Orbital ATK Improves Revenue and Income
(Source: Orbital ATK)
Orbital ATK reported improved revenue and income in 2015. In a
statement late Monday, the company said it recorded revenues of $4.52
billion for 2015, an increase of nearly 2 percent over 2014 after
making adjustments for the merger of Orbital Sciences and ATK that was
completed last year. The company reported $299 million in adjusted net
income for the year, nearly 20 percent higher than 2014. Orbital ATK
said it is projecting revenues of $4.575 to 4.65 billion for 2016.
(2/29)
Syrian Spaceman Living in Exile
(Source: Guardian)
The first Syrian in space is now living in exile in Turkey. Muhammed
Faris flew to the Soviet Union's Mir space station in 1987, becoming a
national hero. Faris later was named head of Syria's air force academy,
but was critical of the Assad regime and, when the country's civil war
began, fled with his family to Turkey. He has turned down offers to
seek asylum in Russia or Europe, working instead with the Turkish
government on Syrian refugees and hoping for an end to the civil war.
(2/29)
NASA Scores Successful Orion Solar
Array Deployment Test (Source: SpaceFlight Insider)
NASA took another important step in testing the Orion crewed spacecraft
yesterday with the successful completion of a solar array deployment
test inside the Space Power Facility (SPF) at NASA's Plum Brook Station
in Sandusky, Ohio. (3/1)
Boat Encroachment: More to Come for
SpaceX at Texas Launch Site (Source: SPACErePORT)
SpaceX's new super-chilled fuel mixture seems to require timely liftoff
after fuel loading, as demonstrated during its recent aborted launch. A
boat encroached the downrange safety area, delaying the countdown and,
apparently, allowing the fuel to warm after it had been loaded, causing
a last-second abort.
At the Eastern Range, boaters are generally familiar with downrange
restrictions, and the range operators have a lot of experience dealing
with errant boaters to keep the range clear. Not so at Boca Chica,
where fishing and pleasure boating are also popular, launches are a new
phenomenon, there are no existing range authorities, and a good portion
of the downrage clearance area is under Mexican control. I would
imagine range encroachment delays will be a common occurrence for
SpaceX at its new Boca Chica launch site. (3/1)
U.S. Air Force Considering Three More
WGS Communications Satellites (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Air Force is considering building a three-satellite
constellation to replenish its wideband satellite communications
system. While the discussion is in the early stages, the idea has
alarmed some commercial satellite operators, who for years have been
trying to win a greater share of Defense Department business. A new
constellation would provide additional bandwidth for the military and
theoretically minimize the opportunity for commercial operators to sell
wideband communications services to the Pentagon. (3/1)
Op-ed: Need for Canadian Space Access
(Source: SpaceRef)
Since the beginning, man has yearned to venture into the cosmos, which
is a difficult achievement without access to space. Such is the
attitude and position of Canada within the global space industry. Many
will argue, as has been the standing for decades, that there is no need
for Canada to divest capital resources into an orbital launch program.
Other countries have already done so, like our neighbors to the south,
so we can rely on them for space access. Little do they know, however,
that such a passive attitude is the root of stagnancy. It's as true in
human psychology as it is in technological evolution; if something
isn't growing, it's dying. Reworded, you can choose to get better or
get bitter, and the current state of the Canadian space program
reflects the latter. (3/1)
Honeywell Revokes $90.3B Bid For
United Technologies (Source: Law 360)
Honeywell pulled back its $90.3 billion buyout for rival aircraft
supplier United Technologies on Tuesday, with the New-Jersey based
company saying it is not interested in pursuing a hostile campaign even
as it contended the deal would have no issues clearing regulatory
hurdles. (3/1)
Lockheed to Help NASA Design Quieter
Supersonic Passenger Jet (Source: Reuters)
NASA on Monday announced a contract award to Lockheed Martin Corp's
unit for the preliminary design of a "low boom" flight demonstration
aircraft. NASA's Commercial Supersonic Technology Project had asked
industry teams to submit design concepts for a test aircraft that can
fly at supersonic speeds, creating a supersonic "heartbeat" - a soft
thump rather than the disruptive boom currently associated with
supersonic flight.
NASA said it selected a team led by Lockheed Martin's unit, Lockheed
Martin Aeronautics Co, to complete a preliminary design for Quiet
Supersonic Technology (QueSST). This is the first in a series of
'X-planes' in NASA's New Aviation Horizons initiative, introduced in
the agency's fiscal year 2017 budget. (2/29)
Spaceport Bill Passes Georgia House of
Representatives (Source: Atlanta Business Chronicle)
The Georgia House of Representatives approved legislation Monday to
help smooth the way for a planned spaceport in southeastern Georgia.
The bill, which passed 164-8 and now heads to the state Senate, would
shield the operators of the spaceport from lawsuits from injured space
tourists.
Similar legal protections are in place in Texas and Florida, which also
are planning spaceport projects, said Rep. Jason Spencer, R-Woodbine,
the bill’s sponsor. “[This] makes Georgia competitive to bring in the
commercial space industry,” he said. Spencer said the bill would not
exempt the facility from being sued for injuries caused by intentional
harm or gross negligence.
Another provision that would have prohibited local governments from
putting noise control restrictions on space flight operations was
stricken from the bill before it reached the House floor. (2/29)
What if Extraterrestrial Observers
Called, but Nobody Heard? (Source: McMaster University)
As scientists step up their search for other life in the universe, two
astrophysicists are proposing a way to make sure we don't miss the
signal if extraterrestrial observers try to contact us first. René
Heller and Ralph Pudritz say the best chance for us finding a signal
from beyond is to presume that extraterrestrial observers are using the
same methods to search for us that we are using to search for life
beyond Earth.
Here on Earth, space researchers are focusing most of their search
efforts on planets and moons that are too far away to see directly.
Instead, they study them by tracking their shadows as they pass in
front of their own host stars. Measuring the dimming of starlight as a
planet crosses the face of its star during orbit, scientists can
collect a wealth of information, even without ever seeing those worlds
directly. Using methods that allow them to estimate the average stellar
illumination and temperatures on their surfaces, scientists have
already identified dozens of locations where life could potentially
exist. (3/1)
Bill Nye to Speak at UCF (Source:
UCF)
Students, faculty and staff are invited to spend “An Afternoon with
Bill Nye,” popularly known as “The Science Guy,” on March 15, 2016.
Click here.
(3/1)
The “Super Chill” Reason SpaceX Keeps
Aborting Launches (Source: Quartz)
Last night, SpaceX aborted its third attempt in four days to launch the
SES-9 satellite, which bodes ill for a company hoping to demonstrate a
speedy and predictable pace of rocket launches this year. After bad
weather on the first attempt, the last two failures to launch were
linked to the upgraded rocket SpaceX is using, which relies on
“super-chilled” liquid oxygen to get an extra thrust into orbit.
Using new technology to get the most fuel in the rocket makes sense.
But loading and keeping enough super-chilled fuel at its optimal
temperature has become an issue twice. Last night, a boat strayed into
the safety area around the launch pad and delayed the count-down. It
resumed, but the launch was aborted after the engines began to ignite,
because of concerns that the fuel had warmed in the intervening period.
Rising oxygen temperatures, caused by the countdown delay, triggered an
alarm that aborted the liftoff. Two days prior, the mission had been
aborted after problems were detected with the fuel loading procedure
itself. SpaceX stressed that the decision was made out of an abundance
of caution. (2/29)
Mojave Spaceport Approved Pricey
Consulting Contract for Witt (Source: Bakersfield Californian)
Stuart Witt, for years the CEO and general manager of Mojave Air and
Space Port, retired in January. But the facility will retain his
services as part of a limited contract. A reader who closely follows
the actions of the governing board at Mojave Air and Space Port wrote
to The Californian to express his concerns about salaries and spending
at the 3,300-acre facility in eastern Kern County.
The letter-writer focused primarily on a consulting contract approved
by the board in early February involving former space port Chief
Executive Stuart Witt, who retired last month after nearly 14 years at
the helm. "When I saw the proposal to hire Mr. Witt at $200 per hour, I
really had to ask myself what is going on,” wrote the man, who
requested that his name not be used.
According to the contract, “MASP shall compensate consultant $200 per
hour, on a time and materials basis, not to exceed 80 hours per month
or 960 hours per year.” Hypothetically, Witt could pull down $192,000
plus expenses in 12 months if he worked the maximum number of hours.
But Karina Drees, the space port’s new CEO, said that’s simply not
going to happen. (2/28)
What Happens If You Get Bored in Space?
(Source: Billionaire)
Space tourism will be the ultimate frontier of travel. Only the
privileged few will get to taste the wonders of this journey. And only
the brave will dare. How are these upmarket tourists going to fill the
long hours during the journey to Mars? At 57 million kilometers from
Earth, the journey to outer space is going to mean seven months of
journeying in one cramped space. How are commercial aerospace companies
going to ensure that passengers stay entertained and there isn’t a riot
on the way to outer space?
What might an Emirates Interplanetary First Class look like? I’d
compare the line-up to BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs, where
celebrity guests must choose only eight songs, books and luxury items
based on the knowledge that return to Earth is not a given.
There is already internet in space but, last year, astronaut Scott
Kelly tweeted that it was like using dial-up all over again. It is true
that great strides are being made in improving the situation, but
perhaps we in-flight entertainment companies shouldn’t be too quick to
drop skills associated with offline delivery of entertainment in our
rush to go wireless. It may all be needed again for space. Click here.
(2/29)
What Did a Year in Space Do to Scott
Kelly? (Source: WIRED)
One year is twice as long as the typical ISS trip—but it is how long
astronauts will have to spend in interplanetary space to get to Mars
and back. That’s one year for the body to slowly break down in space
thanks too little gravity and too much radiation.
Some of the effects of microgravity are obvious. When bones and muscles
no longer have to bear the weight of walking, they start to weaken.
Bones thin, muscles atrophy. To counteract that, ISS astronauts spend
an average of two hours a day exercising, strapped onto a treadmill
with elastic bands or doing weight resistance training. Supplements
like vitamin D also help. But still, astronauts lose on average 1.5
percent of their bone mass per month in space.
Less obvious are the effects of gravity on fluids. Yes, your internal
fluids! Like your blood and urine and the all the interstitial fluid
that bathes the cells of your body. Without gravity, for example, the
heart shrinks because it no longer has to work as hard to pump blood to
the legs and back. (2/29)
Aldrin Calls for Human Colony on Mars
(Source: CBS)
Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon, thinks that mankind's
next big objective in space should be to colonize Mars. Speaking at an
event at the Science Museum in London, Aldrin projected that by 2040,
Earthlings will set foot on the Red Planet, making way for an eventual
space colony. "To take the step, to take the movement, to take the
action to begin to occupy -- is there anything bigger that humans could
do on Earth than to leave and begin to occupy?" Aldrin said. Click here.
(2/29)
Gogo Says Satellite Costs Have Dropped
60%, Hints at OneWeb Constellation Deal (Source: Space News)
Airline connectivity provider Gogo Inc. said satellite bandwidth costs
have dropped by 60 percent in the past two years as high-throughput
spacecraft near launch and Gogo leverages its status as an increasingly
large customer. Gogo has signed major capacity deals with fleet
operators Intelsat and SES.
The company has made a selling point of the fact that its Ku-band 2Ku
technology, unlike Ka-band systems offered by competitor ViaSat Inc.,
among others, enables Gogo to move back and forth among satellite
providers to find the best deal. Gogo could soon be signing a capacity
agreement with OneWeb LLC of Britain’s Channel Islands, which is
scheduled to start launching a 700-satellite constellation in 2018
using Ku-band for a global Internet service. (2/29)
X Prize Planning for Next Space
Competition (Source: Space News)
With its current flagship space competition set to end in less than two
years, the X Prize Foundation is starting the planning for its next
space-related challenge. In a Feb. 24 presentation to the Future
In-Space Operations working group, Andrew Barton, director of technical
operations for the Google Lunar X Prize (GLXP) competition, said the X
Prize Foundation is preparing to develop a new space prize to succeed
the GLXP.
Barton said the foundation has a road-mapping approach for developing
new prizes that it plans to apply to a new space prize. That involves
identifying desired future states of the space industry and working
backwards, or “backcasting,” to the present day to identify key
technical challenges that could be solved through the use of a prize.
(2/29)
Aerojet Rocketdyne, ULA Win Air Force
Propulsion Contracts (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Air Force will invest up to $536 million in Aerojet
Rocketdyne’s AR1 rocket engine and as much as $202 million in United
Launch Alliance’s Vulcan rocket as a way to end dependence on the
Russian rocket engine used to launch most U.S. national security
payloads, according to a Feb. 29 announcement from the Pentagon.
Aerojet Rocketdyne will use the money to help develop its AR1 rocket
engine. ULA will develop a prototype of its Vulcan launch vehicle with
the BE-4 engine and work on its next-generation upper stage engine
known as the Advanced Cryogenic Evolved Stage, or ACES. (2/29)
Gravitational Waves: Tests Begin for
Future Space Observatory (Source: BBC)
The formal test program begins this week on the technologies required
to detect gravitational waves in space. Europe's Lisa Pathfinder (LPF)
probe will engage in a series of experiments roughly 1.5 million km
from Earth. The project has heightened interest, of course, because of
the first sampling of the "cosmic ripples" made by ground-based
detectors last September.
A successful demo for LPF would pave the way for a fully operational
orbiting observatory in the 2030s. This would likely be known simply as
Lisa - the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna. "It's a wonderful time
right now," said Paul McNamara, the European Space Agency's (ESA)
project scientist on Lisa Pathfinder. (2/29)
ULA and Blue Origin Partner with Air
Force for All-American Rocket Engine (Source: ULA)
United Launch Alliance and Blue Origin entered into a public-private
partnership with the U.S. Air Force to develop a new rocket propulsion
system to power Vulcan -- ULA’s next-generation launch system. ULA has
been investing in the development of the Vulcan rocket for more than a
year. This agreement will enhance the company’s progress integrating
the BE-4 engine with the Vulcan launch vehicle. (2/29)
Aerojet Rocketdyne, ULA Partner with
USAF to Develop RD-180 Replacement (Source: Aerojet Rocketdyne)
The U.S. Air Force selected Aerojet Rocketdyne and United Launch
Alliance (ULA) to share in a public-private partnership to develop
jointly the AR1 engine - an American-made rocket propulsion system. The
Air Force decision—coupled with a large internal investment in the AR1
engine—is a major step forward in ensuring that the U.S. has a
domestically-built rocket engine to replace the Russian-built RD-180
engines.
The total agreement is valued at $804 million with the Air Force
investing two-thirds of the funding required to complete development of
the AR1 engine by 2019. The work is expected to be completed no later
than Dec. 31, 2019. The Air Force intends to initially obligate $115.3
million with Aerojet Rocketdyne and ULA contributing $57.7 million.
(2/29)
Aerojet Rocketdyne Names Dynetics as
Key AR1 Engine Team Member (Source: Aerojet Rocketdyne
Following the U.S. Air Force selection of AR1 for a Rocket Propulsion
System award, Aerojet Rocketdyne named Dynetics of Huntsville, Alabama,
as a key team member for the AR1 engine development. This engine is
adaptable to current and future launch vehicles in development. (2/29)
SpaceX Confirms 'Super' Tuesday Launch
Attempt (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
SpaceX has confirmed that it will attempt to launch a satellite into
orbit for a fourth time on Tuesday evening, with a launch window
opening at 6:35 p.m. at Cape Canaveral. The launch window is 11 minutes
earlier than the three prior attempts have been. (2/29)
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