September 29 News Items

NASA Authorization Bill Includes Space Florida Provisions (Source: Space Florida)
The U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate passed a NASA Authorization Bill (H.R. 6063) to reauthorize NASA for one year at $20.2 billion. The bill also includes key language on three significant initiatives led by Space Florida: 1) A formal study regarding the ability for commercial entities to launch in close proximity to Federal ranges; 2) A formal study, conducted by NASA, on the benefits of enhanced use lease (EUL) agreements; and 3) Language that acknowledges the Space Florida-owned Space Life Sciences Laboratory as a key investment and asset in the capability of the International Space Station (ISS). (9/29)

It’s Snowing on Mars (Source: iTWire)
The NASA Phoenix Mars Lander has identified snow falling from Martian clouds. A Phoenix scientist says, “Nothing like this view has ever been seen on Mars.” NASA just announced, “NASA Mars Lander sees falling snow, soil data suggests liquid past,” that Phoenix has detected snow falling from about 2.5 miles (4.2 kilometers) above the landing site of the spacecraft. However, Phoenix has shown that the snow is vaporizing before it reaches the ground. (9/29)

Japan, France to Jointly Develop Satellite Parts (Source: Daily Yomiuri)
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and the French space agency have agreed to jointly develop key semiconductor components for use on satellites, according to a new agreement. The agreement will mark the first time that JAXA has inked a deal to jointly develop satellite components with a foreign space agency. Several Japanese and French semiconductor manufacturers will develop the components, which are planned to be marketed two years from now. The components will be a type of large-scale integration semiconductor called field-programmable gate arrays. They are a key component for satellites, with more than 100 installed on the Daichi advanced land-observing satellite. The most up-to-date components cost about 2 million yen each. The United States has an effective monopoly on the market--worth about 15 billion yen annually--for such components. (9/29)

Spacehab Reports Financial Results (Source: Business Wire)
Spacehab reported a net loss of $1.5 million on revenue of $6 million for fourth quarter FY-2008 compared to a FY-2007 fourth quarter net loss of $13.2 million on revenues $12.8. The fourth quarter of fiscal year 2008 includes a net gain of $0.6 million on early termination of a lease on the Company’s corporate offices in Houston, Texas and compensation expenses and directors fees of $1.1 million reflecting bonus awards to the Chief Executive Officer and certain directors. The fiscal 2007 results included write-downs of the Company’s space shuttle modules of $10.4 million, $3.8 million for its fleet of cargo carriers, as well as $1.6 million for inventory.

Spacehab posted a net loss of $36.0 million for the year on revenue of $25.5 million compared with FY-2007 net income of $16.3 million, or ($1.26) per share, on revenue of $52.8 million. The decrease in fiscal year 2008 revenues resulted primarily from the conclusion of the Company’s STS-120 space shuttle module mission. The Company has no further scheduled mission manifested to utilize its unique logistics and research module. (9/29)

China Plans Manned Lunar Landing (Source: UPI)
China, hailing its astronauts' successful spacewalk, has set its sights on a manned lunar landing when its current three-stage space program ends in 2020. "When the three-phased strategy in our manned space program is completed, we will travel even further terrestrially," Wang Zhaoyao, deputy head of China's manned space program said. "After comprehensively analyzing the general trend in international manned space developments, as well as Chinese realities, we see a manned lunar landing as both a very challenging and tactical field in global hi-tech," he said. (9/29)

Space Cowboys Returning to Spaceport (Source: ASF)
More than 30 astronauts from every era of American space flight programs - Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Skylab and Space Shuttle - are coming to Cape Canaveral for a unique, down-to-earth dinner to benefit the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation (ASF). The Tropical Evening with the Astronauts dinner presents a rare opportunity for fans to rub shoulders with these heroes of earth and space on Nov. 8 at the Radisson Resort in Cape Canaveral.

Astronaut guests include moonwalkers Buzz Aldrin, Alan Bean, Gene Cernan, Charlie Duke and Edgar Mitchell; an original Mercury 7 astronaut Scott Carpenter; Apollo 13 crew members James Lovell and Fred Haise; Gemini and Apollo astronauts Richard “Dick” Gordon and Dave Scott; Apollo astronauts Walt Cunningham and Al Worden; Skylab astronauts Joe Kerwin, Jack Lousma, Bill Pogue and Paul Weitz; and Space Shuttle astronauts Andy Allen, Charlie Bolden, Vance Brand, Robert “Hoot” Gibson, Hank Hartsfield, Tom Jones, Jon McBride, Mike Mullane, Bob Springer. In addition, several other special guests will be in attendance, including famed comedian Bill Dana, Mercury nurse Dee O’Hara and Pad Leader Guenter Wendt! Visit http://www.astronautscholarship.org or call 321-455-7014 for information and reservations. (9/29)

Congress Agrees on $488 Billion Defense Spending Bill (Source: AIA)
In their last-minute scramble to recess, lawmakers put the final touches on a continuing resolution with $487.7 billion for the Defense Department. Due to a compromise between four top appropriators from both chambers, the bill will not have to go through the conference process. Though the final figure was $4 billion less than the president had requested, many weapons programs got enough funding to assure a smooth transition to the next administration. Among the bill's highlights: $3.6 billion for Future Combat Systems; $2.7 billion for the V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft; $3.4 billion for the F-22 Raptor; $6.3 billion for the Joint Strike Fighter; and $835 million for presidential helicopters. (9/29)

A Sign of Progress (Source: Space Review)
In the four years since SpaceShipOne captured the X Prize, the fledgling NewSpace industry has been looking for another major milestone to demonstrate its progress. As Jeff Foust writes, that next step may have taken place Sunday night with the successful Falcon 1 launch. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1222/1 to view the article. (9/29)

A BASICally Bad Decision (Source: Space Review)
The government is pressing ahead with plans to purchase and operate a pair of medium-resolution imagery satellites for defense and intelligence applications. Thomas Snitch argues that government, industry, and taxpayers would all be better served by procuring those images from existing commercial providers. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1221/1 to view the article. (9/29)

Economic Growth and Space Development Over the Long Haul (Source: Space Review)
Advocates of space commercialization and settlement have argued that space-based resources are key to helping solve problems on Earth. Nader Elhefnawy explains why instead solving problems on Earth in the short term is key to being able to access those resources at all. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1220/1 to view the article. (9/29)

Question (Lunar) Authority (Source: Space Review)
A French space policy expert has recently proposed creating an international consortium to manage to exploration of the Moon. Taylor Dinerman discusses why this approach, while sounding more efficient, may be less effective than continued international and commercial competition. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1219/1 to view the article. (9/29)

Hubble Problem Will Delay Shuttle Launch for Servicing Mission (Source: NASA)
A significant Hubble Space Telescope anomaly that occurred this weekend will delay next month's space shuttle Atlantis' Hubble servicing mission. The malfunctioning system is Hubble's Control Unit/Science Data Formatter. An attempt to reset the formatter and obtain a dump of the payload computer's memory was unsuccessful. As a result of the launch delay, NASA has postponed the planned Oct. 3 Flight Readiness Review and subsequent news conference. The review will occur at a later date. (9/29)