[CSA] CSA: SpotBeam California, July 12, 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   Subscribe

July 12, 2010

California Items

Buzz Aldrin Speaks on Space at Palo Alto Hotel (Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel)
Buzz Aldrin touched on his history in the air and his hopes for the future of space exploration during a speech in Palo Alto Thursday night, more than 40 years after he became the second man to walk on the moon. Speaking at an evening event at the downtown Garden Court Hotel, the 80-year-old former astronaut said the United States needs to stay at the front of "global space leadership," and pushed for further exploration of Mars. He said he hoped the U.S. space program will focus on Phobos, one of Mars' two moons, which would allow NASA to improve its exploration of the planet's surface and help rovers Spirit and Opportunity to get "done in five days what was done in five years." (7/9)

NASA's Flying Telescope (SOFIA) Sees Early Success (Source: NPR)

July 2, 2010 - MARY LOUISE KELLY, host: Now, longevity takes on a whole new meaning when we're talking about the stars. And now NASA has a flying telescope, so powerful it's expected to record the birth of distant stars and planets. The telescope, which weighs 17 tons, is built into a 747 that serves as an airborne observatory. It's called SOFIA and it's a marvel of astronomy and aeronautics. But as NPR's Jon Hamilton reports, SOFIA almost didn't get off the ground…

http://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=128015118

Blast off in Santa Ana's big cube (Source: Orange County Register)

The new Rocket Lab opened up on Friday at the Discovery Science Center. "The biggest question I always get is, 'Joe, what is inside that Cube?'" said Joe Adams, president of the Discovery Science Center. The answer came Friday with a roar of thrust and smoke from a real RS-68 rocket engine. The engine, the same type used for GPS, weather, and military satellites, hangs inside the cube, now called the "Boeing rocket lab" in honor of its biggest sponsor. The public got its first look at the new exhibit when it officially opened last Friday.

http://www.ocregister.com/news/-256215--.html

http://www.discoverycube.org/

San Diego Space Society Launches Out of This World from South Park (Source: SDUN)
Governing members of the San Diego Space Society, a two-year-old organization dedicated to space exploration education and outreach, will soon be in the business of sending people into space. SDSS President Jesse Clark and Secretary Chris Radcliff said the new Space Traveler’s Emporium, opening at the corner of 30th and Grape streets on July 17, will be one of the first space-tourism travel agencies. “We’re going to sell things that people would probably buy if they were traveling to space, because there is a possibility that you can actually do that now,” Clarke said. (7/9)

Satellite Educators Conference, Aug  12-14 (Source: CSA)

The Satellite Educators Association has been effectively connecting teachers with government and industry—students’ future employers—since 1988. This 23^rd annual conference is sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Environmental Satellite Data and Information Service, the National Weather Service, and the U.S. Navy. And it’s supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the Goddard Space Flight Center, and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. The announcement (see web link) also includes a Call for Presenters. August 12 includes tours and the Satellite Educators Association annual members meeting. August 13-14 are the sessions, speakers, and exhibits. Recent agenda additions include: Rick Dickert, AMS local chapter president and FOX Morning News Meteorologist opening the conference at 9am Friday, 8/13; and a scientist from NASA/JPL talking about the NASA satellite images of the Gulf Oil Spill along with a teacher explaining how those images can be used in the classroom.

http://www.sated.org/

Air Force Delays Launch of Space-Junk Cam from California (Source: MSNBC)
The launch of a new U.S. Air Force space surveillance satellite has been delayed due to a software problem in a rocket similar to the one that will lift the satellite into orbit. The Space-Based Space Surveillance satellite was scheduled to lift off Thursday from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. No new launch date has been set.

Air Force officials said Tuesday that tests revealed a software problem on another Minotaur IV rocket. No other details have been released. The satellite is designed to give the Air Force its first full-time, space-based surveillance of satellites and debris in Earth orbit. (7/7)

Better Safe Than Sorry: Rocket Software Being Fixed (Source: SpaceFlightNow.com)
An improbable pitfall discovered in the Minotaur rocket's flight software, posing only a minuscule chance of ruining a mission, nevertheless will be patched before the booster launches a unique space surveillance craft, officials explained Thursday.

Liftoff from the southern pad at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California had been scheduled for Thursday night. But the Space Based Space Surveillance (SBSS) satellite launch was placed on hold after rocket-maker Orbital Sciences found a timing flaw in the Minotaur's software while preparing a different vehicle for a planned September flight from Alaska. (7/8)

The Next Generation of Mars Rover (Source: KOLD)
NASA's next Mars rover, Curiosity, is sitting pretty on a set of spiffy new wheels that would be the envy of any car show on Earth. The wheels and a suspension system were added this week by spacecraft technicians and engineers. These new and important touches are a key step in assembling and testing the flight system in advance of a planned 2011 launch. (7/5)

Take Flight for Kids at NASA Ames’ Moffett Field, Sept 25 (Source: CSA)

Who: 10,000 attendees including youth & families from all over Northern California, 300+ exhibitors, 500+ volunteers.  We are specifically targeting young people with disabilities, at risk youth, low income families, basically the massive underserved population of the Bay Area.  But ALL families are welcomed, regardless of income, ability, etc. What: STEM science/tech/engineering/math exhibitors galore. Accessible activities, hands on science, arts & crafts, you name it.  Basically imagine something akin to M*ker F*aire, but with the addition of humungous aerospace offerings like real spacecraft and exotic aircraft, with a ton more science education stuff, and that’s what we’re up to. Why: To attract thousands of youth to the biggest most interesting community festival, science fest, and education party on the west coast, maybe eventually the planet. Date is tentative, watch the web site:

http://www.takeflightforkids.com/

Musk Goes Public on Divorce (Source: Space Daily)
Elon Musk, the Web entrepreneur behind PayPal, Tesla Motors and SpaceX, published a lengthy account of his messy divorce proceedings on Thursday, saying he wanted to correct the record. "Given the choice, I'd rather stick a fork in my hand than write about my personal life," the South African-born Musk said in a nearly 1,500-word blog post submitted to The Huffington Post. Click here to read the article. (7/8)

National & International Items

Senate Panel Near Agreement on Bill to Roll Back NASA Changes (Source: New York Times)
Republican and Democratic leaders on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation are moving toward an authorization bill that would reverse large swaths of President Obama’s proposed changes to NASA’s human space flight program, a ranking Republican involved in the talks confirmed.

The bill, which lays out the direction of the nation’s space program for the next three years, would add at least one more space shuttle flight, speed development of a heavy-lift rocket and move ahead with building a spacecraft to venture beyond low-Earth orbit. It would also slow down a rush to invest in commercial rockets by requiring companies to demonstrate their capabilities before receiving large contracts for delivering astronauts to the International Space Station, said a staff member who was not authorized to speak for attribution. (7/8)

Call for Papers: ISU’s 15th Annual International Symposium, Feb 15-17 (Source: ISU)

ISU's next annual symposium will address the opportunities and possibilities offered by extending operation of the International Space Station (ISS) to at least 2020. The proposed scope of the symposium includes not just the central theme of how to make best use of the extended ISS life but also related issues of commercialization both in its resupply and its operation, and perhaps in the establishment and operation of related Earth orbit infrastructure.

We anticipate contributions from the ‘Newspace’ sector as well as from the agencies, industries and academic institutions already involved in ISS construction and operation. We also expect to have presentations from nations who are not currently ISS partners on their ambitions either to join ISS activities in the coming years or to develop alternative human spaceflight projects for low Earth orbit and beyond. A special Closing Keynote will address possible future directions for human spaceflight beyond 2020

The program will include invited contributions from leading experts in the field plus presentations and posters selected on the basis of abstracts submitted in response to the attached Call for Papers by the deadline date of 8th October 2010. We look forward to receiving your abstracts and we hope that many of you will join us here at ISU Central Campus Building in Strasbourg, France to participate in discussions of this important topic.

We would be most grateful if you could pass on this information to others within your organization who may also be interested in submitting an abstract. Further information will appear in the weeks to come at the ISU Symposium website: http://www.isunet.edu/annualsymposium

Senate Bill Adds One Final Shuttle Flight (Source: WDBO)
Florida U.S. Senator Bill Nelson says he's a believer. "It's going to have to be a near miracle to pass this NASA bill, but I believe in miracles." The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation next week is expected to pass a bipartisan NASA authorization bill that would match the president's $19 billion request. The Senator said in Orlando Friday, the legislation will provide new direction over the next three years.

The bill would provide for one final space shuttle flight, probably next June. Nelson says the mission could bring lots of cargo to the International Space Station, and provide the capacity to remove unneeded equipment from the station, much more than current Russian supply ships can do now. (7/9)

Nelson: Compromise NASA Authorization Bill Will Pass Next Week (Source: Florida Today)
Florida Sen. Bill Nelson said he's confident that a senate committee will pass a bi-partisan NASA authorization bill next Thursday that offers compromises to President Obama's controversial proposals, but preservers key priorities. The bill, which would match the president's $19 billion request, would request "at least" one additional shuttle mission, to be flown next summer.

And it would accelerate development of a shuttle-derived heavy-lift vehicle that could serve as a government back-up if commercial launchers failed to offer crew taxi services in a safe and timely manner. The bill would also continue to develop a fully capable Orion spacecraft for deep space exploration, not the scaled back version the administration has said would serve as a Space Station lifeboat. That station's life would be extended by at least five years, to 2020. (7/9)

Funding May Alter NASA's Spaceflight Direction (Source: Florida Today)
A U.S. Senate committee is likely to approve a compromise authorization bill next week that would allow NASA to develop back-ups to commercial rockets by funding a government rocket and spacecraft, Sen. Bill Nelson said. "We've got quite a few senators that are coming together, senators that have been very critical of the president's proposals," Nelson said. "I think that by next Thursday we'll be able to join all together."

Still, Nelson said, it will take a "near miracle" for Congress and the White House to approve a 2011 NASA budget before the fiscal year starts Oct. 1. "But I believe in miracles," he said. "I think we're going to be able to pull this off." (7/10)

Congress May Not Decide Constellation's Fate Until Next Year (Source: Huntsville Times)
Last month, NASA voluntarily starved its own post-space shuttle rocket program and threw 500 Huntsville aerospace employees out of work. Politically, observers called that a bold - even risky - play by NASA Headquarters to get in step with a White House that has wanted to kill the program called Constellation all year.

But Congress has been skeptical or hostile to killing Constellation from the start, and NASA's June massacre didn't build any bridges. So, NASA is now in rare territory for it, but a familiar place to its big brother, the Defense Department - a funding face-off between a White House that wants to kill a big-ticket program and lawmakers who do not. Click here to read the article. (7/11)

Anderholt: Human Space Flight Worth Saving: Robots No Sub for Manned Trips (Source: Huntsville Times)
The president says that his plan is fully committed to the mission of NASA, but many members agree with me that it forfeits America's leadership in space and unnecessarily cuts thousands of jobs across the nation at a time when we are trying to recover from a recession.

The president's plan proposes to "lease" rides on a fleet of commercial rocket taxis in order to send cargo and crew to the ISS. But the U.S. taxpayer will have to fund almost the entire cost of developing those taxis, and the administration has not set a minimum percentage of funds which the private company must invest. The plan would also cost $4 billion or more in unnecessary shutdown costs. As the biggest NASA policy change in 50 years, this approach warrants, at a minimum, a transition process, not an abrupt leap of faith. (7/11)

Webb Telescope Cost Growth Prompts Mikulski Demand for Outside Review (Source: Space News)
Concerned NASA is taking too long and spending too much to build its next-generation flagship astronomy mission, U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) is calling for an independent review of how to complete the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) within budget and on schedule. In a letter to NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, Mikulski took the U.S. space agency to task for ongoing cost overruns associated with JWST development, giving Bolden 30 days to assemble an independent review team comprising experts from outside NASA who would report directly to his office. (7/10)

Lawmaker Says Obama Space Plan Isn’t Helping Recovery (Source: Space News)
As the White House embarks on a summer road tour to promote its economic recovery efforts, Republican lawmakers are criticizing President Barack Obama’s plan to scrap the nation’s Moon program and the thousands of highly skilled jobs that could be lost as a result. In a July 2 letter to U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden, Rep. Pete Olson (R-Texas) said Obama’s $787 billion economic stimulus package signed into law in February 2009 had done little to stem job losses in Texas and other states hit by the ailing economy.

The White House estimates that through March of this year, the stimulus package saved or created as many as 2.8 million jobs. But Olson asserts Obama’s plan to scrap NASA’s Constellation program, a 5-year-old effort to replace the retiring space shuttle with new rockets and spacecraft optimized for lunar missions, threatens as many as 30,000 jobs across the country, including Houston, home to NASA’s Johnson Space Center. (7/6)

Aerospace Industry Growth Expected to Move Into Holding Pattern (Source: AIA)
After four years of rapid expansion, the aerospace industry is heading into a period of slow growth as governments cut back on their defense budgets and airlines work to get their finances back in line, according to Alix Partners consulting firm. Activity in recent years has grown by 15% to 18% annually, but slowed to just 2% last year, and growth should stabilize this year. (7/7)

A Change in Tone in National Space Policy (Source: Space Review)
Last week the White House released a new national space policy. Jeff Foust reports on how the new policy reflects as much a change in tenor as a change in substance over previous policies. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1660/1 to view the article. (7/6)

Vitter Rips Obama Space Plan at Tank Ceremony (Source: Florida Today)
U.S. Sen. David Vitter of Louisiana opened this morning's ceremony celebrating the delivery of NASA's last shuttle external tank by ripping President Obama's "radical" proposals for the space agency. "You all deserve better, and the nation deserves better," he told an audience of hundreds of NASA and contractor employees at the Michoud Assembly Facility near New Orleans, earning loud applause. (7/8)

Bishop Adviser Compares NASA’s Future to Base Closures (Source: Davis County Clipper)
The ups and downs of NASA’s future are being compared by one senior Utah Congressional adviser with base closure proceedings of years past. “That’s been like the base closures, equivalent of BRAC (Base Realignment and Closures) without a real process,” said Steve Peterson, adviser and legal counsel to Rep. Rob Bishop, here.

“It’s been very troubling to see how the Obama Administration has been running amuck with this whole scheme,” he said. “It’s frankly disgusting.” Peterson said it’s an example of “top level bureaucrats, once they’re in power, using an agency as their own personal play toy. They can just make whimsical decisions – and the consequences begin.”

He’s referring to political decisions that could mean the loss of thousands of ATK jobs and others in Utah, and thousands more nationally. “They don’t care that they’re toying with 25,000 lives, the lives of real people, with their experience. They don’t care,” Peterson said of the government officials. Editor's Note: More odd posturing by Congressional conservatives who normally decry growth in big-government programs. (7/8)

Kosmas Meets with Local Leaders on Space Plans (Sources: Florida Today, WESH)
Officials met on Saturday with Congresswoman Suzanne Kosmas to talk about the future of space jobs on Florida's Space Coast. "Our main mission, of course, is to preserve the workforce here in Central Florida, and at the Space Coast particularly, and that we keep those highly skilled workers employed," Kosmas said. "They're the people with the problems and, frequently, the best ideas come from people with the problems," Kosmas said. "We need some bottoms-up input."

Dale Ketcham uses military-style imagery to illustrate what's happening on the Space Coast and beyond with the shuttle retirement. Some communities handle the closing of a military base magnificently, said Ketcham. Some areas, years after a base closure, still suffer. Ketcham is part of the movement to avoid the latter picture as the region moves toward and into the post-shuttle era.

"This can be a real opportunity to turn this more from a model of 20th-century Detroit, with a single program that's very labor-intensive, into a Silicon Valley, much more innovative. I think we've got that opportunity," he said... People along the Space Coast are bracing for major job losses after President Barack Obama slashed NASA's budget. Editor's Note: WESH is inaccurate saying that Obama "slashed NASA's budget." He actually proposes a significant increase. (7/11)

DiBello: Don't Lose KSC Investments in Space Plan Compromise (Source: Florida Today)
In a meeting Saturday with Congresswoman Suzanne Kosmas, Space Florida President Frank DiBello said he is concerned about any compromise details sacrificing presidential budget line items that are good for Florida. Development of a heavy-lift launch vehicle, for example, is a "good thing over the long haul, but not if we pay for it with flagship technology programs that are key to moving Kennedy Space Center into more of an R&D role." (7/11)

Huntsville Lawyer Chosen to be NASA Advisor for Tennessee Congressman (Source: WAFF)
Huntsville lawyer Mark McDaniel has been tapped for his NASA expertise. McDaniel will serve as NASA advisor to Tennessee congressman Lincoln Davis. Davis serves on both the house appropriations committee and the house committee on science and technology.

Davis said McDaniel's vast experience on two presidential NASA advisory councils will be a huge asset as he fights for NASA jobs. An estimated 7500 to 8000 of Davis' constituents commute from Tennessee to jobs in the Huntsville area every day. (7/10)

Editorial: Keep Politics Out of NASA Shuttle Issue (Source: Decatur Daily)
NASA is under a great deal of pressure to service the International Space Station, but it needs to tread carefully in its extensions of the planned retirement date of the space shuttles. The agency announced Thursday the final space shuttle mission will not take place until Feb. 26. It also is facing pressure from Congress to delay the retirement, at least of Atlantis, until August.

Political pressure and scientific caution make lousy bedfellows. The well-meant efforts to extend the shuttle program as long as possible will look reckless if a delayed flight goes bad. Many engineers believe the 30-year-old shuttles should already be out of service. An unsuccessful launch would set NASA back seriously in its efforts to continue manned space flight.

In an agency whose mission is bound to the politics of federal funding, staying focused on mission safety is tough. That is its mission, though. Both for its astronauts and for the future of manned space flight, it cannot let itself be distracted. (7/5)

Last Shuttle External Tank Enroute to Spaceport (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Early Thursday, NASA and Lockheed Martin will throw a party at the Michoud Assembly Facility as workers roll out the giant orange fuel tank to be used in February by the last scheduled space-shuttle mission: Endeavour's final journey to the International Space Station. The celebration will recognize more than three decades of tank work at the Michoud plant near the shores of Lake Pontchartrain. In reality, it also marks the end of a unique industrial craft.

Each 158-foot tank is welded and then sprayed — initially by big computer-operated guns — with a blanket of Styrofoam-like insulating foam. Then it's painstakingly sanded, inspected, trimmed and finally finished with custom-fitted foam pieces and foam sprayed into hard-to-reach places by hand. (7/8)

Rocket Tank Enroute to Virginia Spaceport (Source: DelMarVaNow.com)
A huge tank that will hold liquid oxygen for Orbital Sciences' Taurus II rocket is making its way from Mexico City, where it was made by a company called Envases, to the launch site on Wallops Island. The 56-wheeled vehicle transporting the tank was entering Georgia as of Tuesday afternoon and is expected to arrive at Wallops by mid- to late July, according to Orbital Sciences' launch site manager Norm Bobczynski. The 80,000 gallon tank weighs more than 200,000 pounds and is 125-feet-long and 13 feet in diameter. (7/7)

Sen. Warner Tours Wallops, Pledges Support (Source: DelMarVaNow.com)
U.S. Sen. Mark Warner said he sees "huge potential" for the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at Wallops and wants to be a champion for the facility, citing his membership on the Senate Commerce Committee and on the science and space subcommittee. "This has the potential to become a pre-eminent facility not just for the United States, but for the world," he said. Warner toured the spaceport in the morning before a lunchtime meeting with local dignitaries. He ended his visit by stopping in at Eastern Shore Rural Health System's nearly completed new Onley Community Health Center. (7/8)

Concrete Runway in Place at New Mexico Spaceport (Source: Las Cruces Sun-News)
A 10,000-foot concrete runway has been finished at Spaceport America, a spaceport official said. While the runway is finished, contractors are finishing the turnarounds at either end of the runway and continuing work on the "apron," the concrete area around the terminal-hangar facility, spaceport director Rick Homans said.

The $29.4 million runway was built by David Montoya Construction of Albuquerque. In addition, Homans said steel trusses, "several hundred feet in length" have begun being added to the terminal-hangar facility, creating a platform for the roof. The $32.5 million, futuristic building is being constructed by Summit West. Homans said the overall $200 million spaceport construction project is about 60 percent complete. (7/5)

Rocketplane, Which Received $18 Million in Oklahoma Tax Credits, Filed for Bankruptcy (Source:
What started out as a dream of rockets in the Oklahoma sky and money flowing from space enthusiasts has finally ended. George French Jr., owner of Rocketplane Global, decided a mountain of debt and expectations of the same altitude were too much to burden and filed for bankruptcy. He filed the Chapter 7 bankruptcy papers in his home state of Wisconsin, but Oklahomans are suffering the loss. The original intent was to build a space tourism company in Western Oklahoma that would bring jobs as well as out-of-this-world sightseers. State lawmakers and agencies were so convinced of the plan they handed over nearly $18 million in tax credits to French in 2003 to get the company started. (7/8)

Space Florida Receives FAA License for Launch Complex 46 (Source: Space Florida)
The FAA has approved a Launch Site Operator’s License for Space Florida to facilitate commercial launches from Space Launch Complex 46 (SLC-46). With the FAA License now approved, Space Florida may actively pursue commercial customers for launch commitments at SLC-46. Full Complex readiness is anticipated within 12 months of a formal customer commitment.

Earlier this year, Lockheed Martin and ATK announced their intention to return the Athena launch vehicle to the marketplace. Promotional materials put out by both companies list Florida as one of four potential launch sites. Space Florida is also in discussions with additional customers that are showing interest in utilizing SLC-46.

In May, Space Florida received Department of Defense (DoD) approval on the Explosive Site Plan for the complex. Additionally, in February, Space Florida received the Real Property License for SLC-46 from the U.S. Air Force. At that time, a Joint Use Agreement was also signed by the Navy, which shares utilization of the property for occasional testing exercises. To date, corrosion control has been conducted on the Mobile Service Tower at SLC-46. A timeline for additional Launch Complex infrastructure build-out will be determined once a customer commitment is received. (7/9)

A New Debate (Source: Space Review)
For the last several months the space community has been gripped by the debate on the future of NASA's human spaceflight program. Bob Clarebrough argues that it may be better to debate exactly what role NASA should play in a future with expanded commercial space capabilities. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1659/1 to view the article. (7/6)

Europe Explores Regulations for Suborbital Spaceflight (Source: Parabolic Arc)
The advent of sub-orbital private human spaceflight has created a need to draft specific legislation in the areas of responsibility, liability, safety, insurance, certification and more. The USA has taken the lead in this respect and has set up an extensive body of (temporary) rules dealing with these issues since 2004, when SpaceShipOne started the new space race, for ‘space tourism’.

Although the majority of these activities will take place within the USA, several plans related to sub-orbital space tourism also exist in some EU Member States. A September symposium in the Netherlands will focus on the legal issues arising from this new era of human spaceflight by analyzing the perspectives of various stakeholders, and will attempt to formulate some recommendations for its efficient and adequate regulation. (7/9)

Commercialized Human Space Flight - A Possibility In Huntsville (Source: WHNT)
NASA contractors know it's part of their job; programs wind down, and new opportunities arise. As the Constellation program appears to be coming to a close with layoffs and financial cuts, there's the possibility for something new. NASA plans to retire the space shuttle next year. To replace it, President Obama suggests looking to commercial entities to create a vehicle that will take humans to space.

The question is, would those businesses set up shop in Huntsville? Politicians from the Tennessee Valley are trying to understand what Mr. Obama's proposed NASA plan means for the Rocket City and how a commercialized system of taking astronauts into space would actually work.

"Is it going to get done? When is it going to get done, and how long are we going to have to use the Russians to get in space?" asked Huntsville Attorney Mark McDaniel. Friday, a US congressman from South Tennessee announced he's appointed McDaniel to advise him on space issues. McDaniel has guided presidents and a NASA administrator on space policy. He says if Mr. Obama's plan is to send astronauts into lower orbit on commercial vehicles, he needs to sell that vision to the American people. (7/10)

Laid-Off Huntsville Contractors Plan Strategy for Re-Employment (Source: WAFF)
The proposed budget that cancels NASA Constellation program has already affected some in North Alabama. Dozens of contractors with Marshall Space Flight Center were forced to cut about 500 local jobs. The contractors who have announced layoffs include Boeing, Jacobs Engineering, and United Space Alliance. Now those laid-off employees are turning to each other for help.

About one hundred people turned out for the kickoff meeting of the Huntsville Space Professionals at UA-Huntsville's Chan Auditorium Friday afternoon. HSP is a non-profit group formed to help those laid-off, like Timothy Hardin. Hardin was working a dream job as a NASA contractor, up until a short time ago. (7/10)

Bolden: Glenn Research Center Will Fare Well Under Obama's Plan (Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer)
President Obama's controversial plan to turn away from a moon mission and focus instead on new space-exploring technologies will "significantly raise the profile" of NASA Glenn Research Center, says Charles Bolden, head of the space agency. Bolden, speaking today at the City Club of Cleveland, said NASA Glenn, between its Brook Park campus and spacecraft-testing facility near Sandusky, will benefit "quite a bit" from efforts to bolster advanced propulsion, communications and astronaut health in deep space. Those are all areas of strength for NASA Glenn, Bolden noted. (7/10)

NASA Names Lugo as Director of Glenn Research Center (Source: NASA)
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden has named Ramon "Ray" Lugo III as director of the agency's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, effective July 18. Lugo has been Glenn's acting director since March. As Glenn's director, Lugo is responsible for planning, organizing and leading the center's activities in research, technology and systems development programs in space propulsion, space power, space communications, aeronautical propulsion and microgravity sciences.

Lugo was named Glenn's deputy director in November 2007. Before that, he served as deputy manager of the Launch Services Program at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Lugo began his NASA career at Kennedy as a cooperative education student in 1975. Lugo's prior leadership positions include executive director of the Cape Canaveral Spaceport Management Office, director of Expendable Launch Vehicle Services, manager of the Facilities and Support Equipment Division in the Space Station Project Office, and chief of the business office in the Joint Performance Management Office. (7/9)

United Space Alliance to Reduce Workforce by 15 Percent (Source: USA)
United Space Alliance will layoff about 15 percent of its current Space Shuttle workforce, effective October 1, 2010, in order to align the workforce level with the company's Space Shuttle Program Operations Contract work scope and current budget. Two missions remain in the Space Shuttle Program – STS-133 currently scheduled for no earlier than November 1, 2010, and STS-134 set for February 26, 2011. (7/6)

Lockheed Cuts Exec Ranks as Pentagon Seeks Savings (Source: AP)
Lockheed Martin is moving to trim its executive ranks as the Pentagon, its biggest customer, pressures defense contractors to cut overhead costs on huge weapons programs. Lockheed is offering directors and vice presidents financial incentives to leave voluntarily by Feb. 1. The nation's largest defense contractor did not say how many employees qualify for the buyout or are expected to leave the company under the program. (7/6)

Proposals Vie for $40 Million to Provide Space Coast Jobs (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
With $40 million in federal grants on the table, Space Coast entrepreneurs, companies and local government agencies had no shortage of proposals Tuesday of how spend it to bring jobs to an already-struggling region that is bracing for deep NASA cuts. One company wanted federal money to help build high-efficiency cars in Brevard County. Another sought money to make high-efficiency light bulbs. A third wants to see an international space, Earth and oceanic science think tank developed at Kennedy Space Center.

USA pitched four proposals for testing or refurbishing military equipment for the Department of Defense, using a big space-shuttle parts depot in Cape Canaveral that it now runs for NASA. The company sought between $1 million and $4 million for each of the programs, saying each could provide between 100 and 400 jobs. Several other companies offered a wide variety of ideas and proposals. Click here to view the article. (7/6)

Editorial: Jobs Summit Offers Proposals White House Should Seize (Source: Florida Today)
Creating post-shuttle jobs and diversifying Brevard County’s economy for the future is of the utmost urgency. That was clear again Tuesday when officials with prime shuttle contractor United Space Alliance at Kennedy Space Center announced 1,000 layoffs as the fleet heads toward its final flight next year. The news was expected but drove home the importance of a federal task force that plans to spend $40 million to create new jobs and jump-start new industries to offset the crippling impact when as many as 8,000 spaceport workers are gone.

President Obama has ordered the panel to have the recommendations on his desk in five weeks, and members have sound options to consider following a summit Tuesday in Orlando, where more than 30 companies and institutions offered their ideas. The session was sponsored by Space Florida, the state’s Cape Canaveral-based space-recruiting agency, which is showing strong leadership in trying to chart a way forward. Many of the ideas were not on the radar in February, when Obama announced his controversial shift in NASA policy, showing that government, business and education leaders from across the region continue rising to the occasion. (7/8)

Rocket Scientist Uses History-in-the-Making to Promote Business in Jacksonville (Source: FL Times Union)
As customers dug into bowls of frozen yogurt at Mr. Yogato in Jacksonville, they watched a rocket launch into space on a large screen in front of them. "This is the future," said Lyle Young, a resident orthopedic surgeon at Shands Jacksonville hospital. "These are important days," he said. "It's like when Henry Ford built his Model T."

The 20-minute film featured a recent test launch of a commercial SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket from Cape Canaveral. The film, which had never been shown in public, was shown at the frozen yogurt store at 1232 Beach Blvd. because one of the store's owners, John Couluris, is a rocket scientist who works for SpaceX.

Couluris makes frequent trips to Cape Canaveral and when he's in Florida, stops by Mr. Yogato to spend some time working behind the counter. The store will show the rocket film again at 9 p.m. Saturday. It is not available for viewing anywhere else, not even on the Internet, so customers who are interested in learning more about space exploration are welcome, Couluris said. (7/6)

Obama’s New Mission for NASA: Reach Out to Muslim World (Source: Washington Examiner)
In a far-reaching restatement of goals for the nation’s space agency, NASA administrator Charles Bolden says President Obama has ordered him to pursue three new objectives: to “re-inspire children” to study science and math, to “expand our international relationships,” and to “reach out to the Muslim world.” Of those three goals, Bolden said in a recent interview with al-Jazeera, the mission to reach out to Muslims is “perhaps foremost,” because it will help Islamic nations “feel good” about their scientific accomplishments.

In the same interview, Bolden also said the United States, which first sent men to the moon in 1969, is no longer capable of reaching beyond low earth orbit without help from other nations. Bolden made the statements during a recent trip to the Middle East. He told al-Jazeera that in the wake of the president’s speech in Cairo last year, the American space agency is now pursuing “a new beginning of the relationship between the United States and the Muslim world.” (7/5)

White House, NASA, Defend Outreach to Muslim World Criticized by Conservatives (Source: ABC)
The White House and NASA today defended comments by NASA Administrator Charles Bolden about reaching out to the Muslim world – comments that conservatives criticized as undermining NASA’s mission. This was part of President Obama’s desire, as stated in his Cairo address last year, to begin a new chapter in the relationship between the United States and the Muslim world, Bolden said.

Bolden told Al Jazeera that this mission had nothing to do with diplomacy, but rather was rooted in expanding US outreach for tangible reasons. The international space station, he said, is a conglomerate of 15-plus nations, including the Russians and Japanese. Bolden said his mission to the Muslim world is a “matter of trying to reach out and try to get the best of all worlds.” No nation will make it to Mars on its own, he said.

But the comments have caused a kafuffle. Former NASA administrator Michael Griffin called Bolden’s stated charge for NASA a “perversion of NASA’s purpose.” A NASA assistant administrator said “Bolden understands that NASA's core mission is exploration, both in space and in scientific endeavors here at home. Inherent to the success of that mission is cooperation and collaboration with other nations which are equally committed to this effort, including expanding the range of countries with which NASA engages and partners.” (7/6)

NASA's Mission: Exploration or Diplomacy? (Source: Government Executive)
Charles Krauthammer said on Fox News that Bolden's Muslim mission remarks were "a new height of fatuousness. NASA was established to get America into space and to keep us there." And former NASA administrator Michael Griffin told the Washington Examiner that "it is a perversion of NASA's purpose to conduct activities in order to make the Muslim world feel good about its contributions to science and mathematics."

It strikes me that this is a bit of a tempest in a teapot. First of all, Bolden was talking about what the president had asked him personally to focus in the course of his duties, not giving a full characterization of the agency's mission. (In other words, it sort of goes without saying that first and foremost NASA focuses on space exploration.) Second, Bolden was clearly trying to be nice to his guests. Third, as Slate's Christopher Beam points out, like it or not, NASA's mission has always been to a degree diplomatic. Why did Space Station Freedom mutate into the International Space Station? At least in part because the U.S. wanted to use NASA's auspices to build better relations with key countries.

And what's more, NASA's mission routinely has been characterized as ranging far beyond just launching rockets into space. Throughout its history, the agency's existence has been justified in terms of feel-good values that have little to do with its scientific mission. The last president certainly bought into this notion. "We choose to explore space because doing so improves our lives and lifts the national spirit," President Bush said in announcing his vision for space exploration in 2004. (7/9)

The NASA 'Feel Good' Mission: Reagan Commentary (Source: Jersey Journal)
After hearing about Charlie Bolden's Muslim statement, my deepest fears about the dangerous priorities being put forth by this administration were confirmed. Could someone please explain to the hard-working men and women of NASA, or, even more importantly to us as taxpayers who fund the agency, why the leader of that organization is being asked to essentially serve as a diplomat?

Why such a foolish edict to a leader who is already facing severe budget cuts at his agency and is being continuously challenged on the viability and affordability of the space mission? Where in NASA’s mission statement does it discuss the role of the agency in making nations "feel good"? With such an egregious misuse of resources, personnel and priorities, I hardly know where to start.

Now this is not to say that the United States should not engage in efforts to improve the usually rocky relations we share with so many nations in the Middle East. Doing so can build a level of trust and a greater understanding of our diverse cultures. But that is a job for the U.S. State Department, not an agency dedicated to space exploration. (7/10)

NASA's Muslim Outreach: Al Jazeera Told First (Source: Washington Examiner)
Lawmakers were surprised to learn recently that the Obama administration has made reaching out to Muslim nations a top priority for NASA. They will probably be more surprised to learn that administration officials told the Middle East news organization Al Jazeera about it before they told Congress. Elected officials got calls from Charles Bolden on June 28, the day the White House released its new long-term plan for the space program. "He ran down some of the things from the president's new space policy, and mentioned outreach to Muslims," Rep. Pete Olson recalls. "That stunned me. I didn't believe it."

As it happens, Bolden's calls came several days after Bolden discussed the Muslim initiative with Al Jazeera. According to a NASA spokesman, Bolden sat down with Al Jazeera's Imran Garda on June 17, during a stop in Doha, Qatar. Bolden's Mideast trip, which was timed to mark the first anniversary of President Obama's June 2009 Muslim outreach speech, was devoted to pursuing "a new beginning of the relationship between the United States and the Muslim world."

Editor's Note: NASA's outreach to Muslim nations was first reported in the media in mid-February of this year. NASA's outreach to developing nations is not unlike the kinds of strategic outreach Chinese and Russian space agencies have been making throughout Africa, Asia and South America. (7/9)

USRA Welcomes First UAE Student Interns to NASA Program (Source: Earth Times)
The Universities Space Research Association (USRA) recently took great pleasure in welcoming the first contingent of students from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to NASA's Education Associates Program (EAP). Managed by USRA, the EAP is a unique workforce development program that offers students, post-docs, and faculty the opportunity for hands-on work with NASA scientists and engineers. Under a 3-year agreement between NASA and the non-profit Arab Youth Venture Foundation (AYVF), up to 12 UAE students per year will be participating in the EAP. The initial group of three students arrived in mid-June to begin a 10-week internship at NASA's Ames Research Center. The students will be working on a variety of projects including the space shuttle and International Space Station, deep space missions, solar system exploration, and aeronautics research. (7/7)

Saudi Scientists to Visit India to Seek ISRO’s Cooperation (Source: The Hindu)
A delegation of scientists from Saudi Arabia are set to visit India to ink an agreement with space agency ISRO for boosting cooperation that will help the country develop an indigenous space program. The Saudi delegation, comprising of the country’s leading scientists will visit the India Space Research Organization later this month.

The agreement to boost cooperation in space science is in line with a MoU signed between the two countries’ space agencies during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Riyadh earlier this year. The visit of Saudi scientists would pave the way for a cooperation that will help Riyadh develop its indigenous space program for peaceful purposes, an Arab daily reported. (7/6)

India Space Scientist Drugged, Robbed of Crucial Data (Source: Mid-Day)
One sip from a soft drink bottle cost him dear. 25-year-old Vikas Arya, a scientist from the Astronautical Society of India (ASI), a part of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), was drugged and robbed in Delhi. The robbers took a bag containing some confidential documents and contact details of some top Indian scientists, along with the victim's laptop, some ornaments and cash.

Arya was coming from Bangalore after a meeting with the Director of Laboratory for Electro-Optic Sensors (LEOS). He landed at Nizamuddin railway station at around 7:30pm on Tuesday and was looking for an auto rickshaw to go to the Kashmere Gate Inter State Bus Terminus. (7/8)

Israel Upgrades Missile Range as Spaceport (Source: Science)
The Israeli air force is upgrading its missile test range to turn it into the country's primary space center, with launch facilities for different types of missiles and rockets. The missile test range is part of the service's Palmachim base in central Israel. The Offeq-9, Israel's new spy satellite, was launched from there on 22 June with a Shavit launcher.

In a visit to the base a few days before the launch, the air force outlined plans aimed at enabling more launches there despite of the physical limitations of the base. The location of the base forces Israel to launch its satellites in a western trajectory. At most facilities, launches are performed to the east to gain the Earth's velocity. (7/5)

India Traces GSLV Crash to Turbo Pump Failure (Source: Space News)
A turbo pump malfunction is being blamed for the April 15 launch failure of India’s Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV). The rocket veered from its flight path nearly five minutes after liftoff and crashed into the Bay of Bengal along with a communications satellite. Investigators traced the failure to a turbo pump malfunction that abruptly stopped the flow of liquid hydrogen fuel to the thrust chamber of the rocket’s domestically built third stage just 2.2 seconds after its ignition. Investigators suspect that excessive pressure built up and thermal stresses produced “gripping at one of the seal locations” that caused a rotor to. The launch failure is a set back for India’s plans to attain self-sufficiency in cryogenic propulsion development. ISRO spent 3.3 billion rupees ($70.5 million) to develop the engine. (7/9)

Countdown Starts for India's PSLV Rocket Launch (Source: Sify News)
The countdown for Monday's launch of India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rocket carrying five satellites, including a cartography one for land mapping and information, began Saturday at the rocket port Sriharikota.

The 44-meter tall PSLV is a four-stage rocket powered by solid and liquid propellants alternatively. 'Everything is going smoothly and we are getting ready for the Monday launch. The 50 hours, 30 minutes countdown started at 6.52 a.m. Saturday,' S. Satish, director at the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) said. (7/10)

Russian Proton-M Orbits US Telecom Satellite (Source: Itar-Tass)
A Russian Proton-M launcher successfully placed a U.S. EchoStar-15 telecommunications satellite into orbit from the Baikonur spaceport in Kazakhstan on Saturday. The rocket’ s dead first stage fell down in Kazakhstan’s Karaganda region, the second stage and the nose cone fell down in Russia’s republic of Altai, and the upper stage fell down into the Pacific. (7/10)

Ariane 6 Study Launched (Source: Aviation Week)
Astrium will lead a 15-month, 10-company study intended to identify basic concepts for a Next Generation Launcher to replace Europe’s Ariane 5. The €10 million NGL project, commonly known as Ariane 6, aims to come up with a basic configuration that could be approved for preliminary definition at the next European Space Agency ministerial summit in late 2011-12.

France has already targeted a €250 million enabling technology program, to be supported by a special bond issue set to be finalized this summer, in order to prepare the way for the 3-8 metric ton modular vehicle, which is expected to be ready around 2025. A midlife update, known as Ariane 5 ME, is currently in definition and is expected to be approved for development at the next summit for an expected service introduction around 2016. (7/10)

Astrium And ESA To Develop The Launch Vehicle Of The Future (Source: Space Daily)
Astrium has been selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) to undertake initial development studies for a Next Generation Launcher (NGL) for future satellite launches. This 15 month project has a total contractual value of euros 8.5 million, of which Astrium will contribute euros 1.5m of its own funds. "This contract will enable Astrium to investigate the most promising options for the next generation of European launcher in collaboration with nine European countries with past experience of working on the Ariane program." said Astrium Space Transportation CEO Alain Charmeau as he signed the contract. The NGL project is part of ESA's Future Launcher Preparatory Program (FLPP), which aims to prepare a proposal combining all the technical and organizational aspects of the program for presentation at the next ESA ministerial conference. (7/8)

About Those Scrapped Atlas ICBMs (Source: Space Review)
Wayne Eleazer follows up a recent article on the use of suplus ICBMs as launch vehicles by discussing what happened to one class of ICBMs that were particularly desirable as launchers. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1658/1 to view the article. (7/6)

GE Aviation Wins Phase 2 Contract for DARPA Hypersonic Vulcan Engine (Source: Parabolic Arc)
DARPA has awarded a $31.7 million contract to GE Aviation for development of the Vulcan hypersonic jet engine. GE Aviation will work on constant volume combustion technology for Phase II of the agency’s Vulcan program, which aims to create a hypersonic engine to power a vehicle that could be used for surveillance, reconnaissance or “other critical national missions, according to the agency’s website.

The award follows an 8-month first phase of the project, which included work by GE Aviation, Alliant TechSystems, General Electric, and Rolls Royce. DARPA has forecast that the Vulcan project could require an additional 4.5 years of development, split into three phases lasting 18 months apiece. (7/9)

US Cellphone Expansion Could Deafen Radio Astronomers (Source: New Scientist)
Good news for cellphone users, bad news for astronomers. American plans to clear bandwidth for wireless transmissions could interfere with quiet frequencies used in radio astronomy. Last week, the White House announced plans to free up 500 megahertz of the electromagnetic spectrum over the next 10 years for devices like phones. This could triple existing cellphone capacity, says Andrew Clegg of the US National Science Foundation. But it may also make observations trickier for radio astronomers. (7/8)

Many Moons to Go: the Promise of Lunar Mining (Source: Globe and Mail)
For $1-billion, Canada convened a summer weekend session of assorted world leaders who, as they left, produced an ambivalent communiqué of improbable historic importance. For $3.2-billion (U.S.), or a week’s worth of such summitry, several of these same countries paid for the U.S.-European Cassini space mission to Saturn, a 3.5-billion kilometer, seven-year voyage that has revealed the secrets of Saturn’s strange orange moon, Titan.

It turns out that Titan is awash in liquid hydrocarbons: in oil. Indeed, it rains liquid hydrocarbons – and, in the moon’s light gravity, each drop floats down from the clouds at roughly the speed that large snowflakes fall to Earth. With only one-fifth of this moon radar-scanned so far, scientists calculate that dozens of lunar lakes each hold more oil and gas than all of Earth’s proven oil and gas reserves – and that Titan’s equatorial sand dunes hold hundreds of times more coal than all of Earth’s proven coal reserves. Titan is a vast reservoir of hydrocarbons. Talk about Peak Oil. (7/5)

What May be Lurking Under Europa's Ice? (Source: Bangor Daily News)
Jupiter’s moon Europa is covered with ice. It’s kind of unsettling to think about it out there, circling silently around the giant planet in the middle of magnetic- and gravity-ridden space. It’s white and almost as smooth as a cue ball. The ridges, pits, cracks and grooves in its ice rise and descend no more than a few hundred yards, which is about the terrain you’d find if you expanded the cue ball to just less than the size of our own moon.

There is also a thin atmosphere of mostly oxygen, odd for a moon, or anywhere actually. It’s thought to be formed from sunlight striking water molecules and splitting them into their two atoms of hydrogen, which is light and drifts away, and oxygen, which is heavier and stays. The unusualness of this is not the gases as much as it is the water that gives rise to them: Europa’s ice shell is estimated to be 50 to 100 miles deep, and underneath that is believed to be a liquid ocean. (7/5)

Space Agencies Tackle Waning Plutonium Stockpiles (Source: SpaceFlightNow.com)
While NASA is counting on an act of Congress or a renegotiated deal with Russia to acquire plutonium for its next robotic deep space missions, the European Space Agency is considering alternative nuclear fuels to power its own probes traveling into the sun-starved outer solar system.

NASA's dwindling supply of plutonium-238 nuclear fuel will not be sufficient to power an orbiter to visit Jupiter's moon Europa, NASA's contribution to a planned $4.5 billion joint flagship mission between the U.S. space agency and Europe. That's unless the U.S. Department of Energy, which supplies nuclear fuel for NASA missions, receives funding to restart domestic production of plutonium or successfully resolves a contract dispute with the Russian government. (7/9)

ISS Partners Asked to Assess Station Extension to 2025 – Potentially 2028 (Source: NasaSpaceFlight.com)
The International Space Station (ISS) may live on until 2028, following confirmation by the Space Station Program Control Board (SSPCB) that partner agencies have been asked to produce an extension blueprint for continued operation until 2025, with the potential to push as far as 2028. As part of their opening evaluations, NASA managers have examined the health of the two Solar Alpha Rotary Joints (SARJs).

Previously due to be deorbited in around 2016, the ISS gained an extension to 2020 – pending the approval of the FY2011 budget proposal. It is understood there is little risk of the extension being reversed, should the US Congress decide to refine President Obama’s future plan for NASA.

As far as extending the ISS’ lifetime deep into the 2020s, the SSPCB minutes (available on L2) noted an “ISS Life Extension Internal Technical Integration effort” – a plan which will involve all ISS partners assessing the viability of safely operating the orbital outpost to at least 2025, pending Program-level approval. (7/8)

Space Trouble: ISS Missing Oxygen and Toilet (Source: Russia Today)
The American segment of the International Space Station has received a double hit by malfunctioning equipment. Both the toilet and the oxygen regenerator have broken down almost simultaneously. Now NASA astronauts are relying on their Russian colleagues for both respiration and waste disposal, a source in the space industry told Interfax news agency.

The oxygen regenerator went out of service on Monday, but NASA did not report on it until Friday. Meanwhile, the Russian-built toilet in the American sector broke on Tuesday. So far, all attempts to fix the devices have failed, but mission control says they have alternative solutions. (7/9)

Perminov: Chinese Flights to ISS Possible After Space Shuttle is Retired (Source: Parabolic Arc)
There’s more from RIA Novosti about a proposal to have Chinese Shenzhou spacecraft back up Russian spacecraft that will be supplying the International Space Station with crew and cargo. It quotes Roscosmos Head Anatoly Perminov as saying that Chinese vehicles meet all existing safety requirements to backup Soyuz and Progress spacecraft.

"According to him, the Chinese can support the program after shuttle retirement in 2011, when Russia remains the only country to maintain ISS crew rotation. 'This is rather tough, so Russia is interested in backup Chinese vehicles,' Perminov said."

Perminov repeated an earlier claim that the five space agencies that run the station are awaiting an answer from China on this proposal. He adds an interesting detail: the head of the China Space Administration has left his post with no successor in place, which is part of the reason there has been no response. (7/9)

Should We Work with China? (Source: Florida Today)
Last week, the world buzzed about whether China might become a partner in the International Space Station project. First, to clarify some confusion, the partners have not invited China. China has not accepted. The White House and NASA reiterate United States space policy may call for increased international cooperation in space, but it's too early to say where China fits in.

All that said, the question of China's potential contributions to the space station program or to other worldwide space expeditions is not going away. The Chinese are one of just three nations capable of launching people into space. Their Shenzou spacecraft is similar to the Russians' Soyuz spacecraft, which is already capable of docking with the space station. So, the questions are not surprising. Click here to read the article. (7/5)

Perminov: Human Mars Trips Set for After 2035 (Source: Parabolic Arc)
Roscosmos Head Anatoly Perminov stated that the mission to Mars is planned after 2035, answering the questions of the students at the opening ceremony of International Students’ Science School “Space Exploration: Theory and Practice” in Russian Federal Space Agency.

“Russia, Europe, the USA are interested in Martian missions today. India and China also have similar projects. There are more talks about human space missions to Mars. Russian Government have approved Federal Space Program which clearly defines sequence of automated space missions, as well as future human missions. The basic strategy implies Martian program to be implemented after 2035,” Perminov stated. (7/9)

Europe’s Rosetta Makes Spectacular Asteroid Flyby (Source: ESA)
Asteroid Lutetia grew larger in Rosetta's view as the ESA spacecraft zoomed in for a spectacular flyby on Saturday. Lutetia is the largest asteroid ever visited by a spacecraft. Rosetta was perfectly lined up to skim by at a distance of 3162 km, close enough to enable detailed scientific investigations of its surface and environment. The spacecraft passed Lutetia at a relative speed of 54,000 km/h, when both were some 454 million km from Earth. (7/10)

Yamazaki Touts Japan's Space Tech (Source: Japan Times)
Praising the level of Japanese space technology, astronaut Naoko Yamazaki expressed hope Friday that the government will allocate more money for science despite the pressure to cut overall expenditures. Science funding has drawn great attention during recent intensive government budget-screening sessions. Technologies, including those developed through space exploration, are key to a country's overall strength in the long run, Yamazaki said. (7/10)

Japanese Scientists Find 'Minute Particles' in Hayabusa Space Probe (Source: Telegraph)
Japan's space agency has identified "minute particles" of what its scientists believe are asteroid dust collected by the probe Hayabusa. The spacecraft returned to Earth last month after a 3-billion-mile journey that took more than seven years. Its mission had been to become the first probe to land on the surface of an asteroid and gather particles from the space rock before making the long trip home again.

Despite numerous technical glitches - including a malfunctioning gyroscope and a fuel leak - experts are hopeful that Hayabusa has achieved its goals. In a statement, the agency said, "We started the process of opening the sample container of Hayabusa on June 24, 2010, and have confirmed there are minute particles." (7/5)

More Hayabusa Particles Detected (Source: Japan Times)
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said Wednesday it has found several dozen additional particles in a container inside a tiny capsule that the Hayabusa unmanned space probe released in June after a seven-year round-trip to the asteroid Itokawa. The announcement came after JAXA reported Monday that two particles measuring about 0.01 mm in diameter were found in the container for Itokawa surface samples. (7/8)

Dark Matter May Be Building Up Inside the Sun (Source: WIRED)
The sun could be a net for dark matter, a new study suggests. If dark matter happens to take a certain specific form, it could build up in our nearest star and alter how heat moves inside it in a way that would be observable from Earth.

Dark matter is the mysterious stuff that makes up about 83 percent of the matter in the universe, but doesn’t interact with electromagnetic forces. Although the universe contains five times as much dark matter as normal matter, dark matter is completely invisible both to human eyes and every kind of telescope ever devised. (7/10)

NASA Solar Scientist in Huntsville Says Sun is Behaving Oddly (Source: Huntsville Times)
The sun has cycles - periods of high activity, when it has a lot of sunspots, and low activity, when things on the surface seem calm. NASA astronomer David Hathaway of Huntsville's Marshall Space Flight Center, told National Public Radio recently that solar activity is unusually low right now. A new solar observatory may shine light on the mystery. Click here to listen to the interview. (7/8)

It's Too Late to Worry That the Aliens Will Find Us (Source: New Scientist)
Stephen Hawking is worried about aliens. The famous physicist recently suggested that we should be wary of contact with extraterrestrials, citing what happened to Native Americans when Europeans landed on their shores. Since any species that could visit us would be far beyond our own technological level, meeting them could be bad news.

Hawking was extrapolating the possible consequences of my day job: a small but durable exercise known as SETI, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence. Although we have yet to detect an alien ping, improvements in technology have encouraged us to think that, if transmitting extraterrestrials are out there, we might soon find them. That would be revolutionary. But some people, Hawking included, sense a catastrophe. Click here to read the article. (7/5)

When the Moon Hits Your Eye, It's Always the Same Old Scene (Source: Washington Post)
If you moved to the moon, you'd have to choose between two basic types of real estate. To property owners living in one hemisphere, Earth would at all moments be visible overhead, forever suspended in the sky. From properties in the opposite hemisphere, Earth would be perpetually hidden below the horizon, never to be seen. Lunar Realtors would, of course, call the former "Earth-view properties." The latter they might advertise as having "No planetary neighbors in sight!"

These stark zoning difference between the moon's hemispheres may seem pretty strange to earthlings. We're used to witnessing both the sun and the moon rise and set daily. But here's a subtler weirdness you might have never thought about: Although the moon cycles through phases -- going from new to full and back again -- it always puts the same side, the same face, toward us. The "man in the moon" may be easiest to see when the moon is full, but his shadowy visage always peers at us, even when only a sliver of it is illuminated.

In the argot of planetary scientists, the moon is "tidally locked" to Earth. Tidal locking is thought to be common throughout the galaxy, and it can affect both how a moon orbits its planet and how a planet orbits its star. Over eons, the larger body's gravitational tug exerts a slight but steady braking effect on whatever spin the smaller partner starts with, until eventually the smaller partner's rotation falls into synchrony with the larger. (7/6)

Moon Rock Discovery a False Alarm (Source: Columbia Daily Tribune)
The “goodwill” moon rock given to Missouri nearly 40 years ago is, indeed, missing. In May, the Missouri State Museum claimed the rock was safe and sound in the basement of the state Capitol, not lost as reported in a recent story. Interim Director Linda Endersby e-mailed the Tribune photos of the lunar display to prove it. Turns out, though, the photo was of rocks from the Apollo 11 mission — not the Apollo 17 moon rocks given as goodwill gifts to all 50 states and 135 foreign countries. Joseph Gutheinz, a former special agent with NASA’s Office of Inspector General, saw the photo and pointed out the discrepancy this week. (7/8)

Does a Moonbase Make for a Good Video Game? (Source: Space Review)
A new videogame out today, developed in cooperation with NASA, transports players to a moonbase 15 years from now. Jeff Foust checks out the game and its effectiveness in inspiring a new generation of scientists and engineers. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1657/1 to view the article. (7/6)

Moonbase Alpha: In Space, No One Can Hear You Yawn (Source: Softonic)
Who didn’t want to be an astronaut once upon a time? Rockets, weightlessness and walking on the moon looked really cool. NASA are trying to bring our dreams crashing into harsh reality, with their free educational game Moonbase Alpha. It could be fantastic - multiplayer missions on the Moon to save the base after a destructive meteor shower. It features a moon-buggy and robots! Unfortunately, Moonbase Alpha doesn’t feature Bruce Willis, and is designed with team-building and realism in mind.

In my first half an hour, I walked and jumped gracefully, but really slowly around the moonbase. I picked up a welder, drifted towards electrical units that were broken, and fixed them slowly. I then drifted back to the toolshed, to grab a wrench. Did you know astronauts can’t carry more than one object at a time? Using the moon-buggy speeds things up, as you can load items onto it, one by one, and move a lot faster. But it’s still hardly exciting. (7/9)

Science, Fiction Fizzle at 'Star Trek Live' at Kennedy Space Center (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Watching Star Trek Live is an out-of-this-world experience, and sometimes that's not a great thing. The 30-minute show, featuring two actors on a stage and others on-screen, is running at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex several times daily through Sept. 6.

Its presence brings make-believe space exploration into an attraction dedicated to the real thing and to the folks who truly went where no man had gone before. The Star Trek Live pre-show mixes a science quiz with trivia questions from the original Star Trek television series and the 2009 motion picture. The show's conclusion is satisfactory and pays attention to Trek history, but I still don't think Trek fans will be thrilled. Captain Kirk barely is addressed, and the lore isn't explored much. (7/9)

California Model Rocket Club is Launching Pad for Aerospace Interest (Source: AIA)
Model rocket building is being kept alive and well through the Livermore Unit of the National Rocketry Association, in California. The model rocket club is the largest in the U.S., and its members have assisted local youth in the prestigious Team America Rocketry Challenge. "I'm into trying to get kids educated and motivated to learn something beyond the normal math and science they're learning in school," said David Raimondi, the club's president. "This is aerospace in miniature." (7/7)

Boeing Sponsors Eleven Chicago Educators for Space Education Mission (Source: Boeing)
Eleven educators from local museums, science centers and public schools in Chicago have been selected to attend the 2010 Boeing Educators to Space Camp program held July 12-16 in Huntsville, Ala. The group will join more than 100 educators from around the world as part of a weeklong training adventure designed to help teachers motivate students in the subjects of science, math and technology. (7/8)

Connecting Firecrackers and Solid Rocket Boosters (Source: Las Cruces Sun-News)
When Francis Scott Key wrote our national anthem during a battle between the U.S. and Great Britain in 1814, he was close enough to hear and see the rockets landing. Congreve rockets were fired against Fort McHenry and inspired the famous "rocket's red glare" line. The rockets used gunpowder and an iron case -- today it would be called a solid-fuel rocket. Solid-fuel rockets are now commonly used as booster rockets. Today, they are used in the space shuttle and are called solid rocket boosters. But the solid rocket had humble beginnings. Click here to read the article. (7/8)

Once Retired, Where Will the Shuttles be Displayed? (Source: WDBO)
NASA is finalizing plans to display the three remaining space shuttles after their retirement early next year. "There's been a great deal of interest. Most of the major museums out there and others have asked for orbiters," said a NASA spokesman. Over 20 applied to the initial Request For Information and four or five are still in contention. Site visits are planned to make sure a physical move of a space shuttle is feasible, he added. (7/9)

How You Can Help Ensure Houston Gets a Retired Shuttle (Source: Houston Chronicle)
NASA has said little publicly about the fate of its retired space shuttles, but it's clear there will essentially be two orbiters that have flown in space up for grabs: Atlantis and Endeavour. This is because the National Air & Space Museum's Udvar Hazy Center, which currently has Enterprise, has never flown in space, will get space shuttle Discovery. After that happens, Enterprise will also be available. Houston-area businesses have joined forces with Space Center Houston to ensure that one of the two vehicles that have flown in space come home to Houston, the home of human spaceflight. (7/8)

NASA to Fly Hurricane Research (Source: NASA)
Three NASA aircraft will begin flights to study tropical cyclones on Aug. 15 during the agency's first major U.S.-based hurricane field campaign since 2001. The Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes mission, or GRIP, will study the creation and rapid intensification of hurricanes.

The three NASA aircraft taking part in the mission are a DC-8, WB-57 and a remotely piloted Global Hawk. The DC-8 will fly out of the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida. The WB-57 will be based at the NASA Johnson Space Center's Ellington Field in Houston. The Global Hawk will be piloted and based from NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, in Palmdale, Calif., while flying for up to 20 hours in the vicinity of hurricanes in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. (7/9)

Turtles to Begin Journey at KSC (Source: Florida Today)
NASA will host the launch of thousands of baby sea turtles doomed by the BP blowout, in a mission being kept hush, hush -- for the reptile's sake. "This is such an extremely delicate operation they're trying to pull off," NASA spokesman Allard Beutel said. "They want to give these turtles a shot." Only one in 1,000 hatchling sea turtles makes it to adulthood, experts estimate. But with oil right offshore of the Gulf Coast, biologists put those odds at zero. So they hope thousands of baby sea turtles soon will hatch at Kennedy Space Center, from an undisclosed climate-controlled facility. Once they break from their shells, the turtles quickly will be taken to nearby beaches at night to make their mad dash to the Gulf Stream. (7/8)

Norway Resorts to Ship-Watching From Space (Source: BBC)
Norway's coastline is huge. The mainland's rim stretches for more than 2,500km but if you measure it to include all the fjords and nooks and crannies, it comes out at more than 25,000km. Little wonder then that the Scandinavian nation relies heavily on satellites to help it monitor what's going on around its territory.

And it has a fascinating mission launching in the next few days that will enable it to keep even better watch on its waters. AISSat-1 is what's termed a cubesat. It's a small cube measuring 20cm along the square and weighing just 6kg, but it carries a clever little instrument. (7/6)

Power Anomaly Hits Indian Satellite (Source: The Hindu)
Due to a power supply anomaly in one of its two solar panels, there is a partial non-availability of services on India’s INSAT-4B Communication satellite. The INSAT-4B carries a total of 24 communication transponders (12 Ku-Band and 12 C-Band) and has been in operation since March 2007. The satellite experienced a power supply glitch which led to switching ‘off’ of 50 percent of the transponder capacity late on July 7. (7/9)

Failure of Imported Components Behind Loss of Multiple Indian Satellites? (Source: IANS):
The recurring loss of Indian satellites because of power supply glitches may be due to the failure of imported components, according to Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) scientists. ISRO has lost two of its satellites earlier -- Chandrayaan in 2009 and INSAT-2D in 1997 -- and INSAT-4B partially now.

Scientists of the Indian space agency are working to fix the power snag that switched off 12 transponders of the INSAT-4B communications satellite Wednesday night. A big setback to the space agency, which is trying to get a foothold in the global communications satellite building market is the failure of the W2M satellite co-built by ISRO and EADS Astrium for Eutelsat Communications in January.

"It seems the culprit is imported components for satellite power systems. The Chandrayaan satellite was lost due to power problems in an imported component. The DC to DC converter in the Chandrayaan satellite failed, which in turn heated up other components/equipments and stopped their functioning, ultimately forcing ISRO to junk the mission well ahead of its planned life of two years. (7/11)

Competition Under Way for U.S. Satcom Services Contracts (Source: Space News)
The U.S. government kicked off a $3.5 billion effort July 6 to select companies to provide custom commercial satellite communications networks to the military and civil government agencies. As a part of the U.S. General Services Administration’s Future Comsatcom Services Acquisition (FCSA) program, multiple companies will be awarded contracts to provide end-to-end managed communications networks. The task-order style Custom Satcom Solutions contracts will be worth a total of $2.6 billion over five years, according to a posting on the Federal Business Opportunities website. There will be another $900 million set aside for small businesses under the program. Bids are due Aug. 12. (7/10)

Hispasat Orders Another Satellite from Loral (Source: Space News)
Spanish satellite fleet operator Hispasat has contracted with Space Systems/Loral to build the Amazonas 3 telecommunications satellite to be launched in late 2012 into Hispasat’s 61 degrees west orbital slot for broadcasts in the Americas and Europe. It is the second consecutive Hispasat satellite to be built by Loral. Amazonas 3 will carry 33 Ku- and 19 C-band transponders and is scheduled to replace the Amazonas 1 satellite at the 61-degree slot. (7/6)

Globalstar Expects To Meet Loan Terms Despite Competition (Source: Space News)
Mobile satellite services provider Globalstar has fully accounted for the competitive threat posed by Inmarsat’s new hand-held satellite telephone in Globalstar’s revenue and gross-profit projections for 2010 and 2011, which are trigger points for the company’s package of bank loans, a senior Globalstar official said July 7. (7/10)

California Aerospace Events Calendar

Aerospace & Defense Forum in LA, July 16

You are invited to the July meeting of The Aerospace & Defense Forum, a monthly informal group of senior professionals who share news, information, and analysis concerning the commercial and defense aerospace industries.  Join us on Friday, July 16, 2010 from 7:30 am - 9:00 am at Jeffer, Mangels, Butler & Marmaro, 1900 Avenue of the Stars, 7th Floor in Los Angeles.  Guest speaker:  Edward Salem, Chancellor, SMC University & Director, Change Management, Space & Missile Systems Center, LAFB.  Ed will give an overview briefing on the programs the SMC manages, their economic impact, the POM (Program Objective Memorandum) and PPBE (Planning, Programming, Budgeting and Execution) process and the future outlook, as well as the infrastructure issues for the base. Space is limited and Security-controlled.  An RSVP is required to irosenberg@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx or 818-505-9915.

San Diego Premiere Of "Moon Beat" Set For July 17, 2010
On July 16, 1969, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins lifted off aboard Apollo 11 and soared into history as millions around the world watched. Their story has been told hundreds of times, but not so the tales of the NASA media officials and top news journalists who reported on that flight and every other NASA mission during the heyday of the 1960s Space Race. Moon Beat, a new award-winning documentary, rectifies that oversight, and will receive its San Diego premiere on Saturday, July 17th at 7:00 PM at the Space Traveler's Emporium, 1947 30th Street. Sponsored by the San Diego Space Society, the screening is open to the public. Admission is free, although donations to the San Diego Space Society are welcome.

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

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

Rick Tumlinson to Address Trends in New Space Industry in LA, July 20

Meetup for Trends in New Space Industry Group of Los Angeles with guest speaker Rick Tumlinson on  Tuesday, July 20, 2010 6:30 PM. We will  be meeting at 4640 Admiralty Way 9th Floor, Marina del Rey, CA 90292. RSVP is required by signing up on the Meet Up sight or emailing Robert Jacobson: Robert@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx . Meet Up: http://www.meetup.com/Trends-in-New-Space-Industry-Group-of-Los-Angeles/calendar/13942987/

Get Lean or Go Home, July 22

Join Glovia on July 22nd 12pm ET / 9am PT, for an online presentation of Glovia's capabilities that enable every manufacturing organization, regardless of size, to achieve Lean. As part of this review you will experience Glovia’s end user Productivity and Self Configuration capabilities and learn how your company can quickly become LEAN.  To register and additional information visit: http://www.glovia.com/leanresourcecenter/getlean/info.aspx

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

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

Space Frontier Foundation to Host Leaders of Commercial Space Industry Near Ames, July 23-25

The annual NewSpace 2010 Conference will be held July 23-25 nearby the NASA Ames Research Center and host some of the most influential players in the commercial space scene.  The list of key speakers and the agenda have now been released.  Conducted by the Space Frontier Foundation, the NewSpace Conference consists of three days of panels mediated by commercial space movement leaders including entrepreneurs, technologists, engineers, and space policy specialists. Speakers will discuss future missions, technologies, and partnerships, and include the CEO of Odyssey Moon Bob Richards, Virgin Galactic Project Engineer Manager Enrico Palermo, President of XCOR Aerospace Jeff Greason, NASA’s Innovative Partnerships Program Director Doug Comstock, and many other space luminaries. The conference will be held at the Domain Hotel in Silicon Valley, CA and registration is available through the conference website through July 21st. Visit http://newspace2010.spacefrontier.org/index.php

San Diego Air & Space Museum Plans Golf Tournament, Alien Luau on Aug. 11 & 14

Join the San Diego Air & Space Museum and the San Diego International Airport as we celebrate our 27th Annual Charity Golf Tournament. Your participation as a player and contributor will help us provide quality educational experiences to students in the San Diego region through scholarships, exhibits, classes and outreach. Also planned is an Alien Luau on Aug. 14. Visit http://www.sandiegoairandspace.org/calendar/event.php?id=25

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

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

14th Annual NASA/JPL Small Business Science Forum & Supplier Fair, Aug 24

Held at Jet Propulsion Laboratory von Karman Auditorium in Pasadena.  This exciting event is an opportunity for high-tech small business to showcase their products, services and capabilities to the NASA/JPL technical and procurement community.  For application and additional information, please contact Jasmine Colbert of the JPL Business Opportunities office at 818-354-8689 or Jasmine.N.Colbert@xxxxxxxxxxxx

Nominations open for the 7th Annual Prestigious California Space SpotBeam Awards Through Aug. 31

Nominations must be received by August 31, 2010.  You are welcome to self nominate. To submit your nominations, click here:  http://www.californiaspaceauthority.org/_spotbeam%20awards/index.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

APSCC Satellite Conference & Exhibition, October 5-7

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

California SpotBeam Awards Dinner to be Held on Wednesday, Nov 17

Join us at The Proud Bird Restaurant, Los Angeles for CSA's signature event with Dr. Seth Shostak, Senior Astronomer, SETI Institute as Master of Ceremonies!  For additional information, click here:  To register visit http://www.prestoregister.com/cgi-bin/order.pl?ref=csa-event&fm=1 <http://www.prestoregister.com/cgi-bin/order.pl?ref=csa-event&fm=1%20> . For sponsorship information please call Elizabeth Burkhead at 805-349-2633 or eb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Last Week’s DOD Contract Awards in California

Reyes Construction, Inc., Pomona, Calif., is being awarded a $13,968,450 firm-fixed price task order #0004 under a previously awarded multiple-award construction contract (N62473-09-D-1606) for the repair of main runway 8/26 at Naval Air Facility El Centro.  The work to be performed provides for procurement design and construction for airfield pavement repairs.  Work includes demolition, removal and disposal of concrete and asphalt pavements; preparation of existing base material and placement treated base material; placement of concrete and asphalt pavements; preparation and repair of concrete panels, spalls, joints, and sealant; and all incidental related work.  Work will be performed in El Centro, Calif., and is expected to be completed by September 2011.  Funds for this project are provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.  Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  Four proposals were received for this task order.  The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity.

Ross Fresno, LLC, dba Corporate Aircraft, Inc., Fresno, Calif., is being awarded a maximum $9,010,080 fixed-price with economic price adjustment contract for fuel.  Other location of performance is Fresno Yosemite International Airport, Fresno, Calif.  Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies.  There were originally three proposals solicited with three responses.  The date of performance completion is March 31, 2014.  The Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va., is the contracting activity.

Lockheed Martin Corp., Liverpool, N.Y., is being awarded a $51,063,478 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-09-C-5300) to exercise the cost-plus-incentive-fee option for the Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program (SEWIP) Block 2 system development and demonstration.  SEWIP is an evolutionary acquisition program to upgrade the existing AN/SLQ-32(V) electronic warfare system.  The SEWIP Block 2 will expand upon the receiver/antenna group necessary to keep capabilities current with the pace of the threat and to yield improved system integration.  Work will be performed in Syracuse, N.Y. (74.5 percent); Lansdale, Pa. (13.7 percent); and Morgan Hill, Calif. (11.8 percent).  Work is expected to be completed by January 2013.  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.

SYS Technologies Inc., San Diego, Calif., is being awarded a $11,066,355 cost-plus-fixed fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for non-personal technical and engineering services in support of the Navy Directed Energy and Electric Weapon Systems Program Office and the Total Ship Training Systems Program Office.  SYS Technologies, Inc., shall provide technologically-sensitive engineering, program, resource and contract management; research, development, test, and system engineering; technical analysis, including capabilities, limitations, lethality, and countermeasure assessments; programmatic, acquisition, and technical documentation development, review, and analysis; shipboard integration/installation planning, environmental and safety/security-related engineering/documentation/planning across all types of security classification levels.  Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif. (12 percent); Washington, D.C. (40 percent); Arlington, Va. (40 percent); and Dahlgren, Va. (8 percent).  Work is expected to be completed by July 2015.  Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  This contract was not competitively procured.  Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, Crane, Ind., is the contracting activity.

Stronghold Engineering, Inc., Riverside, Calif., is being awarded $8,924,115 for firm-fixed-price task order #0002 under a previously awarded multiple-award construction contract (N62473-10-D-5483) for the installation of photovoltaic systems at Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR).  The work to be performed provides for procurement, installation and commissioning of a solar photovoltaic power system and to provide roof repairs.  The solar power generator shall be constructed on the roof of the SPAWAR System Center Pacific Old Town Complex Buildings 1 and 2.  The project shall provide a turnkey solar photovoltaic power system.  Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif., and is expected to be completed by October 2011.  Funds for this project are provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.  Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  Seven proposals were received for this task order.  The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity.

Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co., Sunnyvale, Calif., is being awarded an $11,274,000 fixed-price incentive, cost-reimbursable, incentive contract to provide long-lead material for the fiscal 2011 follow-on production of the Trident II D5 missile system.  Work will be performed in Sunnyvale, Calif., and is expected to be completed Sept. 30, 2015.  Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  This contract was not competitively procured.  The Strategic Systems Programs, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity.

University of California, Los Angeles, Calif., is being awarded an $8,213,323 firm-fixed-price contract for a program of family support services in support of the Department of Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery Family Resiliency-Building Services Program.  This contract contains four one-year option periods which, if exercised, would bring the total estimated value of the contract to $44,964,122.  Work will be performed in various U.S. locations (76 percent) and Los Angeles, Calif. (24 percent), and is expected to be completed by July 2015.  Contract funds will not expire before the end of the current fiscal year.  This contract was not competitively awarded.  The Fleet and Industrial Supply Center Norfolk, Contracting Department, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity.

Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded an advance acquisition contract with an estimated value of $522,200,000 to provide for long-lead efforts and materials associated with the production and delivery of 42 low-rate initial production Lot V F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft.  This contract provides for 22 conventional take off and landing aircraft for the Air Force; 13 short take off and vertical landing aircraft for the Marine Corps; and seven carrier variant aircraft for the Navy.  Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (35 percent); El Segundo, Calif. (25 percent); Warton, United Kingdom (20 percent); Orlando, Fla. (10 percent); Nashua, N.H. (5 percent); and Baltimore, Md. (5 percent).  Work is expected to be completed in May 2011.  Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  This contract was not competitively procured.  This contract combines purchases for the Navy ($329,100,000; 63 percent) and Air Force ($193,100,000; 37 percent).  The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.

General Dynamics Information Technology, Inc., Fairfax, Va., is being awarded a $12,670,466 task order #0048 under previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (M67854-02-A-9014) to provide general engineering and scientific support to the Marine Corps Systems Command, Operational Forces Systems, Product Group 09 (PG09), Program Manager, Ground Combat Systems (PM-GCS), for item unique identification (IUID) marking of legacy ground non-mission essential principal end items (PEIs) and applicable assemblies/subassemblies, e.g., secondary repairables (SECREPS).  The level of effort shall include: Marine Corps IUID legacy Phase MCI-LP 2; MCI-LP 3, to be determined; and other items per the office of the Secretary Of Defense IUID criteria and/or U.S. Marine Corps/PM-GCS directed.  This Statement of Work supports IUID efforts to identify PEIs and SECREPS for marking; engineering analysis for UII/two-dimensional data matrix location; and technical documentation development and support.  Other activities include IUID programmatic support, planning and management support, as well as capture, management and storage of Marine Corps data field requirements Phase I and/or future data requirements as established by PG09.  Major emphasis will be on data collection, engineering/scientific analysis, and ability to collect and report technical data and associated metrics for the U.S. Marine Corps temporary data storage.  Work will be performed in Quantico, Va. (25 percent); Camp Lejeune, N.C. (20 percent); Camp Pendleton, Calif. (20 percent); Marine Corps Reserve locations in the contiguous U.S. (15 percent); and Okinawa, Japan (20 percent).  Work is expected to be completed in September 2011.  Contract funds in the amount of $12,670,466 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  The Marine Corps System Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity.

Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Md., was awarded a $35,911,097 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract.  The contractor will advance; build, and field demonstrate an optical modem that will allow multi-gigabit per second, hybrid laser-RF communications at long range, and under extreme atmospheric turbulence and cloudy conditions.  Work is to be performed in Salt Lake City, Utah. (34 percent); Laurel, Md. (30 percent); Campbell, Calif. (32 percent); Las Vegas, Nev. (3 percent); and Fallon, Nev. (1 percent), with an estimated completion date of July 29, 2012.  One bid was solicited with one bid received. Defense Advanced Research Project Agency, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity.

Raytheon Co., Space and Airborne System, El Segundo, Calif., was awarded on June 24 a $9,057,931 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the Robust Electric Laser Initiative (RELI).  The purpose of RELI is to take advantage of technology advances for high energy laser (HEL) systems over the past five years; perform technology risk reduction and scaling assessment experiments at powers up to 25 kilowatts (kW); and develop scaled concepts for ruggedized laser subsystems at powers up to 100 kW.  This contract, if all options are exercised, will perform risk reduction experiments on Raytheon’s Planer Waveguide (PWG) HEL technology; develop, demonstrate and characterize a ruggedized 25 kW PWG high-energy laser; develop a conceptual design for the 25 kW device scaled to 100 kW; perform a limited system environmental qualification for the 25 kW PWG laser; and demonstrate integrated operation using existing HEL supporting subsystems at the HEL system test facility at White Sands Missile Range New Mexico.  Work is to be performed in El Segundo, Calif., with an estimated completion date of June 1, 2017.  One bid was solicited with one bid received.  U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity.

Science Application International Corp., San Diego, Calif., was awarded on June 30 a $6,348,387 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for 222 joint service mask leakage testers.  Work is to be performed in Abingdon, Md., with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2010.  One bid was solicited with one bid received.  Research Development & Engineering, Command Contracting Office, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., is the contracting activity.

Airborne Systems North America, Santa Ana, Calif., was awarded in June 29 a $5,317,500 firm-fixed-price contract for 1,500 MC-6 parachute systems.  Work is to be performed in Santa Ana, Calif., with an estimated completion date of July 30, 2011.  Four bids were solicited with three bids received.  U.S. Army Research Development & Engineering Command Contracting Center, Natick Contracting Division, Natick, Mass., is the contracting activity.

Northrop Grumman Intelligence Systems Electromagnetic Systems Laboratory, San Jose, Calif., was awarded a $14,508,021 contract which will extend the Airborne Signals Intelligence Payload (ASIP) baseline contract to support the ASIP sensor flight testing on the Global Hawk platform.  At this time, $8,366,173 has been obligated.  659th AESS/SYKA, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity.

DRS Sensors & Targeting Systems, Cypress, Calif., is being awarded a maximum $18,078,519 firm-fixed-price, definite-quantity contract for sensors and targeting systems.  There are no other locations of performance.  Using service is Marine Corps.  The original proposal was solicited on the Defense Logistics Agency Internet Bid Board System Web site with one response.  The date of performance completion is April 10, 2012.  The Defense Supply Center Richmond, Richmond, Va., is the contracting activity.