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National / International Items
White House Briefed On
Potential For Mars Life (Source: Aviation Week)
The White House has been alerted by NASA about plans to make an
announcement soon on major new Phoenix lander discoveries
concerning the "potential for life" on Mars. Sources say the new data
do not indicate the discovery of existing or past life on Mars. Rather
the data relate to habitability--the "potential" for Mars to support
life--at the Phoenix arctic landing site,
sources say. (8/2)
NASA Spacecraft Confirms Martian Water, Mission Extended
(Source: NASA)
Laboratory tests aboard NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander have identified
water in a soil sample. The lander's robotic arm delivered the sample
Wednesday to an instrument that identifies vapors produced by the
heating of samples. "We have water," a University of Arizona scientist. "We've seen
evidence for this water ice before in observations by the Mars Odyssey
orbiter and in disappearing chunks observed by Phoenix last month, but this is
the first time Martian water has been touched and tasted." (7/31)
NASA Now Looking for Life's Building Blocks on Mars
(Source: Space.com)
NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander may have found water ice on the red planet,
but it still has a lot of work left to do to answer the question that
has been on scientists' minds for decades: Has Mars ever been capable
of harboring life? Phoenix scientists announced
yesterday that the mission finally confirmed the presence of subsurface
water ice in the north polar regions of Mars — first detected by NASA's
Mars Odyssey orbiter in 2002 — about two months after touching down on
the Martian surface on May 25. The lander is now analyzing the ice to
see if it was ever a liquid and if it contains organic materials, the
building blocks of life. The ice, collected from below the surface at
the lander's site in the Martian arctic, could have acted like a
freezer, protecting any organics that may have formed there. (8/1)
4Frontiers Interns Work Toward Mars Colonization (Source:
St. Petersburg Times)
In the summer, some college students work. Others volunteer, travel or
take classes. Graduate students Tara Allen, Alex Stimpson and John
Truett took a different path. For the past two months, they've thought
about how humans might live on Mars. All three intern at 4Frontiers, a
local company that focuses on settlement of the Red Planet. "Mars has
all the resources of a permanent destination," said company CEO Mark
Homnick. "What you do when you get there is just as important as how
you get there in the first place."
Inside 4Frontiers' one-story offices on Grand Boulevard, the three interns help
Homnick and vice president Joseph Palaia IV with designs for a Mars
settlement. Allen, who graduated in May from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical
University, uses a computer to design futuristic homes on the Red
Planet, complete with couches, game systems and flat-screen TVs.
Stimpson and Truett, both 2007 graduates of the University of Florida,
work on building a greenhouse fit for Mars. "Our generation is saying,
'Yeah, going back to the moon is cool, but we've already been there,' "
Stimpson said. "Let's take the next step." Click here
to view the article. (8/2)
John Glenn Blasts Moonbase-to-Mars NASA Roadmap (Source:
The Register)
Famed US astronaut and politician John Glenn has said that that NASA's
planned return to the Moon will be of no use to a future manned Mars
mission. "It seems to me the Moon is questionable as a way station,"
the former space ace and Senator told congressmen. He said that there
was no advantage to be gained by moving the personnel and equipment for
a Mars mission down and then up again through the lunar gravity well.
Glenn contended that it would be better and easier to assemble an
interplanetary craft above Earth. Visit http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/08/01/john_glenn_says_moonbase_ploy_questionable/
to view the article. (8/2)
NASA: Moon Expeditions by 2020, Mars in 25 Years (Source:
The Northwestern)
Following its 50th anniversary, NASA is looking at more expeditions to
the Moon and Mars. That's what NASA Administrator Michael Griffin said
at the AirVenture grounds in Oshkosh. "If we can stay on track
and on target with our elected leaders...within the next 15 years, we
can have a base on the Moon," he said. Griffin said he sees NASA working
on the moon in the early 2020s, as long as the space agency can
maintain its current budgets and policy. He said bases similar to those
in Antarctica could be feasible. He
added that a Mars expedition could be feasible in 25 years. (7/30)
NASA Awards Lunar Surface System Concept Contracts
(Source: NASA)
NASA's Constellation Program has selected 11 companies and one
university to independently develop concepts that contribute to how
astronauts will live and work on the moon. Each organization will
conduct a 180-day study focused on a topic relevant to lunar surface
systems. Selected organizations and topics are: Alternative Packaging
Options--Oceaneering Space Systems; Avionics--Honeywell International;
Energy Storage--ATK Space Systems Group, Battelle Memorial Institute,
and Hamilton Sundstrand; Minimum Habitation Functions--Boeing, ILC
Dover, and University of Maryland; Regolith Moving
Methods--Astrobotic Technology Inc., and Honeybee Robotics;
Software--Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, and United Space Alliance.
The awards total approximately $2 million, with a maximum individual
award of $250,000. (7/28)
Korea to Take Part in US Lunar
Project
(Source: KBS)
Korea will participate in
NASA’s joint project to build science bases on the surface of the moon.
NASA said that it signed an agreement Tuesday with eight countries for
its joint exploration project. NASA said in a statement that it
discussed the details of the space collaboration in a meeting last year
in which it set principles for next-generation lunar exploration. The
project called the “International Lunar Network” will build between six
and eight scientific bases on the surface of the moon. NASA will set up
two lunar modules in 2013 and 2014 as part of the endeavor. The project
was created after the National Research Council affirmed that the moon
offers "profound scientific value" and "lunar activities apply to broad
scientific and exploration concerns." (7/30)
NASA's Altair Lunar Engine Faces Landing Abort Challenge
(Source: Flight International)
NASA's Altair lunar lander ascent engine is facing the challenges of
not having enough propellant tank pressure for an emergency start if
the astronauts decide to abort a landing, but too much pressure long
before the end of the planned 210 day lunar base missions. The engine,
expected to be a development of the Apollo program's Pratt &
Whitney Rocketdyne RS-18, uses liquid methane (LCH4) and liquid oxygen
that is fed at about 22.4bar (325lb/in2). Click here
to view the article. (7/30)
Lunar Robotic Mission Delayed (Source: Aviation Week)
Launch of NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), the first robotic
precursor mission under President Bush's plan for moving human space
exploration beyond Earth orbit, will be delayed until after Bush leaves
office. Also delayed until late February or early March 2009 is the
Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS), a piggyback
payload added by Ames Research Center when LRO was upgraded to
an Atlas V-class mission. Launching in place of the NASA missions on an
Atlas V from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., will be a classified DOD
spacecraft, sources say. That mission will go in the November time
frame originally targeted for LRO/LCROSS. Project officials at Ames and
at Goddard Space Flight Center, where LRO is on schedule in the final
stage of integration and testing, have been notified of the change, but
NASA declines to confirm the shift.
Northrop Grumman has finished testing the LCROSS spacecraft, with a
science payload provided by Ames, and is storing it at its
facility in Redondo Beach, Calif. The orbiter is set to
provide mapping and mineralogy data for use by future human explorers
on the ground. LCROSS is designed to send the mission's spent upper
stage into a deep crater at one of the moon's poles and analyze the
debris plume that results from the impact for evidence of water ice
that may have accumulated there. (7/28)
NASA Langley Gives Moon-Return Project Big Lift (Source:
Newport News Daily Press)
HFlying to the moon again and building permanent lunar colonies, as
NASA plans to do starting in 2020, won't require just the design of
habitats, vehicles and life-support systems. It'll require a way to
unload, unpack and build those things. Engineers and researchers at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton have successfully
completed trials that showed their prototype could do just that. The
cranelike device folds up into itself for easy Earth-moon travel.
Unfolded and extended, it can reach and grab objects at a height of
about 40 feet — the estimated height at which the payload of the
next-generation lunar lander will be unloaded. (8/2)
John Glenn Pushes for Money to Extend Shuttle Operations
(Source: Houston Chronicle)
The White House blueprint, Glenn said, forced NASA to "cannibalize"
existing programs such as the shuttle to finance the new direction.
Chris Shank, a senior official at NASA, acknowledged in a telephone
interview that NASA had not received additional funding to cover the
president's blueprint. NASA also had shouldered unforeseen
return-to-flight costs after the loss of the shuttle Columbia on re-entry in 2003.
Shank declined to discuss the agency's reaction to Glenn's appeal or
apparent effort to shape the space agenda for the next administration.
(7/31)
Lockheed Martin Notifies Michoud Workers of Layoffs
(Source: Space News)
Lockheed Martin informed its Michoud Operations workforce Aug. 1 that
an unspecified number of layoffs would begin in October and continue
through September 2010 as assembly of space shuttle external tanks
phases out as NASA prepares to retire the shuttle fleet. The reductions
are expected to impact operations in Huntsville, Ala., Florida's Kennedy Space Center and the New Orleans-based
NASA Michoud Assembly Facility where the shuttle external tanks are
designed and assembled.
Lockheed Martin Michoud Operations currently employs 2,445 people
across the three sites. Lockheed Martin said in a press release that
the exact timing and number of reductions would depend on production
schedules and the company's ability to find other work for the affected
employees. Michoud spokesman Marion LaNasa said as many as 200
positions could be eliminated as work on the 10 final external tanks
comes to an end. (8/1)
Will Iran Help Doom $100B Space
Station?
(Source: Orlando Sentinel)
The international space station, a $100 billion symbol of global
cooperation, might become a casualty of U.S. opposition to Iran's nuclear ambitions. A
little-known law intended to prevent the sale of nuclear technology to Iran would also bar NASA from
buying Russian Soyuz spacecraft after 2011. With the space shuttle
slated to retire in 2010 and its replacement not scheduled to fly
before 2015, the agency would have no way to send astronauts to the
space station. Station supporters say that without a crew, the station
could become little more than an expensive piece of state-of-the-art
space junk.
At issue is legislation passed in 2000 and now called the Iran, North Korea and Syria
Nonproliferation Act. It prohibits U.S. purchases of Russian
space technology -- including Soyuz spacecraft -- as long as Russia is exporting nuclear or
missile technology to Iran. Congress granted NASA a
waiver of the ban in 2005, and the agency has since spent more than
$700 million on Russian spaceships to transport crew and cargo to the
orbiting complex. But the contract with Russia expires in 2011, and the
Russian company that makes the Soyuz says it needs three years of lead
time to ensure there is no interruption in manufacture and supply.
Adding to the pressure is that the station crew is scheduled to double
to six next year, increasing the need for Soyuz lifeboats. (8/2)
NASA Reaches 50 With Pioneer Spirit Lost (Source:
Financial Times)
NASA is celebrating its 50th birthday this summer with an eclectic
series of events. They range from air shows to gala dinners, from
family picnics at NASA Centers to astronauts throwing ceremonial
pitches at baseball games. But sadly NASA can offer no space
spectacular to mark the anniversary of its formation in 1958 – in
shocked response to the Soviet Union’s launch of Sputnik, the
world’s first artificial satellite.
Yes, the Phoenix Lander is scratching around on the surface of Mars and
may make an important discovery about the biochemistry of the red
planet. Yes, more Shuttle launches are due, including a potentially
perilous autumn mission to service the Hubble space telescope. But NASA
has little to offer in the near future that is likely to thrill the
public. Forget about matching the excitement of the 1960s Apollo
program. There is nothing to match even the pioneering planetary
missions such as the 1976 Viking landings on Mars and the Galileo
spacecraft that orbited Jupiter in the 1990s. (7/31)
Editorial: Lost in Orbit (Calcutta Telegraph)
NASA’s silver jubilee might pose different kinds of challenges than the
conquest of space. The agency currently receives $17 billion from the U.S. government. Reports
suggest that at current funding levels, NASA would be unable to meet
some of its important goals by 2013. The lack of funds will be
specially galling with the rising demand to fly people to the moon. To
do this, NASA will need a new rocket, to pay for which the agency must
cancel all future space shuttle flights. From 2010, NASA will actually
be dependent on the Russian Soyuz to get into space. Somewhere — in
outer space perhaps — the spirit that drove NASA and its pioneering
conquest of space has been lost. (8/2)
NASA Still our Best Space Hope (Source: Huntsville Times)
Late-comers are unlikely to get us to the moon. NASA's plans to use the
new Ares launch vehicles to return to the moon and on to Mars have some
questioning this decision. Buzz Aldrin, Apollo 11 astronaut and moon
walker, is the most recent to question NASA's plans for the future. I
have been reminded recently by other Apollo astronauts and moon walkers
that this is shades of the Saturn Apollo era. NASA Marshall had to add
an additional F-1 engine to the Saturn V booster to lift the necessary
payload to the moon's surface. As Gene Cernan mentioned in his book,
"Last Man to Walk on the Moon," they had pogo problems in the Saturn V
(that means the spacecraft is shaking so much the astronauts can barely
read the instruments) on Apollo 10, but Huntsville fixed it. (7/30)
Infrastructure Needed for Future Space Exploration
(Source: Space Review)
The Constellation program has come under criticism from several
quarters for its cost, schedule, and potential technical issues. David
L. Christensen argues that what's needed is a more robust approach that
makes better use of shuttle and EELV hardware. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1177/1
to view the article. (7/28)
NASA's Constellation Rockets Could be Used Commercially
(Source: Flight International)
NASA's Constellation rockets Ares I crew launch vehicle and the cargo
carrying Ares V could be modified for future commercial use if
proposals were made to the agency. NASA's administrator Michael Griffin
raised the prospect of Ares boosters being used for commercial purposes
when answering an audience member’s question at the 2008 Experimental
Aircraft Association's AirVenture air show held in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The question referred to
the late US president Ronald Reagan’s policy that the Space Shuttle’s
external tank (ET) could be used for commercial purposes once it
separated from the orbiter and asked if that would be applied to the
new Ares rockets. Griffin replied: "The question
was can modifications be put in early [for the Ares rockets] to enable
re-qualification [for commercial purposes]. In principle yes but only
if some one comes forward with a plan." (7/31)
The COTS Conundrum (Source: Space Review)
NASA has decided to focus the COTS program on vehicles that can deliver
only cargo to the ISS, not people. However, Jeff Foust reports that
many in the industry and Congress think that a COTS crewed capability
is essential to not only the long-term success of the program but also
for the Vision for Space Exploration. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1179/1
to view the article. (7/28)
NASA to Study Old Sites for Launches (Source: Florida
Today)
Within a month, NASA will announce how it will study some of the 30 or
more vacant launch sites at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station that could
be considered for a commercial launch pad. NASA looked to launch sites
at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station after hearings in February when
citizens protested against development of two proposed commercial
launch sites at Kennedy Space Center that would disturb
pristine areas. The direction of the study will be refined next month,
but NASA won't decide which unused launch sites at Cape Canaveral are acceptable for
development.
In the search for a commercial launch site, NASA is working with state
agency Space Florida, which holds $14.5 million in state-appropriated
money for building the complex, and which has bonding authority to help
private enterprise borrow money for the site. No launch company,
however, is publicly urging NASA to build a site to launch commercial
rockets. (7/30)
Let Us Be 'Dazzled' by NASA, Says Nelson (Source: Orlando
Sentinel)
The 50th birthday wishes keep on coming for NASA. Here's the latest
from U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Florida: "Mr. President, it was Ronald
Reagan who, in his 1986 Challenger address to a mourning nation, noted
that we are accustomed to wonders in this country. He rightly observed:
'It’s hard to dazzle us… But, Mr. President, America’s space program has been
doing just that – and, for 50 years now; even in times of loss, even in
times of tragedy. It’s hard to believe, but it was 50 years ago today
that Dwight Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act,
creating America’s space agency, NASA.
It’s equally hard to believe, but it was just a few short years after
that - that John F. Kennedy presented a bold challenge before a joint
session of Congress: Send a man to the moon and return him safely to
Earth by the end of the decade." Click here
to view the article. (7/30)
McCain: Explore Space and
Not Just by ‘Hitching a Ride’ (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
U.S. Sen. John McCain took one small step -- but not a giant leap --
toward outlining his NASA policy by announcing his support for the
agency’s moon-Mars program in a release that commended NASA on its 50th
birthday. “As President, I will act to make ensure our astronauts will
continue to explore space, and not just by hitching a ride with someone
else. I intend to make sure that the NASA constellation program has the
resources it needs so that we can begin a new era of human space
exploration,” said the Republican presidential candidate in a
statement.
The impact was perhaps diminished somewhat by the statement's failure
to capitalize "Constellation." Meant to replace the space shuttle, set
to retire in 2010, the Constellation program aims to send astronauts to
the Moon, and eventually Mars, aboard a series of new rockets and
capsules. Its first mission is scheduled for 2015, but financial and
technical concerns have raised questions about the feasibility of that
date. (7/30)
McCain Voices Support for Constellation (Source: Tampa Tribune)
Campaign aides to
Republican presidential candidate John McCain on Friday were noting
that the Arizona senator has voiced solid
support for the Constellation program. "While my opponent seems content
to retreating from American exploration of space for a decade, I am
not," McCain said in a comment on this week's 50th anniversary of NASA.
"As president, I will act to make ensure our astronauts will continue
to explore space, and not just by hitching a ride with someone else,"
he said. "I intend to make sure that the NASA Constellation program has
the resources it needs so that we can begin a new era of human space
exploration." (8/2)
Obama Pledges Space Advocacy (Source: Florida Today)
Obama has changed an earlier position, in which he planned to delay the
Constellation program five years and use up to $5 billion from the NASA
budget for education. "Here's what I'm committing to: Continue
Constellation. We're going to close the gap (between the end of shuttle
flight and the next program, Constellation). We may have additional
shuttle flights...My commitment is to seamless transition, where we're
utilizing the space station in an intelligent way, and we're preparing
for the next generation of space travel."
In an interview after his speech, Obama would not detail whether he
plans to change President Bush's vision of returning to the moon and
going to Mars. Obama also would not pledge to sign a $2 billion
increase to NASA's $17 billion budget. The proposal might save some of
the 3,400 jobs that are expected to be lost at Kennedy Space Center. "I don't want to give
clear figures yet. I want to have a thorough evaluation of a
combination of manned and unmanned missions, what kind of exploration
would be the most appropriate, and I want the budget to follow the
plan. I'd want to see the proposal first," he said. (8/3)
Obama Speech Touches on Space (Source: ERAU)
"One of the areas where we are in danger of losing our competitive edge
is our space program. When I was growing up, NASA inspired the world
with achievements we are still proud of. Today, we have an
administration that has set ambitious goals for NASA without giving
NASA the support it needs to reach them. As a result, they’ve had to
cut back on research, and trim their programs, [...] We cannot cede our
leadership in space. That’s why I will help close the gap and ensure
that our space program doesn’t suffer when the Shuttle goes out of
service by working with Senator Bill Nelson to add at least one
additional Space Shuttle flight beyond 2010; by supporting continued
funding for NASA; by speeding the development of the Shuttle’s
successor; and by making sure that all those who work in the space
industry in Florida do not lose their jobs when the Shuttle is retired
– because we cannot afford to lose their expertise."
"More broadly, we need a real vision for space exploration. To help
formulate this vision, I’ll reestablish the National Aeronautics and
Space Council so that we can develop a plan to explore the solar system
– a plan that involves both human and robotic missions, and enlists
both international partners and the private sector. And as America leads the world to
long-term exploration of the moon, Mars, and beyond, let’s also tap
NASA’s ingenuity to build the airplanes of tomorrow and to study our
own planet so we can combat global climate change." (8/2)
Obama's Thirst To Explore Space Will Be Measured (Source:
Tampa Tribune)
Obama may have come to Florida to tout his economic stimulus
initiatives, but Robert Jordan and others say the candidate's talk of
delaying NASA's next generation of manned space vehicles will not hurt
just the U.S. space program. Obama's proposal, which would delay the
Constellation program by at least 5 years to 2020 or later, could
represent another major blow to the economy, opponents say.
Obama's "Plan for Lifetime Success Through Education" remained posted
Friday on his campaign Web site - specifying that his $10
billion-a-year early education plan will be paid, in part, by "delaying
the NASA Constellation program for five years." Asked about that, Obama
spokeswoman Adrianne Marsh would say only that the Illinois senator "is committed to
a strong, robust space program." There is speculation that Obama may be
planning to unveil - perhaps today - a new "white paper" further
spelling out his positions on NASA and future U.S. space programs. (8/2)
Space a Potential Fracture
Line at Democratic National Convention? (Source: Examiner.com)
When the Democratic National Convention rolls into the Mile-High City, two leaders with
widely-varying views on space will symbolize a potential fracture in
the Democratic party over space. On the one hand, there's senior party
member Sen. Bill Nelson. On the other hand, there's Sen. Barack Obama,
who's widely regarded as anti-space, despite this week's spin. Nelson
and other space supporters have a tough job ahead as the Space Shuttle
phases out in 2010 and new vehicles are developed. Internationally,
other nations are creating their own space presence, as America's space program shudders
under increasing financial stress.
Into that environment strides Sen. Barack Obama, widely known as not
quite a space kind of guy. Six months ago, Obama said that he would
chop a third of NASA's budget and move it into education. Now, however,
Obama decided to get into the public relations spin of the NASA
anniversary. Does Obama's pro-space statement signal a sudden reversal
of his position? Space insiders aren't so sure that one small PR step
equals a giant leap for potential Obama support of NASA's space
program. (7/31)
Gov. Kaine Veep Speculation and the Prospects for Launch
Industry (Source: Spaceports Blog)
Commercial space advocates may be pondering the prospects of having a
United States Vice-President that signed into state law the nation's
first Space Flight Liability and Immunity Act and the first state
'ZeroGravity, ZeroTax Act' if Democratic Presidential candidate Barack
Obama picks Virginia Governor Tim Kaine as his running mate for the
November election. From recent media attention, Kaine appears to be on
the 'very, very' short list to be on the 2008 Democratic national
ticket as a vice-presidential candidate. The 50 year old Virginia governor has been a
strong backer of development of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport and
he has supported commercial space launch efforts in Virginia during his tenure. Both
Obama and Kaine are Harvard University law graduates. (7/31)
Space Tourism is Nigh, But a New Space Age is Not (Source:
Crosscut Seattle)
Four years after Paul Allen won the X Prize with SpaceShipOne, Virgin
Galactic has unveiled WhiteKnightTwo, bringing space tourism closer to
reality. But in terms of achievement and fundamental technologies,
we're merely watching a glitzy remake of the 1960s with private
funding. The first flights are expected in late 2009 or 2010. Should
you pack your bags for a new era in human history? The grand vision
encompasses far more than joy rides for the mass affluent. Space
tourism hitches the wagon of rocket science to the star of market
forces. In computing, technological advances have increased computing
power while reducing cost in a steady, self-reinforcing cycle, a
phenomenon known as "Moore's Law." The question is
whether the dynamic behind cheap laptops might eventuate in full-blown,
interplanetary space travel.
The answer is: not likely. SpaceShipTwo actually will only barely
scrape space, eking out a scant 68 vertical miles before succumbing to
the gravitational dominance of Earth. The craft musters only about 1/16
the energy needed to reach even low orbit 100 miles up. Attaining orbit
requires enormous energy; thus rockets are very tall and almost all
fuel. We are accustomed to thinking that technology advances across a
very broad front, often in a revolutionary fashion. For propulsion,
however, there has been no next technology. Since the dawn of rocketry,
engine designers have employed different designs and used different
fuels in an exhaustive search for a clever, inexpensive way to escape
the planet. They have come up empty. (8/1)
UAE Hooked by Space Tourism Flights (Source: The Peninsula)
"The Middle East is a very exciting market for Virgin Galactic," Sharon
Garrett, head of space marketing and PR at the Virgin Galactic
Accredited Space Office, said. "Already we have one booking for a
private charter by a Dubai-headquartered company and several bookings
by individuals," she added. According to Garrett, the UAE is the
country in this region where people have shown the maximum interest in
space travel. In fact, she has been quoted in the media as saying that
this Gulf nation has regularly been the top sales performer globally as
residents signed up to take part. But Virgin Galactic has realized that
the whole region has potential. In May this year, the company invited
bids from travel agents across the region to "sell Space". (8/2)
Top US Astronaut Welcomes Space Tourism (Source: AFP)
The commander of the latest US shuttle mission welcomed the advent of
space tourism, predicting that such travel is on the brink of the
massive growth seen a century ago with airplanes. "The private sector
can go out and make money doing something that only governments now do.
You really are going to see an expansion of the industry," Discovery
commander Mark Kelly said. "I personally think it's great," he said.
Kelly's comments came hours after Virgin Galactic, owned by British
tycoon Sir Richard Branson, unveiled in the California desert a futuristic
aircraft dubbed WhiteKnightTwo that will ferry tourists into suborbital
space. (7/29)
Entrepreneur in Space (Source: Entrepreneur.com)
Sir Richard and Burt Rutan said testing for the WhiteKnightTwo and
SpaceShipTwo will take roughly 18 months to three years. When that is
complete, they hope to be ready to start conducting private, suborbital
flights with paying passengers. Within the next 10 to 15 years, it is
their vision to have more than a dozen spaceports conducting regular
launches for suborbital flights for the public on a continuous basis.
Rutan believes the cost for space flights can be cut to a fraction of
the current price tag once the program is fully in place. In addition,
he said that eventually Virgin Galactic wants to have a space hotel,
with spaceships shuttling guests from earth into outer space. The long
term vision is for private space trips from the earth to the moon and
back. (7/31)
id Software's John Carmack Stays in the Rocket Game
(Source: Dallas Business News)
In addition to the highly successful game company id Software, John
Carmack runs Armadillo Aerospace, which is developing a variety of
rockets and space travel gear. He spends about 20 hours a week at
Armadillo (and about 40 at id), and said Armadillo is finally
generating a small profit after "eight years of being a money pit."
With Armadillo turning into a profitable company, Mr. Carmack said, he
will need to hire a full-time chief executive for it soon. (8/2)
For Gaming Guru Richard Garriott, Space Trip Will be a Working
Vacation (Source: Statesman.com)
For Austin computer gaming guru Richard Garriott, almost every vacation
is a working one. He won't be taking a BlackBerry and fax machine with
him when he goes on his most adventurous trip yet this fall: a 10-day
jaunt to the International Space Station. But Garriott, who helped
start the Austin video gaming industry, is using his once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity to travel aboard a Russian Soyuz spaceship to do much more
than just sight-seeing. He'll be conducting experiments for research
institutions, working with a nonprofit to mimic the pictures of Earth
his astronaut father took in 1973 aboard Skylab, communicating with
students around the world and marketing his latest computer game. (8/2)
New Mexico Spaceport Input Hearings
Planned
(Source: Las Cruces Sun-News)
Public input hearings about the potential environmental impact of
Spaceport America are slated to begin next
week. The FAA will conduct the first of three days of hearings Tuesday
in Alamogordo. Hearings in Truth or
Consequences are scheduled for Wednesday and the final round will
happen Thursday in Las Cruces. The FAA scheduled the
meetings after issuing a draft of an Environmental Impact Study that
addressed the potential effects of the spaceport on southern Sierra County where the state plans to
build the facility next year. The 500-page study found that the
spaceport would have little to no impact on the area. But the study had
one caveat — the impact on the historical resources of the area. That
includes the famed El Camino Real Trail, which runs through the western
edge of the spaceport property. But the statement added that the
effects on the trail and other cultural resources could be mitigated.
(8/1)
New Mexico Tax Exec Talks Spaceport (Source: Alamogordo Daily
News)
The head of New Mexico's tax and revenue office
was in Alamogordo Friday talking Spaceport America and other issues.
Formerly the state's secretary of economic development, Homans spoke
about Gov. Bill Richardson's proposed tax credit, rebate and holiday,
offered amid a state budget surplus. Homans said that although
Spaceport America would be built in another
county, the local impact could be compared to that of the relationship
between Alamogordo and Holloman Air Force
Base. "We're talking about new industry. We're talking about a new
development."
"As economic development secretary, I was pushing the whole space
development idea forward," Homans said of his work on the project
before he took the tax and revenue post. "I think it's critical for the
future of southern New Mexico and Otero County to be a part of Spaceport
America." Doña Ana County and Sierra County have already approved a
one quarter of 1 percent gross receipts tax to help fund construction
of Spaceport America. Those counties will
start collecting the tax in January. The Otero County Commission has
set a public hearing on the issue for Aug. 21. If approved, the county
would join the tax district to help pay for the construction of the
$198 million Spaceport America. (8/2)
New Mexico Space Harbor Could Close (Source: Las Cruces
Sun-News)
The fate of a back-up space shuttle landing site north of Las Cruces is
up in the air in advance of a NASA plan to retire its space shuttle
program. The site — called White Sands Space Harbor — is an alternative for
shuttle landings in the case of bad weather at two other, preferred
locations. On most weekdays, shuttle pilots use the site for flight
training exercises. But NASA is in the midst of phasing out its shuttle
program. It's not yet known what will happen to the harbor, said a NASA
official. Options include turning over the harbor to White Sands Missile Range — overseen by the U.S.
Department of Defense — or demolishing the buildings and possibly the
runways. "The decision at this point is really in the hands of WSMR as
to whether they need those facilities," he said. The space harbor is
about 50 miles to the northeast of Las Cruces. (8/3)
Rocket League Makes Test Run at Several Hundred Feet
(Source: New York Times)
A small rocket-powered plane streaked across the sky Tuesday, trailing
a bright yellow plume of flame and kicking off what its sponsors hope
will be the next Nascar — but with its tracks in the sky. The
demonstration of the first plane at the EAA AirVenture air show was a
debut of sorts for the fledgling Rocket Racing League, which will fly
its racer several times this week. It plans to hold further
demonstrations and the first exhibition races at air shows later this
year in Nevada and in New Mexico. (7/30)
Aviation Innovators Compete for NASA Technology Prizes
(Source: NASA)
The 2008 General Aviation Technology Challenge will be held Aug. 4-10
at the Sonoma County Airport in California. Competitors will
demonstrate innovations resulting in aircraft that are safer, less
expensive and easier to operate, while having fewer negative impacts on
the environment and communities surrounding airports. This year's
competition will feature the first Green Prize for aviation. The
highlight of the week-long event will occur Saturday, Aug. 9, with the
CAFE 400 - a 400-mile, cross-country air race that requires speed and
efficiency. (7/28)
'Gravity Tractor' Could Deflect Asteroids (Source: New
Scientist)
A "gravity tractor" could deflect an Earth-threatening asteroid if it
was deployed when the asteroid was more than one orbit away from the
potential impact, according to a new study. If the space rock was found
heading straight for Earth, a combination of techniques – including a
gravity tractor – might save the day. The study, carried out by NASA's
Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, shows that the weak
gravitational pull of a nearby spacecraft could deflect a hypothetical
asteroid 140 metres across, big enough to cause regional devastation if
it hit Earth. (7/28)
Giant Lake Confirmed on Saturn's Moon Titan (Source:
Space.com)
A giant, glassy lake larger than North America's Lake Ontario graces
the south pole of Saturn's largest moon Titan, new research confirms.
"This is the first observation that really pins down that Titan has a
surface lake filled with liquid," said lead researcher Robert Brown of
the University of Arizona's Lunar and Planetary
Laboratory in Tucson. Called Ontario Lacus,
the lake extends 150 miles (235 kilometers) and covers an area of about
7,800 square miles (20,000 square kilometers). The lake structure is
filled mostly with methane and ethane, hydrocarbons that are gases on
Earth but liquid on the bone-chilling surface of Titan. (7/30)
Colonizing Venus With Floating Cities (Source: Universe
Today)
Geoffrey Landis, a scientist at NASA's Glenn Research Center who writes
science fiction in his spare time, recently shared his ideas about
colonizing Venus. Yes, Venus, our hot, greenhouse-effect-gone-mad
neighboring planet with a crushing surface pressure that has doomed the
few spacecraft that have attempted to reach its surface. Venus' surface
itself is pretty much out of the question for human habitation, but
about 50 kilometers above the surface, Landis says the atmosphere is
the most Earth-like environment, other than Earth itself, in the solar
system. What Landis proposes is creating floating cities on Venus where
people could live and work, as well as study the planet below.
50 km above the surface, Venus has air pressure of approximately 1 bar
and temperatures in the 0°C-50°C range, a quite comfortable environment
for humans. Humans wouldn't require pressurized suits when outside, but
it wouldn't quite be a shirtsleeves environment. We'd need air to
breathe and protection from the sulfuric acid in the atmosphere.
"Because the atmosphere of Venus is CO2, the gases that we live in all
the time, nitrogen and oxygen, would be a lifting gas," he said.
So, create a bubble, fill it with Earth-like atmosphere, and it would
float on Venus. The biggest challenge would be using a substance
resistant to sulfuric acid to form the outer layer of the bubble;
ceramics or metal sulfates could possibly serve in this role, but of
course, you'd want to be able to see outside, as well. "Just think of
the great pictures you could get," said Landis. (7/16)
SpaceX Head Vows To Push On As Third Rocket Launch Fails
(Sources: Wall Street Journal, SpaceToday.net)
For the third time in an as many tries, the most prominent
privately-funded U.S. rocket suffered a launch failure, raising new
questions not only about the fate of the project but what Pentagon
brass and civilian government space officials will do if they can't
depend on the planned family of low-cost Falcon launchers. Elon Musk,
the founder and head of closely-held Space Exploration Technologies
Corp., said "it was obviously a big disappointment."
Musk said a problem occurred during stage separation, causing the
failure. The rocket was carrying a small satellite, Trailblazer, built
by SpaceDev for the Operationally Responsive Space Office of the
Defense Department, as well as two small NASA secondary payloads and a
Malaysian payload adapter. In the statement, Musk said that SpaceX
would press on with the next two Falcon 1 launches, and that the
company had received a sizable investment recently to fund continued
development of the company's vehicles. (8/3)
NASA Nanosatellites Catch
Ride on SpaceX Rocket, Demonstrate Technology (Source: NASA)
NASA flew two nanosatellites as secondary payloads aboard the SpaceX
Falcon 1. Spaceflight engineers and project managers at NASA's Ames Research Center, and NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, teamed to arrange a
fast-paced, low-cost mission. The mission was to provide an opportunity
to demonstrate NASA-developed spaceflight technologies and the
Ames-developed modular approach to constructing the PharmaSat Risk
Evaluation (or PRESat) and NanoSail-D satellites. (8/1)
SpaceX Conducts Full Thrust Firing of Falcon 9 Rocket
(Source: SpaceX)
SpaceX conducted the first nine engine firing of its Falcon 9 launch
vehicle at its Texas Test Facility on July 31. A second firing on
August 1 completed a major NASA Commercial Orbital Transportation
Services (COTS) milestone almost two months early. At full power, the
nine engines consumed 3,200 lbs of fuel and liquid oxygen per second,
and generated 832,000 pounds of force (lbf) – four times the maximum
thrust of a 747 aircraft. This marks the first firing of a Falcon 9
first stage with its full complement of nine Merlin 1C engines . Once a
near-term Merlin 1C fuel pump upgrade is complete, the sea level thrust
will increase to 950,000 lbf, making Falcon 9 the most powerful single
core vehicle in the United States.
“This was the most difficult milestone in development of the Falcon 9
launch vehicle and it also constitutes a significant achievement in US space vehicle
development. Not since the final flight of the Saturn 1B rocket in
1975, has a rocket had the ability to lose any engine or motor and
still successfully complete its mission,” said Elon Musk, CEO and CTO
of SpaceX. “Much like a commercial airliner, our multi-engine design
has the potential to provide significantly higher reliability than
single engine competitors.” (8/2)
Russian Rocket to Orbit European GOCE Satellite on Sept. 10
(Source: RIA Novosti)
The launch of a Russian Rockot carrier rocket bearing Europe's first
GOCE satellite has been scheduled for September 10. The Gravity field
and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer satellite will measure the
Earth's gravitational field. The Rockot launch vehicle is a modified
version of the Russian RS-18 (SS-19 Stiletto) intercontinental
ballistic missile. It uses the two original lower stages of the ICBM in
conjunction with a Breeze-KM upper-stage for commercial payloads. The
launch will be carried out by Russia's Space Forces from the
Plesetsk spaceport in northwest Russia and will put the GOCE
satellite into a low earth orbit (LEO) of 270-300 km (170-186 miles).
(7/30)
Europe's Space Ambitions in
Context
(Source: Space Review)
France is leading an effort to
create a unified European Union space policy. Taylor Dinerman examines
the reasons why the EU desires a more robust space policy and its
implications for cooperation with the US and other nations. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1178/1
to view the article. (7/28)
India to Soon Get Global
Navigation System for ISRO, Airports (Source: The Hindu)
India will soon acquire a
comprehensive global navigation satellite system to meet the
requirements of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and Airports
Authority of India (AAI). "India has tied up recently with
US aerospace major Raytheon Company for the final phase of its
ambitious Global Positioning Satellite-Aided Geosynchronous Augmented
Navigation System (GAGAN)," said a Raytheon official. GAGAN will
provide satellite-based navigation for civil aviation across South and East Asia, which will provide India with "the most accurate,
flexible and efficient" air navigation system deployed. (8/3)
Boeing, Air Force Will Launch Unmanned Space Plane in November
(Source: Aviation Week)
The Air Force and Boeing are preparing for the first flight test of an
unmanned military space plane. Launch of the first mission of the
USAF/Boeing X-37B space maneuvering vehicle is scheduled for liftoff
from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport in November on an Atlas V Evolved
Expendable Launch Vehicle. A landing at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., would follow. The
mission concept has been under development for decades as a way to
broaden U.S. military space access
with a winged vehicle that could perform a multitude of missions before
returning to Earth for a runway landing. The vehicle is about 27 feet
long with a 15-foot wingspan. (7/30)
Lockheed Martin Wins Contract Modification for Global Strike
Reentry Vehicle (Source: DOD)
Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company has been awarded a $16,709,000
unpriced modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee
contract to provide support to the Prompt Global Strike Medium Lift
Reentry Body development effort. The work will be performed in Sunnyvale, Calif., and various other
locations yet to be determined, and work is expected to be completed in
June 2009. (7/11)
Air Force Accelerates Work on Satellite Imaging Radar
(Source: Aerospace Daily)
The Air Force Space Command is speeding up upgrade work for the
Haystack Ultra-wideband Satellite Imaging Radar. The upgrade, which
would be completed in fiscal 2012, will give the DOD the ability to
characterize microsatellites earlier than previously planned. An
additional $10 million requested in fiscal 2008 would allow for the
accelerated work on the project. (7/30)
U.S. Air Force Opts to Move Ahead on T-Sat (Source: Space
News)
After evaluating potential alternatives to its Transformational
Satellite (T-Sat) communications system, the U.S. Defense Department
has opted to go forward with the program as planned and intends to
award a $15 billion prime contract to Boeing or Lockheed Martin by this
winter, according to a U.S. Air Force spokesman. (7/30)
4th Air Force Satellite Spurs Cost Spike (Source:
Aerospace Daily)
The addition of a fourth satellite in the U.S. Air Force's Advanced
Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) portfolio will likely prompt a program
cost breach of more than 25 percent, triggering a rigorous series of
reviews under the Nunn-McCurdy law before a way forward is decided. The
program is not, however, experiencing new technical or cost management
issues, says Gary Payton, deputy under secretary of the Air Force for
space programs. The additional funding is needed to restart Lockheed
Martin's AEHF production line. Congress directed the purchase of the
additional AEHF spacecraft, Air Force officials have been stressing all
year - especially as they try to explain changes to their plans for the
successor to AEHF, the Transformational Satellite (TSAT) program. The
AEHF supply chain was brought to a halt after the Pentagon opted to end
the buy at three satellites. The AEHF buy was truncated to shift to
TSAT, which has since been delayed due to bureaucratic discussions at
the Pentagon. (8/2)
Defense Support Program Satellite Decommissioned (Source:
SpaceRef.com)
The Air Force's Defense Support Program (DSP) Flight 19 satellite,
built by Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC), was decommissioned
today following nine years of service. Northrop Grumman personnel
stationed at the company's Telemetry and Orbital Test Station in Redondo Beach, Calif., terminated the downlink
to Flight 19 at the Air Force's command. (8/1)
Boeing Wins $4.1 Million DARPA Phase 1 Contract on FAST
(Source: Space News)
DARPA has awarded Boeing a $4.9 million contract to design a new
high-power spacecraft propulsion system. The first phase of DARPA's
Fast Access Spacecraft Testbed (FAST) program is for the design of an
ultra-lightweight electric propulsion system. The second phase of the
program, if it is authorized by DARPA, would include fabrication and
ground testing of the propulsion system. Hamilton Sundstrand Corp. was
also awarded an eight-month, $4.1 million Phase One contract under the
FAST program. (8/1)
Conrad Foundation Launches to Support High School Entrepreneurs
(Source: Conrad Foundation)
Nancy Conrad, wife of the late Apollo 12 astronaut Charles “Pete”
Conrad, announced the launch of the Conrad Foundation, a non-profit
organization founded with the goal to energize and inspire high school
students to create and bring to market commercial products using
science and technology. The Conrad Foundation partners with
entrepreneurs, universities, businesses, and organizations within
specific fields of study to select pioneering concepts that connect
education and business. (8/2)
Lockheed Hopes Online
Program Spurs Students' Interest in Space (Source: AIA)
A new online program launched by Lockheed Martin is aimed at helping
students learn about NASA's mission to the moon and Mars. The program
is aimed at inspiring more students to pursue careers in space and is
named Orion's Path, after the spacecraft that Lockheed is designing to
take astronauts to the moon. (7/29)
Embry-Riddle Wins Second Award for Online Course Design
(Source: ERAU)
Blackboard Inc., a leading provider of e-Education software
applications and services, presented Embry-Riddle Aeronautical
University with a 2008 Exemplary Course Award. The award recognized
excellence in Embry-Riddle’s template-based online course design
process, as demonstrated with the university's ENGL 221 Technical
Report Writing course. This is the university's second national award
this year for online education. Earlier this year, Embry-Riddle won the
2008 Distinguished Distance Learning Course award from the University
Continuing Education Association forits WEAX 201 Meteorology I course.
Embry-Riddle's courses are largely geared toward students pursuing
aerospace careers. (7/31)
Interns at MSFC Work on Rocket Engines, Web Sites (Source:
Huntsville Times)
It's been more than answering phones and running errands for these
interns. More than 150 high school and college students at Marshall Space Flight Center spent their summer
building and testing model rocket engines, creating content for NASA
Web sites and learning data critical to space missions. According to Marshall, some interns helped NASA
engineers lay groundwork for building the Ares I rocket. The interns
came from 23 states and Puerto Rico as part of the new
program called INSPIRE - the Interdisciplinary National Science Project
Incorporating Research and Education Experience. The internships ended
Tuesday. (8/1)
Rocket-Building Student
Interns See Their "Future" Lifting Off (Source: Denver Post)
Eight weeks of meticulous designing, careful planning and hard labor by
20 budding rocket scientists were about to pay off. "I'm really
excited," said Courtney Kais, one of the interns who helped build a
16-foot high-power rocket for United Launch Alliance. "Future," the
name given to the rocket by the interns, zipped away at 300 mph,
leaving behind a trail of white smoke, as well as enthusiastic applause
and cheers from the crowd. A parachute helped the $2,000 rocket,
equipped with a real-time video recorder and data-reading instruments,
float to the ground, not too far from its launch site. The rocket
construction and launch was a volunteer project for the interns, who
worked after hours and weekends to complete it, and a first for United
Launch Alliance, the joint venture created in late 2006 by Boeing and
Lockheed Martin. The firm, which typically sends satellites into space
for the government, plans to have 13 "real" launches under its belt by
the end of the year. (8/3)
Raytheon Gets $83 Million NASA Contract (Source: AP)
Raytheon said Monday that NASA awarded it an $83 million subcontract
for data and systems work at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The
five-year deal is part of a contract between NASA and the California
Institute of Technology. Raytheon will work on information technology,
Web development and systems engineering and design for the NASA lab.
(7/28)
FCC Tries to Avert Threatened Satellite Cutoff (Source:
Washington Post)
The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission issued a
last-minute appeal to a satellite telecommunications company yesterday,
urging it to continue providing Internet and other satellite-based
services to a subscriber despite a contract dispute. SES Americom had
threatened to shut off satellite service to OnSat Network
Communications, saying it is owed more than $4 million. Their dispute
involves the delivery of Internet services to the Navajo Nation in Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. (8/2)
EADS 2Q Profit Up 46 Percent on Cost Savings (Source: AP)
EADS, the parent company of planemaker Airbus, said its profit surged
in the second quarter as cost savings and higher deliveries offset a
big charge for delays to its groundbreaking A380 jumbo jet and further
woes from the falling dollar. Net profit for the three months to June
rose 46 percent to 118 million euros ($185.32 million) compared with 81
million euros a year earlier. Revenue advanced 5 percent to 9.89
billion euros ($15.53 billion). (7/30)
Northrop Grumman 2Q Profit Beats Forecast (Source: Forbes)
Northrop Grumman Corp. said its second-quarter profit rose 8 percent as
sales jumped 10 percent on strong performance in its shipbuilding and
aerospace segments. The Los Angeles-based company reported net income
of $495 million in the quarter ending June 30. That compares to
earnings of $460 million in the year-ago period. Revenue rose nearly 10
percent to $8.63 billion from $7.88 billion, led by double-digit growth
in its shipbuilding segment. The latest results beat Wall Street's
forecast of $8.28 billion. (7/30)
Eutelsat Raises Future Revenue Expectations (Source: Space
News)
Satellite-fleet operator Eutelsat reported increased revenue and profit
from its 24 satellites and said it expects annual revenue growth of 6
percent between now and 2011, when sales should surpass 1 billion euros
($1.55 billion), the company said July 31. (8/1)
Sirius XM Cites $400 Million Savings (Source: Space News)
Sirius XM Radio said it would immediately begin to integrate operations
and realize efficiencies following its July 28 formation via the merger
of Sirius and XM. However, the company, which will be headquartered in New York and operate XM as a
wholly owned subsidiary based in Washington, was mum on future plans
to consolidate its satellite infrastructure. In a press release issued
July 29, Sirius XM said it has 18.5 million subscribers and expects to
realize $400 million in efficiencies in 2009 alone. (8/1)
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