February 23 News Items

Poppell Named to Space Florida Board (Source: Space Florida)
House of Representative’s Speaker Pro-tempore, Representative Larry Cretul, named Representative Ralph Poppell to Space Florida’s Board of Directors. The Honorable Ralph Poppell, who has served the Florida House of Representatives since 2002, represents District 29 which includes the Titusville/Indian River area of the Space Coast. Space Florida's board includes two legislatively appointed members, one from the House and one from the Senate. Senator Thad Altman is the other legislative member. (2/23)

MIT Rocket Thruster Aims for Cheaper Nudges in Space (Source: EurekAlert)
Satellites orbiting the Earth must occasionally be nudged to stay on the correct path. MIT scientists are developing a new rocket that could make this and other spacecraft maneuvers much less costly, a consideration of growing importance as more private companies start working in space. The new system, called the Mini-Helicon Plasma Thruster, is much smaller than other rockets of its kind and runs on gases that are much less expensive than conventional propellants. As a result, it could slash fuel consumption by 10 times that of conventional systems used for the same applications. (2/23)

Nigerians Make U-turn on $251.6 Million NigComSat-I Project (Punch)
Nigeria's House of Representatives may pass a resolution asking the Federal Government to launch more communication satellites into orbit to strengthen Nigeria’s participation in space exploration. Its Committee on Science and Technology, which is probing the failure of the country’s first commercial satellite – Nigeria Communication Satellite-I – is backing plans by the National Space Research and Development Agency and the Nigeria Communication Satellite Limited to embark on the building of NigComSat-II and NigComSat-III. NigComSat-I, which was launched into orbit on May 13, 2007, in the twilight of the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, cost the country about $251.6m. The spacecraft, however, failed and was de-orbited about 18 months later in November 2008. (2/23)

NewSpace 2009 Set for Ames on July 18-20 (Source: SFF)
The Space Frontier Foundation announced that its annual NewSpace conference will be at NASA's Ames Research Center in Mountainview, California July 18-20. The conference will kick off with a film screening of "Orphans of Apollo" on July 17, open to the general public. A single track of programming will explore the exciting potential of NewSpace on Saturday and the business realities of NewSpace on Sunday - including a business plan competition in which entrepreneurs will compete in front of investors and analysts for cash prizes and private meetings. Visit http://newspace2009.spacefrontier.org/ for information. (2/23)

Colorado Center Encourages Aerospace Entrepreneurs (Source: CNN)
While the economy sputters here on Earth, space entrepreneurs in Colorado are looking to the heavens. In a cavernous testing facility called the "Incubator," specialized equipment recreates the unique conditions of a journey into space -- from platforms that mimic the violent shaking at liftoff to chambers that replicate space's bitter cold and complete vacuum. This is home to eSpace: The Center for Space Entrepreneurship, a not-for-profit partnership between SpaceDev, Inc., a private aerospace company, and the University of Colorado. Launched last month, eSpace helps fledgling aerospace companies try out new gadgetry and meet NASA specifications.

"One of the most important things in making space hardware is that it's going to [have to] work in space, because you can't repair it," said Scott Tibbitts, executive director of eSpace. "It's up there, it has to work." Tibbitts believes that in the near future, NASA's programs will be supplemented more often by entrepreneurial space ventures. He thinks eSpace can help these companies work toward making space exploration more affordable and accessible to private citizens. The center's Incubator doubles as the headquarters of SpaceDev, which Tibbitts founded almost by accident more than a dozen years ago. He developed a paraffin actuator, a mechanism filled with a waxlike substance that melts when it reaches a certain temperature, flipping a switch. (2/23)

Space Florida's President Tries to Build Bridges (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Space Florida President Steve Kohler Space Florida President Steve Kohler -- under fire from legislators and space boosters for his group's checkered record of business development -- is trying to enlist the help of his critics in the aerospace community to improve the agency’s image and effectiveness. In an email sent last Friday to members of the industry group that is planning an upcoming industry day in Tallahassee, Kohler acknowledged that the agency is facing “a time of focused scrutiny” from what he described as “few in the broader stakeholder community.” He said that he did not believe that the opinions expressed in recent articles represented the views of the entire industry. “Together, I want to find a proactive, cohesive course in support of a robust aerospace industry in Florida,” he wrote.

He added that his goal for the industry event in Tallahassee, known as Space Day, was to “support the good of the overall industry by advocating to our state leaders the importance of their active support to your companies, NASA, the 45th Space Wing and all of the statewide suppliers to the industry.” But the cry for help might be too late. 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. Many of the companies are keen to avoid being associated with controversy. (2/23)

Editorial: Reaffirming Florida as the World’s Frontier to Space (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
With the new presidential administration and an uncertain economy, the State of Florida more than ever needs to maintain and promote its status as the premier launch complex for space launch and space exploration...We have international competitors quickly approaching to assume the lead in space exploration. China, Russia, India and the European Union have demonstrated their ability to launch satellites into orbit and are striving to develop the capabilities to explore the moon and Mars.

We must maintain Florida’s leadership in space as we move forward to send men and women back to the moon and beyond...The aerospace industry represents billions of dollars each year in economic impact to the state and employs thousands of residents in nearly all of our state’s 67 counties. We need to continue to support this industry to attract high value research and development, expand space industry business, boost commercial launch opportunities and provide employment assistance for keeping a highly skilled workforce in place.

On March 4, my friends and colleagues in the space industry will join me in visiting state leaders at the capitol to convey a unified message of preserving Florida’s vital commercial aerospace industry and workforce...We hope that more of you will educate yourself on the amazing spin-offs space brings that impacts your lives daily and the economic value of this asset to the state – an asset we cannot afford to lose. (2/23)

Orbital's Outlook Hampered by New Rocket Costs, Economy (Source: Space News)
Orbital Sciences Corp. warned investors on Feb. 19 that the company's spending on the new Taurus 2 rocket and Cygnus cargo-supply vehicle it is building to service the International Space Station will continue as a drag on profit in 2009, and that the commercial satellite market is likely this year to show the effects of a poor global economy. CEO David W. Thompson said Orbital likely will show "double-digit revenue growth, and a substantial profit margin rebound for 2010 and the years beyond" once the Taurus 2-related development is completed.

Orbital is in the midst of one of the most aggressive hiring programs in the space industry. The company increased its headcount by 600 in 2008, including 135 in the last three months of the year, and the work force now totals about 3,600, Chief Operating Officer J.R. Thompson said. Orbital plans to add 350-400 new employees in 2009, he said. J.R. Thompson said the Taurus 2 development schedule remains tight but that the company believes the remaining design reviews and vehicle assembly can be completed in time for an inaugural flight in late 2010. (2/23)

Orbital Expects Taurus-2 Contract Protest Resolution by April (Source: Space News)
Orbital booked roughly $2 billion in Taurus 2 and Cygnus orders from NASA in late 2008 as part of a Commercial Resupply Services contract to deliver cargo to and from the International Space Station. Orbital is facing a delay in revenue from the contract following a bid protest by Planetspace Inc., a Chicago-based firm that submitted a cargo-resupply proposal that scored higher and cost less than Orbital's. Orbital CEO David W. Thompson said the protest should be resolved by April and that he expected NASA's choice to be confirmed then. After its 2010 demonstration flight, Orbital is contracted to launch eight Taurus 2 Cygnus missions between 2011 and 2015. (2/23)

NASA Reconsidering Lockheed's GOES-R Win (Source: Space News)
NASA is reconsidering a $1.09 billion weather satellite contract it awarded to Lockheed Martin Space Systems in December. (2/23)

Iridium Policy Left Collision Avoidance to Chance (Source: Space News)
Iridium Satellite LLC, which lost an operational satellite in a Feb. 10 collision that created hundreds of pieces of debris that will make that orbit more dangerous for decades, habitually has taken no collision-avoidance action for its 66-satellite fleet other than "grit our teeth and hold our breath; that's our action," a company official said. (2/23)

Pentagon Seeks Military Role for Space Tourism Technology (Source: Flight Global)
As commercial spaceflight draws closer to reality, the US Department of Defense is officially interested. The National Security Space Office (NSSO) has invited companies such as Armadillo Aerospace, Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic and XCOR to a conference from Feb. 24-26 in San Antonio, Texas to discuss how suborbital technology could be applied to military needs. The conference follows the release of an official request for information for a new program called the "rapid delivery of military capabilities via space". The document seeks information from commercial firms about new technologies that could loft a 200kg (440lb) payload above 92km (57 miles) altitude to ranges up to 9,250km (5,000nm). (2/23)

SpaceX Heat Shield Material Passes Reentry Simulation Tests (Source: SpaceX)
Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) announces the passing of a significant technical milestone in the development of its Dragon spacecraft with the successful arc jet testing of PICA-X high performance heat shield material. Subjected to temperatures as high as 1850 degrees Celsius (3360 degrees Fahrenheit), the tests simulated the reentry heating conditions that will be experienced by the Dragon capsule. Panels of the high performance carbon-based material will protect cargo and crew during the spacecraft's return from Earth orbit.

SpaceX developed the ability to manufacture PICA-X with the assistance of NASA, the originator of PICA (Phenolic Impregnated Carbon Ablator). The “X” stands for the SpaceX-developed variants of the rigid, lightweight material, which has several improved properties and greater ease of manufacture. “We tested three different variants developed by SpaceX,” said Tom Mueller, VP of Propulsion, SpaceX. “Compared to the PICA heat shield flown successfully on NASA's Stardust sample return capsule, our SpaceX versions equaled or improved the performance of the heritage material in all cases.” (2/23)

India Approves £1.7bn Plan to Launch Astronauts (Source: Times Online)
India has approved a £1.7 billion plan to launch its first astronauts into space by 2015, in its latest bid to close the gap with China in what many see as a 21st Century Asian version of the Cold War race for the Moon. The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) will attempt to put two people into orbit 172 miles (275 km) above the Earth for seven days, according to a proposal approved by the Planning Commission at a meeting on Friday. (2/23)

Discovery Plan Could be Ready by Wednesday (Source: Florida Today)
Shuttle program managers will develop a plan by Wednesday that they hope allows them to fly Discovery, and later missions, while working to redesign valves in the shuttle orbiters' main propulsion system. Once targeted for Feb. 12 and most recently Feb. 27, a Discovery launch may not be possible before the Russians' Soyuz mission to the International space Station in mid-March. The shuttle and another Soyuz can't be at the space station at the same time, so if Discovery can't go by March 13, the shuttle team will have to wait until at least April 6.

However, NASA managers say they want to better understand the cause behind the failure of a valve that maintains pressure in the shuttle's orange external tank by allowing or restricting the flow of hydrogen gas into it. They said they came close to a decision to launch Discovery late Friday night, but some engineers questioned assumptions and data from the extensive valve tests conducted across the country in recent weeks, which produced a mountain of fresh data to digest. (2/23)

Editorial: For North Carolina: Earthly Benefits in a New Space Race (Source: Raleigh News Observer)
If your view of human space activity is one of NASA-owned, multi-billion-dollar, multi-year programs, you are missing an entirely different scene. To borrow an Earth-bound phrase, the race for space moves apace with a commercial embrace. A great deal of work has been done during the last few years in North Carolina to develop an aerospace workforce development plan and boost the state's aerospace industry. However, the primary emphasis has been on aviation and traditional aerospace, with little attention paid to the emerging entrepreneurial space industry, or NewSpace.

While it is understandable to focus on what is known and quantifiable, restricting our efforts this way inevitably leads to missed opportunities that are grabbed by states with greater vision. For example, the New Mexico Spaceport Authority recently announced the formation of the Spaceport America Institute (SAI). It will be a collaborative effort between Spaceport America and the educational community. Combined resources, talent and technology will augment education in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). It will also "support key workforce and technology efforts to grow industries in areas such as biotech, optics, energy, communications, and information technology." See any similarities to the education and economic development goals and industries of North Carolina? (2/23)

Billiards in Space (Source: Space Review)
This month's collision between Iridium and Russian satellites caused some people to ask why the incident could not have been avoided. Brian Weeden explains the difficulties of monitoring potential collisions and offers some proposals for improved monitoring and coordination. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1314/1 to view the article. (2/23)

Do We Need a New National Space Council? (Source: Space Review)
The Obama Administration appears committed to fulfilling a campaign pledge to reestablish the National Space Council in some form. Taylor Dinerman wonders, given its past record and the difficulties of the bureaucracy, if this is such a good idea. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1313/1 to view the article. (2/23)

Florida's Mess: How Did We Get Here? (Source: Space Review)
In recent weeks news reports and public comments have put Florida's space efforts in a rather harsh spotlight. Tim Bailey reviews the history of the state's efforts to promote the commercial space industry, and where things went wrong. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1312/1 to view the article. (2/23)

First Steps Towards Point-to-Point Spaceflight (Source: Space Review)
Point-to-point suborbital spaceflight has attracted the interest of many commercial space enthusiasts, but the technical and other hurdles that have to be overcome makes it not a near-term market. Nonetheless, Jeff Foust reports, some in both the public and private sectors are laying the groundwork for its future. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1311/1 to view the article. (2/23)