[CSA] CSA: SpotBeam California, July 13, 2009

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 13, 2009

California Items

Five California Projects Win Innovation Fund Grants (Source: NASA)
NASA's Innovative Partnerships Program, working with the Office of the Chief Engineer at NASA Headquarters, has selected 20 projects for the 2009 NASA Innovation Fund. The selected projects are led by NASA scientists and engineers and include partners from five universities, two small businesses, Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio and the National Institute for Aerospace in Hampton, Va. More than 230 proposals were submitted this year. Each project is funded for a maximum of $50,000, with work to be completed by the end of September. The California projects are located at Ames, Dryden, and JPL. Click here for a list. (7/10)

Commercial Space Gateway Forming Strategic Alliances (Source: CSG)
The Commercial Space Gateway (CSG) provides single-point access to information about the global commercial space market. It contains integrated news, articles, reports and analyses of value to all stakeholder groups.  The goal is to help define this emerging market and facilitate opportunities for broad participation in its growth and profitability.  The CSG has formed alliances with The Space Frontier Foundation to promote their upcoming Annual NewSpace Conference and with the Space Portal Consortium to create a knowledge base to foster commercial space collaborations with NASA.  The CSG welcomes the formation of additional alliances for their mutual benefits.  Visit the CSG at http://commercialspacegateway.com.  (7/9)

Interorbital Plans to Launch out of Tonga (Source: Parabolic Arc)
California-based Interorbital Systems plans to launch its Neptune 1000 rocket from the island of ‘Eua at the southeast end of the Tonga island chain in the South Pacific. “Over the past few days, I’ve been corresponding with our friend and fellow space enthusiast, King George V of Tonga, about our status of being quite near to beginning our flight test program. He has again stated that Interorbital has the Kingdom’s full support for setting up our private spaceport,” CEO Randa Milliron writes in a post on the Google Lunar X Prize website. (7/8)

Mars Rover Devours Budgets (Source: Nature)
The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL), NASA's souped-up 1-ton rover due for launch in 2011, needs yet more money. The latest budget overrun could for the first time delay other missions in the agency's cash-strapped planetary-science division. The rover's latest price tag is $2.286 billion — 40% more than the official $1.63 billion estimate made in 2006. But even that will not be enough. In a 'breach report' due to be handed to the US Congress by the end of July, NASA will report that the troublesome mission, now also called Curiosity, needs $15–115 million more on top of the $2.286-billion estimate. (7/10)

Next Intent Honored for Role in Laser-fusion Research (Source: San Luis Obispo Tribune)
Next Intent, best known for making the wheels on the Mars rovers, was recently honored as one of 100 companies using outstanding technological innovation in progressive manufacturing. The Managing Automation Media recognized Next Intent’s part in a laser-fusion project funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and based at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in the Bay Area.

Quintron Systems Featured in USA Today with VoIP Communications System (Source: CSA)
Quintron Systems is pleased to announce that its VoIP communications system has been highlighted in a June USA Today article on VoIP technology. More:
http://www.californiaspaceauthority.org/html/press-releasesandletters/pr090713-1_Quintron.html 

Space Systems/Loral Ships AsiaSat to Baikonour (Source: CSA)
PALO ALTO, Calif. – Space Systems/Loral (SS/L), a subsidiary of Loral Space & Communications (NASDAQ: LORL) and the world's leading provider of high-power commercial satellites, today announced that it shipped a new communications satellite built for Asia Satellite Telecommunications Company Limited (AsiaSat) to the Baikonur Space Center in Kazakhstan, where it is scheduled to launch in early- to mid-August aboard a ILS Proton Breeze M launch vehicle provided by International Launch Services (ILS).
http://www.californiaspaceauthority.org/images/press-releases/pr090713-1_Loral.pdf 

Cathy Hart Installed as President, Antelope Valley Board of Trade (Source: AVPress/CSA)
http://www.californiaspaceauthority.org/images/press-releases/pr090713-2_AVBOT.pdf

National & International Items

NASA Administrator: Who Is Charles F. Bolden, Jr.? (Source: AllGov)
President Obama has chosen a former astronaut and Marine Corps aviator with strong ties to the defense industry to lead NASA in its transition from the Space Shuttle era to the next phase of space exploration. Born in the Jim Crow South, retired Marine Corps Major General Charles F. Bolden, Jr., faced pre-confirmation questions about his ties to the aerospace and defense industries, but seems destined for confirmed as NASA’s first permanent African American Administrator.

Born August 19, 1946, in Columbia, South Carolina, Bolden graduated in 1964 from C. A. Johnson High School in Columbia, where his father was the head football coach. He earned a BS in Electrical Science from the U. S. Naval Academy in 1968, and an MS in Systems Management from the University of Southern California in 1977. Upon graduation from the Naval Academy, Bolden accepted a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps. He flew more than 100 sorties into North and South Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. As a pilot, he has logged more than 6,000 hours flying time. (7/8)

Top NASA Picks on a Glide Path Toward Their Jobs (Source: Congress Daily)
Charles Bolden, a former fighter pilot, astronaut and retired Marine Corps major general, received assurances of confirmation to be NASA administrator Wednesday, but was challenged by Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John (Jay) Rockefeller, D-W.Va., to explain how he would restore the past excitement and prestige of an organization he said was "adrift." Rockefeller gave a similar assurance and challenge to Lori Garver, the nominee for deputy NASA administrator after 20 years of experience in civil space at NASA and in the private sector. (7/9)

Bolden Identifies Four Challenges for NASA (Source: SPACErePORT)
During his confirmation hearing in the U.S. Senate, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden identified four challenges he sees for NASA, including: 1) Building upon our success with the International Space Station; 2) Accelerating the development of next-generation launch capabilities; 3) Expanding our capability to understand Earth; and 4) Inspire the next generation of space industry workers. (7/8)

Bolden and Garver Respond to Senate Concerns (Source: SPACErePORT)
Charles Bolden told Senators that he wants NASA to become the pre-eminent research agency in the U.S., saying that the agency hasn't invested enough in basic research. He also said he sees NASA's focus as "beyond low Earth orbit", although Earth Science must also be addressed. When asked about the Space Station and its status as a National Lab, Bolden said with human Mars missions 20-years out, he can't easily inspire young people with promises of human Mars missions...but ISS is currently operating and can inspire young scientists and engineers. Ms. Garver remarked on the importance of ISS biomedical research. Both nominees view the ISS as a stepping stone to deeper-space exploration. (7/8)

Bolden and Garver Support Commercial Space (Source: Space Politics)
Both Bolden and Garver, on multiple occasions, mentioned commercial and entrepreneurial ventures, both as something NASA can enable and as something that can help NASA carry out its mission. Regarding the Space Station, Bolden said: “It is the way that we will allow commercial ventures, entrepreneurial ventures, to have a place where they can seek to go to carry cargo, and one of these days, maybe even carry crew.” And in his opening statement: “I dream of a day when any American can launch into space and see the magnificence and grandeur of our home planet Earth, as I have been blessed to do.” (7/9)

Editorial: Bolden's Right: America Must Lead or Lose in Exploration of Space (Source: Florida Today)
The most telling moment in former astronaut Charlie Bolden’s confirmation hearing Wednesday as NASA’s next boss came in response to a question about how he planned to reinvigorate the agency. The two-time shuttle commander and retired Marine Corps major general told this story: When he’d go into a classroom in 1980 and ask students how many of them wanted to be astronauts, every hand went up. But today, he said, “I may see three hands. All of them want to go into business.” NASA’s inability to inspire a new generation of Americans — along with an inability to gain sustained political support for its efforts in Washington — shows the enormous challenges that Bolden will face when he takes the agency’s helm. (7/10)

Forty Years Ago Man First Walked on the Moon (Source: SpaceDaily.com)
Forty years ago on July 20, 1969, American astronaut Neil Armstrong realized the oldest dream of human civilizations when he became the first man to walk on the moon. As an estimated 500 million people around the world waited with bated breath crowded around fuzzy television screens and radios, Armstrong stepped down the lunar module's ladder and onto the lunar surface. "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind," Armstrong intoned, his words slightly distorted by distance and communications equipment, in a phrase now etched forever into the history books. Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Mike Collins launched from Florida's spaceport on July 16, 1969. (7/5)

Why Neil Armstrong Remains an Elusive Hero (Source: Telegraph)
The greatest technological triumph of the 20th Century was the product of eight feverish years of research and development, $150 billion (at today’s prices) and 400,000 people. At the center of it all was the 38-year-old son of a minor civil servant from a small town in the Ohio corn belt. When Neil Alden Armstrong placed his boot on the lunar surface on July 20 1969 he took one small step into immortality, the first human being to touch another world. It was a mythic and insuperable moment, propelling him to global fame, and he has spent the rest of his life dealing with its consequences.

He once said he had no wish to play the part of a “human memorial.” An elusive, reluctant hero, he has long since given up signing his name in books and cards for fear of yet another autograph offer on eBay. “Mr Armstrong,” said one of his university colleagues, “can smell exploitation a mile [away].” Not always. His Ohio neighbors respected the Armstrongs’ privacy and they returned the favor by participating in the local community. Neil would visit Herald’s, a small barber shop where Marx Sizemore cut Armstrong’s hair. In 2004 Sizemore was approached by Todd Mueller, a dealer in celebrity memorabilia. Mueller wanted Sizemore to save some of Armstrong’s hair and sell it to him for $3,000. Sizemore told him he was nuts, but eventually agreed. Click here to view the article. (7/9)

Going Back to Moon Not Enough for Buzz Aldrin (Source: Galveston Daily News)
For Buzz Aldrin, a manned space mission to the moon is not good enough. It’s a bit of been there, done that. “I’m always looking to go forward,” he said. With the 40th anniversary of his historic trip to the moon next week, Aldrin is pushing for a bolder vision. “We have to expand and make use of what we have already done,” the pilot of Apollo 11 said during an appearance in Webster on Friday. “What is the major return of going back to the moon? Is it to build refueling locations for missions to Mars? Simply going back is not enough.” Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon, was in the area Friday to promote an updated version of his book “Magnificent Desolation: The Long Journey Home from the Moon” and to promote a short-wave radio he helped design. (7/11)

Moon-Landing Debunkers Won't Fade Away (Source: Florida Today)
Did NASA secretly stage history’s biggest scam by filming fake lunar landings — complete with phony astronauts and pseudo-moon rocks — on some Hollywood soundstage? Or, are the skeptics who believe these moon-hoax theories a collection of conspiracy theorists, money-grubbers and the perpetually paranoid? The debate continues. July 20 marks the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, er, “alleged” moon landing. NASA has trumpeted the purported touchdown of the Eagle lunar module as the human race’s “single greatest technological achievement of all time.” However, try this Google Web search: “Apollo moon hoax.” You’ll get nearly 3 million results.

And perhaps the nation’s foremost moon-mission doubter — who was famously punched in the face by astronaut Buzz Aldrin during a combative 2002 interview — still argues that NASA archive video and photographs reveal that the mission was rigged. “The fact is, this footage is them faking being halfway to the moon. I’m a filmmaker, and it’s my job to make fake things look real,” said Nashville media producer Bart Sibrel, who publicized his theories in the documentary “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Moon.” Sibrel said he is planning unspecified activities for the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11, but he declined to provide details, saying they are “still in the works.” (7/7)

Apollo and America's Cold War (Source: Space Review)
As the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission approaches, we are reminded of the superpower space race that made that mission possible. Taylor Dinerman looks back on the geopolitical forces that drive the race to the Moon. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1409/1 to view the article. (7/6)

US Manned Space Flight in Doubt 40 Years After Moon Walk (Source: SpaceDaily.com)
US ambitions to send astronauts back to the moon as a prelude to missions to Mars have been put in doubt by budgetary constraints 40 years after man's triumphant landing on Earth's nearest neighbor. After the Columbia space shuttle disaster in 2003, former president George W. Bush decided to phase out the shuttle flights and set a more ambitious mandate for America in space. The space shuttles, which have carried crews of astronauts into space since 1981, were conceived as reusable vehicles to transport heavy, bulky equipment into Earth's orbit, primarily for the construction of the International Space Station. But the shuttle has kept the United States stuck in a low orbit for too long at a time when other countries like China are emerging as rivals in space, argues Michael Griffin, the former NASA chief who championed the Constellation program. (7/5)

Editorial: NASA's Not Dreaming Far Enough (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Claiming that close-in shuttle missions and robots afar are all we can do is no longer acceptable. Man on the moon was the most profound scientific achievement of our lifetimes because of all it symbolized in the conquering of human knowledge gaps — and it happened too long ago. It's time for "change" to reverse NASA satisfaction with the mundane, and replace it with the other-worldly — so that potentially all mankind can benefit. (7/6)

Humanity's Itch (Source: Eureka Times-Standard)
Civilizations before us had pyramids. They had so-called manifest destiny beckoning them to cross vast continental spaces to plant Western flags where American Indians had lived for millennia. They had walls crossing the breadth of their nation to keep hordes at bay, and coliseums and aqueducts to improve their quality of life and distinguish themselves from all that came before and much of what came after. Every civilization searches for its noteworthy achievement, the monument it will leave to subsequent generations as a high-water mark. We were here, and with our minds and hands, this is what we were able to do. This is a fundamental attribute of human society, and today we are no different.

Our noteworthy achievement, the one that advances that marker of human civilization and will be recorded -- we can hope -- for thousands of years in the future is our ability to break free of the gravitational bonds that anchor us to this planet and achieve space travel. And it's an achievement roughly 40 years ago that remains the pinnacle -- the Apollo moon landing. Truthfully, there's no shortage of innovation in this era, and many achievements could be hailed as our greatest contribution to the evolution of the species -- from nanotechnology and nuclear energy to genetics and Chicago-style pizza.

But it is no exaggeration to say that the survival of the human species depends on our success in reaching and ultimately settling other planets. Any clear-eyed examination of our own planet's history -- the 4.5 billion-year story -- shows that the only constant is change. Where one species is dominant in a given moment, another will surely rise to take its place as soon as the inevitable happens -- that is, extinction. (7/7)

NASA Experts Scale Back Moon/Mars Plans Fearing Funding Cut (Source: Telegraph)
US space experts are downsizing plans to send astronauts back to the moon and possibly to Mars amid fears of funding cuts by the Obama administration. With NASA engineers now floating cut-rate rocket alternatives, some politicians and former astronauts fear that the 2020 deadline will be foiled by financial constraints. Noting a space exploration budget of six billion dollars in 2009, Senator Bill Nelson of Florida said: "NASA simply can't do the job it's been given - the president's goal of being on the moon by 2020."

Norman Augustine, chair of the panel reviewing NASA's options, admitted it all comes down to money. "With a few exceptions, we have the technology or the knowledge that we could go to Mars if we wanted with humans. We could put a telescope on the moon if we wanted," he said. "The technology is by and large there. It boils down to what can we afford?" Click here to view the article. (7/6)

In Light of National Debt, What Priority Should Space Have? (Source: CNN)
In 2003, Former President George W. Bush announced plans to phase out the space shuttle program by 2010 and instead shift the focus and funding to what was named the Constellation program — a plan to send man back to the moon by 2020. This is all part of a bigger plan to eventually send a manned space mission to Mars. None of that may happen any time soon. The country is broke and in a nasty recession and as a result, the Constellation Program is being reconsidered because of budgetary constraints. Here’s my question to you: In light of the ballooning National Debt, what priority should the U.S. space program have? Click here to view reader responses. (7/6)

U.S. Space Program Should Align With Broader National Goals (Source: National Academies)
The U.S. civil space program should be aligned with widely acknowledged national challenges, says a new report from the National Research Council's Committee on Rationale and Goals of the U.S. Civil Space Program. Aligning the program with pressing issues – environmental, economic, and strategic – is a national imperative, and will continue to grow in importance. Coordination across federal agencies, combined with a competent technical workforce, effective infrastructure, and investment in technology and innovation, would lay the foundation for a purposeful, strategic U.S. space program that would serve national interests. Click here to view the report's recommendations. Editor's Note: This committee includes two members of the Augustine Panel, Lester Lyles and Wanda Austin. (7/7)

What Are the Real Costs for Constellation? (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
At the end of the day, space travel now is all about money – or lack of it. Getting astronauts back to the moon affordably is the key in these tight times. And making sure that a human exploration program fits within Obama White House budget constraints is a central guideline for the presidentially-appointed Augustine Panel. NASA officials told the panel on June 17 that Constellation's cost up to first flight of the Ares/Orion in 2015 would be $35 billion. But that is a new number and it clashes with other numbers that have been released by top NASA officials in recent months.

After the Orlando Sentinel did a story based on the work of Constellation Program budget analysts which put the real cost of the first crewed launch of Ares I and Orion to the international space station at well over $40 billion and rising, NASA pushed back. NASA's Doug Cooke on Apr.7 wrote: “The cost of this initial operating capability of hardware and systems is still at $36 billion.” But a day later on a NASA blog, NASA's Jeff Hanley wrote: “The development cost for achieving the first crewed flight today is roughly $30 billion, far short of estimates which have been recently bandied about.”

Yet just two months later, the figure given to the Augustine Panel was $35 billion, one billion less than what Cooke said and five billion more than Hanley’s estimate. Now, it is possible that as NASA cuts out tests for Ares and Orion and scales back the project like cutting down the number of seats in Orion from six to four, that money is being saved. But at the same time, according to NASA’s own study of ways to speed up the development of Ares and Orion, the program is at least $1.9 billion in the hole. Whatever the cost, sources close to the Augustine committee, say panel members have serious doubts about the $35 billion figure now being used by agency officials. (7/7)

Saturn V, Apollo's Thunderous Rocket, Would be a Spacefaring Dinosaur Today (Source: Arizona Daily Star)
Since the last manned lunar mission, Apollo 17 in 1972, mankind has taken one giant leap backward. Neither the United States nor any other country currently has the means to send a manned mission to the moon, said Michael J. Drake, director of the UA's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory. Detailed designs of the Saturn V rocket no longer exist, Drake said. And even if they were recovered, they'd be obsolete because they wouldn't meet current safety standards — which the U.S. deemed acceptable in the 1960s as it scurried to beat the Soviets to the moon. The designs would also be too archaic to work with modern computers and communications systems. "Technology has moved on," Drake said. (7/12)

NASA's Ares Partners Say They're Open to Moon-Rocket Alternatives (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
The aerospace giants contracted to help build NASA's next-generation spaceships are quietly hedging their bets and stepping back from the Ares rockets that the agency has staked its future on after the shuttle retires next year. In recent weeks, Lockheed Martin Corp. and the Boeing Co. have reached out to NASA officials, lawmakers and a presidentially appointed panel reviewing America's human-spaceflight plan, expressing a willingness to change plans or offering alternatives to the rockets that until recently they strongly advocated. With contractors distancing themselves, the future of the Constellation program of rockets and capsules to return astronauts to the moon looks bleak, especially if the panel endorses alternatives.

Early last month, top executives from the major Constellation contractors — Boeing, Lockheed Martin, solid rocket builder ATK and rocket-engine manufacturer Pratt Whitney — were in Washington, vowing to oppose any alternatives. According to industry officials present, former astronaut and Boeing Vice President Brewster Shaw, Lockheed Vice President John Karas and other executives met with the staff of powerful U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby to discuss creating a media campaign to counter Ares I critics and alternative ideas. Shelby, R-Ala., is a fierce protector of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, which is designing the Ares rockets. But the campaign never materialized. Instead, Lockheed and Boeing have softened their positions and even indicated some support for looking at alternatives. (7/9)

Editorial: Shelby Slowing the Race for Space (Source: Waco Tribune)
Earth to U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby: The conquest of space won’t be won by odious pork-barrel politics. Shelby, who has often joined other Republican lawmakers in Washington decrying President Obama’s economic recovery and reinvestment act, now ironically seeks to take millions of dollars in stimulus funds targeted for private space firms and funnel them instead into Constellation, NASA’s troubled rocket program in his home state of Alabama. To get most of this cash, the Republican senator attacked private companies such as SpaceX, which seeks stimulus funds not only to further secure its position as NASA’s partner but to double the number of jobs at its McGregor rocket site, from 80 to 160.

It’s an odd position for Shelby, a supposed critic of pork-barrel politics and government waste. One reason that the White House was quick to consider private companies such as SpaceX is because the space shuttle retires next year and the Constellation program set to succeed it is behind schedule. White House officials hope investing in firms like SpaceX, based in Hawthorne, Calif., might fire up rocket development, keeping us from having to piggyback rides to the space station via Russian rockets. (7/11)

NASA Drops Ares V from Launch Services Contract (Source: Flight Global)
NASA has dropped the Ares V cargo launch vehicle (CaLV) and Altair lunar lander from its Constellation program's Exploration ground launch services (EGLS) request for proposals citing, the CaLV's distant first launch. The Ares V ground systems' development was to begin in 2012, but in a revised planning chart presented at the 10 June EGLS pre-proposal conference Ares V and Altair are eliminated out to 2020. (7/9)

NASA's Ares I Starting To Take Shape at Marshall (Source: Aviation Week)
Four years after NASA embraced Ares I as the next route to space for U.S. astronauts, the new crew launch vehicle is beginning to move from computer-aided-design workstations to the floors of various "fab labs" here that in some cases date back to the Saturn V program in the 1960s. However, the Ares I's destiny is very much up in the air as a panel headed by former Lockheed Martin CEO Norman Augustine pores over options for U.S. human spaceflight. The panel is pitting progress, and problems, here against human-rating the Delta IV heavy that already is flying cargo, and against a few other concepts that are still in the "paper-rocket" stage. NASA engineers on the Ares I project are using an approach that dates back to the 1930s, when Wernher von Braun and his colleagues at the German army's Kummersdorf ordnance center near Berlin started developing rockets in-house before farming out production to industry. Click here to view the article. (7/6)

Stacking of Ares I-X Begins at Kennedy Space Center (Source: USA)
For the first time in more than a quarter-century, a new space vehicle will begin stacking on a mobile launch platform (MLP) at KSC, thanks to the hard work of employees from NASA and contractors United Space Alliance and Alliant Techsystems. The Ares I-X aft skirt, which was mated to a solid fuel segment in the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility at KSC, rolled over to the 528-foot-tall Vehicle Assembly Building, where it will be lifted and placed on the MLP. On that platform, workers will secure the aft booster and continue adding segments of the first stage rocket, the upper stage simulators, the crew module mockup and the launch abort system simulator, taking the vehicle to a height of 327 feet. (7/8)

Vibration Analysis Delays Ares I-X Stacking (Source: Aviation Week)
Crews at Kennedy Space Center will wait to start stacking the Ares I-X test vehicle so engineers will have more time to analyze three vibration-loads issues that could threaten range safety during its suborbital test flight, which probably will slip into October. Stacking is expected to begin the week of July 6. Constellation Program Manager Jeff Hanley, who oversees development of the Ares I crew launch vehicle, said July 2 that the extra analysis may give test managers more confidence that they won't have to destack the vehicle later to correct one of three potential problems. If it doesn't, more work may be necessary before stacking can begin.

One of the issues involves concerns by some engineers that the shaking of the four-segment space shuttle solid-rocket booster that forms the active portion of the Ares I-X stack will overwhelm the hydraulic mechanism that drives the thrust vector control system that helps guide the vehicle during powered flight. Engineers also want more calculations on whether the vibrations would disable the avionics box linking the flight termination system on the vehicle with the range safety officers who would destroy it if it veers off course. And they want extra analysis on whether any of the secondary structures inside the steel boilerplate simulating the Ares I upper stage - ladders, railings and the like - could shake loose. (7/6)

NASA Successfully Tests Alternate Ares-1 Launch Abort System at Virginia Spaceport (Source: NASA)
NASA has successfully demonstrated an alternate system for future astronauts to escape their launch vehicle. A simulated launch of the Max Launch Abort System (MLAS) took place Wednesday at Wallops Flight Facility. The unpiloted launch tested an alternate concept for safely propelling a future spacecraft and its crew away from a problem on the launch pad or during ascent. The MLAS consists of four solid rocket abort motors inside a bullet-shaped composite fairing attached to a full-scale mockup of the crew module.

The 33-foot-high MLAS vehicle was launched to an altitude of approximately one mile to simulate an emergency on the launch pad. The flight demonstration began after the four solid rocket motors burned out. The crew module mockup separated from the launch vehicle at approximately seven seconds into the flight and parachuted into the Atlantic Ocean. See the odd-looking vehicle and its mission profile here. (7/8)

States & Counties Poised to Battle for Virginia Spaceport Businesses (Source: DelMarVaNow)
It appears competition between Accomack County in Virginia and its northern neighbor, Worcester County, Md., is heating up in an effort to attract business associated with Orbital Science’s Taurus II rocket program and other growth at Wallops Island. Despite talk of cooperation between Maryland and Virginia at a groundbreaking for the project last week at Wallops, Accomack County officials Wednesday at a Board of Supervisors meeting appeared ready to fight Worcester for economic development dollars.

“We’ve got to be quick on our feet ... We’re not going to have another bite of the apple,” said Accomack Board of Supervisors Chairman Steve Mallette, in response to remarks U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski made last week during a meeting with Worcester County, Md. commissioners. She urged Worcester County officials to rename the Pocomoke City Industrial Park to “something more 21st century” to better reflect technological upgrades and other amenities that are being added to the park in an effort to attract commerce associated with activities at Wallops. She said construction of a launch facility for Taurus II will create almost 300 new jobs now and bring another 400 high-tech jobs to the Wallops area by 2010. (7/7)

Engineers Lose Jobs at Wallops Spaceport (Source: DelMarVaNow.com)
Scientists who use the Wallops Flight Facility to get data from spaceflights were alarmed to learn that up to 30 engineers designing rockets got pink slips this week, according to their report. The defense contractor, Northrop Grumman, terminated its relationship with subcontractor Orbital Sciences Corp. on July 1. The two had shared a 10-year contract with NASA to launch sounding rockets at Wallops. The vessels record scientific measurements during a suborbital flight. A report was produced after a June 19 meeting by NASA's Sounding Rocket Working Group -- a 10-person committee of researchers and two representatives from the Goddard Space Flight Center -- which claims the decision will have "serious and lasting repercussions" that delay space research and technological development across the USA. (7/11)

Workforce Agency Chief Predicts 7,000 Florida Jobs Lost (Source: Florida Today)
Florida Today interviewed Lisa Rice, president of the Brevard Workforce Development Board Inc. She spoke of the progress in helping the shuttle workforce transition as the program approaches a planned retirement next year, when thousands of jobs will be lost at Kennedy Space Center. Asked how bad job losses will be, Rice said job losses could reach 7,000 and the time for job recovery could lengthen to seven years. "With the new NASA administrator, we're not sure what kinds of goals he's going to set," said Rice. Several years ago Rice and other officials estimated 3,500 jobs would be lost, even with Kennedy Space Center getting important parts of the Constellation program.

"What we're hearing is that a lot of those work packages are not coming to Florida," Rice said. "That's a huge loss. You can't keep people on for that time frame." Talk of bringing the lunar lander the KSC has become less firm. "At this point that is not on the table as coming to KSC," Rice said. Editor's Note: Former NASA Administrator Mike Griffin at one time indicated that the Altair lunar lander would be assembled at KSC to help mitigate Shuttle program workforce losses. NASA later revealed that it would not dictate which location would be used for Altair assembly. (7/12)

Florida Effort Focuses on Dealing with Shuttle Workforce Losses (Source: Florida Today)
A regional approach to managing the space industry's job losses -- expected to be in excess of 3,500 when NASA retires the shuttle in 2010 -- is the goal of a meeting of government and industry leaders from seven Central Florida counties. They hope to keep the workforce intact by expanding other industries as the number of space industry jobs contracts.

"We could lose these workers to other states," Tyler Sirois, business liaison for the Regional Aerospace Workforce Initiative, said. "Our goal is to keep them in Central Florida. It's critical to the economy," the former legislative aide with Florida House of Representatives added. A $250,000 regional innovation grant from the Department of Labor will fund the effort that begins with bringing 80 to 90 economic leaders together Friday at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. (7/9)

Kosmas Wins Measure to Help Space Coast Businesses (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
U.S. Rep. Suzanne Kosmas managed to attach an amendment to House legislation that gives preference in receiving government loans to small businesses affected the upcoming retirement of the space shuttle, due to fly its final mission in 2010 or 2011. "The Kosmas Amendment was included in the Enhancing Small Business Innovation and Research Act (HR 2965), bipartisan legislation that reauthorizes and increases funding for the successful SBIR program. The bill passed the House 386-41."

“As we work to minimize the spaceflight gap, I want to make sure that the hundreds of small businesses involved with the Shuttle program have the support they need to move forward and keep their employees,” said Kosmas, D-New Smyrna Beach, in a statement. “The SBIR program has proven successful in helping innovative businesses find a market for their products, and my amendment will give Shuttle-related small businesses a leg up in the grants process.” (7/8)

House OKs Help for Firms Hurt by Shuttle Retirement (Source: Space News)
Legislation that includes language authored by U.S. Rep. Suzanne Kosmas (D-Fla.) to assist small businesses affected by the space shuttle's looming retirement was approved July 8 by the House of Representatives. The Kosmas amendment to the Enhancing Small Business Innovation and Research Act (H.R. 2965) would give preference to these small businesses when applying for grants through the Small Businesses Innovation and Research (SBIR) program, helping them make the transition from space shuttle work to work in other industries. (7/10)

Weather (& Lightning) Delays NASA Space Shuttle Launch (Source: AFP)
Inclement weather, including a dramatic lightning storm on Saturday, forced NASA to delay the space shuttle Endeavour's launch to Sunday, and then Monday, in the latest blow to the seven-astronaut mission. At least one lightning bolt struck the Shuttle launch pad's lightning protection system, though no damage was reported. (7/11)

Hawaii Works on Space Tourism Plan (Source: MSNBC)
Space pioneers envision launching high-end Hawaii tourists from the sand to the stars, taking island-hopping to new heights. Hawaii won't win the race to become the first state with space tourism, but in a new twist, it probably will be the first place where travelers can use the planes for real transportation. Hawaii's planes would take off in one place and land in another — from an airport on the Big Island to a landing on Oahu. (7/10)

New Mexico Spaceport America Gets Bonds, Power (Source: Las Cruces Bulletin)
In the latter part of the coming week, Spaceport America should have $58 million for the first round of construction contracts to build the $198 million spaceport between Las Cruces and Truth or Consequences. At a recent special meeting, the New Mexico Spaceport Authority board was given details of bids on this first series of bonds to begin construction. The bids were very favorable, spaceport officials told the board, amounting to an interest rate of less than 5 percent for an annual debt service of an estimated $4.37 million.

This gives the spaceport more flexibility in case gross receipts taxes (GRT) from Doña Ana and Sierra counties are less than expected. Though conservative estimates were used when GRT increases were proposed to county voters, that was before the recession hit. Should the GRT yield better funds than estimated, the bonds can be sold off earlier or additional bonds can be sought for other projects. (7/10)

Former Astronaut John Herrington Heads Tulsa's Bid for Retired Shuttle (Source: Examiner)
The Tulsa Air and Space Museum and Planetarium has turned to home-grown space experience in its bid to obtain one of America's space shuttles after their retirement. John Herrington will chair a committee working on landing a shuttle in Oklahoma. Herrington, NASA's first federally-registered Native American astronaut, is a member of the Chickasaw Nation. Born in Wetumka, Herrington flew on STS-113, a 2002 mission to the International Space Station. (7/6)

Texas Congressman Supports Stimulus Funds For SpaceX (Source: Waco Tribune)
SpaceX, which tests rockets in McGregor, is competing for up to $150 million in federal stimulus dollars. SpaceX officials say they probably could double the size of its McGregor facility, from 80 to 160, if it receives a significant percentage of the $150 million. But securing the money won’t come easily. U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Alabama, is fighting hard to get some, if not all, of the $150 million for spending on the Constellation program in his state.

U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Waco, said Wednesday he strongly supports efforts by SpaceX to compete for stimulus money. He said he arranged meetings between congressional leaders and SpaceX chairman Elon Musk. “This will be a tough fight,” said Edwards, “but we will do everything we can to help SpaceX receive a significant amount of these funds.” (7/8)

Avanti Secures Funds to Switch From SpaceX Launch Vehicle (Source: Space News)
Start-up broadband satellite operator Avanti Communications Group raised some $68 million in cash from institutional investors and the British government to pay the additional costs it will incur in shifting the launch of its first satellite to an Ariane 5 or Soyuz rocket instead of a Falcon 9 vehicle operated by Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX), Avanti said. About a quarter of the funding is from the European Space Agency (ESA), from British ESA contributions.

Avanti's Hylas had been scheduled for launch in late 2009. The yearlong delay has been caused by unexpected difficulties Astrium has encountered in completing the payload. It remains unclear when the satellite will be ready for launch. SpaceX is also behind schedule with its new Falcon 9 launch vehicle, which previously had been slated to make its debut in 2007. Avanti announced in February 2008 that it had secured a Falcon 9 insurance policy valued at 89 million British pounds covering the satellite's launch and its first year in orbit. SpaceX said at the time that the Avanti contract was valued at $150 million including the Hylas flight and three additional Avanti launches for satellites Avanti has yet to order. (7/10)

Falcon-1 Launch Planned on July 13 (Source: SpaceFlightNow.com)
The fifth flight of the SpaceX Falcon-1 rocket will launch the RazakSat Earth-imaging spacecraft for Malaysia. The satellite also features the name MACSat, or Medium-sized Aperture Camera Satellite. It will be launched from the Kwajelein Atoll in the Pacific Ocean. (7/6)

Atlas Rocket Team Continues Active Year of Launches (Source: SpaceFlightNow.com)
Inside the towering assembly building at Cape Canaveral's Complex 41, United Launch Alliance technicians have begun stacking another Atlas 5 rocket in preparation for the year's third launch. Following a successful flight on April 3 that deployed a sophisticated Air Force communications satellite and the June 18 launch to the Moon with NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and LCROSS impactor experiment, attention has turned toward a planned mid-August liftoff of the secretive PAN mission. (7/9)

It's Rocket Science — Lots of Opportunity (Source: Denver Post)
On June 18, ULA's Atlas V rocket launched two lunar missions, and on June 27, a NASA/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration GOES satellite was launched on a Delta IV. The launches were ULA's No. 27 and No. 28 — with eight of those coming this year. Question: ULA has had an impressive record of launches in the 2 1/2 years that it has been a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Boeing Co. What has it been like melding the two cultures and what lies ahead? Click here to view the interview with ULA's Michael Gass. (7/12)

Japan Plans September Test Launch of Upgraded H-IIB Rocket (Source: JAXA)
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries are planning the launch of the H-IIB Launch Vehicle Test Flight with the H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV, a cargo transporter to the International Space Station) onboard. The launch will be conducted on Sep. 11 at the Tanagashima spaceport. (7/8)

Japan's Now-Finished Lunar Mission Found No Water Ice (Source: SpaceFlightNow.com)
High resolution imaging sensors on the Japanese Kaguya lunar orbiter have failed to detect any signs of water ice in permanently shaded craters around the South Pole of the Moon. (7/6)

China Chooses First Female Astronauts (Source: Russia Today)
China could see its first female astronaut launch into space by 2012 as the Chinese Air Force has begun choosing graduates recently to fill the next team, reports China Daily newspaper. “The selection is underway. I believe Chinese women will be seen in space in the near future,” said China’s first astronaut Yang Liwei. While he wasn’t sure how many women would be selected, he did express certainty that women would be a part of the next team. (7/9)

India: Let Us Develop a Military Space Program (Source: Rediff)
How do we deal with military symmetry in our unfriendly neighborhood? One obvious first step is creating asymmetry through the assimilation of our space prowess. We need to develop and deploy space-based assets so as to cumulate sensor inputs, datalink it to the networked military command and control system from where it can be fed to the field units and commanders. This will enhance the battlefield situational awareness through real-time projection of the battlefield.

For this, the Indian armed forces will have to attain network centric warfare (NCW) capability, but they are just inching, not marching towards that goal. NCW will pivot upon the networking of terrestrial, nautical & aerospatial radars; AEW platforms; air defense fighters, missiles & artillery batteries; communication centers; electronic warfare systems and aggregation of other air defense assets of army and navy.

Though we enjoy the edge over Pakistan in satellite technology, one cannot rule out China -- Pakistan's soul mate and an alleged, unapologetic proliferator -- sharing its know-how and intelligence with Pakistan. China is light years ahead of us in offensive space technology; so our endeavor should be 'space denial.' In case of Pakistan, we must go all out to achieve total 'space control.' India must also prepare a contingency plan for the worst-case scenario -- China emerging as a 'rogue space power.' (7/10)

Russia Sends Three Military Satellites Into Space (Source: Xinhua)
Russia successfully put three military satellites into orbit early Monday. A Russian Rokot carrier rocket carrying three Cosmos-series satellites was launched by the Space Forces from the Plesetsk spaceport in northwest Russia. Rokot is a modified version of the RS-18 two-stage intercontinental ballistic missile. (7/6)

Obama and Medvedev Add Space Cooperation to Bilateral Commission Plan (Source: Hyperbola)
During President Obama's visit to Russia on July 6 included the creation of a bilateral Presidential commission that includes a space cooperation working group. The working group is to be led by the head of Roscosmos, Anatoly Perminov, and the NASA administrator. The first meeting could be in September. (7/7)

ESA and NASA Establish a Joint Mars Exploration Initiative (Source: ESA)
ESA Director of Science and Robotic Exploration, David Southwood met NASA’s Associate Administrator for Science, Ed Weiler to establish a way for a progressive program for exploration of the Red Planet. The outcome of the bilateral meeting was an agreement to create a Mars Exploration Joint Initiative (MEJI) that will provide a framework for the two agencies to define and implement their scientific, programmatic and technological goals at Mars. (7/8)

Astrium to Begin Designing Cargo-Return ATV (Source: Space News)
Astrium GmbH of Germany will begin design work on an unmanned vehicle to shuttle cargo to and from the international space station under a contract signed July 7 and valued at 21 million euros ($29.2 million), Astrium and the German space agency, DLR, announced. (7/7)

Europe Targets Manned Spaceship (Source: BBC)
Europe has taken the first step towards building its own manned spaceship. The European Space Agency has asked industry to work out the requirements of the craft and its likely cost. Known as the Advanced Re-Entry Vehicle, it would be developed in phases - first as an unmanned vessel to carry cargo, and then as an astronaut crew ship. At the moment, Europe has no independent capability to transport humans into space and must hitch rides on American or Russian systems. Tuesday's announcement is just the start of a very long process, and there is no guarantee either ARV variant will be built. ESA member states will want to see industry's report before approving any development on the spaceship. (7/7)

Space Tourism: a European Perspective (Source: Space Review)
Space tourism is generally perceived as primarily led by American companies, but there are a number of efforts elsewhere, particularly in Europe, seeking to get involved as vehicle developers and spaceport operators. Jeff Foust reports on a recent conference where these efforts, and some of the obstacles to future development, were discussed. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1411/1 to view the article. (7/6)

Space Tourism: Tories Accuse Government of Dropping the Ball (Source: Times Online)
Virgin Galactic, Sir Richard Branson's space tourism operation, has announced plans to launch suborbital spaceflights for paying customers from two bases, in the United States and Sweden. But though the British company has discussed the possibility of flying from RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland, among other sites, it still has no UK spaceport. Virgin Galactic's Will Whitehorn said the reason is simple. He'd love to fly from the UK, and praised Lossiemouth as an "ideal location", but the UK has no legislative or regulatory framework for space tourism.

Adam Afriyie, the Shadow Science Minister, has now discovered that the Government was warned about this four years ago. In 2005, it commissioned a report into the arrangements necessary to promote commercial spaceflight, and though it was never published, some details have been revealed in a parliamentary written answer. The report urged the British National Space Center to "establish precise responsibility for sub-orbital manned flight with the Civil Aviation Authority", and to review licensing procedures and insurance requirements. Yet, Afriyie says, little has been done. (7/9)

Britain's Space Policy Decline (Source: BBC)
Giles Dilnot looks at why Britain, which 50 years ago was at the forefront of the space race, has fallen to the back of the pack. Visit http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8146403.stm to view the video. (7/12)

Congress Moving to Loosen Restrictions on U.S. Satellite Exports (Source: AIA)
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are moving to ease limits on technology transfers that have stymied U.S. satellite makers for more than a decade. The efforts have the support of President Barack Obama, who said during the campaign that "outdated restrictions have cost billions of dollars to American satellite and space hardware manufacturers as customers have decided to purchase equipment from European suppliers." U.S. satellite makers have seen their share of the $120 billion market drop from 73% to 27% as a result of the export restrictions, and other countries have stepped up their own R&D efforts to make up for the lack of American products, according to Aerospace Industries Association VP Cord Sterling. (7/7)

New DARPA Director Named (Source: Air Force Magazine)

Regina Dugan has been appointed the 19th director of DARPA, the Pentagon's advanced weapons shop. She will fill the vacancy left by Tony Tether's departure in February. Zachary Lemnios, director of defense research and engineering in the Pentagon, said Dugan is "precisely the dynamic leader DARPA needs to open new technology frontiers and transition revolutionary technologies to serve our nation's interests." Prior to her appointment, she served several senior posts in industry. She also spent 1996 to 2000 as a DARPA program manager. She has a PhD in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology. (7/10)

Low-Cost Imaging Satellites Encouraged in Defense Bill (Source: Space News)
A U.S. Senate panel is taking aim at the Defense Department's plan for medium-level satellite imaging capabilities, calling for a new program to quickly field low-cost spacecraft and recommending changes to the Pentagon's latest strategy for engaging the commercial sector in this arena. (7/10)

University of Arizona Dreams Stretch from Moon to Mars (Source: Arizona Daily Star)
For as long as our species has been able to look skyward, humans have dreamed of touching the moon. Forty years ago, the University of Arizona helped make that happen. Without continued investment in Arizona's universities by the state, such achievements could become a thing of the past. The challenge to create the technology, the spacecraft and the systems that allowed Armstrong, Aldrin and Michael Collins to reach the moon — and come back safely — was monumental. Tucson should be proud of the part the UA played in lunar exploration. The UA's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, or LPL, was created by Gerard Kuiper around 1960 as a place to study the moon and planets. The LPL was originally housed in a Quonset hut and was dubbed the "Loony-Lab," a moniker of affection for scientists working there, but also used not-so-affectionately by others who derided the academic pursuit. (7/12)

NASA Awards Satellite Sensor Contract to University of Colorado (Source: NASA)
NASA has awarded a contract to the University of Colorado at Boulder's Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics for the development of the Total and Spectral Solar Irradiance Sensor, or TSIS, a key instrument for the future National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System, known as NPOESS. The total estimated value of the cost, no-fee contract is approximately $42 million. (7/10)

Satellite Shows Big Thinning of Old Arctic Sea Ice (Source: AP)
New NASA satellite measurements show that sea ice in the Arctic is more than just shrinking in area, it is dramatically thinning. The volume of older crucial sea ice in the Arctic has shrunk by 57 percent from the winter of 2004 to 2008. That's losing more volume of ice than water in Lake Michigan. NASA scientist Jay Zwally said global warming is to blame. He said rapidly shrinking sea ice in the Arctic warms the rest of the globe indirectly. Older ice is more important in the Arctic because it is thicker, surviving the heat of summer and building over time. (7/7)

Interplanetary Internet Gets Permanent Home in Space (Source: New Scientist)
The interplanetary internet now has its first permanent node in space, aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The new software will make sending data from space less like using the telephone, and more like using the web. In the modern era of the web and information on demand, teams still have to schedule times to send and receive data from space missions. But the newly installed system aboard the ISS could one day allow data to flow between Earth, spacecraft, and astronauts automatically, creating what is being dubbed the "interplanetary internet". (7/6)

Bizarre Blast is New Class of Supernovae (Source: Cosmos)
A mystery explosion recorded by the Hubble Space Telescope in 2006 was the first of a whole new class of supernova. The explosion showed some odd characteristics, which caused researchers to struggle understanding the nature of the explosion. The astronomers who detected the event were not sure whether it happened in our cosmic neighborhood or at the edge of the universe. And, unusually, the object (also known as SCP 06F6) was located in an empty part of the sky and has no visible host galaxy. (7/6)

General Dynamics Awarded National Air and Space Intelligence Center Contract (Source: 7/10)
The National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC) has awarded General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems an Advanced Technical Exploitation Program (ATEP) contract. This five-year, indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract has a ceiling value of $600 million to be competed among the three awardees who received contracts. General Dynamics will provide around-the-clock intelligence analysis, software systems development and support, and sensor exploitation research and development of space-based and airborne sensor data. General Dynamics' solutions will directly support national priorities, including the Overseas Contingency Operations and missile defense, with timelines to meet that range from minutes to hours. (7/10)

Astronauts Elected to Scholarship Foundation Board (Source: ASF)
The Astronaut Scholarship Foundation (ASF) is proud to announce its 2009-2010 Board and leadership team. Apollo 15 astronaut Colonel Al Worden is once again chair the Board of Directors for a fifth consecutive year. Joining him in this venture is Space Shuttle astronaut Robert “Hoot” Gibson as Vice Chairman. Attorney Michael Neukamm will once again serve as Treasurer/Secretary and Linn LeBlanc will continue to serve as Executive Director. (7/8)

Astronaut Oefelein to Wed While Nowak Awaits Court (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Colleen Shipman, the alleged victim of Lisa Nowak's alleged bizarre kidnapping plot in 2007, is to wed William Oefelein, the third member of what was portrayed as an astronaut love triangle with Fatal Attraction overtones. According to police, Nowak had a relationship with Oefelein before Shipman began dating him and found romantic e-mails that Shipman sent to Oefelein, who was in space at the time of the incident. Nowak, a former mission specialist who flew aboard the space shuttle Discovery in 2006, is free on bail, awaiting a November hearing in her case, and lives near Houston. (7/10)

California Aerospace Events Calendar

Space 101, Jul. 16

Save the Date! Space, Aerospace and Government Industry Knowledge for the Non-Scientist (Aerospace/Space 101 - "Rocket Science" Basics for Suppliers and Other Non-Scientists) - In today’s business climate, fundamental technical knowledge of the aerospace industry is key to building the right strategy, winning and supporting customers, as well as driving business stability and growth. Accurate communication and understanding of key technical requirements provides suppliers with a competitive edge and is key to success and mission assurance as it provides basic technical understanding by multiple company functions through out the supply chain.  Industry experts will explain this and more on July 16 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at SpaceX near LAX airport. The day will include a tour of SpaceX's vertically integrated launch facilities as well as lunch. For more details, contact Dianna Minor at (805) 349-2633 or DM@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.

NewSpace 2009 Conference Planned at Ames Research Center on Jul. 17-20

The conference is a unique chance to assess the thoughts and plans coming from the leaders of the Newspace movement. Discover the entrepreneurial plans behind the recent interest in returning to the moon from such pioneers as Dr. Robert Richards of Odyssey Moon Limited. Is space solar power truly viable and are the suborbital flights fueled by hope or hype? Eric Anderson of Space Adventures, Taylor Dinerman of the Wall Street Journal, and others can help you find the answers to such questions during the conference programs and Q & A sessions. Dr. S. Pete Worden, Director of NASA Ames Research Center, is tentatively scheduled for a keynote and panel discussion Monday night entitled, Where Do We Go From Here? Be a part of the discussion interpreting why successful and non-successful NewSpace companies turned out the way they did with Rex Ridenoure and help guide the future of the high frontier. To register visit http://newspace2009.spacefrontier.org

Fleet Science Center Celebrates Apollo 11 in San Diego on Jul. 18 & 20

Celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Apollo 11! Author Francis French will describe the exciting decade leading up to mankind’s most dramatic first step. French will sign books on July 18 at 1:00 p.m. Tickets to the talk are free with admission and include a free pass to return to the Fleet on Jul. 20 for the special commemorative panel with Apollo astronauts, which will be broadcast on NASA TV at 11:00 a.m. Visit http://www.rhfleet.org/site/education/weekendtalk.html#Apollo_11_Talk for information.

Splashdown 2009 Event Planned at Alameda on Jul. 24-26

In 1969, the aircraft carrier USS Hornet recovered the first two NASA missions that landed men on the moon – Apollo 11 and Apollo 12. The ship is the largest surviving artifact from these incredible events, which are among the most important in the history of humankind. Celebrate the 40th anniversary of man's first steps on the moon by attending Splashdown 2009 on the USS Hornet - the primary recovery ship for the Apollo 11 and Apollo 12 missions. On Saturday, July 25th, the featured speaker will be former astronaut Buzz Aldrin, the 2nd man to walk on the moon. Alameda, CA. Visit http://www.uss-hornet.org/posters/splashdown/index.shtml for information.

Filmmaker Hosts Space Documentary Event in San Diego on Jul. 26
The Wonder of it All is a feature documentary focusing on the rarely told human side of the men behind the Apollo missions expressed through thoughtful and candid accounts from seven of the surviving Moonwalkers. Astronauts Buzz Aldrin, Alan Bean, Edgar Mitchell, John Young, Charles Duke, Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt reflect on their childhood, training, the tragedies, the camaraderie and the effect their space travel had on their families. They fulfilled the dream of humankind to set foot on another world and in so doing, forever changed the way we view ourselves. Filmmaker Jeff Roth will sign DVDs during the Comic Con in San Diego on Jul. 26. Visit www.thewonderofitallfilm.com for information.

45th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference & Exhibit Planned Aug. 2-5

Insertion of Innovative Technology into New and Evolving Systems - The objective of JPC 2009 is to identify and highlight how innovative aerospace propulsion technologies get inserted into both new and evolving systems. Special panel sessions to be announced will focus on advanced system applications that can be used to showcase the propulsion systems, components and technologies that enable them. To be held at the Colorado Convention Center. Register at www.aiaa.org

Space-Enabled Global Communications and Electronic Systems Industry Update, Aug. 6
Co-Hosted by CSA and Cisco in Irvine.  Tour included. "Space" has served as a utility for the communications industry for years and 21st century emerging technologies will increase performance, reliance on space, innovative technology requirements and opportunities for communications products providers and electronics suppliers. Visit http://www.prestoregister.com/cgi-bin/order.pl?ref=csa-event&fm=9 to register.

Export/Import Controls Training Planned in San Jose on Aug. 12-14
A U.S. export/import controls training and education “one-stop-shop” program called “Partnering for Compliance™” West Coast will take place at the Hilton San Jose Hotel on August 12-14, 2009. Kindly consider assisting us to get the details out to businesses, particularly small-to-medium businesses, which would benefit from participation. Confirmed government participants include: Commerce (BIS – licensing & enforcement, Anti-Boycott & Commercial Service); State (DDTC – licensing & enforcement); Defense (DTSA); Homeland Security (CBP & ICE); Treasury (OFAC); U.S. Census Bureau AND NASA; Baker & McKenzie (D.C. & Chicago); Braumiller Schulz LLP (Texas), and U.S. Trade. Visit http://www.partneringforcompliance.org/pfcwc09.pdf

Satellite Educators Association Conference in Los Angeles on Aug. 13-15

NASA is supporting the Satellite Educators Association Conference XXII. Join the Satellite Educators Association for an education conference being held Aug. 13-15, 2009, in Los Angeles, Calif. The annual conference is for educators interested in discovering ways to use satellites and related technologies in the classroom. Participants learn ways to help students appreciate and understand the complex interrelationships among science, technology, individuals, societies and the environment. Conference attendees also learn to develop and apply inquiry and technology skills to study authentic questions and problems. The conference is sponsored by California State University Los Angeles, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NASA, Raytheon Santa Barbara Remote Sensing, Lockheed-Martin and Northrop Grumman. For more information, visit http://www.sated.org/index.html.

Hands-on Astronomy and Earth-science Teacher Workshops for Grades 4-12 on Sep. 12-13

A weekend of hands-on workshops and informative science talks will be offered as part of the 120th anniversary meeting of the nonprofit Astronomical Society of the Pacific. These workshops will take place Sep. 12-13 at the Westin Hotel near the San Francisco Airport in Millbrae, Calif. The program will include space science and earth science workshops for educators of grades 4 through 12, as well as sessions for educators who work in informal settings (such as museums, nature centers, amateur astronomy clubs, and community organizations.)

A limited number of travel-support scholarships (of up to $300 per person) will be made available for educators. Visit http://www.astrosociety.org/events/2009mtg/workshops.html

AIAA Space 2009 Conference & Exposition Planned in Pasadena on Sep. 14-17

The U.S. government’s massive space modernization program has reached its apex; a new era of human space exploration is beginning as we transition from the Space Shuttle to Constellation; the effects of a complex and dynamic globalized economy are helping shape the market; and the new U.S. presidential administration and Congress mean potential changes in priorities and emphases. The AIAA SPACE 2009 Conference & Exposition will examine these issues and more and will be attended by leaders from all corners of the space community, including key government and industry decision-makers. Register at www.aiaa.org

APSCC 2009 Satellite Conference & Exhibition Planned in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Sep. 29 – Oct. 1

The Asia-Pacific Satellite Communications Council (ASPSCC) is holding the 2009 Satellite Conference and Exhibition on Sep. 29 - Oct. 1 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Visit http://www.apscc.or.kr/ for information.

CSA Annual Supplier Innovations Forum Planned in El Segundo on Oct 7

CSA is pleased to announce that Boeing Satellite Systems is graciously co-hosting the CSA Annual Supplier Innovations Forum, inclusive of all agencies, primes and suppliers on 10/7/09 at BSS in El Segundo.  CSA greatly appreciates Boeing’s support, as well as Raytheon’s co-host support of the 2007 Forum, NGC’s co-host support of the 2008 Forum, and The Aerospace Corporation’s support of the inaugural Keynote in 2007 by Dr. Wanda Austin. Save the date!

California SpotBeam Awards Dinner - Nov. 18

Join us at California Space Authority's Signature Event, the 2009 California Space Enterprise  SpotBeam Awards Reception and Dinner, to be held on November 18, 2009 at the Proud Bird Restaurant in Los Angeles. For sponsorship opportunities contact Elizabeth.Burkhead@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx or visit http://www.prestoregister.com/cgi-bin/order.pl?ref=csa-event&fm=1 to register.

Last Week’s DOD Contract Awards in California

Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co., Sunnyvale, Calif., was awarded a $262,500,000 contract for the long lead parts and material procurement for the 4th Space Based Infrared Systems Geosynchronous Earth Orbit Satellite and the 4th Highly Elliptical Orit Payload. At this time $137, 125,000 has been obligated. Space Based Infrared Systems Wing, Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif., is the contracting activity.

Northrop Grumman Mission Systems, Electromagnetic Systems Laboratory, San Jose, Calif., was awarded a $71,147,842 cost plus incentive fee contract to provide MQ-1 unmanned aerial system communication intelligence airborne signals intelligence payload -1 C scaled sensors for the Predator unmanned aerial system.   At this time, $69,851,657 has been obligated at this time. Reconnaissance Systems Wing, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is the contracting activity.

The Northrop Grumman Corporation, Marine Systems, Sunnyvale, Calif., is being awarded a $14,318,064 cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price contract to develop and design launcher subsystem risk reduction demonstration hardware, test stand, and necessary related test equipment with the capability to conduct an underwater launch demonstration of a D5 missile in a large diameter missile tube. This contract contains an option, which is exercised will bring the contract value to $17,111,932. Work will be performed in Sunnyvale, Calif., and work is expected to be completed Mar. 31, 2010, with one option for studies with a period of performance of 12 months from the date the option is exercised (if exercised). Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The contract was not competitively procured. The Navy’s Strategic Systems Programs, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity.

Raytheon Co., Tucson, Ariz., is being awarded a $12,803,117 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to provide the engineering, material and test support for the Joint Multi Effects Warhead System Joint Capability Technology Demonstration (JCTD). The JCTD will serve to integrate several warhead technologies onto the Tomahawk Block IV cruise missile, and demonstrate an expanded capability against hard and large area targets using a two-stage warhead design in a “multi-effects” system. Work will be performed in Tucson, Ariz., (90 percent) and China Lake, Calif., (10 percent), and is expected to be completed in January 2012. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to the FAR 6.302-1. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.

Lockheed Martin Corp., Space Systems Co., Sunnyvale, Calif., is being awarded a $15,725,252 modified contract for the Advanced EHF Satellite program in the MILSATCOM Systems Wing to increase the level of interim contractor sustainment activities.  At this time, $14,566,254 has been obligated.  Military Satellite Communications Systems Wing, El Segundo, Calif., is the contracting activity.

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Incorporated, San Diego, Calif., is being awarded a $12,052,945 cost plus fixed fee contract to support the NightLighter program, which is an optical change detection system with full day/night capability.  At this time, $11,540,000 has been obligated.  Detachment 1 AFRL/PKSE, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is the contracting activity.

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Bethpage, N.Y., is being awarded a $14,811,181 modification to previously awarded contract to increase the ceiling amount for Systems Engineering and Systems Software/Firmware support for the various Electronic Warfare Systems for the AN/SLQ-32 System, the threat detection system aboard Navy ships.  Work will be performed in Goleta, Calif., (75 percent), Buffalo, N.Y., (10 percent), Dahlgren, Va., (10 percent), and Hollywood, Md., (5 percent) and is expected to be completed by December 2014.  No funds will be placed on the contract at time of award.  The Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane, Crane, Ind., is the contracting activity.

EDO Communications and Countermeasures Systems, Inc., Thousand Oaks, Calif., is being awarded a $5,672,111 modification to previously awarded contract for the production and support of six Automated Test Units (ATEs) and support services provided by eight Field Service Representatives (FSRs) and one Subject Matter Expert (SME) in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.  Work will be performed in Thousand Oaks, Calif., and is expected to be completed by January 2011.   Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity.

Northrop Grumman Space and Mission Systems Corp., Van Nuys, Calif.; Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Co.; and General Dynamic Advanced Information Systems, Dayton, Ohio are awarded a combined $600,000,000 indefinite delivery/quantity contract to support the National Air and Space Intelligence Center’s Advanced Technical Exploitation  Program.  At this time, $64,969 has been obligated to both Northrop Grumman and Ball Aerospace; and $64,919 has been obligated to General Dynamics.  ASC/PKESI is the contracting activity.

General Atomics, San Diego, Calif., is being awarded a $32,727,170 not to exceed, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for development of a prototype hybrid electric drive (HED) system for a full-scale demonstration.  HED is aimed at improving the operating efficiency of the engineering plant on DDG 51 Class Ships and is intended to demonstrate the capability for significant fuel savings by incorporating advanced electric machine technology.  This supports the national defense imperative to reduce dependence on foreign non-renewable energy resources.  Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif., (50 percent); Milwaukee, Wis., (24 percent), and Hudson, Mass., (26 percent), and is expected to be completed by June 2014.  Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  This contract was competitively procured under a Broad Agency Announcement, with 23 offers received.  The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, D.C., is the contracting activity.

Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co., Strategic Missile Programs, Sunnyvale, Calif., is being awarded a $13,843,373 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to provide the nuclear weapons security (NWS) equipment installation and maintenance and training services for various NWS projects.  Work will be performed in Sunnyvale, Calif., (54 percent); Pittsfield, Mass., (19 percent); Denver, Colo., (2 percent); St. Marys, Ga., (8 percent); Cocoa Beach, Fla., (8 percent); Silverdale, Wash., (8 percent); New York, N.Y., (1 percent), and work is expected to be completed Sept. 30, 2011.  Contract funds in the amount of $1,801,239 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  This contract was not competitively procured.  The Navy’s Strategic Systems Programs, Arlington, Va., is the contracting agency.

Barnhart, Inc., San Diego, Calif., is being awarded $8,843,447 for firm-fixed price task order #0003 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N62473-08-D-8614) for design and construction of a large fire crash rescue station at Travis Air Force Base.  The task order also contains one unexercised option and one planned modification, which if exercised would increase the cumulative task order value to $10,329,235.  Work will be performed in Fairfield, Calif., and is expected to be completed by December 2010.  Contract funds will not 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.

RQ Construction, Inc. Carlsbad, Calif., was awarded on Jun. 30, 2009 a $35,740,000 firm-fixed-price contract for the design/build of a new single story, pre-engineered, repair facility.  This facility will repair a variety of aircraft power components.  Work is to be performed in Fort Bliss, Texas with an estimated completion date of Sept. 31, 2010.  Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with sixteen bids received.  U.S. Army Engineer District Sacramento, Calif., was the contracting activity.

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., San Diego, Calif., was awarded on June 30, 2009 a $ 24,405,260 cost-plus- incentive fee contract for the acquisition of additional extended range multi-purpose unmanned aircraft systems hardware to support Army system integration laboratory and training at Fort Huachuca, Ariz.  Work is to be performed in San Diego, Calif., (46 percent); Adelanto, Calif., (14 percent); Palmdale, Calif., (8 percent); Salt Lake City, Utah (18 percent); Hunt Valley, Md. (14 percent) with an estimated date of Mar. 31, 2011.  U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity.

L-3 Services, Inc., San Diego, Calif., was awarded on July 2, 2009 a $ 8,554,303 firm-fixed-price, time and material contract for recurring engineering and production unit delta to incorporate a new receiver with satellite on-the-move system capability into the current Prophet Spiral I production systems.  Work is to be performed in San Diego, Calif. with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2010.  One Sole Source bid was solicited with one bid received .  CECOM Acquisition Center, Fort Monmouth, N.J., was the contracting activity.

Gentex Corp., Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., was awarded on Jun. 29, 2009 a $6,081,302 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for an award of a cost-plus-incentive fee delivery order to design, develop, test, prepare associated documentation and deliver the Joint Services Aircrew Mask-Fixed Wing Joint Strike Fighter Variant Integration.  Work is to be performed in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., (95 percent) and Federica, DE (5 percent) with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2011.  One bid solicited with one bid received.  U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command Acquisition Center, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., is the contracting activity.

Northrup Grumman Space and Missions Systems Corp., Redondo Beach, Calif., is being awarded a $98,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the Maritime Laser Demonstration (MLD) Program.  The MLD Program seeks to mature technologies through and beyond a technical readiness level of six, in a technology demonstration (TD) phase with an anticipated contract duration period of between 12 and 18 months.  There will be a final demonstration phase of a demonstrator/prototype.  The prototype system installation envisioned and desired not to be limited to installation on a specific or particular class of ship, but at the very minimum shall support the US Navy DDG, LCS, CG, LSD, LPD, LHA, LHD, and FFG ship classes.  Incremental land based live-fire tests for safety and range readiness reviews and testing will be considered as part of the overall program, leading to a real-time, “at sea” dynamic demonstration showing a counter-material capability against small boats.  On successful completion of the TD, additional task orders for a subsequent acquisition oriented system development and demonstration phase may extend the life of the contract.  These capabilities define its relevance to the Office of Naval Research mission since they are key thrusts of the survivability & self defense and power projection S&T focus areas at ONR.  The contract allows for the placement of firm-fixed-price and cost-plus-fixed-fee task orders.  At the time of award, $499,999 will be obligated.  Work will be performed in Redondo Beach, Calif., and the expected date of completion is June 2014.  Contract funds in the amount of $499,999 will expire at end of current fiscal year.  The contract was competitively procured via the internet under a Request For Proposals.  The Office of Naval Research, Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity.

T.B Penick & Sons, Inc., San Diego, Calif., is being awarded $14,970,106 for firm-fixed price task order #0006 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N62473-08-D-8612) for the design and construction of an applied instruction facility at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma.  The contract also contains two unexercised options, which if exercised would increase the cumulative task order value to $18,703,081.  Work will be performed in Yuma, Ariz., and is expected to be completed by November 2010.  Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  Six proposals were received for this task order.  The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity.

Hawthorne Machinery Co., San Diego, Calif., is being awarded a ceiling $14,200,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to accomplish maintenance and Class “B” overhauls on Caterpillar brand diesel engines on torpedo weapon retrievers and other small boats and crafts for the Navy.  Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif., and is expected to be completed by July 2014.  Contract funds in the amount of $20,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  The contract was competitively procured with four proposals solicited and one offer received via the Federal Business Opportunities website. The Southwest Regional Maintenance Center, San Diego, Calif. is the contracting activity.

CACI, Inc.-Federal, Chantilly, Va., is being awarded a $8,706,093 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with fixed-priced task orders for the enhancement, maintenance and support of Military Sealift Command information technology systems used for maintenance and supply processes.  This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of the contract to $69,985,284.  At the time of award, $1,000,000 will be obligated.  Work will be performed in Chantilly, Va., (40 percent); Arlington, Va., (20 percent); San Diego, Calif., (20 percent); and Hampton Roads, Va., (20 percent), and is expected to be completed by January 2017.  Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  This contract was competitively procured with more than 100 proposals solicited with four offers received.  Military Sealift Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.

The Air Force is awarding a contract to Vision Systems International, San Jose, Calif., for $10,205,915.  This action will provide the equipment, data and technical support necessary to stand-up an organic repair capability for the helmet vehicle interface cables supporting the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System at Robins AFB.  The system provides the war fighter an ejection-compatible, helmet-mounted display with the capability to cue and verify high off-axis sensors and weapons on USAF/USN single and dual seat fighter aircraft.  The entire amount has been obligated at this time.  The 448 SCMG/PKHCB, Robins AFB, Ga., is the contracting activity.