists how life arose on Earth. That's because many of these
objects could contain organics, carbon-based material that are
ingredients for life. As the scientists continue their search, they
expect that 2012 VP133 will be the first of a series of discoveries of
such objects.
Finding such a world has a value of its own, but the team is also
thinking of a greater astrobiological question as they study 2012
VP133. Are the possible organics —which show up as ultra-red material
in telescopes — a possible source for life on Earth? And could be this
be true of other planetary systems as well? Curiously enough, 2012
VP133 has none of this material on it, but Sedna does. It will take
more discoveries of such objects to figure out if ultra-red material is
common outside of the Kuiper Belt, and how organics could have been
transported to Earth early in our Solar System's history.
In a 2012 paper in the Astronomical Journal, "The Color Differences of
Kuiper Belt Objects in Resonance with Neptune," Sheppard examined 58
Kuiper Belt objects that have a resonance with the gas giant. He found
that those resonant objects that are embedded in the Kuiper Belt are
full of this ultra-red material, indicating likely organics. On the
edge of the belt, some of those objects also still have the material,
showing that it is somehow leaking into the inner Solar System. Those
that are quite far away, however, show none of the material. (3/31)
Indian Satellite Launch
Planned on April 4 (Source: New Indian Express)
The Indian Space Research Organization is gearing up for the launch of
the second satellite, out of a total of seven, which will provide the
country with its very own navigation system. The satellite, IRNSS 1B is
scheduled to take off from Sri Harikota on April 4 at 5.14 pm.
The satellite, which is part of the Indian Regional Navigation
Satellite System (IRNSS), will join the IRNSS 1B in a geosynchronous
orbit which will operate in a figure 8 path in space. Three other geo
stationary satellites will be launched and the total constellation of
seven satellites is expected to be put into orbit by the end of 2015.
(3/31)
GenCorp Reports
First-Quarter Results (Source: GenCorp)
Net sales for the first quarter of fiscal 2014 totaled $329.7 million
compared to $243.7 million for the first quarter of fiscal 2013. Net
loss for the first quarter of fiscal 2014 was $2.1 million, compared to
a net loss of $14.0 million for the first quarter of fiscal 2013.
Funded backlog was $1.6 billion as of February 28, 2014 compared to
$1.7 billion as of November 30, 2013. (3/31)
Multiverse Controversy
Heats Up over Gravitational Waves (Source: Scientific
American)
The multiverse is one of the most divisive topics in physics, and it
just became more so. The major announcement last week of evidence for
primordial ripples in spacetime has bolstered a cosmological theory
called inflation, and with it, some say, the idea that our universe is
one of many universes floating like bubbles in a glass of champagne.
Critics of the multiverse hypothesis claim that the idea is
untestable—barely even science. But with evidence for inflation theory
building up, the multiverse debate is coming to a head.
The big news last week came from the Background Imaging of Cosmic
Extragalactic Polarization 2 (BICEP2) experiment at the South Pole,
which saw imprints in the cosmic microwave background—the oldest light
in the universe, dating from shortly after the big bang—that appear to
have been caused by gravitational waves rippling through the fabric of
spacetime in the early universe. The finding was heralded as a huge
breakthrough, although physicists say confirmation from other
experiments will be needed to corroborate the results.
If verified, these gravitational waves would be direct evidence for the
theory of inflation, which suggests the universe expanded exponentially
in the first fraction of a nanosecond after it was born. If inflation
occurred, it would explain many features of our universe, such as the
fact that it appears to be fairly smooth, with matter spread evenly in
all directions (early inflation would have stretched out any
irregularities in the universe). (3/31)
Global Conflict Could
Threaten Geostationary Satellites (Source: Scientific
American)
During the Cold War the U.S. and Soviet Union had a gentlemen's
agreement to avoid targeting one another's geostationary satellites,
which are crucial for weather forecasts, satellite TV, global
communications and, of course, military intelligence and surveillance.
Decades later mistrust over military intentions in space has cast fresh
uncertainty over the security of the numerous geostationary satellites
orbiting more than 22,000 miles above Earth's equator.
This year, the U.S. Air Force unveiled its formerly classified
Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program (GSSAP), which
envisions a pair of maneuverable satellites, capable of operating both
above and below the zone of geosynchronous Earth orbit, to monitor
spacecraft and space debris throughout the entire GEO belt. The first
pair of GSSAP satellites received a priority launch slot scheduled for
September 2014 after U.S. officials bumped back a test flight of NASA's
Orion spacecraft, the space agency’s next-generation manned spacecraft.
The Air Force satellites will complement existing ground and low Earth
orbit telescopes that currently keep track of all objects in
geostationary orbit by providing a much closer view of objects in that
belt, Weeden explained. That would make it easier to eyeball potential
antisatellite threats—a form of "neighborhood watch" deterrence that
the U.S. wants other countries to know about. Click here.
(3/31)
Florida Launches Grounded
for Up to Three Weeks (Source: SpaceFlight Now)
Rocket launches from Cape Canaveral are grounded until at least
mid-April after an electrical short damaged an Air Force radar at the
Kennedy Space Center, officials said Friday. Owned by the U.S. Air
Force, the radar is instrumental in tracking rockets as they fly
downrange from Cape Canaveral.
The Air Force did not disclose which radar had the problem, but a NASA
spokesperson said it was located at the TEL-4 facility, which lies on
Kennedy Space Center property but is owned by the Air Force. NASA said
KSC firefighters responded to a fire at the TEL-4 tracking station
March 24. "Initial assessment indicates repair of the tracking radar
will take approximately three weeks," the Air Force statement said.
"The Air Force is evaluating the feasibility of returning an inactive
radar to full mission capability to resume operations sooner."
Editor's
Note: The Air Force is supposed to maintain redundant
Eastern Range capabilities to ensure that such a failure doesn't impact
national security missions. Was this "inactive radar" made inactive due
to Eastern Range budget cuts? I hope this is viewed as a wake-up call
for the Air Force, NASA, and Congress. They need to fund accelerated
Eastern Range upgrades that eliminate the need for expensive legacy
systems. GPS-based tracking (including ADS-B) and autonomous
flight-termination systems, which are slowly being developed and
qualified today, should be on the front burner. (3/31)
NASA Makes Push For
Mars-Exploration Technology (Source: Aviation Week)
Technology for NASA's proposed Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM) will be
needed wherever the agency goes beyond low Earth orbit, and NASA is
casting a wide net to get it. Science, human-exploration and technology
managers are keeping their eyes on Mars—or at least its two moons—as
they collaborate on a suite of technologies nominally focused on the
ARM. NASA is literally polling the world for exploration concepts that
go beyond nudging a space rock into lunar orbit, with a new call for
ideas backed with study money to flesh them out. (3/31)
NASA Plans Additional
NEEMO Missions with Florida International University
(Source: SpaceRef)
NASA/JSC intends to rent the Aquarius Reef base and associated services
from the Florida International University for NASA Extreme Environments
Mission Operations (NEEMO) / Space Environment Analog for Testing
Extravehicular Systems & Training (SEATEST) missions. Florida
International University operates the Aquarius Reef Base undersea
habitat on behalf of NOAA.
This undersea laboratory is the only operational one in the world. The
Aquarius infrastructure resembles similar conditions to that of human
spaceflight. Florida International University provides the requred
services for mission and the rental fo Aquarius undersea habitat. (3/31)
Long March Rocket
Launches Chinese Satellite (Source: Space Today)
A Long March rocket placed what Chinese officials said was an
experimental satellite into orbit on Monday. The Long March 2C rocket
lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center and placed the
Shijian 11-06 satellite into orbit. Official Chinese media said that
the satellite, whose launch was not announced in advance, will be used
to conduct scientific experiments, without providing additional
details. Western observers speculate that the satellite has a military
mission, perhaps as part of a missile early warning constellation.
(3/31)
Another Russian Rocket
Crashes in Kazakhstan (Source: Space Daily)
A weather rocket launched from Russia's Kapustin Yar spaceport crashed
in Kazakhstan's western region. The incident happened early in the
morning on Mar. 27. The rocket fell less than one kilometer away from a
local village named Shungai with no casualties reported. According to
reports from Kapustin Yar, it was an accident caused by a propulsion
system failure. Meanwhile, Kazakhstan's Defense Ministry said it will
suspend all Russian missile experiments on leased testing fields in
Kazakhstan until the cause of the crash is identified.
"The Ministry of Defense of Kazakhstan has suspended Russia's testing
on the leased military grounds in Kazakhstan until the cause of the
accident is found," the press office of the Defense Ministry said on
Friday. Kazakhstan's Environmental Regulation and Control Department
said soil and air samples will be collected from the crash site to
assess the environmental impact. Kapustin Yar is known to be a launch
site for smaller space vehicles. It is also one of Russia's first
missile test ranges. During Soviet time a number of intermediate and
short range missile projects were tested there. (3/31)
Astronomers Encourage
Investments in Science on Capitol Hill (Source: SpaceRef)
Fifteen members of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) traveled to
Washington, DC, 25-26 March to thank Congress for recent appropriations
supporting the astronomical sciences and to express the need for
sustained and predictable federal funding of scientific research, which
is critically important to American economic growth. The delegation was
part of a group of more than 275 scientists, engineers, and business
leaders from nearly all 50 states converging on Capitol Hill for the
19th annual Congressional Visits Day (CVD).
Space Coast Chamber Joins
Citizens for Space Exploration in Washington (Source:
Florida Today)
Although most people will never travel in space, everyone likely uses a
NASA by-product on a daily basis. From cell phones to invisible braces,
the technologies and products discovered while working on manned space
travel have improved our daily lives. To ensure these discoveries
continue, the Cocoa Beach Regional Chamber of Commerce has joined
forces with Citizens for Space Exploration to inform Congress of the
importance of space exploration.
Citizens for Space Exploration (CFSE), is a multi-state, grassroots
initiative to support American leadership in space. It is comprised of
diverse group of area space and non-space businesses, university
students and community leaders who will meet with the House and Senate
members of Congress to advocate for continued investment and U.S.
leadership in space research and exploration during their annual trip
to the nation's capital May 20-22, 2014. (3/31)
Astrobotic Autolanding
Flight-Tested on Masten Vehicle at Mojave (Source:
Astrobotic)
Astrobotic's autonomous landing technology, the Astrobotic Autolanding
System (AAS), performed successfully throughout an open-loop flight
campaign on the Masten Aerospace Xombie, a vertical-takeoff
vertical-landing suborbital rocket. Testing was conducted at the Mojave
spaceport in February 2014. The test was made possible through funding
by the NASA Flight Opportunities Program, which is managed by NASA's
Armstrong Flight Research Center.
The AAS provides precise real-time location updates for spacecraft
through visual navigation and automatically avoids hazards during
landing on unknown terrain. The landing sensor uses two cameras, an
inertial measurement unit (IMU), and a scanning laser. "The pair of
cameras work together like human eyes to measure distance and track
motion. The scanning laser gives precise distance measurements and
enables us to pick out hazards as small as a curb." (3/31)
The Space Age, Race and a
Quiet Revolution (Source: Huffington Post)
In 1992, the Space Shuttle Endeavour made world history. I was on that
flight, it was noted in the news: the first woman of color in space.
When the Endeavour left the earth, the face of the space exploration
changed. When I returned to Earth, I was interviewed about my flight.
"It is important, yes for young black girls to see me aboard exploring
space. But it is just as critical that older white men who make so many
decisions about engineering scholarships see me and understand the
talent and potential of those girls," I said.
Growing up in the 60's, I avidly followed the Apollo missions and our
journeys to the moon. I assumed I would travel to Mars to work as a
scientist. My childhood was also right in the middle of the modern-day
Civil Rights movement, and my parents made sure my brother, sister and
I knew African American achievement was not new, nor did the push for
full rights start or end with Martin Luther King Jr. Click here.
(3/28)
Dark Energy Hides Behind
Phantom Fields (Source: Space Daily)
Quintessence and phantom fields, two hypotheses formulated using data
from satellites, such as Planck and WMAP, are among the many theories
that try to explain the nature of dark energy. Now researchers from
Barcelona and Athens suggest that both possibilities are only a mirage
in the observations and it is the quantum vacuum which could be behind
this energy that moves our universe.
Cosmologists believe that some three quarters of the universe are made
up of a mysterious dark energy which would explain its accelerated
expansion. The truth is that they do not know what it could be,
therefore they put forward possible solutions. One is the existence of
quintessence, an invisible gravitating agent that instead of
attracting, repels and accelerates the expansion of the cosmos. Click here.
(3/31)
High School 'Final Five'
Compete for Out-of-This-World Test on Orion (Source: Space
Daily)
Five teams of high school student engineers have made it to the final
round in a competition to build and test designs for radiation shields
for NASA's new Orion spacecraft. The competition is part of the
Exploration Design Challenge (EDC), developed by NASA and Lockheed
Martin, with support from the National Institute of Aerospace (NIA).
Click here.
(3/31)
After a Year, NASA's
Asteroid Mission Still Seeks Definition (Source: Space
Review)
Last April, NASA unveiled plan to redirect an asteroid into lunar orbit
to be visited by astronauts, a plan that was criticized for some for
the lack of details. Jeff Foust reports that, nearly a year later, NASA
is refining those plans, but still faces critics of the proposed
mission on Capitol Hill. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/2482/1
to view the article. (3/31)
Prospects for the Indian
Human Spaceflight Program (Source: Space Review)
This week marks the 30th anniversary of the first Indian astronaut,
Rakesh Sharma. Gurbir Singh examines the prospects for India's own
human spaceflight program after many years of waiting for someone to
follow Sharma. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/2481/1
to view the article. (3/31)
If at First you Don't
Succeed (Source: Space Review)
In part 2 of his look back at early Soviet planetary missions, Andrew
LePage recounts what happened to the fleet of Mars and Venus missions
launched by the USSR in the latter half of 1962. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/2480/1
to view the article. (3/31)
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