CSA SpotBeam California, August 30, 2010





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 <mailto:dianna.minor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=SpotBeam%20REMOVE%20FROM%20DISTRIBUTION> Subscribe <mailto:dianna.minor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx?subject=SpotBeam%20SUBSCRIBE> 

*August 30, 2010*



*California** Items*

*California Space Authority Seeks Board Nominations* (Source: CSA)
Nomination requests for candidates for the California Space Authority Board of Directors will open September 1, 2010 and close on September 30, 2010. Additional information and nomination forms will be available September 1, 2010 on the California Space Authority website at _www.californiaspaceauthority.org <http://www.californiaspaceauthority.org>_. (8/27)
*Glovia International Supply Chain Management Webinar on Aug. 31 *(Source: CSA)
*Glovia International* invites you to join us for the first of three free webinars discussing Supply Chain Management: Visibility, Synchronization and Optimization. *Understand* the interdependency of these three concepts and their impact on your supply chain, which is essential to the success of your business. *Learn* how glovia G2 enables you to obtain immediate visibility of all required variables -- simultaneously. Then, in Glovia's follow-on webinars, learn how to synchronize and optimize these same variables. For additional information and to register please _click <http://www.glovia.com/webinars/scm/visibility/index.aspx?ref=CSA%20%3chttp://www.glovia.com/webinars/scm/visibility/index.aspx?ref=CSA%3e>_ here. (8/27)
*NASA's 2nd Waste Limitation Management and Recycling Design Challenge* (Source: CSA) NASA is inviting students in grades 5-8 to participate in the 2nd Waste Limitation Management and Recycling Design Challenge. The challenge uses real-world scenarios that meet science and mathematics content standards. Students can participate in a formal, informal or home-school setting. Teams of up to six students will design a water recycling system for the unique environment of the moon. Teams will then test their system on a simulated wastewater stream. Proposals and results are due Feb. 28, 2011. Visit _http://wlmr.nasa.gov/_ for information. (8/27) 

*NASA Space Settlement Design Contest* (Source: CSA)
Design a space colony! Space colonies are permanent communities in orbit, as opposed to being on the moon or other planets. Designing a space colony involves physics, mathematics, space science, environmental science and many other disciplines. The NASA Space Settlement Design Contest is for 11-18-year-old students from anywhere in the world. Individuals or teams may enter. Grades 6-8, 9-10 and 11-12 are judged separately, except for the grand prize. All participants will receive a certificate. Visit _http://settlement.arc.nasa.gov/Contest/_ for information (8/27) 

*Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos Licked by James Lick in Space Race* (Source: Forbes)
The list of rich men obsessed with space exploration is as long as an Apollo rocket. The sums spent are long, too. Musk has put up an estimated $100M, Bezos is into the millions likely, Paul Allen spent $100M. Robert Bigelow, a budget hotel-chain mogul, built a life-size space station in his well-guarded Bigelow Aerospace factory in Nevada.
But Musk and Bigelow look like pikers next to James Lick. The wealthiest man in California (150 years ago), Lick spent more on a single telescope (in today's dollars) than all of their investments combined. Lick made his fortune in real estate after the Gold Rush. He built most of downtown San Jose, Calif. and late in his life was moved to spend $700,000 on the Lick Observatory, finished in 1876 in San Jose at a cost of what would now be the equivalent of $1.2 billion (in 2008 dollars). (8/28) 

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*NASA Ames Stimulates California's Economy* (Source: CSA)
NASA's Ames Research Center generated 5,300 jobs and $877 million in total annual economic activity in the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area in 2009, according to a new economic benefits study. Click _here <http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/news/releases/2010/10-38AR.html>_ for more. (8/27) 


*Burt Rutan May Be Retiring and Leaving Mojave* (Source: Parabolic Arc)
Reports out of Mojave, Calif. indicate that famed aircraft designer Burt Rutan is looking to retire from the company he founded, Scaled Composites, and move away from the desert town where he designed and built groundbreaking aircraft and spacecraft for 36 years. Rutan is putting his Mojave home on the market and plans to move to a spread in Idaho with his wife, Tonya, according to several reliable sources. Rutan has lived in the Mojave area almost continuously since 1965, when he went to work for the U.S. Air Force as a flight test project engineer at Edwards Air Force Base. (8/29) 

*Space 2010 Conference & Exposition Kicks off in Anaheim* (Source: OC Metro)
The nation's brightest in the aerospace industry will descend upon Orange County on Monday to discuss the future of space exploration and technology. The four-day AIAA Space 2010 Conference & Exposition, which will be held at the Anaheim Convention Center and Hilton Anaheim, is slated to draw in about 1,200 attendees. With the theme of Space: Imagine, Innovate, Collaborate, SPACE 2010 will cover three matters: developing technologies that will aid future exploration of the solar system and the universe, creating more affordable ways to launch spacecraft, and promoting opportunities for the government and industry to build future systems. (8/28) 

*Hall of Fame Selects California Space Industry Leader* (Source: CSA)
SAIC's Tom "Tav" Taverney was one of 10 individuals who served at Onizuka Air Force Station in Sunnyvale, Calif., to be inducted into the Space Operations Hall of Fame on July 28 by the Air Force Association (AFA) Tennessee Ernie Ford Chapter. Taverney, honored for his "unique spacecraft control software," was the only recipient in the technical category. In the nomination, he was praised "for supporting two major potential satellite failures and getting the satellite back into operation." Click _here <http://www.californiaspaceauthority.org/html/press-releasesandletters/pr100825-1_saic.html>_ for information. (8/27) 

*Buzz Aldrin Among Panelists at Downy Space Center* (Source: Downy Patriot)
Monday's AIAA gathering at the Columbia Space Learning Center included panelists representing different professional engineering/science-oriented groups but which have somehow cast their lot in a common cause---U.S. human space exploration---was anything but dull. The National Space Society's Mark Hopkins, at one time ostensibly with the Rand Corporation, and Boeing's Dean Davis, who acted as panel chairman, both spoke of the huge resource potential of space ("potentially very rich for humans"), exploration as a prelude to economic development, the technological innovation this will demand, and the likely stance Congress usually takes when weighing such weighty matters: how to maximize their chances for re-election ("A program involving such things should be politically saleable").
In the panel also were Jeff Greason, member of the Augustine Commission and president and co-founder of XCOR Aerospace, and Robert Zubrin, president and founder of the Mars Society and Pioneer Astronautics, and an author as well. Completing the high-caliber panel of doctorate-degreed speakers was Buzz Aldrin, who was the featured panelist and practically needs no introduction. Also slated to talk but unable to make it were Rep. Jane Harman and other elected officials, as well as representatives from Scaled Composites and SpaceX. (8/27) 

*Intelsat Orders Second UHF Payload from Boeing* (Source: Space News)
Satellite operator Intelsat will pay an undisclosed sum to add an ultra-high frequency (UHF) military communications payload to a second of four satellites ordered from Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems. Intelsat last year agreed to purchase the four Boeing 702MP communications satellites, with one of those spacecraft, Intelsat 22, to include a UHF payload for lease by the Australian Defence Force. Intelsat will now pay Boeing to include an identical UHF payload on one of the other satellites to serve U.S. government customers. The new 20-channel UHF payload will be carried aboard the Intelsat 27 satellite slated for launch in 2012. (8/24)
*Boeing Wins USAF Contract to Begin Work on Seventh Phase of Satellite* (Source: CSA) The U.S. Air Force has approved a contract extension to pay Boeing $182 million to begin work on a seventh installment of a military communications satellite. The contract builds on earlier work in which Boeing is building three Wideband Global SATCOM, or WGS, satellites, and the extension could bring Boeing as much as $2 billion in new work. (8/27)
*Air Force Takes Steps to Build More WGS Satellites* (Source: SpaceFlightNow.com) The U.S. Air Force is paying Boeing $182 million to lay the groundwork for a seventh wideband military communications satellite to route video, voice and data messages to deployed troops. The new spacecraft would join the Block 2 series of Wideband Global SATCOM satellites, an upgraded fleet of communications birds to follow up on three first-generation platforms launched between 2007 and 2009. (8/23)
*New GPS Satellites Pass Critical Design Review* (Source: SpaceFlightNow.com) The U.S. Air Force and Lockheed Martin have completed the critical design review for an upgraded Global Positioning System constellation, clearing the way for the production of a new generation of navigation satellites. The design review for the GPS 3 program cemented the design for a series of navigation satellites that will begin launching in 2014. Lockheed Martin's $3 billion contract with the Air Force covers the construction of up to 12 GPS 3A spacecraft. (8/4)
*Cal Poly is Best in the West for the 18th Year in U.S. News Rankings* (Source: CSA) For the 18th year in a row, Cal Poly has been rated the best public-master's university in the West by U.S. News & World Report, in its 2011 America's Best Colleges guidebook. Click _here <http://www.calpolynews.calpoly.edu/news_releases/2010/August/2010-us-news.html>_ for more. (8/27) 

*Chabot Space & Science Center Announces New Website* (Source: CSA)
This attractive and easy to use site highlights Chabot Space & Science Center's programs and facility. Please take a moment to have a look at _www.chabotspace.org <http://www.chabotspace.org>_
*Attend a FREE Project Lead The Way (PLTW) Information Conference on Oct. 8 *(Source: CSA)
Sign up today for a PTLW event being hosted by the College of Engineering at Cal Poly Pomona. Space is limited and the registration deadline is Sep. 30. The Conference will present an overview of PLTW, a /not-for-profit/ organization that offers state-approved pre-engineering and science curricula for middle school, high school and community college students. PLTW forms partnerships with public schools, higher education institutions, and the private sector to increase the quantity and quality of engineers and engineering technologists graduating from our educational system. The event is planned for Oct. 8, from 7:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.* *.There is *no* registration fee to attend and parking will be provided at no charge. Visit _http://www.csupomona.edu/~engineering/locators/pltw/infoconferences.html_ 





*National & International Items*
*The Audacity of Space-Based Solar Power - Japan Sees Opportunity to Lead* (Sources: JAXA) The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is now supporting basic technology research into Space-Based Solar Power (SBSP). "To address energy problems on the ground, research and development is being conducted on the Space Solar Power System that will transmit power using microwaves or lasers. The transmitted power is converted to terrestrial electricity and hydrogen for use on the ground." Click _here <http://www.jaxa.jp/article/interview/vol53/index_e.html>_ for more on JAXA's efforts, and _here <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D56vRfv71OA&feature=player_embedded>_ for a JAXA video.
*/Editor's Note/*: SBSP is a concept hailed as feasible and attractive after U.S. military-sponsored studies only a few years ago, but it has failed to catch-on as a priority for NASA, DOD or the U.S. Department of Energy, despite a growing national emphasis on energy independence. Multiple U.S. companies are attempting to establish SBSP programs, but they require major capital investments and would benefit from a federal push to develop and demonstrate key technologies. Perhaps a U.S./Japan collaboration would make sense. (8/26)
*Group Calls Out Obama on Lack of Support for Space-Based Solar Power* (Source: Space Energy) "Your words are visionary but they are not being followed with action by the agencies in your administration. Three agencies in your administration are unwilling to even acknowledge a promising alternative energy source, Space Based Solar Power... Space Based Solar Power has only gotten a total of $80 million of funding from the US government since the 1970's, none of it in the last decade. The Europeans and Japanese are working on Space Based Solar Power. The Japanese are committing $21 billion to the technology. The Russians, Chinese, and Arabs are also interested in Space Based Solar Power...."
"Mr. President, please direct your agencies to hold the interagency conference on Space Based Solar Power, proclaim that one agency is responsible for developing Space Based Solar Power, and direct funds for Space Based Solar Power research and development, such as, an end to end systems study, lab work, flight tests and tests from the International Space Station, followed by a Space Based Solar Power pilot plan able to generate power in the megawatt range. Now is the time for the United States to seize the day and develop Space Based Solar Power and secure our future freedom and prosperity." Click _here <http://www.spaceenergy.com/AnnouncementRetrieve.aspx?ID=54220>_ for more. (8/25)
*Mars Rover Technology Could Improve Solar Power Efficiency on Earth* (Source: Telegraph) Technology designed to help NASA scientists explore Mars could hold the secret to solving the world's energy problems by improving solar power efficiency, experts claim. Solar panels could be kept free from dust and grime which hampers energy output using a self-cleaning system developed for NASA's Mars rover robots.
The devices scouring the red planet have sensors which detect dust build-ups and zap the surface of their solar panels with an electrical charge to keep them shiny. Dr Malay Mazumder, who helped create the technology for NASA, said it could help boost efficiency of large solar power plants, many of which are situated in arid and dusty desert locations. (8/23) 

*Mikulski Support Wallops Island Spaceport* (Source: DelMarVaNow.com)
In a far-ranging interview, Maryland Sen. Barbara Mikulski touched on the promise of NASA's Wallops Flight Facility over the next decade. Starting next summer, the Wallops Flight Facility will be the launching point for unmanned cargo missions to the International Space Station. President Obama has said those trips will continue until at least 2020, Mikulski said. She predicts that Wallops' expansion will generate hundreds of jobs on the lower Delmarva Peninsula. "(Wallops Flight Facility) will be like the Southwest Airlines of space. It's an upstart, lower cost, cheaper and safer way because it doesn't require human flight," Mikulski said. (8/22) 


*Maryland Governor Tours Wallops Spaceport* (Source: WMDT)
On Monday, Governor Martin O'Malley will tour the NASA Wallops Flight Facility, one of the oldest launch sites in the world. NASA and the other organizations at Wallops, including the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) employ approximately 1,800 civilian positions, including government and contractor jobs, 700 of which are held by Marylanders. Gov. O'Malley will take a tour of the facility, including the Range Control Center and the rocket launch facilities on Wallops Island. During the Island portion of the tour, he will see the construction of the new launch pad for MARS and the U.S. Navy Surface Combat Systems Center. (8/23) 


*Upside Down* (Source: SpaceKSC.blogspot.com)
Nothing in the National Aeronautics and Space Act requires NASA to fly humans into space, to explore other worlds or to own its rockets. It does list a number of categories in which NASA is expected to "contribute materially," but that's a long way from a mandate. The Act does require NASA to help grow commercial space, an amendment added by the Reagan Administration in 1984. NASA was intended to be a crucible of aerospace innovation that would be exploited by other government agencies and by the private sector --- not a space taxi service, and certainly not a government guaranteed job program.
The 2009 GAO report on Constellation, and the Augustine Commission's findings, led the Obama administration to conclude that the only way to assure the quick development of American access to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) was to prime commercial space, which is [arguably] free of Congressional machinations... Hence the political firestorm in the months since Obama's proposal was announced.
Some space advocates honestly fear that ending Constellation means an end to human deep-space exploration. They want another Apollo, a permanent lunar colony, footsteps on Mars. I'm all for that, but the harsh reality is that Constellation would have delivered none of it. The Augustine Commission estimated that the first Constellation lunar mission would have been around 2028, and what would it have accomplished? More Moon rocks? That would hardly justify the hundreds of billions of dollars flushed into pork-laden contracts by subcommittee members. (8/23) 

*Raytheon to Lay Off 82 Workers at NASA Langley* (Source: Virginian-Pilot)
Raytheon Co. confirmed Wednesday that it plans to lay off 82 employees at NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton. The workers will be laid off Oct. 27, according to a notice Raytheon filed with the state under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act. "This is the direct result of a recompeted contract," said Jon Kasle, a spokesman for the company based in Waltham, Mass. (8/26) 

*New Mexico a Space Contender* (Source: Florida Today)
New Mexico got more good news in its bid to become a serious player in American space travel. The FAA last week picked New Mexico over other competitors, including this area, as site of its Center of Excellence for Commercial Space Transportation. New Mexico State University and the surrounding area, including the nearby desert Spaceport America, will get $1 million in each of the next five years to invest in research on everything from space tourism flight operations to insurance.
Three Florida research institutions, including Melbourne's Florida Tech, are part of the academic team working together with New Mexico State on the new center. Florida contended to be the center of excellence, too, with a team led by Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona, but it was not picked. In the short term, it's a mostly symbolic victory. The amount of investment is minimal in the grand scheme of the broader commercial space sector. And, it doesn't eliminate Cape Canaveral's built-in advantages as the best launching point for large-scale space operations. (8/23)
*Residents Near Spaceport America Still Having Water Problems* (Source: Las Cruces Sun-News) It's not yet known how severely water levels in Cutter have been impacted by pumping that's tied to the construction of Spaceport America, an official said Wednesday. "It's showing all the right signs of recharge," said Spaceport America Director Rick Homans. "Clearly, this has been a big hit to the water source, but they're just not sure how quickly or how much will come back. That's what we're watching." Officials from the spaceport, the state engineer's office and FNF Construction of Albuquerque met Wednesday with a group of residents in Engle, another small town between Truth or Consequences and the spaceport, to give an update about the situation. (8/26)
*GE Aviation Will Build an Engine-Manufacturing Plant in Alabama* (Source: AIA) General Electric Aviation plans to build a facility in Alabama to manufacture coatings for engine components of military jets. It is considering where in the state to build the 200,000-square-foot factory, which is expected to generate as many as 400 jobs. Production is scheduled to begin in 2013. (8/26) 


*Former Air Force Officer Named to Head Ohio Aerospace Hub* (Source: AIA)
Retired Air Force intelligence officer Kerry Taylor has been hired to serve as the first director of the aerospace hub of innovation in Dayton, Ohio. The state-established hub's partners include the University of Dayton, the city of Dayton, Montgomery County and other local entities. A committee for the hub chose Taylor from among 50 applicants. (8/25)
*NASA Tech Chief: Budget Would be a Boon for Ohio Research Center* (Source: AIA) Robert Braun, the new chief technologist for NASA, visited the NASA Glenn Research Center in Brook Park, Ohio, this week to discuss how the billions of dollars that would be part of President Barack Obama's budget proposal would be used to promote cutting-edge technologies in space travel. The funds would come under Obama's controversial plan to shift NASA's direction from a back-to-the-moon focus to more research and development, and Braun said that if Congress approves the budget, NASA Glenn will likely have "more work than they know what to do with." (8/26) 


*Vermont Aerospace Industry Takes Flight* (Source: AIA)
Vermont's aerospace industry is becoming a significant area of growth for the small state, and officials gathered at an aerospace and aviation open house held by the Vermont Chamber of Commerce last week said they expect the industry to continue to expand. The industry currently generates nearly $2 billion annually for the state and affects 27,268 jobs, according to the Air Transport Association's Smart Skies program. (8/23)
*Aerospace Suppliers Worry Over Industry's Future in Washington State* (Source: AIA) The future of the aerospace industry in the Everett, Wash., region appears uncertain after Boeing chose South Carolina over Washington when selecting a site for a second 787 production line. The decision came only after Boeing met secretly with the company's machinists union to try to negotiate a long-term labor contract, and officials in Everett, the site of the first production line, say the company sent a huge statement in moving its second production line elsewhere. (8/27)
*Brownback Vows to Defend Kansas Aviation Industry* (Source: Huffington Post) Republican gubernatorial nominee Sam Brownback envisions a future of commercial space flight where existing aircraft makers in Kansas use their expertise and infrastructure to work with private space companies to design and build spaceships. The U.S. senator from Kansas dreams of enticing aerospace companies to locate facilities in his home state.
But as Brownback unveiled his so-called road map for Kansas aviation on Tuesday he also grappled with present-day realities: an industry battered by a global economic downturn, foreign competition from subsidized companies and efforts by other states to lure those Kansas companies and their high-paid jobs elsewhere.
He wants to form an aviation advisory committee of industry leaders to develop a strategy for current challenges and future opportunities. He wants to build Wichita State University's aerospace engineering program into the nation's best. He wants to work with the National Center for Aviation Training and the National Institute for Aviation Research in Wichita to keep the city hold on to its self-styled "Air Capital of the World" status. (8/24) 


*Kansas Airports Contribute $10B to State Economy* (Source: AIA)
Kansas airports contribute $10.4 billion each year to the state's economy, according to a report. "Whether moving goods, providing emergency assistance or connecting our communities, airports play a critical role in the Kansas economy," said Lt. Gov. Troy Findley. Eight commercial airports and 132 general aviation airports operate in Kansas. (8/26)
*NASA Speaker at Wichita Aero Club Touts Commercial Space Industry* (Source: Wichita Business Journal) Dr. Alan Weston, director of programs at the NASA Ames Research Center, says space travel will become a commercial industry and Wichita could help lead the way. Weston was the keynote speaker Tuesday at the Wichita Aero Club's August luncheon. He says government-run space exploration is so costly that it holds back progress. And, he says, private industries --- such as Wichita's aviation cluster --- can bring those costs down. (8/24) 


*Kansas Museum to Get Shuttle Artifacts* (Source: Topeka Capital-Journal)
The Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center isn't among the 21 museums that have expressed interest in getting one of the two space shuttles when the fleet eventually is retired. But that doesn't mean the Cosmosphere won't have a shuttle presence. The Cosmosphere has bid on - and received word from NASA that it will get - some shuttle artifacts, including the bright orange jump suits astronauts wear during takeoff and landing, shuttle sleeping bags, samples of space food, cameras, escape equipment used on the launch pad, hold-down bolts, components of the shuttle's maneuvering engines, parts of the wings, tires and other items. (8/24) 


*Adler Wants The Shuttle To 'Land' In Chicago* (Source: AP)
Chicago's Adler Planetarium is hoping to land an honest-to-goodness space traveler. The planetarium is among several institutions around the country hoping to be allowed to pay nearly $29 million for one of three space shuttles NASA is about to retire. The way Adler's president, Paul Knappenberger Jr. sees it, Adler deserves a shuttle because Chicago is a worldwide tourist destination in the middle of the United States. (8/24)
*Editorial: Museum in Seattle Good Match for Shuttle* (Source: Spokesman-Review) NASA's future is up in the air. Its history, or at least a significant part of it, may land in Seattle. It's a way-cool opportunity, and Seattle's nonprofit Museum of Flight is enthusiastically offering itself as a home for the Enterprise, the Atlantis or the Endeavour. Being a government operation, the decision is going to be tied up in political considerations. In an election year.
But on the merits, the Seattle institution has a compelling case to make, especially when it comes to addressing NASA's -- as well as the country's -- high-priority interest in promoting science, technology, engineering and mathematics (the so-called STEM courses) among America's middle school students. (8/29) 


*Museums Fight to Get Retired Space Shuttles* (Source: ABC)
A new space race is on and the competition is vicious. We're not talking about putting a man or woman on the moon or Mars but museums duking it out over which one gets to house the retiring space shuttles. Millions of dollars are at stake and the battle is shaping up to be one of the fiercest in museum history. The problem is that 21 institutions across the nation are seeking the three spacecraft. (8/27) 


*Space Coast Vying for Retired Shuttle* (Source: FOX)
One of most popular exhibits at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is this full size mock-up of the space shuttle, and it's partly why top brass here are refining their sales pitch amidst stiff competition to receive one of the orbiters which will be retired with the program. "It's appropriate, since we are here at Kennedy Space Center said Andrea Farmer," spokesperson for the Delaware North owned Visitor Complex. "This is where every space shuttle is launched from, more than half of them have landed here, and they've been cared for here."
*"Keep A Shuttle In Florida" On Facebook, Internet Petition Site* (Source: Florida Today) A local bid to land one of two shuttle orbiters up for grabs after fleet retirement next year is gaining a few extra campaigners. A Facebook site called "Keep A Shuttle In Florida" popped up in late July and already has more than 6,300 fans. Separately, a group called the National Air, Sea and Space Foundation has set up a "Keep A Shuttle In Florida Petition. (8/25) 

*KSC Commercial Space Forum Planned on Sep. 7-8* (Source: SPACErePORT)
Join senior commercial space experts, executives and entrepreneurs for a commercial space market overview of emerging markets, facilities and drivers, sponsored by the Center Planning and Development Office. The event will be held on Sep. 7-8 at the KSC Training Auditorium and is intended for KSC civil servants and contractor personnel. The discussions will center on commercial space markets, trade and export controls, and other topics. (8/27) 


*KSC to Host Second Lunabotics Mining Competition, May 23-28* (Source: NASA)
The Lunabotics Mining Competition is a university-level competition designed to engage and retain students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). NASA will directly benefit from the competition by encouraging the development of innovative lunar excavation concepts from universities which may result in clever ideas and solutions which could be applied to an actual lunar excavation device or payload. The challenge is for students to design and build a remote controlled or autonomous excavator, called a lunabot, that can collect and deposit a minimum of 10 kilograms of lunar simulant within 15 minutes. The complexities of the challenge include the abrasive characteristics of the lunar simulant, the weight and size limitations of the lunabot, and the ability to control the lunabot from a remote control center. (8/26) 

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*Online Job Fair Now Open to KSC Employees* (Source: KSC)
An online job fair is now open to all KSC employees through Aug. 30. In order to participate, job seekers must be registered with Brevard Workforce. This fair provides the opportunity to preview employers who may participate in an on-site job fair Wednesday, Sept.15. Some participating employers may use this virtual event to pre-screen and set up interviews during that job fair, as well as the one on Thursday, Sept. 16. To register, visit _www.virtualjobfairfl.com <http://www.virtualjobfairfl.com>_. (8/27) 

*New Day Dawns for Shuttle Technician* (Source: Florida Today)
The sun is setting on the shuttle program, and on Jen Scheer's career as a shuttle technician. But for the near future, the 35-year-old Merritt Island resident's focus is on sunrises. Each morning before work at Kennedy Space Center, Scheer snaps pictures of day breaking and posts a favorite on Twitter and other sites. The ritual has won an international following and become a book project, one that demonstrates the power of online social networking and symbolizes the promise of a fresh start after so much uncertainty about the space program. (8/28)
*Board Appointment Delays for Space Florida May Impact Workforce Support* (Source: SPACErePORT) Space Florida's Board of Directors was dissolved last week by legislation that was passed earlier this year in Tallahassee. Governor Charlie Crist was expected to name a new slate of board members last week to replace the old ones, but the selection/vetting process is still underway. Without a board in place, Space Florida is unable to enter into agreements valued at over $100,000. Some local officials are concerned a prolonged delay could prevent the timely distribution of over $3 million appropriated by the Florida Legislature for aerospace workforce assistance. The workforce funds will flow through Space Florida to a local workforce agency to assist displaced Space Shuttle workers. (8/27) 

*Measuring the NASA Stimulus* (Source: National Journal)
There's no doubt that NASA spending -- as with the spending of any government agency -- can benefit the economy directly through the purchase of goods and services, and indirectly by inspiring industries that spin off from its technologies. But how much of a benefit is an open question -- one that most researchers have given up trying to resolve. This question becomes more pertinent than ever as NASA proposes to issue a series of technological challenges through its $572.2 million Space Technology Program.
Perhaps partly due to the experimental nature of the program, which makes it difficult to predict what technologies would make the cut for development and who would use them, deriving a specific return on investment isn't included in the agency's FY11 budget proposal. Instead, it promises Congress that the program will help build a "more robust national capability for space activities that will improve our competitive posture in the international marketplace, enable new industries and contribute to economic growth."
Most of the academic and NASA-related studies published between the mid-1960s and 1980s agree that NASA benefits the economy, but "economists are not in agreement in finding a clear and best approach to measurement," wrote Henry R. Hertzfeld, research professor for George Washington University's Space Policy Institute, in a 1998 compilation of economic studies focused on NASA. "It is also clear that no one measure is a comprehensive indicator of NASA impacts and benefits," he added. (8/27) 

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*Sierra Nevada** Dream Chaser Reports Progress Using Stimulus Funding* (Source: Parabolic Arc) Sierra Nevada Corp. says it is making "excellent progress" on efforts to develop its Dream Chaser orbital vehicle, according to a report on the Recovery.gov website. The Nevada-based company received $20 million from NASA earlier this year to fund work on the spacecraft, which would be used to ferry crew to and from the International Space Station. The grant was one of five awards made under NASA's Commercial Crew Development program. NASA has not committed to any one technology.
An interesting aspect of this grant is that it funds propulsion module test firings. Sierra Nevada is using the same propulsion system for Dream Chaser as it is for the SpaceShipTwo suborbital tourism vehicle, which is being built by Scaled Composites for Virgin Galactic. Development of the hybrid propulsion engine for SSTwo has been reportedly slow and problem plagued, so the NASA funding probably helps a lot. If they do get it to work, Richard Branson can credit NASA with an assist. (8/27)
*Blue Origin Plans Novel "Pusher" Escape System on Orbital Vehicle* (Source: Parabolic Arc) Two enabling technologies for Blue Origin's orbital Space Vehicle are a Pusher Escape System (PES) and a composite pressure vessel cabin. Blue Origin proposes to use NASA co-funding to develop these technologies. The PES is reusable with a full-envelope crew escape capability. Rather than an expendable tower over the capsule, PES uses an engine mounted at the rear of the capsule in a 'pusher' configuration. It will remain with the vehicle, avoiding the flight-safety risk of the jettison event.
The second risk mitigation activity for the orbital Space Vehicle is to conduct assembly and testing of a composite pressure vessel cabin, which will use composite panels bonded together. No such structure has ever flown in a similar space application. Blue Origin will evaluate the strength and leak-rate of the structure, as well as manufacturing challenge in the joint assembly. Following completion of the NASA-supported CCDev activity, Blue Origin plans a suborbital flight test at private expense. (8/26)
*Boeing Capsule Moves Forward, With Innovative "Pusher" Escape System* (Source: Space.com) With the impending retirement of NASA's space shuttle fleet, aerospace juggernaut Boeing is hard at work developing a new capsule-based spaceship that could be ready for its first commercial spaceflight by 2015. Boeing's new Crew Space Transportation-100 spacecraft is designed to fly astronauts to and from the International Space Station (ISS), as well as future private space stations.
The spacecraft will be equipped with a unique pusher abort system in case the crew encounters an emergency during launch. "This is the first time anyone has proposed or succeeded with a pusher design," Keith Reiley said. "The pusher appears, to us, to be simpler, less expensive and just as safe."
If necessary, the launch abort system would fire pressurized propellant for three seconds to quickly push the vehicle away from the rocket. A parachute would then be deployed to assist with the landing. One of the advantages of the pusher design is that in the event of a smooth launch, the same propellant can also be used on orbit, either in guiding the CST-100 to dock with a space station, or to boost stations themselves, whose orbits slowly decay over time. (8/28) 



*Commercial Crew Life-Support Unit Passes* (Source: Aviation Week)
A modular air revitalization system for future human spacecraft bound for the International Space Station and other low-Earth-orbit (LEO) destinations has completed preliminary design review, clearing the way for work to begin on a ground-test unit. Working with federal economic stimulus funds under NASA's Commercial Crew Development (CCDev) project, Paragon Space Development Corp. of Tucson, Ariz., passed the milestone with its Commercial Crew Transport Air Revitalization System.
By the end of the year, the small company --- which added its own funds to $1.4 million in federal money provided under a Space Act Agreement with NASA --- expects to finish building an engineering development unit and complete initial integrated ground tests to pass its final two CCDev milestones. (8/25) 

*New Dragon Spaceship Arrives At Cape* (Source: WESH)
A new spaceship has arrived in Central Florida that could someday carry Central Floridians into space. But before that happens, the company that built the ship is hoping it will carry cargo to the International Space Station. Spacex, the company that launched its privately built rocket from Central Florida over the summer, has expanded its footprint at Cape Canaveral. The rocket now has a spacecraft to lift into orbit. (8/24) 

*Bud Cramer Won't Lobby for SpaceX* (Source: Birmingham News)
Former U.S. Rep. Bud Cramer, a prominent advocate for Huntsville's effort to save local NASA jobs, is no longer a lobbyist for a commercial space firm that could benefit as NASA prepares to move certain human space flight missions to the private sector. Cramer, the congressman who represented the Huntsville area for 18 years, joined a lobbying firm after he left office and registration forms showed one of his first clients was Space Exploration Technologies Corp., or SpaceX. (8/25)
*Space Tourism Sector a Good Opportunity for Insurance Firms* (Source: Economic Times) As space tourism matures, it holds tremendous opportunity for insurance companies to offer risk coverage to those on-board, similar to what they do for passengers of airlines, industry officials said. At an international conference on space business, organized as part of Bengaluru Space Expo 2010, speakers noted that since Yuri Gagarin's flight in 1961, citizens of 38 countries have flown in space.
To date, most individuals have been astronauts/cosmonauts, military personnel and scientists who have been extensively and expensively trained, they said, adding, while this would continue, one would see the emergence of "space tourism" with access to space for private individuals. Speaking on risk and insurance solutions for space ventures in the 21st century, Executive Vice-President of ISB, Tim Wakeman said within India, the space industry is thriving, contributing around Rs 10,000 crore per annum to the Indian economy.
He said it's good time to buy insurance for spacecraft as market conditions are favorable with premium rates on the decline and availability of insurance capacity is three-four times the demand. (8/28)
*NASA Official: Commercial Space Companies Will Cut Costs* (Source: Wichita Eagle) The U.S.'s new national space policy views the use of commercial space companies as a vital component, a NASA Ames Research Center official said Tuesday. "Why are we pursuing commercial space?" said Alan Weston, the NASA official. "In a single word, it's cost." The government isn't as motivated as the commercial sector to be cost-E he said. (8/25)
*NASTAR Center and Special Aerospace Services Test Atlas-5 Human Spaceflight* Scenarios (Source: NASTAR) The NASTAR Center has completed the initial phase of a research effort focused on commercial human spaceflight and systems development related to emergency detection and response using an Atlas V flight profile, under a contract with Special Aerospace Service (SAS). Nominal scenarios were performed with three subjects in order to understand crew reaction times. Subjects are medically monitored and tested at NASTAR Center. One subject, Jeff Ashby, is a former NASA Space Shuttle commander.
Under current funded efforts with NASA's Commercial Crew Development (CCDev) program, SAS is supporting United Launch Alliance's Emergency Detection System (EDS) development program. EDS is the key technology to enable use of the flight-proven Atlas V and Delta IV fleet as part of a potential 'crewed' launch system for commercial spaceflight. The Emergency Detection System monitors key systems parameters and provides warnings and crew instructions on failures. Several potential crewed space craft providers are interested in using the Atlas V with their spacecraft. (8/28) 



*FAA Center: One For the Price of Two* (Source: Lurio Report)
In awarding its new Center of Excellence for Commercial Space Transportation R&D, the FAA forced a marriage of two competing teams, led by New Mexico State University (NMSU) and Stanford, into a single Center led by NMSU. The FAA intended to allocate $1 million per year to the new Center. Evidently as a consequence of adding the Stanford team, the latter will itself receive $1 million at least in the first year; i.e. the Center--as a whole--will get a 'double-barreled' $2 million in FAA funds for the first year. For the following four years it will be funded to at least $1 million, possibly more. Of course, all funding is contingent upon the Center providing at least matching dollars.
*/Editor's Note/*: Unlike other FAA Centers of Excellence, which are very narrowly focused on specific (aviation) technology challenges, the new Space Transportation center has a very broad focus, so $1 million per year may be a little too small an investment to address all of the challenges faced by the FAA as it works to regulate and enable the growing industry. $2 million seems to be a more appropriate investment. (8/27)
*Full-Scale NASA and ATK Solid Rocket Motor Test Set for Aug. 31* (Source: CSA) NASA and ATK will conduct a full-scale test of a five-segment, first-stage solid rocket motor at 11:05 a.m. EDT on Aug. 31. The test at the ATK Aerospace Systems test facility in Promontory, Utah will assess motor performance at low temperatures. Visit _http://www.nasa.gov/ntv_. (8/27) 

*Katrina-Damaged Tank Expected Ahead of Schedule* (Source: Florida Today)
As the nation marks the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina's Gulf Coast landfall on Aug. 29, 2005, a storm-damaged piece of shuttle hardware is making a comeback. Refurbishment of a damaged external tank is nearly complete at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility near New Orleans, and it could be delivered to Kennedy Space Center within a month. The tank had been expected to arrive on Oct. 6, but is now expected to arrive a week or two ahead of schedule. (8/28) 

*Should Congress Design the Next Big Booster?* (Source: SpaceRef.com)
Consider how many space initiatives the United States didn't pursue in the past half century. A fully reusable launch vehicle. A 20-person expendable space station. New heavy lift boosters. A permanent lunar colony. The Orbital Space Plane. NERVA and Prometheus. An outpost on Mars. In fact, there have been more false starts and failed approaches than those that worked. By setting budget limits, the hand of the Congress can be seen in all of these programs, but the "failure to launch" can be squarely placed on the Defense Department, the Air Force, and of course NASA.
Consider this history as the House and Senate move, albeit slowly, to finalize a NASA FY 2011 spending bill that could wind up as guidance in a Continuing Resolution to allow Uncle Sam to keep the doors open past October 1st. Thus far, common to both bills are a virtual rejection of the space plan submitted by President Barack Obama last February and a resurrection of key elements of the Constellation program, only without the name. (8/25)
*Exploding the Myth of Popular Support for Apollo* (Sources: Roger Launius' Blog, HobbySpace) Because of the on-going dispute over the future of human space exploration, I have been reminded of the longstanding perception that in the 1960s NASA's Apollo program enjoyed great public support. That is a misconception. The belief that Apollo enjoyed enthusiastic support during the 1960s and that somehow NASA has lost its compass thereafter still enjoys broad appeal. This is an important conception, for without the active agreement of political leaders and at least public acquiescence no exploration effort may be sustained for any length of time.
The level of popular support that most people believe the public held for the Kennedy decision to undertake the Moon landings are, therefore, perceived as something that must be gained for the present space exploration agenda to succeed. Repeatedly a chorus of remorse for the lukewarm popular support enjoyed by specific space exploration activities is followed with a heavy sigh and the conclusion, "if only our current efforts had the same level of commitment enjoyed by Apollo, all would be well."
The public's support for space funding has remained remarkably stable at approximately 80 percent in favor of the status quo since 1965, with only one significant dip in support in the early 1970s. However, responses to funding questions on public opinion polls are extremely sensitive to question wording and must be used cautiously. For example, in the summer of 1965 one third of the nation favored cutting the space budget, while only 16 percent wanted to increase it. (8/25) 

* *
*Apollo Moon Rock Now Tethered to Colorado Mines School* (Source: Daily Sentinel) The travels of Colorado's wayward moon rock reached an end last week at the Colorado School of Mines, where it was locked away behind steel and glass. There are no immediate plans for the rock to be taken to the highways and back roads of Colorado to be seen elsewhere, a spokeswoman said. "In the near term, because of all the recent publicity, people will expect to see the moon rock when they come to the Geology Museum, and we are pleased to display it for them," Mines spokeswoman Marsha Williams said. "In the longer term, if there is a lot of interest, we may consider allowing the rock to travel to other secure public areas." (8/29)
*The Moon: Creating Capability in Space and Getting Value for Our Money* (Source: Air & Space) Of all the possible destinations in space, the Moon offers the proximity, accessibility, and materials necessary to learn how to use what we find in space to create new capabilities. Harvesting the resources of the Moon will allow us to make what we need in space, rather than carrying it with us from the Earth's surface. The model currently used to pursue our national interests in space - design-launch-use-discard - restrains opportunity, affordability and capability. We can break the limits imposed on all of these factors by learning how to use the resources of space. Click _here <http://blogs.airspacemag.com/moon/2010/08/24/the-moon-creating-capability-in-space-and-getting-value-for-our-money/>_ to read the article. (8/27)
*Moon Capital: A Commercial Gateway to the Moon* (Source: Commercial Space Gateway) On September 21, the Moon Capital Competition will accept entries for the architectural design of an international and commercial lunar habitation. Sponsors of the competition include the Boston Society of Architects; AIAA; Draper Laboratory; Google Lunar X Prize; and Boston Center for the Arts.
The competition is open to all comers, although its slant is largely toward space architects and architects who may become inspired to design in space. The website is at: http://www.shiftboston.org/competitions.html and contains rich background content. Under Documents, the Category 1 Architectural Design Program describes the commercial dimension of the Moon Capital. A novel aspect of this competition is that it has two submission categories one called "Let's Get Serious" and the other "Let's Have Fun". Click _here <http://www.shiftboston.org/competitions.html>_ for more. (8/29) 


*Because It's There* (Source: Space Review)
Who should go into space, and why? Bob Clarebrough makes the case for broader participation in space exploration by people who can communicate the experience in a myriad of ways. Visit _http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1684/1_ to view the article. (8/23)
*Dark Matter Experiment is Space Shuttle's 'Last Hurrah'* (Source: SpaceFlightNow.com) After a late magnet switch forced NASA to order a six-month deferment of the final planned space shuttle flight, the Kennedy Space Center is preparing to receive a $1.5 billion physics experiment Thursday to seek out the cosmic signature of enigmatic, ubiquitous dark matter. The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer will soak up cosmic rays to detect nearly indistinguishable aberrations originating in the deep universe, potentially uncovering the origin of dark matter. (8/25) 

*Vacuum Lab to Grow Space Crystals May be Added to ISS* (Source: BBC)
Scientists are planning to use the space station to grow a new kind of crystal for use in solar cells by 2013. They say the vacuum conditions in space improve the quality of thin film crystals, giving them properties that are unachievable on Earth. The technique, called Molecular Beam Epitaxy, could improve electronics, in particular raising the efficiency of solar cells as much as 60%.
Scientists behind the proposed move call it "an industrial evolution". "The unique vacuum environment of space allows us to move forward in terms of computers, solar cells, high speed transistors, high power transistors, energy - all these areas would benefit from advancing materials in space," Professor Alex Ignatiev from the University of Houston in Texas told BBC News. (8/27)
*Europe, Japan Weigh Cargo Return from Space Station* (Source: SpaceFlightNow.com) The European and Japanese space agencies are considering upgrades to outfit their robotic space station servicing spacecraft to return cargo to Earth, potentially laying the groundwork for crewed capsules by the 2020s. Officials expect decisions on the new spacecraft by next year.
Neither space agency has started development of a piloted spaceship, but both organizations have started designing re-entry vehicles that would bring supplies back to Earth. The ability to return cargo from the space station -- down-mass in space-speak -- will be severely curtailed once the space shuttle is retired next year. (8/28)
*Japan to Stay in ISS Project Past 2016, Launch Hayabusa 2 Probe in 2014* (Source: Mainichi Daily News) The Strategic Headquarters for Space Policy, headed by Prime Minister Naoto Kan, has decided Japan will continue to participate in the International Space Station (ISS) project through 2016 and beyond. The government will officially communicate its decision, made Aug. 27, to other participating countries in the near future. Meanwhile, the headquarters also decided to move ahead with a fiscal 2014 launch timetable for the Hayabusa 2 -- the successor to the Hayabusa probe mission to a near Earth asteroid. (8/28) 


*Earth's Upper Atmosphere Shrinking, Scientists Say* (Source: AFP)
The upper reaches of Earth's atmosphere are unexpectedly shrinking and cooling due to lower ultraviolet radiation from the sun, US scientists said. The sun's energy output dropped to unusually low levels from 2007 to 2009, a significantly long spell with virtually no sunspots or solar storms, according to scientists from the National Center for Atmospheric Research. During that period, the thermosphere, whose altitude ranges from about 55 to 300 miles (90 to 500 kilometers), shrank and contracted from the sharp drop in ultraviolet radiation. (8/27) 

*Tracing the Big Picture of Mars' Atmosphere* (Source: JPL)
One of the instruments on a 2016 mission to orbit Mars will provide daily maps of global, pole-to-pole, vertical distributions of the temperature, dust, water vapor and ice clouds in the Martian atmosphere. The joint European-American mission, ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter, will seek faint gaseous clues about possible life on Mars. This instrument, called the ExoMars Climate Sounder, will supply crucial context with its daily profiling of the atmosphere's changing structure.
The European Space Agency and NASA have selected five instruments for ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter. The European Space Agency will provide one instrument and the spacecraft. NASA will provide four instruments, including ExoMars Climate Sounder, which is coming from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. Two of the other selected instruments are spectrometers -- one each from Europe and the United States -- designed to detect very low concentrations of methane and other important trace gases in the Martian atmosphere. (8/27) 

*Mars's Mysterious Elongated Crater* (Source: ESA)
Orcus Patera is an enigmatic elliptical depression near Mars's equator, in the eastern hemisphere of the planet. Located between the volcanoes of Elysium Mons and Olympus Mons, its formation remains a mystery. Often overlooked, this well-defined depression extends approximately 380 km by 140 km in a NNE--SSW direction. It has a rim that rises up to 1800 m above the surrounding plains, while the floor of the depression lies 400--600 m below the surroundings.
The term 'patera' is used for deep, complex or irregularly shaped volcanic craters such as the Hadriaca Patera and Tyrrhena Patera at the north-eastern margin of the Hellas impact basin. However, despite its name and the fact that it is positioned near volcanoes, the actual origin of Orcus Patera remains unclear. (8/27) 

*NASA Gears Up For Exploration Exercise* (Source: Aviation Week)
While the debate over the future of human space exploration simmers in Washington, dozens of NASA engineers, scientists and astronauts will gather on the lunar-like terrain of northern Arizona to field-test planetary rovers, a portable habitat, charging stations and geological tools under development for missions to a range of potential destinations, including near-Earth objects (NEOs) and Mars as well as the Moon.
The 15-day Desert Research and Technology Studies (Desert RATS) exercise will get underway Aug. 31. Conducted on nearly 750,000 acres of the Black Point Lava Flow, it will simulate a 75-mi. traverse from Shackleton Crater to Malapert Mountain, a pair of south pole features that emerged as prospective sites for lunar outposts during NASA's Constellation Program. (8/23) 

*How to Survive the Long Haul in Space* (Source: New Scientist)
From blackout-inducing g forces to withered muscles and bones, there
aren't many tougher physical challenges than going into space. This has been highlighted by the release of medical records from astronauts who worked on board the Russian space station Mir, which detail the grueling effects space travel has on human health before, during and after a mission.
Along with research on muscle wastage in astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS), the records demonstrate the need for better countermeasures against the hazards of living in space before any interplanetary missions are attempted. Click _here <http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20727753.700-how-to-survive-the-long-haul-in-space.html>_ to read the article. (8/25)
*Researchers Explore Physiological Effects of Spaceflight With NASA Grant* (Source: Kansas state) The final frontier may be no further than Manhattan, Kan., as a team of Kansas State University researchers launches a project funded by a $1.2 million grant from NASA. The team will research what physical characteristics are necessary for an astronaut to perform lunar tasks. The team also will study ways to assess whether a person has enough physical capacity to perform the tasks. (8/24)
*System Uses Electrical Trickery on Brain to Induce Realistic Spaceflight Effects* (Source: NSBRI) What does it feel like to return to Earth after a long stay in space? Until now, it has been difficult during astronaut training to realistically simulate the dizzying effects the human body can experience. Dr. Steven Moore leads a research group that has developed a Galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS) system that safely induces the sensory and mobility disturbances commonly experienced by astronauts after returning to Earth's gravity, making it an excellent operational training tool.
When returning to gravity, these disturbances could affect an astronaut's vision and neurological function, impacting the ability to land a spacecraft. Once on the ground, astronauts often have trouble keeping their balance and walking. The system uses electrodes placed behind the ear to deliver small amounts of electricity to the vestibular nerve, which then sends the signals to the brain, resulting in sensorimotor disturbances. (8/24) 

*How to Create Space Vomit* (Source: MSNBC)
NASA is famous for taking advantage of the best innovations this country can offer: Tang ... Teflon ... space pens ... and, um, artificial vomit? The space agency's latest "Behind the Scenes" video, narrated by spacewalker/comedian Mike Massimino, focuses on research being conducted on space trash bags at Johnson Space Center's Advanced Water Recovery Systems Development Facility. These bags have to stand up to everything that astronauts on future space missions need to get rid of. That includes food scraps, dirty astronaut diapers ... and the occasional outcome of space sickness. (8/27) 

*Another News Flash From Jupiter *(Source: MSNBC)
A Japanese amateur astronomer witnessed a flash on Jupiter over the weekend - less than three months after similar blip, apparently caused by a meteor fall, created a sensation among astronomers. The event suggests that the giant planet may be experiencing shooting stars more frequently than scientists thought, and that it's just a case of looking in the right place at the right time. (8/23) 

*The Last Oasis* (Source: Cosmos)
Pluto and its moon Charon forever keep one face toward each other, like embracing lovers -- which may have warmed Pluto just enough for it to develop a life-friendly ocean. Nobody knows what NASA's New Horizons spacecraft will find when it flies past Pluto in July 2015. But one prospect is that it will reveal our former ninth planet once hosted a subterranean ocean - an ocean that might have lasted long enough to develop life.
It's not something most people would envision on the icy planet. In 2006, radio astronomers in Hawaii measured the dwarf planet's surface at a chilly -230°C, only 43°C above absolute zero. At that temperature, it's not just water that freezes rock-hard, but also nitrogen and oxygen. Move the Earth that far out from the Sun and most of our atmosphere would fall to the ground as cryogenic snow. (8/23) 


*NASA Gears Up for Big Asteroid Encounter* (Source: Space.com)
NASA has begun the countdown for its Dawn spacecraft's encounter with the giant asteroid Vesta, slated for less than a year from now. Beginning next July, Dawn will orbit Vesta for a year, conducting a detailed study and becoming the first spacecraft ever to orbit a body in the asteroid belt. Previous missions have shown us a handful of asteroids, but Vesta will be special, scientists say. "Vesta is going to amaze us," said Marc Rayman, Dawn's chief engineer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. (8/24) 

*Astronomers Discover New Solar System* (Source: Astronomy Now)
Using ESO's sensitive HARP instrument, astronomers have discovered a solar system containing at least five planets, with indications that two more, including a hot, rocky world, might also be present. The planets orbit a Sun-like star called HD 10180, and their orbital distances follow a regular pattern similar to that in our own Solar System, with each planet roughly twice as far away from the Sun as the previous object. The planets also appear to track around their star on nearly circular orbits.
"We have found what is most likely the system with the most planets yet discovered," says Christophe Lovis, lead author of the paper reporting the result. "This remarkable discovery also highlights the fact that we are now entering a new era in exoplanet research: the study of complex planetary systems and not just of individual planets. Studies of planetary motions in the new system reveal complex gravitational interactions between the planets and give us insights into the long-term evolution of the system." (8/24) 

*Kepler Discovers Multi-Planet Star System* (Source: NASA)
NASA's Kepler spacecraft has discovered the first confirmed planetary system with more than one planet crossing in front of, or transiting, the same star. The transit signatures of two distinct planets were seen in the data for the sun-like star designated Kepler-9. The planets were named Kepler-9b and 9c. The discovery incorporates seven months of observations of more than 156,000 stars as part of an ongoing search for Earth-sized planets outside our solar system. Kepler's ultra-precise camera measures tiny decreases in the stars' brightness that occur when a planet transits them. The size of the planet can be derived from these temporary dips. (8/26) 


*SETI at 50* (Source: Space Review)
Fifty years after the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) started, efforts have yielded no evidence of other civilizations, but the search continues. Jeff Foust reports on the past and future of SETI as discussed at a recent event. Visit _http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1686/1_ to view the article. (8/23) 


*Alien Life -- But Not As We Know It* (Source: Guardian)
Nine out of 10 Hollywood aliens look like us. Oh, sure, they might be short, big-eyed and hairless -- decked out in skin smoother than gourmet prosciutto. But really, these creatures from afar are usually so anthropomorphic (aside from their grey complexions), they could pass for hominid relatives, freshly flushed from some cryptic, jungle habitat.
Subconsciously, the researchers who look for sentience beyond Earth in the effort known as SETI (the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence), make a similar mental picture of their quarry. They shouldn't be fooled by Hollywood aliens: any extra-terrestrial intelligence we encounter is likely to be artificial, not biological, says one researcher. (8/24) 

*Alien Hunters 'Should Look for Artificial Intelligence'* (Source: BBC)
A senior astronomer has said that the hunt for alien life should take into account alien "sentient machines". SETI, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, has until now sought radio signals from worlds like Earth. But Seti astronomer Seth Shostak argues that the time between aliens developing radio technology and artificial intelligence (AI) would be short. He says that the odds favor detecting such alien AI rather than "biological" life. (8/23) 

*Psychics Claim of Evidence of Life on Mars Debunked* (Source: Space.com)
A team of psychics claims to have found evidence not only of life on Mars, but a large industrial dome and a plume of waste coming from it. In a recent video presentation titled, "Evidence of Artificiality on Mars," researcher Courtney Brown, founder of an organization of psychics called the Farsight Institute, claimed to have found mysterious features in a photograph of Mars.
In a YouTube video describing the "anomaly," Brown states, "Here at the top you see a spray... a straight nozzle that's horizontally placed, and what looks like a pipeline going into a dome... below there's also a very large dome that is highly reflective, it looks like it's made of some sort of resin material." Click _here <http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/life-on-mars-nasa-photo-remote-viewing-psychics-100820.html>_ to read the article. (8/23) 


*Pentagon: White House to Seek Modest Defense Budget Growth* (Source: AIA)
The Obama administration will likely seek only a modest increase of 1% over inflation in its next defense budget request for fiscal year 2012, says the Pentagon's chief financial officer, Robert Hale. The figure suggests slower growth for the defense budget, but Hale said he hopes the military will avoid more substantial cuts due to Secretary of Defense Robert Gates' substantial cost-saving efforts. (8/27) 

*Whither NSSO?* (Source: Space Politics)
On Thursday the Pentagon released a memo from Secretary the Air Force Michael Donley discussing changes to the Air Force's space management and organization. The changes were designed to address a "confusing" structure for the service's space organization. As DOD Buzz notes, perhaps the biggest changes are making the Under Secretary of the Air Force "the focal point for space" at Air Force headquarters and giving the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition the responsibility for space acquisition.
Another aspect is the uncertain, but not particularly promising, future of the National Security Space Office (NSSO), originally a joint office between the Defense Department and NRO. While Air Force staff currently assigned to NSSO will now fall under the Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force for Space, decisions about NSSO staff associated with the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) will be deferred until after a roles and responsibilities discussion is completed. (8/27)
*AFRL Reveals Astrox Designs for Future Hypersonic Vehicles* (Source: Flight Global) As US military and space officials develop the outlines for a new generation of hypersonic vehicles, a tiny, Maryland-based company named Astrox has assumed a key role in shaping the designs and defining their performance. For more than a decade Astrox worked in semi-obscurity on several major hypersonic programs, including the NASA X-43A scramjet and the Defense Advanced Research projects Agency (DARPA) Blackswift. But Astrox's public exposure increased dramatically with the public release of "Technology Horizons", a 20-year roadmap for science and technology advances published by the chief scientist of the US Air Force. Click _here <http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2010/08/23/346234/afrl-reveals-astrox-designs-for-future-hypersonic-vehicles.html>_ to read the article. (8/23)
*Thruster Failure Stalls Trip To Orbit for Air Force Satellite* (Source: Aviation Week) In the latest delay to the decade-long effort to field a replacement for the Milstar protected communications constellation, Air Force officials are still assessing how best to transfer the $2 billion Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite into geosynchronous orbit after a disappointing problem with its liquid apogee engine. Program officials say the separation of the Atlas V solid rocket motors was nominal, as was the functioning of the payload fairing.
The liquid apogee engine, one of three onboard propulsion systems on the Lockheed-built satellite, failed to start, program officials say. The other onboard propulsion systems, which include a hydrazine-fueled thruster and an ion thruster, were designed for in-orbit stationkeeping. These maneuvers are needed during a satellite's life to maintain the proper position and downlink to ground stations.
It is unclear whether the Air Force will be able to return the liquid apogee engine to service or be forced to use one of these other two thruster systems for the remainder of the journey 22,000 mi. into geosynchronous orbit. If so, the trip will consume precious onboard fuel and it will affect the life expectation for this spacecraft. Failure to reach orbit is a major disappointment for the Air Force, which has been plagued with management problems of its space programs in the past decade. (8/29)
*This Space Intentionally Left Blank: The Limits of Chinese Military Power* (Source: Space Review) Last week the Defense Department released its latest version of a report on the military capabilities of the People's Republic of China. Dwayne Day examines what the report includes, and what it does not, about China's military space projects. Visit _http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1685/1_ to view the article. (8/23) 

*China** Launches New Mapping Satellite* (Source: Xinhua)
China successfully launched a mapping satellite, "Mapping Satellite - I," from the northwestern Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on Tuesday. The satellite, which was launched on a Long March 2-D carrier rocket, had entered into the preset orbit, according to the center. The satellite, developed by a company under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), would be mainly used to conduct scientific experiments, carry out surveys on land resources, and mapping, said a statement on the Ministry of National Defense website. (8/24)
*All Decisions Made to Start Work on Russia's New Vostochny Spaceport* (Source: Itar-Tass) All necessary decisions are in place for launching the construction of the spaceport Vostochny in the Amur region in 2011, the head of the federal space agency (Roscosmos), Anatoly Perminov, said at a meeting of the Scientific and Technical Council devoted to the sketch of a future high-capacity next-generation space rocket complex of middle-class for the spaceport Vostochny.
The Roscosmos chief recalled that "the Russian federal space program for 2006-2015 provides for the implementation of priority guidelines for space activities and the creation in the Amur Region of a spaceport for research, social, economic, and commercial dual-purpose tasks, preparations for and launches of space vehicles, cargo spacecraft and modules of orbital stations, manned space missions and future space programs for the study and exploration of celestial bodies, as well as the implementation of international cooperation in this sphere." (8/25) 

*Arianespace to Market India Rocket* (Source: Deccan Chronicle)
With global major Arianespace offering to promote indigenous rockets in the multi-billion-dollar satellite-launch market, the coffers of the Indian Space Research Organization could soon be filled with lots of moolah. The European firm plans to market Isro's workhorse rocket, Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, for commercial launch of satellites as part of its partnership with the Indian space agency.
The launch of each of these one-ton remote sensing satellites would fetch ISRO about $20 million to $40 million, while those weighing less than a ton but designed for scientific missions would bring in lesser revenues. "We are working on marketing the PSLV as we are not involved in launch of smaller satellites. I'm sure India will become a major player in the global market," Mr Jean-Yves Le Gall, Chairman & CEO, Arianespace, told Deccan Chronicle. He said the market for hoisting remote sensing satellites is set to grow. (8/27)
*Become Risk-Sharing Partners with Us, India Tells Industry* (Source: The Hindu) The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) wants the industry, which already accounts for 60 percent of its budget, to become a risk-sharing partner as the country's space program gets bigger and into the fast-track. ISRO Chairman K. Radhakrishnan urged the industry to become a risk-sharing partner in the coming years, which he said, would add strength to both parties. The idea is to leverage each other's strengths, with the industry even providing sub-assemblies and very large systems for rockets, other space programs and ground segment. (8/25) 

*India** To Launch GSAT-5P In October* (Source: Aviation Week)
The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is gearing up to launch the 2,000-kg. GSAT-5P communication satellite in October using a Geostationary Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV). The satellite is expected to expand existing telecommunication and television bandwidth. A Russian cryogenic engine will be powering the GSLV-F06; ISRO plans to launch a GSLV with an Indian-made cryogenic engine within a year. Meanwhile, former ISRO chief Madhavan Nair said in Bengaluru Aug. 22 that through combined efforts, India might launch a manned mission to the Moon by 2021. (8/25) 


*India** to Focus on Satellite-GPS* (Source: Deccan Chronicle)
The Indian Space Research Organization will shortly launch a series of satellites to improve basic services in the country and also to augment technological development. The organization will launch microwave RISAT-1 next year that has all-weather imaging capabilities. INSAT-3D with imager and sounder for retrieving water vapour, wind and temperature, SARAL for sea surface altimetry and small satellites for measuring aerosols and trace gases. (8/29) 

*India** Develops Space Food for Astronauts* (Source: sify News)
India's Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) has developed dried and packaged food for astronauts. "This mainly includes some freeze dehydrated items that is some juice products, mango juice products, pineapple juice products, grape juice products and some rice based and chicken based items," said an official. The food laboratory has developed around 70 varieties of dehydrated and processed food items that have undergone strict procedures to zero-in on micro bacterial and macro bacterial nutrients. (8/29) 

*African Space Agency Needed* (Source: AfricaNews)
A South Africa-based policy analyst Jonathan Mahlangu, has said that the plan by the African Union to commence a process that would lead to the establishment of a regional space agency in cooperation with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) aimed at focusing on the development of common space policy for the African continent was long overdue. "Think of the contributions of NASA and ESA to the development of America and Europe," he said. "A well coordinated space agency for Africa will assist in solving most of the challenges before her." (8/24)
*Danish Amateur Rocket Designed to Send Humans to Space* (Source: Daily Mail) It might not look like much. In fact, it looks practically suicidal. But two Danish inventors hope to launch the world's first amateur-built rocket for human space travel. It is due to launch from a submarine in the Baltic Sea on August 30th and, if successful, they will repeat it with a human passenger on board as soon as possible. Denmark would become only the fourth nation to send a human into space. Click _here <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1305455/Copenhagen-Suborbitals-Danish-inventors-produce-amateur-rocket-designed-send-humans-space.html?ITO=1490>_ to view the article. (8/25) 

*Trapped Miners In Chile to Get NASA Help* (Source: Space.com)
With 33 miners trapped deep underground, Chile is seeking advice from NASA on how to keep the miners mentally and physically fit as they wait for a complicated rescue mission that could take months to complete. "We received a request from the Chilean government about advice related to our life science research," John Yembrick, a NASA spokesman, told SPACE.com.
NASA, which routinely trains astronauts to cope with the isolation of months-long International Space Station missions, is providing survival tips to the miners, who could be trapped 2,300 feet (700 meters) below the Earth's surface for up to four months, according to press reports. (8/25) 


*Prime Minister Touts Canadian Satellites* (Source: Toronto Sun)
Prime Minister Stephen Harper said the government is ready to proceed with the design and construction phase of Canada's next generation of the cutting-edge Radarsat satellite system, a technology that he said will help Canada guard its northern borders. "With this Canadian technology, you can spot a spill as small as a five-gallon pail of engine oil," Harper said. "Radarsat is already helping us police our environment." (8/25) 

*European Science Satellite Hit by Glitch* (Source: AFP)
A satellite designed to map Earth's gravitational field has been hit by a software glitch and is unable to send its science data back home, the European Space Agency (ESA) said. The problem began to affect the spacecraft GOCE in late July, Mark Drinkwater, head of mission science at ESA's technical division, the European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC), told AFP. "The satellite's not transmitting its scientific data because of this anomaly," Drinkwater said from Noordwijk, the Netherlands. Technicians were working on a patch and hope to install it by radio link next month, he said. (8/23) 

* *

*Scientist: World's Helium Being Squandered* (Source: UPI)
The world is running out of helium, a resource that cannot be renewed, and supplies could run out in 25 to 30 years, a U.S. researcher says. Nobel-prize winning physicist Robert Richardson warns that the inert gas is being sold off far to cheaply -- so cheaply there is no incentive to recycle it -- and world supplies of the gas, a vital component of medical MRI scanners, spacecraft and rockets, could be gone in just decades. Around 80 percent of the world's reserves are in the U.S. Southwest at the the U.S. National Helium Reserve, located in Amarillo, Texas, but a recently passed law has ruled the reserve must be sold off by 2015 regardless of market price. (8/24)
*Warped Imaginations: Star Wars Fans Want a NASA Hyperdrive* (Source: Discovery) The hyperdrive, a firm sci-fi favorite mode of transportation for zipping around the galaxy, is a propulsion technology that NASA should be researching, according to hardcore sci-fi fans who attended the Star Wars Celebration V convention last week. To put it bluntly, current space travel technologies can appear boring. When we're used to seeing spaceships on TV carrying our space exploring heroes from one star system to another (or even one galaxy to another), the fact that 21st Century humans can't even leave low-Earth orbit seems terribly pedestrian.
In fact, it is this reasoning that caused astronaut legend Buzz Aldin to come forward in 2008, accusing science fiction dreams of killing enthusiasm for spaceflight science reality. Actually, having lofty expectations for NASA is no bad thing. "I don't think it's too much of Star Wars fans to ask NASA to research exotic propulsion," advanced propulsion expert Richard Obousy told Discovery News. "However, I do think it's far too high an expectation that NASA will deliver any kind of faster-than-light 'hyperdrive' in the foreseeable future." (8/24)
*Airlines May One Day Have NASA to Thank for Genetically Altered Biofuel* (Source: AIA) Scientists at the University of Florida hope that jatropha genes altered in space might yield a more commercially viable source of jet fuel. Researchers sent hundreds of jatropha samples to the International Space Station, where microgravity will alter their genes -- though just how the plants will change remains unknown. A commercial developer in South Florida wants to develop a genetically altered strain that will grow to a uniform size and be more resistant to drought, making harvesting easier. (8/25) 


*Venture Capital Fund Backs Business Opportunities from Space* (Source: ESA)
Two start-up companies offering a communication handset for outdoor enthusiasts and a computer game to compete live with real racing drivers, both made possible thanks to space technology, are the first to receive funds from ESA's new Open Sky Technologies Fund. German TakWak GmbH is developing a three-in-one communication device integrating mobile phone, satellite navigation and walkie-talkie functions for outdoor enthusiasts enjoying active sports like hiking, skiing and kayaking. It combines three separate systems in one easy-to-use handset with special features for sport. (8/23) 

*Talking and Looking: Iridium's 'Next' Big Idea* (Source: BBC)
Their job is to provide communications anytime, anywhere. And it's been a busy summer for the companies that provide satellite phone and data services. Earlier this month, we saw UK-based Inmarsat announce a $1.2bn project to launch three huge broadband satellites. The US Globalstar concern was also making news, taking delivery of the first of its next-generation spacecraft. Now Virginia-based Iridium, like Globastar, is having to upgrade its current network and has contracted Franco-Italian manufacturer Thales Alenia Space to build 81 spacecraft for the purpose.
Sixty-six satellites will be put in six planes some 780km above the Earth (the remainder will be held on the ground as spares) over the course of 2015-2017. On every one of the new spacecraft, Iridium is making available a 30-by-40-by-70cm volume that can be filled with third-party "hosted payloads" for Earth or space observation, up to a mass of 50kg. Iridium likes to describe its Next project as the biggest private space venture in the world today. Certainly, if a lot of these hosted payload opportunities are taken up then Next would also become the largest privately operated Earth observation program as well. (8/26)
*Loral Improves Profit Margins as It Prepares Stock Offering* (Source: Space News) Loral is planning a stock introduction for up to 19.9 percent of its equity and has increased its profitability in 2010 as a result of higher throughput in its factory and reduced operating costs. The company believes its satellite-building division can maintain a gross profit margin of between 8.5 percent and 9.5 percent over the long term, on condition that it continues to win at least five satellite orders annually. (8/28)
*Com Dev Struggles with Cost Growth on Government Programs* (Source: Space News) Canadian satellite component builder Com Dev International on Aug. 26 warned investors that it faces continued cost-growth problems on several U.S. and Canadian government satellite programs and that it is further reducing its revenue and profit forecast for the year. It will be the fourth consecutive quarter that Com Dev has had to confront unexpected cost growth in contracts for government customers. Com Dev Chief Executive John Keating said he is confident the company has taken "appropriate steps to fully address the expected costs on these five programs, so they won't continue to generate negative gross margins." (8/27)
*Space Artifacts Auction to Help Astronaut Scholarship Foundation* (Source: Florida Today) A flag flown to the moon, an autographed transcript of the Mercury Seven's first news conference and a piece of a space shuttle tire are among artifacts up for auction to raise money for college scholarships. Registration for the Titusville-based Astronaut Scholarship Foundation's semi-annual auction of artifacts and astronaut experiences opened Tuesday. Bids begin online Sept. 16 and culminate Sept. 25 at the Autographica show in England. Click _here <http://www.astronautscholarship.org/2010bsemi_auction.py>_ to register. (8/25)
*Hero Astronauts Honor Elite Students with $200,000 in Scholarship Awards* (Source: ASF) Signed, sealed and delivered! The Astronaut Scholarship Foundation (ASF) has awarded 20 exceptional college students around the country with a total of $200,000 in scholarships for the 2010-2011 school year. ASF bestows the largest monetary award given in the U.S. to engineering and science undergraduates and postgraduate students based solely on merit. The ASF Scholarship Committee, comprised of Academia, Astronauts and Astronaut Scholar alumni, reviewed the applicants and chose the top students from each institution to become Astronaut Scholars. Click _here <http://www.astronautscholarship.org/2010-2011_scholars.html>_ to see the list of winners. (8/17)
*Honeywell and NASA Launch 2010 Fall Tour of FMA Live! Education Program* (Source: Honeywell) Honeywell and NASA announced the fall 2010 tour of their award-winning science education program FMA Live! FMA Live! is the only nationally touring, multi-media, science-education production of its kind. Designed to make science relevant to kids' everyday lives, the program brings an authentic, live, hip-hop concert experience of unprecedented size and proportion to middle schools across the country. FMA Live! is completely underwritten by Honeywell and has traveled 78,800 miles, reaching more than 251,000 students at 730 middle schools in all 48 contiguous U.S. states and Canada. (8/23) 


*Planning Proceeds for Space Film Fest *(Source: Florida Today)
Local film buffs are planning what they call one of the most unique film festivals to date in the area. Although only in its initial planning stages, the International Space Film Festival could be a big hit and a way to celebrate the space program, according to space enthusiast Bill Larson, who sits on the planning committee. "We're losing our race for space, and somebody needed to do something to bring the space program back to the American public," said the former broadcast journalist.
The Space Film Festival is being scheduled for April 2012, soon after the 50th anniversary of John Glenn's historic Mercury flight, Larson said. Organizers aren't sure how many people the festival will attract, but they are hoping for 10,000 to 15,000 during the first year. They also are planning for a three- to four-day event to be held in the northern part of the county. (8/29) 

*Cameron Teams With NASA to Promote Earth Science* (Source: NASA)
James Cameron, director of "Avatar," the most successful film ever released, is featured in a series of new NASA public service announcements that describe the many contributions of the agency's Earth science program to environmental awareness and exploration of our home planet. (8/24) 

*NASA and U2 Create Video to Celebrate Collaboration* (Source: NASA)
NASA and U2 released a commemorative video highlighting a year's worth of collaboration in space and on the Irish rock band's 360 Degree tour. U2 approached NASA in 2009 with an idea to include a dialogue between the band and the crew of the International Space Station during U2's world tour. The astronauts of Expedition 20, the crew then living aboard the space station, agreed to participate and spoke with U2 several times before recording a video segment the band incorporated into its concerts. (8/27)
*Paul McCartney Joins PETA in Asking NASA to Halt Monkey* Experiments (Source: Houston Chronicle) There's a new twist in the campaign by several animal rights groups to pressure NASA, as singer Paul McCartney has joined the fray. NASA wants to expose 30 squirrel monkeys to radiation to better understand the effect of cosmic rays on human health. It's an essential test, NASA says, to safely send astronauts beyond Earth orbit for long-duration trips. Locally the story took a more poignant turn when a rising engineer, April Evans, resigned from her dream job because she was morally opposed to the tests. (8/25) 

*Former NASA Head Back in DC Area After Plane Crash* (Source: CNN)
Former NASA chief Sean O'Keefe and his son, Kevin, have returned to the Washington, DC area after recovering from a plane crash in Alaska. The August 9 plane crash on a mountainside killed five people, including former Sen.Ted Stevens. O'Keefe was recuperating at an Alaska hospital, but had recovered enough to be released from that hospital and moved to another hospital, the O'Keefe family spokesman said Thursday. (8/27) 



*California** Aerospace Events Calendar***

*Glovia International Supply Chain Management Webinar on Aug. 31*
*Glovia International* invites you to join us for the first of three free webinars discussing Supply Chain Management: Visibility, Synchronization and Optimization. *Understand* the interdependency of these three concepts and their impact on your supply chain, which is essential to the success of your business. *Learn* how glovia G2 enables you to obtain immediate visibility of all required variables -- simultaneously. Then, in Glovia's follow-on webinars, learn how to synchronize and optimize these same variables. For additional information and to register please _click <http://www.glovia.com/webinars/scm/visibility/index.aspx?ref=CSA%20%3chttp://www.glovia.com/webinars/scm/visibility/index.aspx?ref=CSA%3e>_ here. (8/27)
*NDIA Greater Los Angeles "GLA" and Rocky Mountain Chapters Small Business Committees*
September 8, 2010 -- 8:00 AM -- 5:00 PM -- The Boeing Company, 2020 E. Imperial Highway, El Segundo, CA -- Cost $30 includes Morning & Afternoon Breaks & Box Lunch 

*Register Now! Registrations close Aug. 31*
Workshop on Improving Small Business Contracting Competitiveness within Department of Defense and Locally with the Air Force Space and Missile Center. A discussion and exchange with the government, Industry primes, and Small Business on how to improve the opportunities and assist the DoD to achieve the mandated Small Business Awards. 

View updates and agenda at

_http://ndiarmcsb.org/announcements/Sept8_Workshop_Agenda.html_
*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 *
/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@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx/. 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_
*Attend a FREE Project Lead The Way (PLTW) Information Conference on Oct. 8 *
Sign up today for a PTLW event being hosted by the College of Engineering at Cal Poly Pomona. Space is limited and the registration deadline is Sep. 30. The Conference will present an overview of PLTW, a /not-for-profit/ organization that offers state-approved pre-engineering and science curricula for middle school, high school and community college students. PLTW forms partnerships with public schools, higher education institutions, and the private sector to increase the quantity and quality of engineers and engineering technologists graduating from our educational system. The event is planned for Oct. 8, from 7:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.* *.There is *no* registration fee to attend and parking will be provided at no charge. Visit _http://www.csupomona.edu/~engineering/locators/pltw/infoconferences.html_ 

*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*
*L-3 Communications, Ocean Systems, Calif., is being awarded a $24,711,376firm-fixed-price contract for Low Frequency Active Towed Sonar (LFATS) for the Egyptian Navy (100 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales Program. The LFATS is a long-range active/passive variable-depth sonar. The system consists of an operator console, power amplifier, towed body arrays, and handling system. The contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $27,258,160. Work will be performed in Sylmar, Calif. (65 percent); San Diego, Calif. (13 percent); Bryan, Texas (13 percent); and Alexandria, Egypt (9 percent), and is to be expected to be completed by January 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C. is the contracting activity.*
*Lockheed Martin Mission Systems & Sensors*, Moorestown, N.J., is being awarded a $6,000,000 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-03-C-5115) for management and engineering services to maintain and modify as necessary the design of DDG 51 Class Combat System compartments and topside arrangements, in support of the Program Executive Office Integrated Warfare Systems. The required services include program management and operation support, quality assurance, configuration management, ship design integration, fleet lifecycle engineering support, installation support, firmware maintenance, combat system test and evaluation, Navy furnished material support, special studies, and future-ship integration studies. Work will be performed in Moorestown, N.J. (40 percent), Bath, Maine (27 percent), Pascagoula, Miss. (22 percent), *San Diego, Calif*. (6 percent), Norfolk, Va. (3 percent), *Port Hueneme, Calif*. (1 percent), Syracuse, N.Y. (1 percent), and is expected to be completed by September 2011. 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.
*Kitware, Inc*., Clifton Park, N.Y., is being awarded a $10,962,069.00 cost plus fixed-price modification to previously awarded contract (HR0011-08-C-0135) for the Video and Image Retrieval and Analysis Tool (VIRAT) program. Work will be performed in Clifton Park, N.Y. (47.1 percent); Littleton, Colo. (20.5 percent); *Santa Barbara, Calif*. (6.7 percent); Burlington, Mass. (3.2); Golden Valley, Minn. (3.0 percent); *Los Angeles, Calif*. (2.1 percent); Orlando, Fla. (2.1 percent); New York, N.Y. (2.1 percent); *Berkeley, Calif*. (2.1 percent); College Park, Md. (1.8 percent); Troy, N.Y. (1.7 percent); Austin, Texas (1.7 percent); Herndon, Va. (1.5); Cambridge, Mass. (1.0 percent); *Riverside, Calif*. (0.9 percent); Ithaca, N.Y. (0.9 percent); Cambridge, Mass. (0.9 percent); *Pasadena, Calif*. (0.7 percent). The work is expected to be completed by February 2012. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is the contracting activity.
*Ceradyne, Inc., Costa Mesa, Calif*., was awarded on Aug. 25 a $21,734,258 firm-fixed-price contract for spall cover repairs for an estimated 447,852 possible repairs on x-small arms protective inserts/enhanced small arms protective inserts plates over the remaining ordering period of the contract. Work is to be performed in *Costa Mesa**, Calif.*, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 2, 2013. One bid was solicited with one received. Research Development & Engineering Command Contracting Center, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., is the contracting activity.
*Argon ST, Inc*., Fairfax, Va., is being awarded a $7,886,352 cost-plus fixed-price modification to previously awarded contract (HR0011-09-C-0079) for the Sferics-based Underground Geopositioning (S-BUG). Work will be performed in Fairfax, Va. (72 percent); *San Diego**, Calif. (14 percent); Minneapolis, Minn. (9 percent); Springfield, Va. (4 percent); and Greenbelt, Md. (1 percent). Work is expected to be completed by February 2012. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is the contracting activity.*
*General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., Poway, Calif., was awarded a $7,848,501 contract modification for the MQ-9 System Development and Demonstration Increment I program, incorporating: a credit for stopped work; an overrun for on-going activities; and additional scope for high capacity starter/generator and AWM-103 for Hellfire development effort. At this time, $3,595,959 has been obligated. ASC/WIIK, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity.*
*Reyes Construction, Inc.*, Pomona, Calif*., is being awarded $6,725,000 for firm-fixed-price task order #0002 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N62473-10-D-5417) for repair of high temperature hot water piping at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms. Work will be performed in *Twentynine Palms, Calif., and is expected to be completed by August 2011. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Six proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, Resident Officer in Charge of Construction, Twentynine Palms, Calif., is the contracting activity.*
*O.E.S., Inc*.*, Wainwright, Alaska, is being awarded a maximum $6,822,376 fixed-price, incentive firm target contract to provide material distribution services. Other location of performance is *San Diego**, Calif.* Using service is Defense Logistics Agency, Defense Logistics Agency Distribution. There were five responses to the original proposal solicited. The date of performance completion is Aug. 31, 2015. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Distribution, New Cumberland, Pa.
Compiled for the California Space Authority by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University <http://www.erau.edu/>, Edward Ellegood <mailto:edward.ellegood@xxxxxxxx?subject=SpotBeam%20California> 



--
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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