$7 Million Added to Senate Defense
Bill for Spaceports/Ranges (Source: SPACErePORT)
Added to the Senate Defense Appropriations Bill for 2015 is $7 million
for "spaceports or launch and range complexes that are commercially
licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration and receive funding
from the local or State government." It is unknown which senator(s) are
behind this addition, but they aren't from Florida. "These funds shall
be used to develop the capacity to provide mid-to-low inclination
orbits or polar-to-high inclination orbits in support of the national
security space program." Click here.
(7/25)
Christian Fundamentalist Wants to End
U.S. Space Program (Source: Salon)
Sunday marked the 45th anniversary of that momentous Apollo 11 mission.
The event left some pondering the next steps for U.S. space
exploration. Not everyone, however, is so thrilled about the U.S. space
program. On Sunday, Ken Ham, president and founder of the creationist
organization Answers in Genesis (best known for debating Bill Nye),
wrote a blog post calling for the end of the U.S. space program.
Why? Well, according to Ham, who also runs the Creation Museum in
Kentucky, there’s no point in spending money on finding
extraterrestrial life for a couple of reasons: First, the search is a
deliberate rebuking of God, and second because aliens are already
damned to hell. “I’m shocked at the countless hundreds of millions of
dollars that have been spent over the years in the desperate and
fruitless search for extraterrestrial life,” Ham wrote.
“Of course, secularists are desperate to find life in outer space, as
they believe that would provide evidence that life can evolve in
different locations and given the supposed right conditions!... And I
do believe there can’t be other intelligent beings in outer space
because of the meaning of the gospel,” Ham wrote. “You see, the Bible
makes it clear that Adam’s sin affected the whole universe. This means
that any aliens would also be affected by Adam’s sin, but because they
are not Adam’s descendants, they can’t have salvation." (7/21)
Alabama Candidate: America's Space
Future Bright as Commercial Market Emerges (Source: AL.com)
As the U.S. celebrated the 45th anniversary of the first moon landing
over the weekend, a Huntsville aerospace engineer running for Congress
said he believes the space program has more highlights ahead. Mark
Bray, who has qualified as an independent candidate to challenge
incumbent Mo Brooks in the 5th Congressional District race, pointed to
the emergence of a commercial market in space. Bray also cited medical
developments made in space by NASA.
Bray also said the U.S. is positioned to reaffirm its status as the
leader in space exploration as NASA develops the Space Launch System
next-generation rocket at Marshall Space Flight Center as well as the
continued growth in the commercial rocket business. The key to
America's space vision, Bray said, is to be looking forward and not
back. (7/23)
Congressional Subpoena Reaches Orbit
(Source: Kitsap Sun)
Kitsap County (WA) congressman Derek Kilmer asked two American
astronauts hurtling through space Thursday how the International Space
Station is preparing mankind for a mission to Mars and what lies ahead
in space exploration. "As we look out on this century, what's on the
horizon; what other frontiers do you think we're going to visit and how
many other planets are we going to discover?" the Gig Harbor Democrat
asked.
Others on the Science, Space and Technology Committee asked to the
astronauts to justify the investment in scientific research and what
students aspiring to a career in space need to do to prepare. "What we
get out of this are new products, new ideas, new science, new research;
we generally help the country in the future, may 10-15 years down the
road," said Swanson, an engineer who has Ph.D. in computer science. "We
think we inspire a new generation ... and we explore, which, again,
helps the whole human race." (7/24)
Tuskegee University Joins Sierra
Nevada Corp. Dream Chaser Team (Source: SNC)
Tuskegee University (TU) and Sierra Nevada Corporation's (SNC) Space
Systems announce they have signed a Letter of Cooperation to initiate
collaborative efforts related to SNC’s Dream Chaser Orbital
Transportation System. The purpose of this relationship is to jointly
promote aerospace engineering education, research, and development,
scientific exploration and recruitment and training of a diverse
workforce. (7/24)
Why DARPA Wants An Experimental
Spaceplane (Source: Popular Science)
So DARPA wants a reusable spaceplane. I mean, who doesn't? For decades,
space experts have tried to design quick-turnover, reusable launch
systems. So far, however, no one has made one that works. "There really
isn't any kind of vehicle today that does exactly what they're asking
people to do," Micah Walter-Range, director of research and analysis at
the Space Foundation, tells Popular Science. "You can certainly compare
it to existing vehicles, but it seems to be a new class."
Here's how the dream goes: Our fictional rocket would blast off at
hypersonic speeds. Once it reached the right altitude, it would release
any upper stages (and payload) it might have. Then it would turn back
toward the Earth and land gently someplace where engineers would be
able to fetch it, polish it up, and stick it back on the launch pad.
Theoretically, reusable rockets should cut the costs of launches enough
to open up space to more groups, such as students and startups, and
ease NASA's financial burdens. (7/25)
NASA Seeks Help with Earth-Mars Data
Links (Source: BBC)
NASA is asking for help to get data back from its science missions
orbiting Mars or roaming its surface. The US space agency is acting now
to close a potential communications gap that is set to occur in 2020.
It currently has no plans to launch orbiters capable of taking over
data relay duties from existing, ageing spacecraft. NASA is seeking
input from universities and companies about better ways to relay the
data back to Earth. (7/24)
India’s Space Diplomacy
(Source: The Diplomat)
On June 30, India celebrated another successful launch of the Polar
Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), the workhorse of the Indian Space
Research Organization (ISRO). This time, India’s Prime Minister
Narendra Modi was in attendance. His SHAR speech emphasized the role of
technology in aiding development and referenced the humble beginnings
of the ISRO. Among the many points he made, two were geopolitically
significant.
First, he observed that the satellite being launched, SPOT 7, belonged
to a developed nation: France. Second, he challenged the ISRO to
develop a satellite that would serve the South Asian Association for
Regional Cooperation nations. Those thoughts coincide with two of the
three major foreign policy issues that confront India, as noted by
Shivsankar Menon: its relations with major powers and its need for a
peaceful and prosperous neighborhood. (7/25)
Virgin Galactic Adds Space Pilot to
Payroll (Source: Virgin Galactic)
Virgin Galactic, the privately-funded space company owned by Sir
Richard Branson’s Virgin Group and Abu Dhabi’s aabar Investments PJS,
announced today that Todd ‘Leif’ Ericson, former Operations and
Maintenance Group Commander for the United States Air Force (USAF) has
joined the company’s cadre of space pilots. (7/24)
Virgin Galactic Gears Up for
Resumption of Flight Tests (Source: Parabolic Arc)
After a six-month gap in flights, it looks as if SpaceShipTwo will once
again fly in the Mojave sky, possibly as early as Friday morning. On
Wednesday, SpaceShipTwo was outside on the tarmac underneath its
WhiteKnightTwo mother ship for what Virgin Galactic described as a “dry
run” for upcoming test flights. There is a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM)
indicating that the Mojave Air and Space Port’s tower will be open
early on Friday morning. It’s possible this is being done to
accommodate a SpaceShipTwo test flight, although sometimes the tower
opens early for other reasons. (7/24)
U.S. Air Force Ponders Accelerating
Delta 4 Rocket Production (Source: Space News)
In the face of escalating tensions with Russia, the U.S. Air Force is
examining what it would take to accelerate production of United Launch
Alliance’s Delta 4 rocket to ensure continued access to space for
military satellites. Gen. William Shelton told reporters that he asked
the service’s acquisition arm, the Space and Missile Systems Center, to
look at what type of contract modifications are necessary to ramp up
production of Delta 4 rockets. (7/23)
RD-180 Decision Will Not Be Made By
Space Community (Source: Space Policy Online)
Just as the decision to rely on the RD-180 engine was driven by
“geopolitical interests,” rather than “space community necessity,” the
answer of whether to continue to use the Russian engine or build a U.S.
alternative will not be “in the space community’s hands,” says a member
of Air Force’s RD-180 Alternative Study. (7/24)
FSDC Opens Nominations for 2014 Bumper
Award (Source: FSDC)
The Florida Space Development Council invites nominations for the 2014
Bumper Award, provided annually to individuals or organizations that
have had the greatest positive impact on Florida's space industry, or
to Floridians who have had the greatest impact nationally. FSDC members
and non-members are encouraged to submit 2014 nominees using a simple
online form, available here.
Nominations will be accepted through November 1, 2014.
SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell was selected for the award in 2013,
based on her company's growing role as a disruptive force for positive
change at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport, and as a catalyst for boosting
Florida's state and local government support for the space industry.
Launched on July 24, 1950, the Bumper was a modified German V-2 rocket
with a U.S. WAC Corporal upper stage (built by Douglas Aircraft Co.).
After a series of Bumper test launches at New Mexico's White Sands
Proving Grounds in 1948 and 1949, Bumper-8 became the first rocket
launched at Florida's new Joint Long Range Proving Ground, from Launch
Complex 3 on what is now the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. (7/24)
Recent SpaceX Landing is a Game Changer
(Source: Versus)
SpaceX has announced that they have for the first time been able to
conduct a controlled landing of one of their Falcon 9 rockets. After
delivering its payload into orbit, the rocket fell back towards Earth,
before being slowed, not by a parachute, but rather by a series of
retro-rockets. These managed to bring the craft down to near-zero
velocity, allowing it to conduct a soft, vertical landing on the ocean
surface.
As this was merely a test of the system, not conducted on dry land, or
a floating platform, once the rocket had ‘landed’ it topped over in
heavy seas, and exploded. Despite this, the landing is massive news for
the space industry. Fundamentally, it represents a working proof of
concept for the vertical landing of rockets. (7/23)
The Rise of Boutique Rocket Firms
Inspired By SpaceX (Source: Motherboard)
One of the most interesting byproducts of SpaceX’s success is the
wealth of opportunities left in its wake. New spaceflight niches are
beginning to be filled by a wave of specialized rocket startups,
looking to provide solutions for modest satellite manufacturers with
limited launch options. Firefly Space Systems is of the youngest of
these upstart private space companies. Founded in January 2014 by
veteran engineer Tom Markusic—who has previously developed spaceflight
systems at SpaceX, Virgin Galactic, and Blue Origin—Firefly aims to be
a kind of boutique rocket company, catering to smaller satellite
payloads and missions. Click here.
(7/24)
Gamers Launch New 3-Day Space Travel
Event (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Central Florida’s video game industry will gather this weekend to
launch a new event focused on space travel and exploration. The Indie
Galactic Space Jam is a three-day conference where gamers and other
tech people will quickly design new games based on space travel. On
Sunday evening, the games will be showcased, played and distributed for
free to all who registered.
The space connection is very real. People from NASA and other
space-related companies like Titusville-based Rocket Crafters will be
there, according to Kunal Patel, organizer. Patel is CEO of Phyken
Media and founder of Orlando’s biggest regular gaming event, the monthy
Indienomicon, which is held at the Orlando Public Library downtown.
Other organizers of the Space Jam include Corey Cochran, CEO of
ThatWhichIs Media, and Peter Smith, professor at University of Central
Florida. (7/23)
LightSail-A Has a Blown Radio
Amplifier. Now What? (Source: Planetary Society)
LightSail-A, The Planetary Society's solar sailing spacecraft slated
for a possible test flight in May 2015, has a blown radio amplifier.
While this doesn't affect the project's full-fledged 2016 mission that
will fly on SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket, it adds an unwelcome obstacle
to the test mission's ever-shortening timetable. The LightSail team has
less than a month to repair the radio, figure out why it failed and
prepare the spacecraft for a battery of tests. The LightSail-A test
mission is still on, but its schedule margin is now razor-thin—any new
snafus could ground the flight. (7/23)
Solar Probe Plus Trading Atlas 5 for
Bigger Launch Vehicle (Source: Space News)
Solar Probe Plus, a flagship heliophysics mission NASA expects to cost
some $1.5 billion to build and launch around July 2018, needs a bigger
rocket than United Launch Alliance’s Atlas 5, according to a senior
official at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel,
Maryland, where the solar observatory is being built.
“The plan we had was to go on an Atlas 5, but the problem is that
required us to develop a new, high-performance custom upper stage, and
that represented a fairly significant risk for the project,” Michael
Ryschkewitsch, head of APL’s Space Sector, said in a July 22 interview
here. “Our team made the case to NASA headquarters that the overall
risk to the mission would be lowered if we went to a heavy class launch
vehicle. The obvious players right now are Delta 4 Heavy and Falcon
Heavy.” (7/24)
Launch of Delta IV Scrubbed Due to
Ground Support Issues, Weather (Source: SpaceFlight Insider)
The launch of a United Launch Alliance (ULA ) Delta IV Medium+ 4,2
carrying the AFSPC-4 mission was scrubbed for two attempts on Wednesday
and Thursday. The Wednesday scrub was due to problems with the ground
support equipment environmental control system that is used to support
the launch vehicle prior to liftoff. A second attempt on Thursday
evening was scrubbed due to weather issues. (7/24)
Russian Satellite Fail Leaves Geckos
and Fruit Flies Lost in Space (Source: Moscow Times)
Russia's mission control center has lost communications with the
Photon-M research satellite carrying various biological and life
sciences experiments less than a week after its launch. The Photon-M
was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on July 19. It continues to
transmit details on the spacecraft's location and performance of its
systems, but is not responding to mission control commands. "So, there
is only one-way communication," a spokesperson from the mission control
center said. Engineers were trying to restore contact, he added.
An unidentified Roscosmos official told newspaper Izvestia that while
the satellite may still be recovered, "carrying out the program of
scientific experiments that had been planned is already at risk." The
disruption follows a massive equipment failure aboard the Bion-M
satellite last year that killed most of the gerbils, mice and fish it
was carrying, and the crashing down to Earth of the Phobos-Grunt probe
shortly after its launch in 2011 on an ambitious mission to collect
surface samples from one of the Martian moons. (7/24)
Biological Tests Onboard Russia’s
Foton-M Satellite Held as Planned (Source: RIA Novosti)
Biological experiments onboard of Foton-M, a research spacecraft
carrying life in space, are being held according to schedule despite a
communication breakdown with the spacecraft, Institute of Biomedical
Problems (IBMP) press secretary Oleg Voloshin said. “The biological
experiments started as soon as the satellite was launched. The
scientific equipment used for the experiments operates properly. We
receive the telemetry data from the spacecraft and analyze it. … The
current tasks have so far been fulfilled,” he said. (7/24)
Iranian Satellite Jamming Causes Storm
Of Controversy (Source: Radio Free Europe)
The Iranian regime has long used signal jamming to disrupt the flow of
information into the Islamic republic, but it couldn't have forecast
the strategy's deadly consequences. Satellite-jamming technology is
being blamed for disrupting Iran's ability to predict a major dust
storm that hit Tehran in June, killing five people. In a report
presented to parliament this week, the Iran Meteorological Organization
claimed it was unable to forecast the massive dust storm because of
signals emitted by jamming devices, according to the semiofficial ISNA
news agency on July 22. (7/23)
What the UK Space Agency Can Teach
Australia (Source: The Conversation)
Australia has had an active civil space program since 1947 but has much
to learn if it is to capture a bigger share of growing billion dollar
global space industry. The potential size and scope of the Australian
space sector compares well against several other space nations, notably
the United Kingdom and Canada. But both those nations have more
effective space sectors that are centrally administered by a single
government body, whereas Australia space activities are not
strategically managed by a central entity.
In particular the UK has recently adopted an agency approach to
managing civil space activities, after decades of committee
administration. There are lessons for Australia in the approach that
the UK took in creating its agency. Australian civil space activities
are currently overseen by the Department of Industry’s Space
Coordination Office (SCO), which last year replaced the Space Policy
Unit. The SCO is tasked with coordinating all of Australia’s national
and international civil space activities. (7/24)
This Aspiring Astronaut Might Be The
World's Most Amazing Teen (Source: NPR)
At age 7, Gideon Gidori knew exactly what he wanted to be: a rocket
ship pilot. The only thing was, he was living in a tiny Tanzanian
village where schools only went through grade six and books about space
(or, for that matter, any books) were scarce. But that didn't stop him.
Now 15, Gidori is determined to become Tanzania's very first astronaut.
Gidori has always been fascinated with stars and spent his boyhood
nights staring at the clear skies above his hometown. "I think there is
much more up there than there is down here, and I want to know what
that is," he says. When he becomes an astronaut, he hopes his first
stop will be the moon — one of Jupiter's moons, that is. "They say that
on Europa, there's life," he says. "I want to be part of the crew that
investigates it." (7/24)
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