Budget Cuts Drive New
Concepts for Military Satcom (Source: Defense News0
With sequestration likely to remain, the US Air Force is looking for
ways to drive down cost on protected military satellite communications.
"Our budgets are shrinking, the threats are getting harder and the
requirement and need is getting greater,” warned David Madden,
executive director of the service’s Space and Missile Systems Center
(AFSMC). Madden said AFSMC’s budget has been cut from $10 billion to
$5.6 billion without a drop in the services it must provide.
That’s forced some creative thinking, and will likely lead to a greater
reliance on the commercial industry. “It’s actually allowing us to do
some things that we always kind of wanted to do but no one would do
because the risk associated, and [back then] we had the money,” Madden
said. “Now they’re actually listening to some ideas.” That includes
joint ventures with allies. (5/24)
Boeing and ULS Lawsuit
Against Air Force Grinds On (Source: Valley Morning Star)
A lawsuit involving the U.S. Air Force and aerospace companies United
Launch Services (a ULA subsidiary) and Boeing continues to play out in
court. The government maintains that United Launch Services’ and
Boeing’s claim for roughly $400 million from the Air Force in deferred
costs for launch services is barred by “illegality,” and that a
government purchasing contracting officer had no authority to agree to
reimburse deferred costs.
ULS and Boeing filed the lawsuit in July 2012, contending that the Air
Force breached its commitment to allow recovery of deferred production
costs (DPC) and deferred support costs (DSC) for launch services under
the EELV program. The U.S. Attorney General’s Office responded by
counter-suing ULS and Boeing. The court has directed the parties to
complete the discovery process by Oct. 24. (5/24)
SpaceX Buys More Texas
Land Near Spaceport Site (Source: Valley Morning Star)
Four more lots in the Boca Beach area are no longer on the market.
SpaceX just purchased them. Dogleg Park LLC, on behalf of Elon Musk’s
California-based SpaceX, purchased the properties from private property
owners a few days ago. The firm had purchased an additional two lots
earlier this month. (5/24)
Mars' Minerals Could Be
Microbe Made (Source: ABC Science)
New Australian research suggests Martian minerals may have formed from
biological rather than geological origins. The findings indicate the
mineral stevensite, which is found on both Earth and Mars, can be
created either in hot, highly alkaline volcanic lakes, or by
mineralization in living microbes. (5/23)
Space Coast Native
Promotes KSC Visitor Complex (Source: Florida Today)
It's a hot, humid day in May at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor
Complex, but senior public relations manager Andrea Farmer is
determined to show off one last experience. She heads to the Space
Shuttle Atlantis venue and, after a short film detailing the creation
of the space shuttle, she walks with the scores of visitors into a
large hallway. She waits in the back. The view is better, she says.
The lights go down and another film begins, showing close-up scenes of
traveling in space on board Atlantis. Then, as the music swells, guests
get the big reveal, an up-close view of the real deal. Andrea watches
reverently, then slyly wipes her eyes. "I don't know how many times
I've seen this," she says. "It's so moving." Click here.
(5/24)
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