[CSA] CSA: SpotBeam California, April 12, 2010

  • From: Jamie Foster <jamie.foster@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: csa@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Mon, 12 Apr 2010 12:59:57 -0700

 

SpotBeam California

Voice, Visibility, Edge

 

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April 12, 2010

 

California Items

Governor Schwarzenegger Establishes Office of Economic Development (Source: CSA)
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today signed an executive order establishing the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GoED), a one-stop shop to help businesses acquire the direction, information and resources they need to invest, succeed and expand in California.
Visit http://www.gov.ca.gov/press-release/14844/ for information. (4/10)

Yuri’s Night 2010 at Ames (Source: CNET)
Hundreds of people at
NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, Calif., joined revelers around the world Saturday night for Yuri's Night, an annual worldwide party to celebrate Soviet Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin's first flight into space on April 12, 1961, and honor the spirit of exploration and innovation in art and culture. The two-day celebration at NASA Ames featured an all-day Friday educational event with speakers and seminars, followed by the all-day Saturday festival put on by Symbiosis with art installations and music on the NASA tarmac.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-30252_3-20002220-246.html

QuakeFinder First Quarter 2010 Newsletter Available (Source: Stellar Solutions)
Titles include: New Sensor Locations, “EQL-Earthquake Lights”: Another Precursor?, and New Lab Facilities and Data Center Architecture. Find this issue and other QuakeFinder news here:
http://www.quakefinder.com/news/

CA Space Enterprise Strategic Planning to Hold Issue Webinars (Source: CSA)
This April, the California Space Authority (CSA), facilitator of the collaborative statewide California Space Enterprise Strategic Plan 2010-2012, will be hosting several webinars around critical issues identified by the CSA Board’s appointees to the Space Enterprise Advisory Council (
SEAC). A webinar will also be held to revisit the collaborative statewide vision that the California space enterprise community has adopted for its past two strategic plans. Unlike previous planning periods, in which stakeholders had to commit to serving on various statewide collaboratives, CSA’s new process replaces domain-specific collaboratives with issue-oriented forums (mostly e-forums), without requiring long-term committee-like participation. Details:
http://www.californiaspaceauthority.org/images/pdfs/CSA-April2010-StratPlan-Webinars.pdf

California 7th Graders Win Space Station Education Project
(Source: NASA)
An experiment to determine if the radius of a circle of revolution affects the speed of the outer revolving object in microgravity is one of the winning entries for NASA's Kids in Micro-G. This project will involve 7th graders from the
Hamlin School in San Francisco. It is one of nine elementary-to-middle school projects selected nationwide. The NASA program will compare the results of experiments performed by the students with those of astronauts flying on the International Space Station. Click here for a list of the winning projects. (4/9)

Regional Design Competition for High School Students, May 1st (Source: CSA)
The 2010 California Project Lead the Way Design Challenge season is here!  Cal Poly Pomona is hosting a Regional POE Competition on May 1st. The flier is here:  http://www.csupomona.edu/~engineering/locators/pltw/design_competition_2010.pdf

Monterey Students Receive Call from Orbiting Astronauts--Including Former Teacher (Source: CSA)
Eighth grade students and children of the military community in California's Monterey Peninsula spoke with astronauts orbiting 220 miles above Earth on April 10. Click
here for information. (4/10)

San Diego Team Delivers Camera For Next Mars Rover (Source: Spce Daily)
Malin Space Science Systems has delivered the two cameras for the Mast Camera instrument that will be the science-imaging workhorse of NASA's Mars Science Laboratory rover, to be launched next year. The instrument, called Mastcam, has been tested and is ready for installation onto the rover, named Curiosity, which is being built at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. (4/7)

Deborah A. Wreyford Named President of The W Foundation (Source: W Foundation)
Bay Area philanthropist Deborah A. Wreyford is the new President of the space education group, The W Foundation. This organization is a volunteer staffed & privately funded 501c3 non-profit corporation, which Ms. Wreyford and her husband, Ken Winans, founded in 2004. It owns and displays one of the largest private collections of
U.S., Russian and Soviet space exploration artifacts in existence.

Items from this extensive collection of space exploration artifacts have been on display for many years at such Bay Area institutions as
Chabot Space Science Center, The USS Hornet Museum, and it sponsors the "Navy in Space" exhibit during Fleet Week. It has also attracted legendary figures such as Apollo 12 Astronaut Dick Gordon, award winning actor Bill Pullman and video game designer Will Wright to its Board of Advisers. Ms. Wreyford is also involved with The San Francisco Fleet Week Association, The Magic Theatre, and The Wreyford Family Foundation. (4/10)

CSA Luncheon Roundtable with Dr. Charles Elachi of JPL, May 19 (Source: CSA)
At the Sheridan Gateway Hotel, LAX. Join us and guest speaker, Dr. Charles Elachi, Director, Jet Propulsion Laboratory at CSA's second luncheon roundtable for 2010! Registration and networking begins at
11:45 followed by luncheon program at 12:15 pm. Please RSVP to Elizabeth Burkhead at 805-349-2633 or Elizabeth.Burkhead@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. Register at:
http://www.prestoregister.com/cgi-bin/order.pl?ref=csa-event&fm=11

NASA Awards Ames Business Operations and Technical Services Contract (Source: NASA)
NASA has selected Deltha-Critique
NSS Joint Venture of New Orleans to receive a contract for business operations and technical services at NASA's Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, Calif. The contract has a maximum value of $70 million. (4/6)

 

National & International Items


Discovery Launches on
Mission to ISS (Source: Space Today)
The space shuttle Discovery lifted off on schedule Monday morning on a mission to deliver cargo to the International Space Station. Discovery launched at
6:21 am EDT (1021 GMT) into clear pre-dawn skies, after a largely problem-free countdown. Discovery will carry out a 13-day mission to the station, ferrying the Leonardo cargo module filled with equipment and other supplies for the ISS. Two astronauts, Clay Anderson and Rick Mastracchio, will perform three spacewalks during the shuttle's time at the ISS to perform maintenance work on the station. (4/5)

Neil deGrasse Tyson: What NASA Means to America's Future (Source: CSA)
Mr. Tyson shares some of his views about NASA and
America’s future during a question/answer period at the University of Buffalo on April 2, 2010.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQhNZENMG1o

Discovery Antenna Failure Could Impact Mission Length or Objectives (Source: Florida Today)
NASA continues to wrestle with the failure of a high-speed data antenna aboard Discovery that could wind up forcing an extension of the shuttle's planned 13-day mission or dropping some scheduled work. "We are talking about possibly extending, we are talking about deferring mission content -- everything is on the table at this point," said Courtenay McMillan, an International Space Station flight director, during a
2 a.m. news briefing at Johnson Space Center in Houston. (4/8)

Some Details Emerge on Obama Visit (Source: Florida Today)
President Obama will arrive at KSC at
1:45 p.m. on April 15. He will make live remarks at 3 p.m. and depart at 3:45 p.m., the White House said. On Thursday, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said Obama would use the visit to make a "major space policy speech." That will be followed by four panel discussions involving invited space experts. Obama's visit will be shown on NASA TV, Bolden said. (4/9)

Is a Space Exploration Compromise Planned?
(Source: NASA Watch)
There seems to be a general consensus forming among NASA, OSTP, and
NSC as to what sort of rethinking might be acceptable to all parties with regard to where NASA human spaceflight is going: Ares 1 and 5 remain cancelled. Orion is continued - but in a "Lite" variant that could fly on human-rated EELVs. The commercial crew/cargo approach would remain unchanged. Meanwhile, NASA will continue to fly the Space Shuttle, albeit at a stretched out rate (2 or so flights/year) while ET production is restarted.

In addition to closing the "gap" for American human spaceflight, stretched out Space Shuttle operations will allow a rapid implementation of a Shuttle-derived heavy-lift rocket for cargo (not crew). NASA will also seek to develop a human-rated exploration spacecraft that only operates in space. The initial version will likely use unused ISS modules and Constellation systems. Its component parts would be launched by the Shuttle/Shuttle-C. The exploration vehicle will be assembled on-orbit at the ISS. This exploration spacecraft will be a pathfinder for more complex systems that will be able to traverse cis-lunar space on a regular basis.

It is anticipated that NASA will be called upon to do a routine 30-60 study following the summit and that formal White House approval would come some time during the Summer. This "compromise" will bring layoff numbers back down from the looming abyss that overt Constellation cancellation and Shuttle retirement would cause; keep the Administration's interest in commercial space alive; retain in-house NASA experience in human spaceflight systems, bring the ISS to its full potential; and field human-rated spacecraft capable of leaving LEO much sooner than Constellation is ever likely to have done. (4/6)

Mars Society Foresees Obama Policy Shift (Source: Mars Society)
Information received by the Mars Society indicates that there is a real chance that on April 15, President Barack Obama will announce a bold new space policy that breaks substantially from the current disastrous “flexible path to nowhere” policy. The reaction to the policy from Congress has accordingly been extremely negative, and not merely from Republicans, but also, in fact especially, from Democrats, who face electoral destruction in
Florida should the plan remain in place. The pressure to break from it has therefore become extreme.

The nominal objective claimed by both camps is Mars. The question at issue is it "Mars someday" or "Mars in our time." This is THE central issue, not just because many of us would prefer to get to Mars sooner rather than later, but because "Mars someday" means that no real flyable hardware will be built. In contrast, "Mars in our time" means we really develop an HLV and other flight hardware, and not only keep flying, but make real progress. (4/6)

Space Scientist: NASA Needs a Strategy to Mars (Source: WDBO)
For Dr. Pascal Lee, the faces of children light up when he begins to talk to them about exploring Mars. Studying the Red Planet has been the core of his work at the Mars Institute at NASA's
Ames Research Park in California. "I think Mars is the exploration destination of the 21st Century," he told WDBO after an appearance at the Orlando Science Center. "There's still a lot to look at and explore on the moon, but just as there is a lot to explore on the bottoms of the oceans on the Earth it doesn't mean we shouldn't move on to other bodies," he added. (4/8)

 

Lost in Space (Source: Fox News)
"The U.S. has surrendered its advantage in space, conceding the high ground to others who are probably our enemies," said Jane Orient, a science policy expert and professor at the
University of Arizona. "We are apparently leaving seven astronauts in space as hostages. Their loss would be a tragedy, but only a small part of the total disaster. It would symbolize the lack of respect that America has for its pioneers."

NASA Watch Comment: Huh? Who is being left in space as a "hostage"? Who is "Jane Orient"? This whole article reads like a spoof that you'd expect to see on The Onion. Oh wait - its Fox News. Nevermind. (4/9)

 

NASA Plans New Robot Generation to Explore Moon, Asteroids (Source: Space.com)
American astronauts may not return to the moon anytime soon, but robotic explorers seem poised to go there — and just about everywhere else — in the solar system in short order. NASA's new space exploration plan includes a heavy emphasis on robotic missions that would land on the moon, Mars and even asteroids to pave the way for human exploration. The agency's 2011 budget calls for funding two such missions starting next year. One of those missions is a lunar expedition that would test the ability to control robots remotely from Earth, or the International Space Station, on the moon. (4/7)


Report: U.S. Space Industry Faces More Level Playing Field (Source:
AIA)
The U.S., long the global leader in the space industry, will take its place on a more level playing field, according to the Pentagon's interim Space Posture Review, which was sent to Congress last month. The country faces increased competition from dozens of countries in the market and in expertise in fielding space capabilities, threatening the historical advantages that
U.S. industry has enjoyed. (4/6)


NASA Contractors: Abandoning the Constellation Moon Program? (Source:
Orlando Sentinel)
While some members of Congress are gearing up for a battle royale with the White House over President Barack Obama’s plans to cancel NASA’s Constellation moon program, some of the agency’s main aerospace contractors appear to be abandoning the troubled rocket project that was once billed as “Apollo on steroids.” Recently rocket engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne have told other contractors — namely Lockheed Martin, Boeing,
ATK and the United Space Alliance — that it will no longer support their lobbying efforts to keep Constellation alive. Their departure from the elite lobbying effort — confirmed by very reliable sources and PWR officials — is a blow to the effort to keep the moon program going over the objections of the President. Pratt & Whitney is the nation’s No. 1 rocket engine maker. (4/7)

Group Releases Strategic Analysis Report on Space Industry (Source: DSER)
The Deep Space Emergency Response (DSER) organization has released a new report titled “Space Policy via Macro-Economic Analysis.” Conventional wisdom among many space policy experts is that sustainability arises from technology development and job creation, butt subtle, unaddressed drivers are equally critical; and without including them in policy, the manned space flight industry will be unable to graduate from a solely government-subsidized affair.

The authors considered a macro-economic approach to the space flight industry, dealing with the broader issues of why money is spent instead of focusing on details of how much a part costs. This approach, and the studies that followed, ultimately revealed subtle differences between the manned orbital space flight and the remainder of the space industry. These differences explain why that market continues to experience difficulties in achieving commercial independence and the related goal of sustainability. Something else is needed.

“This work has been submitted to NASA and government officials, and met with great unofficial support,” said Dr. Gordon Smith, Ph.D., co-author of the report. “As the debate is moving further into the public eye, we felt it the right time to introduce our ideas on a broader stage.” Click
here for information. (4/5)

Houston Counting Down the Months on Space Shuttle Program (Source: AIA)
After the space shuttle makes its final flight in September, shuttering the program will take until February 2011, according to a government report. That's seen as good news for space workers in
Houston, where the shuttle program is worth about $200 million per month. "It's good news in that we indirectly will be keeping the program alive, we'll keep people employed and the program goes forward," says Houston City Councilman Mike Sullivan. But what the Houston area really needs, Sullivan says, "is a commitment from the current administration, President Obama, to extend the life of the program and let us go on with long-term plans." (4/6)

If Shuttles Kept Flying, What Would
Mission Be? (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
The looming reality of the Shuttle's retirement, and the 9,000 KSC job losses that go with it, has shuttle supporters scrambling to extend the program. But their efforts face several hurdles — not all of them political. Because when asked what they would fly aboard more shuttle missions, NASA officials shrug. "Right now, we wouldn't have a list of things to go fly," said a NASA manager. "The way we built the manifest was to give station everything it needed through 2015 or 2020 without the shuttle flying."

Despite that assessment,
Florida lawmakers are pressuring President Obama to add more shuttle flights as he prepares to host an April 15 space summit at or near KSC. They argue the shuttle is the only reliable U.S. vehicle now capable of launching crew or cargo to the station and are pushing NASA to study what the agency cut from its delivery manifest when the Bush administration announced its plans to retire the shuttle, hoping to find something else that can be taken into space.


Space Shuttle Retirement Leaves Russia Grinning (Source: Yomiuri Shimbun)
Monday's launch of space shuttle Discovery marked the 131st shuttle flight since Columbia blasted off in 1981, but the shuttle fleet will be mothballed after three more flights. The clear winner from the shuttles' retirement will be
Russia. While the U.S. intends to leave the transport of astronauts and equipment to the ISS up to the private sector, there is no prospect of that in the foreseeable future--and the shuttle fleet will retire later this year.

The
United States' financial difficulties have dented any realistic aspirations it had to return to the moon or reach Mars. Many other nations are in a similar plight. However, if the United States loses its own transport to the ISS, the Russian spacecraft Soyuz will find itself with a monopoly on taking astronauts to the space station. Moscow is cashing in: Although Russia previously charged 3 billion yen to carry an astronaut on the Soyuz, this figure was bumped up to 5 billion yen in a deal it signed last year with the United States.

Once the leader in space development, the
United States' space exploration policies are now drifting aimlessly. This lack of certainty is shaking up the strategies of other countries--Japan included. (4/7)

NASA Extends Contract with Russian Space Agency (Source: NASA)
NASA has signed a $335 million modification to the current International Space Station contract with the Russian Federal Space Agency for crew transportation, rescue and related services in 2013 and 2014. The firm-fixed price modification covers comprehensive Soyuz support, including all necessary training and preparation for launch, crew rescue, and landing of a long-duration mission for six individual station crew members. (4/6)

 

Editorial: Dawn of the Commercial Space Age (Source: Roanoke Times)
Monday will mark the 49th anniversary of the first human to orbit Earth in space. That man's name was Yuri Garagin. Today, he serves as an international symbol of the human quest. He is feted annually with Cosmonaut's Day and Yuri's Night globally. Since that day in 1961, more than 500 human beings have trained and escaped the upper atmosphere, crossing the so-called Karman Line to outer space. Men and women of numerous nationalities have been to space on vehicles built by Russian, American and Chinese governments. Hundreds more are destined to do likewise.

On Thursday, President Barack Obama will articulate a new national space policy, and chart a new course for NASA. The president's remarks on space policy will not be easy, indeed they will be hard for many. At the conclusion of 2010, no American-made spacecraft will be available to lift our astronauts from Earth for years. And we may bear witness to Chinese walking on the moon in the next 10 years.

Instead, this president will be making a significant bet on American private enterprise and ingenuity to return Americans to low Earth orbit and enable NASA astronauts and private citizens to go beyond. And, it will come from companies like Virginia-based Orbital Sciences Corp., California-based SpaceX and others. Americans will reach for the stars from Cape Canaveral and a little-known place called Wallops Island on Virginia's Eastern Shore, beginning as soon as 2016. (4/11)

 

Supply and Demand for Commercial Launch (Source: Space Review)
While many debate the commercial elements of NASA's new space exploration plan, the overall commercial space industry is largely focused on other issues. Jeff Foust reports on the latest round of debate between launch services providers and satellite operators about whether there is a sufficient supply of commercial launchers. Visit
http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1600/1 to view the article. (4/5)


Obama's Plan to Commercialize Space Travel Expected to Dominate Space Symposium (Source: Denver Post)
The National Space Symposium — the premier gathering of the international space community — always draws a crowd. But this year, the event is taking on a heightened importance as industry leaders look for clarity on President Barack Obama's proposed NASA budget. A record 8,000 people are expected to attend the annual event this week in
Colorado Springs.

Scheduled from Monday through Thursday at the Broadmoor hotel, the registration-only symposium features panels, workshops, networking and back-room dealings. Aerospace companies will pack the exhibit hall. Major players in governmental, military and civilian space sectors are slated to speak. Hot topics are cybersecurity and the cultivation of a new generation of space leaders. Editor's Note: Government (local and state), industry and university representatives from
Florida are attending the event. (4/11)


New NASA Work Assignments Would Spread The Wealth (Source: Aviation Week)
Proposed work assignments under NASA’s turnabout Fiscal 2011 budget request would spread the agency’s five-year, $6-billion total budget increase — and the new jobs that may go with it — across the agency’s 10 field centers.

In announcing the field center work assignments, Administrator Charles Bolden said April 8 the specific effects on public and private-sector jobs remains to be seen, but he suggested that the $6 billion in additional NASA spending over the current five-year budget runout will translate into more space workers.

With Congress almost unanimously unhappy with the plan to drop the current in-house approach to human spaceflight — after spending more than $9 billion — and moving to a commercial space-transportation industry, that could improve the new plan’s chances on Capitol Hill. (4/9)

 

[Editor’s note: http://www.nasa.gov/news/budget/index.html]

NASA Assignments Favor States Hardest Hit by Loss of Constellation (Source: Space News)
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden assigned new roles to field centers in states likely to lose thousands of jobs if Congress approves the agency’s plan to cancel the Constellation program, a 5-year-old effort to replace the space shuttle with new rockets and spacecraft optimized for the Moon.

But while the new program assignments could pump billions of dollars into
Florida and other states that were counting on Constellation to stem post-shuttle job losses, Bolden said it is too soon to know how many aerospace workers would find employment under Obama’s plan. “We have more money, and that would say that you have more jobs,” Bolden said. NASA has not conducted an independent assessment of estimated job growth under Obama’s plan. “If we use the standard measure for future jobs as money, then yes, there should be more jobs.” (4/9)


Despite Constellation's Ending, Kennedy Will Thrive as Launch Complex (Source:
AIA)
Florida's Space Coast did not get an extension of the space shuttle program or revival of the Constellation program that were hoped for under President Barack Obama's budget, but the budget will nevertheless bring in an additional $4 billion to the Kennedy Space Center through 2015. Under the plan, NASA will open an office at the space center to oversee the development of commercial space taxis to fly astronauts to and from the International Space Station, and the center would also be transformed into a "21st Century Launch Complex." (4/9)

KSC to Get Commercial Office Under New NASA Plan (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden is expected to assign control of the agency’s commercial spacecraft management office to Kennedy Space Center today when he announces a slate of new work assignments under President Barack Obama’s new plans for the agency. The assignments are critical to NASA employees and contractors, as the distribution of new projects should go a long way in determining which NASA centers get work in the aftermath of the space shuttle program, which will end this year and take thousands of jobs with it.

KSC alone is expected to lose as many as 9,000 jobs, as its primary role is preparing the shuttle and other NASA spacecraft for launch. Under Obama’s plan, KSC has been pegged as the top commercial launch site and also looks likely to get an unnamed test program, according to sources close to the announcement. The new details come a week before Obama is set to visit KSC for a space conference. At the summit, Obama is expected to defend his new vision, which cancels NASA’s Constellation moon program and relies on commercial rockets to ferry astronauts to the International Space Station so that NASA engineers can focus their efforts on developing futuristic spacecraft and technologies. (4/8)

Thousands Rally in Central Florida To Save Space Jobs (Source: CFNews 13)
Sunday was a big day in Brevard County for those who work in the space program. Representatives from Washington, Tallahassee and the Space Coast community joined thousands of Central Floridians for a Save Space Rally. Leaders from Brevard County churches, businesses, unions and nonprofit organizations are expected to join the rally, which comes as the Space Coast’s two congressional representatives promised to pressure President Barack Obama to hold up his campaign promise to not give up on space exploration. “We here on the Space Coast need to know what our mission is -- know what it is we’re trying to accomplish, know what the vehicle is, the destination is, and what our job potential is going to be,” Kosmas said. (4/11)

Multi-State Grassroots Advocacy Group Invites You to Washington (Source: CSE)
Citizens for Space Exploration, a multi-state grassroots space advocacy group, is organization its 19th annual trip to Washington, D.C. We invite you to join this group of concerned citizens as we meet with Members of Congress to inform and educate them about the importance of a robust space exploration program and a fully funded NASA budget. This is a self-funded trip, but assistance is available for coordinating your participation. This may be the most important CSE trip ever! Visit
http://www.citizensforspaceexploration.org/dctrip.htm for information. (4/7)


How I Spent My Summer Vacation (Source: Space Review)
The pending retirement of the space shuttle will have an impact that goes beyond just the agency and the shuttle workforce at the Kennedy Space Center. Dwayne Day looks at how the end of the shuttle program could affect the center as a tourist destination. Visit
http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1599/1 to view the article. (4/5)

Houston Center Contractors May Face Work Gap Under NASA Budget Plan (Source:
AIA)
NASA contractors who stand to lose jobs if Congress approves President Barack Obama's budget plan to eliminate NASA's Constellation program may find new work with the agency, but they could be out of jobs for up to a year while new plans are formulated, said Mike Coats, director of the Johnson Space Center. Coats welcomed the proposed addition of a five-year, $6 billion technology development program at the space center, but he expressed concern about the 6,000 or so contractors in positions in the
Houston area who could be out of work for a while. (4/9)

Lugo: NASA Glenn Would Stabilize, Expand Under Obama Budget Proposal (Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer)
NASA Glenn Research Center would take greater control of its future and potentially attract more business under new tasks proposed by President Barack Obama, the center's acting director said Friday. The center would take the lead on two programs projected to cost $2.1 billion over the next five years, Ray Lugo said. The new tasks "play on our strengths and reflect a level of confidence in NASA Glenn's ability to perform," said
Lugo, who oversees a 3,400-person work force of civil servants and contractors. (4/11)

Marshall Gets Four New Program Offices, Will Lead $3.1 Billion Heavy-Lift Effort (Source: Huntsville Times)
Marshall Space Flight Center will get four new program offices in a NASA reorganization. Marshall will oversee: a new program office to develop next generation engines and propulsion technologies; an Exploration Precursor Robotic Program; a Space Technology Demonstrations office; and the Centennial Challenges Program: New Program Office to manage $10 million in FY 2011 and $50 million over five years for this innovative prize program. (4/11)

Air Force Wants Reusable Rocket Ships (Source: Network World)
The Air Force today said it would launch a program that would bring it reusable rockets that could carry military payloads into space and return to Earth. Known as the Reusable Booster System (RBS) Pathfinder, the spacecraft would consist of an autonomous, reusable, rocket-powered first stage with an expendable upper stage. The reusable first stage would launch vertically and carry the expendable ship to a particular point in orbit. The reusable portion would return to the launch base, landing aircraft-style on a runway, the Air Force stated.

One of the most direct ways for the return flight to take place is known as a rocket-back maneuver where upon delivery of its payload, the rocket would immediately swing around or reverse direction and use its main engine to fly directly back to the launch site, the Air Force stated. The return to launch site maneuver is completed with an unpowered reentry and gliding flight and landing. The Air Force said the Pathfinder also has a number of other requirements, including: low-manpower requirements; the use of Liquid Oxygen and Kerosene as main propellants; and reusable, highly reliable systems with extensive use of Integrated System Health Management to ensure system operations. (4/7)

Doing a 180 - AFRL's Rocket-Back Pathfinder (Source: Aviation Week)
Forget the personal jetpacks, the thing we've waited longest for is a military spaceplane. The US Air Force is finally getting round to testing the reusable, maneuverable orbital vehicle part, in the shape of the Boeing X-37B. But what about the commensurate quick-turnaround launch vehice? Well the Air Force Research Laboratory has just released a pre-solicitation notice for its Reusable Booster System (RBS) Pathfinder program. This is to be a subscale demonstrator for a reusable booster that would launch vertically, release an expendable upper-stage stack, and return to a horizontal landing on a runway at the launch site. The full-size RBS is envisioned as replacing Atlas and Delta EELVs some time after 2035.

The Air Force has been studying reusable boosters for a long time and has looked at first stages that glide back to base or fly back under jet or rocket power. AFRL has decided that the most promising concept for RBS is "rocket-back" - carry extra propellant and use the main rocket engines to reverse the unmanned booster's velocity then glide back to a horizontal landing. The Pathfinder program is intended to demonstrate the feasibility of the rocket-back maneuver. Compared with "jet-back", studies show rocket-back offers lower weight, cost and airframe heating, and a simpler design that can meet the RBS turn-around requirement of 48 hours.

The approach requires the vehicle to fly at significantly higher angles of attack as it pitches over to reverse its flightpath. Pathfinder is envisaged as a four-phase, 48-month, $33 million program. Up to three companies would be awarded Phase 1 study contracts totaling $4.5 million, after which one team would be selected to design the demonstrator and conduct first a propulsion-system ground test then at least two booster flights followed by three or more rocket-back tests. (4/7)


Flyback Booster Program Plans Near-Term Tests, Contracts (Source: Aviation Week)
A series of demonstrators is being planned by the Air Force to mature technology for a Reusable Booster System (RBS), its chosen replacement for the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) family beyond 2025. The first of the demonstrators, the Air Force Research Laboratory’s RBS Pathfinder, is planned to fly in 2013 to evaluate the “rocket-back” maneuver that would enable the unmanned first-stage booster to return to a runway landing at the launch site.

The plan calls for development of two versions of the RBS: one with a single reusable first stage and cryogenic upper stage for medium-lift missions; and one with two reusable boosters, cryogenic core stage and upper stage for heavy-lift and growth missions. Initial operational capability is planned for 2025, with the EELV to be phased out in 2030. The RBS is expected to reduce launch costs by at least 50% at a nominal flight rate of eight a year, he says. Engines would be used for 10 flights before replacement and the reusable airframe for 100 fights.

The concept's rocket-powered return maneuver requires extremely high combinations of angle-of-attack and sideslip. An inability to do tests in wind tunnels has led to the need to build a subscale flight demonstrator. The Pathfinder would be at least 15 ft. long, launched on a sounding rocket or from an aircraft on three test flights to demonstrate different rocket-back maneuvers. Up to three $1.5 million studies will be awarded, with one team to be selected for a $28.5 million contract to build the Pathfinder.

New Engine Technologies and Large-Scale Prototype Would Follow Initial Flyback Tests (Source: Aviation Week)
The RBX, a “moderately large-scale” (50-60 ft.) demonstrator “highly representative” of the operational reusable booster system, is planned to follow the "Pathfinder" reusable booster tests in 2016-17, to raise the technology readiness level and enable a decision to begin an RBS acquisition program.

Both Pathfinder and RBX will use existing rocket engines while a parallel program, Hydrocarbon Boost, develops and demonstrates technology for a liquid-oxygen/kerosene engine to power the operational RBS. NASA and the Air Force have begun talks on jointly developing a large hydrocarbon rocket engine. The RBS is expected to reduce launch costs by at least 50% at a nominal flight rate of eight a year, he says. Engines would be used for 10 flights before replacement and the reusable airframe for 100 fights. (4/11)

Rocketplane Global Plans Jacksonville Flights by 2013 (Source: Parabolic Arc)
Rocketplane Global expects to begin flying space tourists on suborbital rides out of Cecil Field in Jacksonville by 2013. Rocketplane has signed a letter of intent with the Jacksonville Aviation Authority to become the first commercial space operator to use the former Naval air base turned spaceport. Rocketplane's Chuck Lauer said that that Rocketplane would fund development of its six-person spaceplane as part of a $300 million project that would also create a Spaceport Visitor’s Center at the
Jacksonville site. The center would include full motion 3D/HD suborbital flight simulators that would allow visitors to experience a 4-minute version of the 45-minute spaceflight that well-heeled passengers will fly aboard Rocketplane’s suborbital vehicle. (4/11)


Bigelow Aerospace Eyes Wallops for Rocket Launches (Source: Daily Press)
Michael Gold, an attorney who represents Bigelow Aerospace, said the Nevada-based company will work at Wallops provided the nation commits to the commercial spaceflight agenda outlined by President Obama. "We will be here," Gold told a group of about 50 people recently after a tour of Wallops, where NASA has launched rockets from since 1945.

The company's success will be determined by finding a reusable vehicle to send humans into space, Gold said. Key to that is NASA's Commercial Crew Development (CCD), a program created to stimulate the development of privately operated space vehicles. NASA awarded CCD contracts to several companies, including Boeing, which subcontracted with Bigelow and is developing a space capsule called Orion Lite. Bigelow hopes the partnership will lead to regular launches its commercial space station.

Gold specifically mentioned the Atlas-5 as a possible launch vehicle. The Atlas launches from
Cape Canaveral, but could shift to Wallops, Gold said. Such a move could create hundreds of high-paying jobs on the Eastern Shore. "The economic impact of human spaceflight cannot be underestimated," Gold said. (4/10)

Questions Raised About Spaceport Firm's New Mexico Ties (Source: New York Times)
Summit West, the company that won a $32.5 million contract for construction at Spaceport America received credit for being a New Mexico business, but questions have come up over how much of a presence the firm maintains. Summit West appears to have two offices, and the one in
Albuquerque contained nothing but an unplugged telephone this week. The company lists its corporate headquarters in Phoenix. Its Web site says it has completed only one project in New Mexico and has another in progress.

Summit West won the $32.5 million contract to build Spaceport
America's terminal-hangar facility, aided by an in-state preference credit. In a November news release announcing the contract, the New Mexico Spaceport Authority called "Summit West of Albuquerque, New Mexico," a company with "a strong history of construction in New Mexico and throughout the Southwest." When visited by news media, the New Mexico office door was closed, lights were off, blinds were drawn, and a building receptionist told the newspaper no one was there. Building owner Charles Walker said Summit West has been renting space for less than a year. He said he's never seen anyone inside the offices.

Toni Balzano, deputy cabinet secretary for the Economic Development Department, suggested Summit West moved its offices to trailers at Spaceport
America after getting the contract and eventually will return to Albuquerque. She said Summit West was "given in-state preference" by the state Purchasing Office during the contract bid process -- a 5 percent credit for state companies to make them competitive with outside bidders. (4/7)

Long Island Astronaut Wants NASA Shuttle at Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum (Source: NY Daily News)
A Long Island astronaut wants back on a space shuttle - but as a tourist this time. Mike Massimino, 47, said he hopes the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum succeeds in its effort to land a decommissioned shuttle. "I would love to see one there," Mike Massimino, 47. "I think that would be a great place for it." The museum is hoping to score one of three orbiters - Endeavour, Atlantis or Discovery - after NASA shuts down the space shuttle program next year. NASA officials have said they want the shuttles to land where the most people will be able to see them. Intrepid officials said they get 1 million visitors a year - and expect even more if they get a shuttle. (4/8)

 

Florida Space Incentives Passed in State Senate (Source: Space Florida)
Space industry items in a "Jobs for Florida" bill (SB-1752) include $10 million for project financing and $3 million for business development, which will aid the State’s ability – through Space Florida – to attract and expand aerospace businesses. The aerospace portion of this bill is specifically designed to create new jobs at a time when NASA’s Space Shuttle retirement is expected to result in significant job losses, estimated at a total of 23,000 people, both direct and indirect.

Also included in the “Jobs for
Florida” legislation is $3.2 million to be used for workforce retraining and ultimate retention of displaced, highly skilled Shuttle workers. The bill's sponsors include Sen. Don Gaetz, Sen. Mike Haridopolos, and Sen. Thad Altman. (4/5)


NextGen Conference Stresses Cooperation, Commitment (Source:
AIA)
Murky policies and competing interests are bigger impediments than technology when it comes to implementing the NextGen air traffic control system, according to stakeholders and regulators. Data sharing, equipage and training are among the many issues yet to be worked out, and as a result the National Airspace System "isn't as far advanced as it could be or should be," FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt told attendees at a
Washington conference on Tuesday. Babbitt said consensus was key, and that all players should "commit to delivering capabilities on a set schedule and at specific locations." (4/7)

10 Space Jobs From the Near Future (Source: WIRED)
So what will a job market for the aspiring space junkie look like in 20 to 30 years? For a long time, the single goal for kids that were obsessed with spaceflight was to become an astronaut. Now, it looks like that job title will have some competition. Here are 10 non-scientist jobs I believe youngsters should start to prepare for. Click
here to view the article. (4/7)


Germany, Puerto Rico Triumph in Marshall's 'Great Moonbuggy Race' (Source: The Local)
"Team Germany" from Leipzig has won the NASA "Great Moonbuggy Race," where students design, build and race vehicles that tackle challenges faced by engineers of the lunar rover. The four-person German team won first prize in the high-school division after a decisive race in
Huntsville.

A team from the
University of Puerto Rico in Humacao won the first prize in the university division. The teams beat out more than 70 other groups from 18 US states and Puerto Rico as well as from Canada, India and Romania. "The Great Moonbuggy Race" recalls the challenges that engineers faced in the late 1960s, when they were designing the original Apollo-era lunar rover, which explored the surface of the moon in the early 1970s. (4/11)


US Scientist Who Tried to Spy for Israel: I Won’t End Up Like Pollard (Source: y net)
Former NASA scientist Dr. Stewart Nozette, who was charged with trying to pass classified information to a man he thought was an Israeli Intelligence officer, told an undercover FBI agent that he does not want to "end up like Pollard." Nozette, 53, of
Chevy Chase, Maryland, is facing a new charge of attempted espionage. According to a Fox report, the US Attorney's Office in the District has filed a superseding indictment claiming he tried to pass classified information about the Navy to a man he thought was an Israeli Intelligence officer. Nozette thought he was being recruited by the Mossad, the Israeli spy agency. (4/7)

Nuclear Arms Treaty Could Deal a Blow to Missile-Based Economies (Source:
AIA)
The economies of towns and cities in American's nuclear heartland could take a major hit from the proposed treaty between the
U.S. and Russia to reduce nuclear weapons. Cities in Montana, North Dakota and Wyoming could face hardships if the intercontinental ballistic missiles at local bases are put out of commission, and business leaders are lobbying Congress to keep the silos at full strength. (4/5)


Russia: Nuclear Weapons in Space will Undermine Global Stability (Source: Interfax)
The prospect of deploying arms in outer space and making conventionally-armed strategic offensive weapons could undermine global strategic stability, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said. "If we are to seriously discuss what practical steps must be taken to advance toward a world without nuclear weapons, we must pay attention to a number of factors which could potentially upset global strategic stability," Lavrov said. "This involves in the first place the prospect of deploying weapons in outer space. The second factor that could seriously destabilize the global situation is conventionally-armed strategic offensive weapons," he said. (4/6)


Russia Surges Ahead as U.S. Pulls Back from Space Exploration (Source:
AIA)
As the U.S. pulls back on its space exploration program, the country is relying more on Russia's federal space program for assistance. While President Barack Obama has proposed major cutbacks for NASA, the Russian government has increased spending on its space exploration program, and one Russian expert said he expected the
U.S. to be dependent on Russia to transport astronauts to space until at least 2020. An American astronaut was among Soyuz crew members that included two Russians and launched from Kazakhstan this week. (4/6)

Russia to Launch 7 New Navigation Satellites in 2010 (Source: AFP)
Russia is to launch seven new satellites this year for Moscow's GLONASS navigation system, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Tuesday. "By the end of the year, we plan on launching seven new satellites" which will bring the number operational to 27 or 28, Putin was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying. "GLONASS will cover the whole planet," he added. Russia is to spend 1.7 billion rubles (42.5 million euros, 58 million dollars) developing the system next year compared to 2.0 billion rubles this year and 2.5 billion rubles in 2009, he said. (4/6)

Russia Successfully Launches ESA’s CryoSat-2 Ice Satellite (Source: ESA)
Europe's first mission dedicated to studying the Earth’s ice was launched today from Kazakhstan. From its polar orbit, CryoSat-2 will send back data leading to new insights into how ice is responding to climate change and the role it plays in our 'Earth system'. The CryoSat-2 satellite was launched on a Dnepr rocket provided by the Kosmotras from the Baikonur spaceport in Kazakhstan. The signal confirming that it had separated from the launcher came 17 minutes later from the Malindi ground station in Kenya. (4/8)

Eurockot to Launch Two
ESA Earth Observation Missions (Source: ESA)
ESA has awarded a contract to Eurockot for the launch of two of its Earth observation missions. The first will be the next Earth Explorer: Swarm, a constellation of three satellites to study Earth's magnetic field. The contract covers the launch of ESA's Swarm magnetic-field mission and a 'ticket' for one other mission, yet to be decided. Both will take place from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russia using a Rockot launcher. With last week's successful launch of the CryoSat-2 Earth Explorer, this new contract highlights ESA's commitment to learning more about Earth from the vantage point of space. (4/9)

Russia to Launch CryoSat-2 European Probe on Apr. 8 (Source: RIA Novosti)
The launch of the European Space Agency's CryoSat-2 Earth Explorer satellite on a Russian Rokot carrier rocket is scheduled for April 8. CryoSat-2 will monitor the effects of global warming on polar glaciers. The 140 million euro CryoSat-1, was built by the EADS Astrium for the European Space Agency. It went missing in October 2005 after the satellite's Russian Rokot booster malfunctioned just a few minutes after blasting clear of the Plesetsk space center in northwest
Russia. It later crashed into the Arctic Ocean. (4/5)

Soyuz Mobile Gantry Takes Shape At Kourou (Source: Space Daily)
The final major infrastructure element for Soyuz' new launch site
in French Guiana is taking shape as the large mobile service gantry is assembled for this medium-lift vehicle at the Spaceport. Structural framework for the gantry initially was built up to a height of 27 meters, marking the first assembly phase of this mobile structure, which is now being increased up to 45 meters. The gantry then will receive its external metallic covering, and also be outfitted with the internal movable work platforms that provide access to Soyuz at various levels, along with support equipment. (4/5)

Ariane Launch Scrubbed (Source: SpaceToday.net)
The launch of two European satellites on an Ariane 5 was postponed again Friday night because of a vehicle pressurization problem. The Ariane 5
ECA was scheduled to launch Friday evening from Kourou, French Guiana, and place the ASTRA 3B and COMSAT Bw-2 communications satellites into orbit, but the countdown was stopped less than a minute before the launch time. Arianespace said in a statement that the launch was postponed because of an anomaly in the launch vehicle's pressurization system, but provided no additional details. No new launch date has been announced. The launch had been scheduled for late March but was postponed several hours before launch because of an unidentified vehicle anomaly. (4/10)

Brazil to Develop Rocket by 2014 (Source: RIA Novosti)
Brazil plans to develop its own carrier rocket for conveying small satellites into orbit by 2014, the Brazilian Space Agency (AEB) said on Monday. The agency said the rocket is being built by its main satellite launch vehicle project, VLS. The project was initially frozen in 2003 after an explosion destroyed a rocket on the pad at the
Alcantara Launch Center in northern Brazil, killing 21 people.

The test launch of the repaired VLS-1 rocket is scheduled for 2012 and the first launch of the fully loaded rocket is due in 2013, the agency said in a statement. Earlier reports said
Russia may take part in the project. In 2009, a delegation from the Brazilian Institute of Aeronautics and Space (IAE) visited the Makeev State Rocket Center in Miass, near the city of Chelyabinsk in the Russian Urals. (4/5)

Japan's Manned Space Program at Crossroad (Source: Daily Yomiuri)
Seven astronauts. Twelve missions. But is this the end of the line? Astronaut Naoko Yamazaki on Monday became the seventh and last Japanese to blast off into space onboard a
U.S. space shuttle. But with the shuttle fleet to be retired this year, Japan's manned space program has come to a crossroads.

Japan has been dependent on the United States for its space development. This nation has picked up technologies needed for manned space flights, which were previously dominated by the United States and Russia, and has sent an experiment module called Kibo that is now at the International Space Station and the H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV), an unmanned cargo spacecraft, into space onboard its own rockets.

Getting to this stage was not easy, though. "At first, we were treated like outsiders," recalled Yoshiyuki Hasegawa, a senior official of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). "[The
United States] didn't give us any details about space flight operations. But through persistent negotiations, we gradually persuaded them to share more and more information with us." Hasegawa said U.S. expertise on risk management theory and ensuring the safety of space flights were particularly useful to Japan. (4/6)

Japan Astronaut Gets Designer Space Clothes (Source: France24)
The latest creation by Japanese fashion designer Tae Ashida is truly out of this world -- an outfit twinning a blue cardigan and shorts made for astronaut Naoko Yamazaki. The
US space shuttle Discovery blasted off on Monday with Yamazaki and two other female crew on board, bound for the International Space Station (ISS) on a historic mission that put more women in orbit than ever before. Ahead of her departure, Yamazaki, 39, asked Ashida, daughter of fashion guru Jun Ashida, to design her work clothes for the 13-day space mission and she came up with a slim knit cardigan in light blue with navy blue shorts. (4/7)

India: China's Anti-Satellite Program a Threat to Global Space Assets (Source: PTI)
India today slammed China's anti-Satellite (ASAT) program, terming it a threat to global space assets. In 2007, Beijing successfully tested an anti-satellite (ASAT) vehicle, destroying an inactive weather satellite. "The threat is not only for us, but for the entire world because it (China's 2007 test) has created space debris". One can only try to avoid debris hitting satellites, he said, adding there is a talk of "scavenging" of debris from orbit. But this concept needs to evolve and "one has to see how one is going to do that," he added. (4/7)

First Fully Indian Made GSLV Launch Planned for April 15 (Source: The Hindu)
Almost 18 years into development, the first fully Indian-made GSLV satellite launcher with the critical indigenous cryogenic upper stage stands ready at its launch pad and will be flown on April 15 from the Sriharikota spaceport. Codenamed GSLV-D3, the three-stage rocket will put in orbit the 2.2-tonne advanced communication and navigation satellite, the GSAT-4. So far since 2001, five GSLV launches have taken off, with one failure. “This mission is more important than other launchers because we are testing the indigenous cryogenic stage in flight. This is a complex technology that uses liquid propellants,” Dr Radhakrishnan told a news conference. ISRO will henceforth use its own cryo upper stage in the GSLV. Over the last decade, it has used the heavy-lift higher-orbit launcher supplied by
Russia in the seven upper stages. (4/7)

India to Launch Five Satellites in May (Source: Live Mint)
India’s space agency will launch in May five satellites, including an 120-kg remote sensing satellite from Algeria, on a single rocket. The polar satellite launch vehicle or PSLV will carry a homegrown remote sensing satellite Cartosat-2B, which can snap images of less than a meter, three educational satellites—two from Canada and one built by engineering college students in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. (4/7)


India Aims for the Skies, Targets Space Tourism (Source: Economic Times)
India is seriously taking up the challenge of pursuing space tourism in a big way. Newly-appointed chief of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), Dr K Radhakrishnan says the space agency is exploring new strategies and technologies for human space flight programs, low-cost access to space tourism and the colonization of Mars and the Moon.

As of 2009, space tourism opportunities have been limited and expensive, with the Russian Space Agency providing this facility. The price for a flight brokered by Space Adventures to the International Space Station aboard a Soyuz spacecraft is $20-35 million. Space tourists usually sign contracts with third parties to conduct certain research while in orbit. This helps minimize their own expenses. "Space tourism is something where
India can play a niche role with its affordable solutions. However, this will take some time," says Ajey Lele. But the fact that this is an achievable challenge was evident when he said: "India’s Chandrayaan program was less costly than the private jet gifted by Mukesh Ambani to his wife." (4/7)

US Concerned Over Indian Satellite Communication Regulations (Source: Space Daily)
The United States has expressed concern over Indian rules over the provision of satellite capacity saying the system lacks transparency. "A lack of transparency in the rules governing the provision of satellite capacity in these countries (
China and India ) is also a concern", US trade representative Ron Kirk said.

He added
China and India both generally require that foreign satellite capacity be sold through an intermediary-ChinaDBSat or the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), respectively. These comments were made by Kirk in his report where he said experts have expressed concern that India and Mexico require mobile satellite operators to install local gateways as a condition for providing satellite services into their territories. (4/6)

Yahsat Secures First-Ever Shariah Compliant Space Insurance (Source: Zawya)
Yahsat has successfully secured the first ever Shariah compliant space insurance policy. The insurance solution, which was specifically developed to meet Yahsat’s needs, covers the launch and in-orbit operations of Y1A and Y1B, the Yahsat satellites scheduled to be launched in 2011. Methaq Takaful Insurance Company and ElseCo Company, both companies based in the UAE, provided the insurance coverage. Willis Inspace designed the takaful insurance coverage. The uniquely crafted insurance solution was a seamless fit with the innovative technology, deep regional insights and fresh approach that Yahsat will bring to the markets and the customers that it will serve. "Insurance protection is an integral part of our satellite program. With firm roots in the region, we are proud to be the first organization to use a new Shariah-compliant insurance solution for space programs. This augurs well in the development of the Takaful insurance market as well as make available an alternative market for space insurance products," said Yahsat's
CEO. (4/7)


New Space Record: 4 Women in Orbit at the Same Time (Source: Space.com)
Four women with the right stuff have sailed into the record books as the most female astronauts ever to fly in space at the same time. Discovery launched seven astronauts on Monday, three of them are women. They include former high school teacher Dorothy "Dottie" Metcalf-Lindenburger, robotic arm expert Stephanie Wilson and Naoko Yamazaki, the second Japanese woman ever to reach space. Rounding out the female space quartet is chemist-turned-astronaut Tracy Caldwell Dyson, who is living on the Space Station after arriving at the orbiting laboratory on Sunday. (4/5)

Debt-Ridden Satmex Puts $2M Down on New Satellite (Source: Space News)
Satellite fleet operator Satmex of Mexico has paid $2 million to manufacturer Space Systems/Loral to begin work on a Satmex 8 satellite to replace Satmex 5, whose fuel will run out in 31 months. But the company has no authorization from its creditors to sign a full construction contract, Satmex announced April 1. In a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Satmex said its $2 million Authorization to Proceed agreement with Loral expires in June if it is not followed up by a full-scale Satmex 8 contract. (4/5)

NOAA, Taiwan Developing Plan for Weather Satellite Program (Source: Space News)
The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Taiwan have developed initial requirements for a collaborative weather satellite program, and will spend the rest of the year putting together an acquisition strategy with an eye toward launching the satellites starting in 2014, U.S. government officials said.

The satellites will use a relatively new method for obtaining atmospheric data called
GPS radio occultation, which has been used in operational weather forecasting since a demonstration constellation was launched in 2006. That system, called the Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate (COSMIC), also was a joint U.S-Taiwanese program. (4/9)

Spacecraft Stats and Insights (Source: Space Review)
With all the attention that high-profile NASA missions get, it's easy to forget that there is far more space activity elsewhere in the space arena. Claude Lafleur reviews some basic statistics about spacecraft and launch activity to provide insights on the present and future of spaceflight. Visit
http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1598/1 to view the article. (4/5)


Intelsat Loses Contact with Galaxy 15 Satellite (Source: Space News)
Intelsat’s five-year-old Galaxy 15 satellite stopped responding to commands early April 5, prompting the company to begin moving an on-orbit spare to the balky satellite’s 133 degrees west longitude orbital slot to avoid an interruption in service, Intelsat of Washington and Luxembourg announced April 8. (4/8)

The End of NPOESS (Source: Space Review)
NASA, NOAA, and the Defense Department are all grappling with the decision by the White House to end the troubled NPOESS weather satellite program. Taylor Dinerman examines what the aftermath of NPOESS means for both the agencies that need the data it would have provided as well as the prospects for interagency cooperation. Visit
http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1601/1 to view the article. (4/5)

Boeing Hands Over GOES-P Satellite For Final Testing (Source: Space Daily)
Boeing has announced that it transferred control of the third Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES-P) to NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on March 24 to begin on-orbit verification testing. GOES-P - which was officially renamed GOES-15 after reaching geosynchronous orbit - will serve as an on-orbit spare to the current GOES constellation and support enhanced Earth observation and weather monitoring for more than 50 percent of the planet, including the continental
United States. (4/7)

First Weather Sat Launched 20 Years Ago - Lockheed Involved From the Beginning (Source: CSA)
TIROS-1-the first Television and Infrared Observation Satellite-and its successors revolutionized weather observation and forecasting. Lockheed Martin (NYSE:
LMT) and its heritage companies built every one of the TIROS series of spacecraft, from TIROS-1- launched on April 1, 1960- through NOAA-N Prime, launched on February 6, 2009. Click here for information. (4/10)

NRO Taps Boeing for Next Batch of Cubesats (Source: Space News)
The U.S. National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) in February contracted with Boeing Phantom Works for as many as 50 triple-unit cubesats, each about the size of a can of tennis balls, for use in technology demonstrations, a government official said. The inexpensive satellite platforms will be used for the follow-on to an NRO research program called Colony, which is scheduled to make its first launch this year, Air Force Maj. David "Dutch" Shultz, director of the NRO’s Colony Program Office, said. (4/8)


EADS Plans
U.S. Expansion, Regardless of Tanker Decision (Source: AIA)
Whether or not it decides to bid on the
U.S. aerial refueling contract, EADS plans to expand in the U.S., according to an official with the company. EADS has various opportunities in the U.S., including work in helicopters, space, security and potential acquisitions, the official said. (4/8)


Virginia Barnes Named President and
CEO of United Space Alliance (Source: Biloxi Sun Herald)
Veteran Boeing executive Virginia A. "Ginger" Barnes has been named to replace Richard O. Covey as President and Chief Executive Officer of United Space Alliance (USA). Barnes, who is the first woman to serve as
USA's President and CEO, joins USA from The Boeing Company where she has worked on a variety of programs, a diverse set of customers and in a vast number of roles. (4/6)

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin Leaves ‘Dancing With the Stars’ (Source: WKRG)
Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon, but he won't be spending any more time on the dance floor. The 80-year-old astronaut was eliminated Tuesday from "Dancing With the Stars." Aldrin and his professional partner, Ashly Costa, consistently finished in last place during the
ABC television show's three weeks of competition. He earned just 13 points out of 30 for his waltz on Monday's episode. (4/7)

Spacesuit Unveiled for Hi-Altitude Freefall Record Attempt (Source: EAA.org)
The Red Bull Stratos science team has revealed the pressure helmet, and suit that will serve as Felix Baumgartner’s sole life-support system when he steps off his capsule at 120,000 feet to attempt a record-breaking freefall from the edge of space. The suit is custom made by The David Clark company which has been making suits since 1941 including launch entry suits for Space Shuttle astronauts and the iconic suit that United States Air Force Colonel (Ret.) Joe Kittinger wore on his historic Excelsior III jump in 1960. Click
here for the article and video. (4/1)


Mystery Object Defies Astronomical Classification (Source: WIRED)
A mysterious object discovered near a brown dwarf doesn’t fit into any known astronomical category. The newly discovered mystery companion forms a binary system with the brown dwarf, located 460 light-years away in the Taurus star-forming system. The object is too light to be another brown dwarf, but it’s too young to have formed by accretion, the way a typical planet does. “Although this small companion appears to have a mass that is comparable to the mass of planets around stars, we don’t think it formed like a planet,” said astronomer Kevin Luhman of
Penn State University, co-author of the study April 5 in The Astrophysical Journal. “This seems to indicate that there are two different ways for nature to make small companions.” Luhman’s team made the discovery with the Hubble Space Telescope and the Gemini Observatory. (4/8)

California Aerospace Events Calendar

 

SME 2010 MicroManufacturing Conference/Exhibition in Arizona on Apr. 14-15

The Society of Manufacturing Engineers is sponsoring the 2010 MicroManufacturing and NanoManufacturing Conferences & Exhibits on April 14-15 in Mesa, Arizona. Visit

http://www.regonline.com/Checkin.asp?EventId=777709 for information.

 

California Participation in Hannover Messe on Apr. 19-23

California's Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has announced a push to encourage California innovation and technology businesses to attend Hannover Messe's April 19-23, 2010 CeBIT event in Hannover, Germany. CSA joins with the Governor in encouraging California's space enterprise community to showcase unique technologies that can affect green industry sectors. Click here for more on the governor's support, and Visit http://www.hannovermesse.de/homepage_e

 

Composites Manufacturing 2010 Conference in San Diego, Apr. 20-22

The Composites Manufacturing 2010 conference is designed to provide cutting-edge knowledge on composite applications, processes and best practices. This three-day program connects manufacturing engineers and management from the world's dominating industries aerospace, medical (surgical devices), wind energy, marine and consumer (recreational) products. The technical conference is complemented with exhibits, facility tours, tutorials and networking functions. Visit http://www.sme.org/composites

 

TRITECH SBDC Presents Catch The Wave in Riverside, Apr. 21

Ride the Momentum - Don't Get Caught in the Impact Zone - Position your Company for Rapid Growth! Held at the Mission Inn, Riverside. Personally meet Angels, Venture Capitalists, and Private & Public Equity Investors.  Learn from a panel of seasoned executives how to overcome all odds and catch the next wave to higher levels of growth and profitability with innovative solutions. Learn the do's and don'ts of presenting to investors by watching the investment decision in action. Visit www.tritechsbdc.com/events/wave or call Sean Snider at 951-571-6480 for information and registration.

 

7th Annual CubeSat Workshop Planned in Central California on Apr. 21 - 23

This event brings together over 100 CubeSat developers from around the country and world to collaborate and share their experiences developing CubeSats. For more information about CubeSat's and this year’s event visit www.cubesat.org. Interested in sponsorship? Please send an email to mailto:cubesat.workshop@xxxxxxxxx?subject=CubeSat Workshop


NASA JPL to Host
California’s Climate Educator Conference, May 1-2
NASA'’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory near
Pasadena, Calif., is hosting an educator conference, May 1-2, 2010, on the unique climate of the state of California. California contains most climate zones and almost all types of weather. These phenomena are in response to local and global forces including atmospheric circulation, the Pacific Ocean and the state's unique and varied topography. Human factors play a role as well, from global impact to local decisions on urban growth, fire and water resources. For more information, visit http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/education/index.cfm?page=130

 

ITAR Export Compliance Training in Hawthorne on May 6

The El Camino College Center for International Trade Development will provide ITAR export compliance training for aerospace businesses, at the Business Training Center, 13430 Hawthorne Blvd., Hawthorne. To register or to request further information, please contact Darling Garcia at (310) 973-3148 or dagarcia@xxxxxxxxxxxx.

 

Space Day at San Diego Air & Space Museum, May 8

The San Diego Air & Space Museum will sponsor their annual Space Day event on May 8. Visit http://www.aerospacemuseum.org/education/upcomingevents.html

 

Update on the California Space Center, May 12

Please join us for an update about a multi-purpose, multi-year community project to be located on 71 acres outside the front gate of Vandenberg Air Force Base on Highway 1. The Center will create more than 1,700 jobs and attract up to 500,000 visitors each year. The proposed project includes a launch viewing site, rocket garden, visitors center, education complex, conference center, IMAX-like theatre and a mission support facility. It is planned that the community will benefit from the facilities and attractions at this site. The project will highlight the past, present, and future of California space enterprise. Santa Barbara Maritime Museum, 113 Harbor Way, Suite 190, Santa Barbara, CA, 8:30am-11am. Contact Diana Minor for information and to RSVP at Dianna.Minor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx or 805.349.2633

 

Women in Aerospace Event in Washington on May 18

Aerospace 2010: Challenges and Opportunities at the Dawn of a New Decade, organized by Women in Aerospace, will be held at the Hyatt Regency Washington D.C on May 18. For more information visit: www.womeninaerospace.org

 

CSA Luncheon Roundtable with Dr. Charles Elachi, May 19

At the Sheridan Gateway Hotel, LAX. Join us and guest speaker, Dr. Charles Elachi, Director, Jet Propulsion Laboratory at CSA's second luncheon roundtable for 2010! Registration and networking begins at 11:45 followed by luncheon program at 12:15 pm. Please RSVP to Elizabeth Burkhead at 805-349-2633 or Elizabeth.Burkhead@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. Register at http://www.prestoregister.com/cgi-bin/order.pl?ref=csa-event&fm=11

 

Small Payload Rideshare Workshop, May 18-20

The Office of Space Launch (OSL) within the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) and NASA’s Launch Services Program sponsor the Small Payload Rideshare Workshop. The workshop agenda focuses on investigating concepts and technologies that will enable the small payload community to meet future launch needs and provide the best possible launch capabilities in a cost-effective manner. Visit http://www.sprsa.org/

 

ITAR Export Compliance Training in Hawthorne on May 20

The El Camino College Center for International Trade Development will provide ITAR export compliance training for aerospace businesses, at the Business Training Center, 13430 Hawthorne Blvd., Hawthorne. To register or to request further information, please contact Darling Garcia at (310) 973-3148 or dagarcia@xxxxxxxxxxxx.

 

California Space Day Sacramento, May 25

This is an opportunity for space enterprise stakeholders to meet and discuss space policy and regulatory issues with state legislators and key executive branch officials. Our goal will be to ensure a greater awareness of the impact of space enterprise on the every-day lives of ordinary Californians, advocate a positive, supportive business climate, and promote science, math and hands-on, contextual learning in our public schools. Participants will assemble for orientation in the morning, be placed into teams for appointed meetings throughout the day, lunch with members of the Governor’s Administration and enjoy a fun-filled evening reception with members of the Legislature and their staffs. Click here to register.

 

Space, C4 & Cyber: Prevail, Prevent, Prepare & Preserve, June 3-4

The Greater Los Angeles Chapter of the Association of the US Army presents a two day symposium on various aerospace,military and industry subjects. A highly interactive discussion of challenging and timely topics in an intimate venue. Panels and questions and answers from the experts. At the Westin Long Beach. Visit www.ausa.org/glac for registration and information.

 

CSA Members Invited to Toulouse Space Show 2010, June 8–11

The French Aerospace Valley is pleased to invite California Space Authority members to the Toulouse Space Show. Six focused conferences/symposia will be offered: Space Applications, S@tcom, Disruptive Technologies, Nereus, Space Economy, and Space for the Mediterranean Region. Visit http://www.toulousespaceshow.eu for information and registration. (3/19)

 

ITAR Export Compliance Training in Hawthorne on Jun. 10

The El Camino College Center for International Trade Development will provide ITAR export compliance training for aerospace businesses, at the Business Training Center, 13430 Hawthorne Blvd., Hawthorne. To register or to request further information, please contact Darling Garcia at (310) 973-3148 or dagarcia@xxxxxxxxxxxx.

 

Astrobiology Summer Program for Teachers at SFSU on Jul. 18-24

The Astrobiology Summer Science Experience for Teachers, or ASSET, is being held July 18-24, 2010, at San Francisco State University. ASSET will feature presentations by leading astrobiology researchers from the SETI Institute, NASA and the California Academy of Sciences. Scientists will share the latest in astrobiology research on the origin of life on Earth, the extreme conditions in which life exists, Mars exploration, the formation of planetary systems around sun-like stars, and the search for life in the universe. The 6-day workshop features a combination of cutting-edge science, inquiry-based teaching and learning, and leadership skills development to support teachers and teacher trainers. Visit http://www.seti.org/epo/ASSET

 

NASA Ames and Girl Scouts Plan "Destination" Event on Jul. 22 - Aug. 1

Girl Scouts of Northern California, in collaboration with NASA’s Ames Research Center, is hosting a Girl Scout Destination in the San Francisco Bay area, July 22-Aug. 1, 2010. This dynamic program is designed to excite girls and inspire them toward stewardship and innovation in all they do.  The Future is Green is a marriage of the Girls Go Tech and Green by Nature initiatives. This cutting-edge adventure will offer girls the opportunity to explore how green technology in astronomy, environment and robotics can help save Earth. Visit http://www.studio2b.org/escape/destinations/event_details.asp?eventid=523

 

SETIcon Event Planned in Santa Clara on Aug. 13-15

Make contact at SETIcon with other fans of science fact and science fiction in a comfortable setting. Enjoy a wide range of mind-expanding activities, plus a banquet where you can rub elbows with the speakers and other enthusiasts, an evening party, and lots of time for discussion. Visit http://www.seticon.com for more information and tickets.

 

AIAA Space 2010 Conference/Exhibition & 28th International Communications Satellite Systems Conference in Anaheim on Aug. 31 - Sep. 3

This joint conference will be attended by leaders from all corners of the space community, including key government and industry decision-makers. Visit http://www.aiaa.org/events/space/10-0008_SPACE_CFP_FINAL.pdf

 

APSCC Satellite Conference & Exhibition, October 5-7

Hilton Hotel, Tokyo, Japan. Entering its sixteenth year, the APSCC’s 13th Annual Asia-Pacific Satellite Communications, Broadcasting and Space Conference and Exhibition, APSCC 2010 will identify new business breakthroughs ahead of the industry and share the insights for the fast growing market and the social responsibility with leading speakers drawn from of the Asia-Pacific region under the theme of “Beyond Survival, It is Responsibility.” Visit http://www.apscc.or.kr/event/apscc2010.asp

 

California SpotBeam Awards Dinner to be Held on Nov. 17

Join us at The Proud Bird Restaurant, Los Angeles for CSA's signature event! Dr. Seth Shostak, Seniro Astronomer, SETI Institute has confirmed as Master of Ceremonies!

 

Last Week’s DOD Contract Awards in California

 

CACI, Inc., Federal, Chantilly, Va., was awarded on April 7 an $8,788,911 firm-fixed-price contract.  The contractor will provide simulation-supported battle command staff training exercises for pre- and post-mobilizing active and reserve component combat, combat support, and combat services support brigade and battalion equivalents, headquarters.  Work is to be performed in Fort Dix, N.J. (20 percent); Dublin, Calif. (20 percent); Birmingham, Ala. (2- percent); Arlington Heights, Ill. (20 percent); and Houston, Texas (20 percent), with an estimated completion date of Jan. 1, 2011.  One bid was solicited with one bid received.  Mission & Installation Contracting Command, MICC Center, Fort Bragg, N.C., is the contracting activity.

 

Northrop Grumman Space and Mission Systems, Network Communication Systems, San Diego, Calif., is being awarded a $28,391,903 cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus-award-fee, cost only, and firm-fixed-price modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-09-C-6317) to exercise options for all material and services to support the system development and demonstration phase through critical design review for the three capabilities (dismounted, mounted, and fixed site) of the Joint Counter Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device Electronic Warfare (JCREW) 3.3 system of systems 71°C ambient temperature. The JCREW system will provide combat troops protection for foot soldiers, vehicles, and permanent structures, against radio-controlled improvised explosive devices. Traditionally, the Department of Defense has procured different individual systems to support each of these three capabilities with a focus on operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan. The JCREW 3.3 is the first generation system that will develop a common open architecture across all three capabilities and provide protection for worldwide military operations. Work will be performed at various Northrop Grumman Space and Mission Systems locations, as follows: San Diego, Calif. (84 percent), Sierra Vista, Ariz. (14 percent), and Killeen, Texas (2 percent), and is expected to be complete by October 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.

 

BAE Systems National Security Solutions, Inc., San Diego, Calif., was awarded on March 31 a $23,405,241 cost-plus-award-fee contract.  This contract is for the baseline scope of efforts including application of capabilities-based acquisition and disciplined program management, systems engineering, software engineering, hardware engineering, systems integration and testing, and other processes, practices, and resources.  Work is to be performed in Newington, Va., with an estimated completion date of Oct. 31, 2012.  Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with three bids received.  National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, Reston, Va., is the contracting activity.

 

The Boeing Co., Lanham, Md., is being awarded a $7,148,440 firm-fixed-price order via the General Services Administration schedule for the procurement of 929 Combat Survivor Evader Locator radios (P/N 4866112101), including supporting equipment for the Navy. Work will be performed in Palmdale, Calif., and is expected to be completed in March 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to DFAR 206.302-1(a))(1)(i). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.

 

Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems., El Segundo, Calif., is being awarded a $5,792,324 cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order against a previously issued Basic Order Agreement (N00019-05-G-0008) for the procurement of two AN/APG-79 active, electronically scanned array test radars to support the F/A-18 and EA-18G programs. Work will be performed in Forest, Miss. (45 percent); El Segundo, Calif. (35 percent); Andover, Mass. (15 percent); and Dallas, Texas (5 percent), and is expected to be completed in November 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.

 

The Boeing Co., Seattle, Wash., is being awarded a sole-source cost-plus-award-fee modification for $32,713,529. Under this contract, Boeing will continue post flight experiment Laser - 01 work with additional missile engagement scenarios and flight testing to include all required support. The work will be performed in Seattle, Wash., and at three California locations: Edwards Air Force Base, Sunnyvale, and Redondo Beach. The performance period is through May 2010. Fiscal 2010 research, development, test, and evaluation funds will be used for this effort. The Missile Defense Agency is the contracting activity.

 

MAR Inc.*, Rockville, Md., is being awarded a maximum amount $30,000,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract in support of the Naval Facilities Engineering Service Center, Port Hueneme, for the operation, maintenance, and repair of the M/V Independence, including providing research, development, testing, and evaluation of undersea surveillance systems, load handling systems, acoustic array systems, cable system components, cable and system survivability studies, installation methods, test vessel support, and training range establishment and maintenance. Work will be performed in Port Hueneme, Calif. The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months, with an expected completion date of April 2015. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The contract was competitively procured as a 100 percent small business 8(a) set-aside via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online Web site, with one proposal received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Specialty Center Acquisitions, Port Hueneme, Calif., is the contracting activity.

 

Raytheon Co., Integrated Defense Systems, San Diego, Calif., is being awarded a $14,222,122 modification to previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00024-09-C-5100) for the production of five fiscal 2010 ship self defense systems (SSDS) MK2 open architecture computing environment kits. The kits include cabinets, processors, converters, network devices, and interface units. The equipment sets consolidate the computing and interface requirements for the SSDS ship class variants. The fiscal 2010 kits will be installed at the Naval Air Systems Command land-based test site and on CVN 75, CVN 78, LPD 26, and LHA 7. Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif. (50 percent), and Portsmouth, R.I. (50 percent), and is expected to be completed by January 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.

 

General Dynamics, National Steel and Shipbuilding Co., San Diego, Calif., is being awarded a $10,000,000 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-09-C-2229) for System Design Part 2 efforts associated with the Mobile Landing Platform program. Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif. (58.2 percent); Beloit, Wis. (7.3 percent); Busan, South Korea (5.7 percent); Pittsburgh, Pa. (5.6 percent); Houston, Texas (5.0 percent); Annapolis, Md. (4.0 percent); Norfolk, Va. (2.0 percent); Belle Chasse, La. (0.7 percent); Mobile, Ala. (0.5 percent); New York, N.Y. (0.4 percent); Deerfield Beach, Fla. (0.2 percent); Georgetown, S.C.(0.2 percent); Houma, La. (0.2 percent); Clovis, Calif. (0.1 percent); New Orleans, La. (0.1 percent); Rochester, N.Y. (0.1 percent); Stevensville, Md. (0.1 percent); Ogden, Utah (0.1 percent); Old Saybrook, Conn. (0.1 percent); Pensacola, Fla. (0.1 percent); and other various locations. Work is expected to be completed by August 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.

 

AeroVironment., Simi Valley, Calif., was awarded on March 30 a $6,781,162 firm-fixed-price contract.  This effort exercises a priced option for 51 Marine Corps digital data link systems; 51 initial spares packages; and contractor logistics support.  Work is to be performed in Simi Valley, Calif., with an estimated completion date of March 29, 2011.  One bid was solicited with one bid received.  U.S. Army Contracting Command/CCAM-AR-A, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity.

 

EDO Corp., Lancaster, Calif., was awarded a $8,520,662 contract which will provide for standard high-power radar signal simulators (AN/PLM-4), 85 production units (AN/PLM-4) with millimeter wave option, and 6 production units. Two percent of this effort will support Foreign Military Sales efforts to Morocco.  542 CBSG/PKT, Robins Air Force Base, Ga., is the contracting activity.

 

VSE Corp., Alexandria, Va., is being awarded a $42,510,858 cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00174-10-D-0011) for decontamination and demolition support services for the industrial revitalization program. The government requires analytical, technical, and management support services for industrial revitalization efforts to include caretaking assistance, modernization, explosives/energetics decontamination, demilitarization, demolition, and divestiture support for the Navy and other Department of Defense (DoD) customers, and non-DoD customers. Work will be performed at Naval Surface Warfare Centers in Indian Head, Md., Crane, Ind., and Dahlgren, Va.; Naval Weapons Stations in Yorktown, Va., Seal Beach, Calif., Concord, Calif., and Earle, N.J.; and the Naval Air Systems Command, Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plants in Texas, New York, Connecticut and Ohio. Work is expected to be completed by April 2015. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities Web site, with one offer received. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head Division, Indian Head, Md., is the contracting activity.

 

EDO Communications and Countermeasures Systems, Inc., wholly owned by ITT Force Protection Systems, Thousand Oaks, Calif., is being awarded a $31,269,829 cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus award fee, cost-only, firm-fixed-price modification to previously awarded contract (N0024-09-C-6316) to exercise options for all material and services to support the system development and demonstration phase through critical design review for the three capabilities (dismounted, mounted, and fixed-site) of the joint counter radio-controlled improvised explosive device electronic warfare (JCREW) 3.3 system of systems, 71°C ambient temperature. JCREW systems provide combat troops protection against radio-controlled improvised explosive devices. Work will be performed at Clifton, N.J. (41 percent), Annapolis Junction, Md. (30 percent), and Thousand Oaks, Calif. (29 percent), and is expected to be complete by June 2010. Contract funds in the amount $8,500,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.

 

The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded a $13,632,188 cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order against a previously issued Basic Ordering Agreement (N00019-05-G-0026) to complete the AESA waveform generator DDS II die parts obsolescence redesign engineering change proposal for the F/A-18E/F aircraft. Work will be performed in El Segundo, Calif. (87.7 percent), and St. Louis, Mo. (12.3 percent), and is expected to be completed in March 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md. is the contracting activity.

 

Souza Construction, Inc.*, Farmersville, Calif., is being awarded $10,221,050 for firm-fixed-price task order #0002 under a previously awarded multiple-award construction contract (N62473-09-D-1652) for facility energy improvements at Heat Plant 5 (HP-5) at Marine Corps Logistics Base, Barstow. Work will be performed in Barstow, Calif., and is expected to be completed by September 2011. Funds for this project are provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Seven proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity.

 

Northrop Grumman Guidance and Electronic Co., Woodland Hills, Calif., was awarded a $14,109,480 contract which provides for 252 embedded GPS inertial navigation system production units for the USAF F-16. At this time, the entire amount has been obligated.  647 AESS/PK, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity.

 

Mercury Air Centers Inc. dba Atlantic Aviation, Los Angeles, Calif., is being awarded a maximum $8,376,373 fixed-price with economic price adjustment contract for jet fuel.  Other locations of performance include Los Angeles International Airport, Los Angeles, Calif.  Using services are the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and other federal civilian agencies.  There were originally three proposals solicited with three responses.  Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  The date of performance completion is March 31, 2014.  The Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va. (SP0600-10-D-0048), is the contracting activity.

 

Compiled for the California Space Authority by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Edward Ellegood

-- 
Jamie Foster, COO, California Space Authority (CSA)
http://www.CaliforniaSpaceAuthority.org/
3201 Airpark Dr. #204, Santa Maria, CA 93455
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