August 26 News Items

McCain to Bush: Don't Shut Down Shuttle (Source: Florida Today)
Presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain is asking the Bush Administration to leave open the option of flying the shuttle past 2010. In a letter dated Monday, McCain and U.S. Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison and David Vitter raised concerns about an impending five-year gap in U.S. human space flight -- a time when the nation will be solely reliant on Russia to taxi American astronauts to and from the $100 billion International Space Station.

"We believe that it is imperative, as NASA continues the transition from the Space Shuttle to successor vehicles, that the means for producing additional flight hardware and obtaining additional flight engineering and support services, not be completely and irretrievably lost through the destruction or deterioration, at least until a clear path to alternative launch capabilities is in hand," the letter says. (8/26)

Gilat Threatens Lawsuit as Sale Hangs in Limbo (Source: Space News)
Gilat Satellite Networks has given U.S. and Israeli private-equity investors until Thursday to honor their commitment to purchase the company or face legal action as Gilat seeks at least $47.3 million in deal-termination penalties, Gilat Chief Executive Amiram Levinberg said Aug. 25. (8/26)

4Frontiers Now Offering Unique Space & Culture Tour Packages (Source: 4Frontiers)
4Frontiers Corporation, a NewSpace technology, entertainment & education company, is pleased to announce it is offering a new service: the creation of custom tour packages for audiences interested in space, technology and culture. Working hand-in-hand with youth groups, schools, clubs and other organizations domestic and abroad, 4Frontiers will create unique tour programs focusing on the interests, and addressing the needs, of each group. The company will provide special behind-the-scenes tours and other exciting experiences (many of which are unavailable from traditional travel agencies) through its extensive space industry network. Tour programs offer visitors unprecedented access to the companies engaged in the new commercial space race, contrasted with past US space program accomplishments.

4Frontiers presently offers tour experiences in the four US cities of Houston, New York, Orlando, and Washington DC, with more cities and experiences coming soon. The company will provide one-on-one guidance in selection of group itineraries, purchase all tickets, make hotel reservations, arrange ground and air transportation, and provide continuous support during group travel. Tours may feature special astronaut encounters at the Kennedy & Johnson Space Centers, behind-the-scenes tours of space hardware processing and research facilities, world-renowned cultural icons in New York City and Washington DC, fabulous entertainment in Orlando, FL and much more. Visit http://www.4FrontiersCorp.com/tours/ for information. (8/26)

Hurricane Could Delay Shuttle Launch (Source: ABC News)
The long-anticipated Hubble Telescope repair mission could be delayed by Hurricane Gustav, watchful NASA officials told ABCNews.com. The space shuttle Atlantis is supposed to roll out to the launch pad just after midnight on Saturday, but not if bad weather, from Gustav, is headed anywhere near the Kennedy Space Center. Atlantis is scheduled to launch Oct. 8 for the highly anticipated mission to repair and improve the Hubble Space Telescope. (8/26)

Embry-Riddle Keeps Top Rankings, Announces Space-Focused Ph.D Program (Source: ERAU)
For the ninth year in a row, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has earned the top ranking in the annual “America’s Best Colleges” guide by U.S. News & World Report. In the specialty category of “Best Aerospace/Aeronautical/Astronautical Engineering Programs at Schools Whose Highest Degree is a Bachelor’s or Master’s,” Embry-Riddle’s Daytona Beach campus has been number one every year since the category was introduced in 2001. Embry-Riddle’s Prescott, Ariz., campus has been number three in that category since 2004. The U.S. Air Force Academy took second place this year, the U.S. Naval Academy fourth, and Cal Poly – San Luis Obispo fifth.

Embry-Riddle’s Daytona Beach campus is 12th in the overall category of “Best Universities – Master’s (South),” up one spot from last year. This category lists 121 master’s degree-granting institutions in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. In related news, Embry-Riddle also announced plans to offer two Ph.D. programs in 2009, pending accreditation by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

The University's combined campuses will offer the first Ph.D. in Aviation in the United States beginning in May. An August debut is planned for a traditional Ph.D. program in Engineering Physics at the Daytona Beach campus, with special emphasis on space physics, upper atmospheric physics, remote sensing, spacecraft instrumentation, spacecraft systems engineering, and control of aerospace systems. Faculty research in these areas is one of the major strengths of the University. (8/26)

Space Coast Company Breaks Top 10 for Growth (Source: Inc.)
Inc. magazine's annual ranking of the 5,000 fastest-growing private companies in the country includes Cape Canaveral's Craig Technologies, with a rank of #4 for Companies Run by Women, #6 for IT Services, and #75 Overall for growth. Craig Technologies demonstrated growth with a 2,338.7% change from 2004, and $8.6M in revenues in 2007. Craig Technologies is a Woman-Owned, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned, HUBZone and 8(a) certified company in operations since 1999, providing technical, engineering and IT services solutions to defense and government agencies. (8/20)

NASA Discovers Computer Virus Aboard the International Space Station (Source: SpaceRef.com)
At a recent International Space Station program meeting, one special topic for discussion was a computer virus detected onboard the ISS. The W32.Gammima.AG worm is a level 0 gaming virus intended to gather personal information. The virus was never a threat to any of the computers used for command and control and no caused adverse effect on ISS Operations. The virus may have been transferred from an astronaut's personal compact flash card. NASA is working with its international partners regarding ground procedures to protect flown equipment in the future. It was noted that most of the IP laptops and some of the payload laptops do NOT provide virus protection/detection software. (8/26)

Convention: Nelson Urges 'Save Space Program' (Source: Florida Today)
U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson told organized labor leaders at the Democratic National Convention that Sen. John McCain's economic policies would "savage" the space program. Nelson conferred with a group of union executives before a Florida delegation breakfast caucus. The senator said he advised Sen. Barack Obama to emphasize space exploration in his Florida campaign, adding that the Space Coast area could lose 3,000 to 6,000 jobs when the Shuttle program ends.

"I've discussed with Barack several nuances and details that he put in his program for space," Nelson said. "The space program is the symbol of this nation's technological prowess and Barack understands that, just as John Kennedy understood it." Mike Williams of St. Marks, representing the Florida Business Trades Council, and Brett Mirsk, business manager of the Plumbers and Pipefitters Union in Daytona Beach, asked Nelson what can be done to save jobs. "Elect a new president," Nelson snapped. He added that McCain has promised to hold down domestic spending. (8/26)

NASA Halts Shuttle Stacking Operation (Source: Florida Today)
An operation aimed at connecting Atlantis and an external tank was put on hold Tuesday morning after engineers ran into trouble hooking up a liquid hydrogen feedline that routes fuel to the shuttle's three main engines. The mating operation inside the Vehicle Assembly Building came to a halt when problems cropped up with an umbilical guidepin used to link the tank's 17-inch liquid hydrogen feedline with the orbiter's main propulsion system. The feedline is on the left aft side of the tank and connects with the system through a tile-covered door on the belly of the shuttle orbiter. Click to enlarge the NASA photo above and you can see the umbilical that connects the pipe with the orbiter main propulsion system on the lower right side of the tank. Then click the enlarged image to make the image even bigger. (8/26)

Sky's The Limit If Orbital Wins Space Station Contracts (Source: IBD)
In early August, rumors swept Wall Street that a satellite built by Orbital Sciences (ORB) had failed to launch properly in Kazakhstan. For a brief moment, it looked like Orbital's run of success might have ended. But the rumors were misleading. Orbital was not at fault. A contracted crane operator apparently had bumped the satellite off its platform. Off the hook, Orbital Sciences could once again contemplate the clear blue skies and wild blue yonder that have hosted its sizzling recent performance.

Orbital makes small satellites for government and civilian customers. It also builds rocket interceptors, used in defense programs. In its second quarter, Orbital reported revenue of $301.2 million, up 15% from a year ago. In 2005, Orbital did $703 million in sales. This year, it should do more than $1.1 billion. Orbital now is in position for a future windfall. It is a contestant for NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) contract. The contract will involve "a dozen or so" unmanned resupply missions between 2011 and 2015.

Orbital already has won NASA grants to begin development of the Taurus II rocket and Cygnus spacecraft that would rendezvous with the space station. In November, NASA is expected to award grants for the first operational mission. Industry watchers believe Orbital could win a good chunk of the award. Brightening Orbital's prospects are several rocket launch failures by its chief rival, SpaceX. Orbital also hopes that it will be able to sell the Taurus II rocket to commercial customers. The rocket will be capable of launching 8,000 pounds, allowing Orbital to move up-market. (8/26)

38 Reservations for Space Hotel (Source: Tech Radar)
Thirty eight travellers have already made reservations for an ambitious space holiday resort project, at a cost of £3 million a trip. The first flight of the Galatic Suite Project has been scheduled for 2012 and, for their millions, visitors get a four day trip 300 miles into space, after following an18 week space travel training program on a Caribbean island which, the company's website reminds travellers, will "not only carry you through a briefed astronaut training process, it will be a very relaxing time in a tropical paradise island." "Tourists come to the hotel with all the necessary items to stay, as if they were staying at the most extreme refuge on earth", explained the project's founder and director, Xavier Claramunt.

After a few weeks on the island, travellers will be sent into space on an orbital trip to the company's space resort, orbiting the earth at around 30,000 km/h, and completing 15 orbits per day – that's around the world in 90 minutes, seeing a sunrise every 45 minutes. Visitors can also look forward to weightlessness, space sports, star gazing and "surreal sleeping arrangements". Galactic Suite state that their "ultimate goal is to be the world's largest chain of space resorts, and to make space tourism accessible to the general public." (8/26)

Utah Steps Into the Heavens (Source: UNEws)
In its latest step to develop an astronomy program, the University of Utah is joining a major international effort to map the heavens as a way to search for giant planets in other solar systems, study expansion of the universe and probe the mysterious dark matter and dark energy that make up most of the universe. With a $450,000 grant from the Willard L. Eccles Charitable Foundation and a matching amount from the university, the Department of Physics is providing $900,000 to join the third phase of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS-III), an effort by about 20 research institutions around the world. SDSS-III started July 15 and extends into 2014. (8/26)

Dnepr Rocket With Five Satellites to be Launched August 29 (Source: Interfax)
The converted launch vehicle Dnepr with five RapidEye earth probing satellites is to take off from the Baikonur spaceport in Kazakhstan, on Friday. The satellites will be launched under a contract with Britain's Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) to increase a commercial earth observation satellite constellation, to be operated by Germany's RapidEye AG. The five satellites will monitor the earth surface for agricultural companies from an altitude of 620 kilometers. Their service life is seven years. Each will have six cameras with a resolution of up to 6.5 meters. (8/26)

Cosmonaut's Photos of Georgia Spur Inquiry (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Just days after the Russian army rolled into Georgia, Moscow instructed a Russian crew member aboard the international space station to shoot pictures of the breakaway South Ossetia province from 200 miles above Earth. Russia claims that cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko's photos Aug. 9 were part of a digital-mapping exercise, done for "humanitarian" reasons. But some space experts say it is possible the pictures were part of a military-related reconnaissance exercise that made use of the vantage point of the orbiting lab complex. The incident comes as reaction to the Russian invasion of Georgia is threatening to disrupt America's space program.

A congressional decision that the Russians photographed Georgia for military reasons could derail NASA's plans to pay hundreds of millions of dollars for Russian transport to the $100 billion station. The international partnership agreement that governs the station says it shall be used for peaceful purposes, though military use is not prohibited. On Monday, NASA played down the incident, saying there is no reason to think Russia wanted the photos for military purposes. But explanations of why they were shot varied.

U.S. Rep. Tom Feeney, the top Republican on the House subcommittee that oversees NASA, suggested the line between peaceful purposes and any associated with military uses are "awfully gray." "Are you going to stop our astronauts from taking pictures of the Middle East because there's a conflict there?" (8/26)