July 16 News Items

DOT Will Finance Competition for Renewable Fuel (Source: AIA)
The DOT said Thursday it will hold a competition aimed at encouraging the development of renewable fuels and technologies for the aviation industry. The FAA and the DOT have provided $500,000 to the X Prize Foundation for the contest to develop alternative jet fuels. The winner of the prize will receive $10 million or more. "It will be a competition that everyone wins, because a breakthrough in alternative jet fuels is a potential game-changer that could bring lower airline fuel costs, greater U.S. energy independence, and cleaner air," DOT Secretary Mary Peters said. (7/14)

Florida Governor Crist Joins Groups for Farnborough for Trade Trip (Source: AP)
Gov. Charlie Crist kicked off an 11-day international trade mission with groups including Enterprise Florida and Space Florida, amid criticism that it’s a costly and ill-timed trip. The Republican governor is meeting with several businesses at the Farnborough International Air Show in England to promote Florida aerospace industry opportunities. Also on his itinerary are a nuclear waste processing plant in France, and meetings with officials in Spain and Russia. Crist says he hopes the trip will generate economic opportunities for Florida. But Democratic Party spokesman Eric Jotkoff says it’s irresponsible to spend taxpayers’ money jet-setting around Europe while the state budget is tight and people are feeling the pinch from high gas prices. (7/14)

NASA Awards Airspace System Research Contracts (Source: NASA)
NASA has awarded research contracts worth a total of $12 million to two industry teams to study how the introduction of new aircraft types may affect air traffic management efficiency, aviation safety and the environment in the future. NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate selected teams led by Raytheon and Sensis Corp. to receive separate 18-month study contracts valued at $6 million each. The research topic is "Integration of Advanced Concepts and Vehicles into the Next Generation Air Transportation System." (7/15)

Florida Towns That Depend On NASA Brace For Lean Times (Source: Tampa Tribune)
In the shadow of the Kennedy Space Center, the countdown has begun in the towns that run on the space program's clock. NASA is retiring its shuttle fleet in two years, and for at least five years after that, no humans will launch from Florida's "Space Coast." Communities built up around Cape Canaveral figure to take a hobbling hit. There will be no more blastoffs by Atlantis, Discovery or Endeavour to pack hotels and viewing sites with tourists. Up to 6,400 of the 8,000 shuttle contractors in the area will lose their jobs, according to early NASA estimates. It's a radical economic change for the region, but not unprecedented. (7/16)

Raytheon Team To Bid For Indian Satellite Navigation System (Source: Space Daily)
Washington DC (SPX) Jul 16, 2008 - Raytheon is leading a team to deliver a comprehensive solution for the Indian Space Research Organization and Airports Authority of India global navigation satellite systems. This will complete the final phase of the Global Positioning Satellite-Aided Geosynchronous Augmented Navigation System, or GAGAN. (7/16)

Astrium Purchases Majority Share In Spot Image (Source: Space Daily)
Farnborough, UK (SPX) Jul 16, 2008 - Astrium has announced the purchase of further shares in Spot Image from the French Space Agency. This is a significant deal resulting in Astrium holding 81% of Spot Image and therefore becoming the majority shareholder. As part of Astrium, Infoterra and Spot Image will work together within the Earth Observation Division of Astrium Services. (7/16)

Astrium Wins Contract for New SES Astra Satellite (Source: Space Daily)
Betzdorf, Luxembourg (SPX) Jul 16, 2008 - SES Astra has announced that it awarded the construction ofa new satellite, Astra 1N, to the European satellite manufacturer Astrium. The spacecraftis scheduled for launch in 2011 and will be positioned at Astra`s prime orbital position 19.2 degrees East. It will mainly serve the German, French and Spanish markets, and providecustomers with continuous operating and back-up satellite capaciity. (7/16)

Arizona State University Creates Solar Power Laboratory (Source: Space Daily)
Tempe AZ (SPX) Jul 14, 2008 - Arizona State University is strengthening its commitment to boost Arizona's economic development prospects in the renewable energy industry by establishing the Solar Power Laboratory to advance solar energy research, education and technology. (7/16)

ESA Launches Program In Support Of Earth Observation Science (Source: Spacce )
Since the advent of Earth observation from space, satellite missions have become central to monitoring and learning about how the Earth works, resulting in significant progress in a broad range of scientific areas. In the mid-1990s, ESA set up its Living Planet Program and established a new approach to satellite observations for Earth science by working in close cooperation with the scientific community to define, develop and operate focused missions.

In 2006, ESA launched a new science strategy for the future direction of its Living Planet Program in order to address the continuing need to further our understanding of the Earth system and the impact that human activity has on it. ESA has launched a new element of the Earth Observation Envelope Program - the Support to Science Element (STSE). Visit http://www.spacemart.com/reports/ESA_Launches_Program_In_Support_Of_Earth_Observation_Science_999.html to view the article.

Formation of National Coalition for Cheap & Reliable Access to Space (Source: Space Frontier Foundation)
A collection of not-for-profit organizations has announced the creation of a National Coalition for Cheap and reliable Access to Space (CATS). The Coalition will sponsor a National Summit on CATS in the battleground state of Ohio on October 7-8, one month before the presidential election, and will deliver a Declaration for CATS to the next President of the United States.

The initial members of the National Coalition for CATS include the Space Frontier Foundation, the Ohio Aerospace Institute, the National Space Society, the California Space Authority, the NewSpace Alliance, the Progress & Freedom Foundation, the Space Studies Institute, the Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS), the Space Power Association, the Spaceward Foundation, the Space Generation Advisory Council, the Moon Society, the Aerospace Technology Working Group, and the Committee for the Advocacy of Space Exploration. Ohio State University, in Columbus, Ohio, will be the host of the Summit. (7/16)

SeaLaunch Zenit 3SL Launches EchoStar 11 (Source: SpaceToday.net)
A Sea Launch Zenit-3SL rocket successfully placed a new satellite into orbit late Tuesday for a satellite TV broadcaster. The Zenit-3SL rocket lifted off from the Odyssey Launch Platform on the Equator in the Pacific Ocean. The satellite, a 1300-series spacecraft by Space Systems/Loral, will be located at 110 degrees west in GEO and be used by DISH Network for direct-to-home TV broadcasts for the US. The launch is the fourth this year for Sea Launch, with two more missions scheduled before the end of the year. (7/16)

Canadians Aim to Grow First Plant on Moon (Source: The Gazette)
It takes three days to travel to the moon and six months to get to Mars. But the real challenge is not getting there, it's what to eat. "Space agriculture is what's required for long-term space exploration," Mike Dixon, director of the controlled environment systems research facility at the University of Guelph, said. Research at the state of the art facility in Guelph, Ont., has Canada leading the world in space agriculture. "We want to grow the first plant on the moon - that's a Canadian space first that we can actually aspire to," Dixon said. (7/16)

Eutelsat Loses Four Transponders (Source: Satnews)
Sometime during the evening of June 16-17, a "technical incident" occurred to the Eutelsat's W5 satellite's power generation subsystem. A technical investigation into this problem was conducted by Eutelsat and Thales Alenia Space. The good news is that the satellite's power performances is now stablized. The bad news is that the investigation has revealed there is no possibility of recovering use of the four transponders that were turned off as a result of the technical incident. This means the operational capacity of the W5 satellite is now 20 transponders. (7/16)

Russia to Double Space Exploration Expenditure in 2009 (Source: Interfax)
Russian budgetary expenditure on space exploration will more than double in 2009, Federal Space Agency Deputy Director Vitaly Davydov said. "The Finance Ministry has informed us of budgetary allocations planned for the federal space program in 2009. I am glad to say that the allocations will more than double," he said. The agency managed to convey to the government the need for worthy funding of space exploration plans, Davydov said.

"Larger funds will be assigned not only for manned space programs. We will make substantial progress in Earth distant probing and hydrometeorology. We will fully implement our plan of space launches for the next three years," he said. Much funds will be assigned for the development of a new spaceship, which will eventually replace the Soyuz, Davydov said. (7/16)

Roskosmos to Launch Spaceship with Tourists to ISS in 2011 (Source: Kommersant)
By 2011, Roskosmos plans to create a spaceship, which will be able to deliver space tourists to ISS. We really have the people willing to make this flight, Davydov said. According to Davydov, this flight could be implemented only as commercial project and Roskosmos is looking for an investor now. (7/16)

Hamilton Files Protest On NASA Spacesuit Decision (Source: Wall Street Journal)
Hamilton Sundstrand, the lead contractor supplying spacesuits for the National Aeronautic and Space Administration, is protesting the decision to give the contract for a next-generation suit to a rival. In what has become a trend among contractors seeking high-profile government work, Hamilton, a unit of United Technologies Corp., filed a protest late Monday with the Government Accountability Office, asking it to review the reasons NASA chose a team led by Oceaneering International Inc. to develop the new spacesuit for the Constellation space program. Hamilton and its partner ILC Dover have been the sole suppliers of spacesuits since the Apollo missions. (7/16)

Russia Hopes Contracts on 20 Soyuz Launches Will Be Signed Soon (Source: Interfax)
The Federal Space Agency has received preliminary orders for about 20 Soyuz rocket launches from the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana and the Baikonur spaceport in Kazakhstan, agency deputy head Vitaly Davydov told Interfax-AVN at the Farnborough Air Show on Monday. "We are in active negotiations with the clients. We hope to agree on up to 20 Soyuz launches in the near future," he said. (7/16)

Small Businesses to Fly New Technologies on Zero-Gravity Flights (Source: NASA)
NASA's Innovative Partnerships Program has selected seven Small Business Innovation Research program, or SBIR, companies to participate in reduced-gravity test flights in early September. The companies will have the opportunity to test their newly developed hardware on an aircraft that simulates the weightless conditions of spaceflight. The fights will the first by NASA's Facilitated Access to the Space Environment for Technology Development and Training program, called FAST. Visit http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2008/jul/HQ_08175_FAST_Zero_G_Flights.html for information. (7/16)

Indian Group: Cancel Launch of 2 Israeli Satellites (Source: Howrah News Service)
July 15: The CPI(M) has asked the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s government to "forthwith cancel" the proposed launch of two Israeli satellites. The party said New Delhi’s statement of Monday, opposing an attack on Iran, "is timely" but it felt New Delhi’s concern would have been credible only if the government had not helped Israel’s military capabilities. "If the Manmohan Singh government is really concerned about the military attack on Iran, it should forthwith cancel the launch of two more satellites in this series. It should forthwith stop all military collaboration with Israel," the CPI(M) said in a statement released to media on Tuesday. (7/16)

Mars Lander Exposes More Ice (Source: Space.com)
NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander used its robotic arm to expose more of the hard icy layer just below the Martian surface so that it can more easily gather a sample of the material for analysis. The trench, informally called "Snow White," was about 8 by 12 inches (20 by 30 centimeters) after digging by the arm Saturday. Mission controllers sent commands to the spacecraft Monday to further extend the length of the trench by about 6 inches (15 centimeters). (7/15)

Satellite Link for Indian State's Schools (Source: The Telegraph)
The Orissa government would be taking help of satellite technology to extend quality education to schools in remote areas. The school and mass education department has begun an initiative aimed at providing satellite-based education to overcome lack of adequate infrastructure and non-availability of teachers in villages. Senior officials say the move would be realised through Satellite Interactive Terminals (SITs) and Orissa Remote Sensing Application Centre (Orsac) under the department of science and technology that had been assigned to come up with the Educational Satellite (Edusat) hub and SITs in targeted schools. (7/15)

No X-Prize Cup This Year (Source: Lurio Report)
Due to various hints over the past year this news was not really surprising. Probably the most recent indicator was the announcement on June 6 that the Lunar Lander Challenge would take place at Holloman AFB (site of last year’s Cup) in October, but as an event closed to the public except via webcast. Actually, there were key doubts expressed around the time of last year’s Cup, though they weren’t exactly advertised. For one thing, the Holloman air show - with which the Cup was combined last year - only happens every other year; for another, there was talk that certain support elements at the Las Cruces airport had been strained while hosting the 2006 Cup and for the immediate future had sworn off of having another Cup there. (7/15)

California Governor and NASA Highlight Infrared Scanning Technology (Source: CSA)
California's Governor joined NASA and federal and state fire officials at the NASA Ames Research Center at Moffett Field to tour the facility and discussed the important role of NASA’s remotely piloted aircraft to California’s firefight. Visit http://www.gov.ca.gov/index.php?/print-version/press-release/10176/ for information. (7/15)