Georgia Locals Think Spaceport
Analysis is Flawed (Source: SPACErePORT)
Homeowners downrange of the proposed spaceport in Camden County,
Georgia, are watching with concern as a launch hazard analysis nears
completion with what they fear may be incomplete information. Former
XCOR executive Andrew Nelson told a Georgia State Senate Committee that
Aerospace Corporation is developing the analysis. The county has hired
Nelson to lead the spaceport development process.
At that same hearing, Nelson and Rep. Jason Spencer used census data to
indicate that there are only one or two occupied residences in the
downrange area, allowing an easy mitigation of potential launch failure
hazards. However, county tax maps show 30 homes within the proposed
six-mile-wide launch hazard zone. Here
is a map showing the launch site's downrange hazard area laid over the
county tax map. (3/17)
NASA Selects SBIR Small Business
Projects, Four From Florida (Source: SpaceRef)
NASA has selected 137 research and technology proposals from 117
American small businesses and research institutions that will enable
NASA's future missions into deep space, while also benefiting the U.S.
economy right here on Earth.
The agency received 323 proposals in response to its 2015 solicitation
for its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. From those,
NASA selected 134 SBIR Phase II General proposals, with a total value
of approximately $100.5 million, and three Phase II Select proposals,
valued at approximately $3.8 million, for contract negotiations under
Phase II of the SBIR program.
The four Florida projects are by Accelogic of Weston FL;
Interdisciplinary Consulting Corp. of Gainseville FL; Mainstream
Engineering Corp. of Rockledge FL; and Semplastics EHC of Oviedo FL.
Click here
for details on their projects. (3/16)
ULA Intends to Lower its Costs, Raise
its Cool, to Compete with SpaceX (Source: Space News)
A senior ULA official gave a candid assessment of his company’s attempt
to reinvent itself at a time when competitor SpaceX has almost
single-handedly caused a rebirth of the cool in U.S. rocketry that has
all but bypassed ULA.
In a presentation by turns admiring and resentful of SpaceX – not the
first time a ULA official has expressed these sentiments — ULA
Engineering Vice President Brett Tobey said his company accepts the
fact that SpaceX has forced the U.S. government, and thus ULA, to
change the way rockets are made and sold.
It still views SpaceX’s Falcon 9 reusability design – returning the
full first stage – as “dumb” given the huge amount of fuel needed to
bring the stage back. ULA’s plan for its future Vulcan rocket is to
separate the Vulcan’s main-stage engines, cover them in a package that
deploys a parachute and then scoop them up in midair with a helicopter.
(3/15)
ULA President Differs on Aerojet
Remarks (Source: Space News)
United Launch Alliance sought to distance itself Wednesday from remarks
its vice president of engineering made Tuesday implying the
Denver-based rocket builder has all but decided to use Blue Origin’s
BE-4 engine instead of Aerojet Rocketdyne’s AR1 to power its
next-generation launcher. “These ill-advised statements do not reflect
ULA’s views or our relationship with our valuable suppliers,” ULA Chief
Executive Tory Bruno said. “We welcome competition.”
ULA Engineering Vice President Brett Tobey, highlighted the financial
advantage Blue Origin has over Aerojet Rocketdyne. “Compare it to
having two fiancĂ©es, two possible brides,” Tobey said. “Blue Origin is
a super-rich girl, and then there is this poor girl over here, Aerojet
Rocketdyne... We’re doing all the work on both, and the chance of
Aerojet Rocketdyne beating the billionaire is pretty low. Basically
we’re putting a whole lot more energy into BE-4 for Blue Origin.”
ULA expects to wait until Blue Origin does a full-scale BE-4 static
fire test later this year before making a decision on which engine to
use for Vulcan. “Aerojet is also doing great by the way,” Bruno told
the magazine. “They’re a little but further behind but they’re also
doing very, very well in their testing. Once we down select, obviously
we want to stop investing in the engine we’re not going to use.” (3/16)
OA-6 Mission Set to Conduct Array of
Science and Technology Demonstrations (Source: SpaceFlight
Insider)
When the S.S. Rick Husband Cygnus spacecraft launches next week it will
not only deliver an estimated 7,756 lbs (3,518 kg) of cargo, crew
supplies and experiments to the International Space Station. The OA-6
mission will also see the Cygnus spacecraft used to conduct a
scientific experiment of its own.
Perhaps one of the more unique experiments that will be carried out on
(or after as the case may be) as part of OA-6 is Saffire. The
Spacecraft Fire Experiment-I or “Saffire“, as it is more commonly known
– will see a large-scale fire set inside the empty Cygnus cargo
freighter after it has completed its stay at the ISS. Instruments,
including two cameras, will monitor the progression of the fire as it
consumes a piece of material.
As Cygnus is automated there is no risk to crew. This experiment is
being fielded to provide a better understanding of large fires in the
microgravity environment. It will monitor the flame’s growth, oxygen
use and other aspects of how fires behave in zero gravity. Cygnus is
designed to burn up as it reenters Earth’s atmosphere, some eight days
after its 55-day stay at the orbiting lab is complete. (3/16)
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