CSA SpotBeam California, August 16, 2010

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• Date: Mon, 16 Aug 2010 09:31:08 -0700

SpotBeam California

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*August 16, 2010*



*California** Items*

*NASA Announces Next Opportunity for Cubesat Space Missions* (Source: NASA)

NASA has announced a second opportunity for small satellite payloads to fly on rockets planned to launch in 2011 and 2012. These CubeSats could be auxiliary cargo on previously planned missions. CubeSats are a class of research spacecraft called nanosatellites. The cube-shaped satellites are approximately four inches long, have a volume of about one quart and weigh less than 2.2 pounds. NASA recently announced the results from the first round of the CubeSat Launch Initiative. Twelve payloads have made the short-list for launch opportunities in 2011 and 2012. The satellites come from 10 states: Alabama, Alaska, California, Colorado, Michigan, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, Utah and Vermont. For additional information on the CubeSat Launch Initiative program, visit http://www.nasa.gov/directorates/somd/home/CubeSats_initiative.html (8/12)

*NASA Ames Looking to Pay for Hangar One Restoration with its Own Funds* (Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel) NASA Ames Research Center is gearing up to restore Hangar One, an official said, and despite the agency's long-running claims that it couldn't afford to do the work, the money may come from within NASA after all. Deborah Feng, director of center operations at NASA Ames, said a "request for information" the agency issued this week will help it pinpoint a price for putting new walls on the structure, after the original toxic panels are removed by the Navy, Moffett Field's former operator.

While some money may still come from industry partners or a $10 million federal appropriations request by U.S. Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Palo Alto, Feng said NASA is "now looking around for money internally." No specific sources of cash have been identified to pay for the new siding, which, according to previous estimates, could cost between $15 million and $40 million. (8/12)

*Lockheed Martin-Built GPS Satellite Surpasses 10 Years On-Orbit* (Source: Lockheed Martin) The fifth Global Positioning System Block IIR (GPS IIR-5) satellite, designed and built by Lockheed Martin has reached 10 years of successful on-orbit operations. The satellite was launched on July 16, 2000, and is one of 30 GPS spacecraft currently on-orbit delivering vital situational awareness and precision weapon guidance for the military, and supporting a wide range of civil, scientific and commercial functions. (8/9)

*San Diego-Built Camera to be Flown to Mars* (Source: Sign On San Diego)

Malin Space Science Systems of San Diego , which has been involved in deep space exploration for two decades, has been tapped by NASA and the European Space Agency to develop a high-resolution camera that will monitor the weather on Mars. The Mars Atmospheric Global Imaging Experiment (MAGIE) camera will fly aboard the ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, a robot that will be sent to the Red Planet in 2016.

NASA says ExoMars will "study the chemical makeup of the Martian atmosphere with a 1,000-fold increase in sensitivity over previous Mars orbiters. The mission will focus on trace gases, including methane, which could be potentially geochemical or biological in origin and be indicators for the existence of life on Mars." (8/9)

*NASA Leader Says Bright Future for SoCal, JPL* (Source: Pasadena Star News)

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory will have a key role in President Obama's push to reinvigorate the nation's aerospace technology, NASA's new chief technologist said Wednesday. Touring NASA centers in effort to promote Obama's plans for a new Space Technology Program, technology chief Robert Braun said JPL's long history of research and design make it a strong contender in the program, which will be built around competitive bidding. (8/12)

*JPL's Mars Mission Gets New Project Manager *(Source: Pasadena Star-News)

Phil Varghese is the new JPL Project Manager for NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has been examining Mars with six advanced instruments since 2006. It has returned more data than the total from all other NASA missions that have flown farther than the moon. Click _here <http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/ci_15737231>_ for more. (8/11)

*California Airman Named Top Space and Missile Systems Operator* (Source: USAF) Two Air Force Space Command Airmen are the 2009 Space and Missile Systems Operators of the Year. The annual award recognizes the best operators in the 1C6X1 Space Systems Operation career field. Tech. Sgt. Michael Rozneck, 3rd Space Experimentation Squadron at Schriever Air Force Base, Colo., won for the noncommissioned officer category and Senior Airman Eric Escobar, 7th Space Warning Squadron at Beale Air Force Base, Calif., won for the Airman category. (8/13)

*SpaceX Readies First Dragon Spacecraft *(Source: Aviation Week)

Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) this week is set to begin prelaunch checks of the first fully operational Dragon spacecraft destined to be launched under NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program. The demonstration will be the first of up to three COTS flights set up under plans made in 2006 designed to encourage private companies to develop commercial space transport capabilities. (8/11)

*Musk Clarifies SpaceX Position On Exploration* (Source: Aviation Week)

SpaceX founder Elon Musk says plans laid out recently by a company official for growth beyond International Space Station resupply and missions beyond low Earth orbit are not official SpaceX policy. Musk says provisional concepts for a deep space architecture were outlined as "brainstorming ideas" by Tom Markusic. "The only thing SpaceX is intending to do for sure in the long term is to try to move toward super heavy lift," Musk says. The key element of this, as outlined in Markusic's presentation, is development of the Merlin 2 engine. "Part of it depends on NASA and its willingness to fund a portion of that. We'd certainly hope it would be a private-public partnership with NASA, because that's what it would take in the long term. (8/11)

*The Search for Extraterrestrial Life, in Santa Clara* (Source: USA Today)

It was 50 years ago that astronomer Frank Drake began searching for radio signals that might indicate there was intelligent life on other planets. This weekend in California, a host of scientists, astronomers, philosophers, thinkers and just plain believers are meeting in Silicon Valley to listen to lectures, meet authors and generally geek out about that project, which evolved into the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, or SETI. (8/15)

*India, Russia Squeeze Google Moon Racers* (Source: Asia Times)

Government space agencies are taking a closer look at the Google Lunar X Prize (GLXP) competition, an international competition to safely land a rover on the moon. Several GLXP teams include space researchers and engineers in Asia on their rosters. NASA is rolling out a program that might provide US GLXP teams with a total of over $30 million. Other countries may not sit still for long in light of this development.

That is the good news. The not so good news is that as the result of a proposed GLXP rule change, the $20 million GLXP grand prize could be reduced by $5 million if a government-backed lunar mission successfully lands and deploys a rover in advance of any of the 21 GLXP teams accomplishing the same feat. All GLXP teams must be 90% privately funded.

It is no secret that several countries as well as the European Space Agency (ESA) are planning to conduct lunar landings over the coming decade. The joint Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO)-Russian Federal Space Agency (Roskosmos) Chandrayaan-2 lunar mission involving the deployment of a lunar rover on the Moon in 2012 appears to be the first in line. (8/11)

*National & International Items*



*NASA Removes Failed Pump from Station* (Source: Orlando Sentinel)

After a frustrating and record-breaking spacewalk last Saturday, two NASA astronauts rebounded Wednesday and removed a broken cooling pump from outside the International Space Station during a smooth mission that lasted more than seven hours. The successful spacewalk sets the stage for NASA to install a new pump during a third and final spacewalk planned for Sunday. (8/11)

*Might Just Right for Tricky Fix on Space Station* (Source: Florida Today)

American astronauts will try to restore full cooling capability to the U.S. side of the International Space Station next week after the successful removal Wednesday of a broken ammonia pump. Four days after a failed first attempt, spacewalker Doug Wheelock violently shook a jammed connector, finally freeing a frozen coolant line. The feat cleared the way for the pump's removal and its planned replacement on Monday. "So, when in doubt, brute force overcomes everything," NASA mission commentator Rob Navias said. (8/12)

*Canada's ISS Robotics Work Stalled by Spacewalks, Stuck Spring* (Source: SpaceFlightNow.com) The first maintenance task for a Canadian space robot is on hold until astronauts finish up urgent repairs to the International Space Station's external cooling system. The Canadian-built Dextre robot, outfitted with two 11-foot-long arms and a toolkit, was supposed to pull out a Remote Power Control Module, or RPCM, from one section of the space station's backbone structure and swap it with an identical unit from another part of the truss.

But the robotic work was stalled when one of the power switchboards remained stuck inside its housing on the port side of the space station's truss. Engineers encountered the glitch July 20 as Dextre attempted to pull the unit out of the truss, then reinsert it during a rehearsal for the changeout, which was scheduled for the next day. (8/9)

*Japan Improving Plans for Unmanned Cargo Spacecraft to Bring Back Supplies from ISS* (Source: Mainichi Daily) The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has unveiled three basic plans it has worked out for the design of its unmanned cargo spacecraft that will be capable of bringing back supplies from the International Space Station (ISS). Based on the H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV), JAXA is developing a new cargo spacecraft called the "HTV-R."

The three plans for the HTV-R are: equipping the HTV with a capsule measuring dozens of centimeters in diameter; equipping the HTV with a capsule similar to the Russian Soyuz spacecraft's return capsule measuring 2.6 meters in diameter; and remodeling the HTV's cargo space into a large capsule measuring 4 meters in diameter and 3.8 meters high. (8/15)

*Russia** to Raise ISS Orbit by Two Kilometers* (Source: Interfax)

The Russian space freighter Progress M-07M will raise the International Space Station (ISS) to a higher altitude in a week's time. The idea of the adjustment is to guarantee the landing of the manned Soyuz TMA-18 on September 24 and the docking of the supply ship Progress M-07M on September 10 and of the Soyuz TMA-01M on October 10, he said. (8/9)

*NASA Mulls Sending Part of Space Station to an Asteroid* (Source: New Scientist) The International Space Station may get a chance to explore new horizons when it retires in 2020. NASA is considering using part of it to build a spaceship that would be sent to an asteroid, while also mulling more exotic artificial-gravity designs reminiscent of Arthur C Clarke. Brian Wilcox of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory presented some of the ideas generated by the agency's engineers during brainstorming sessions in January and June. One idea is to take apart the International Space Station, which is currently set to be retired in 2020, and use one of its crew compartments to build an asteroid-bound spacecraft in orbit instead of launching a similar capsule from Earth. (8/10)

*Experts Will Weigh In On How to Put Humans On an Asteroid* (Source: Space.com) A visit by humans to an asteroid may take a step closer to reality at a NASA workshop this week. A spirit of excitement is bubbling over NASA's new aim, not unlike when the agency first aimed to land a man on the moon, NASA's Laurie Leshin said ahead of the two-day session, set for Tuesday and Wednesday in Washington, D.C. Planetary defense against killer space rocks also has a place on the agenda.

The human exploration of a near-Earth object would rely upon the experiences of robotic expeditions like Japan's Hayabusa mission, which recently returned to Earth with particles that may be asteroid samples. Experts and leaders from government, academia, industry and the international community are expected to weigh in on what would be required to stage a mission to a near-Earth object. (8/9)

*The Next Space Challenge: Sending Astronauts to Asteroids* (Source: St. Pete Times) In a speech outlining his plans for the U.S. space program, President Barack Obama said, "We'll start by sending astronauts to an asteroid for the first time in history. Four months after that statement, the details are still sketchy, as Congress continues to debate the financing and overall direction of U.S. space policy. But experts say a human mission to an asteroid could become NASA's next great challenge -- a deep space journey that compares to the moon missions of the 1960s and 1970s, It could even be seen as a steppingstone to Mars. (8/9)

*NASA Could Land Probe on Asteroid Hurtling Towards Earth* (Source: Telegraph UK) NASA is considering plans to land a probe on an asteroid that is on a potential collision course for Earth. Asteroid 1999 RQ36, which has a one-in-1,000 chance of hitting the Earth before the year 2200, would cause an explosion equivalent to hundreds of nuclear bombs detonating at once.

An analysis of its orbit has predicted that it is most likely to hit us on September 24, 2182 but scientists want to collect a sample of the rock to help forecast its trajectory more accurately. If NASA gives the plan the green light, the spacecraft would blast off in 2106 to map out and collect rock samples from the asteroid, which is 1,800 feet-wide. The planned mission, called OSIRIS-Rex, is one of three finalists in competition for funding as part of the cash-strapped US space agency's New Frontiers program. (8/11)

*The Impact that Shattered Santa Fe* (Source: Astrobiology)

A large meteorite impact can have a profound effect on life. The explosive force is often compared to a nuclear detonation, and the debris tossed high into the atmosphere can alter our planet's climate. In the mountains of New Mexico, scientists have found evidence for an ancient meteorite strike -- even though the impact crater is long gone. Evidence suggests that a large meteorite smashed into this area long ago. The force of the impact shattered the ground and tossed broken and pulverized rocks far and wide. (8/9)

*Will a Giant Asteroid Kill Us All in 2182?* (Source: TIME)

A massive asteroid, named the 1999 RQ36 has a width of over 1,800 feet and could be heading our way. Scientists have said that this asteroid's impact could have a similar effect to that which allegedly wiped out the dinosaurs. However there are potential theories on how to prevent the collision. Scientists have a number of different ways of deflecting or destroying an approaching object intent on causing the world's destruction. The highlights involve using mirrors to attempt to vaporize the asteroid's surface using the sun's rays, crashing spaceships into it to alter the path, and a nuclear blast.

The scientists have said that an attempt to divert the asteroid would need over 100 years preparation to have any realistic chance of success. The good news is that there is only a 1-in-1,000 chance of the asteroid hitting the earth before 2200, and even if it does, it's our grandchildren's problem now. (8/10)

*Stephen Hawking: Mankind Must Colonize Space or Die Out* (Source: Guardian)

The human race must colonize space within the next two centuries or it will become extinct, Stephen Hawking has warned. The renowned astrophysicist said he fears mankind is in great danger and its future "must be in space" if it is to survive.

He said threats to the existence of the human race such as the 1963 Cuban missile crisis are likely to increase in the future and plans to handle them must be put in place now. "We shall need great care and judgment to negotiate them all successfully," he told Big Think. "But I'm an optimist. If we can avoid disaster for the next two centuries, our species should be safe, as we spread into space." (8/10)

*A Brief Dose of Reality* (Source: Fortnightly Review)

Physicist Stephen Hawking has recently begun advocating we abandon Earth if we want to survive as a species. "It will be difficult enough to avoid disaster in the next hundred years, let alone the next thousand or million," he says. "Our only chance of long term survival, is not to remain inward looking on planet Earth, but to spread out into space."

If spreading out into space is our "only chance of long term survival," shouldn't we do as he advises and just go? It is a simple question and astonishingly there is an equally simple answer "No!" We can barely reach our neighboring planets and everything else is just unimaginably distant. Even if a man does land on one of our neighboring planets, it will either be unbearably cold or impossibly hot, it will have either the wrong atmosphere or little or none at all.

As for going to a nearby solar system, the distances are so great that we will never get there. For humans to survive, we need an atmosphere similar to earth's. Primarily we need nitrogen and oxygen, a smidgen of carbon dioxide is a big help. We need a reasonable temperature, neither too hot nor too cold. It is a bit on the cold side at the earth's poles but, compared to other planets, even this is clement. (8/13)

*Up Please: How We Could One Day Ride a Space Elevator* (Source: NWCN)

Seattle is the home to the Space Needle. Despite its name, at 605 feet, it's nowhere near the edge of space. As much as the human species has dreamed of building a stairway to the heavens, it's taken more than a half-century of rockets to actually get there. But the tower idea isn't dead. It's just gone high tech and there are still major hurdles to overcome. It's called a space elevator - a ribbon of lightweight, extremely strong material that a vehicle could ride up and down. Such a vehicle would be electrically powered, converting power from a laser beam into the juice to run motors.

How high would a space elevator need to be? "About 100,000 kilometers or about 60,000 miles." says Ted Semon of the International Space Elevator Consortium. The consortium is meeting on the Microsoft campus this weekend. The highlight of Friday night is a competition between teams of people trying to overcome what many here consider the biggest technological hurdle of the elevator project -- making a fiber strong enough to hold the weight of tons, yet be light enough to be extended to the extraordinary lengths.

The current champion is a Japanese made fiber called Zylon. "To build a space elevator, we need a material five times stronger than this," says Ben Shelef with the Spaceward Foundation. At stake in the competition are grants totaling $2 million put up by NASA. The U.S. space agency is very interested in the potential of the elevator. (8/13)

*Tethers Tortured in $2 Million Contest* (Source: MSNBC)

Three teams brought lengths of string to the Strong Tether Challenge today in hopes of winning as much as $2 million of NASA's money. But they all went away empty-handed ... except for the shreds of carbon nanotubes and glass fiber they had to pick up off the floor. Eventually, such materials could be used in the construction of space elevators, "railways" that reach tens of thousands of miles into the sky. But there are more immediate applications for ultra-strong, ultra-light materials: to make stronger ropes, better bulletproof vests and body armor, lighter and hence more fuel-efficient cars and airplanes, and hardier spacecraft.

NASA has been putting up the prize money for the Strong Tether Challenge since 2005. Five other NASA-backed Centennial Challenges - for prototype lunar landers, moondirt-digging robots, astronaut gloves, innovations in aviation and beam-power systems - have all produced winners. But no one in the tether contest has won a dime yet. (8/13)

*NASA's Chief Technologist Seeks to Develop Transformative Programs* (Source: Mercury News) When Bobby Braun was a Ph.D. student in aeronautics and astronautics at Stanford, he couldn't imagine holding the "dream job" he's doing now -- NASA's chief technologist, the first person in that role since Braun was at Stanford in the 1990s. Braun, 44, became one of the youngest senior leaders at the space agency in February when he was named NASA Administrator Charles Bolden's principal adviser for agencywide technology issues. He returned to Silicon Valley on Tuesday to visit NASA's Ames Research Center as part of a national tour to bring attention to his efforts -- including a $5 billion Space Technology Program slated to start next fiscal year that would develop transformative new space technologies. (8/11)

*NASA Technologist Focuses on Agency's Future* (Source: Glendale News Press)

A NASA official on Wednesday outlined an aggressive, multi-decade space technology and exploration development plan that includes sending humans into deep space by 2025, sending humans to orbit Mars by 2035 and landing a human on the surface of Mars sometime shortly thereafter. NASA will make strategic investments in propulsion, robotics, structures and optics --- space technologies that will lay the foundation for the agency's future, said Bobby Braun, chief technologist for NASA. (8/13)

*NASA Aims For Tech Research Leadership Role* (Source: Information Week)

NASA Chief technologist Bobby Braun claims the agency's recently launched Space Technology Program will help boost innovation and U.S. economic competitiveness. NASA's new Space Technology Program fills a void at the agency that will help it provide unprecedented technology leadership for the foreseeable future, the agency's chief of technology said this week.

Speaking in a press conference Tuesday, NASA Chief Technologist Bobby Braun said that the recently launched Space Technology Program -- which in fact is a set of 10 programs aimed at innovative technology research and development -- is the way forward for an agency that is in transition. With the end of the Space Shuttle program drawing near, the Obama administration's future plan for NASA is a shift in focus away from pure space exploration and more toward using space technology to focus on environmental, geological, climate and other issues on Earth. (8/13)

*Science Put on the Back Burner* (Source: Florida Today)

Fundamental science research often takes a backseat to ship-building and mission operations at NASA. NASA, since Apollo, seems stuck in a cycle of investing billions in development of its next rockets and spaceships. Rising costs and schedule delays on the ship-building projects often force the agency to shift funds from research and science to keep the big development programs alive.

In the past couple of decades, a larger and larger share of the agency's finite budget has gone to operating the space shuttles and International Space Station. President George W. Bush's refocusing of NASA's mission in 2004 -- at the behest of Columbia disaster investigators -- further aggravated the issue because not only did the agency need to make safely flying the shuttles and finishing the space station high priorities, it also had to launch development of yet another new space transportation system. (8/9)

*Senate Prescribed Heavy-lifter Looks Like Ares 5* (Source: Space News)

Senate legislation authorizing $58 billion for NASA directs the agency to build a heavy-lift rocket that resembles the Ares 5 launcher that President Barack Obama seeks to abandon. The bill's accompanying report states that regarding the heavy-lift rocket, "the most cost-effective and 'evolvable' design concept is likely to follow what is known as an 'in-line' vehicle design, with a large center tank structure with attached multiple liquid propulsion engines and, at a minimum, two solid rocket motors composed of at least four segments being attached to the tank structure to form the core, initial stage of the propulsion vehicle."

*/Editor's Note/*: It would be more correct to say the Obama Administration seeks to abandon the Ares 1. They recognized the need for a heavy-lift rocket and left it up to NASA to decide its configuration--including Shuttle-derived options--by 2015. The Senate now seeks to accelerate that process by requiring a nearer-term Shuttle-derived approach. With the in-line configuration and allowing four-segment solid rocket boosters, I believe this may be more similar to the _Jupiter-130 <http://www.directlauncher.com/>_ booster than Ares 5. But if saying it resembles an Ares 5 allows some folks to claim a political victory, then sure, go ahead. (8/12)

*Griffin**'s Critique of NASA's New Direction* (Source: Space Review)

Former NASA administrators are not generally known for being outspoken about space policy after their tenures running the agency. They tend to go on to other pursuits, often outside of space entirely, rarely holding forth on NASA in any public capacity. Mike Griffin, however, is not content to remain quiet during this period of upheaval in space policy. The administrator who oversaw the formation and initial development of the Constellation architecture---most notably the Ares 1 rocket and Orion capsule---is clearly not happy to see the White House and even Congress willing to dismantle part or all it in favor of a new approach to human space exploration. Click _here <http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1678/1>_ to read the article. (8/9)

*$1.6 Billion Telescope Would Search Alien Planets and Probe Dark Energy* (Source: Space.com) A $1.6-billion space telescope that could reveal the nature of dark energy and identify Earth-like planets should be the top priority for astronomers and astrophysicists, according to a long-awaited report that lays out the pressing needs for the next 10 years of space science. The Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) would launch in 2020 as one of the next generation of telescopes that should target the early universe, search for nearby habitable planets and test the boundaries of fundamental physics, according to the Astro2010 Decadal Survey by the National Academy of Sciences. (8/13)

*Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Dot Are You a Planet or Are You Not?* (Source: WIRED) The faint celestial object TMR-1C has had a checkered past --- and now it has a checkered present. In 1998, NASA proclaimed that a picture taken of the body with the Hubble Space Telescope --- a fuzzy white dot --- might go down in history as the first planet beyond the solar system to be photographed. The discovery team suggested that the object's location --- at the end of a long, luminous filament emanating from two newborn stars --- indicated that TMR-1C was a planet cast off by those incipient suns.

Many researchers were skeptical, noting that the apparent association between the object and the youthful stars might be a chance alignment on the sky. Only a year later the discovery team leader declared that the body was too hot to be a planet and could be just an old background star. Now two independent studies indicate that the team may have written off TMR-1C prematurely. Both reports provide evidence that the object is closely linked to the pair of youthful stars. While one of the studies suggests TMR-1C is just another low-mass star associated with the pair, the other suggests it could indeed be a planet. (8/12)

*Citizen Scientists Make First Deep Space Discovery With Einstein@Home* (Source: WIRED) While your computer is running idle, it could be finding new pulsars and black holes in deep space. Three volunteers running the distributed computing program Einstein@Home have discovered a new pulsar in the data from the Arecibo Observatory radio telescope. Their computers, one in Iowa (owned by two people) and one in Germany, downloaded and processed the data that found the pulsar, which is in the Milky Way, approximately 17,000 light years from Earth in constellation Vulpecula. (8/12)

*NASA Seeks Secrets of Commercial Moon Landers* (Source: New Scientist)

Swallowing its pride, NASA says it wants to learn from future commercial missions to the moon -- and it is willing to pay up to $30 million for the privilege. The space agency wants to take advantage of the flurry of activity sparked by the Google-funded Lunar X Prize, says Michael Braukus, a spokesperson at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC.

That competition, announced in 2007, offers $20 million for the first non-government entity to land a robotic rover on the moon, provided it occurs before the end of 2012. Twenty-one teams are vying for the prize. NASA believes it can learn from these missions, Braukus says. The agency is prepared to spend a total of $30 million -- up to $10 million per mission -- for data returned to Earth that would be useful for future human or robotic missions of its own, it has announced. (8/10)

*NASA Announces Commercial Crew Initiative Forum* (Source: NASA)

NASA is hosting a forum to highlight common themes captured from industry responses to NASA's Commercial Crew Initiative Request For Information (RFI). The forum is scheduled for 9 to 11:30 a.m. on Aug. 19 at NASA Headquarters. The RFI collected information from industry to help NASA plan the overall strategy for the development and demonstration of a commercial crew transport capability and to receive comments on NASA human-rating technical requirements.

The Aug. 19 forum will include discussion about how NASA is addressing the common themes in the responses and presentations on the availability of agency facilities and the availability of service arrangements for commercial providers. NASA managers also will participate in a question-and-answer session. The forum will be broadcast live on NASA Television and online via an agency webcast. Viewers can to ask real-time questions and offer comments online. For the Aug. 19 webcast, visit: _http://www.nasa.gov/exploration_. (8/13)

*Editorial: Boeing's Commercial Crew Push Good for Space Coast* (Source: Florida Today) The premise of President Obama's plan to use private companies to ferry astronauts into space is that it will spur competition, create jobs and close the gap between the shuttle's end and the rockets that will replace it. It's a tall order, but a new development brings cautious optimism the approach is starting to take hold.

It came a few days ago when Boeing announced it's getting into the game with an Apollo-like spacecraft it says will be ready to fly astronauts from Cape Canaveral to the International Space Station by 2015. The crews would be launched aboard proven Atlas 5 or Delta 4 rockets, or Falcon 9 rockets. Florida is currently competing with Alabama, Texas and Nevada for the program's manufacture and assembly work, and a decision is expected within three months, with Space Coast economic development officials involved in the hunt.

Pending congressional approval, NASA plans to request formal proposals for private space taxi services to the space station late this year or early next year. Two companies are expected to be selected, with SpaceX and Boeing the top contenders. Getting Obama's commercial crew idea off the ground still remains to be accomplished. Setbacks could dash schedules, diminish hopes and cause more political problems in Washington. Nonetheless, Boeing's decision shows the plan is gaining traction and brings needed momentum to the effort. (8/12)

*Doom, Ultima Creators Talk Space at QuakeCon* (Source: WIRED)

QuakeCon, the annual LAN party and celebration of "peace, love and rockets", kicked off Thursday in Dallas. In keeping with tradition, id Software co-founder and Doom lead programmer John Carmack will address the computer-toting QuakeCon masses with a keynote speech Thursday evening. Immediately following, Carmack will share the stage with fellow Texan Richard Garriott, creator of the classic Ultima role-playing games.

They won't be discussing videogames. Instead, they'll talk about their shared enthusiasm for space travel. In 2008, Garriott spent millions of his own money and shed one-sixth of his liver to gain a seat on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft and visit the International Space Station. Carmack hasn't been to space yet, but he founded Armadillo Aerospace in 2000. Armadillo rockets have participated in several X Prize competitions. In 2009, Carmack's team took second place and a $500,000 purse in the Lunar Lander Challenge.

This year, Carmack forged a deal with Space Adventures, the Virginia-based firm that made Garriott's trip to space possible. The plan: Use Carmack's knack for rocket science to put more tourists in space. Click _here <http://www.wired.com/gamelife/2010/08/carmack-garriott-rockets/>_ to read he article. (8/12)

*NASTAR** Center** Completes Spaceflight Training Class for Researchers* (Source: NASTAR) The NASTAR Center, the premier commercial space training and research center in the world, completed its third Suborbital Scientist Training Class this year. The Suborbital Scientist Training Program provides researchers with hands-on space flight physiology training to prepare them to design and perform experiments on suborbital vehicles. Eight (8) researchers from U.S. universities, including a NASA astronaut candidate, successfully completed the three-day course held August 2-4th, 2010.

The NASTAR Center has trained over 220 trainees to date for upcoming commercial space flights. These flights offer low-cost, repeatable access to space with 2-5 minutes of microgravity. By performing the NASTAR Suborbital Scientist Training Program, researchers, professors, and graduate students gain first hand insight into how the physiological stresses experienced during spaceflight will affect them and their ability to operate their experiment. (8/12)

*Ohio Needs to Fight for a Retired Shuttle* (Source: Columbus Dispatch)

There are lessons to be learned from last month's skirmish over legislation that would have given preferential treatment to Texas and Florida museums to receive retired space shuttles. A shuttle is a large, impressive spacecraft and would become the centerpiece for any museum that gets one. Consequently, competition is intense. About 20 museums have asked NASA for the four shuttles. The only contender in Ohio is the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

There are real economic consequences for the winners. Some competitors are estimating that the increased visitation and museum activity as a result of receiving a shuttle would create 700 or more jobs and add $40 million to $70 million in direct spending in the state's economy. Texas and Florida are both particularly aggressive in the pursuit of a retired shuttle. Earlier this year, a bill backed mostly by members of the Texas and Florida congressional delegations was introduced that would require NASA to give the shuttles to museums in those states.

When that bill didn't go anywhere, a provision turned up in a draft NASA spending bill that would have ordered NASA to give priority to museums that met certain conditions - and only the museums in Texas and Florida fit. (8/15)

*NASA's FASTSAT Satellite Arrives at Kodiak, Alaska, Spaceport* (Source: NASA) NASA's first microsatellite designed to create a capability that increases opportunities for secondary, scientific and technology payloads, or rideshares, to be flown at lower cost than before has arrived at Kodiak Island, Alaska, to begin final launch preparations.

The Fast, Affordable, Science and Technology Satellite, or FASTSAT, arrived at the Kodiak Launch Complex on Aug. 10 from NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. Following final checkout, the just under 400-pounds satellite will be integrated on a Minotaur IV launch vehicle as one of three secondary payloads. (8/11)

*NASA Selects Contractor For Wallops Island Protection Project* (Source: NASA) NASA has selected the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) in Norfolk, Va., for the Launch Facilities Protection Project at the agency's Wallops Flight Facility in Wallops Island, Va. The total contract value is not to exceed $49.5 million. The period of performance is five years. The project is scheduled to begin in fall 2010. The USACE will extend a seawall approximately 1,300 feet to the south of an existing seawall located on Wallops Island, and place approximately 3.2 million cubic yards of dredged sand along the Wallops Island shoreline. (8/9)

*FAA Gives Environmental Approval for Virginia Spaceport Expansion* (Source: Parabolic Arc) The FAA has given its OK to a NASA plan to expand the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at the Wallops Flight Facility for new commercial launches. In an Aug. 3 ruling signed by FAA Associate Administrator for Commercial Spaceflight George Nield, the agency concurred with an earlier NASA finding that the planned expansion at the Virginia facility "would not individually or cumulatively have a significant impact on the quality of the human environment, and therefore the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was not required."

The decision supports the issuance of licenses and experimental permits required for future launches. It helps pave the way for Orbital Sciences Corporation's Taurus II rocket, which is being prepared for its inaugural flight in mid-2011. The vehicle will send Cygnus cargo freighters to the International Space Station. OSC also plans to use the new rocket to launch satellites. (8/12)

*UW-Sheboygan to Host Annual Wisconsin Space Conference* (Source: Sheboygan Press) The University of Wisconsin-Sheboygan will host the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium's 20th annual Wisconsin Space Conference Aug. 19-20. Members of the consortium, including space and aerospace professionals, researchers, students and educators, will share the latest research in the field for this year's anniversary conference. All Sheboygan-area astronomy enthusiasts --- even those who are not members of the consortium --- are welcome to attend this year's conference and enjoy the keynote addresses or the entire conference. (8/15)

*Space Florida Board to Meet in Cape Canaveral on Aug. 17* (Source: SPACErePORT) Space Florida's board of directors will hold a public meeting on Aug. 17 at the Radisson Resort at Port Canaveral. This will likely be the final meeting of the agency's current board. Click _here <http://spaceflorida.gov/index.php/en/calendar/icalrepeat.detail/2010/08/17/68/-/ZjcyM2M5OWY5NGM1OThjODVmNjQxY2JmZGYxMzAwMWE=>_ to see the agenda. (8/12)

*Space Solar Power Group Proposes Florida Project* (Source: Highlands Today)

Richard Kerns and Tony Lewand believe space-based solar power is a viable source of renewable energy and that Highlands County would be a good location for a project. Kerns and Lewand of Space Energy Inc. made a presentation to the board of directors of the Highlands County Economic Development Commission. Lewand said Florida is known as the "Sunshine State," but is the least used for solar energy.

According to information presented during Wednesday's meeting in Sebring, space-based solar power is not a new concept. What's new is its commercial viability as a result of current market conditions and technology. Space-based solar power places large arrays of solar panels in space, where sunlight is then converted to electricity 24 hours a day. This energy is safely transmitted back to Earth by radio waves similar to a mobile phone call signal.

For solar to take off in Florida, the Legislature will need to establish what are called Renewable Portfolio Standards. They are state policies requiring a state to generate a percent of its electricity from renewable sources. Each state can choose how to fulfill this mandate using a combination of renewable energy sources, including wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, or other renewable sources. (8/8)

*Obama Task Force Report Due on Sunday* (Source: SPACErePORT)

In April, President Obama established the */Task Force on Space Industry Workforce and Economic Development/* and directed the group to complete its report by August 15. The Task Force was formed to "develop, in collaboration with local stakeholders, an interagency action plan to facilitate economic development strategies and plans along the Space Coast and to provide training and other opportunities for affected aerospace workers so they are equipped to contribute to new developments in America's space program and related industries."

The Task Force report should be made public on Aug. 16 (today) and is expected detail how $40 million will be invested in Central Florida to mitigate the impacts of the Space Shuttle's retirement. One anticipated outcome is the creation of a grant program, managed by the US Dept. of Commerce, to competitively award some or all of the $40 million, with a solicitation that encompasses the types of projects and local priorities that were briefed to the Task Force over the past two months. (8/15)

*Space Museum is 'Go' for Launch for Cape Canaveral Spaceport* (Source: Florida Today) A new museum devoted to preserving the history of the nation's space program will open this week just outside the gates of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The U.S. Air Force Space & Missile History Center is in the auditorium of the old Space Florida building next to Gate 1, also known as the South Gate, at the air base.

An offshoot of the Air Force Space & Missile Museum, which is located in a secure area of the base, the new museum will be free and open to the public six days a week. On display at the museum: an exhibit that tells the story of each launch pad at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, which was established in 1949 as the nation's Joint Long Range Proving Ground. (8/12)

*Scientist Making Sense Of Space Dust* (Source: Space Daily)

The chemical breakdown of minerals that may be lurking in space dust soon will be available to scientists around the world. Because space dust contains the basic ingredients that form planets, the University of Central Florida physicists' analysis could provide important clues about how the solar system formed and how life emerged. For decades, astrophysicists have been studying these clouds of dust, which contain ices, silicate minerals and iron compounds. But until the UCF team started looking at earth's minerals with far IR spectroscopy, identifying the minerals in space dust was . . . ambiguous at best. (8/11)

*ULA and Air Force Launch Satellite from Cape Canaveral Spaceport* (Source: PAFB, ULA) The 45th Space Wing, with support from United Launch Alliance, successfully launched the first Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite onboard an Atlas V launch vehicle on Saturday morning. This launch marks the fifth mission overall and third Atlas V mission for ULA in 2010. AEHF-1 represents the latest "one-at-a-time" mission success which has been accomplished 43 times since ULA was formed on Dec. 1, 2006. (8/14)

*Business-School Research: Failure to Launch* (Source: Economist)

Researchers at Brigham Young University and the University of Colorado are investigating how organizations learn from both successful and failed ventures, and how that knowledge is retained over time. They examined organizations that launch rockets designed to place satellites into orbit. They were able to take a large sample: all orbital launch attempts between October 1957 (the deployment of the first Sputnik) and March 2004.

They wanted to see how, for any given company, its successes or failures, and those of its rivals, influenced its ability to get subsequent rockets into space. The authors also wanted to measure whether success depended on how long had passed since the previous launch. This, they hoped, would measure of whether the company was retaining the lessons that needed to be learned.

They found that failed launches reduced the risk of future problems more than successful ones. What is more, the knowledge acquired after successful launches also seemed to be lost more rapidly than after failures. The effects of learning from other orbital-launch companies' successes and failures were smaller, but similar. In sum, a bad launch proved a better teacher. (8/13)

*CSU Research Explores Space Travel* (Coloradoan.com)

It may sound like something out of a science fiction novel, but a postdoctoral researcher at Colorado State University has created a computer simulation that could lead to doubling the time that spacecraft and satellites are propelled in space.

Cody Farnell, a researcher working with Professor John Williams in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, developed the simulation that improves the performance of an ion thruster's grids, which are used to accelerate ions to high speed to give the spacecraft thrust. An ion thruster is a type of electric force that converts electrical energy, rather than chemical energy, into thrust for spacecraft momentum. (8/13)

*Colorado Space Grant Consortium, Lockheed Martin to Develop CubeSat* (Source: Lockheed Martin) Students from the Colorado Space Grant Consortium (COSGC) have teamed with Lockheed Martin to develop a miniature satellite, known as ALL-STAR, which stands for Agile Low-cost Laboratory for Space Technology Acceleration and Research. The ALL-STAR program, designed to inspire and develop America's future technological workforce, will provide students hands on experience in applying science, technology, engineering and math skills to building operational space systems. (8/10)

*Gates Warns Congress to Avoid Military Cuts That are Too Deep* (Source: AIA) Defense Secretary Robert Gates called on Congress this week to avoid making the mistake of cutting military spending too excessively in response to growing federal debt. Speaking to an audience at the Marines' Memorial Club in San Francisco, Gates said his belt-tightening plan to reduce spending on contractors and close one of the military's 10 combatant commands could help in avoiding debilitating cuts. (8/12)

*Gates Lays Out Details to Cut Pentagon* Spending (Source: AIA)

Defense Secretary Robert Gates detailed his plans Monday for cutting wasteful programs and practices in the Pentagon to save money for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and to modernize the military. Among key proposed cuts are the elimination of the Joint Forces Command, which trains troops from the services to fight together; a 10% cut for three years for spending on contractors; and cuts of 50 generals and admirals and 150 top civilians over the next two years. (8/12)

*Lawmakers Say Base Closure Rule May Make Gates' Reduction Plan Illegal* (Source: AIA) Lawmakers in Virginia say a military downsizing rule could make Defense Secretary Robert Gates' plan to close down the Joint Forces Command illegal. The plan was announced on Monday as part of a broader initiative to reel in spending, but Virginia politicians say they were caught off guard by the announcement -- and that the Base Realignment and Closure process, requiring legislative input on decisions to close any base that employs more than 999 people, may apply. (8/12)

*FAA and AIAA Sign STEM Education MOU* (Source: AIAA)

The AIAA and the FAA officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), establishing a partnership in support of the FAA's mission "to support a safe, secure, and efficient aerospace system that contributes to national security and economic growth in the 21st century," and AIAA's mission to advance the state of aerospace science, engineering, and technological leadership. The central goal of the MOU is to facilitate a collaborative partnership between the FAA and AIAA that encourages and fosters the development of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) skills by today's youth. (8/11)

*GAO, DOT IG Concerned about FAA's NextGen* (Source: AIN Online)

Each key FAA NextGen project has an individual "metric" to measure how its development is progressing. But as the Government Accountability Office (GAO) warned recently, the FAA doesn't use "lateral" metrics that would allow senior management to track the relative progress of separate projects that must eventually work together to make NextGen happen. Without informed management monitoring of the many intertwining NextGen projects, their operational outcomes could be impossible to predict or coordinate, the GAO stated. Similarly, "government acceptance" sounds plain enough, but it isn't, particularly for the FAA's en route automation modernization (Eram), NextGen's future computer backbone. (8/10)

*Crashed Alaska Aircraft Did Not Use ADS-B System Championed by Sen. Stevens* (Source: Huffington Post) A pilot who spotted the wreckage of the amphibious plane carrying former Sen. Ted Stevens looked down on the gashed mountainside and thought that no one could've survived such a crash. Then, he heard another pilot say on the radio: A hand was waving for help from a window of the red-and-white aircraft.

Officials said a technology that Stevens had long pushed to improve air safety in Alaska wasn't installed in the downed plane. It was unclear whether the instruments would've prevented the Monday crash. FAA chief Randy Babbitt in June credited the technology -- a surveillance system intended in part to help pilots have a greater sense of awareness when they're nearing bad weather -- with "making a real difference" in air safety in Alaska. Click _here <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/11/ted-stevens-death-gruesom_n_678314.html>_ to read the article. (8/12)

*Plane Crashes with Former AK Senator & Former NASA Administrator* (Sources: Wall Street Journal, NASA Watch) Friends of former Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) are concerned for his safety after a plane registered to the company whose lodge he was scheduled to visit crashed Monday night in a remote area about 325 miles southwest of Anchorage. NASA Watch is reporting that former NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe may also have been aboard the plane. (8/10)

*Ex-NASA Chief O'Keefe in Critical Condition after Plane Crash* (Source: Washington Post) Former NASA administrator Sean O'Keefe, who was critically injured in the Alaska plane crash Monday that left five people dead, including former US Senator Ted Stevens, took over late last year as chief executive of the North American unit of European Aeronautic Defence and Space, which is vying to build a fleet of new aerial refueling tankers for the U.S. Air Force. EADS had teamed with Northrop Grumman to win the $35 billion program in 2008, but the award drew fire from lawmakers on Capitol Hill and was overturned after rival bidder Boeing successfully challenged the Pentagon's decision-making process. The Defense Department has since relaunched the tanker competition.

O'Keefe's injuries include a broken pelvis. In a statement Tuesday afternoon, EADS Chairman Ralph D. Crosby Jr. said: "It was with a great sense of relief and gratitude that we learned that Sean and his son, Kevin, survived the aircraft crash in Alaska." Crosby said the company looks forward to O'Keefe's recovery and return. (8/11)

*NASA and Israel Sign Space Cooperation Pact* (Source: NASA)

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and Israel Space Agency Director General Zvi Kaplan signed a joint statement of intent to expand the agencies' cooperation in civil space activities. The agencies agreed to identify new joint activities related to Earth and space science, life sciences, space exploration and other areas of mutual interest. The goal is to expand scientific exchanges and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers. (8/11)

*Israel** Aims to be Space Superpower* (Source: Jerusalem Post)

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is set to approve an ambitious plan to turn Israel into a satellite superpower. According to details obtained by The Jerusalem Post, the aim is to increase sales of Israeli space platforms to nearly $8 billion a year. The multi-year plan calls for the government to annually increase support for space research and development by several hundred million shekels. This investment would focus on new platforms -- primarily Israel's niche market in "mini satellites" -- intended to yield billions in sales. (8/13)

*Asteroid Probe, Rocket Get Nod from Japanese Panel* (Source: SpaceFlightNow.com) The board governing Japan's space program last week formally approved a successor to the Hayabusa asteroid explorer and the Epsilon small satellite launch vehicle to continue development. The Space Activities Commission decision gives the Japanese government authority to request funding for the programs in its budget for the next fiscal year, which begins in April. The government space panel, which has oversight of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, only gave the go-ahead for preliminary design work on Hayabusa 2, a mission projected to cost nearly $200 million. (8/11)

*Can Hayabusa-2's Timeline be Met?* (Source: Daily Yomiuri)

Having received approval from the government's Space Activities Commission, full-scale development of the next generation of the Hayabusa asteroid probe will culminate with a 2014 scheduled launch. The project represents a new challenge that will take advantage of Japan's space technology, proved by Hayabusa on its seven-year space journey--a feat that stunned the world.

What goals will the next-generation spacecraft aim for? And will it be able to achieve them? Hayabusa-2's destination will be 1999JU3, a one-kilometer-diameter asteroid. The big difference between 1999JU3 and the Itokawa asteroid probed by the first Hayabusa is that chemical compounds, including carbons, are believed to exist on 1999JU3. After landing on 1999JU3, Hayabusa-2 will use explosives to blast a hole in the asteroid's surface to expose rocks unaffected by changes in the outer space environment. (8/13)

*Japan Plans New Epsilon Small-Payload Rocket* (Source: SpaceFlightNow.com)

A new Japanese launch vehicle will be ready for service beginning in 2013. It will replace the M-5 rocket, a similar vehicle that flew seven times between 1997 and 2006. Now finished with preliminary development, engineers are focusing on a critical design review planned about 18 months from now. The Epsilon rocket will launch about once per year with small technology demonstration and scientific missions. The three-stage launcher is designed to lift more than 2,600 pounds to low Earth orbit. The M-5 rocket could haul about 4,000 pounds to a similar trajectory. (8/11)

*European Space Programs Come Back to Earth* (Source: Wall Street Journal)

Shrinking budgets and national rivalries increasingly are undermining European space programs, even as the U.S. seeks expanded partnerships for future manned exploration efforts. Debates over financial commitments for space projects by individual countries---and the number of jobs they expect in return----have intensified as a result of the region's economic woes. Some governments are considering slashing next year's contributions to the European Space Agency by 20% or more, while Italy's top space official last month stressed that economics and return on investment are now primary factors in determining national funding levels. (8/9)

*Europe's Space Funding Woes* (Source: Space Politics)

A major space power is grappling with a number of problems: constrained space budgets, debates about future programs, and concerns that, in the bigger scheme of things, space just isn't a major priority. A description of the US? In fact, it's a description of Europe's current situation. The European Space Agency is grappling with the possibility that its member countries could decrease their contributions to ESA next year by 20 percent or more. There's also debate about supporting developing of a new launch vehicle to succeed the Ariane 5, with EADS complaining that major ESA countries don't have "the impetus or the stamina" to carry out this or other major projects, or complete development of a long-term strategy. (8/10)

*Europe Makes Plans for Physics Experiments in Orbit* (Source: Science Insider) With the increasing convergence of particle physics, astrophysics, and cosmology, the European Space Agency (ESA) this week published a road map of space missions and technology development that it will aim for between 2015 and 2025. Besides testing the fundamental laws of physics, the program includes the search for gravitational waves and their sources, quantum mechanical experiments in space, the elucidation of the nature of dark energy and dark matter, and the search of antimatter in space.

Researchers in these fields are increasingly turning to space missions to answer fundamental questions in physics. They are in something of a catch-22 situation at the moment: To better understand the structure of the universe, they need a better knowledge of physics, but to get a better understanding of physics, they have to improve their understanding of the structure of the universe. (8/12)

*Thales Alenia Space To Continue Mars Design Work* (Source: Space News)

The 18-nation European Space Agency (ESA) has given Thales Alenia Space an additional contract tranche valued at 98 million euros ($130 million) for work on U.S.-European Mars exploration missions planned for 2016 and 2018. Under the contract, Thales Alenia Space will continue work on Europe's ExoMars portion of the missions through March 2011, after which another ESA contract is expected to carry the work to the construction phase. (8/9)

*Canada** Sees Opportunity in NASA's Commercialization Drive* (Source: AIA)

Canadian firms could reap an economic windfall if U.S. President Barack Obama succeeds in his efforts to commercialize near-earth spaceflight, according to some experts. "I think you're going to see stepped-up activity from Canadian industry to contribute in a more significant way," says Paul Delaney, a professor of physics and astrology at Toronto's York University. One industry expert says Canada's expertise in robotics is particularly well suited to greater commercialization of space -- if the Canadian Space Agency aligns its own strategic goals with those being espoused in Washington. (8/9)

*Indian Satellite To Study Solar Corona* (Source: Aviation Week)

The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is gearing up for a unique satellite mission to study the solar corona --- the outermost region of the Sun --- in visible and near-infrared bands. The satellite, called Aditya, will be launched in 2012 during the solar maximum, a high solar activity period. The solar maximum occurs roughly every 11 years. (8/12)

*India Planning to Send Astronauts to Space Before 2015-16* (Source: Times of India) The Indian Space Research Organization is planning to send astronauts to space before the year 2015-16, deputy project director of ISRO's Chandrayaan Mission Jaswinder Singh Khoral said. Khoral was addressing the students at the Haryana Space Science Congress Programme at Faridabad which was organized by Space Applications Center, Hisar on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Dr Vikaram Sarabhai, the father of Indian Space Program. (8/13)

*Indian Spectrum Deal Makes Waves for Wrong Reasons* (Source: The Economist)

India's law ministry has told the department of space, or DoS, that it could annul a contract under which 60 MHz of airwaves was leased to a private company five years ago. The DoS had asked the government's legal arm for its views on an obscure deal between the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and Devas Multimedia, in which the firm paid Rs 600 crore for the airwaves. The company, owned by former ISRO official MG Chandrasekhar, sold a stake to a group of foreign investors, including Deutsche Telekom and private equity firm Columbia Capital, after the frequency spectrum was allotted. (8/10)

*India** Launches Satellite-Based Navigation System* (Source: Mangalorean)

India Tuesday launched a satellite-based navigation system to aid air traffic in the region and joined a select club of nations which have similar capabilities. Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel launched the Global Position System Aided Geo Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) based on a constellation of 24 satellites positioned in six earth-centered orbital planes. GAGAN will provide seamless coverage of air traffic from south Asia to Africa and connect to the systems of Europe and Japan. It is also expected to enhance marine and transport navigation, search and rescue operations, survey and mapping. (8/11)

*AU to Establish African Space Agency* (Source: This Day)

The African Union, has commenced a process that would lead to the setting up of a regional space agency. The agency, to be known as the African Space Agency, would focus on the development of common space policy for the continent. In a communique issued at the end of the third African Union conference of Ministers in charge of Communications and Information Technologies, member countries agreed to conduct a feasibility study on the establishment of the African Space Agency. (8/9)

*China** Orbits New Remote-Sensing Spy Satellite* (Source: RIA Novosti)

China put into orbit on Tuesday another remote sensing satellite. The Yaogan X was launched aboard a Long March 4C carrier rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern Shanxi Province. According to Xinhua, the satellite will be used primarily for scientific experiments, land survey, crop yield assessment, and disaster monitoring. Western experts believe, though, that this class of satellites could be used for reconnaissance and other military purposes. (8/10)

*China** on Top of Orbital Garbage Heap, Study Shows* (Source: Discovery)

Who's the biggest space polluter on the planet? Why that would be China, a relative newcomer to the space age, which now tops the list of countries contributing to space debris, according to a study by the Russian space agency, Roscosmos. China accounts for 40 percent of the space debris, followed by the United States, which produces 27.5 percent and Russia, with 25.5 percent, the study showed. (8/13)

*Saving Earth Orbit, One Piece of Junk at a Time* (Source: Space News)

A decade ago, the notion of actively removing debris from Earth orbit (as opposed to natural atmospheric decay) was squarely in the science fiction category. Conventional wisdom labeled it as too expensive and too difficult to bother with, mainly because space was big and it would never get "too crowded." It's funny how events conspire to change our perception of things. In late June of this year, the Obama administration released the new U.S. National Space Policy which states:

"The now ubiquitous and interconnected nature of space capabilities and the world's growing dependence on them mean that irresponsible acts in space can have damaging consequences for all of us. For example, decades of space activity have littered Earth's orbit with debris; and as the world's space-faring nations continue to increase activities in space, the chance for a collision increases correspondingly."

In the late 1970's, two NASA scientists, John Gabbard and Donald Kessler, laid the scientific groundwork for what became to be known as the "Kessler syndrome." They predicted that at some point in the future the population of human-generated space debris would hit a critical point where it would pose a greater risk to spacecraft than the natural debris population of meteoroids. According to their models, large pieces of space debris would get hit by smaller pieces of debris, creating hundreds or thousands of new pieces of small debris which would then collide with other large pieces. This "collisional cascading" process would increase the population of space debris at an exponential rate. (8/11)

*Public Interest in Space, By the Numbers* (Source: Space Review)

Measuring spending on space by various national governments could be a proxy for measuring the popularity of space. There are two reasons to adopt this measure. First, at least for the world's democracies, politicians have to take the popularity of various government efforts into account when spending money, or risk being voted out of office. Authoritarian governments face a different calculus, of course. If a government can get away with criminalizing unrelated men and women holding hands in public, or so restrict access to food that the average citizen's height is affected, well, it's probably best to leave places like Iran and North Korea out of this analysis. Click _here <http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1676/1>_ to read the article. (8/9)

*Images From Space Can Save Lives* (Source: Florida Today)

Vantage point can change everything about how we view things. Our outposts in space -- both robotic and manned spacecraft -- give us such an advantage in understanding what's happening on Earth. Our ability to view the Earth from above, in incredible detail, provides us practical protection because it means we can monitor the movement of potential threats, such as dangerous weather formations or worrisome military deployments. Intelligence experts can track terrorists' training bases. Scientists can see how Earth's atmosphere and environment are changing. Sometimes, it just means we can marvel at incredible -- otherwise unavailable -- views of our planet. (8/15)

*Jupiter Swallowed a Super-Earth* (Source: New Scientist)

Jupiter might have secured its position as the solar system's mightiest planet by killing an up-and-coming rival, new simulations suggest. The work could explain why the planet has a relatively small heart, and paints a grisly picture of the early solar system, where massive, rocky "super-Earths" were snuffed out before they could grow into gas giants. Jupiter and Saturn are thought to have begun life as rocky worlds with the mass of at least a few Earths. Their gravity then pulled in gas from their birth nebula, giving them dense atmospheres. (8/12)

*Rethinking Einstein: The End of Space-Time* (Source: New Scientist)

It was a speech that changed the way we think of space and time. The year was 1908, and the German mathematician Hermann Minkowski had been trying to make sense of Albert Einstein's hot new idea - what we now know as special relativity - describing how things shrink as they move faster and time becomes distorted. "Henceforth space by itself and time by itself are doomed to fade into the mere shadows," Minkowski proclaimed, "and only a union of the two will preserve an independent reality."

And so space-time - the malleable fabric whose geometry can be changed by the gravity of stars, planets and matter - was born. It is a concept that has served us well, but if physicist Petr Horava is right, it may be no more than a mirage. Horava, who is at the University of California, Berkeley, wants to rip this fabric apart and set time and space free from one another in order to come up with a unified theory that reconciles the disparate worlds of quantum mechanics and gravity - one the most pressing challenges to modern physics. (8/9)

*Asteroid Near Neptune Found in Gravitational Dead Zone* (Source: Space.com)

Astronomers have discovered a new asteroid in a region of Neptune's orbit where no previous object was known to exist -- a so-called gravitational "dead zone." The asteroid, which follows Neptune's orbit around the sun, may help shed light on fundamental questions about planetary formation and migration. (8/12)

*A Milestone for Solar Sailing* (Source: Space Review)

The Second International Symposium on Solar Sailing was hosted by the Physics Department of the City University of the New York. The meeting had an historic aspect to it, as the attendees were treated to the first public presentation of details of the flight of the first-ever solar sail deployed in space, by some of the JAXA engineers and managers who recently accomplished that feat. Click _here <http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1677/1>_ to read the article. (8/9)

*Solar Sails Could Allow New Orbits for Satellites* (Source: Space.com)

Solar sails could be used on satellites to levitate them above the crowd of objects circling Earth and into orbital paths that have never been used, new research suggests. First predicted by the American space scientist Robert L. Forward in 1984, these orbits are only now being shown to be viable, the researchers said. By using the pressure of sunlight to produce thrust, solar sails would keep the satellites from falling back into the geostationary ring above Earth's equator, which is already chock-full of satellites and space debris, according to the study. (8/11)

*Warning for Solar Flares* (Source: Science News)

Fluctuating bursts of microwave energy from the sun could provide imminent warning of the huge solar flares known as coronal mass ejections, new research hints. During periods of intense solar activity, immense clouds of radiation and charged particles erupt from the sun's surface. When these coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, strike and envelope Earth, they can disrupt radio communications, overload power grids and zap Earth-orbiting satellites, say researchers. They recently studied the solar emissions associated with 10 CMEs that occurred during an intense period of solar activity in October and November 2003, they noticed that the sun emitted bursts of microwave energy during or before each one. (8/10)

*GeoEye Reports Record Revenues for Second Quarter 2010* (Source: GeoEye)

Total revenues were $81.0 million for the second quarter of 2010, an 11.4 percent increase from $72.7 million for the second quarter of 2009. Net income for the second quarter of 2010 was $12.1 million, compared to net income of $9.6 million for the second quarter of 2009. (8/9)

*Loral Space Posts 2Q Loss on Exchange Rates* (Source: Bloomberg)

Satellite manufacturer Loral Space & Communications Inc. posted a net loss during the second quarter, citing changes in foreign exchange rates at its Canadian business. During the three months ended June 30, the company lost $19.7 million. That compares with a profit of $74.3 million in the same quarter last year. A foreign exchange loss totaling $93 million was tied to U.S.-denominated debt at Telesat Canada, a telecommunications operator in which Loral owns a 64 percent stake. Revenue rose 3 percent to $280 million. (8/11)

*Iridium Sees Increase in Revenue, Subscribers* (Source: Phoenix Business Journal) Iridium Communications reported income of $3.2 million for the second quarter on revenue of nearly $84 million. That compares with net income of $28.6 million in the second quarter of 2009 on revenue of $82.7 million. Iridium, which has 66 satellites in orbit around the earth supplying the potential for communications anywhere on the globe, saw its customer base increase from 328,000 this time last year to 383,000. (8/10)

*Inmarsat Deal Boosts Boeing Satellite Business* (Source: Aviation Week)

Inmarsat's decision to go with Boeing Satellite Systems (BSS) for its Global Xpress deal marks a major step forward in the aerospace giant's goal to return in force to the commercial satellite business. In the last decade, BSS saw its commercial activities largely vanish in the wake of engineering glitches, lawsuits and skyrocketing defense demand that caused it to shift its focus to military space. However, with U.S. defense budget growth on the wane, illustrated by the department's decision to cancel the Transformational Satellite (TSAT) system, the U.S. manufacturer is being forced to change course. (8/13)

*OHB Revenue, Profits Soar on Galileo Work* (Source: Space News)

German space hardware manufacturer OHB Technology on Aug. 11 reported a 42 percent increase in revenue and a 55 percent increase in backlog for the first six months of 2010 as its work on Europe's Galileo satellite navigation constellation began to ripple through the company's accounts. OHB is prime contractor for 14 Galileo satellites, with the first due in time for launch in late 2012. (8/12)

*California** Aerospace Events Calendar***



*"The View from JPL" Event Planned on Aug. 20 *

You are invited to the August meeting of The Aerospace & Defense Forum, a monthly informal group of senior professionals who share news, information and analysis concerning the commercial and defense aerospace industries. Guest Speaker: Lt. Gen Gene Tattini, Deputy Director, Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Click _here <http://www.frontier-assoc.com/Services/AD%20Invite%20August%202010.pdf>_ for information and reservations.

*Panel Discussion on NASA Flexible Path Human Space Exploration Plan in Downy on Aug. 23*

"What is the NASA Flexible Path for human space exploration and why are we doing it?" This panel discussion event will be part of a series of AIAA events being held nationwide, known as August is for Aerospace. This is sponsored by the Los Angeles and Orange County Sections of the AIAA at the Columbia Memorial Space Center in Downy. Visit http://aiaa-la-oc-spaceexplorationpanel.eventbrite.com/

*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_

*California Governor's Trade Mission to South Korea Planned Sep. 12-16*

To showcase California goods and services, promote tourism and expand trade relations between South Korea and California, the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce on behalf of Gov. Schwarzenegger, will be organizing a number of business opportunities throughout the trade mission for California companies to connect with key business and government decision makers _Join us <http://www.lachamber.com/southkorea>_. For additional information please visit _www.lachamber.com/southkorea <http://www.lachamber.com/southkorea>_

*California Governor's Trade Mission to South Korea Planned Sep. 12-16 *

CSA Member Discount! $3,000 vs. original $5,000 rate. To showcase California goods and services, promote tourism and expand trade relations between South Korea and California, the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce on behalf of Gov. Schwarzenegger, will be organizing a number of business opportunities throughout the trade mission for California companies to connect with key business and government decision makers. Visit http://www.lachamber.com/southkorea for information.

*"Made in California 2010 Seminar Series" - Aerospace and Defense Leadership Summit in Torrance, Oct. 6*

CSA Member Discount! To receive your discount code email Elizabeth.Burkhead@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Supported by CSA, CMTC presents a manufacturing leadership seminar series. With the economic recovery forthcoming, it's not going to be "business as usual". Aerospace and Defense (A&D) suppliers in California need to prepare for the top line growth and bottom line operations improvement to remain viable and be able to compete globally. Join us at the Holiday Inn, Torrance on Wednesday, October 6, 2010 from 7:30 am - 2:00 pm. Breakfast and lunch will be provided. For additional information and registration please click here. http://www.cmtc.com/cmtc_made_in_california_2010_AD_event_oct_06.html

*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_

*RS2011- Reinventing Space 2011 at LAX - May 2-5 *

This year the Responsive Space Conference has become the Reinventing Space Conference in order to put a renewed emphasis on the importance of reducing cost. Most of the people working in Responsive Space have also wanted to create much lower cost space missions. At RS3, Dr. Pete Rustan urged the community to use Responsive Space developments and advancements as a means of reducing the cost of larger, more traditional space systems. The current economic crisis makes that need even more critical if we are to meet the ambitious goals of the American space program. If a solution to the prohibitively high cost of space is not found, then the shortfall in future years will require major cuts in space activity. We are already starting to see that occur. It's a problem that must be addressed and addressed quickly. Our goal for RS 2011 is to try to help. A classified session (DoD Secret) will also be held on May 6, 2011. For additional information view http://www.ResponsiveSpace.com

* *

*Last Week's DOD Contract Awards in California*

*Science Application International Corp., San Diego, Calif., was awarded on June 30 a $6,348,387 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract. This modification is to provide technical support to the U.S. Army Element, Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives headquarters office in Edgewood, Md., during the design, construction, systemization, pilot testing, operation and closure of Pueblo Chemical Agent Destruction Pilot Plant and Blue Grass Chemical Agent Destruction Pilot Plant. Work is to be performed in Abingdon, Md., with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2010. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Research Development & Engineering, Command Contracting Office, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., is the contracting activity.*

*General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Co., San Diego, Calif., is being awarded a $115,000,000 modification to previously awarded contract N00024-09-C-2229 for long-lead time material and advanced design efforts for Ship 1 of the Mobile Landing Platform program. Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif*. (27.1 percent); Pittsburgh, Pa. (18.2 percent); Beloit, Wis. (11.2 percent); Chesapeake, Va. (9.2 percent); Crozet, Va. (8.6 percent); Busan, South Korea (7.1 percent); *Santa Fe Springs, Calif*. (4.3 percent); Iron Mountain, Mich. (2.8 percent); Houma, La. (2.5 percent); Hamburg, Germany (2.4 percent), Bremen, Germany (1.8 percent); Allendale, N.J. (0.9 percent); Mobile, Ala. (0.9 percent); Houston, Texas (0.7 percent); North Tonawanda, N.Y. (0.7 percent); Wageningen, The Netherlands (0.4 percent); Knoxville, Tenn. (0.4 percent); Annapolis, Md. (0.3 percent); and various other locations (0.5 percent). Work is expected to be complete by April 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity.

*ITT Integrated Electronic Warfare Systems*, Clifton, N.J., is being awarded a $9,838,468 cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for investigations of anomalies; software engineering; systems engineering; software and firmware maintenance; support tools and facilities maintenance; documentation; and hardware maintenance and upgrade software support for the electronic warfare jammers AN/ALQ-165 and AN/ALQ-214. Work will be performed at Clifton, N.J. (90 percent), *Point Mugu**, Calif. (5 percent), and China Lake, Calif. (5 percent). Work is expected to be completed in August 2015. Contract funds in the amount of $1,010,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract combines purchases for the U.S. Navy ($8,264,313; 84 percent); and for the governments of Australia ($393,539; 4 percent), Switzerland ($393,539; 4 percent), Finland ($393,539; 4 percent), and Taiwan ($393,538; 4 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales program. The contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake, Calif., is the contracting activity.*

*Harper Construction Co., Inc., San Diego, Calif., is being awarded an $8,476,768 modification to increase the maximum dollar value of a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N62473-09-C-1208) for furniture, fixtures and equipment (FF&E)/collateral equipment for bachelor enlisted quarters (BEQ) at Marine Corps Base and Marine Corps Air Station, Camp Pendleton. The work to be performed provides for furniture, FF&E/collateral equipment for: three 200-room and one 299-room BEQs that includes a multipurpose room, administrative duty room, and centralized laundry facility in each BEQ. After award of this modification, the total cumulative contract value will be $133,146,955. Work will be performed in Oceanside, Calif., and is expected to be completed by June 2011. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity.*

*Turner-Penick, JV, San Diego, Calif., is being awarded an $8,345,391 modification under a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N62473-09-C-1234) for furniture, fixtures and equipment (FF&E)/collateral equipment for bachelor enlisted quarters (BEQ) at Marine Corps Base and Marine Corps Air Station, Camp Pendleton. The work provides for FF&E/collateral equipment in the four BEQs that each includes 200 rooms, a multipurpose room, administrative duty room, and centralized laundry facility. The total contract amount after exercise of this modification will be $117,923,644. Work will be performed in Oceanside, Calif., and is expected to be completed by August 2011. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity.*

*General Atomics, San Diego, Calif., is being awarded a $6,562,856 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-09-C-4222) for engineering services that support the development of a proof-of-concept hybrid electric drive (HED) system for a full-scale demonstration. HED is aimed at improving the operating efficiency of the engineering plant on DDG 51 class ships and is intended to demonstrate the capability for significant fuel savings by incorporating advanced electric machine technology. Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif.* (50 percent), Milwaukee, Wis. (25 percent), and Hudson, Mass. (25 percent). Work is expected to be completed by June 2014. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity.

*US Foodservice/Joseph Webb Division, Vista, Calif., is being awarded a maximum $51,877,500 firm-fixed-price, prime vendor contract for full line food distribution. There are no other locations of performance. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps. and Coast Guard. The original proposal was Web-solicited with three responses. The date of performance completion is Aug. 17, 2011. The Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity.*

*Raytheon Co., Integrated Defense Systems*, Tewksbury, Mass., is being awarded a $36,095,131 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-05-C-5346) to procure mission systems equipment (MSE) for the Self Defense Test Ship in support of the Anti-Air Warfare Self Defense Enterprise Test and Evaluation Master Plan. The MSE procured will support the DDG 1000 and CVN 78 classes of ships, in addition to follow-on operation test and evaluation efforts for the Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile and Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program. Work will be performed in Andover, Mass. (58.7 percent); Portsmouth, R.I. (32 percent); Sudbury, Mass. (5.4 percent); Tewksbury, Mass. (2.7 percent); and *San Diego**, Calif.* (1.2 percent). Work is expected to be completed by March 2013. 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.

*Hensel-Phelps Soltek, JV*, Greeley, Colo., is being awarded a $7,984,629 modification under a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N62473-09-C-1601) for furniture, fixtures and equipment/collateral equipment for four 200-room bachelor enlisted quarters at Marine Corps Base and Marine Corps Air Station, Camp Pendleton. The total contract amount after exercise of this modification will be $125,801,163. Work will be performed in *Oceanside**, Calif.*, and is expected to be completed by October 2011. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity.

*Hydraulics International, Inc., Chatsworth, Calif*., was awarded a $5,904,318 contract for a quantity of 77 MJ-1C, an aerial stores lift truck/bomb lift and transports used to transport lift and attach bombs, fuel tanks, pylons and aerial stores to wings to fuselage stations of military aircraft. At this time, the entire amount has been obligated. WE-ALC/GRVKAC, Robins Air Force Base, Ga., is the contracting activity.

*Northrop Grumman Systems Corp*., Rolling Meadows, Ill., is being awarded an undefinitized contract action with an estimated value of $77,655,380 for the procurement of 121 AN/AAQ-24(V) 25 Guardian laser transmitter assemblies for installation on CH-53D, CH-53E, and CH-46E helicopters, including associated technical data. The guardian laser transmitter assembly, a component of the large aircraft infrared countermeasures, is a next-generation directable laser-based countermeasures system for protecting helicopters and some fixed-wing aircraft from man-portable air defense systems. Work will be performed in Rolling Meadows, Ill. (39 percent); Edinburgh, Scotland (16.8 percent); *Goleta, Calif*. (10 percent); Blacksburg, Va. (9.4 percent); Boulder, Colo. (7.1 percent); Dallas, Texas (5.5 percent); Lewisburg, Tenn. (2 percent); Apopka, Fla. (1.8 percent); *Woodland Hills, Calif*. (1.3 percent); Tampa, Fla. (1 percent); *Santa Clara, Calif*. (1 percent); Melbourne, Fla. (1 percent); Wheeling, W.V. (1 percent); and various locations throughout the U.S. (3.1 percent), and is expected to be completed in August 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River Md., is the contracting activity.

*DCS Corp*.*, Alexandria, Va., is being awarded an $8,010,077 modification to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N68936-05-D-0002) to provide additional weapons system integration services in support of the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division's integrated product teams and weapons support facilities. The estimated level of effort for this modification is 114,800 man-hours. Work will be performed in *China Lake, Calif*. (90 percent), and *Pt. Mugu, Calif*. (10 percent), and is expected to be completed in November 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake, Calif., is the contracting activity.

*The Gyro House*, Auburn, Calif*., is being awarded a $6,606,775 firm-fixed-price order via the General Services Administration (GSA) schedule for the procurement of 1,462 Garmin GPSMAP 696 units for the Army (789) and Navy (673). The order also provides for the procurement of 293 GPSMAP 696/695 e-learning program CD-ROMs for the Army (158) and Navy (135). Work will be performed in *Auburn**, Calif.*, and is expected to be completed in June 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via a request for quotes under a GSA schedule E-buy; five firms were solicited and one offer was received. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.

*United Paradyne Corp., Santa Maria, Calif., was awarded a $44,429,836 contract to provide aerospace support services contract for the following services: unconventional propellants; cryogenics and fuels accountability; personal protective equipment operations; hazardous operation support; fleet management; systems and safety engineering; training, and transient aircraft maintenance/aerospace ground equipment support services. Precision measurement equipment laboratory includes test, calibration, and repair of test measurement diagnostic equipment. At this time, no money has been obligated. 30 CONS/LGCZG, Vandenberg, Calif., is the contracting activity.*

Compiled for the California Space Authority by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University <http://www.erau.edu/>, Edward Ellegood <mailto:edward.ellegood@xxxxxxxx?subject=SpotBeam%20California>

<mailto:edward.ellegood@xxxxxxxx?subject=SpotBeam%20California>

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Dianna Minor, Executive Assistant
California Space Authority
3201 Airpark Dr., Suite 204
Santa Maria, CA 93455

805-349-2633 http://www.CaliforniaSpaceAuthority.org/

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