Revival of Russian Spacecraft?
Mysterious Origins of NASA New Space Shuttle (Source: Sputnik)
The newest American mini-shuttle Dream Chaser, which is planned to be
used as a means of delivery of cargo to the International Space
Station, turns out, was derived from a lost Soviet space plane, The
Washington Post wrote. In the summer of 1982 the Soviet BOR-4
(Unpiloted Orbital Rocketplane 4 splashed down into the Indian Ocean
south of Cocoas Islands) after a few orbital flights.
An Australian reconnaissance and patrol aircraft P-3C Orion managed to
snap some photographs of how the Soviet seamen pulled out the rocket
plane from the ocean onto the Petropavlovsk ship. The photographs were
then passed on to the CIA and from there to NASA. “Those Cold War spy
images could have been an aeronautical footnote lost to history. But
NASA last month announced that one of the vehicles chosen to fly cargo
to the International Space Station would be the Dream Chaser, a
snub-nosed craft derived from that lost Soviet space plane,” the
publication wrote. (2/25)
Startups in Emerging Markets Take a
Leap into Space (Source: SpaceRef)
As part of the third edition of the Seedstars World competition,
designed to celebrate entrepreneurialism and technology in emerging
markets, Seedstars, Inmarsat and AP-Swiss will be presenting a Space
Prize at the competition finale, Seedstars Summit on 3rd March 2016.
Together with Seedstars, they have selected seven promising startups
that are going to compete for USD 50,000 grant. Cick here.
(2/25)
Third Sentinel Satellite Launched By
ESA (Source: Spaceref)
The third ESA-developed satellite carrying four Earth-observing
instruments has been launched and is ready to provide a 'bigger
picture' for Europe's Copernicus environment program. The 1150 kg
Sentinel-3A satellite was carried into orbit on a Rockot launcher from
Plesetsk, Russia, at 17:57 GMT (18:57 CET; 20:57 local time) on 16
February. (2/18)
Your Letters Helped Challenger Shuttle
Engineer Shed 30 Years Of Guilt (Source: NPR)
When NPR reported Bob Ebeling's story on the 30th anniversary of the
explosion of the space shuttle Challenger, hundreds of listeners and
readers expressed distress and sympathy in letters and emails.
On Jan. 27, 1986, the former engineer for shuttle contractor Morton
Thiokol had joined four colleagues in trying to keep Challenger
grounded. They argued for hours that the launch the next morning would
be the coldest ever. Freezing temperatures, their data showed,
stiffened rubber O-rings that keep burning rocket fuel from leaking out
of the joints in the shuttle's boosters.
But NASA officials rejected that data, and Thiokol executives overruled
Ebeling and the other engineers. "It's going to blow up," a distraught
and defeated Ebeling told his wife, Darlene, when he arrived home that
night. Click here.
(2/25)
8 Reasons to Get Pumped About the
Discovery of Gravitational Waves (Source: LA Magazine)
The announcement of the discovery of ripples in the fabric of spacetime
made waves (obligatory pun) two weeks ago. If you still don’t know why
everyone is so excited about it, let theoretical physicist Kip Thorne
help. He and a panel of LIGO scientists descended on Caltech last night
to share the history of the project and talk about what it was like to
discover gravitational waves. Here are a few standout factoids from the
event that even a largely indifferent layperson can get stoked on.
Click here.
(2/25)
Vatican Astronomer to Speak at
Embry-Riddle in Daytona on March 2 (Source: ERAU)
The subject of cosmology and questions relating to science and faith
are discussed with author, astronomer, and Director of the Vatican
Observatory Brother Guy Consolmagno and author, faculty member, and
Embry-Riddle Chaplain David Keck along with moderator, Marc Bernier. A
Q&A will follow. Click here.
(2/24)
Aerospace Leader Expanding in
Florida's Manatee County (Source: SRQ)
Aerospace manufacturer Safran announced it would expand its Manatee
County facilities and relocate all operations for Aerosource, a company
acquired by Safran in 2011, out of New Jersey and into Southwest
Florida over the course of 2016. The move would create 84 new jobs
through the expansion of Safran subsidiary Labinal Power Systems. (2/22)
Can Bigelow Create a Life for Humans
in Space? (Source: Popular Science)
Turn down Skywalker Way, then make a left on Warp Drive. A hangarlike
facility is there, huge, as a hangar should be. Inside, a tall
mustachioed gentleman in a baggy gray pinstriped suit stands idly. He
owns the facility and everything around it. He also owns the Budget
Suites of America a few miles away, down near the Las Vegas Strip.
That’s just part of his empire, that budget hotel, along with a whole
chain of others scattered across the Southwest.
But we’re not here to talk budget hotels. We’re here to talk about the
future, and a different kind of accommodations entirely: one that can
be folded up, bundled onto a rocket, shot into space, expanded, and
lived in. We’re here because Robert Bigelow—low-key billionaire, space
entrepreneur, avowed believer in extraterrestrials—has invited us into
this warehouse to show off his blow-up space home. Click here.
(2/24)
First Rocket Launch From Russia's
Vostochny Cosmodrome Will Not Be Insured (Source: Space Daily)
A Soyuz-1A carrier rocket is planned for the spring of 2016 and will be
the first launch from the Vostochny Cosmodrome. "The launch will be
uninsured. The only thing that is insured is [possible] damage to third
parties in case the carrier rocket crashes. We believe the Soyuz rocket
carrier is reliable," Leonid Makridenko told journalists. (2/35)
DARPA Seeks Funds for Spaceplane
Project (Source: Space News)
An experimental reusable spaceplane is the biggest space program in
DARPA's proposed budget. The agency is seeking $50 million for its
Experimental Spaceplane 1 (XS-1) program, up from $30 million in its
2016 request. XS-1 is intended to develop a reusable first stage that
can fly up to Mach 10, as well as fly 10 times in 10 days. DARPA
awarded study contracts to three industry teams in 2014, but has yet to
select one to build a vehicle. The DARPA request also includes $45
million for a deployable communications antenna for cubesats and $33
million for a satellite servicing program. (2/24)
Boeing Space Chief Retires
(Source: Bloomberg)
The head of Boeing's ~$30 billion defense and space division is
abruptly retiring. Chris Chadwick, who led Boeing Defense, Space &
Security since late 2013, will retire from the company effective March
1, the company announced Wednesday. He will be replaced by Leanne
Caret, the head that division's Global Services & Support unit.
(2/24)
Japan to Host New Commercial Biotech
Research on ISS (Source: JAXA)
JAXA has signed a contract with a Japanese company to do commercial
research on the space station. The agreement announced this week with
PeptiDream, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, covers protein crystal
growth experiments to be conducted in the station's Kibo module over
the next year and a half. JAXA has been performing protein crystal
growth experiments in Kibo since 2009, including a previous experiment
with PeptiDream. (2/24)
To Find Life, Follow Salt, Not Water
(Source: New Scientist)
If NASA is interested in finding life on Mars, it should follow the
salt, not the water. Astrobiologists argue in a recent paper that, if
life existed early in the planet's history when conditions were more
habitable, it most likely would have survived to the present day if it
adapted to living in salt deposits. Scientists have seen similar
behaviors in microbes in dry environments on the Earth. Such salt
deposits are thought to exist on Mars in its southern highlands,
including two of the eight candidate landing sites for NASA's Mars 2020
rover. (2/24)
Radio Burst Tracked to Distant Galaxy
(Source: Guardian)
A radio burst may have identified some of the missing mass in the
universe. Astronomers detected a mysterious "fast radio burst" last
April, and trained several telescopes on the source. That allowed
astronomers to identify the source of the burst and its distance, while
other astronomers measured the delay in the arrival of radio signals at
different frequencies, a way of measuring much mass the radio waves
passed through. That matched calculations based on models that predict
half the mass of the universe is in previously unseen clouds of gas
between galaxies. (2/24)
On the Brink of WWIII – Why the U.S.
is in Syria and How it Dominates Militarily with Space Tech
(Source: Conscious Business)
World War III is building up in the Middle East as 20 countries
participate in a military “exercise” dubbed “Northern Thunder”. The
exercise includes 350,000 soldiers, 20 thousand tanks, 2450 warplanes,
and 460 military helicopters supplied by Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Bahrain,
Senegal, Oman, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Sudan, Kuwait, the
Maldives, Morocco, Pakistan, Chad, Tunisia, Comoro Islands, Djibouti,
Malaysia, Egypt, Mauritania, and Mauritius.
While this is occurring, Turkey has been bombing Syria since early
February and has been urging the United States to mount a ground
operation in Syria. Meanwhile, Russia is warning that an escalation in
Syria will undoubtedly cause World War III to explode in the region.
Some believe this is all posturing to convince parties to come to the
table to negotiate a peace agreement in the region. Regardless of the
motives, all of this action is extremely dangerous and could spark
World War III in the region.
Listen to this episode to learn about why we are in Syria, how the U.S.
military uses space to dominate the world, and how Bruce Gagnon
believes the future will unfold regarding the geopolitical issues
regarding space, the military, and the world community. Click here.
(2/24)
Commercial Suborbital and LEO
Spaceflight Market Assessment (Source: Frost & Sullivan)
F&S has published a market assessment study covering commercial
spaceflight services. The focus of this study is dedicated
small-satellite launch services. The study also covers key new players
and revenue forecasts accounting for the price reduction due to new
competition. If you are in the space industry looking to learn more
about the LEO launch services market, then this study will be of
interest to you. The study can be found here.
(2/23)
Germany and Japan Strengthen Space
Cooperation (Source: JAXA)
TThe German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration
Agency (JAXA) have signed an “Inter Agency Arrangement between DLR and
JAXA for Strategic Partnership” at the German Embassy in Tokyo, Japan.
With this arrangement, both partners intend to jointly undertake the
new role of space agencies and significantly contribute to the
advancement of the world's space development. (2/25)
Together, the UAE and the UK are
exploring the Final Frontier (Source: The National)
The UK and UAE space agencies this week signed a memorandum of
understanding to create a strategic space partnership. This will open
the way for extensive cooperation between our two countries in space
research, scientific missions and the search for popular applications.
The UK is a world leader in space exploration and technology. Our first
venture into space was in 1962 on the world’s first collaborative
satellite, Ariel 1. In the 54 years since then, international
cooperation has been central to human achievements in space. In 2004,
British technology helped Europe land a probe on Titan, a moon of
Saturn, 1.4 billion kilometers from Earth – the most distant landing
yet achieved by mankind. Today, a quarter of the world’s commercial
satellites rely on British technology. (2/24)
Luxembourg Keen to be Asteroid Miners'
Haven (Source: EU Observer)
Luxembourg is known for being a country with one of Europe's most
business-friendly tax regimes, which has attracted a multitude of
multinationals selling Earthly products from soft drinks to
self-assembly furniture. But recently, the Grand Duchy has embarked on
a voyage to become a hub for companies in a more celestial business:
mining asteroids.
Its mission: to become the first European country that gives private
firms legal certainty they will own resources they extract in space.
“In the near future, we seek to create an attractive framework to give
assurances to investors interested in building a business by exploiting
natural resources available in space,” deputy prime minister Etienne
Schneider said in a speech on 3 February, announcing the scheme. (2/24)
Cernan Laments Lack of Interest in
Space Exploration (Source: Seattle Times)
Gene Cernan wants to set the record straight about that whole “last
man” business. In a phone interview from the Houston area, he
acknowledged being “the last man to have left my footprints on the
moon. The last man of Apollo. The last man of the 20th century. But I
can assure you, I am not the last man.”
Cernan said his goal is to “get the kids off those games they’re
playing and put that bright mind of theirs to do something significant
in their generation.” These days, he travels around the country
speaking about the importance of manned spaceflight. (2/24)
SpaceX Launch Put on Hold at Last
Minute (Source: CNN)
SpaceX delayed launching a new satellite Wednesday that could bring
more people online in India, where about 1 billion people don't have
internet access. SpaceX didn't immediately say why the launch was put
off, but Florida was in the path of storm Wednesday that brought high
winds and tornado alerts from Florida and as far north as the
Mid-Atlantic states.
Liftoff from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station was originally
scheduled for Wednesday evening, but SpaceX announced via Twitter just
after 6 p.m. that the "team [is] opting to hold the launch" but the
"rocket and spacecraft remain healthy." It has tentatively rescheduled
the launch for Thursday at 6:49 pm ET.
Editor's Note:
From SpaceX: “Out of an abundance of caution, the team opted to hold
launch for today to ensure liquid oxygen temperatures are as cold as
possible in an effort to maximize performance of the vehicle.” (2/24)
The Real Martian Technologies: Our
Little Green Friends (Source: NASA)
Inside the research lab module, bright LEDs on the multi-shelved
hydroponic system turn on and off in harmony. Smiling at the automated
efficiency of the system, you carefully consider when to thin out the
lettuce seedlings and when to harvest the radishes, tomatoes and
peppers. Last stop, the attached plant growth module, which is
connected to the central node.
The plant module has large crops that have filled the module to where
it almost looks like a jungle surrounding the central aisle. Now that
the morning duties are complete, it is time for a good strong cup of
coffee and some breakfast potatoes fresh from the garden. At moments
like this, it feels more like home.
Every day, NASA is working to develop new technologies and find
innovative solutions to challenges facing aeronautics, space
exploration and the greater scientific community. One of the greatest
challenges is in-situ resources. Mining resources to make oxygen,
nitrogen, methane as well as the growth of a self-sufficient food
supply is critical to make this journey safer and more cost effective.
Click here.
(2/24)
SpaceX Will Attempt to Pick Up the
Pace of its Launches, Starting ASAP (Source: Quartz)
This year will test SpaceX’s ability to deliver its clients’ cargo to
space multiple times a year on a regular schedule—to maintain a high
launch tempo. Last year, Elon Musk’s space firm only launched six
rockets. The explosive failure of a mission to the Space Station in
June created major delays that cost SpaceX hundreds of millions of
dollars in lost revenue.
While the company has proven its ability to produce an effective,
low-cost rocket, it must conduct launches far more regularly to gobble
up further share of the space-access market. SpaceX’s two main
commercial competitors, ULA and Arianespace, each launched 12 rockets
in 2015. This year, ULA is hoping to launch 16 rockets. SpaceX this
year has at least 11 more anticipated launches of its Falcon 9 rocket.
It may also begin test flights of the Falcon Heavy, its next-generation
rocket.
Besides manufacturing and testing enough engines, stages, and fairings
to meet these needs, SpaceX needs to solve tricky coordination problems
with its clients and with the US government. Earlier this month, a team
of SpaceX executives, engineers, and attorneys met with the FCC to
figure out how to speed up authorization for SpaceX to use special
frequencies to communicate with its rockets during launches and during
the attempted recovery of rocket stages. Click here.
(2/24)
Russia Seeks Joint Manned Flight to
Mars with India (Source: Times of India)
Even as India is inching closer towards its human space mission,
Russian consul general Sergey Kotov on Tuesday indicated Russia's
interest to conduct joint space missions including a manned flight to
Mars. While mentioning a possibility of a joint space exploration, the
consul general, raised a query about Rakesh Sharma, the first Indian
astronaut, on how he managed in space without spicy Indian food. (2/24)
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