Astronomers Discover Complex Organic Matter in the Universe (Source: SpaceRef)
In today's issue of the journal Nature, astronomers report that organic compounds of unexpected complexity exist throughout the Universe. The results suggest that complex organic compounds are not the sole domain of life but can be made naturally by stars. The scientists show that an organic substance commonly found throughout the Universe contains a mixture of aromatic (ring-like) and aliphatic (chain-like) components.
The compounds are so complex that their chemical structures resemble those of coal and petroleum. Since coal and oil are remnants of ancient life, this type of organic matter was thought to arise only from living organisms. The team's discovery suggests that complex organic compounds can be synthesized in space even when no life forms are present. (10/26)
Robotics Experts Call for Greater Human-Robotics Interface in Space Missions (Source: Nuntsville Times)
NASA's increasing reliance on robots to assist human space exploration efforts was the subject of a panel discussion Tuesday at the 4th annual Von Braun Memorial Symposium at UAH. "Can we have both robotics and human exploration of space?" was the question posed to a panel consisting of academics and NASA officials. Though the question has often been phrased as an "or" question, panel members felt it should be rephased as an "and" question. (10/26)
Telenor Reports Improved Revenue, Profit (Source: Space News)
Satellite fleet operator Telenor Satellite Broadcasting of Norway on Oct. 26 said its revenue and gross profit have improved since the beginning of the year and that it has begun loading customers onto an aging satellite in inclined orbit at a new orbital slot. Oslo-based Telenor also said it is expanding its customer base for maritime communications to ships equipped with VSAT, or very small aperture terminal, antennas that permit high-speed links. (10/26)
ViaSat-1 Launch Is Milestone for Isle of Man (Source: Space News)
The Isle of Man, which has made the space industry a keystone of its economic growth strategy, has reached a milestone with the launch of the first-ever satellite using one of its own orbital slots. ManSat LLC, which assists the Isle of Man government in filing for orbital positions and broadcast frequency rights with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), said the ViaSat-1 Ka-band broadband satellite will be operated from a Man-registered slot at 115 degrees west in geostationary orbit. (10/26)
'Doomsday' Comet Elenin is Dead (Source: Space.com)
The wimpy comet Elenin, which vaulted into the public spotlight as a so-called harbinger of doom, has met its own demise, and its remains won't be back for 12,000 years, NASA scientists say. The comet made a swing through the inner solar system in recent months, coming closest to Earth on Oct. 16, but by that time all that was left were crumbs. The fate of comet Elenin, it seems, was sealed in September during its closest approach to the sun. (10/26)
China to Launch Shenzhou-8 Early November (Source: Xinhua)
China will launch the spacecraft Shenzhou-8 in early November at the Jiuquan spaceport. The unmanned spacecraft is expected to perform China's first space docking with Tiangong-1, or Heavenly Palace-1, a space lab module that was launched in September. The spacecraft and its carrier rocket, an upgraded Long March-2F, were transferred on Wednesday morning on a 20-meter-wide railway to the launch pad. (10/26)
Scientists Counting on NPP Amid Programmatic Turmoil (Source: SpaceFlightNow.com)
Originally conceived as a testbed satellite to prove the advanced designs for future U.S. government spacecraft, the NPP mission blasting off Friday has been thrust to an entirely new level of importance for meteorologists now facing a gap in data from space. Its NPP name once stood for the NPOESS Preparatory Project, the trailblazer for the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) that aimed to combine civilian and military weather spacecraft into a single program.
But NPOESS was besieged by an ineffective management structure, money woes and long delays, ultimately leading to the outright cancellation last year. The civil and military weather programs were instructed to go their separate ways in developing the next fleets of satellites, which won't be ready to fly for several years. So the NPP satellite is no longer viewed as just an experimental platform. Now, it must supply meteorologists with the observations needed for weather forecasting over the next several years. (10/26)
Strange Hollows Discovered on Mercury (Source: NASA)
NASA's MESSENGER probe has discovered strange hollows on the surface of Mercury. Images reveal thousands of peculiar depressions at a variety of longitudes and latitudes, ranging from 60 feet to over a mile across and 60 to 120 feet deep. "These hollows were a major surprise," says David Blewett. "We've been thinking of Mercury as a relic – a place that's really not changing much anymore, except by impact cratering. But the hollows appear to be younger than the craters in which they are found, and that means Mercury's surface is still evolving in a surprising way."
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spotted similar depressions in the carbon dioxide ice at Mars' south pole, giving that surface a "swiss cheese" appearance. But on Mercury they're found in rock and often have bright interiors and halos. "We've never seen anything quite like this on a rocky surface." If you could stand in one of these "sleepy" hollows on Mercury's surface, you'd find yourself, like Ichabod Crane, in a quiet, still, haunting place, with a black sky above your head. (10/26)
Space Shuttle Petition Reaches Goal for White House Consideration (Source: Columbus Business First)
A Columbus man is trying to get the White House's attention on his efforts to review the NASA decision to send a retired space shuttle to New York instead of Dayton. The man launched an online petition Sep. 22 on the White House website challenging the decision and has garnered more than 5,500 signatures, the newspaper reports. At least 5,000 signatures were needed to get a White House staff member to review the petition. (10/26)
Virgin Galactic Selects First Commercial Astronaut Pilot From Competition (Source: SpaceRef)
Just over fifty years ago, an historic competition for the first pilots to fly into space yielded the Mercury Seven astronauts. Today, from an intense selection process with more than 500 applicants including some of the best pilots in the world, Virgin Galactic has selected former USAF test pilot Keith Colmer as the first astronaut pilot to join the commercial spaceline's flight team.
Colmer will join Chief Pilot David Mackay to begin flight training and testing, leading to operational missions to space with Virgin Galactic's revolutionary vehicles, WhiteKnightTwo and SpaceShipTwo. Additional selections will be made as the company nears commercial operations. Colmer brings 12 years of operational, developmental and experimental aircraft test flight experience plus more than 10 years of combined military experience in USAF spacecraft operations and flying. He has logged over 5000 hours in over 90 different types of aircraft. (10/26)
NASA Evacuates Astronauts from Deep-Sea Training (Source: NASA Watch)
NASA evacuated a crew of astronauts Wednesday from an underwater lab off the coast of Florida where they were training for a trip to an asteroid, due to the approach of Hurricane Rina. "Crew decompressed overnight and will return to surface shortly. Hurricane Rina just a little too close for comfort," the US space agency said. The NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO) team climbed aboard support boats that were waiting at the surface and they were expected to be on dry land by 9:00 am (1300 GMT)." (10/26)
Excalibur Almaz Gets an Unfunded CCDev Agreement (Source NewSpace Journal)
The ranks of companies with Commercial Crew Development (CCDev) awards from NASA has quietly grown by one. The charter for a hearing on the program today by the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee reveals that NASA has signed an unfunded Space Act Agreement with Excalibur Almaz on October 17. There are no other details about the contents of the agreement, including what work it covers and over what schedule.
Excalibur Almaz is now the third company with an unfunded SAA, after NASA signed similar agreements with United Launch Alliance in July and with ATK in September. Both of those were greeted with press releases by NASA and the companies, as well as press conferences. There has yet been no formal announcement about this new agreement by either NASA or Excalibur Almaz. (10/26)
Dollar Gap May Delay Commercial Launches (Source: Florida Today)
The post-shuttle “gap” in astronaut launches from Florida could extend to 2017 if Congress doesn’t boost funding for commercial space taxis, NASA warns. The U.S. will depend on Russia for access to the International Space Station until one or more commercial vehicles are ready. But lawmakers so far have offered hundreds of millions less than NASA requested for the commercial effort in 2012, with six times as much going to a deep space exploration system that won’t fly a crew for a decade.
If development of commercial spacecraft is slowed, reliance on the Russians — at a cost of roughly $60 million per seat — would be prolonged. “That’s the choice,” NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver said at a commercial spaceflight conference last week. (10/26)
Senators Ask Air Force to Suspend Talks with ULA (Source: Aviation Week)
Two lawmakers from the Senate Armed Services Committee are asking the U.S. Air Force to suspend talks with a rocket provider until more detailed pricing is available. "Given the current climate of fiscal austerity, these developments are profoundly troubling," wrote Sens. Carl Levin, D-Mich., and John McCain, R-Ariz., in a letter. The Air Force is negotiating with United Launch Alliance for up to $15 billion in rockets. (10/26)
Twin-Balloon Airship Hits High Frontier (Source: MSNBC)
An unmanned twin-balloon airship rose to nearly 100,000 feet over the weekend — marking the latest milestone for JP Aerospace, an all-volunteer group that's aiming to send balloon-borne payloads into space. Research balloons have risen to heights in excess of 135,000 feet (42 kilometers), but JP Aerospace claims that Tandem set an altitude record for a powered, steerable airship.
The entire Tandem craft weighed 80 pounds, with the balloons accounting for 20 pounds of that weight.
Powell said Tandem is being developed as a "high-altitude backhoe" that can be used as a launch platform for small research rockets, a mothership for hypersonic craft, a construction platform for high-altitude research stations and a precursor for JP Aerospace's "Airship to Orbit" program. (10/26)
NASA Lauds Progress of Commercial Space Companies Ahead of Hearing (Source: Space News)
On the eve of a congressional hearing on its effort to nurture privately owned vehicles for ferrying astronauts to the international space station, NASA issued a report saying four companies receiving federal funding under the agency’s Commercial Crew Development (CCDev) 2 program are making “substantial progress toward achieving crewed spaceflight in the middle of the decade.”
“In just six short months since the Commercial Crew Development Round 2 partners were selected, they have completed 21 of the 57 planned milestones,” NASA said in the Oct. 25 report. The milestones, representing a total of $32.4 million in federal funding, include airbag drop tests of Boeing’s proposed CST-100 capsule and various technical reviews of other planned crew-carrying vehicles. (10/26)
Company Plans Air-Launch Microsat Launch System (Source: Generation Orbit)
Generation Orbit Launch Services is as a new venture dedicated to the creation of a fast, flexible, and dedicated nanosatellite (1-30 kg) orbital payload delivery service. The service, called GO Launcher, will use existing high-speed jet aircraft and mostly existing rockets. Click here.
Editor's Note: This is one of multiple air-launch microsatellite delivery systems under development. Here's a photo of one being developed by Embry-Riddle students in collaboration with multiple industry partners. (10/26)
Wayward Air Force AEHF-1 Satellite Arrives at Geosynchronous Orbit (Source: SpaceRef)
The U.S. Air Force's first Advanced Extremely High Frequency military communications satellite completed a 14-month journey to reach its intended operational position in geosynchronous orbit, Oct. 24. The AEHF team will now start an approximately four-month detailed test and checkout phase of all spacecraft systems before the Space and Missile Systems Center transfers satellite command authority to Air Force Space Command's 14th Air Force in early 2012.
Shortly after its Aug. 2010 launch, the AEHF-1 experienced an anomaly with the bi-propellant propulsion system, which was intended to place the spacecraft near its operational orbit. A joint team of Air Force, Lockheed, Aerospace Corp. and Aerojet engineers designed a sophisticated campaign of approximately 500 burns: one phase using hydrazine thrusters and the other using the Hall Current Thruster electrical propulsion system. The plan delivered AEHF-1 to its intended orbit while maintaining its required 14 years of mission life. (10/26)
Virgin’s Delays Hardly Surprising (and Not Necessarily as Long) (Source: NewSpace Journal)
According to a Wall Street Journal article about Virgin Galactic, "passenger flights [won't begin] for at least two more years and operations will ramp up significantly more slowly than previously anticipated...[and the company] likely won’t begin commercial flights until 2013." These two points are at least potentially contradictory. Starting commercial flights in 2013 doesn’t necessarily mean that they won’t start “for at least two more years”, given it’s now October 2011: it’s possible that they could start in early 2013, with a delay of a little over one year.
The second issue is that this delay should not be considered a surprise. Pronouncements in recent weeks and months indicated that commercial service would start, at best, in late 2012, with 2013 as a more likely date. For example, Virgin Galactic president and CEO George Whitesides said at the beginning of this month that the company would “try to get to some definition of space by the end of next year”, implying that they would still be performing test flights at the end of 2012. (10/26)
Boeing's Spaceship to be Assembled at Kennedy Space Center (Source: Florida Today)
Boeing next week will confirm plans to assemble a commercial space capsule in one of the former shuttle hangars at Kennedy Space Center, work that could create more than 500 jobs. The company on Tuesday emailed invitations to VIP guests for a 10 a.m. Monday event at a hangar that formerly housed the orbiter Discovery. Boeing in July revealed it company was in discussions with NASA and Space Florida -- and other states -- about facilities suitable for manufacturing work on its seven-person CST-100 capsule.
The spacecraft is one of four whose development NASA is helping to fund under a program that hopes to launch astronauts to the International Space Station from U.S. soil again by the middle of the decade. Boeing plans to launch the capsule from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. NASA is expected to transfer the hangar officially called Orbiter Processing Facility Bay 3 to Space Florida, which would lease it to Boeing, according to a source knowledgeable about the deal. (10/26)
October 25, 2011
White House OMB Backs Freeze on Defense Spending (Source: The Hill)
Jacob Lew, White House Office of Management and Budget director, has written a letter backing a Senate proposal to freeze defense spending. "The DOD funding level, a freeze, will sustain our strong military," Lew wrote. Matthew Leatherman, an analyst at the Stimson Center, said, "There should be no doubt that the build-down has begun." (10/25)
Congress Should Pass 4-year Extension for FAA, Mica Says (Source: Wall Street Journal)
Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, says Congress needs to pass a four-year extension for the Federal Aviation Administration. The four-month extension to fund the FAA expires Jan. 30. Lawmakers disagree over the future of the Essential Air Service program and other provisions. (10/25)
Chinese Moon Probe is Tackling New Deep Space Mission (Source: MSNBC)
China's second moon probe is parked at a stable spot in deep space, called a Lagrangian point, as part of a new mission to study the sun and Earth's magnetic field. The multi-tasking spacecraft, called the Chang'e 2, completed its moon mapping mission earlier this year. Its new mission may be a signal of China's expanding prowess in space — not only for scientific purposes, but perhaps for showcasing strategic intentions, experts say.
The route from the moon to L2 — Lagrange point 2, a stable point on the side of the Earth opposite the sun — took Chang'e 2 all of 77 days. The spacecraft departed the moon in early June and parked at its new address in late August. At L2, Chang'e 2 is about 932,056 miles (1.5 million kilometers) from Earth. (10/25)
Senators Question ULA Monopoly (Source: SpaceKSC)
In the wake of a government audit that concluded the Defense Department has given a de facto monopoly to United Launch Alliance, Aviation Week reports that, "The top two senators from the Senate Armed Services Committee are calling for the U.S. Air Force to halt talks worth up to $15 billion with its top rocket provider owing to insufficient pricing data and management insight for the service to make 'informed decisions' for crafting a new buy strategy for the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicles (EELV)."
“Given the current climate of fiscal austerity, these developments are profoundly troubling,” says Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) in an Oct. 21 letter to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta. The pair call for the Air Force to pause negotiations with United Launch Alliance (ULA), which manages sales for the Delta IV and Atlas V launch vehicles, until more detailed pricing data is available. (10/25)
SLS Flexibility: Exploration Roadmap Focus Taking Center Stage (Source: NasaSpaceFlight.com)
Teams at the main NASA centers are continuing to build up their involvement in the Space Launch System (SLS), ranging from mission operations in Houston, infrastructure evaluation at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and vehicle design at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Exploration roadmap details remain under evaluation, although NASA claim the vehicle’s “flexibility” is providing an intriguing range of options.
While a finalized exploration roadmap for SLS is still under design – under the leadership of former Space Shuttle Program (SSP) manager John Shannon – SLS’ now-known capabilities have allowed for a basic overview of what the vehicle will be used for. The opening two missions are believed to be set in stone, with SLS-1 and SLS-2 tasked with missions to the Moon – the first being an unmanned flight for the Orion (MPCV), scheduled for a 2017 launch date, followed by a crewed mission, as early as 2018/2019.
These flights will involve the Block I vehicle, which will loft Orion to its circumlunar trip around the moon, followed by a crewed lunar orbit mission. After those two flights, no definitive decisions have been made, but the options are starting to solidify. Firstly, the Lunar flybys may become a precursor for a crewed return to the Moon’s surface. Click here. (10/25)
Analysis Projects One Million Jobs at Risk from Defense Cuts (Source: Second To None)
An economic impact analysis projects more than one million American jobs could be lost as a result of defense budget cuts if the deficit reduction select committee fails to reach agreement on alternative balanced budget solutions and total cuts to defense reach $1 trillion. “Our analysis reveals bleak outcomes for both the defense industry and the economy as a whole if the budget sequestration trigger is pulled."
The cuts would lower projected GDP growth by 25 percent. “We cannot add .6 percent to the current 9.1 percent rate of unemployment, it would devastate the economy and the defense industrial base and undermine the national security of our country,” said Marion Blakey. Click here. (10/25)
Virgin Galactic's Flights Seen Delayed Yet Again (Source: Wall Street Journal)
Sir Richard Branson's space-tourism company won't start passenger flights for at least two more years and operations will ramp up significantly more slowly than previously anticipated, according to its chief pilot. In an interview, David Mackay said Virgin Galactic likely won't begin commercial flights until 2013.
"We would certainly like to be in commercial operation by then," said Mr. Mackay, a former airline captain and Royal Air Force test pilot. The new schedule marks another delay from the initial timetable that called for passenger flights to commence by 2008. That was subsequently revised to 2010, and again to early 2012. Lately, Virgin Galactic officials have declined to predict when paying passengers will be taken on suborbital thrill rides to the edge of space.
Under the original timetable, Virgin Galactic's pioneering rocket ship was supposed to take off every few days and relatively quickly morph into a fleet of spacecraft carrying hundreds of passengers each month. Mr. Branson and renowned aerospace engineer Burt Rutan—whose company designed the 60-foot-long, all-composite craft dubbed SpaceShip Two—have talked about transporting as many as 50,000 passengers over 10 years. Now, those ambitious growth projections again seem to have been substantially scaled back. (10/25)
NASA Tries To Squeeze SLS Into Flat Budget (Source: Aviation Week)
NASA will store some rocket engines, slow work on others and study still more as it struggles to squeeze the heavy-lift Space Launch System (SLS) Congress has ordered into a flat, $3 billion annual budget for development. Early flights of the SLS will use surplus space shuttle main engines (SSMEs) and, as side-mounted strap-ons, the five-segment solid-fuel motors developed for the terminated Ares I crew launch vehicle’s first stage.
The J-2X upper-stage engine, which once was the “pacing item” for Ares I, will be slowed as managers try to maintain enough development momentum to avoid a costly stop and restart in engine development as the big new rocket “evolves” to the 130-metric-ton capability Congress wants.
The trick, for NASA and its existing and potential rocket contractors, will be to manage the development within the $3 billion in annual funding the agency hopes to get. NASA managers drummed that point home to contractors during an SLS industry day at Marshall Space Flight Center, but it offers scant solace to companies that have been struggling to keep their teams together while NASA determines its next moves. (10/25)
Epic Geomagnetic Storm Erupts (Source: Discovery)
There's an epic magnetic battle raging above our heads. On Monday, at around 2 p.m. EDT, a coronal mass ejection (CME) slammed into the Earth's magnetosphere. According to NASA's Space Weather Laboratory, the conditions were just right for the CME's magnetic field to compress the Earth's magnetosphere so much that, for a short time (between 3:06 p.m and 3:11 p.m. ET), energetic solar wind particles penetrated as deep as geosynchronous orbit -- home to hundreds of communication satellites.
Although the interactions between solar plasma and Earth's magnetic field are often invisible, tonight is an exception. Vast aurorae are rippling through the atmosphere at very low latitudes. The US was given a dazzling show as Spaceweather.com reports: "Northern Lights have spilled across the Canadian border into the contiguous USA. Sighting reports have come from as far south as Arkansas, Wisconsin, Michigan, Tennessee, Missouri, Illinois, Nebraska, Kentucky, Indiana, Oklahoma, Kansas, Maryland, New York, Ohio and central California. (10/25)
New KSC Visitor Tour Includes VAB (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is creating a tour that includes the opportunity to walk inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, the structure where space shuttles were assembled for launch. Very few people, aside from astronauts and NASA personnel, have been inside the 525-foot VAB in recent years. The new KSC Up-Close tour will be offered eight times daily for a limited time beginning Nov. 1. For a very limited time, tour guests may see a space shuttle inside the VAB as it’s prepared for future display in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. or Florida. (10/25)
Genetically Altered Astronaut Poo? NASA Wants to Know (Source: Discovery)
Has bacteria in astronaut poop left on the moon been genetically altered? Did solar wind and ultraviolet radiation destroy the flag at Tranquility Base, landing site for the first Apollo moon mission? Are the lunar rovers dented with micrometeoroid impacts? These are among the science questions raised by a NASA team tasked to come up with guidelines to preserve lunar artifacts before Lunar XPRIZE contenders arrive there in about two years.
About 28 teams are competing to send privately funded robotic spacecraft to photograph and explore the lunar surface. Winners can get bonuses if they visit lunar historic sites, a prospect that got NASA thinking about its property on the moon. Astrobiologists are interested in studying how bacteria in the astronauts' feces have fared after 40 years and if they have undergone gene mutation. Microbes also existed in clothes, food containers and other gear left behind on the moon. (10/25)
Washington Governor Tries Again for Space Shuttle (Source: News Tribune)
The governor has sent a letter offering to help NASA find a temporary home for a retired space shuttle, while California and New York ready permanent new homes. Seattle's Museum of Flight is ready to shelter a shuttle, while California and New York face fundraising and logistical challenges, Gov. Chris Gregoire wrote in a letter sent late Friday to NASA.
"While I share your desire to have these priceless artifacts seen by the largest number of people, the concept of storing them in any form of short-term facility with limited or no public access is unacceptable," Gregoire wrote. Seattle's museum will get a full-scale training mock-up that looks like the space shuttle without wings. A new $12 million building called the Space Gallery is being prepared for the display. A delegation from the museum met with Charles Bolden a few months ago and also offered temporary display space for one of the actual orbiters. (10/25)
Welcome to Copenhagen Suborbitals (Source: WIRED)
My name is Kristian von Bengtson, and I design and build spacecrafts. I have so much to show you and share with you. A little over three years ago my life changed. Everything I have learned, taught myself, loved and wanted to do was suddenly merged together in a split second: building my own space rocket with the right partner and crew. The ultimate DIY project.
It was in May 2008 I founded Copenhagen Suborbitals together with my newfound friend Peter Madsen. I met Peter who, like me, was at a crossroads in life in terms of projects. He had just finished his last home-made submarine, and I was back from NASA doing work on space capsules. Within a few minutes we joined forces and inside Peter’s submarine, under water, we planned how to conquer the universe without a single dime in our pockets.
Without any chance of turning in a business plan, with a fraction of sense, to someone with money, we decided just to begin and to make this endeavor an open source and non-profit project. We wanted to leave it to people to decide if they wanted to donate some money. Today three years later we are blessed with thousands of donors, many sponsoring companies, and about 30 fantastic and hard-working part-time specialists. Click here. (10/25)
Expendable Launcher Market to be Worth $53 Billion Through 2020 (Source: Military Aerospace)
The global market for large rockets designed to launch satellites and humans into Earth orbit and beyond -- known in the industry as expendable launch vehicles -- will be worth $53 billion in the decade from 2011 to 2020, and will involve the production of 693 launch vehicles, predict analysts from Forecast International. The launch industry is recovering from a market downturn brought on by an overabundance of supply that depressed prices and made it difficult for providers to turn a profit, analysts say. (10/25)
SpaceX Unveils Dragon Spacecraft at Cape Canaveral Spaceport (Source: WESH)
SpaceX has taken the wraps off its newest spacecraft, intended to fly to the International Space Station. If NASA gives approval, the Dragon spacecraft will become the first privately built spacecraft to dock with the Space Station. SpaceX is targeting a launch date of Dec. 19 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Click here for the video. (10/25)
Woman Speaks Out About Moon Rock Seizure (Source: Press-Enterprise)
When NASA agents swooped into a Lake Elsinore Denny’s earlier this year, authorities said they seized a purported “moon rock” from a woman who had been trying to sell it for $1.7 million. What they didn’t mention -- the woman was a 4-foot-11, 74-year-old grandmother who, along with her now-deceased husband, had worked at North American Rockwell, a NASA contractor during the early years of the space program.
Sitting at the dining room table in her modest Lake Elsinore home, Joann Davis said Monday that she has yet to be charged with a crime, though a NASA agent accused her of possession of stolen property. She said NASA agents found out she had the Apollo 11 moon rock -- actually a speck of lunar material embedded in a decorative paperweight -- because she emailed them to ask for advice about selling it.
The rock is rightfully hers, she said. It was one of many items of space-program memorabilia her husband received as gifts through his work, she said. Davis said she couldn’t believe what happened to her at Denny’s May 19. She said she was treated roughly and interrogated for two hours outside the restaurant. (10/25)
Space Launch System is Key to Stennis’ Future (Source: Biloxi Sun Herald)
After 50 years of testing rockets, John C. Stennis Space Center personnel will be busy for decades to come with what’s been hailed as the most powerful rocket ever built-- a propulsion system that could be taken to Mars and other parts of the solar system. NASA's plan to develop a new Stennis test stand four years ago made it clear NASA was planning to stay in South Mississippi -- home to the largest rocket engine testing facility in the United States-- for decades to come.
“What I predict is the Space Launch System is going to be another 30 to 40 years of engine tests,” said Patrick Scheuermann, John C. Stennis Space Center director. The first Space Launch System flight is expected to take place in 2017, but some of the testing has already begun. The Space Launch System is a major development for Stennis, but rocket testing isn’t all that’s done there. Today, more than 30 government agencies, academic institutions and private businesses have operations there. (10/25)
NM Gov. Martinez Warms Up to Spaceport (Source: Alamogordo Daily News)
We finally have some encouraging words from Gov. Susana Martinez about Spaceport America. The words came during her first visit to the site for dedication of Virgin Galactic's terminal building and hangar. Earlier, Martinez skipped ceremonies dedicating the 10,000-foot runway. And in January, she had some discouraging words for the Legislature about the spaceport's finances and the necessity of private industry to pick up further costs.
But she was all smiles when posing for pictures with Virgin Galactic owner Sir Richard Branson. Her positive comments didn't get much coverage, but Albuquerque Journal reporter Rene Romo interviewed her later. Martinez said during her public comments at the dedication that she is so impressed with Virgin Galactic that she may have to add a suborbital flight to her bucket list. She said her visit to the spaceport increased her enthusiasm for the project. She said she never was unenthusiastic about it. She just wanted to make sure tax dollars are being spent wisely. (10/25)
Firms Look to Hitch Rides to Orbit for Small Satellites (Source: Denver Post)
Sending a small satellite into space is not cheap, though rocket companies and "hitchhikers" believe ride-share programs may be the answer in tight budget times. For aerospace companies, universities, researchers and even NASA, ride-sharing on rockets with hefty primary payloads offers an affordable alternative for satellites that may weigh up to 440 pounds. For some rocket companies, it's a potential source of business, and for others, it's already happening. Click here. (10/25)
Does China's Space Program Threaten U.S.? (Source: People's Daily Online)
Exploring space is the common pursuit of mankind. The achievement of China's manned space program will surely be the common wealth of mankind. However, when space experts from around the world applauded the launch of Tiangong 1, talk of a Chinese "space threat" emerged in the United States.
Why are many Americans so sensitive to China's space achievements? David M. Lampton, the greatest U.S.-based living authority on China and director of the China Studies Program at Johns Hopkins University, said in an interview in January that Europe was facing economic problems, and Japan also had its own problems. The United States, while facing fewer problems than its allies, was still very sensitive. Probably this is why the Americans are so sensitive to China’s space achievements. Click here. (10/25)
Jacob Lew, White House Office of Management and Budget director, has written a letter backing a Senate proposal to freeze defense spending. "The DOD funding level, a freeze, will sustain our strong military," Lew wrote. Matthew Leatherman, an analyst at the Stimson Center, said, "There should be no doubt that the build-down has begun." (10/25)
Congress Should Pass 4-year Extension for FAA, Mica Says (Source: Wall Street Journal)
Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, says Congress needs to pass a four-year extension for the Federal Aviation Administration. The four-month extension to fund the FAA expires Jan. 30. Lawmakers disagree over the future of the Essential Air Service program and other provisions. (10/25)
Chinese Moon Probe is Tackling New Deep Space Mission (Source: MSNBC)
China's second moon probe is parked at a stable spot in deep space, called a Lagrangian point, as part of a new mission to study the sun and Earth's magnetic field. The multi-tasking spacecraft, called the Chang'e 2, completed its moon mapping mission earlier this year. Its new mission may be a signal of China's expanding prowess in space — not only for scientific purposes, but perhaps for showcasing strategic intentions, experts say.
The route from the moon to L2 — Lagrange point 2, a stable point on the side of the Earth opposite the sun — took Chang'e 2 all of 77 days. The spacecraft departed the moon in early June and parked at its new address in late August. At L2, Chang'e 2 is about 932,056 miles (1.5 million kilometers) from Earth. (10/25)
Senators Question ULA Monopoly (Source: SpaceKSC)
In the wake of a government audit that concluded the Defense Department has given a de facto monopoly to United Launch Alliance, Aviation Week reports that, "The top two senators from the Senate Armed Services Committee are calling for the U.S. Air Force to halt talks worth up to $15 billion with its top rocket provider owing to insufficient pricing data and management insight for the service to make 'informed decisions' for crafting a new buy strategy for the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicles (EELV)."
“Given the current climate of fiscal austerity, these developments are profoundly troubling,” says Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) in an Oct. 21 letter to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta. The pair call for the Air Force to pause negotiations with United Launch Alliance (ULA), which manages sales for the Delta IV and Atlas V launch vehicles, until more detailed pricing data is available. (10/25)
SLS Flexibility: Exploration Roadmap Focus Taking Center Stage (Source: NasaSpaceFlight.com)
Teams at the main NASA centers are continuing to build up their involvement in the Space Launch System (SLS), ranging from mission operations in Houston, infrastructure evaluation at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and vehicle design at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Exploration roadmap details remain under evaluation, although NASA claim the vehicle’s “flexibility” is providing an intriguing range of options.
While a finalized exploration roadmap for SLS is still under design – under the leadership of former Space Shuttle Program (SSP) manager John Shannon – SLS’ now-known capabilities have allowed for a basic overview of what the vehicle will be used for. The opening two missions are believed to be set in stone, with SLS-1 and SLS-2 tasked with missions to the Moon – the first being an unmanned flight for the Orion (MPCV), scheduled for a 2017 launch date, followed by a crewed mission, as early as 2018/2019.
These flights will involve the Block I vehicle, which will loft Orion to its circumlunar trip around the moon, followed by a crewed lunar orbit mission. After those two flights, no definitive decisions have been made, but the options are starting to solidify. Firstly, the Lunar flybys may become a precursor for a crewed return to the Moon’s surface. Click here. (10/25)
Analysis Projects One Million Jobs at Risk from Defense Cuts (Source: Second To None)
An economic impact analysis projects more than one million American jobs could be lost as a result of defense budget cuts if the deficit reduction select committee fails to reach agreement on alternative balanced budget solutions and total cuts to defense reach $1 trillion. “Our analysis reveals bleak outcomes for both the defense industry and the economy as a whole if the budget sequestration trigger is pulled."
The cuts would lower projected GDP growth by 25 percent. “We cannot add .6 percent to the current 9.1 percent rate of unemployment, it would devastate the economy and the defense industrial base and undermine the national security of our country,” said Marion Blakey. Click here. (10/25)
Virgin Galactic's Flights Seen Delayed Yet Again (Source: Wall Street Journal)
Sir Richard Branson's space-tourism company won't start passenger flights for at least two more years and operations will ramp up significantly more slowly than previously anticipated, according to its chief pilot. In an interview, David Mackay said Virgin Galactic likely won't begin commercial flights until 2013.
"We would certainly like to be in commercial operation by then," said Mr. Mackay, a former airline captain and Royal Air Force test pilot. The new schedule marks another delay from the initial timetable that called for passenger flights to commence by 2008. That was subsequently revised to 2010, and again to early 2012. Lately, Virgin Galactic officials have declined to predict when paying passengers will be taken on suborbital thrill rides to the edge of space.
Under the original timetable, Virgin Galactic's pioneering rocket ship was supposed to take off every few days and relatively quickly morph into a fleet of spacecraft carrying hundreds of passengers each month. Mr. Branson and renowned aerospace engineer Burt Rutan—whose company designed the 60-foot-long, all-composite craft dubbed SpaceShip Two—have talked about transporting as many as 50,000 passengers over 10 years. Now, those ambitious growth projections again seem to have been substantially scaled back. (10/25)
NASA Tries To Squeeze SLS Into Flat Budget (Source: Aviation Week)
NASA will store some rocket engines, slow work on others and study still more as it struggles to squeeze the heavy-lift Space Launch System (SLS) Congress has ordered into a flat, $3 billion annual budget for development. Early flights of the SLS will use surplus space shuttle main engines (SSMEs) and, as side-mounted strap-ons, the five-segment solid-fuel motors developed for the terminated Ares I crew launch vehicle’s first stage.
The J-2X upper-stage engine, which once was the “pacing item” for Ares I, will be slowed as managers try to maintain enough development momentum to avoid a costly stop and restart in engine development as the big new rocket “evolves” to the 130-metric-ton capability Congress wants.
The trick, for NASA and its existing and potential rocket contractors, will be to manage the development within the $3 billion in annual funding the agency hopes to get. NASA managers drummed that point home to contractors during an SLS industry day at Marshall Space Flight Center, but it offers scant solace to companies that have been struggling to keep their teams together while NASA determines its next moves. (10/25)
Epic Geomagnetic Storm Erupts (Source: Discovery)
There's an epic magnetic battle raging above our heads. On Monday, at around 2 p.m. EDT, a coronal mass ejection (CME) slammed into the Earth's magnetosphere. According to NASA's Space Weather Laboratory, the conditions were just right for the CME's magnetic field to compress the Earth's magnetosphere so much that, for a short time (between 3:06 p.m and 3:11 p.m. ET), energetic solar wind particles penetrated as deep as geosynchronous orbit -- home to hundreds of communication satellites.
Although the interactions between solar plasma and Earth's magnetic field are often invisible, tonight is an exception. Vast aurorae are rippling through the atmosphere at very low latitudes. The US was given a dazzling show as Spaceweather.com reports: "Northern Lights have spilled across the Canadian border into the contiguous USA. Sighting reports have come from as far south as Arkansas, Wisconsin, Michigan, Tennessee, Missouri, Illinois, Nebraska, Kentucky, Indiana, Oklahoma, Kansas, Maryland, New York, Ohio and central California. (10/25)
New KSC Visitor Tour Includes VAB (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is creating a tour that includes the opportunity to walk inside the Vehicle Assembly Building, the structure where space shuttles were assembled for launch. Very few people, aside from astronauts and NASA personnel, have been inside the 525-foot VAB in recent years. The new KSC Up-Close tour will be offered eight times daily for a limited time beginning Nov. 1. For a very limited time, tour guests may see a space shuttle inside the VAB as it’s prepared for future display in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. or Florida. (10/25)
Genetically Altered Astronaut Poo? NASA Wants to Know (Source: Discovery)
Has bacteria in astronaut poop left on the moon been genetically altered? Did solar wind and ultraviolet radiation destroy the flag at Tranquility Base, landing site for the first Apollo moon mission? Are the lunar rovers dented with micrometeoroid impacts? These are among the science questions raised by a NASA team tasked to come up with guidelines to preserve lunar artifacts before Lunar XPRIZE contenders arrive there in about two years.
About 28 teams are competing to send privately funded robotic spacecraft to photograph and explore the lunar surface. Winners can get bonuses if they visit lunar historic sites, a prospect that got NASA thinking about its property on the moon. Astrobiologists are interested in studying how bacteria in the astronauts' feces have fared after 40 years and if they have undergone gene mutation. Microbes also existed in clothes, food containers and other gear left behind on the moon. (10/25)
Washington Governor Tries Again for Space Shuttle (Source: News Tribune)
The governor has sent a letter offering to help NASA find a temporary home for a retired space shuttle, while California and New York ready permanent new homes. Seattle's Museum of Flight is ready to shelter a shuttle, while California and New York face fundraising and logistical challenges, Gov. Chris Gregoire wrote in a letter sent late Friday to NASA.
"While I share your desire to have these priceless artifacts seen by the largest number of people, the concept of storing them in any form of short-term facility with limited or no public access is unacceptable," Gregoire wrote. Seattle's museum will get a full-scale training mock-up that looks like the space shuttle without wings. A new $12 million building called the Space Gallery is being prepared for the display. A delegation from the museum met with Charles Bolden a few months ago and also offered temporary display space for one of the actual orbiters. (10/25)
Welcome to Copenhagen Suborbitals (Source: WIRED)
My name is Kristian von Bengtson, and I design and build spacecrafts. I have so much to show you and share with you. A little over three years ago my life changed. Everything I have learned, taught myself, loved and wanted to do was suddenly merged together in a split second: building my own space rocket with the right partner and crew. The ultimate DIY project.
It was in May 2008 I founded Copenhagen Suborbitals together with my newfound friend Peter Madsen. I met Peter who, like me, was at a crossroads in life in terms of projects. He had just finished his last home-made submarine, and I was back from NASA doing work on space capsules. Within a few minutes we joined forces and inside Peter’s submarine, under water, we planned how to conquer the universe without a single dime in our pockets.
Without any chance of turning in a business plan, with a fraction of sense, to someone with money, we decided just to begin and to make this endeavor an open source and non-profit project. We wanted to leave it to people to decide if they wanted to donate some money. Today three years later we are blessed with thousands of donors, many sponsoring companies, and about 30 fantastic and hard-working part-time specialists. Click here. (10/25)
Expendable Launcher Market to be Worth $53 Billion Through 2020 (Source: Military Aerospace)
The global market for large rockets designed to launch satellites and humans into Earth orbit and beyond -- known in the industry as expendable launch vehicles -- will be worth $53 billion in the decade from 2011 to 2020, and will involve the production of 693 launch vehicles, predict analysts from Forecast International. The launch industry is recovering from a market downturn brought on by an overabundance of supply that depressed prices and made it difficult for providers to turn a profit, analysts say. (10/25)
SpaceX Unveils Dragon Spacecraft at Cape Canaveral Spaceport (Source: WESH)
SpaceX has taken the wraps off its newest spacecraft, intended to fly to the International Space Station. If NASA gives approval, the Dragon spacecraft will become the first privately built spacecraft to dock with the Space Station. SpaceX is targeting a launch date of Dec. 19 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Click here for the video. (10/25)
Woman Speaks Out About Moon Rock Seizure (Source: Press-Enterprise)
When NASA agents swooped into a Lake Elsinore Denny’s earlier this year, authorities said they seized a purported “moon rock” from a woman who had been trying to sell it for $1.7 million. What they didn’t mention -- the woman was a 4-foot-11, 74-year-old grandmother who, along with her now-deceased husband, had worked at North American Rockwell, a NASA contractor during the early years of the space program.
Sitting at the dining room table in her modest Lake Elsinore home, Joann Davis said Monday that she has yet to be charged with a crime, though a NASA agent accused her of possession of stolen property. She said NASA agents found out she had the Apollo 11 moon rock -- actually a speck of lunar material embedded in a decorative paperweight -- because she emailed them to ask for advice about selling it.
The rock is rightfully hers, she said. It was one of many items of space-program memorabilia her husband received as gifts through his work, she said. Davis said she couldn’t believe what happened to her at Denny’s May 19. She said she was treated roughly and interrogated for two hours outside the restaurant. (10/25)
Space Launch System is Key to Stennis’ Future (Source: Biloxi Sun Herald)
After 50 years of testing rockets, John C. Stennis Space Center personnel will be busy for decades to come with what’s been hailed as the most powerful rocket ever built-- a propulsion system that could be taken to Mars and other parts of the solar system. NASA's plan to develop a new Stennis test stand four years ago made it clear NASA was planning to stay in South Mississippi -- home to the largest rocket engine testing facility in the United States-- for decades to come.
“What I predict is the Space Launch System is going to be another 30 to 40 years of engine tests,” said Patrick Scheuermann, John C. Stennis Space Center director. The first Space Launch System flight is expected to take place in 2017, but some of the testing has already begun. The Space Launch System is a major development for Stennis, but rocket testing isn’t all that’s done there. Today, more than 30 government agencies, academic institutions and private businesses have operations there. (10/25)
NM Gov. Martinez Warms Up to Spaceport (Source: Alamogordo Daily News)
We finally have some encouraging words from Gov. Susana Martinez about Spaceport America. The words came during her first visit to the site for dedication of Virgin Galactic's terminal building and hangar. Earlier, Martinez skipped ceremonies dedicating the 10,000-foot runway. And in January, she had some discouraging words for the Legislature about the spaceport's finances and the necessity of private industry to pick up further costs.
But she was all smiles when posing for pictures with Virgin Galactic owner Sir Richard Branson. Her positive comments didn't get much coverage, but Albuquerque Journal reporter Rene Romo interviewed her later. Martinez said during her public comments at the dedication that she is so impressed with Virgin Galactic that she may have to add a suborbital flight to her bucket list. She said her visit to the spaceport increased her enthusiasm for the project. She said she never was unenthusiastic about it. She just wanted to make sure tax dollars are being spent wisely. (10/25)
Firms Look to Hitch Rides to Orbit for Small Satellites (Source: Denver Post)
Sending a small satellite into space is not cheap, though rocket companies and "hitchhikers" believe ride-share programs may be the answer in tight budget times. For aerospace companies, universities, researchers and even NASA, ride-sharing on rockets with hefty primary payloads offers an affordable alternative for satellites that may weigh up to 440 pounds. For some rocket companies, it's a potential source of business, and for others, it's already happening. Click here. (10/25)
Does China's Space Program Threaten U.S.? (Source: People's Daily Online)
Exploring space is the common pursuit of mankind. The achievement of China's manned space program will surely be the common wealth of mankind. However, when space experts from around the world applauded the launch of Tiangong 1, talk of a Chinese "space threat" emerged in the United States.
Why are many Americans so sensitive to China's space achievements? David M. Lampton, the greatest U.S.-based living authority on China and director of the China Studies Program at Johns Hopkins University, said in an interview in January that Europe was facing economic problems, and Japan also had its own problems. The United States, while facing fewer problems than its allies, was still very sensitive. Probably this is why the Americans are so sensitive to China’s space achievements. Click here. (10/25)
October 24, 2011
Commercial Crew Initiative Called Underfunded (Source: Aviation Week)
Funding for NASA’s commercial crew space transportation services initiative appears headed for funding problems that could undermine the agency’s efforts to regain the independent U.S. human launch capability that lapsed with the shuttle program’s retirement earlier this year, members of NASA’s Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP) warned Oct. 21.
President Barack Obama’s 2012 budget request seeks $850 million in annual funding for the initiative through 2016, though the overall program cost has not been identified. In the meantime, Congress has yet to agree on an agency spending plan that anticipates flat funding of $18.72 billion annually through the same period, despite new pressures from the Space Launch System and the over-budget James Webb Space Telescope. (10/24)
“If America wants a solid space program, it has to be a priority,” says Joseph Dyer, the retired U.S. Navy vice admiral who chairs the eight-member panel. The ASAP met at the Johnson Space Center this week for briefings on the agency’s Commercial Crew Development (CCDev) 2 initiative and other safety concerns. (10/24)
NASA Redirected 2011 Funds to Webb Telescope To Avert Furloughs (Source: Space News)
NASA in August redirected $44 million in 2011 funds to the massively overbudget James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) in a move that helped avert contractor furloughs at JSC, the program’s top manager said. JWST Program Director Rick Howard said $12 million of the reprogrammed funding was needed to finish modifications to a JSC cryogenic test chamber, where NASA is testing JWST's gold-plated mirrors.
The modifications had to be done this year to avert furloughs of contractors working at Johnson, Howard said. “They were about to furlough people, and we did not want to stop the momentum on that activity that was coming up,” Howard said. (10/24)
After Pinging SpaceX Software, Review Team Softens Stance (Source: Space News)
A generally positive outside review of the two firms under contract to deliver cargo to the international space station (ISS) contained strong concerns about software development procedures at SpaceX — concerns the company and the head of a NASA safety panel said have since been addressed. (10/24)
South Korea, Russia Fail To Agree on Cause of Rocket Launch Failure (Source: Space News)
The South Korean government disagrees with Russia on the cause of last year's midair explosion of the jointly built Naro-1 rocket, the country’s Yonhap news agency reported Oct. 20. A joint investigation committee meeting in Seoul could produce only recommendations that will help prevent possible causes cited by both sides, the report said. The Naro-1 satellite launcher blew up 137 seconds after liftoff from Korea's Naro Space Center June 10, 2010. (10/24)
A Gateway to Space Emerges in the Desert (Source: Space Review)
Last Month Virgin Galactic formally dedicated its "Gateway to Space", the new terminal building and hangar at Spaceport America in New Mexico. Jeff Foust reports on the event as well as the work still in progress for both Virgin's spacecraft and the spaceport itself. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1957/1 to view the article. (10/24)
Recalling the Mars Flagships (Source: Space Review)
November is shaping up to be a critical month for Mars exploration, with the planned launches of Russian and American missions to the Red Planet. Lou Friedman notes that ongoing debates within the administration could also spell doom for long-term Mars exploration plans. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1956/1 to view the article. (10/24)
Propellant Depots: the Fiscally Responsible and Feasible Alternative to SLS (Source: Space Review)
While NASA begins development of the heavy-lift Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, some have proposed propellant depots as an alternative architecture. Andrew Gasser argues that depots, despite the criticisms of some, offer a feasible and less expensive approach to human space exploration. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1955/1 to view the article. (10/24)
The Moon Treaty: Failed International Law or Waiting in the Shadows? (Source: Space Review)
The Moon Treaty is widely regarded as a failed treaty since the biggest spacefaring nations, including the United States, have not signed on to it. Michael Listner warns, though, that elements of the treaty could make their way into international law even if the US doesn't sign or ratify the treaty. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1954/1 to view the article. (10/24)
Moon Speck: NASA Sting Terrifies Woman, 74 (Source: AP)
The elaborate mission to recover a moon rock led NASA agents to a Denny's restaurant in Riverside County. But at the end of the sting operation, agents were left holding a speck of lunar dust smaller than a grain of rice and a 74-year-old suspect who was terrified by armed officials. Five months after NASA investigators and local agents swooped into the restaurant and hailed their operation as a cautionary tale for anyone trying to sell national treasure, no charges have been filed, NASA isn't talking and the case appears stalled.
The target, Joann Davis, a grandmother who says she was trying to raise money for her sick son, asserts the lunar material was rightfully hers, having been given to her space-engineer husband by Neil Armstrong in the 1970s. The strange case centers on a speck of authenticated moon rock encased in an acrylic-looking dome that appears to be a paperweight. For years, NASA has gone after anyone selling lunar material gathered on the Apollo missions because it is considered government property, so cannot be sold for profit.
Davis claims Armstrong gave the items to her husband, though the affidavit says the first man on the moon has previously told investigators he never gave or sold lunar material to anyone. In follow-up phone conversations with a NASA agent, Davis acknowledged the rock was not sellable on the open market and fretted about an agent knocking on her door and taking the material, which she was willing to sell for "big money underground." Click here. (10/24)
Moondust Sale Raises Questions (Source: Hobby Space)
Items with moondust from the Apollo program have been sold for sometime. For example, the name-tag from Apollo 15 astronaut Jim Irwin's spacesuit that he wore on the lunar surface was sold in 1999 for $310,500 because it was embedded with moondust. Alan Bean embeds in his space paintings some dust obtained from the nametag on the suit that he wore on the Moon during Apollo 12. Why prosecutors are now making a big deal about selling such specks of lunar material is not clear. Seems like a big overreaction. (10/24)
Space-Based Information for Micro-Planning in India (Source: IBN)
An Indian state government has decided to use space-based information system for micro-level planning and monitoring. A new technique will help generate huge GIS data on land cover, settlements, soil, slope, water sources, road network, public utilities, communication network and healthcare. These data can be fruitfully used in grassroots level planning for local area development. (10/24)
Honeywell Raises Outlook After Q3 Jump in Profit (Source: Bloomberg)
Honeywell International posted a profit of $862 million for the third quarter, compared with a profit of $598 million for the same quarter last year. The Morris Township, N.J.-based manufacturer also raised its full-year outlook. "We're well-positioned for growth across all four of our business segments again next year," said Honeywell CEO David Cote. (10/24)
Technology Put to Test at Embry-Riddle NextGen Center (Source: Daytona Beach News Journal)
Inside the Florida NextGen Test Bed, new technology is being integrated with current air traffic systems in hopes of making flying safer and more efficient. The Test Bed, managed and operated by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University through a partnership with the FAA and private companies, was recently expanded and additional software systems are also being added in the coming weeks by aviation companies.
"We've formed good working relationships with industry (leaders)," said Wade Lester, Embry-Riddle's NextGen program manager, who oversees the Test Bed. "It's a very exciting time. We are helping the FAA solve some of their NextGen research and development issues." The NextGen Test Bed is where new technologies are being evaluated before being implemented as part of NextGen -- Next Generation Air Transportation System. (10/24)
Transportation Committee Plans Field Hearing at Embry-Riddle Campus (Source: John Mica)
A field hearing of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, chaired by Congressman John Mica, will be held on Nov. 7 on the campus of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. The focus of the hearing is "NextGen: Leveraging Public, Private and Academic Resources." Click here. (10/24)
NASA Warns Budget Cuts Could Send Jobs To Russia (Source: WESH)
NASA is warning that Congress is on the road to making the U.S even more dependent on Russia to launch astronauts. The space administration says cuts to commercial funding could send a lot of jobs and money from the Space Coast to Russia. The space shuttles are retired and if U.S. astronauts are going anywhere from U.S. soil this decade, it'll be aboard commercial rockets, such as the SpaceX Falcon 9, and in privately built space ships, like the Sierra Nevada Dream Chaser.
President Barack Obama wants to give private companies $850 million dollars to get started, in addition to the companies' own money, but the Senate may cut the figure to $500 million and the House to $312 million. NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver says the US would have to pay Russia $450 million per year to keep astronauts on Russian space ships. She suggests that money would be better spent on new jobs and American-built technology at the Kennedy Space Center, the new headquarters for commercial space. (10/24)
Huntsville Space Professionals Hold Town Hall Meeting (Source: WAFF)
Bringing more jobs to the Rocket City was the focus of a town hall meeting at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center last weekend. The non-profit group Huntsville Space Professionals organized the event to bring together the aerospace industry's leading companies with talented professionals for potential projects. "We want Huntsville to be like the Silicon Valley of space exploration," HSP Director Andrew Sutinen said.
Dozens of people attended the meeting, including Mayor Tommy Battle. "We're looking at some new frontiers in the space program and we're going to have to look at some new technologies and combine the old technologies," Mayor Battle said. HSP launched last summer after a round of layoffs in the Valley. Its goal is to help them stay in contact with space industry employers. (10/24)
Yuri’s Night Announces Partnership with National Space Society (Source: NSS)
Yuri’s Night, the World Space Party, today announced an agreement with the National Space Society (NSS) that provides for cooperation and joint activities between the two organizations. The NSS and Yuri’s Night will promote each other’s organization to their respective members. (10/22)
UCF Confident New Hire a Boon for Space Studies (Source: Florida Today)
The University of Central Florida is poised to boost the quality and profile of its space-related research with a former chief of NASA’s science programs now at the helm, at least temporarily. UCF named Alan Stern to lead its Florida Space Institute for the next 12 to 18 months until a permanent director is hired. “Just by virtue of coming on board, he’s raising the institute’s profile,” said UCF Vice President M.J. Soileau.
“He’s doing some organizational things that are critically needed,” said Soileau. Stern’s involvement also could help a state known for launching rockets build a bigger emphasis on science research in the post-shuttle era. Short-term priorities include revising the space institute’s outdated charter and consolidating disparate operations at UCF’s Orlando campus, including moving some staff from an office at KSC. Stern also will help recruit faculty and his replacement as director.
Stern took the position on a part-time basis after another candidate had to withdraw for family reasons. He’ll split time time between UCF and Boulder, Colo., where he’ll remain an associate vice president at the Southwest Research Institute. At UCF, he’ll manage a nearly $1.6 million budget and earn $100,000 annually. “Florida needs to diversify its space portfolio, and science is going to be an important part of that going forward,” Stern said. (10/24)
Signatures Needed for Last-Ditch Effort to Get Shuttle in Dayton (Source: Dayton Daily News)
The online petition aimed at sending a retired space shuttle to the National Museum of the United States Air Force near Dayton has garnered 3,708 signatures as of Friday morning — 1,292 short of the signatures it needs by Oct. 30 to gain White House scrutiny. Earlier this year, NASA picked four other cities over Dayton to receive retired space shuttles — a decision that was deeply disappointing to Dayton.
In an effort to revisit that decision, Columbus businessman John Cavanaugh has used a newly created portion of the White House website to launch an online petition asking the administration to reconsider its position on the retired shuttles and send one to Dayton. He needs 5,000 signatures by Oct. 30 to get the White House to consider his case. If he gets that many signatures, then the White House will assign a staffer to evaluate the petition. (10/24)
Funding for NASA’s commercial crew space transportation services initiative appears headed for funding problems that could undermine the agency’s efforts to regain the independent U.S. human launch capability that lapsed with the shuttle program’s retirement earlier this year, members of NASA’s Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP) warned Oct. 21.
President Barack Obama’s 2012 budget request seeks $850 million in annual funding for the initiative through 2016, though the overall program cost has not been identified. In the meantime, Congress has yet to agree on an agency spending plan that anticipates flat funding of $18.72 billion annually through the same period, despite new pressures from the Space Launch System and the over-budget James Webb Space Telescope. (10/24)
“If America wants a solid space program, it has to be a priority,” says Joseph Dyer, the retired U.S. Navy vice admiral who chairs the eight-member panel. The ASAP met at the Johnson Space Center this week for briefings on the agency’s Commercial Crew Development (CCDev) 2 initiative and other safety concerns. (10/24)
NASA Redirected 2011 Funds to Webb Telescope To Avert Furloughs (Source: Space News)
NASA in August redirected $44 million in 2011 funds to the massively overbudget James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) in a move that helped avert contractor furloughs at JSC, the program’s top manager said. JWST Program Director Rick Howard said $12 million of the reprogrammed funding was needed to finish modifications to a JSC cryogenic test chamber, where NASA is testing JWST's gold-plated mirrors.
The modifications had to be done this year to avert furloughs of contractors working at Johnson, Howard said. “They were about to furlough people, and we did not want to stop the momentum on that activity that was coming up,” Howard said. (10/24)
After Pinging SpaceX Software, Review Team Softens Stance (Source: Space News)
A generally positive outside review of the two firms under contract to deliver cargo to the international space station (ISS) contained strong concerns about software development procedures at SpaceX — concerns the company and the head of a NASA safety panel said have since been addressed. (10/24)
South Korea, Russia Fail To Agree on Cause of Rocket Launch Failure (Source: Space News)
The South Korean government disagrees with Russia on the cause of last year's midair explosion of the jointly built Naro-1 rocket, the country’s Yonhap news agency reported Oct. 20. A joint investigation committee meeting in Seoul could produce only recommendations that will help prevent possible causes cited by both sides, the report said. The Naro-1 satellite launcher blew up 137 seconds after liftoff from Korea's Naro Space Center June 10, 2010. (10/24)
A Gateway to Space Emerges in the Desert (Source: Space Review)
Last Month Virgin Galactic formally dedicated its "Gateway to Space", the new terminal building and hangar at Spaceport America in New Mexico. Jeff Foust reports on the event as well as the work still in progress for both Virgin's spacecraft and the spaceport itself. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1957/1 to view the article. (10/24)
Recalling the Mars Flagships (Source: Space Review)
November is shaping up to be a critical month for Mars exploration, with the planned launches of Russian and American missions to the Red Planet. Lou Friedman notes that ongoing debates within the administration could also spell doom for long-term Mars exploration plans. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1956/1 to view the article. (10/24)
Propellant Depots: the Fiscally Responsible and Feasible Alternative to SLS (Source: Space Review)
While NASA begins development of the heavy-lift Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, some have proposed propellant depots as an alternative architecture. Andrew Gasser argues that depots, despite the criticisms of some, offer a feasible and less expensive approach to human space exploration. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1955/1 to view the article. (10/24)
The Moon Treaty: Failed International Law or Waiting in the Shadows? (Source: Space Review)
The Moon Treaty is widely regarded as a failed treaty since the biggest spacefaring nations, including the United States, have not signed on to it. Michael Listner warns, though, that elements of the treaty could make their way into international law even if the US doesn't sign or ratify the treaty. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1954/1 to view the article. (10/24)
Moon Speck: NASA Sting Terrifies Woman, 74 (Source: AP)
The elaborate mission to recover a moon rock led NASA agents to a Denny's restaurant in Riverside County. But at the end of the sting operation, agents were left holding a speck of lunar dust smaller than a grain of rice and a 74-year-old suspect who was terrified by armed officials. Five months after NASA investigators and local agents swooped into the restaurant and hailed their operation as a cautionary tale for anyone trying to sell national treasure, no charges have been filed, NASA isn't talking and the case appears stalled.
The target, Joann Davis, a grandmother who says she was trying to raise money for her sick son, asserts the lunar material was rightfully hers, having been given to her space-engineer husband by Neil Armstrong in the 1970s. The strange case centers on a speck of authenticated moon rock encased in an acrylic-looking dome that appears to be a paperweight. For years, NASA has gone after anyone selling lunar material gathered on the Apollo missions because it is considered government property, so cannot be sold for profit.
Davis claims Armstrong gave the items to her husband, though the affidavit says the first man on the moon has previously told investigators he never gave or sold lunar material to anyone. In follow-up phone conversations with a NASA agent, Davis acknowledged the rock was not sellable on the open market and fretted about an agent knocking on her door and taking the material, which she was willing to sell for "big money underground." Click here. (10/24)
Moondust Sale Raises Questions (Source: Hobby Space)
Items with moondust from the Apollo program have been sold for sometime. For example, the name-tag from Apollo 15 astronaut Jim Irwin's spacesuit that he wore on the lunar surface was sold in 1999 for $310,500 because it was embedded with moondust. Alan Bean embeds in his space paintings some dust obtained from the nametag on the suit that he wore on the Moon during Apollo 12. Why prosecutors are now making a big deal about selling such specks of lunar material is not clear. Seems like a big overreaction. (10/24)
Space-Based Information for Micro-Planning in India (Source: IBN)
An Indian state government has decided to use space-based information system for micro-level planning and monitoring. A new technique will help generate huge GIS data on land cover, settlements, soil, slope, water sources, road network, public utilities, communication network and healthcare. These data can be fruitfully used in grassroots level planning for local area development. (10/24)
Honeywell Raises Outlook After Q3 Jump in Profit (Source: Bloomberg)
Honeywell International posted a profit of $862 million for the third quarter, compared with a profit of $598 million for the same quarter last year. The Morris Township, N.J.-based manufacturer also raised its full-year outlook. "We're well-positioned for growth across all four of our business segments again next year," said Honeywell CEO David Cote. (10/24)
Technology Put to Test at Embry-Riddle NextGen Center (Source: Daytona Beach News Journal)
Inside the Florida NextGen Test Bed, new technology is being integrated with current air traffic systems in hopes of making flying safer and more efficient. The Test Bed, managed and operated by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University through a partnership with the FAA and private companies, was recently expanded and additional software systems are also being added in the coming weeks by aviation companies.
"We've formed good working relationships with industry (leaders)," said Wade Lester, Embry-Riddle's NextGen program manager, who oversees the Test Bed. "It's a very exciting time. We are helping the FAA solve some of their NextGen research and development issues." The NextGen Test Bed is where new technologies are being evaluated before being implemented as part of NextGen -- Next Generation Air Transportation System. (10/24)
Transportation Committee Plans Field Hearing at Embry-Riddle Campus (Source: John Mica)
A field hearing of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, chaired by Congressman John Mica, will be held on Nov. 7 on the campus of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. The focus of the hearing is "NextGen: Leveraging Public, Private and Academic Resources." Click here. (10/24)
NASA Warns Budget Cuts Could Send Jobs To Russia (Source: WESH)
NASA is warning that Congress is on the road to making the U.S even more dependent on Russia to launch astronauts. The space administration says cuts to commercial funding could send a lot of jobs and money from the Space Coast to Russia. The space shuttles are retired and if U.S. astronauts are going anywhere from U.S. soil this decade, it'll be aboard commercial rockets, such as the SpaceX Falcon 9, and in privately built space ships, like the Sierra Nevada Dream Chaser.
President Barack Obama wants to give private companies $850 million dollars to get started, in addition to the companies' own money, but the Senate may cut the figure to $500 million and the House to $312 million. NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver says the US would have to pay Russia $450 million per year to keep astronauts on Russian space ships. She suggests that money would be better spent on new jobs and American-built technology at the Kennedy Space Center, the new headquarters for commercial space. (10/24)
Huntsville Space Professionals Hold Town Hall Meeting (Source: WAFF)
Bringing more jobs to the Rocket City was the focus of a town hall meeting at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center last weekend. The non-profit group Huntsville Space Professionals organized the event to bring together the aerospace industry's leading companies with talented professionals for potential projects. "We want Huntsville to be like the Silicon Valley of space exploration," HSP Director Andrew Sutinen said.
Dozens of people attended the meeting, including Mayor Tommy Battle. "We're looking at some new frontiers in the space program and we're going to have to look at some new technologies and combine the old technologies," Mayor Battle said. HSP launched last summer after a round of layoffs in the Valley. Its goal is to help them stay in contact with space industry employers. (10/24)
Yuri’s Night Announces Partnership with National Space Society (Source: NSS)
Yuri’s Night, the World Space Party, today announced an agreement with the National Space Society (NSS) that provides for cooperation and joint activities between the two organizations. The NSS and Yuri’s Night will promote each other’s organization to their respective members. (10/22)
UCF Confident New Hire a Boon for Space Studies (Source: Florida Today)
The University of Central Florida is poised to boost the quality and profile of its space-related research with a former chief of NASA’s science programs now at the helm, at least temporarily. UCF named Alan Stern to lead its Florida Space Institute for the next 12 to 18 months until a permanent director is hired. “Just by virtue of coming on board, he’s raising the institute’s profile,” said UCF Vice President M.J. Soileau.
“He’s doing some organizational things that are critically needed,” said Soileau. Stern’s involvement also could help a state known for launching rockets build a bigger emphasis on science research in the post-shuttle era. Short-term priorities include revising the space institute’s outdated charter and consolidating disparate operations at UCF’s Orlando campus, including moving some staff from an office at KSC. Stern also will help recruit faculty and his replacement as director.
Stern took the position on a part-time basis after another candidate had to withdraw for family reasons. He’ll split time time between UCF and Boulder, Colo., where he’ll remain an associate vice president at the Southwest Research Institute. At UCF, he’ll manage a nearly $1.6 million budget and earn $100,000 annually. “Florida needs to diversify its space portfolio, and science is going to be an important part of that going forward,” Stern said. (10/24)
Signatures Needed for Last-Ditch Effort to Get Shuttle in Dayton (Source: Dayton Daily News)
The online petition aimed at sending a retired space shuttle to the National Museum of the United States Air Force near Dayton has garnered 3,708 signatures as of Friday morning — 1,292 short of the signatures it needs by Oct. 30 to gain White House scrutiny. Earlier this year, NASA picked four other cities over Dayton to receive retired space shuttles — a decision that was deeply disappointing to Dayton.
In an effort to revisit that decision, Columbus businessman John Cavanaugh has used a newly created portion of the White House website to launch an online petition asking the administration to reconsider its position on the retired shuttles and send one to Dayton. He needs 5,000 signatures by Oct. 30 to get the White House to consider his case. If he gets that many signatures, then the White House will assign a staffer to evaluate the petition. (10/24)
October 23, 2011
ROSAT Reenters Over Southeast Asia (Source: Discovery)
The German Aerospace Center and NASA have confirmed the defunct Roentgen Satellite, or ROSAT, has met its doom, most likely somewhere over SE Asia. German officials have said that the reentry occurred some time between 9:45 p.m. and 10:15 p.m. EDT on Saturday night. Fortunately, there are no reports of falling debris or damage, which means the surviving satellite bits -- around 30 pieces -- most likely crashed safely into the Bay of Bengal, somewhere between the the east coast of India and Indonesia. (10/23)
Florida Cabinet Gets Update on State's Space Industry (Source: AP)
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam says Florida needs to show its commitment to the Kennedy Space Center or other states with spaceports will try to steal business away in a post-shuttle era of private space enterprises. At a Florida Cabinet meeting in Cape Canaveral last week, he said there is no guarantee that the state will remain the nation's leader in space launches, given competition from other states such as Texas, New Mexico and the mid-Atlantic states to lure private launch businesses.
"If we're serious about keeping this in Florida, and we are, I just think we need to make it clear … that we're committed to doing whatever it takes," Putnam said. Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll told Cabinet members that Florida has an aggressive plan to fill the gap between the end of the shuttle program and the launch of next-generation rockets. She said hundreds of millions of dollars in federal money has been allocated for improving infrastructure at the space center. "The glass isn't half-empty, it's half-full," Carroll told Gov. Rick Scott, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater and Putnam. (10/23)
Europe's Overpriced Navi System Heads for Space (Source: Spiegel)
It is years behind schedule. But on Friday, two satellites belonging to the European navigation system Galileo are heading into orbit. The system promises to be more precise than anything currently available. But Europe has paid dearly for its autonomy. Each of the two satellites contains two atomic clocks from Spectra time, a Swiss company famous for the precision -- and prices -- of its time pieces. These clocks only lose or gain one second about every 3 million years.
Galileo goes into initial operation in 2014 -- and will offer three navigation services that are more exact than the American GPS system: a) a free "open service" that can accurately track automobiles down to the meter in addition to assisting in measuring plots of land; b) an encrypted "commercial service," available for a fee, that promises even more precision; and c) a service for "safety-of-life" applications, such as air- and rail-traffic control.
Once Galileo is fully operational -- forecast for 2020 -- two additional services will be available: a) a "public regulated service" for governmental operations (and military as well), that is protected against interference, among other threats; and b) a "search-and-rescue" service able to track distress signals from ships or aircraft. Anyone transmitting SOS signals could then be contacted directly over satellite frequencies. (10/23)
India to Set up Launch Pad in Nagayalanka (Source: Deccan Herald)
The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has turned its attention to the coastal area of Krishna district as part of its search for a suitable location where it can set up a rocket-launch pad. ISRO scientists have conducted feasibility studies for the site near Nagayalanka mandal in the coast. Indications are that the state government is keen to get the facility established in the hinterland of Krishna and Guntur districts. The ISRO wants to have more launch pads to increase frequency of the satellite launches in the future. (10/23)
Fifth-Graders Take a Tour of Houston’s Space Center (Source: Killeen Daily Herald)
Fifth-graders, dressed in student-designed purple shirts, stepped together into the space-themed museum, propelled by the power of possibility. West Ward Elementary School's 50 fifth-graders visited the Space Center in Houston Wednesday; a school tradition planned a week before the school's annual Space Week celebration. (10/23)
Editorial: Stennis Keeps Us in the Race (Source: Sun Herald)
The goal was the moon but we have gone much farther. Fifty years ago this week, when NASA announced it would build a massive rocket-testing center in Hancock County, it landed South Mississipians in the middle of the space race. It has been a ride. To try to list all the benefits of having Stennis Space Center here would be futile. There isn’t enough, well, space.
The center has added billions of dollars to the economy, brought thousands of high-paying jobs and attracted untold numbers of tourists. Because of Stennis, we are better prepared for hurricanes, are more secure, and are better able to compete in the high-tech world. Besides NASA, the departments of Energy, Defense, Commerice and Interior, the EPA and the states of Mississippi and Louisiana have significant programs there. Mississippi State, University of Mississippi, Southern Miss, University of New Orleans and Pearl River Community College have sites there. (10/23)
Vandenberg Welcomes New Command Chief (Source: AFSPC)
The German Aerospace Center and NASA have confirmed the defunct Roentgen Satellite, or ROSAT, has met its doom, most likely somewhere over SE Asia. German officials have said that the reentry occurred some time between 9:45 p.m. and 10:15 p.m. EDT on Saturday night. Fortunately, there are no reports of falling debris or damage, which means the surviving satellite bits -- around 30 pieces -- most likely crashed safely into the Bay of Bengal, somewhere between the the east coast of India and Indonesia. (10/23)
Florida Cabinet Gets Update on State's Space Industry (Source: AP)
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam says Florida needs to show its commitment to the Kennedy Space Center or other states with spaceports will try to steal business away in a post-shuttle era of private space enterprises. At a Florida Cabinet meeting in Cape Canaveral last week, he said there is no guarantee that the state will remain the nation's leader in space launches, given competition from other states such as Texas, New Mexico and the mid-Atlantic states to lure private launch businesses.
"If we're serious about keeping this in Florida, and we are, I just think we need to make it clear … that we're committed to doing whatever it takes," Putnam said. Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll told Cabinet members that Florida has an aggressive plan to fill the gap between the end of the shuttle program and the launch of next-generation rockets. She said hundreds of millions of dollars in federal money has been allocated for improving infrastructure at the space center. "The glass isn't half-empty, it's half-full," Carroll told Gov. Rick Scott, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater and Putnam. (10/23)
Europe's Overpriced Navi System Heads for Space (Source: Spiegel)
It is years behind schedule. But on Friday, two satellites belonging to the European navigation system Galileo are heading into orbit. The system promises to be more precise than anything currently available. But Europe has paid dearly for its autonomy. Each of the two satellites contains two atomic clocks from Spectra time, a Swiss company famous for the precision -- and prices -- of its time pieces. These clocks only lose or gain one second about every 3 million years.
Galileo goes into initial operation in 2014 -- and will offer three navigation services that are more exact than the American GPS system: a) a free "open service" that can accurately track automobiles down to the meter in addition to assisting in measuring plots of land; b) an encrypted "commercial service," available for a fee, that promises even more precision; and c) a service for "safety-of-life" applications, such as air- and rail-traffic control.
Once Galileo is fully operational -- forecast for 2020 -- two additional services will be available: a) a "public regulated service" for governmental operations (and military as well), that is protected against interference, among other threats; and b) a "search-and-rescue" service able to track distress signals from ships or aircraft. Anyone transmitting SOS signals could then be contacted directly over satellite frequencies. (10/23)
India to Set up Launch Pad in Nagayalanka (Source: Deccan Herald)
The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has turned its attention to the coastal area of Krishna district as part of its search for a suitable location where it can set up a rocket-launch pad. ISRO scientists have conducted feasibility studies for the site near Nagayalanka mandal in the coast. Indications are that the state government is keen to get the facility established in the hinterland of Krishna and Guntur districts. The ISRO wants to have more launch pads to increase frequency of the satellite launches in the future. (10/23)
Fifth-Graders Take a Tour of Houston’s Space Center (Source: Killeen Daily Herald)
Fifth-graders, dressed in student-designed purple shirts, stepped together into the space-themed museum, propelled by the power of possibility. West Ward Elementary School's 50 fifth-graders visited the Space Center in Houston Wednesday; a school tradition planned a week before the school's annual Space Week celebration. (10/23)
Editorial: Stennis Keeps Us in the Race (Source: Sun Herald)
The goal was the moon but we have gone much farther. Fifty years ago this week, when NASA announced it would build a massive rocket-testing center in Hancock County, it landed South Mississipians in the middle of the space race. It has been a ride. To try to list all the benefits of having Stennis Space Center here would be futile. There isn’t enough, well, space.
The center has added billions of dollars to the economy, brought thousands of high-paying jobs and attracted untold numbers of tourists. Because of Stennis, we are better prepared for hurricanes, are more secure, and are better able to compete in the high-tech world. Besides NASA, the departments of Energy, Defense, Commerice and Interior, the EPA and the states of Mississippi and Louisiana have significant programs there. Mississippi State, University of Mississippi, Southern Miss, University of New Orleans and Pearl River Community College have sites there. (10/23)
Vandenberg Welcomes New Command Chief (Source: AFSPC)
Team Vandenberg welcomed the 30th Space Wing's new command chief master sergeant here in mid-September. "This is my first experience with Space Command," said Chief Master Sgt. Suzanne Talbert. "I can't wait to meet the Airmen on base and get to know every one of their jobs; I would rather be out there learning that than sitting in my office." (10/23)
ESA Planning Next Soyuz Launch from Kourou in December (Source: Interfax)
The next launch of the Soyuz-ST carrier rocket from the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana has been scheduled for December 20, the head of the ESA's Moscow office, Rene Pischel, said. "We hope to launch a Soyuz on December 20 if the third stage, earlier returned to Russia for additional checks, arrives," Pischel said after the Soyuz carrier rocket's successful debut launch from Kourou. (10/23)
Medical Crisis is Space Station's Top Fear (Source: Florida Today)
A debilitating stroke. Dangerous heart arrthymia. Painful kidney stones or dental abscesses. An infection that threatens the life of an astronaut or cosmonaut aboard the International Space Station. New NASA analyses show the chance of a medical evacuation now ranks with the top risk for abandoning ship: a hull-penetrating micrometeorite or debris strike. And as NASA learns more about the physiological effects of lengthy stays in space on astronauts, the space agency has more health concerns to worry about. For the first time ever, a new medical condition that affects eyesight made the list of top risks.
Any decision to send a sick or injured astronaut home would be a difficult one. The gravitational forces and other stresses encountered during re-entry might endanger the patient even more than staying put. Two crewmates also would also have to return; otherwise, they would be left without their three-person Soyuz lifeboat. Click here. (10/23)
Air Force Rocket Deal Puts Taxpayers on the Hook (Source: Florida Today)
The list of things that the Defense Department doesn’t know about its upcoming multibillion-dollar purchase of rockets should astound taxpayers. The military, which helped bankroll development of Atlas V and Delta IV rockets for two of the United States’ biggest companies and propped up the two launch vehicles with billions of dollars in subsidies over the last decade, wants to buy another 40 of the rockets through 2018. The price: $15 billion over about five years or nearly the cost of what NASA was spending over a similar time period operating its space shuttle fleet.
The military is not considering alternatives, including competitors who could help drive down per-launch cost to taxpayers, based on reasons that can’t be backed up by the reliable data. In short, the military is spending $15 billion without knowing enough about what it’s doing. Click here. (10/23)
Space Waste Transporter: Going Where No Garbage Man has Gone Before (Source: Space Daily)
John D. Arwood, a Native American and owner of Arwood Waste in Jacksonville, Florida, proposes a possible solution to our space waste problem. Arwood Waste has proposed a Space Waste Contract for the collection and disposal of space junk. This innovative concept outlines an orbital junk removal program that Arwood is calling, the Space Waste Transporter. The Space Waste Transporter is essentially a rocket-propelled garbage truck designed to launch into orbit and immediately go to work cleaning up the ever-growing cloud of decommissioned satellites, shuttle debris, garbage and fragments.
NASA's recently decommissioned Space Shuttles, with their large cargo bays and proven track record, would be ideal vehicles to accomplish this pressing task. Reusing the space shuttles, and dubbing them "Space Waste Transporters," is a real and creative option to solving this problem. The technology is already built, already tested and already available. He has opened the discussion for a Space Waste Transporter program to collect decommissioned satellites and bring them safely back to earth where they can be reused, recycled, or preserved. Click here. (10/23)
ESA Planning Next Soyuz Launch from Kourou in December (Source: Interfax)
The next launch of the Soyuz-ST carrier rocket from the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana has been scheduled for December 20, the head of the ESA's Moscow office, Rene Pischel, said. "We hope to launch a Soyuz on December 20 if the third stage, earlier returned to Russia for additional checks, arrives," Pischel said after the Soyuz carrier rocket's successful debut launch from Kourou. (10/23)
Medical Crisis is Space Station's Top Fear (Source: Florida Today)
A debilitating stroke. Dangerous heart arrthymia. Painful kidney stones or dental abscesses. An infection that threatens the life of an astronaut or cosmonaut aboard the International Space Station. New NASA analyses show the chance of a medical evacuation now ranks with the top risk for abandoning ship: a hull-penetrating micrometeorite or debris strike. And as NASA learns more about the physiological effects of lengthy stays in space on astronauts, the space agency has more health concerns to worry about. For the first time ever, a new medical condition that affects eyesight made the list of top risks.
Any decision to send a sick or injured astronaut home would be a difficult one. The gravitational forces and other stresses encountered during re-entry might endanger the patient even more than staying put. Two crewmates also would also have to return; otherwise, they would be left without their three-person Soyuz lifeboat. Click here. (10/23)
Air Force Rocket Deal Puts Taxpayers on the Hook (Source: Florida Today)
The list of things that the Defense Department doesn’t know about its upcoming multibillion-dollar purchase of rockets should astound taxpayers. The military, which helped bankroll development of Atlas V and Delta IV rockets for two of the United States’ biggest companies and propped up the two launch vehicles with billions of dollars in subsidies over the last decade, wants to buy another 40 of the rockets through 2018. The price: $15 billion over about five years or nearly the cost of what NASA was spending over a similar time period operating its space shuttle fleet.
The military is not considering alternatives, including competitors who could help drive down per-launch cost to taxpayers, based on reasons that can’t be backed up by the reliable data. In short, the military is spending $15 billion without knowing enough about what it’s doing. Click here. (10/23)
Space Waste Transporter: Going Where No Garbage Man has Gone Before (Source: Space Daily)
John D. Arwood, a Native American and owner of Arwood Waste in Jacksonville, Florida, proposes a possible solution to our space waste problem. Arwood Waste has proposed a Space Waste Contract for the collection and disposal of space junk. This innovative concept outlines an orbital junk removal program that Arwood is calling, the Space Waste Transporter. The Space Waste Transporter is essentially a rocket-propelled garbage truck designed to launch into orbit and immediately go to work cleaning up the ever-growing cloud of decommissioned satellites, shuttle debris, garbage and fragments.
NASA's recently decommissioned Space Shuttles, with their large cargo bays and proven track record, would be ideal vehicles to accomplish this pressing task. Reusing the space shuttles, and dubbing them "Space Waste Transporters," is a real and creative option to solving this problem. The technology is already built, already tested and already available. He has opened the discussion for a Space Waste Transporter program to collect decommissioned satellites and bring them safely back to earth where they can be reused, recycled, or preserved. Click here. (10/23)
October 22, 2011
NASA Is Considering Fuel Depots in the Skies (Source: New York Times)
By considering a proposal to put filling stations in the sky, NASA is looking to accelerate plans to send astronauts to distant destinations. The filling stations — NASA calls them propellant depots — would refuel a spacecraft in orbit before it headed out to the moon, an asteroid or eventually Mars. Currently, all of the fuel needed for a mission is carried up with the rocket, and the weight of the fuel limits the size of the spacecraft.
Next month, engineers will meet at NASA headquarters in Washington to discuss how propellant depots could be used to reach farther into space and make possible more ambitious missions using the heavy-lift rocket that NASA is planning to build. The discussions grow out of a six-month NASA study of propellant depots, completed in July.
However, the space agency has rejected the study’s most radical conclusion: that NASA could forgo the heavy-lift and use existing smaller rockets, combined with fuel depots, to reach its targets more quickly and less expensively. Those targets, for the next two decades at least, include a return to the moon or a visit to an asteroid. (A trip to Mars is unlikely until at least the 2030s.) (10/22)
DiBello: A Question of Money, Not Competition (Source: Richmond Times-Dispatch)
In a recent op/ed in the Richmond Times-Dispatch, much seems to have been made of alleged efforts by Space Florida and others to stifle the growth of Wallops Flight Facility (WFF) in Virginia as a potential competitor spaceport. Nothing could be further from the truth, but this incident provides a great opportunity to again draw attention to what we do oppose: the corrosive costs of duplicative federal infrastructure and wasteful spending. This is about the taxpayer, not the state!
This is not about Florida versus Virginia! (Although some politicians would have you believe that.) This is about wasteful federal spending at a time when federal tax dollars and budgets are becoming more constrained, and we all need to be more efficient and frugal in how we allocate them. We do object to NASA adding to its inventory of infrastructure for launching human spaceflight, particularly when the agency has existing capability that is already so grossly underutilized.
As every government agency and business is painfully aware, infrastructure is very expensive. Having too much of it consumes resources and inhibits investment in the future. That is why both the president's National Space Policy and Congress' NASA Authorization Act of 2010 specifically direct the agency to identify and shed infrastructure that is deemed duplicative. The Inspector General's Office just kicked off an agency-wide audit to ensure NASA was doing just that. Click here. (10/22)
Gingrich Calls for Privatizing Human Spaceflight (Source: Space Politics)
Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich said he would “absolutely” privatize human spaceflight if elected president. Gingrich was asked about NASA's Space Launch System (SLS), being developed as required by the 2010 NASA Authorization Act. “I think it is disgraceful the way getting into space has been turned into a political pork-barrel. It’s an abuse of the taxpayer and an abuse of America’s future...It is a tragedy that between bureaucrats and politicians we have reduced NASA to the point where we are relying on Russian rockets to get to the space station.”
“I would call for a total replacement of the current structure of NASA with a brand new system that is aggressively designed to challenge free enterprise,” he said. He went on to discuss his preference for prizes to enable exploration as an alternative to traditional government-led programs. “If you had taken 5 or 10 percent of the NASA budget in the last decade and put it into a prize for the first people to get to the Moon permanently, you’d have 20 or 30 folks out there getting to the Moon, we’d already be on the Moon, and the energy level would be unbelievable.”
Not surprisingly, the Space Frontier Foundation strongly supported Gingrich’s comments in its statement, while noting that it was not endorsing Gingrich or any other candidate. “We are gratified to hear Speaker Gingrich bring his years of experience and obvious intellect to the discussion of space policy,” said Foundation chairman Bob Werb. “Fiscal responsibility and a strong space program can go hand in hand, if we leverage the genius of the private sector.” (10/22)
Ohio Paper Donates Full Page Ad to Space Shuttle Enterprise Petition Effort (Source: SpaceRef)
The quest to land retired Space Shuttle Enterprise at the National Museum of the United States Air Force received a major boost when Paul Noah, the publisher of the Dayton City Paper, donated a full page ad supporting the White House petition effort in the Oct. 18th LWV voters guide issue. (10/22)
Damage From Falling Satellites? Insurance Will Cover It (Source: New York Times)
The odds of a satellite fragment hitting your little patch of earth are extremely low. But not to worry: if you are unlucky enough to have some space shrapnel fall on your house or car, standard insurance policies will most likely cover the damage, says the Insurance Information Institute, an industry group. “Damages caused by falling objects,” including falling satellites, are generally covered, the institute says. (10/22)
By considering a proposal to put filling stations in the sky, NASA is looking to accelerate plans to send astronauts to distant destinations. The filling stations — NASA calls them propellant depots — would refuel a spacecraft in orbit before it headed out to the moon, an asteroid or eventually Mars. Currently, all of the fuel needed for a mission is carried up with the rocket, and the weight of the fuel limits the size of the spacecraft.
Next month, engineers will meet at NASA headquarters in Washington to discuss how propellant depots could be used to reach farther into space and make possible more ambitious missions using the heavy-lift rocket that NASA is planning to build. The discussions grow out of a six-month NASA study of propellant depots, completed in July.
However, the space agency has rejected the study’s most radical conclusion: that NASA could forgo the heavy-lift and use existing smaller rockets, combined with fuel depots, to reach its targets more quickly and less expensively. Those targets, for the next two decades at least, include a return to the moon or a visit to an asteroid. (A trip to Mars is unlikely until at least the 2030s.) (10/22)
DiBello: A Question of Money, Not Competition (Source: Richmond Times-Dispatch)
In a recent op/ed in the Richmond Times-Dispatch, much seems to have been made of alleged efforts by Space Florida and others to stifle the growth of Wallops Flight Facility (WFF) in Virginia as a potential competitor spaceport. Nothing could be further from the truth, but this incident provides a great opportunity to again draw attention to what we do oppose: the corrosive costs of duplicative federal infrastructure and wasteful spending. This is about the taxpayer, not the state!
This is not about Florida versus Virginia! (Although some politicians would have you believe that.) This is about wasteful federal spending at a time when federal tax dollars and budgets are becoming more constrained, and we all need to be more efficient and frugal in how we allocate them. We do object to NASA adding to its inventory of infrastructure for launching human spaceflight, particularly when the agency has existing capability that is already so grossly underutilized.
As every government agency and business is painfully aware, infrastructure is very expensive. Having too much of it consumes resources and inhibits investment in the future. That is why both the president's National Space Policy and Congress' NASA Authorization Act of 2010 specifically direct the agency to identify and shed infrastructure that is deemed duplicative. The Inspector General's Office just kicked off an agency-wide audit to ensure NASA was doing just that. Click here. (10/22)
Gingrich Calls for Privatizing Human Spaceflight (Source: Space Politics)
Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich said he would “absolutely” privatize human spaceflight if elected president. Gingrich was asked about NASA's Space Launch System (SLS), being developed as required by the 2010 NASA Authorization Act. “I think it is disgraceful the way getting into space has been turned into a political pork-barrel. It’s an abuse of the taxpayer and an abuse of America’s future...It is a tragedy that between bureaucrats and politicians we have reduced NASA to the point where we are relying on Russian rockets to get to the space station.”
“I would call for a total replacement of the current structure of NASA with a brand new system that is aggressively designed to challenge free enterprise,” he said. He went on to discuss his preference for prizes to enable exploration as an alternative to traditional government-led programs. “If you had taken 5 or 10 percent of the NASA budget in the last decade and put it into a prize for the first people to get to the Moon permanently, you’d have 20 or 30 folks out there getting to the Moon, we’d already be on the Moon, and the energy level would be unbelievable.”
Not surprisingly, the Space Frontier Foundation strongly supported Gingrich’s comments in its statement, while noting that it was not endorsing Gingrich or any other candidate. “We are gratified to hear Speaker Gingrich bring his years of experience and obvious intellect to the discussion of space policy,” said Foundation chairman Bob Werb. “Fiscal responsibility and a strong space program can go hand in hand, if we leverage the genius of the private sector.” (10/22)
Ohio Paper Donates Full Page Ad to Space Shuttle Enterprise Petition Effort (Source: SpaceRef)
The quest to land retired Space Shuttle Enterprise at the National Museum of the United States Air Force received a major boost when Paul Noah, the publisher of the Dayton City Paper, donated a full page ad supporting the White House petition effort in the Oct. 18th LWV voters guide issue. (10/22)
Damage From Falling Satellites? Insurance Will Cover It (Source: New York Times)
The odds of a satellite fragment hitting your little patch of earth are extremely low. But not to worry: if you are unlucky enough to have some space shrapnel fall on your house or car, standard insurance policies will most likely cover the damage, says the Insurance Information Institute, an industry group. “Damages caused by falling objects,” including falling satellites, are generally covered, the institute says. (10/22)
October 21, 2011
1960s Essay Warned of Conflict Between Government and Commercial Space (Source: SpaceKSC)
In his January 17, 1961 farewell address to the nation, President Dwight Eisenhower warned that "we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex." That same year, General Electric Chairman and CEO Ralph J. Cordiner published an essay that to commercial space advocates could be considered as foreboding as Ike's warning.
Titled "Competitive Private Enterprise in Space," the essay appeared in a book titled Peacetime Uses of Outer Space. "Looking to the future," he wrote, "when the space frontier has been explored and is ready for economic development, we might well find the area pre-empted by the government, which would then have most of the personnel and facilities available. This would leave the nation almost no choice except to settle for nationalized industry in space." Click here. (10/21)
Lots of Water Spotted in Still-Forming Solar System 175 Light Years Away (Source: Ars Technica)
When talking about other planetary systems, or even our own, the word that tends to get us most excited is "water." And for good reason-—it’s necessary for life on our own planet, and its presence in liquid form likely increases the odds of life on other worlds. Using the Herschel space telescope, astronomers have spotted evidence of water vapor at the edges of a planet-forming disk surrounding a nearby star. The presence of the vapor hints at enormous volumes of ice present in the disk.
A group of astronomers decided to use the Herschel Space Observatory to go looking for signs of water. They decided to point the telescope at the nearest planetary disk, which surrounds a star named TW Hydrae. This 10 million-year-old star is about 60 percent the mass of our Sun and is "only" 175 light years away. When the data came in, the amount of water observed was calculated to be about 0.005 times the mass of Earth’s global ocean. Click here. (10/21)
Extension of FAA Spaceflight Regulation Moratorium Could Burden NASA, Industry (Source: SPACErePORT)
A Congressional moratorium on new regulations for the commercial spaceflight industry could burden the industry (and NASA) by forcing them to deal with NASA requirements as they develop their space vehicles. The moratorium is currently set to expire in December 2012, but some industry advocates are pushing for an extension to allow more time for the industry to mature without over-burdensome regulatory oversight.
NASA had been hoping that the FAA would take-on the regulatory responsibility for ensuring the safety of commercial human spaceflight systems. In the absense of FAA regulations for human spaceflight, most of the companies seeking to enter this emerging industry (at least those hoping to serve NASA as a customer) will have to comply with NASA's safety requirements, which some suggest would be more stringent and costly to meet.
Of course, the argument for lifting the FAA moratorium would be dampened if NASA didn't end up relaxing its own requirements after new FAA rules are in place. No company would want to be required to comply with two sets of rules for the same service. The FAA is a regulatory agency but NASA is not. (10/21)
Commercial Flight Development Creates American Jobs (Source: NASA)
To reach for new heights and explore farther into our solar system than we have ever before, we are handing off transportation to the International Space Station to the private sector. This will allow NASA to concentrate on developing the deep space capabilities necessary to send humans to an asteroid and Mars. It also will support the creation of American jobs and bring the launches of our astronauts back to U.S. soil.
At NASA, we’re committed to having American companies send our astronauts and cargo to the International Space Station, rather than continuing to outsource this work to foreign governments. According to a recent study by the Federal Aviation Administration, commercial space transportation and enabling industries generated $208 billion in economic activity and employed more than 1 million people in 2009, with earnings exceeding $53 billion.
That economic impact is only expected to grow. At NASA, we’re doing our part to help develop this industry, one that until recently largely had been seen as science fiction, but now stands poised to open up this new frontier and transform the space exploration business. That’s good for space exploration – and good for the American economy. (10/21)
New England Sees Drop in Military Contracts (Source: Boston Globe)
Contracts from defense companies are shrinking in Massachusetts and the New England region, shows a study by the University of Massachusetts Donahue Institute. In Massachusetts, the value of military contracts fell 7.7%, to $14.3 billion, in 2010. In the region, spending for military contracts dropped 9%, to $29.1 billion, for 2010. A study by the Aerospace Industries Association found that $1 trillion in defense cuts could lead to the loss of 8,200 jobs in Massachusetts. (10/21)
Raytheon, Boeing Should Weather Pentagon Cuts (Source: Aviation Week)
Raytheon and Boeing are the two companies that will be least affected by defense cuts, analysts say. One-quarter of Raytheon's sales come from outside the U.S., which should help the company weather Pentagon cuts. Meanwhile, Boeing Defense, Space and Security also has many contracts with "very steep" termination costs. (10/21)
From Red Planet to Deep Blue Sea: Astronomer Becomes NASA Aquanaut (Source: SpaceRef)
Cornell professor of astronomy Steven Squyres, the lead scientist for NASA's Rover missions to Mars, has just taken the plunge as a NASA aquanaut. Cornell's Goldwin Smith Professor of Astronomy is one of six aquanauts who splashed down Oct. 20 for a 13-day undersea training mission off Key Largo in Florida as part of the 15th mission of the NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO) program. They will perform "spacewalks" and other exercises to simulate an asteroid mission. (10/21)
The Case Against Global-Warming Skepticism (Source: Wall Street Journal)
Over the last two years, the Berkeley Earth Surface Temperature Project has looked deeply at many of the issues raised by global-warming skeptics. I chaired our group, which just submitted four detailed papers on our results to peer-reviewed journals. We have now posted these papers online at www.BerkeleyEarth.org to solicit even more scrutiny. When we began our study, we felt that skeptics had raised legitimate issues, and we didn't know what we'd find.
Our results turned out to be close to those published by prior groups. We think that means that those groups had truly been very careful in their work, despite their inability to convince some skeptics of that. They managed to avoid bias in their data selection, homogenization and other corrections. Global warming is real. Perhaps our results will help cool this portion of the climate debate. How much of the warming is due to humans and what will be the likely effects? We made no independent assessment of that. Click here. (10/21)
Editor's Note: The author of this op-ed, Richard Muller, was formerly a high-profile skeptic who was criticized for accepting a research grant for this long-term warming study from the Koch Bros., who hoped he'd disprove the global-warming phenomenon. (10/21).
Sierra Nevada Dream Chaser Program Featured at MSRP Event (Source: MSRP)
The Missile, Space and Range Pioneers will sponsor their annual Fall Banquet on Nov. 18 at Florida Tech in Melbourne. This year's event will feature a presentation by Sierra Nevada Corp's Kevin Clinton, the company's Launch Vehicle Integration Lead for the Dream Chaser program. Clinton will be responsible for integrating the Dream Chaser atop United Launch Alliance's Atlas-5 rockets. Click here. (10/21)
Innovators Sought for DARPA Satellite Servicing Technology Program (Source: DARPA)
More than $300 billion worth of satellites are estimated to be in the geosynchronous orbit (GEO—22,000 miles above the earth). Many of these satellites have been retired due to normal end-of-useful-life, obsolescence or failure; yet many still have valuable components, such as antennas, that could last much longer than the life of the satellite. When satellites in GEO “retire,” they are put into a GEO disposal or “graveyard” orbit.
That graveyard potentially holds tens to more than a hundred retired satellites that have components that could be repurposed – with the willing knowledge and sanction of the satellite’s owner. Today, DoD deploys new, replacement satellites at high cost—one of the primary drivers of the high cost is the launch costs, which is dependent on the weight and volume of antennas. The repurposing of existing, retired antennas from the graveyard represents a potential for significant cost savings. Click here. (10/21)
Huntsville Space Professionals Sets Sunday Meeting on New Space Business (Source: Huntsville Times)
Huntsville Space Professionals, a coalition of aerospace workers begun during 2010's NASA layoffs and expanded to include numerous space industry partners, is hosting a town hall meeting Sunday to promote the city as a prime location for commercial space development. The meeting is from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at the Davidson Center for Space Exploration at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center.
Among commercial companies scheduled to attend is Virgin Galactic. Virgin Galactic has already been given a NASA contract for one demonstration flight and is expected to discuss job opportunities at its manufacturing division, meeting organizers said. The event is free and open to the public. (10/21)
Thousands of Dreams to Fly (Source: Xinhua)
The dreams of more than 40,000 people will be stored as text and video on a chip and sent into space along with Shenzhou VIII spacecraft next month. The Shenzhou VIII is slated to take off in the first half of next month from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center to complete China's first spacecraft rendezvous and docking mission with the Tiangong-1 space module, which was launched on Sep. 29.
The 42,891 dreams were selected from a pool of 12 million in line with the criteria of "positive and passionate", said Feng Chunping, president of China Space News, the activity sponsor, at a ceremony on Thursday. Proposed by netizens, university students and children from orphanages, most dreams expressed longing for space, hopes for a stronger nation, and a greener and better society, she said. (10/21)
Space Weather Forecasters Get Serious (Source: Science)
It took a while, but space physicists who predict immense balls of solar debris smashing into Earth have finally caught up with their brethren who forecast terrestrial weather. Rather than simply relying on rules of thumb, space weather forecasters have begun running a computer model that actually simulates the development of conditions between the sun and Earth. They're following the lead of atmospheric weather forecasters, who have been using computer models since the 1960s. Warnings of when solar storms will strike Earth are already much improved.
The better the warning of major solar storms, the better earthlings can prepare for the consequences, which can include electrically fried satellites, degraded GPS navigation, and widespread blackouts. The culprit is a magnetic bubble of tens of millions of tons of protons and the like blown off the sun at several million kilometers per hour. It might seem easy enough to keep track of something that big, but observation platforms between the sun and Earth are few and far between. And the choppy sea of magnetic fields and charged particles that the ejected bubbles plow through can slow and deflect the bubbles. Click here. (10/21)
Women in Aerospace (WIA) Accepting Scholarship Applications (Source: WIA)
At least one award of $1000 will be given to a rising senior in college, to be applied to the 2013-2014 academic year. Candidates must be females interested in pursuing a career in aerospace. Click here. (10/21)
First Soyuz Launches From French Guiana Spaceport (Source: Reuters)
A Russian Soyuz rocket successfully blasted off from French Guiana on Friday bearing the first two satellites in Europe's Galileo global positioning system, a much-heralded mission that will redraw commercial competition in space. The launch from Europe's spaceport in South America was the first time that Soyuz, which first flew in 1966 and traces its roots back to the earliest Cold War intercontinental ballistic missiles, has taken off from outside its old Soviet Union bases. (10/21)
Senators Recognize Contributions of Stennis Space Center to Gulf Coast (Source: Sen. Wicker)
U.S. Senators Roger Wicker (R-MS), Thad Cochran (R-MS), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), and David Vitter (R-LA) on Wednesday introduced a resolution honoring the 50th anniversary of the John C. Stennis Space Center. The resolution recognizes Stennis Space Center’s economic impact to the Gulf Coast region. On October 25, 1961, NASA formerly announced plans to establish a testing facility in Hancock County. Today, Stennis employs more than 5,000 and is home to approximately 30 federal, state, academic, and private organizations. (10/21)
Could Space Exploration Prove Atheists Wrong? (Source: CBN)
Now that NASA has ended its space shuttle program, many wonder what's next for space exploration. Dr. Hugh Ross, founder and president of Reasons To Believe, says returning to the moon offers the most intriguing potential for scientific discovery. He discusses the link between the Bible and some of today's scientific questions and talks about the future of space exploration and also why Christians shouldn't be offended by or disinterested in science. Click here. (10/21)
2011: A Space Odyssey Fit for Two (Source: China Daily)
Most Chinese middle school students are familiar with the story of Wan Hu, who tried to become the world's first "astronaut". He was a smart and fantastic carpenter, and some scholars believe he was a minor Chinese official of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). He invented the first rocket chair, a device designed to take him into the sky.
China's pride in four great inventions - paper, printing, gunpowder and the compass - extends to the country's having the first recorded "astronaut". However, after those students are enrolled in colleges, or even earlier, they are likely to be made aware that the origin of modern rocket science and technology is rooted in Europe.
This two-pronged knowledge helps to improve mutual understanding of Chinese and Europeans.
When Chinese reflect on the space achievements of their compatriots, they feel pride in ancient Chinese scientific glory. At the same time they have subtle respect for Europe, the cradle of modern space technology. By and large, Europeans would be unaware of the multiplicity of thought and feelings by Chinese on this matter. Click here. (10/21)
At Spaceflight Symposium, a Plan for Flying Saucers (Source: Las Cruces Sun-News)
Flying saucers were once the stuff of fantasy. But now they're on the verge of becoming reality. And they may be on their way to Spaceport America, said one visiting company Thursday, the final day of this week's international spaceflight symposium in Las Cruces. Ten-foot-diameter, two-passenger flying saucers are being developed by the California-based Moller International.
They lift straight off the ground, like a helicopter, and can reach heights of 5,000 feet and speeds of up to 100 mph, said Lindsay O'Brien Quarrie, chairman of Space Sciences Corp., distributor for the aircraft. "We're hoping to fly this at the spaceport in 2012," said Quarrie, whose company is based just north of Socorro. The company has submitted a proposal to become part of Spaceport America's visitor experience. The saucers would give tourists who aren't traveling to suborbital space something to do at the site, Quarrie said. (10/21)
Wernicke: To the Moon -- and Way Beyond (Source: Pensacola News Journal)
In their hearts, the kind of people who drove man's early steps into space believed that space exploration is not just important, but necessary, for one overriding reason: Mankind must go in space because it is there, and because our curiosity about existence — to explore the universe — is the animating drive of our being. These people, however, are not actually in charge of our space program.
Trace it all the way back, and the people in charge are those with their hands on the dollars, which, compared to our other endeavors — those related to politicians' re-election — have been doled out in parsimoniously small amounts for space exploration. Still, great things have been accomplished — we have walked on the moon, built and operated the Shuttle, sent probes to the far reaches of the solar system and peered deep into the universe through the Hubble telescope, perhaps the greatest machine ever built.
But the Shuttle program is ended, and Hubble's orbit slowly decays toward its final, fiery re-entry into the atmosphere. Where is NASA taking us now? That is the question people like Charles F. Kennel are trying to answer, and he will discuss the problem Tuesday night in the ongoing public lecture series at the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition. His talk: "NASA at mid-life: The future of human space exploration." (10/21)
NASA's Wallops Facility is Possible Site for Navy Landings (Source: Virginian-Pilot)
The Navy has decided to study NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on the Eastern Shore as a potential site for practice landings by pilots based at Norfolk Naval Station. The service said the decision is not the result of a whistle-blower complaint that Wallops was previously ignored as an option. Instead, the move comes after officials at Wallops sent a letter to the Navy in August requesting that it consider the NASA runway, according to a Navy news release. (10/21)
India, France Look to Another Satellite Launch (Source: Economic Times)
Fresh from the successful launch of the joint space mission for weather observation, India and France today eyed another milestone of a new satellite dedicated to environment monitoring. At the bilateral talks here, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna and his French counterpart Alain Juppe welcomed the successful launch of Megha-Tropiques satellite for research on climate and weather systems.
"The forthcoming launch of SARAL, a joint satellite to study sea surface altitude would be another milestone in space cooperation," a joint statement issued after the discussions said here. Saral would help ocean scientists gather accurate data on the rise in the sea level which could threaten the low lying and coastal areas of the country. (10/21)
House to Hold Commercial Crew Hearing Next Week (Source: Space Politics)
The House Science, Space, and Technology Committee is holding a hearing next Wednesday titled “NASA’s Commercial Crew Development Program: Accomplishments and Challenges”. Witnesses will include Boeing, Sierra Nevada, SpaceX, ATK, ULA, and NASA. (10/21)
New Mexico Firms Rocket Unto Commercial Airspace (Source: New Mexico Business Weekly)
The Virgin Galactic’s WhiteKnightTwo mothership is parked in front of Virgin’s newly inaugurated terminal hanger building at Spaceport America in southern New Mexico. Albuquerque-based Satwest, which distributes satellite phones and airtime, will provide payload integration services for experiment-bearing rockets launched from the spaceport in southern New Mexico, and from the Mojave Air and Spaceport in California. (10/21)
In his January 17, 1961 farewell address to the nation, President Dwight Eisenhower warned that "we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex." That same year, General Electric Chairman and CEO Ralph J. Cordiner published an essay that to commercial space advocates could be considered as foreboding as Ike's warning.
Titled "Competitive Private Enterprise in Space," the essay appeared in a book titled Peacetime Uses of Outer Space. "Looking to the future," he wrote, "when the space frontier has been explored and is ready for economic development, we might well find the area pre-empted by the government, which would then have most of the personnel and facilities available. This would leave the nation almost no choice except to settle for nationalized industry in space." Click here. (10/21)
Lots of Water Spotted in Still-Forming Solar System 175 Light Years Away (Source: Ars Technica)
When talking about other planetary systems, or even our own, the word that tends to get us most excited is "water." And for good reason-—it’s necessary for life on our own planet, and its presence in liquid form likely increases the odds of life on other worlds. Using the Herschel space telescope, astronomers have spotted evidence of water vapor at the edges of a planet-forming disk surrounding a nearby star. The presence of the vapor hints at enormous volumes of ice present in the disk.
A group of astronomers decided to use the Herschel Space Observatory to go looking for signs of water. They decided to point the telescope at the nearest planetary disk, which surrounds a star named TW Hydrae. This 10 million-year-old star is about 60 percent the mass of our Sun and is "only" 175 light years away. When the data came in, the amount of water observed was calculated to be about 0.005 times the mass of Earth’s global ocean. Click here. (10/21)
Extension of FAA Spaceflight Regulation Moratorium Could Burden NASA, Industry (Source: SPACErePORT)
A Congressional moratorium on new regulations for the commercial spaceflight industry could burden the industry (and NASA) by forcing them to deal with NASA requirements as they develop their space vehicles. The moratorium is currently set to expire in December 2012, but some industry advocates are pushing for an extension to allow more time for the industry to mature without over-burdensome regulatory oversight.
NASA had been hoping that the FAA would take-on the regulatory responsibility for ensuring the safety of commercial human spaceflight systems. In the absense of FAA regulations for human spaceflight, most of the companies seeking to enter this emerging industry (at least those hoping to serve NASA as a customer) will have to comply with NASA's safety requirements, which some suggest would be more stringent and costly to meet.
Of course, the argument for lifting the FAA moratorium would be dampened if NASA didn't end up relaxing its own requirements after new FAA rules are in place. No company would want to be required to comply with two sets of rules for the same service. The FAA is a regulatory agency but NASA is not. (10/21)
Commercial Flight Development Creates American Jobs (Source: NASA)
To reach for new heights and explore farther into our solar system than we have ever before, we are handing off transportation to the International Space Station to the private sector. This will allow NASA to concentrate on developing the deep space capabilities necessary to send humans to an asteroid and Mars. It also will support the creation of American jobs and bring the launches of our astronauts back to U.S. soil.
At NASA, we’re committed to having American companies send our astronauts and cargo to the International Space Station, rather than continuing to outsource this work to foreign governments. According to a recent study by the Federal Aviation Administration, commercial space transportation and enabling industries generated $208 billion in economic activity and employed more than 1 million people in 2009, with earnings exceeding $53 billion.
That economic impact is only expected to grow. At NASA, we’re doing our part to help develop this industry, one that until recently largely had been seen as science fiction, but now stands poised to open up this new frontier and transform the space exploration business. That’s good for space exploration – and good for the American economy. (10/21)
New England Sees Drop in Military Contracts (Source: Boston Globe)
Contracts from defense companies are shrinking in Massachusetts and the New England region, shows a study by the University of Massachusetts Donahue Institute. In Massachusetts, the value of military contracts fell 7.7%, to $14.3 billion, in 2010. In the region, spending for military contracts dropped 9%, to $29.1 billion, for 2010. A study by the Aerospace Industries Association found that $1 trillion in defense cuts could lead to the loss of 8,200 jobs in Massachusetts. (10/21)
Raytheon, Boeing Should Weather Pentagon Cuts (Source: Aviation Week)
Raytheon and Boeing are the two companies that will be least affected by defense cuts, analysts say. One-quarter of Raytheon's sales come from outside the U.S., which should help the company weather Pentagon cuts. Meanwhile, Boeing Defense, Space and Security also has many contracts with "very steep" termination costs. (10/21)
From Red Planet to Deep Blue Sea: Astronomer Becomes NASA Aquanaut (Source: SpaceRef)
Cornell professor of astronomy Steven Squyres, the lead scientist for NASA's Rover missions to Mars, has just taken the plunge as a NASA aquanaut. Cornell's Goldwin Smith Professor of Astronomy is one of six aquanauts who splashed down Oct. 20 for a 13-day undersea training mission off Key Largo in Florida as part of the 15th mission of the NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO) program. They will perform "spacewalks" and other exercises to simulate an asteroid mission. (10/21)
The Case Against Global-Warming Skepticism (Source: Wall Street Journal)
Over the last two years, the Berkeley Earth Surface Temperature Project has looked deeply at many of the issues raised by global-warming skeptics. I chaired our group, which just submitted four detailed papers on our results to peer-reviewed journals. We have now posted these papers online at www.BerkeleyEarth.org to solicit even more scrutiny. When we began our study, we felt that skeptics had raised legitimate issues, and we didn't know what we'd find.
Our results turned out to be close to those published by prior groups. We think that means that those groups had truly been very careful in their work, despite their inability to convince some skeptics of that. They managed to avoid bias in their data selection, homogenization and other corrections. Global warming is real. Perhaps our results will help cool this portion of the climate debate. How much of the warming is due to humans and what will be the likely effects? We made no independent assessment of that. Click here. (10/21)
Editor's Note: The author of this op-ed, Richard Muller, was formerly a high-profile skeptic who was criticized for accepting a research grant for this long-term warming study from the Koch Bros., who hoped he'd disprove the global-warming phenomenon. (10/21).
Sierra Nevada Dream Chaser Program Featured at MSRP Event (Source: MSRP)
The Missile, Space and Range Pioneers will sponsor their annual Fall Banquet on Nov. 18 at Florida Tech in Melbourne. This year's event will feature a presentation by Sierra Nevada Corp's Kevin Clinton, the company's Launch Vehicle Integration Lead for the Dream Chaser program. Clinton will be responsible for integrating the Dream Chaser atop United Launch Alliance's Atlas-5 rockets. Click here. (10/21)
Innovators Sought for DARPA Satellite Servicing Technology Program (Source: DARPA)
More than $300 billion worth of satellites are estimated to be in the geosynchronous orbit (GEO—22,000 miles above the earth). Many of these satellites have been retired due to normal end-of-useful-life, obsolescence or failure; yet many still have valuable components, such as antennas, that could last much longer than the life of the satellite. When satellites in GEO “retire,” they are put into a GEO disposal or “graveyard” orbit.
That graveyard potentially holds tens to more than a hundred retired satellites that have components that could be repurposed – with the willing knowledge and sanction of the satellite’s owner. Today, DoD deploys new, replacement satellites at high cost—one of the primary drivers of the high cost is the launch costs, which is dependent on the weight and volume of antennas. The repurposing of existing, retired antennas from the graveyard represents a potential for significant cost savings. Click here. (10/21)
Huntsville Space Professionals Sets Sunday Meeting on New Space Business (Source: Huntsville Times)
Huntsville Space Professionals, a coalition of aerospace workers begun during 2010's NASA layoffs and expanded to include numerous space industry partners, is hosting a town hall meeting Sunday to promote the city as a prime location for commercial space development. The meeting is from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at the Davidson Center for Space Exploration at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center.
Among commercial companies scheduled to attend is Virgin Galactic. Virgin Galactic has already been given a NASA contract for one demonstration flight and is expected to discuss job opportunities at its manufacturing division, meeting organizers said. The event is free and open to the public. (10/21)
Thousands of Dreams to Fly (Source: Xinhua)
The dreams of more than 40,000 people will be stored as text and video on a chip and sent into space along with Shenzhou VIII spacecraft next month. The Shenzhou VIII is slated to take off in the first half of next month from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center to complete China's first spacecraft rendezvous and docking mission with the Tiangong-1 space module, which was launched on Sep. 29.
The 42,891 dreams were selected from a pool of 12 million in line with the criteria of "positive and passionate", said Feng Chunping, president of China Space News, the activity sponsor, at a ceremony on Thursday. Proposed by netizens, university students and children from orphanages, most dreams expressed longing for space, hopes for a stronger nation, and a greener and better society, she said. (10/21)
Space Weather Forecasters Get Serious (Source: Science)
It took a while, but space physicists who predict immense balls of solar debris smashing into Earth have finally caught up with their brethren who forecast terrestrial weather. Rather than simply relying on rules of thumb, space weather forecasters have begun running a computer model that actually simulates the development of conditions between the sun and Earth. They're following the lead of atmospheric weather forecasters, who have been using computer models since the 1960s. Warnings of when solar storms will strike Earth are already much improved.
The better the warning of major solar storms, the better earthlings can prepare for the consequences, which can include electrically fried satellites, degraded GPS navigation, and widespread blackouts. The culprit is a magnetic bubble of tens of millions of tons of protons and the like blown off the sun at several million kilometers per hour. It might seem easy enough to keep track of something that big, but observation platforms between the sun and Earth are few and far between. And the choppy sea of magnetic fields and charged particles that the ejected bubbles plow through can slow and deflect the bubbles. Click here. (10/21)
Women in Aerospace (WIA) Accepting Scholarship Applications (Source: WIA)
At least one award of $1000 will be given to a rising senior in college, to be applied to the 2013-2014 academic year. Candidates must be females interested in pursuing a career in aerospace. Click here. (10/21)
First Soyuz Launches From French Guiana Spaceport (Source: Reuters)
A Russian Soyuz rocket successfully blasted off from French Guiana on Friday bearing the first two satellites in Europe's Galileo global positioning system, a much-heralded mission that will redraw commercial competition in space. The launch from Europe's spaceport in South America was the first time that Soyuz, which first flew in 1966 and traces its roots back to the earliest Cold War intercontinental ballistic missiles, has taken off from outside its old Soviet Union bases. (10/21)
Senators Recognize Contributions of Stennis Space Center to Gulf Coast (Source: Sen. Wicker)
U.S. Senators Roger Wicker (R-MS), Thad Cochran (R-MS), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), and David Vitter (R-LA) on Wednesday introduced a resolution honoring the 50th anniversary of the John C. Stennis Space Center. The resolution recognizes Stennis Space Center’s economic impact to the Gulf Coast region. On October 25, 1961, NASA formerly announced plans to establish a testing facility in Hancock County. Today, Stennis employs more than 5,000 and is home to approximately 30 federal, state, academic, and private organizations. (10/21)
Could Space Exploration Prove Atheists Wrong? (Source: CBN)
Now that NASA has ended its space shuttle program, many wonder what's next for space exploration. Dr. Hugh Ross, founder and president of Reasons To Believe, says returning to the moon offers the most intriguing potential for scientific discovery. He discusses the link between the Bible and some of today's scientific questions and talks about the future of space exploration and also why Christians shouldn't be offended by or disinterested in science. Click here. (10/21)
2011: A Space Odyssey Fit for Two (Source: China Daily)
Most Chinese middle school students are familiar with the story of Wan Hu, who tried to become the world's first "astronaut". He was a smart and fantastic carpenter, and some scholars believe he was a minor Chinese official of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). He invented the first rocket chair, a device designed to take him into the sky.
China's pride in four great inventions - paper, printing, gunpowder and the compass - extends to the country's having the first recorded "astronaut". However, after those students are enrolled in colleges, or even earlier, they are likely to be made aware that the origin of modern rocket science and technology is rooted in Europe.
This two-pronged knowledge helps to improve mutual understanding of Chinese and Europeans.
When Chinese reflect on the space achievements of their compatriots, they feel pride in ancient Chinese scientific glory. At the same time they have subtle respect for Europe, the cradle of modern space technology. By and large, Europeans would be unaware of the multiplicity of thought and feelings by Chinese on this matter. Click here. (10/21)
At Spaceflight Symposium, a Plan for Flying Saucers (Source: Las Cruces Sun-News)
Flying saucers were once the stuff of fantasy. But now they're on the verge of becoming reality. And they may be on their way to Spaceport America, said one visiting company Thursday, the final day of this week's international spaceflight symposium in Las Cruces. Ten-foot-diameter, two-passenger flying saucers are being developed by the California-based Moller International.
They lift straight off the ground, like a helicopter, and can reach heights of 5,000 feet and speeds of up to 100 mph, said Lindsay O'Brien Quarrie, chairman of Space Sciences Corp., distributor for the aircraft. "We're hoping to fly this at the spaceport in 2012," said Quarrie, whose company is based just north of Socorro. The company has submitted a proposal to become part of Spaceport America's visitor experience. The saucers would give tourists who aren't traveling to suborbital space something to do at the site, Quarrie said. (10/21)
Wernicke: To the Moon -- and Way Beyond (Source: Pensacola News Journal)
In their hearts, the kind of people who drove man's early steps into space believed that space exploration is not just important, but necessary, for one overriding reason: Mankind must go in space because it is there, and because our curiosity about existence — to explore the universe — is the animating drive of our being. These people, however, are not actually in charge of our space program.
Trace it all the way back, and the people in charge are those with their hands on the dollars, which, compared to our other endeavors — those related to politicians' re-election — have been doled out in parsimoniously small amounts for space exploration. Still, great things have been accomplished — we have walked on the moon, built and operated the Shuttle, sent probes to the far reaches of the solar system and peered deep into the universe through the Hubble telescope, perhaps the greatest machine ever built.
But the Shuttle program is ended, and Hubble's orbit slowly decays toward its final, fiery re-entry into the atmosphere. Where is NASA taking us now? That is the question people like Charles F. Kennel are trying to answer, and he will discuss the problem Tuesday night in the ongoing public lecture series at the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition. His talk: "NASA at mid-life: The future of human space exploration." (10/21)
NASA's Wallops Facility is Possible Site for Navy Landings (Source: Virginian-Pilot)
The Navy has decided to study NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on the Eastern Shore as a potential site for practice landings by pilots based at Norfolk Naval Station. The service said the decision is not the result of a whistle-blower complaint that Wallops was previously ignored as an option. Instead, the move comes after officials at Wallops sent a letter to the Navy in August requesting that it consider the NASA runway, according to a Navy news release. (10/21)
India, France Look to Another Satellite Launch (Source: Economic Times)
Fresh from the successful launch of the joint space mission for weather observation, India and France today eyed another milestone of a new satellite dedicated to environment monitoring. At the bilateral talks here, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna and his French counterpart Alain Juppe welcomed the successful launch of Megha-Tropiques satellite for research on climate and weather systems.
"The forthcoming launch of SARAL, a joint satellite to study sea surface altitude would be another milestone in space cooperation," a joint statement issued after the discussions said here. Saral would help ocean scientists gather accurate data on the rise in the sea level which could threaten the low lying and coastal areas of the country. (10/21)
House to Hold Commercial Crew Hearing Next Week (Source: Space Politics)
The House Science, Space, and Technology Committee is holding a hearing next Wednesday titled “NASA’s Commercial Crew Development Program: Accomplishments and Challenges”. Witnesses will include Boeing, Sierra Nevada, SpaceX, ATK, ULA, and NASA. (10/21)
New Mexico Firms Rocket Unto Commercial Airspace (Source: New Mexico Business Weekly)
The Virgin Galactic’s WhiteKnightTwo mothership is parked in front of Virgin’s newly inaugurated terminal hanger building at Spaceport America in southern New Mexico. Albuquerque-based Satwest, which distributes satellite phones and airtime, will provide payload integration services for experiment-bearing rockets launched from the spaceport in southern New Mexico, and from the Mojave Air and Spaceport in California. (10/21)
October 20, 2011
Orbital Announces Third Quarter 2011 Financial Results, Anticipates Taurus-2 Delay (Source: Orbital)
Orbital Sciences Corp. reported its financial results for the third quarter of 2011. Third quarter 2011 revenues were $342.2 million, up 9% compared to $314.5 million in the third quarter of 2010. Third quarter 2011 operating income was $24.7 million, compared to $19.4 million in the third quarter of 2010. Net income was $16.5 million, compared to net income of $10.6 million in the third quarter of 2010.
Launch vehicles segment revenues increased $10.7 million, primarily due to increased production work on target launch vehicles and Taurus-2 rockets, partially offset by decreased activity on Minotaur vehicles and missile defense interceptors... However, continued delays in completing construction and certification of the Wallops Island launch complex are expected to result in an approximately two-month schedule delay for the first Taurus-2 test flight, moving it from late December 2011 to late February or early March 2012. (10/20)
NASA Delta-2 Launch Delayed at Vandenberg Spaceport in California (Source: Launch Alert)
The launch of the NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP) spacecraft aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base has been retargeted for Friday, Oct. 28. The postponement will allow time to complete the necessary engineering review before the payload fairing is installed around the spacecraft. The launch window on Oct. 28 is unchanged and extends from 2:48:01 a.m. - 2:57:11 a.m. PDT. (10/20)
First Russian Rocket Launch from South America Delayed by Fueling Problem (Source: Space.com)
The launch debut of a Russian rocket from a European-run spaceport in South America was delayed on Oct. 20 by a fueling glitch, launch officials said. The Soyuz rocket was expected to launch two new satellites for Europe's Galileo navigation system at 6:34 a.m. EDT from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana.
"Following an anomaly detected during fueling of the Soyuz launcher's third stage, the final countdown has been interrupted," Arianespace officials said in a status update. "The Soyuz and its two Galileo satellites, along with the launch facility have been placed in a safe mode." The launch is now planned for 6:30 a.m. EDT on Friday. (10/20)
Dwarf Planet 'Snow White' Has Water Ice and Maybe Atmosphere (Source: Space.com)
A mysterious little world nicknamed "Snow White" is covered in ice and may sport the wispy remnants of an atmosphere, a new study of a dwarf planet that lies outside Neptune has found. Even though Snow White — officially known as 2007 OR10, and orbiting the sun as part of the Kuiper belt — is actually red, half of the surface is covered by water ice that probably spewed from ancient cryovolcanoes, researchers said. The dwarf planet's reddish hue likely comes from a thin layer of methane, the last gasps of an atmosphere that has been bleeding off into space for eons. (10/20)
United Technologies Reports $1.32 Billion in Q3 Earnings (Source: AIA)
United Technologies reported earnings of $1.32 billion for the third quarter, compared with $1.2 billion for the same quarter last year. "This was another solid quarter for UTC, with continued organic sales growth across all six of our businesses," CEO Louis Chenevert said. However, the company has noticed a cooling-off in customer orders for heating and air-conditioning systems. (10/20)
Arianespace Loses Thaicom Business to SpaceX (Source: Bangkok Post)
Thaicom Plc, Arianespace's only customer in Thailand, said it would enter into contracts with the satellite builder Orbital Sciences and the launch-service provider SpaceX for the construction and launch of the Thaicom 6 satellite by mid-2013 in a $160-million project. Thailand is Arianespace's fourth-biggest market in Asia behind Japan, India and Australia. Arianespace has provided satellite launching service for Thaicom for 14 years.
"We expect to lose the Thai customer for the first time, with a potential revenue loss of $100 million as a satellite launching service, as Thaicom used Arianespace to launch all five of its satellites previously," said Richard Bowles. Arianespace's annual revenue stood at one billion US dollars.
However, Mr Bowles warned Thaicom that using the new satellite launching service might result in a 30% chance of failure due to SpaceX's lack of launching experience. He acknowledged that the company's launching fee was double that of the US-based SpaceX. Mr Bowles said he accepted Thaicom's decision but said that if there was any change in the decision, the company's Ariane 5 and Soyuz rockets could be options for Thaicom 6. (10/20)
SpaceShipTwo “Dropped Like a Rock” During Test Flight Stall (Source: Parabolic Arc)
According to one observer of the craft’s rapid descent, “It dropped like a rock and went straight down. Typically, it takes 11 minutes to land, but this time it was only seven minutes before they were on the ground. It was a nail-biter … but that’s how you learn.”
George Whitesides, Virgin Galactic’s chief executive officer and president, said the glide flight included a third seat flight test engineer onboard SpaceShipTwo for the first time. “A good capability for us to have for this phase of test,” he told SPACE.com. “Yes, apparently the tails exhibited stall characteristics in the test — which was a steep nose down maneuver.”
Whitesides confirmed that SpaceShipTwo was ultimately able to carry out a nominal landing. “Scaled is looking at the data now, but doesn’t anticipate any major issues,” Whitesides said. “This is why we flight test, to fully explore the aerodynamic flight envelope.” (10/20)
Branson on Virgin Galactic's Environmental Impact (Source: Fast Company)
"Because our technology is brand new and not 40 years old as NASA's was, we will be able to put someone into space for less than the environmental price of an economy class ticket from London to New York and back. So almost no carbon output at all. And I think that we might almost be able to, when we fly in a year's time, be zero-carbon. The way that we're heading towards that is that the profits we make from our airline businesses we invest in clean fuels."
"On top of that, we can put satellites into space for almost no carbon output because we're launching them from 60,000 feet rather than land-based satellite launches. So we definitely will bring the carbon footprint of space travel down quite dramatically. The building we just built in New Mexico is LEED certified, and every single thing that happens there was done with the environment in mind." (10/20)
ISS Orbit Raised Three Kilometers (Source: RIA Novosti)
The orbit of the International Space Station (ISS) has been raised by 3.1 km (1.9 miles), a spokesman for Russia's Mission Control said. The maneuver was carried out late on Wednesday using the engines of Russia’s Zvezda module, which were switched on for 106 seconds. (10/20)
Florida Kids Excel in National Rocket Competition (Source: Hobby Space)
Contestants in the fifth annual 'Reach for the Stars' National Rocket Competition had to build and launch their own solid-fuel powered rocket. The competitions were held in their area by schools, scouts, youth groups and Challenger Learning Centers. The closest average landing by parachute to a target after two launches wins. Local winners' results were submitted to the national competition.
Three of the winners, Marc Kolling, Jo’nae McCullough, Mari Hernandez received trophies and launched their rockets at the US Astronaut Hall of Fame in Florida. They continued their celebration with their families by visiting the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Also, honored for their involvement in Helping Kids Reach for the Stars and celebrating with a launch were Lori Bradner and George Bartusk; teachers with the Central Florida Aerospace Academy.
Marc Kolling competed at Laurel Elementary School, in Poinciana, Florida under teacher, Michael Bastedo and Assistant Principal, Shannon Young. Mari Hernandez launched with Membership Development Specialist, Patricia Hemenway of the Girl Scouts of West Central Florida. This is the second national win for Ms Hemenway and her Girl Scouts. (10/20)
SpaceX Completes Key Milestone to Fly Astronauts (Source: SpaceX)
SpaceX has successfully completed the preliminary design review of its revolutionary 'pusher' launch abort system, a system designed for manned missions using its Dragon spacecraft. This represents a major step toward creating an American-made successor to the Space Shuttle. NASA's approval of the latest design review marks the fourth successfully completed milestone under the agency's Commercial Crew Development (CCDev) program and demonstrates the innovation that's possible when NASA partners with the private sector.
With the latest design review approved by NASA, SpaceX can now start building the hardware at the heart of its innovative launch abort system. The SpaceX design incorporates the escape engines into the side walls of Dragon, eliminating a failure mode of more traditional rocket escape towers, which must be successfully jettisoned during every launch. (10/20)
China's Moon Ambitions: What Do the Experts Say? (Source: MSNBC)
Bigelow said his analysis of China's moon threat was based on two years of observing the space policy landscape, rather than personal discussions with the Chinese. Generally speaking, experts on Chinese space policy say that it's too early to judge the nation's long-term intentions. "I think it is a little bit of a stretch to think about whether the Chinese will be laying claim to the moon," said Dean Cheng, a research fellow at the conservative-leaning Heritage Foundation. "I would be very surprised if they had any plans one way or the other."
Cheng said the Chinese were clearly interested in lunar exploration. "They will have all the pieces in place in the 2021-2025 time period to think about putting a man on the moon," he said. But he doubted that China would try to do anything inflammatory — for example, rolling up the American flag at Tranquility Base and putting a Chinese flag in its place. "Incendiary stuff, not likely," Cheng said.
It's more likely that China would want to see an international body such as the United Nations in charge of lunar exploration and exploitation, Cheng said. He pointed to the example of the Law of the Sea Convention, which governs the use of marine resources but has not yet been ratified by the U.S. Senate. He said they'd definitely oppose an arrangement in which non-governmental entities are in charge. (10/20)
Russia and Europe Launch a Tricky Partnership (Source: Der Spiegel)
The Russians' new rocket launch complex at French Guiana, 13 kilometers from the European Ariane-5 launch pad, is sealed off by three layers of barbed wire, checkpoints, teams of guards, video cameras and electric fences. "No details!" Jean-Claude Garreau snaps at a group of journalists at the site. "No detailed photos. This here is highly confidential!"
Europe's Ariane launch vehicle has an unusual disadvantage in this new space race: It's too powerful. With its state-of-the-art hydrogen propulsion system, it can heave a payload of more than 10 metric tons into a geostationary orbit. But since most satellites weigh less than half as much, impatient customers are often forced to wait a long time before another satellite is found for a cost-saving tandem flight.
Russia's Soyuz spacecraft has the opposite problem. Based at the Baikonur spaceport in Kazakhstan, the rocket isn't powerful enough to cope with the size of many telecommunications satellites. The spaceport in French Guiana offers the Russians an elegant solution. While the Soyuz can only hoist a 1.7 ton payload into orbit from the launch site in Baikonur, its performance jumps to three tons at the equator. (10/20)
Space Taxi Delays Spur Bigelow Aerospace Layoffs (Source: Reuters)
A start-up space company building inflatable habitats for commercial and government lease has laid off half its staff because of delays developing space taxis needed to fly people to the outposts, the company president said on Wednesday. Robert Bigelow, a hotel entrepreneur and founder of Las Vegas-based Bigelow Aerospace, had hoped space taxis, also needed by NASA to fly astronauts to the International Space Station, would be available by early 2015.
Those spacecraft, however, are not expected to be ready to fly until at least 2016, extending the amount of time the United States is dependent on Russia to fly crews to the space station, at a cost of more than $50 million per person, and delaying the debut of Bigelow's commercial outposts, which need spaceships to ferry customers to and from orbit.
Bigelow has agreements with the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Australia, Singapore, Japan, Sweden and the United Arab Emirates for use of its space habitats. The company already has flown and tested two prototypes in orbit. But uncertainty about when space transportation will be available, coupled with global economic concerns, prompted some of the clients to postpone their programs. Bigelow, in turn, pared its 115-member workforce down to 51, Bigelow said. (10/20)
Record-Breaking Photo Reveals a Planet-sized Object as Cool as the Earth (Source: Penn State)
A photo of a nearby star and its orbiting companion -- whose temperature is like a hot summer day in Arizona -- will be presented by Penn State Associate Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics Kevin Luhman during the Signposts of Planets conference at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center on 20 October 2011. A paper describing the discovery will be published in the Astrophysical Journal.
"This planet-like companion is the coldest object ever directly photographed outside our solar system," said Luhman, who led the discovery team. "Its mass is about the same as many of the known extra-solar planets -- about six to nine times the mass of Jupiter -- but in other ways it is more like a star. Essentially, what we have found is a very small star with an atmospheric temperature about cool as the Earth's." (10/20)
All Together Now: Shuttle Engines Ready For Re-Use (Source: Universe Today)
That’s a lot of power under one roof! For the first time in… well, ever… all fifteen Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSMEs) are together inside NASA’s Engine Shop at Kennedy Space Center. They will be prepped for shipment to Stennis Space Center in Mississippi where they’ll become part of the propulsion used on NASA’s next generation heavy-lift rocket: the Space Launch System. (10/20)
Milky Way’s 'Missing Satellites' (Source: Hindustan Times)
Two researchers from Observatoire Astronomique de Strasbourg have explained why galaxies like our Milky Way have so few satellites around them – the ‘missing satellites’ problem. They have revealed for the first time the existence of a new signature of the birth of the first stars in the Milky Way. More than 12 billion years ago, the intense ultraviolet light from these stars dispersed the gas of our galaxy’s nearest companions, virtually putting a halt to their ability to form stars and consigning them to a dim future. (10/20)
Orbital Sciences Corp. reported its financial results for the third quarter of 2011. Third quarter 2011 revenues were $342.2 million, up 9% compared to $314.5 million in the third quarter of 2010. Third quarter 2011 operating income was $24.7 million, compared to $19.4 million in the third quarter of 2010. Net income was $16.5 million, compared to net income of $10.6 million in the third quarter of 2010.
Launch vehicles segment revenues increased $10.7 million, primarily due to increased production work on target launch vehicles and Taurus-2 rockets, partially offset by decreased activity on Minotaur vehicles and missile defense interceptors... However, continued delays in completing construction and certification of the Wallops Island launch complex are expected to result in an approximately two-month schedule delay for the first Taurus-2 test flight, moving it from late December 2011 to late February or early March 2012. (10/20)
NASA Delta-2 Launch Delayed at Vandenberg Spaceport in California (Source: Launch Alert)
The launch of the NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP) spacecraft aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base has been retargeted for Friday, Oct. 28. The postponement will allow time to complete the necessary engineering review before the payload fairing is installed around the spacecraft. The launch window on Oct. 28 is unchanged and extends from 2:48:01 a.m. - 2:57:11 a.m. PDT. (10/20)
First Russian Rocket Launch from South America Delayed by Fueling Problem (Source: Space.com)
The launch debut of a Russian rocket from a European-run spaceport in South America was delayed on Oct. 20 by a fueling glitch, launch officials said. The Soyuz rocket was expected to launch two new satellites for Europe's Galileo navigation system at 6:34 a.m. EDT from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana.
"Following an anomaly detected during fueling of the Soyuz launcher's third stage, the final countdown has been interrupted," Arianespace officials said in a status update. "The Soyuz and its two Galileo satellites, along with the launch facility have been placed in a safe mode." The launch is now planned for 6:30 a.m. EDT on Friday. (10/20)
Dwarf Planet 'Snow White' Has Water Ice and Maybe Atmosphere (Source: Space.com)
A mysterious little world nicknamed "Snow White" is covered in ice and may sport the wispy remnants of an atmosphere, a new study of a dwarf planet that lies outside Neptune has found. Even though Snow White — officially known as 2007 OR10, and orbiting the sun as part of the Kuiper belt — is actually red, half of the surface is covered by water ice that probably spewed from ancient cryovolcanoes, researchers said. The dwarf planet's reddish hue likely comes from a thin layer of methane, the last gasps of an atmosphere that has been bleeding off into space for eons. (10/20)
United Technologies Reports $1.32 Billion in Q3 Earnings (Source: AIA)
United Technologies reported earnings of $1.32 billion for the third quarter, compared with $1.2 billion for the same quarter last year. "This was another solid quarter for UTC, with continued organic sales growth across all six of our businesses," CEO Louis Chenevert said. However, the company has noticed a cooling-off in customer orders for heating and air-conditioning systems. (10/20)
Arianespace Loses Thaicom Business to SpaceX (Source: Bangkok Post)
Thaicom Plc, Arianespace's only customer in Thailand, said it would enter into contracts with the satellite builder Orbital Sciences and the launch-service provider SpaceX for the construction and launch of the Thaicom 6 satellite by mid-2013 in a $160-million project. Thailand is Arianespace's fourth-biggest market in Asia behind Japan, India and Australia. Arianespace has provided satellite launching service for Thaicom for 14 years.
"We expect to lose the Thai customer for the first time, with a potential revenue loss of $100 million as a satellite launching service, as Thaicom used Arianespace to launch all five of its satellites previously," said Richard Bowles. Arianespace's annual revenue stood at one billion US dollars.
However, Mr Bowles warned Thaicom that using the new satellite launching service might result in a 30% chance of failure due to SpaceX's lack of launching experience. He acknowledged that the company's launching fee was double that of the US-based SpaceX. Mr Bowles said he accepted Thaicom's decision but said that if there was any change in the decision, the company's Ariane 5 and Soyuz rockets could be options for Thaicom 6. (10/20)
SpaceShipTwo “Dropped Like a Rock” During Test Flight Stall (Source: Parabolic Arc)
According to one observer of the craft’s rapid descent, “It dropped like a rock and went straight down. Typically, it takes 11 minutes to land, but this time it was only seven minutes before they were on the ground. It was a nail-biter … but that’s how you learn.”
George Whitesides, Virgin Galactic’s chief executive officer and president, said the glide flight included a third seat flight test engineer onboard SpaceShipTwo for the first time. “A good capability for us to have for this phase of test,” he told SPACE.com. “Yes, apparently the tails exhibited stall characteristics in the test — which was a steep nose down maneuver.”
Whitesides confirmed that SpaceShipTwo was ultimately able to carry out a nominal landing. “Scaled is looking at the data now, but doesn’t anticipate any major issues,” Whitesides said. “This is why we flight test, to fully explore the aerodynamic flight envelope.” (10/20)
Branson on Virgin Galactic's Environmental Impact (Source: Fast Company)
"Because our technology is brand new and not 40 years old as NASA's was, we will be able to put someone into space for less than the environmental price of an economy class ticket from London to New York and back. So almost no carbon output at all. And I think that we might almost be able to, when we fly in a year's time, be zero-carbon. The way that we're heading towards that is that the profits we make from our airline businesses we invest in clean fuels."
"On top of that, we can put satellites into space for almost no carbon output because we're launching them from 60,000 feet rather than land-based satellite launches. So we definitely will bring the carbon footprint of space travel down quite dramatically. The building we just built in New Mexico is LEED certified, and every single thing that happens there was done with the environment in mind." (10/20)
ISS Orbit Raised Three Kilometers (Source: RIA Novosti)
The orbit of the International Space Station (ISS) has been raised by 3.1 km (1.9 miles), a spokesman for Russia's Mission Control said. The maneuver was carried out late on Wednesday using the engines of Russia’s Zvezda module, which were switched on for 106 seconds. (10/20)
Florida Kids Excel in National Rocket Competition (Source: Hobby Space)
Contestants in the fifth annual 'Reach for the Stars' National Rocket Competition had to build and launch their own solid-fuel powered rocket. The competitions were held in their area by schools, scouts, youth groups and Challenger Learning Centers. The closest average landing by parachute to a target after two launches wins. Local winners' results were submitted to the national competition.
Three of the winners, Marc Kolling, Jo’nae McCullough, Mari Hernandez received trophies and launched their rockets at the US Astronaut Hall of Fame in Florida. They continued their celebration with their families by visiting the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Also, honored for their involvement in Helping Kids Reach for the Stars and celebrating with a launch were Lori Bradner and George Bartusk; teachers with the Central Florida Aerospace Academy.
Marc Kolling competed at Laurel Elementary School, in Poinciana, Florida under teacher, Michael Bastedo and Assistant Principal, Shannon Young. Mari Hernandez launched with Membership Development Specialist, Patricia Hemenway of the Girl Scouts of West Central Florida. This is the second national win for Ms Hemenway and her Girl Scouts. (10/20)
SpaceX Completes Key Milestone to Fly Astronauts (Source: SpaceX)
SpaceX has successfully completed the preliminary design review of its revolutionary 'pusher' launch abort system, a system designed for manned missions using its Dragon spacecraft. This represents a major step toward creating an American-made successor to the Space Shuttle. NASA's approval of the latest design review marks the fourth successfully completed milestone under the agency's Commercial Crew Development (CCDev) program and demonstrates the innovation that's possible when NASA partners with the private sector.
With the latest design review approved by NASA, SpaceX can now start building the hardware at the heart of its innovative launch abort system. The SpaceX design incorporates the escape engines into the side walls of Dragon, eliminating a failure mode of more traditional rocket escape towers, which must be successfully jettisoned during every launch. (10/20)
China's Moon Ambitions: What Do the Experts Say? (Source: MSNBC)
Bigelow said his analysis of China's moon threat was based on two years of observing the space policy landscape, rather than personal discussions with the Chinese. Generally speaking, experts on Chinese space policy say that it's too early to judge the nation's long-term intentions. "I think it is a little bit of a stretch to think about whether the Chinese will be laying claim to the moon," said Dean Cheng, a research fellow at the conservative-leaning Heritage Foundation. "I would be very surprised if they had any plans one way or the other."
Cheng said the Chinese were clearly interested in lunar exploration. "They will have all the pieces in place in the 2021-2025 time period to think about putting a man on the moon," he said. But he doubted that China would try to do anything inflammatory — for example, rolling up the American flag at Tranquility Base and putting a Chinese flag in its place. "Incendiary stuff, not likely," Cheng said.
It's more likely that China would want to see an international body such as the United Nations in charge of lunar exploration and exploitation, Cheng said. He pointed to the example of the Law of the Sea Convention, which governs the use of marine resources but has not yet been ratified by the U.S. Senate. He said they'd definitely oppose an arrangement in which non-governmental entities are in charge. (10/20)
Russia and Europe Launch a Tricky Partnership (Source: Der Spiegel)
The Russians' new rocket launch complex at French Guiana, 13 kilometers from the European Ariane-5 launch pad, is sealed off by three layers of barbed wire, checkpoints, teams of guards, video cameras and electric fences. "No details!" Jean-Claude Garreau snaps at a group of journalists at the site. "No detailed photos. This here is highly confidential!"
Europe's Ariane launch vehicle has an unusual disadvantage in this new space race: It's too powerful. With its state-of-the-art hydrogen propulsion system, it can heave a payload of more than 10 metric tons into a geostationary orbit. But since most satellites weigh less than half as much, impatient customers are often forced to wait a long time before another satellite is found for a cost-saving tandem flight.
Russia's Soyuz spacecraft has the opposite problem. Based at the Baikonur spaceport in Kazakhstan, the rocket isn't powerful enough to cope with the size of many telecommunications satellites. The spaceport in French Guiana offers the Russians an elegant solution. While the Soyuz can only hoist a 1.7 ton payload into orbit from the launch site in Baikonur, its performance jumps to three tons at the equator. (10/20)
Space Taxi Delays Spur Bigelow Aerospace Layoffs (Source: Reuters)
A start-up space company building inflatable habitats for commercial and government lease has laid off half its staff because of delays developing space taxis needed to fly people to the outposts, the company president said on Wednesday. Robert Bigelow, a hotel entrepreneur and founder of Las Vegas-based Bigelow Aerospace, had hoped space taxis, also needed by NASA to fly astronauts to the International Space Station, would be available by early 2015.
Those spacecraft, however, are not expected to be ready to fly until at least 2016, extending the amount of time the United States is dependent on Russia to fly crews to the space station, at a cost of more than $50 million per person, and delaying the debut of Bigelow's commercial outposts, which need spaceships to ferry customers to and from orbit.
Bigelow has agreements with the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Australia, Singapore, Japan, Sweden and the United Arab Emirates for use of its space habitats. The company already has flown and tested two prototypes in orbit. But uncertainty about when space transportation will be available, coupled with global economic concerns, prompted some of the clients to postpone their programs. Bigelow, in turn, pared its 115-member workforce down to 51, Bigelow said. (10/20)
Record-Breaking Photo Reveals a Planet-sized Object as Cool as the Earth (Source: Penn State)
A photo of a nearby star and its orbiting companion -- whose temperature is like a hot summer day in Arizona -- will be presented by Penn State Associate Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics Kevin Luhman during the Signposts of Planets conference at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center on 20 October 2011. A paper describing the discovery will be published in the Astrophysical Journal.
"This planet-like companion is the coldest object ever directly photographed outside our solar system," said Luhman, who led the discovery team. "Its mass is about the same as many of the known extra-solar planets -- about six to nine times the mass of Jupiter -- but in other ways it is more like a star. Essentially, what we have found is a very small star with an atmospheric temperature about cool as the Earth's." (10/20)
All Together Now: Shuttle Engines Ready For Re-Use (Source: Universe Today)
That’s a lot of power under one roof! For the first time in… well, ever… all fifteen Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSMEs) are together inside NASA’s Engine Shop at Kennedy Space Center. They will be prepped for shipment to Stennis Space Center in Mississippi where they’ll become part of the propulsion used on NASA’s next generation heavy-lift rocket: the Space Launch System. (10/20)
Milky Way’s 'Missing Satellites' (Source: Hindustan Times)
Two researchers from Observatoire Astronomique de Strasbourg have explained why galaxies like our Milky Way have so few satellites around them – the ‘missing satellites’ problem. They have revealed for the first time the existence of a new signature of the birth of the first stars in the Milky Way. More than 12 billion years ago, the intense ultraviolet light from these stars dispersed the gas of our galaxy’s nearest companions, virtually putting a halt to their ability to form stars and consigning them to a dim future. (10/20)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
