[CSA] CSA: SpotBeam California, August 18, 2008

SpotBeam California

Voice, Visibility, Edge

An e-publication of the California Space Authority (CSA).  SpotBeam items do not necessarily reflect the policy or opinions of CSA or its members and stakeholders.  Unsubscribe   Subscribe

August 18, 2008

California Items

California Officials Join with Northrop Grumman to Highlight Earth Observation Satellites (Source: CSA)
U.S. Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.) and California's Lt. Governor John Garamendi joined Northrop Grumman Corporation in highlighting the contributions Earth observation satellites are making to global climate change monitoring. The event was held at the company's Space Technology sector facility in Redondo Beach, Calif.

"Scientists agree that global warming is real," said California Lt. Governor John Garamendi. "As the fifth-largest economy in the world and an environmental leader, California should take a leadership role in providing solutions. We can do that by pulling together a broad coalition that includes government, industry and private citizens." Alexis Livanos, corporate vice president and president of Northrop Grumman's Space Technology sector, told the gathering, "There are three key approaches to addressing climate change: adaptation, mitigation, and monitoring. We have the technology to monitor the Earth from space, which in conjunction with observations from air, land and ocean sources, provides a comprehensive picture that is truly global." (8/13)

Boeing Opens New Pulse Line in California for Satellite Assembly (Source: Boeing)
Boeing is ready to use a new "pulse line" process for assembling satellites in El Segundo, Calif. The new process is expected to shorten the time needed to build a satellite. The first satellites to be manufactured on the pulse line will be the Global Positioning System (GPS) IIF satellites Boeing is building for the Air Force. All Boeing's satellite production lines will adopt the new process over time.

The new process will move parts through 13 pulse positions. New work cells, new tooling, standard work-planning packages and Lean manufacturing processes will reduce the total build time per satellite and increase the number of vehicles moving through the line at one time. The line is intended to eliminate rework, allowing parts to flow continuously and smoothly through the process. (8/12)

Delta 2 Rocket Launch of GeoEye from California Postponed (Source: SpaceFlightNow.com)
Launch of a commercial Earth-imaging satellite aboard a Delta 2 rocket originally scheduled to occur next week from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California will be pushed into early September. Liftoff of the GeoEye 1 satellite had been targeted for August 22. But difficulties arranging a critical downrange tracking asset prompted launch managers to postpone the flight until September 4. (8/12)

Interorbital Prepares for Test Flights (Source: Flight Global)
A final series of rocket engine test firings that could lead to low-altitude flights are being prepared by Mojave air and spaceport-based Interorbital Systems (IOS) for its SeaStar launch vehicle. A cluster of four and then eight 3,000lb-thrust (13.5kN) engines will be fired together at the IOS Mojave engine test stand over the next couple of months. The SeaStar flight-test vehicle is nearly complete and the first low-altitude launches could take place by year-end off the coast of southern California. The SeaStar is fired from a canister floating upright in the sea, eliminating the need for land-based infrastructure.

Because the hypergolic fuels are storable at room temperature, IOS expects its SeaStar to be stored fully fuelled enabling a rapid-response launch capability. IOS chief executive Randa Milliron says: "You can let it sit there for six years and it's ready to go by opening a valve." The company is working with the FAA's commercial space transport office for launch licences. (8/12)

OSHCast 2008: The Rocket Racing League Roars into Reality (Source: CSA)

Visit http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7529622105021594854&hl=en to view a video of the recent Rocket Racing League demonstration flights at the Oshkosh Airventure event. Retired astronaut Rick Searfoss flew a jetplane at the event for XCor.

National / International Items

McCain Releases Space Policy Document (Sources: SpaceRef.com, McCain Campaign)
In addition to featuring space images and references on his Florida campaign website Senator John McCain has issued a space policy document on his national campaign website. According to the document, as President, John McCain will: ensure that space exploration is top priority and that the U.S. remains a leader; commit to funding the NASA Constellation program to ensure it has the resources it needs to begin a new era of human space exploration; and review and explore all options to ensure U.S. access to space by minimizing the gap between the termination of the Space Shuttle and the availability of its replacement vehicle.

The policy document further commits that McCain would: ensure the national space workforce is maintained and fully utilized; Complete construction of the ISS National Laboratory; seek to maximize the research capability and commercialization possibilities of the ISS National Laboratory; maintain infrastructure investments in Earth-monitoring satellites and support systems; seek to maintain the nation's space infrastructure; prevent wasteful earmarks from diverting precious resources from critical scientific research; and ensure adequate investments in aeronautics research. Click here to view the policy document. (8/13)

Apollo Astronaut Represents McCain at Mars Society Event (Source: Space Politics)
Last week's annual Mars Society Convention featured a panel pitting Apollo 7 astronaut Walt Cunningham, representing John McCain, with Lori Garver, representing the campaign of Barack Obama. The 90-minute debate didn’t produce a lot of new revelations, but did offer some insights into the campaigns' philosophies. There was a sharp contrast between Cunningham and Garver. Garver has been working space policy issues for a long time, and recently has been working with the Obama campaign. Cunningham, on the other hand, does not appear to have an active role in the McCain campaign, at least on space issues; he mentioned that after he was invited to participate he had to read up on what both campaigns had said on the issue.

Cunningham expressed support for keeping the shuttle flying past 2010 as the best way to deal with the gap. (Although it wasn’t clear if he was speaking for the campaign or simply expressing his opinion.) “It’s going to cost a couple of billion dollars a year to extend the life of the shuttle, if you can do it still,” he said. Trying to accelerate Constellation, by comparison, is “getting to be a much stickier wicket, in fact, that may not be possible.” However, he was not impressed with Obama’s pledge in his speech earlier this month to fly at least one additional shuttle mission. “Adding one more launch isn’t going to do diddly for either the workers or the space program or Florida, but it might buy a few votes from those people who are down there.”

On the topic of COTS, Cunningham, was somewhat skeptical. “I don’t expect a whole lot to come to NASA out of COTS” other than some technology, he said. Companies like SpaceX, he noted, are learning how difficult it is to do things like human spaceflight. “There’s a reason why manned spaceflight is so expensive: it takes a whole lot more in terms of capability, redundancy, and things like that than any of the civilian rocket developers are doing today.” (8/15)

Garver Represents Obama at Mars Society Event (Source: Space Politics)
One of the better insights from the Mars Society debate was when Lori Garver was asked why Obama had changed his stance on funding Constellation. Obama and his staff early on, she explained, “did feel that Constellation was a Bush program and didn’t make a lot of sense.” That was reinforced by feedback from the scientific community, she added, that didn’t think human spaceflight was as valuable as robotic scientific work. However, after hearing from people in both the space and education communities, “they really thought it through, they recognized the importance of space.” Now, she said, “he recognizes that Constellation really is exploring with humans and robots beyond low Earth orbit” and that he truly supports it, rather than supporting it only as a tool to win votes in Florida.

Garver dropped a hint that a President Obama might be willing to reconsider that Constellation vehicle architecture. “Senator Obama has talked about Constellation and has not specified a specific architecture,” she said. “I think one of the reasons for that is that until you have the office, until you’re there and know what’s going on with these programs, you’re not going to make a commitment to it.” (The answer came in response to a question about the use of EELVs in the exploration program, not about alternatives like DIRECT.) (8/15)

Obama Campaign Releases Space Policy Plan (Source: Obama Campaign)
Following a series of meetings with space industry leaders, the Obama campaign has finalized a space policy document titled: Advancing the Frontiers of Space Exploration. The document contains sections dealing with Space Science and Exploration; Earth-Oriented Research; Promoting International Cooperation and Keeping Space Secure; Developing New Technologies; and Educating the Public. The document is posted at http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/policy/Space_Fact_Sheet_FINAL.pdf. (8/16)

Obama: Let's Go to Moon, and Maybe Mars (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Sen. Barack Obama released a comprehensive space policy Saturday that endorsed sending astronauts back to the moon by 2020 as a possible precursor for going to Mars -- the first time he has committed to that goal -- and said the reach for the stars should be a U.S.-led international effort. "Human exploration beyond low-earth orbit should be a long-term goal and investment for all space-faring countries, with America in the lead," the policy paper said.

It was notably silent on what role might be played by Kennedy Space Center, which faces the loss of as many as 6,500 jobs when the shuttle stops flying. Obama did promise to "work with the space industry to ensure retention of workforce and technical capabilities" during the gap. Obama's campaign released the seven-page paper to four Florida newspapers Saturday, 24 hours ahead of its national unveiling. It showed a clear effort to seize the initiative on space policy in Florida from his Republican rival, Sen. John McCain, who is scheduled to meet privately with aerospace industry officials in Cocoa on Monday. (8/17)

Florida Banking on Candidates' Space Promises (Source: Florida Today)
When Sen. John McCain comes to the Space Coast on Monday, he might not realize that his visit resulted from a year-long effort by members of the aerospace industry in Brevard County. Facing a loss of thousands of jobs when the space shuttle stops flying in 2010, county leaders last year mounted a far-reaching lobbying effort and used all their political contacts to elevate the future of America's human space flight program to a national issue. The diligence has begun to pay off, as both presidential candidates have made promises that Floridians plan to make sure they keep.

"As a community, we would expect those to be followed through," said Lynda Weatherman, president and chief executive officer of the Economic Development Commission (EDC) of Florida's Space Coast. McCain's newest policy statement promises more funding and an effort to minimize the gap. But those are just promises made on the campaign trail so far, and local officials say they are pushing for more.

McCain is the fourth presidential candidate to visit Brevard County this year. Republicans Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani campaigned here during the primary season, and Obama hosted a town hall meeting two weeks ago in Titusville. McCain and Obama have realized that Central Florida has a lot of votes up for grabs, and saying the right things about the space industry is a way to grab some of them. "It's an issue you can speak to that will get the attention of tens of thousands of families," said Dale Ketcham. "We intend to keep this issue front and center through November," Ketcham said. "I would be surprised if that's the last we see of them." (8/17)

Senator Obama and Re-Establishing the National Space Council (Source: Space Review)
In a speech in Florida earlier this month, presidential candidate Barack Obama proposed re-establishing the National Aeronautics and Space Council. Ferris Valyn explains how a new council could help redefine national space policy and tap into the broader space community. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1186/1 to view the article. (8/11)

The (Not So) Big Switch (Source: Space Review)
When Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said earlier this month that he would not delay NASA's Constellation program by five years if elected, it was seen as a major shift in policy. However, Jeff Foust notes, that statement was more of a reconciliation of contradictory statements the campaign had issued on the topic since the end of last year than a new development. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1187/1 to view the article. (8/11)

Experts: Reliance on Russia Makes NASA Weak (Source: CNN)
Experts are growing increasingly concerned that the United States will have to rely entirely upon Russia to take astronauts to and from the international space station for at least five years. Observers say the situation is all the more worrying as after NASA announced a delay in the launch of its next-generation Orion spacecraft. NASA's dependency upon the Russian Soyuz space capsules and rockets to carry astronauts to the station is the result of a five-year gap between the scheduled retirement of the shuttle in 2010 and the debut of its replacement in 2015.

The agency had hoped it could narrow this gap by accelerating the initial launch of the craft to 2013 but announced Monday that because of inadequate funding and technical issues, the Constellation space program would not be ready for testing until September 2014. Although the new date is still within the March 2015 absolute deadline, many experts say NASA's reliance upon Russia to take astronauts into space has placed the agency in an unnecessary position. Click here to view the article. (8/14)

Russian Invasion Threatens the Space Station (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., acknowledged Tuesday that Russia’s five-day invasion of the Georgian province of South Ossetia makes it extremely unlikely that Congress will vote to exempt the Russian-built Soyuz capsule from a law that bans trade with nations that sell nuclear material to Iran. NASA had been counting on the waiver to enable it to continue carrying people and cargo to the space station after the space shuttle is retired in 2010. The Soyuz is NASA’s only proven alternative to get to the station. (8/13)

US, Allies Weigh Punishment for Russia (Sources: AP, NASA Watch)
"Scrambling to find ways to punish Russia for its invasion of pro-Western Georgia, the United States and its allies are considering expelling Moscow from an exclusive club of wealthy nations and canceling an upcoming joint NATO-Russia military exercise, Bush administration officials said Tuesday." (8/13)

USA Alleges Firm Stealing its Workforce (Source: Florida Today)
NASA's shuttle fleet operator is suing the developer of a next-generation rocket that will launch American astronauts, saying the company is pirating away skilled engineers needed to safely fly 10 final shuttle missions. United Space Alliance filed suit Friday in Brevard County Circuit Court against Alliant Techsystems Inc., or ATK, seeking damages for fraud and breach of contract.

Additionally, USA is seeking an injunction that would prohibit ATK from hiring USA employees with skills considered critical to safely completing the shuttle program. "We're not going to court complaining that ATK is threatening shuttle safety -- not by a long shot," said a USA spokesman. "But what we are saying is that as long as we're responsible to our customer for ensuring a capable and focused work force to safely fly this system, we're going to take the actions that we feel are necessary to preserve and protect that ability." ATK officials said there is no basis for the suit.

The suit claims that USA in July 2006 signed a letter contract with ATK to provide engineering expertise to support the design and development of the Ares 1 rocket. A copy of the complaint says the contract called for ATK to hammer out a long-term pact with USA for the design engineering services. The suit, which asks for damages in excess of $15,000, claims ATK failed to negotiate a long-term deal in good faith, as required by the letter contract. Instead, the suit alleges that ATK reduced the scope of the work covered by the contract while aggressively recruiting and hiring USA engineers who had been doing the work cut from the pact. (8/16)

Aerospace Needs New Wave of Recruits for Industry's Future (Source: AIA)
AIA President and CEO Marion Blakey underscores the need for a concerted effort on the part of the aerospace industry to address a looming workforce shortage. Insufficient numbers of college students are studying engineering and related fields, and too few high-school graduates are adequately prepared for aerospace-related degrees. Industry leaders are taking steps to address the issue, including such efforts as the AIA-sponsored Team America Rocketry Challenge. Read Blakey's comments here. (8/13)

Saving America's Space Program (Source: Space Review)
Last month NASA released a study which concluded the current Constellation architecture was superior to an alternative, DIRECT, that has been developed by some current and former NASA engineers. Stephen Metschan responds to that study and argues time is short to prevent the destruction of shuttle infrastructure that could be used by DIRECT. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1188/1 to view the article. (8/11)

NASA Backs Troubled Rocket Design (Source: New Scientist)
Embattled NASA officials say they are sticking to plans to develop a rocket called Ares I after rumors surfaced that it was considering switching to a design based on the boosters that send the space shuttle into orbit. Last week, a blog published by the Orlando Sentinel, Florida, reported that the design had fallen out of favor after serious vibrations arose in tests. Doug Cooke of NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate says he has heard no such talk among senior management. The agency says it has found a way to cancel out the vibrations using giant springs at the base of the rocket. (8/16)

NASA Selects 'Tuned' Mass Dampers to Solve Ares I Oscillation Problem (Source: Flight Global)
NASA's Constellation program leadership has selected actively 'tuned' mass dampers to solve the Ares I crew launch vehicle's (CLV) first-stage oscillation problem. The damper mass is a spring or springs that will be located either inside or outside the first-stage's aft skirt and can be actively "tuned" to respond to the oscillation frequency of the Ares I first-stage solid rocket motor (SRM). The problem to be solved was a potential coupling between thrust oscillations in the SRM and vibration modes in the CLV. (8/11)

NASA's Slips Internal Target for First Manned Orion Flight (Source: SpaceFlightNow.com)
NASA's internal planning date for the first manned launch of the new Orion spacecraft has slipped one year, from September 2013 to September 2014. The new schedule, managers said today, reflects a more realistic assessment of projected funding, contract realities and technical requirements in the absence of any significant additional support from Congress.

The agency's public commitment to initial operations with the Orion spacecraft remains March 2015, nearly five full years after the shuttle Endeavour flies that program's final mission in the spring of 2010. Between the shuttle fleet's retirement and the debut of Orion, U.S. astronauts will be forced to hitch rides to orbit aboard Russian Soyuz spacecraft. (8/11)

NASA Terminates Spacesuit Contract (Source: SpaceToday.net)
NASA has terminated a contract it issued two months ago to a company to develop new spacesuits for use on the Constellation program. NASA said that "corrective action is appropriate" in justifying its decision to cancel the contract with Oceaneering International, which won the Constellation Space Suit System contract in June, but did not specify what led to that conclusion beyond a "compliance issue". According to one report, NASA had neglected to request a "cost accounting standards disclosure statement" from Oceaneering.

The losing bidder, Exploration Systems & Technology, a joint venture of Hamilton Sundstrand and ILC Dover, had filed a protest of the contract award, but the GAO had not completed its review when NASA decided to terminate the contract. The original contract award was perceived as something of an upset, given the long history Hamilton Sundstrand and ILC Dover had developing spacesuits for NASA. (8/16)

NASA Safety Panel Worries About Moon Ship Design (Source: AP)
NASA is not properly emphasizing safety in its design of a new spaceship and its return-to-the-moon program faces money, morale and leadership problems, an agency safety panel found Monday. The Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel cited "surprising anxiety among NASA employees" about the Constellation moon program and said the project "lacks clear direction." Its 143-page annual report specifically faulted the agency's design of the Orion crew capsule for not putting safety features first.

Officials in charge of the program, defending the design safety at a news conference, wouldn't say whether astronauts are among the worried employees. Astronauts would have to fly in the Orion crew capsule, with a first launch planned by 2015. Past NASA spaceships were built with enough backup safety systems "to ensure safety and reliability," from the start, the report said. But it said that because of weight problems with the Orion design, NASA has used a different approach, one "without all safeguards included" from the beginning. (8/11)

NASA Delays Robotic Moon Mission Until 2009 (Source: AP)
NASA has delayed the launch of an unmanned spacecraft to the moon to scout for potential landing sites for astronauts. The moon craft is the first step in NASA's program to send astronauts back to the moon and beyond. The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter was supposed to blast off from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport in early December aboard an Atlas V rocket.

NASA officials insist they could have met the original target. The delay will cost the space agency up to $7 million a month, but the extra costs were built into the program's reserves. The swap means NASA will miss the Bush administration's stated goal of exploring the moon with a robotic spacecraft by 2008. NASA plans to land astronauts on the moon by 2020. (8/14)

Preparations Begin for New European Mission to Mars (Source: Imperial College)
Scientists searching for life on Mars are now preparing for the most in-depth probe of the Red Planet ever undertaken. The European Space Agency’s ExoMars mission will search for evidence that life may exist, investigate the Martian upper atmosphere, and analyze the physical characteristics and properties of the planet’s surface and interior. With a scheduled launch date of 2013, scientists are already developing and testing the instruments and technologies that will be vital to the mission’s success. (8/11)

Europe Starts Taking Proposals for Mobile Satellite Project (Source: AIA)
The European Commission is taking applications from satellite operators for mobile satellite services operating in the 2GHz bands, a spectrum specifically reserved for covering all member states. The EC will base its decision on technical and commercial ability of the providers as well as the speed at which all the member states will be covered. (8/11)

Europeans Will Fly to Space, With India’s Help (Source: Central Chronicle)
Swiss astronaut Claude Nicollier, the only European to have been in space four times, assessed that India would be able to send European astronauts into space within seven years. “Europe does not have autonomous means to send people to space as we have taken a political decision not to do so but India will be sending men into space by 2013-15,” he said. Endorsing his view, Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal said, "I think it is well within our capability to do that. We have enormous potential in space technology and satellite launching. Chandrayan is going to be launched very soon. Man in space is not very far behind."

Nicollier has offered to help India select and train astronauts. "Director of ISRO's (Indian Space Research Organization's) Satellite Center, TK Alex, showed some interest in my offer of training astronauts during a brief discussion I had with him," he said. (8/14)

Panel Wants Massive U.S. Military Space Reshuffling (Source: Aviation Week)
A blue-ribbon panel of national security space experts is calling for a number of "bold steps" - including the abolishment of the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) and the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) as they exist today - to shake up today's ineffective national security space procurement and operations structures and provide cohesive governance of this increasingly vulnerable area for the Pentagon. The so-called Allard Commission has briefed its findings to the director of national intelligence (DNI), deputy defense secretary and a number of senior USAF and intelligence officials.

The report from the National Security Space Independent Assessment Panel, which is the seven-member panel's formal title, will be published soon, and it is not yet clear if the Bush administration will adopt its findings prior to leaving office in January 2009. The most radical of the group's recommendations fall in the area of leadership, which was found to be woefully lacking across the U.S. government. First, the re-establishment of the National Space Council, chaired by the National Security Advisor is needed, says retired Lt. Gen. Ed Anderson, now a principal at Booz Allen Hamilton. This would shift senior authority for space policy from the vice president's office and puts it only one step removed from the president.

The panel argues that this is needed to allow a senior official authority to implement national space policy and - perhaps more importantly for the often-at-odds intelligence community and Defense Department - adjudicate roles, missions, requirement and funding disputes directly from the White House. Click here to view the article. (8/14)

Space Invaders (Source: The Atlantic)
On February 20, a U.S. Navy cruiser launched a single SM-3 missile that slammed into a failed spy satellite carrying a half ton of toxic rocket fuel about 130 miles over the Pacific. As advertised by the Pentagon in a Valentine’s Day briefing, the destruction of the satellite was quick, clean, and complete. The impact blew the target to bits and vaporized the fuel; most of the debris was incinerated as it fell to Earth.

There was, however, one bit of alarming fallout: coming after China’s earlier, successful test of an antisatellite missile on one of its own old weather satellites, the U.S. shootdown may have marked the opening of a new arms race in space. Not only was the U.S. destruction of its own satellite less transparent and straightforward than billed, but it looks to have been part of a larger U.S. effort, mostly out of public view, to develop antisatellite weapons and to militarize space, with potentially catastrophic consequences.

The world has twice decided that allowing weapons in space is a bad idea. Early dreams of using nuclear warheads to destroy enemy satellites foundered because neither the United States nor the Soviet Union could figure out how to keep the explosions from also damaging their own spacecraft. In the Outer Space Treaty, signed in 1967, both sides agreed to ban weapons of mass destruction in space. Then, in the 1980s, after many antisatellite tests with nonnuclear weapons, the two superpowers stopped destructive testing. Development was too expensive, and kills could send debris zooming into other satellites. (8/16)

Space Command Pushes for GPS Launch Tracking (Source: Air Force Times)
Air Force Space Command is hoping to add technologies and methods to its satellite launching operations over the next decade that will save money on infrastructure and personnel. Switching to GPS satellite-based tracking of rockets after they lift off and using more automated destruct capabilities for vehicles that veer off course are two of the ideas. The plan is based on a launch range study that was started 18 months ago and is expected to be finished shortly, Wilson said. The study is intended to lay the groundwork for the upgrades’ budgeting and contracts. (8/16)

Florida Pad Could Host Launch by 2010 (Source: Florida Today)
The first commercial launch from Space Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station could come as early as 2010 or 2011, said Space Florida President and CEO Steve Kohler. "We have customers we are talking to," said Kohler. Using SLC 36 is subject to completion of an environmental analysis. The action grants the property to the state under a real-estate license for an initial term of five years. The launch complex can accomodate light to medium rockets. Meanwhile, Kennedy Space Center would continue to explore possibilities for a larger commercial launch complex at KSC. (8/11)

Florida Governor Celebrates Launch Pad -- But No Talk of How to Pay For It (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Gov. Charlie Crist came to Cocoa to celebrate last week's announcement by Space Florida and the U.S. Air Force that a new commercial launch pad will be built on the site of what was Launch Complex 36 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The 47-year-old complex will be rebuilt as a multi-use launch site for commercial business and research. Declared the ever-buoyant governor: “We are truly on our way to establishing a space-based, biotech corridor that stretches all the way from Florida to the International Space Station.”

But what Crist, and Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp, didn't say is that it will cost an estimated $100 million or more to rebuild the launch pad, which was retired by the Air Force in 2004. And right now, essentially all the money available is $14.5 million appropriated by this year's Legislature. With the state economy still in the toilet -- and economists about to declare this week that the state's budget has slipped into deficit -- it's not at all clear where the rest of the money will come from. (8/11)

Up Aerospace, Lockheed Martin Launch from New Mexico Spaceport (Source: NMSA)
New Mexico Spaceport Authority (NMSA) announced a successful launch of a test flight vehicle for Lockheed Martin by UP Aerospace from Spaceport America on August 12. The brief test flight was a non-public, unpublished event at the request of Lockheed Martin, who is testing proprietary advanced launch technologies. “Today’s launch successfully lifted off at 7 a.m. local time at the beginning of our three-hour launch window. We are very pleased to be a small business partner with Lockheed Martin on their research and development technology programs by supplying low-cost, fast turnaround launch operation,“ said UP Aerospace President Jerry Larson. (8/13)

MEASAT Damaged by Crane at Baikonur Spaceport (Source: SpaceDaily.com)
Orbital Sciences is helping to support its customer, MEASAT Satellite Systems in replanning the MEASAT 3a satellite mission following an accident that occurred over the weekend that damaged the spacecraft. While at the Baikonour spaceport in Kazakhstan, an overhead crane operated by MEASAT's launch service provider accidentally impacted the MEASAT 3a satellite. A team of MEASAT and Orbital engineers are currently assessing the extent of the damage to determine the next course of action, which may result in the satellite being returned to Orbital's satellite manufacturing facility for repair and retesting. (8/13)

Measat, GeoEye Launches Delayed (Source: SpaceToday.net)
Two launches of commercial satellites planned for later this month were delayed Tuesday, and in one case could be postponed for months. The Measat 3a communications satellite was scheduled for launch on August 21 on a Land Launch Zenit-3SLB from Baikonur, but over the weekend the spacecraft was damaged by a crane at the launch processing facility. Separately, the August 22 launch of the GeoEye-1 commercial remote sensing satellite from Vandenberg has been pushed back to September 4. A telemetry aircraft normally used to support launches is unavailable, and range officials will instead use a ship located in the Pacific well downrange of the launch site to relay data from the launch, hence the delay. (8/13)

Russian Rocket to Launch U.S. Commercial Satellite Aug. 19 (Source: RIA Novosti)
A Russian Proton-M rocket carrying an Inmarsat communications satellite will be launched Aug. 19. The rocket is to be launched by the Russian-American joint venture International Launch Services from the Baikonur space center in Kazakhstan. The agency earlier said an onboard computer failure was discovered in the Breeze M booster during prelaunch testing, causing the launch to be postponed from August 14. The Inmarsat-4 satellites, built by EADS Astrium, are among the largest and most sophisticated commercial communication satellites in the world. (8/15)

Ariane 5 Launches Dual Payloads in Fifth Mission of 2008 (Source: SpaceFlightNow.com)
Europe's workhorse Ariane 5 rocket took off from a South American spaceport Thursday on its third launch in barely two months, this time with Japanese and U.S. television broadcasting satellites. The rare daytime launch occurred at the Guiana Space Center along the northeast coast of South America. The rocket unleashed the 10,626-pound Japanese Superbird 7 satellite about 26 minutes after liftoff. After jettisoning a dual payload adapter, the stage released the smaller AMC 21 to complete the Ariane 5's fifth mission of the year. (8/14)

Iran Launches Home-Built Satellite Rocket (Source: AFP)
Iran said it had launched a rocket carrying a test-satellite into space on Sunday, in a move that could further exacerbate tensions with the West over its nuclear drive. "The Safir (Ambassador) rocket was successfully launched. All its systems...are Iranian made," Reza Taghipour, head of Iran's space agency, said, adding that a "test satellite was put into orbit." Western governments, which suspect Iran is trying to build an atomic weapon, have voiced concern that the Islamic republic's space program could be put to military use. (8/17)

The Race to Build a Green Rocket (Source: Plenty)
Space may soon be a tourist destination. A handful of well-funded private companies are jockeying to be the first to blast paying customers to the edge of space, where they’ll experience weightlessness and stare out into the void. These suborbital flights are expected to begin next year. And there’s a surprising twist to this new space race: The companies aren’t just competing to launch first; several are also vying for bragging rights to the greenest rocket. Firing off rockets to give rich tourists a stellar view may sound inherently un-eco, especially given the conventional airline industry’s contributions to global warming. There’s no arguing that the practice will emit greenhouse gases, but space industry leaders Xcor Aerospace and Virgin Galactic tout their programs as “environmentally benign.” (8/14)

Editorial: Hawaii's Aerospace Industry, The Next Frontier (Source: Hawaii Reporter)
I would like to invite the public to a very exciting one day conference sponsored by the State Senate and House Economic Development Committees. On August 21, experts in aerospace will converge at the State Capitol auditorium for a conference titled: Hawaii's Aerospace Industry, The Next Frontier. Thirty experts from the mainland and Hawaii will share their work, accomplishments, ideas, and vision on the aerospace industry and how Hawaii can continue to position itself to become a key player in the near future.

Many exciting aerospace ventures are being carried out or planned for and Hawaii has played an important role. We are a major contributor and beneficiary of the global aerospace industry, and guests panelists from federal and Hawaii-based aerospace institutions/companies/agencies and leaders in emerging dual-use technologies, astronomy, planetary geosciences, next-generation aviation, space launch, and aerospace education will present their work and achievements. (8/16)

Final Frontier ... Future Boom (Source: Canberra Times)
In the not-too-distant future you could fly from Sydney to London and the trip would take three hours about the length of a decent in-flight movie or the time taken to check-in. Add a few more years and you could honeymoon in hotels in zero-gravity or take a holiday to the moon. These are some of the possibilities Cosmos magazine editor-in-chief Wilson da Silva predicts will be born out of advancements in space travel, and it will happen sooner than many might think.

Speaking to the Sunday Canberra Times in the lead-up to a talk at the Australian National University on Friday as part of National Science Week, da Silva said we were on the cusp of a new era in travel with the next 20 years likely to see a boom in the development of high frontier space. It would be led by joy flights into sub-orbital space before more "useful" flights to other destinations in the world were created. This would be followed by advancements in orbital travel which if demand was there would lead to development such as hotels in space. Like the boom and advancement in aviation in the 1920s it would again be driven by the private sector. (8/17)

Psychologists Show New Ways to Deal with Health Challenges in Space (Source: APA)
As NASA prepares to send humans back to the moon and then on to Mars, psychologists are exploring the challenges astronauts will face on missions that will be much longer and more demanding than previous space flights. Psychologists outlined these mental health challenges Thursday at the American Psychological Association's 116th Annual Convention, and introduced a new interactive computer program that will help address psychosocial challenges in space. Visit http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-08/apa-psn080708.php to view the article. (8/14)

Microbes Could Travel from Venus to Earth (Space.com)
Venus, with its boiling-hot surface, doesn't seem a likely place to find ET. But a new paper argues not only that Venusian clouds could harbor microbial life, but also that the life there could potentially hitch a ride aboard the solar wind to Earth. The possibility for microbial life on Venusian clouds has been suggested before, though it's still not widely thought to be likely. However, the assertion that this life could potentially float from Venus to Earth is novel, and contentious. The clouds on Venus are thought to be the planet's best bet for life because the temperatures there are cooler than at the too-hot surface, and water vapor has been detected in the atmosphere. (8/11)

PSI Director Promotes 13-Planet Solar System (Source: SpaceDaily.com)
Mark Sykes says that if a non-stellar object is massive enough to be round and orbits a star, it ought to be a planet. The key here is that once an object gets that big, important geophysical processes begin. Under this scenario, the smallest known planet in the solar system would be Ceres, the largest and most massive object in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. (8/13)

Pluto’s "Moon" Meets Definitions of Plutoid and Dwarf Planet (Source: Science News)
Pluto got the boot from planethood in 2006. But one of the dwarf planet’s moons, Charon, could get an upgrade, thanks to discussions August 14 during the Great Planet Debate Conference in Laurel, Md. “Charon is not a satellite,” Keith Noll, a planetary scientist at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, said during the meeting. “It meets the definitions of plutoid and dwarf planet, and if it weren’t orbiting Pluto, it would be a dwarf planet.”

But when the International Astronomical Union redefined planet and created the label dwarf planet, the group listed Charon as one of Pluto’s satellites — Nix and Hydra being the other two. In 2006, the IAU also wrote, “The idea that Charon might qualify to be called a dwarf planet on its own may be considered later,” as a footnote to their definitions of planet and dwarf planet. Stirring even more controversy into Pluto’s demotion, the footnote was removed from the IAU’s statement of resolutions two days after it was published, says Harvard University astronomer Owen Gingrich, who chaired the committee that worked on defining a planet. (8/16)

Satellite Firm GeoEye Must Restate Profits (Source: AIA)
Satellite company GeoEye this week said it must restate its accounting for 2005 through 2007. The restatement will lower profit for the period by $31 million. It also noted that a major government customer has cut back on orders after a delay this year in launching the satellite, known as GeoEye-1. (8/14)

Magellan Aerospace Announces Quarterly Results (Source: Magellan)
Consolidated revenues for the second quarter of 2008 were $172.1 million, an increase of $21.8 million or 14.5% over the second quarter of 2007. Gross profits of $17.8 million (10.4% of revenues) were reported for the second quarter of 2008 compared to $16.2 million (10.8% of revenues) during the same period in 2007. Gross profit, as a percentage of sales, declined over the second quarter of 2007 due to a change in product mix. The decline in the value of the U.S. dollar versus the Canadian dollar during the second quarter of 2008, when compared to the second quarter of 2007, continued to mask the total impact of the improvements made by the Corporation. (8/12)

Loral Reports Second Quarter 2008 Financial Results (Source: Loral)
Loral Space & Communications announced that combined revenues and Adjusted EBITDA, including both the satellite manufacturing and the satellite services segments for the quarter were $383 million and $120 million, respectively. Combined segment revenues and Adjusted EBITDA for the first six months of the year were $769 million and $220 million, respectively. After eliminating the results of Telesat, revenues and Adjusted EBITDA for the quarter were $208 million and $15 million, respectively, and $427 million and $14 million for the first six months, respectively. (8/11)

California Aerospace Events Calendar

Navy Gold Coast Conference Planned on August 27-28

The San Diego Chapter of NDIA (National Defense Industrial Association) is proud to present the 2008 "Navy Small Business Opportunity Conference." It has also come to be known as simply the "Gold Coast" Conference. The Navy Co-Sponsors of this event are NAVSEA, NAVAIR, SPAWAR, NAVSUP, NAVFAC and the Navy's Office of Small Business Programs. Visit http://2008goldcoast.ndia-sd.org for information.

Supply Chain Event Planned in Lockheed Martin, Palmdale and Antelope Valley College on Sep. 2-4

CSA is supporting three upcoming supply chain events, all providing opportunities for suppliers to network with their customers, partners and service providers, to attend production tours and to learn concepts to increase global competitiveness: The Introduction to 21st Century Supply Chain Management Seminar is designed to provide a competitive edge & opportunities for aerospace & related industry suppliers. The Department of Labor, LMCO, Boeing, Raytheon and NGC sponsorship have enabled CSA to offer these events without fee; space is limited. Registration will open on August 15 at http://www.innovatecalifornia.net. Contact Christine Purcell at 310.283.7323 or email mailto:christine.purcell@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.

AIAA Space 2008 Conference & Exposition Planned in San Diego Sep. 9-11

The San Diego Convention Center will host Space 2008 on Sep. 9-11. This AIAA sponsored event will focus on space as an underpinning our commercial, civil, and military sectors. Three of the top issues in the upcoming election—-economic competitiveness, the global war on terror, and the need for increased global climate change monitoring—-are all dependent on our technological and operational achievements in space. Visit http://www.aiaa.org for information.

APSCC 2008 Satellite Conference & Exhibition Planned in Korea on Sept. 22-25

The satellite industry's premier conference for business and networking opportunities in Asia is planned for September 22-25 at the Hotel Lotte, Jeju, Korea. To register visit http://www.apscc.or.kr/event/apscc2008.asp. Registration Discount to CSA Members!

Space Angels Network Issues a Call for Applicant Companies for Sep. 26 Event

Space Angels Network, LLC, a national network of seed- and early-stage investors focused on aerospace-related ventures, has issued a Call for Applicant Companies to its first Aerospace Venture Forum to be held in Los Angeles on September 26, 2008. The Forum will be a full-day event that showcases promising aerospace ventures and allows entrepreneurs to present their investment opportunities to an exclusive audience of active accredited investors. Visit http://www.spaceangelsnetwork.com for information.

3rd Annual Supplier Transformation Forum Planned at Northrop Grumman Space Park on Oct. 7

The 3rd annual Supplier Transportation Forum is planned at Northrop Grumman Corp. Space Park on Oct. 7. The event will include multiple primes, agencies and their supply chains. The Department of Labor, LMCO, Boeing, Raytheon and NGC sponsorship have enabled CSA to offer these events without fee; space is limited. Registration will open on August 15 at http://www.innovatecalifornia.net. Contact Christine Purcell at 310.283.7323 or email mailto:christine.purcell@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.

Supply Chain Event Planned in Boeing, Huntington Beach on Oct. 27-29

CSA is supporting three upcoming supply chain events, all providing opportunities for suppliers to network with their customers, partners and service providers, to attend production tours and to learn concepts to increase global competitiveness: The Introduction to 21st Century Supply Chain Management Seminar is designed to provide a competitive edge & opportunities for aerospace & related industry suppliers. The Department of Labor, LMCO, Boeing, Raytheon and NGC sponsorship have enabled CSA to offer these events without fee; space is limited. Registration will open on August 15 at http://www.innovatecalifornia.net. Contact Christine Purcell at 310.283.7323 or email mailto:christine.purcell@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.

AEi Systems 2008 WCCA Workshop Planned in Los Angeles on Nov. 13-14

A two-day intensive Worst Case Circuit Analysis Training Workshop will focuses on the fundamental skills required to perform a WCCA. Seats are limited. For additional information visit www.aeng.com/wccaclass.asp or call 310-216-1144.

Air Force Week in Los Angeles November 14-21

A number of events are planned throughout Los Angeles County showcasing the Air Force.  The Air Force Week program is part of a proactive initiative to increase communication with the public. Each Air Force week may include community visits and talks by Air Force officials, flight demonstration team performances and displays providing an up close and personal look at the Air Force men and women serving on the front lines. For a complete schedule of events visit: http://www.losangeles.af.mil/airforceweekinla.asp

First Annual NASA Business Symposium & Awards Ceremony Planned at JPL Nov. 17-18

This symposium provides a forum for attendees to learn about NASA/JPL plans for future missions in space and Earth Science, including associated programs, initiatives, and business and/or teaming opportunities. Attendees will learn about the skills, resources, and technologies needed to achieve the agency's missions, programs and research. Business-to-business networking with NASA, JPL and prime contractors will be the objective throughout the two-day event. Visit http://acquisition.jpl.nasa.gov/boo/2008sbsym/ for information.

California Space Enterprise SpotBeam Awards Dinner Planned Nov. 19
The California Space Authority is now accepting nominations from its members and partners for this year's California Space Enterprise SpotBeam Awards. The SpotBeam Awards dinner is scheduled for November 19 in Los Angeles. Visit http://www.californiaspaceauthority.org/awards.html for information.

California Space Authority (CSA) Annual Membership Meeting Planned for December 4

3:30 pm - 5:30 pm at The Sheraton Gateway LAX in the California Room. Join us for cocktails and appetizers while networking with the CSA Board of Directors and fellow CSA members.  The Annual Membership Meeting is hosted by CSA. RSVP to mailto:Elizabeth.Burkhead@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Aerospace Medical Association Meeting in Los Angeles on May 3-7

The 80th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Aerospace Medical Association will be held May 3-7, 2009, at the Westin Bonaventure hotel in Los Angeles. For questions about the meeting, please contact Gloria (703-739-2240 x 106) or Sheryl (703-739-2240 x 107). Click here to view the "Call for Papers" for the event. http://www.asma.org/pdf/meeting/2009-call-for-papers.pdf

Last Week’s DOD Contract Awards in California

AeroVironment Incorporated, Simi Valley, Calif., was awarded on Aug. 13, 2008, a $17,757,543 firm-fixed price contract for additional Army Standard Raven Systems and Raven initial spares packages.  Work will be performed in Simi Valley, Calif., and is expected to be completed by Jan. 31, 2009.  Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bid was solicited on Jan. 30, 2008.  U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity.

General Atomics Aeronautical system, San Diego, Calif., was awarded on Aug. 14, 2008, a $10,487,251 cost-plus-fixed fee contract for logistics support for the IGNAT/Sky Warrior alpha unmanned aircraft system.  Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif., and is expected to be completed by Jan. 31, 2009.  Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  One bid was solicited on Jun. 27, 2008.  U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity.

ECC International, LLC, Burlingame, Calif., was awarded on Aug. 13, 2008, a $9,979,477 firm-fixed price contract for the Afghan National Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal School camp and garrison upgrade.  Work will be performed in Mazar-e Sharif, Afghanistan, and is expected to be completed by Aug. 13, 2009.  Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  Five bids were solicitedon Jul. 13, 2008, and two bids were received. U.S. Army engineer District, Afghanistan, is the contracting activity.

Science Application International Corp., San Diego, Calif., was awarded on Aug. 14, 2008, a $6,081,000 time and materials contract for post deployment/post production software support and fielding, training, logistics, documentation, engineering and technical support services for the Joint Network Management System.  Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif., and Fairfax, Va., and is expected to be completed by Aug. 14, 2009.  Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  One bid was solicited on Jun. 17, 2008. CECOM Acquisition Center, Fort Monmouth, N.J. is the contracting activity.

US Foodservice/Joseph Webb Division, Vista, Calif. is being awarded a maximum $34,585,000 firm fixed price, prime vendor contract for full line food distribution services. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. There are no other locations of performance. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is exercising second option year. This proposal was originally Web solicited with 3 responses. The date of performance completion is August 17, 2009. The contracting activity is Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP), Philadelphia, Pa.

McDonnell Douglas Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Boeing Co., St. Louis, Mo., is being awarded a $17,394,620 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, cost plus fixed fee contract (N00383-06-D-001J) to incorporate post production and performance based logistics support requirements necessary for the continued safe and effective operations of fielded F/A-18 A-D aircraft. This modification provides support for the Navy, Marine Corps; and the governments of Australia, Canada, Spain, Finland, Switzerland, Kuwait, and Malaysia. Work will be performed in St. Louis, Mo. (76 percent); El Segundo, Calif. (21 percent); Warner Robins, Ga. (2 percent); and Santa Clarita, Calif. (1 percent), and is expected to be completed in Dec. 2008. Contract funds in the amount of $903,305 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract combines purchases for the U.S. Navy ($12,574,529; 72 percent) and the Governments of Canada ($1,461,918; 8 percent); Spain ($1,016,986; 6 percent); Australia ($794,520; 5 percent); Finland ($677,991; 4 percent); Kuwait ($423,744; 2 percent); Switzerland ($360,183; 2 percent); and Malaysia, ($84,749; 1 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales Program. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md. is the contracting activity.

Cameron Bell Corporation, Government Solutions Group, Charleston, S.C., is being awarded a potential maximum $9,980,891 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (delivery order), cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to provide technical and engineering services in support of the Cyber Asset Reduction Security (CARS) program at the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center San Diego, Information Technology Enterprise networking environment. Support includes: knowledge management, content management, systems mapping, architectural integration, analysis, planning, design and implementation of new systems, subsystems and critical items to support requirements. Work will be performed at selected Space and Naval Warfare Systems activities within the United States, including: San Diego, Calif.; Seattle, Wash.; Norfolk, Va.; New Orleans, La.; and Charleston, S.C., and work is expected to be completed Aug. 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was negotiated as a sole source agreement in accordance with 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1), Only One Responsible Source (FAR Subpart 6.302-1). There is only one source, Government Solutions Group, qualified and capable of performing the work at a reasonable price to the Government. The use of any other contractor would involve a substantial duplication of costs not expected to be recovered through competition. Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity.

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Bethpage, N.Y., is being awarded a $16,124,867 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-06-C-6311) to provide integration services for mission packages that will deploy from and integrate with the Littoral Combat Ship. The Navy’s plan is to use spiral development to improve mission capability in identified mission areas. The LCS mission packages are developed and acquired separately from the LCS sea frame. Work will be performed in Bethpage, N.Y., (32 percent); Washington, D.C., (26 percent); Panama City, Fla., (15 percent); Hollywood, Md., (15 percent); San Diego, Calif., (5 percent); Dahlgren, Va., (5 percent); and Newport, R.I., (2 percent), and is expected to be completed by Sept. 2009. 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 Divers Co., Inc., Vista, Calif., was awarded on Aug. 8, 2008, a $5,478,180 firm fixed price indefinite delivery/ indefinite quantity contract, contract for purchase of portable helicopter oxygen delivery systems. Work will be performed in Vista, Calif., and is expected to be completed by Aug. 31, 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. There was one bid solicited on Sept. 20, 2007, and one bid was received. US Army Research, Development and Engineering Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., is the contracting activity.

Cubic Applications, Inc., Lacey, Wash., a member of the Cubic Corp., family of companies, is being awarded a $31,711,289 firm-fixed-price contract. The Security Cooperation Education and Training Center (SCETC) provide the Training and Education Command oversight of the Marine Corps advisor pre-deployment Training Program for military advisor transition teams and also for training of other security cooperation teams. SCETC is also responsible for ensuring security cooperation teams deployed to various countries throughout the world who receive customized pre-deployment training.   Work will be performed at Camp Pendleton, Calif; Camp Lejeune, N.C.; and Twenty Nine Palms, Calif., and work is expected to be completed Dec. 2012. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This effort was competed as a full and open competition procurement, with seven offers received to the solicitation. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Orlando, Fla., is the contracting activity.

Teza Design, San Diego, Calif., is being awarded a maximum $7,500,000 (base and options - with a guaranteed minimum of $5,000) firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity architect/engineering contract for mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering services in the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southwest area of responsibility (AOR). The work to be performed provides for engineering studies and reports, site investigation reports, preparation of requests for proposals for design-build projects, preparation of fully designed plans and specifications for invitation for bid projects, cost estimates, evaluations and construction support services. Work will be performed at various Navy and Marine Corps facilities and other government facilities within the NAVFAC Southwest AOR including, but not limited to California, (87 percent), Ariz., (5 percent), Nev., (5 percent), Colo., (1 percent), N.M., (1 percent) and Utah, (1 percent), and work is expected to be completed Aug. 2009 (Mar. 2013 with options exercised). Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured as an 8(a) Small Business set-aside via the NAVFAC e-solicitation website, with six proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity.