Sierra Nevada Evaluating Dream Chaser
Landing at Public Use Airports (Source: SNC)
Sierra Nevada Corp. and partner organization RS&H, Inc., presented
findings regarding the challenges and opportunities of landing the
Dream Chaser reusable spacecraft at public-use airports during the
Space Traffic Management Conference at the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical
University campus in Florida. The presentation described present
efforts to land at commercial airports with minimal impact to existing
operations. (11/5)
Can Richard Branson Bounce Back From
His Space Disaster? (Source: Daily Beast)
Emboldened by news that SpaceShipTwo’s fuel tanks did not explode, the
Branson fightback begins with a vow that he--and his family--will still
travel to space with Virgin Galactic. It was a quintessential Richard
Branson moment. And how could any of us have ever expected anything
less? With the wreckage still being pored over by investigators, the
greatest spinner in business took to the airwaves to recast the epic
disaster as a mere waymarker on the road to ultimate success.
He may have looked a little more strained and ill at ease than usual,
but as Branson dramatically announced live on TV that he intends to
pursue his dream of commercial flights to space—and insisted that he
will be on Virgin Galactic’s first flight, together with his family—the
familiar Branson blend of underdog chutzpah, lofty idealism and, above
all, an unswerving commitment to communicating the “key message
points.” (11/3)
Past Transit Tragedies Point to a Way
Forward for Virgin Galactic (Source: Smithsonian)
Private spaceflight hit a large bump in the road to orbit last week,
with Orbital Sciences’ rocket explosion followed days later by Virgin
Galactic’s fatal spaceplane crash. But if early aviation and aerospace
efforts can teach us anything, it’s that the key to surviving such
tragedies is transparency and learning from any mistakes. And in a
counterintuitive twist, the disasters may even increase public support
for spaceflight and space tourism.
“People tend to take [spaceflight] for granted on a day-to-day basis,
so when something terrible happens, many are reminded that it is
something important that the country should continue trying to do,”
says Valerie Neal, the space shuttle curator at the Smithsonian
National Air and Space Museum. (11/4)
The Real Problem Behind Virgin
Galactic’s Flight Test Disaster is Bad Business (Source: Quartz)
The Virgin Galactic accident has attracted particular ire, because of
the loss of life and the fact that its big-talking CEO, Sir Richard
Branson, has long been hawking $250,000 tickets for tourist flights to
space that always seem to be just around the corner. The accident
inspired commenters to paint the company’s efforts as a sign of global
inequality or simply not worth the sacrifice of a life.
But these criticisms get at a problem with Virgin Galactic, not the
space industry at large: Branson’s company doesn’t have a real business
plan beyond the vague talk of space tourism, and the spacecraft it
built was hardly able to accomplish even that. Virgin says it has sold
perhaps $80 million worth of tickets to space, but that is far less
than the $490 million invested in the project, mostly from Abu Dhabi’s
sovereign wealth fund.
But SpaceShipTwo, the rocket-plane designed by Virgin’s main
contractor, Scaled Composites, to take people just above the 100km
altitude that roughly marks the border with space, has yet make it
there—hence the decision to switch to a new fuel compound that promised
more power in this last test. Virgin Galactic, without revenue or even
the capability to enter the satellite market until it proves it can
reach low-earth orbit at the altitude of 300km, was in a somewhat
desperate spot before the crash on Sunday. Now, it may be years before
it can get off the ground again. (11/4)
Iridium Beats Analysts Expectations
Despite Losing Two Satellites (Source: Satellite Today)
Iridium reported total revenue of $107.5 million for the third-quarter
of 2014, surpassing the expectations of most analysts. The company also
replaced two satellites with in-orbit spares during the quarter,
leaving one spare between now and the launch of Iridium NEXT. CEO Matt
Desch said the current network is performing very well, and that the
company has averaged roughly one replacement per year for the last five
years. Having one spare remaining is where he expected to be heading
into 2015, he said. (11/4)
Explore The Forgotten Rocket Bases
That Once Sent Americans To The Moon (Source: Business Insider)
As space technology moves further away from governmental oversight and
towards commercialization, for better or worse, what happens to the
history and relics of our nation's revered past in space exploration?
Many of the facilities — once used for research, testing, and launching
— now sit dormant, decommissioned years ago, now rusting in the sun.
Others have met a worse fate, having been demolished and lost forever.
Photographer Roland Miller is trying to do something about that. Click here.
(11/4)
Boeing's (CST)-100 Debuts in Abu Dhabi
(Source: Business Standard)
Boeing's newest space capsule that can carry up to seven crew members
and will be used by NASA for its missions, made its international debut
at a innovation summit in the UAE. The Crew Space Transport (CST)-100
spacecraft, which was designed at the Houston Product Support Center,
will carry crew and cargo to low-Earth orbit destinations such as the
International Space Station (ISS) and the planned Bigelow station.
(11/5)
DOD to Congress: Don't Jeopardize Air
Force Space Plan (Source: Space News)
The Air Force wants to modernize its space work to develop
next-generation satellites, but Congress is resisting the plan and has
made its stance clear in House and Senate versions of the defense
authorization bill. Now the Pentagon is calling on lawmakers to let
stand the flexibility built into the Air Force's Space Modernization
Initiative budget. (11/3)
How Did SS2 Pilot Survive?
(Source: Daily Mail)
Investigators are trying to piece together how SpaceShipTwo's surviving
pilot managed to escape the rocket as it disintegrated around him and
parachute to the ground from an altitude virtually devoid of oxygen.
Pete Siebold, 43, sustained just an injured shoulder when the Virgin
Galactic spacecraft broke apart mid-flight and crashed in the Mojave
desert last Friday, killing co-pilot Michael Alsbury, 39.
Christopher Hart, acting chairman for the National Transportation
Safety Board (NTSB) that is leading the crash investigation, said Mr
Siebold did not exit through the cockpit's escape hatch. 'We know it
wasn't through there, so how did this pilot get out?' he said. Mr
Siebold is being treated in hospital and is yet to speak to
investigators. It has also been revealed that a 'human-factors' expert
will join the investigation to study why the Mr Alsbury prematurely
unlocked a pivoting tail section of the ship during a test flight.
(11/4)
Harris Delivers First Aireon ADS-B
Satellite Receivers (Source: Space News)
Harris Corp. of Melbourne, Florida, has delivered the first flight
payload for the Aireon aircraft navigation venture, which will use the
Iridium Next satellite constellation to help airlines save money by
flying more efficient routes. The Harris-built Automated Dependent
Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) payloads will be included on all 81
Iridium Next satellites, which are slated to begin launching in 2015.
The space-based ADS-B transceivers will enable aircraft flying
transoceanic and other remote routes — beyond the reach of ground
antennas — to continue to relay their GPS-based position location data
to air traffic authorities. (11/4)
When Bigger Isn't Better
(Source: Economist)
At first glance, DigitalGlobe paints an upbeat picture for investors.
In its most recent quarterly earnings, released last week, the company
met analysts' predictions, producing only a very slim loss of around
$100,000. It seems to have good prospects for the future too. It has
already secured $600m in contracts for the next 12 months, equal to
around 30% of the global market for satellite imagery. And in October
it activated its newest satellite, which can produce the highest
definition images produced by any similar service currently available.
However, on closer inspection, the firm is not quite as healthy as it
may first appear. Just under four-fifths of its revenues in the next
year will come from the American government—and most of that from a
single organization, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.
Because those contracts are subject to annual renewals, the firm's
future sales are therefore more uncertain than they may first appear.
Partly as the result of this over-reliance on one customer,
DigitalGlobe's share price has fallen by 35% since January.
The firm's executives hope that its newest satellite, WorldView-3, can
turn the company's fortunes around. This piece of kit can produce
images in both visible and infrared light, allowing it to "see" through
forest fires and perform tasks such as measuring the moisture content
of soil. It can also produce pictures in far higher resolution than its
competitors: each dot in its images represents a 31cm by 31cm patch of
the earth's surface—which no other commercial satellite in the world
can match. And next year, it will be joined by a more advanced version,
WorldView-4. Click here.
(11/4)
India Working on Landing Tech
(Source: Deccan Herald)
The senior scientist of the Indian Space Research Organization, S K
Shivakumar, said the space agency will focus on developing the lander
and rover technology, which are crucial to next major space programs of
landing a spacecraft on moon and Mars. He said the development of
technologies and materials for the second moon and Mars missions will
be completely indigenous, fulfilling Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s
dream call to the nation. (11/4)
For Tuesday's U.S. Elections, Space
Policy Plays only Minor Role (Source: Space News)
Space policy is not a major factor in the Nov. 4 midterm congressional
elections, but the outcomes of a number of key races could alter
control of the U.S. Senate and the leadership of key committees that
deal with space issues. Republicans, who are currently in the majority
in the House of Representatives, are seeking to pick up several seats
in Senate elections.
A gain of at least six seats would give the Republican Party a majority
in the Senate as well. One race that may determine which party controls
the Senate is in Colorado. Sen. Mark Udall, a Democrat who chairs the
Senate Armed Forces strategic forces subcommittee, is running for
re-election against Republican Rep. Cory Gardner. Recent polls give
Gardner a slim lead, although typically within the polls’ margin of
error. Click here.
(11/4)
MarsWalk Invites Your Struts (Source:
Lockheed Martin)
You’ve safely landed on Mars and want to make a grand entrance on the
Red Planet. The Moon Walk doesn’t fit for Mars, so what do you do? You
join us in the #MarsWalk. As Orion takes its first step on the journey
to Mars in December with Exploration Flight Test-1, Lockheed Martin
wants to see what your first steps on Mars would be – and be creative!
Go solo or grab backup dancers, blast your favorite song and record
your best dance moves!
Now, upload your Mars moves to Instagram using the hashtag #MarsWalk.
Don’t have an Instagram, but still want to share your video?
Participate by including the hashtag #MarsWalk with your video on all
your social channels. We will feature ‘The Best of the Week’ Mars Walk
video – so get down and upload your best Mars moves. Click here.
(11/4)
Bold Talk From Team Chasing Google
Lunar XPRIZE (Source: Florida Today)
Bold ideas usually mean bold talk and on that point, the team behind
Moon Express, a privately funded Silicon Valley start-up, were up to
the task Monday afternoon. In several days, "MoonEx" — the company's
informal name — will begin test flights on a simulated moonscape north
of KSC's shuttle runway. From there, the goal is to work with NASA
personnel and have Moon Ex's washing machine-sized spacecraft on the
moon by 2016.
"We're working shoulder to shoulder with our friends at NASA, learning,
and we will become, as a result, the first private company to reach the
moon," said Bob Richards, the chief executive officer and co-founder of
Moon Express. Just as important as NASA is to Moon Express' efforts,
the collaboration also is key for the federal agency's efforts to
branch out and show it can be a viable partner as more private concerns
look for ways to get into space and to the planets. (11/3)
World's First Space Detective Agency
Launched (Source: New Scientist)
In the middle of a boundary squabble with your neighbour? Want to find
out who is dumping waste near your house? You need to call the space
detectives. Satellite imaging specialist Raymond Harris and space
lawyer Raymond Purdy – both at University College London – have just
launched Air & Space Evidence Ltd of London, the world's first
space detective agency.
The pair intend to use their combined experience of space-based
photographic databases and Earth observation privacy law to ensure that
people can wield authentic imagery that stands up in court.
They want everyone to have the chance to use space imagery to settle
legal disputes, from homeowners disputing garden boundaries to
businesses fighting vehicle theft. Insurers might find it useful in
investigating fraud and councils in tackling environmental assaults
such as waste incineration or illegal logging and quarrying. And it
won't cost much more than having your house surveyed, Harris says.
(10/8)
Dozens of Virgin Customers Seek Refund
(Source: Guardian)
Virgin Galactic has revealed that about 20 of the 700 customers who
have paid up to £150,000 a head to reserve seats on the space tourism
venture’s first flights have asked for their money back. After Friday
night’s fatal test flight, which killed one pilot and left the other
seriously injured in hospital, about 3% of Virgin Galactic’s customers
had cancelled, a spokesperson confirmed.
The company has collected about £50m in deposits. Virgin Galactic
declined to disclose which customers had torn up their tickets, but the
waiting list includes household names from scientist Stephen Hawking to
performers Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber, and Hollywood couple Brad Pitt
and Angelina Jolie. (11/4)
SpaceShipTwo Death Raises Question:
Who's an Astronaut? (Source: NBC)
Does test pilot Michael Alsbury, who died last Friday in the crash of
Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo rocket plane, count as a "fallen
astronaut"? Alsbury’s death presents those who manage space memorials
with a new challenge and a new opportunity. One could have seen it
coming, but nobody seems to have expected it quite so soon.
Alsbury's biography certainly seems to match what the public expects
out of an astronaut. He was on his ninth flight aboard the SpaceShipTwo
vehicle called "VSS Enterprise," helping to test a rocket-powered craft
that was designed to rise above the internationally recognized boundary
of outer space, 100 kilometers (about 62 miles). He accumulated 1,800
flight hours — most of them with Scaled Composites, a pioneering
aerospace firm in Mojave, California.
At KSC stands a sober Astronaut Memorial that bears the names of men
and women who lost their lives in America's space effort. For now,
there are no plans to add Michael Alsbury’s name to the memorial.
"Alsbury doesn't quite meet our criteria" for inclusion, said Thad
Altman, director of the Astronauts Memorial Foundation. "Qualification
is predicated on being a member of the United States astronaut corps on
a government-sponsored space mission." (11/4)
Three Fireballs Lit Up US Skies
Monday, But One Might Be Fake (Source: Space.com)
Three brilliant fireballs - two from space and one apparently made by
humans - lit up skies over the U.S. on Monday, prompting hundreds of
reports by surprised skywatchers. The first fireball appeared over
Arkansas at 9:30 a.m. CST; the second was spotted over Chicago at about
6:30 p.m. CST; the third appeared over West Virginia at about 6:22 p.m.
EST. The objects over Arkansas and West Virginia appear to be meteors,
but the object over Chicago now seems to be man-made.
Spectator Steve Sobel captured the last few seconds of what initially
appeared to be a meteor moving through the eastern sky of Chicago.
Another video posted on Tuesday, however, revealed that the event was a
marketing stunt by Red Bull. The Red Bull video is dark, but appears to
show at least one person jump out of a plane in a wingsuit over
Chicago's Lake Michigan shoreline. One of the flyers releases a bright
stream of sparks behind him. (11/4)
Asteroid Miners Plan Next Step After
Spacecraft Explosions (Source: Bloomberg)
A satellite intended to be the first step in creating an
asteroid-mining industry was destroyed last week in a rocket explosion.
Its creator, a tiny startup, said the setback won’t keep the idea from
taking flight. “It’s a big, audacious statement to make, that we’re
going to bring resources from space to the economic sphere,” said Eric
Anderson, co-founder and co-chairman of Planetary Resources Inc.
Losing the foot-long (30-centimeter) satellite “really hasn’t delayed
us at all, in the overall scope of things,” said Anderson. Planetary
Resources is planning its next launch as soon as August, with a larger
satellite to replace and expand the functions of the equipment lost
last week, said Chris Lewicki, president and chief engineer at the
Redmond, Washington-based company, whose investors include Branson.
(11/4)
Safety Obsessed Virgin Galactic’s VP
of Safety Retired Ten Months Ago (Source: Parabolic Arc)
As Virgin Group Chairman Richard Branson defends the safety culture and
record of Virgin Galactic against what it terms as unwarranted attacks,
Parabolic Arc has learned that the man whom the company lists on its
website as its vice president of safety retired in January 2014.
Sources also say he has not been seen at the office for over a year. On
his LinkedIn biography, Jon Turnipseed lists himself as a now retired
safety official who served as Virgin Galactic vice president of safety
from September 2010 to January of this year. His current status is
listed as “Idaho.” (11/4)
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