September 23 News Items

Satellite Phone Company Iridium Bought for $591 Million (Source: Space Daily)
Satellite phone company Iridium Holdings is being purchased for 591 million dollars by a private equity group, the companies said Tuesday. Iridium, which has 305,000 subscribers and provides voice and data mobile satellite services, is being bought by GHL Acquisition Corp., which is 17.5 percent owned by investment bank Greenhill & Co. (9/23)

Study Spotlights Anti-satellite And Space Debris Threats (Source: Space Daily)
Anti-satellite weapons and space debris are increasing threats to the security of outer space. This is a key finding from the newly released Space Security 2008, a study by Project Ploughshares which coordinated and published the report. While space debris caused by routine space operations is an issue, the fragments spewed out into space from China's January 2007 anti-satellite test has created a serious problem for the routine and safe operations of all nations' spacecraft, the report points out. (9/23)

Sea Launch Countdown Underway for the Galaxy 19 Mission (Source: Sea Launch)
The Sea Launch team has initiated a 72-hour countdown at the equatorial launch site, in preparation for the launch of Intelsat’s Galaxy 19 satellite on September 24. Liftoff is planned at 2:28 am PDT (9:28 GMT), at the opening of a two-hour launch window. Built by Space Systems/Loral (SS/L), the 1300-series hybrid spacecraft carries a total of 52 physical transponders. The Galaxy 19 satellite will provide Intelsat customers valuable 50-state coverage, in addition to reaching the Caribbean, Canada and Mexico. (9/23)

Sea Launch Signs Launch Agreement with O3b Networks (Source: Sea Launch)
Sea Launch Company has signed a launch services agreement with O3b Networks Limited for up to two launches in support of their Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) telecommunications satellite constellation, with the first launch set for late 2010. Built by Thales Alenia Space, the O3b Networks satellites will be deployed by Sea Launch's Zenit-3SL system in groups of eight per launch, to an equatorial injection orbit of 7,825 kilometers above the Earth. The satellites are designed to provide high-speed, ultra-low-latency Internet Protocol (IP) connectivity between emerging and developed markets worldwide. Sea Launch is developing a new multi-spacecraft dispenser for these missions, which will accommodate O3b Networks’ specific orbital insertion requirements. Upon successful sequential deployment, the satellites are expected to have an on-orbit maneuvering lifetime of ten years. (9/23)

Florida Congressman's Satellite Bill Aims for Better Storm Forecasts (Source: Sun-Sentinel)
To boost hurricane forecasting accuracy, U.S. Rep. Ron Klein, D-Boca Raton, introduced a bill on Monday to replace an aging weather satellite. Under the proposal, two Constellation satellites would be rocketed into space by 2013 at a cost of about $2.8 billion. The next-generation satellites, to be built by NASA, would cover about 90 percent of the Earth's oceans every 12 hours, feeding data back to the National Hurricane Center in Miami-Dade County. Klein and bill co-sponsor U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon, D-Louisiana, now must find money for the Hurricane Satellite Modernization Act. Klein thinks he can sell the idea to Congress based on satellites' ability to help prevent future damage. (9/23)

Space Solar Power Workshop Planned in Orlando on Oct. 2-3 (Source: AFRL)
The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is sponsoring a "State of Space Solar Power Technology" workshop on Oct. 2-3 at the Shades of Green Resort at Walt Disney World. The goal of the workshop is to provide a forum for ongoing efforts to examine the potential for a space-centric beamed-power energy system. The event is limited to the first 200 registrants and there will be no on-site registration. Visit http://www.upcomingevents.ctc.com/sbsp/sbsp.html for information. (9/23)

Responding to the Aerospace Workforce Challenge (Source: AIA)
Alarmed over the critical need to develop the next generation of workers for America's aerospace industry, AIA's member companies have committed to an agenda to strengthen the workforce of the future in a new report titled "Launch into Aerospace." The report identifies the goals and actions industry will take to address the workforce challenge. AIA is developing a second workforce report that will take a closer look at the issue and detail industry's actions and recommendations. Click here to view the report. (9/23)

Space Florida Suborbital Launch Successful (Source: Space Florida)
Space Florida announced the successful launch of a Super Loki rocket from Launch Complex 47 at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. Space Florida, in conjunction with the 45th Space Wing, hosted the event and ensured appropriate Eastern Range clearance and safety. The solid rocket motor utilized for the launch originated from the existing stock of Space Florida Super Loki motors and propelled the nine-foot rocket to approximately 150,000 feet, demonstrating the impressive capabilities of these small vehicles. This launch serves as another step toward the re-qualification of Space Florida’s Super Loki educational program with the USAF, and will provide a solid foundation for increasing the opportunities for similar demonstration launches in the future. (9/22)

Scuttling Shuttle: Big Challenges for NASA's New Spaceship (Source: Space.com)
As NASA's 50th anniversary approaches, the agency finds itself at a crossroads between the waning era of the U.S. space shuttle and serious hurdles ahead to build a replacement spaceship while still keeping American astronauts flying. NASA turns 50 years old on Oct. 1 with the last flight of its three aging shuttles already set for May 31, 2010 aboard the orbiter Atlantis.

NASA officials in charge of the developing the shuttle's replacement - the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicles and their Ares I boosters - hope to have the spaceship ready for manned flights by 2014, though unless Congress steps in soon American astronauts will likely be grounded beginning in 2012 due to restrictions on NASA's ability to buy seats aboard Russian spacecraft. Meanwhile, the agency is simultaneously taking an academic look at what's needed to extend shuttle missions through 2015 to be ready for any questions from the new administration after November's presidential election. (9/23)

Indian Reusable Launch Vehicle to be Developed (Source: Express News)
The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is looking at developing a fully Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV). Dr K Radhakrishanan said that ISRO was working on the RLV. "We are looking at developing a fully Reusable Launch Vehicle and are working on strategies for new generation transportation system for low cost access to space," he said. "We are also studying whether we can get on Mars." (9/23)

Mystery Perth Man Joins Commercial Space Race (Source: The West)
An unidentified man from Perth’s southern suburbs has forked out $240,000 to be the second West Australian to buy a ticket on one of the world’s first commercial space flights. The mysterious 60-year-old has delayed his retirement to pay for the Virgin Galactic experience, according to Virgin Galactic’s only WA agent Philip Smethurst. “He's just a regular guy, very down to earth who works in the public service and he is basically delaying his retirement by five years to pay for this trip,” Mr Smethurst said. “He said if ever in his lifetime he could go into space he would, regardless of the costs.” (9/23)

Launch Slip Likely for Shuttle Atlantis' Flight to Hubble (Source: SpaceFlightNow.com)
The Atlantis astronauts are reviewing emergency procedures before participating in a dress-rehearsal countdown Wednesday. Launch on a high-profile mission to service and upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope remains targeted for 12:43 a.m. Oct. 10, but sources say a slip of two or more days is expected because of lost training time due to the hurricane and the shutdown of the Johnson Space Center last week, as well as payload processing issues at the Kennedy Space Center. (9/23)

Obama Supports NASA Waiver, Criticizes Bush Space Policy (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
In a letter sent to House speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, Sen. Barack Obama urged Congress to grant NASA the waiver it wants to buy Soyuz "so we keep that option open for allowing U.S. astronauts to utilize the ISS beyond 2011." Obama said the agency has been “short-changed” by the Bush administration. "Because of this failure of leadership, America is now faced with three less-than-optimal options: a) Ask Congress to renew the existing waiver and rely on Russia; b) Do nothing and abandon American commitments to the International Space Station between 2012 and 2015; or Increase NASA's funding significantly to extend our use of the Space Shuttle beyond 2010 as partial mitigation for the gap in American access to low-earth orbit." He also called on NASA “to take no further action that would make it more difficult or expensive to fly the shuttle beyond 2010” and urged additional funding for at least one more shuttle flight – positions that align him with his Republican rival, U.S. Sen. John McCain. (9/23)

Use Big Robots, and Big Rockets (Source: WIRED)
She has been criticizing the space program's shuttle-centric approach for years, and now the agency is finally listening to her. Carolyn Porco, 55, leads the imaging team of the Cassini mission to Saturn — which has sent back thousands of snapshots — a project that she says could have been done more quickly and cheaply had it been launched with the kind of big rockets the US quit building after the moon program. Click here to see the talking points she would bring if she were granted an audience with the president. (9/23)

Iridium, Greenhill Arm to Merge (Source: Wall Street Journal)
Satellite-phone provider Iridium Holdings LLC said it has agreed to a reverse merger with a listed affiliate of investment bank Greenhill & Co., intended to give it a roughly $500 million cash infusion to help finance a new satellite system. The deal is one more sign of the troubles roiling the market for many high-tech IPOs. Iridium had talked about launching its own IPO but was never able to advance those plans. (9/23)

NASA and USAF to Fund Hypersonics Centers (Source: Aviation Week)
NASA and the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory are looking for university and industry partners to establish the national hypersonic science centers. The jointly funded program will support university-level basic science or engineering research to improve the understanding of into flight at hypersonic speed, defined as Mach 5 or faster. NASA's Hypersonics' Project and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research plan to set aside up to $30 million over five years to fund the centers, meaning a maximum grant of about $2 million a year. The organizations are seeking white papers and proposals in three critical research areas: air-breathing propulsion; materials and structures; and boundary layer control. (9/22)

Mars Rover Targets Monster Crater (Source: MSNBC)
NASA's Opportunity rover has studied several craters during its four years on Mars, but now it's going after the biggest crater yet. The science team behind the twin Mars rover missions announced Monday that Opportunity would head out for a 13.7-mile-wide (22-kilometer-wide) crater dubbed Endeavour. The feature is more than 20 times larger than Victoria Crater, which is where Opportunity has spent the last two years. The rover climbed back onto level ground just this month. To reach Endeavour, Opportunity will need to drive about 7 miles (11 kilometers) to the southeast, matching the total distance it has traveled since landing on the Red Planet in January 2004. (9/22)

Russia Sets Fixes For Soyuz Reentry Glitch (Source: Aviation Week)
Russian experts believe they have identified the "most probable cause" of the separation issue that has sent the past two Soyuz vehicles returning from the International Space Station (ISS) into potentially dangerous ballistic re-entries. Experts in Moscow told William Gerstenmaier, NASA associate administrator for space operations, that the plasma environment around the space station seems to be degrading the igniter wire in one of the pyrotechnic bolts that separate the Soyuz crew compartment from its service module during re-entry, apparently preventing the bolt from detonating.

The phenomenon has been duplicated in a test chamber, Gerstenmaier said, making it "not conclusive but [the] leading scenario." Fixes for the problem include a new type of pyro bolt, and a new Soyuz flight profile that may ease the phenomenon, he says. In case the bolt issue isn't the root cause of the failures, Russian engineers have addressed 25 other potential causes as well. (9/22)

SpaceX Making High Stakes Gamble to Get Rocket Aloft (Source: LA Business Journal)
It would be a bad start for most companies: After logging six years of work and tens of millions of dollars in costs, all there is to show is scorched and twisted aluminum. But for SpaceX a Hawthorne-based company bankrolled by a billionaire who wants to revolutionize the rocket industry, that’s just the entry to the road toward stratospheric success. SpaceX has tried three times to send its satellite-launching Falcon 1 rocket into orbit. Each attempt has failed, most recently in early August when two stages of the rocket collided in midflight. The company is approaching a potentially crucial juncture. It’s scheduled to launch its fourth Falcon 1 within the next few weeks. At the same time, it’s preparing the larger Falcon 9 rocket for its maiden voyage next year. (9/22)

Zero-gravity May Make Astronauts Dangerous Drivers (Source: New Scientist)
We already know that living in space is no picnic: astronauts frequently suffer sickness and disorientation. Now it seems that zero-gravity can also adversely affect their ability to judge size and distance. The new finding, from a study by French and US researchers, may have implications for the way astronauts pilot spacecraft and perform tasks while on spacewalks. We have long known that our visual perception is sometimes thrown off by the very different conditions of space. Some of the Apollo astronauts reported difficulties judging distance while on the moon, for example: far-off rocks and features seemed closer than they really were. (9/22)

Japan Hopes to Turn Sci-Fi into Reality with Elevator to the Stars (Source: Times Online)
From cyborg housemaids and waterpowered cars to dog translators and rocket boots, Japanese boffins have racked up plenty of near-misses in the quest to turn science fiction into reality. Now the finest scientific minds of Japan are devoting themselves to cracking the greatest sci-fi vision of all: the space elevator. Man has so far conquered space by painfully and inefficiently blasting himself out of the atmosphere but the 21st century should bring a more leisurely ride to the final frontier. For chemists, physicists, material scientists, astronauts and dreamers across the globe, the space elevator represents the most tantalising of concepts: cables stronger and lighter than any fiber yet woven, tethered to the ground and disappearing beyond the atmosphere to a satellite docking station in geosynchronous orbit above Earth. (9/22)

Satellite Insurance Rates Driven by Capacity, Not Track Record (Source: Space News)
Insurance underwriters and brokers said the market remains healthy despite the fact that claims slightly exceeded premiums in 2007. They said they discriminate among launch vehicles and satellite designs when they can to reflect manufacturers' different success rates, but that the market remains too small to overturn the general principle that the most reliable designs in effect subsidize the insurability of the less reliable hardware.

"Everyone wants to differentiate and everyone differentiates" when assigning insurance premiums to a given satellite or rocket design, said Thierry Justice, director of space insurance broker Marsh's aviation and space department. Still, he said Sept. 11 during the World Satellite Business Week conference here that underwriters usually are obliged to reach a compromise premium rate, whatever the project in question, if they want to continue writing policies. (9/22)

Experts Dismiss Concerns over China's Manned Space Program (Source: Xinhua)
Chinese space technology experts on Monday dismissed concerns about military purposes of China's manned space program, saying it was aimed at serving China's economic development. "So far, China's manned space program hasn't carried out a single military task," said Cui Jijun, director of the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. Cui said Chinese scientists saw the manned space program as a scientific exploration and hoped it could help boost China's overall scientific level and innovation capability. Cui did not disclose what scientific experiments Chinese taikonauts (astronauts) would conduct during the upcoming Shenzhou-7 mission, but said all the experiments would be for civil purposes. The Shenzhou-7 spacecraft is scheduled for launch sometime from Sept. 25 to 30. (9/22)

BASIC Disappointment? (Source: Space Review)
Last week the defense and intelligence communities agreed to procure a pair of medium-resolution imagery satellites despite the existence of similar commercial systems and a national policy that places a priority on procuring such imagery from commercial providers. Taylor Dinerman examines why this program is going forward and what it means for the remote sensing industry. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1217/1 to view the article. (9/22)

Some Passionate Thoughts (Source: Space Review)
What roles will entrepreneurs play in opening the space frontier? Bob Clarebrough examines the roles of profit and passion in entrepreneurs' efforts to create new space markets. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1216/1 to view the article. (9/22)