February 21 News Items

Could Falcon-9 Join the EELV Family? (Sources: SPACErePORT, HobbySpace.com)
At the recent FAA Commercial Space Transportation Conference, SpaceX made mention of their intent for their Falcon-9 rocket to support Air Force launch requirements under the same Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) procurement system that currently includes only the Atlas-5 and Delta-4 rockets. The Air Force recently posted a draft "EELV New Entrant Evaluation Plan" that would allow this to happen. The Air Force's range of interest is in supporting payloads weighing 3,845 kg up to 11,745 kg. (2/18)

Tuskegee Airman To Fly To Edge Of Space (Source: Aero-News.net)
In recognition of African American contributions to equal rights and aviation, California-based XCOR Aerospace presented Tuskegee Airman Le Roy Gillead, of San Francisco, with a ticket for a ride to the edge of space. “XCOR’s efforts to make space flight affordable are made possible only because we have inherited a tradition of freedom and aviation excellence,” XCOR CEO and founder, Jeff Greason said at the ceremony. “We established the Legacy Flight program to thank those persons and groups that have helped build this heritage. (2/21)

Shuttle Launch Delayed Again (Source: SpaceToday.net)
NASA announced late Friday night that it has postponed once again the launch of the shuttle Discovery in order to resolve outstanding issues with a key valve. The agency had hoped to clear Discovery on Friday for a launch Feb. 27 on the STS-119 mission to the ISS. However, by Friday evening shuttle managers concluded that they did not have all the information they needed to resolve concerns about a flow control valve that channels gaseous hydrogen in the shuttle's main engines. Engineers are concerned that any debris that breaks off the valve could damage other engine components. NASA did not set a new target launch date Friday, but will develop a plan by next Wednesday to resolve the concerns and move ahead. Officials said they hope to be able to launch the shuttle by mid-March. (2/21)

The Lure of Sirius: Tax Losses (Source: Wall Street Journal)
Some investors are baffled why media titans John Malone and Charles Ergen are competing to throw money at Sirius XM Radio Inc., the money-losing satellite-radio company that was perilously close to bankruptcy. But in fact, the company's most valuable asset could be precisely all the money it has lost. Sirius XM has at least $6 billion of tax losses, according to securities filings. That means that the losses it has accumulated over the years can be used as deductions to cut taxes on future profits. As long as those losses stay with Sirius, they have little value. (2/21)

Virginia Firm Awarded Mars Balloon Study (Source: Spaceports Blog)
Virginia-based Aurora Flight Sciences has been awarded an initial contract to develop an innovative autonomous balloon launcher to operate from the surface of Mars providing future missions atmospheric sampling and video data capture. Aurora envisions a compact lightweight balloon system that could be included on future Mars landers, thereby augmenting the mission with a small aerial vehicle building upon the firms experience in the development of a Mars airplane with NASA Langley Research Center (but not selected for a NASA Mars mission). (2/20)

Component Issue Delays Sea Launch Mission (Source: Space News)
Sea Launch Co. has halted preparations for the launch of the Italian Defense Ministry's Sicral 1B communications satellite after testing revealed a potential component problem aboard the spacecraft. The launch was originally planned for January. (2/21)

Nonpartisan Group Urges Obama to Tackle Space Problems (Source: Space News)
Some 30 leaders from across the U.S. military, intelligence, civil and commercial space arenas have come together to urge President Barack Obama to address the systemic problems they say are now plaguing the entire U.S. space enterprise. The nonpartisan, independent Committee for U.S. Space Leadership, composed of current space industry professionals and former top military and civil space officials, has concluded the U.S. space industrial workforce problems, looming gaps in important space-based capabilities and widespread program overreach can only be remedied by increased White House involvement. Failure to act, the group said in a memo to the president, could result in further erosion of U.S. leadership in space. Among the recommendations is the establishment of a White House focal point, such as a National Space Council, to set priorities, provide management oversight and coordinate decisions and actions across the departments and agencies. (2/21)

Alabama Company Targets Small Satellite Market (Source: Space News)
Huntsville-based Dynetics intends to enter the government market for small satellites, having recently paid $4.4 million for rights to build spacecraft buses based on one designed by the Von Braun Center for Science and Innovation. Dynetics has never built a satellite, but the company sees a growing government market for standardized small satellites in the several-hundred-kilogram class, which Dynetics eventually expects to be able to provide for around $10 million apiece.

The satellite Dynetics will model its future satellites after is called FASTSat-HSV, short for Fast Affordable Science and Technology Satellite-Huntsville. It was designed by the Von Braun Center for Science and Innovation (VCSI) — a not-for-profit research organization — in collaboration with NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. In November, VCSI signed a DOD flight opportunity agreement to build the satellite to host six small payloads aboard a December Minotaur-4 launch. (2/21)

Com Dev Developing Satellites to Improve Ship Tracking (Source: Space News)
Canadian satellite component manufacturer Com Dev Ltd. is moving quickly into development of a line of satellites to provide a global ship identification and tracking service for maritime and coastal authorities and has begun production of the first two satellites. Com Dev has not announced a customer for the new satellites. But results from its demonstration satellite launched in April 2008 have persuaded the company that it has a technology advantage over the competition in providing a global Automatic Identification System (AIS) service that justifies committing capital well before lining up a customer set. (2/21)

NASA's Kepler Mission on Pad for March Launch From Florida (Source: Space News)
NASA's Kepler space telescope was moved to its launch pad Feb. 19 at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport in preparation for a March 5 liftoff aboard a Delta 2 rocket. Following launch, Kepler will enter a 372.5-day orbit around the sun, trailing in Earth's wake. Over the course of its planned 42-month mission, Kepler will search the skies for planets 30 times to 600 times smaller than Jupiter. Its 0.95-meter diameter telescope is expected to be the first to find Earth-sized planets orbiting stars in the region where liquid water might exist. (2/21)

Official Says U.S. Is Not Building Space Weapons (Source: Space News)
The United States is not developing space weapons and could not afford to do so even if it wanted to, an official with the Pentagon's National Security Space Office said Feb. 19. Pete Hays, a senior policy analyst at the space office who is also associate director of the Eisenhower Center for Space and Defense Studies, said U.S. policy on space weaponry has remained pretty much the same over the last 30 years despite the occasionally heated debate on the subject during the administration of former U.S. President George W. Bush. (2/21)

Lockheed Takes Steps To Build New MUOS Satellites in California (Source: Space News)
Lockheed Martin Space Systems of Sunnyvale, Calif., has begun purchasing long-lead items for a third and fourth Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) communications satellite for the U.S. Navy. Lockheed Martin was awarded a $2.1 billion contract from the Navy in 2004 to build the first two satellites in the series, with options for three more satellites worth up to a combined $1.2 billion. Lockheed Martin is preparing the first MUOS satellite for integration with its payload and will deliver the satellite in 2010, Tatum said in an e-mailed response to questions. The second satellite is now being built and will be mated with its payload in late 2009 for delivery in 2011. (2/21)

Aerojet Tests Ares 1 Roll Control Thrusters (Source: Space News)
Aerojet-General Corp. has completed a series of test firings of development thrusters for the Ares 1 rocket's roll control system, the Sacramento, Calif.-based company announced Feb. 19. The roll control system is meant to counteract the rocket's rotation during the first two minutes of flight to ensure Ares 1 stays on its designated trajectory. (2/21)

Florida's Space Industry Day May See Changes (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Space Day, scheduled for March 4 during the legislative session's first week, is an annual event hosted by Space Florida and Gov. Charlie Crist to showcase the aerospace community and promote space issues. The industry normally wholeheartedly backs the agency's funding and project requests. But this year, industry officials agreed to attend the event only if Space Florida removed its $4 million budget request from the lobbying agenda. The agency agreed. "It's going to be awkward for sure," said an executive for one major aerospace company operating at Cape Canaveral, who asked not to be identified. "We are all going to be at a reception with the governor and lieutenant governor doing everything we can to avoid supporting the government's own space-development agency." (2/20)

SpaceX Investigating Cause of Fire at Texas Test Facility (Source: Waco Tribune)
SpaceX is conducting an internal investigation over what caused a fuel fire at its McGregor testing facility Thursday night. The fire started during routine testing of a Merlin 1 C rocket engine. Staff members followed the facility’s safety response procedures to contain the fire, and there were no injuries. McGregor police and fire departments were called in to assist with the fire, which was contained to a fuel tank leak. (2/20)

More Test Rocket Hardware Arrives at KSC (Source: Florida Today)
The last newly manufactured section of the Ares I-X test rocket arrived at the Assembly and Refurbishment Facility of NASA's Kennedy Space Center on Friday. Called the frustum, the section resembles a giant funnel. Its function is to transition the primary flight loads from the rocket's upper stage to the first stage. The frustum is located between the forward skirt extension and the upper stage of the Ares I-X. The Ares I-X is targeted to launch in the summer of 2009. (2/20)

Industry Group Adopts Florida Space Advocacy Positions (Source: AIF)
Associated Industries of Florida (AIF), an influential Tallahassee-based group known as “The Voice of Florida Business” in the Sunshine State, has adopted a slate of space-related policy items for which it recommends support from the Florida Legislature. AIF says: "We must maintain this focus [on space] as a number of other states, especially Virginia, continue their efforts to overtake Florida’s historical role in space. Targeted infrastructure investments for Commercial Space launches will provide high-wage, high-tech jobs and will position Florida as the leader for this lucrative industry."

Specific AIF recommendations include: Creation of a Commercial Launch Zone (CLZ) that provides economic incentives for launch, manufacturing, and R&D; investments in aerospace workforce training; diversification of the space industry though university-based R&D under the Space Transportation Research & Development Institute (STRDI); creation of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) magnet schools; funding to preserve launch-related facilities and capabilities; and continued funding of Space Florida. Visit http://aif.com/esp_2/ESP2.shtm to view the entire AIF package of recommendations, and click here to see the collection of business organizations that support AIF's recommendations. (2/21)