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March
4, 2008
New Web
Feature Shows How NASA Technologies Improve Our Lives
WASHINGTON - NASA has added to its
Web site an interactive program that allows users to discover some of
the many NASA technologies that positively impact everyday life. NASA
Deputy Administrator Shana Dale unveiled NASA at Home and NASA City in Denver at the 3rd Space
Exploration Conference.
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/mmgallery/index.html
International Space
Development Conference (ISDC): May 29 - June 1, 2008
Capital Hilton Hotel, Washington DC. The National Space
Society's 2008 International Space Development Conference will bring
together all parts of the space community, from astronauts to
entrepreneurs, scientists to policymakers, and professionals to
enthusiasts. The conference will present a wide
variety of space topics, including civil, commercial and scientific
developments and discoveries.
Register at http://www.nss.org. Discount Registration to
CSA Members!
Workforce Summit on March
13: Convening Leaders, Confronting Reality
http://www.sandiegoatwork.com
Georgia/California Team
Wins Cash for Space Rock Tracking Plan
http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/080227-apophis-asteroid-tracking-contest.html
NASA's 3rd Space
Exploration Conference Presentations Online
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/exploration/main/3rd_exploration_conf.html
Online Searchable Database
Bridges the Gap in STEM Education
User-friendly site helps
educators, students, transitioning workers and more find programs for
their needs
Pasadena, Calif. – In an effort to enhance
critical science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) workforce
development and career technical education (CTE), an on-line database
of STEM programs was released today by the California Space Education
and Workforce Institute (CSEWI). Called the
“STEM Inventory,” the website is a user-friendly, searchable database
of STEM programs available to Californians at all stages of their
careers.
http://www.csewi.org/STEM
NASA Solicits COTS-2
Proposals from Industry (Source: Space News)
NASA intends to seek formal proposals this spring from companies that
can be ready in 2010 to deliver cargo to the international space
station. A draft request for proposals was released Feb. 28. A final
solicitation is due in April. NASA intends to award so-called
indefinite quantity-indefinite delivery contracts to one of more
companies in late November. The contracts would qualify a company to
deliver cargo to the space station between 2010 and 2012. Flight
services would be purchased via competitively awarded task orders,
similar to the way NASA buys satellite launch services today.
NASA Awards External Tank
Contract Modification (Source: NASA)
NASA has signed a $47.5 million contract modification with Lockheed
Martin for space shuttle external fuel tanks. The modification aligns
and extends all activities associated with the production contract to
include final assembly of one tank, partial manufacture of a tank and
the acquisition of the component parts for one additional tank to serve
as spares. The cost plus award fee/incentive fee contract will conclude
Sept. 30, 2010, and brings the total
value of the contract, awarded in October 2000, to $2.93 billion. The
contract calls for the delivery of 18 external tanks to NASA.
NASA Awards Constellation Program Support Contract
(Source: NASA)
NASA has awarded SGT Inc. of Greenbelt, Md., a contract for support
services for Constellation Program, which is developing new spacecraft
to travel beyond low Earth orbit. The Constellation fleet includes the
Orion crew vehicle, the Ares I and Ares V launch vehicles and Altair
human lunar lander. The small business contract has a potential value
of $60 million with options. Work on the contract will be performed at Johnson Space Center with additional work
possible at Kennedy Space Center, Langley Research Center, and Marshall Space Flight Center. Services will include
business management, configuration and data management, requirements
analysis and integration, schedule management and integration and
technology protection.
New Orion CEV Requirements Force Contract Renegotiation
(Source: Flight International)
NASA and Lockheed Martin are restructuring the Orion design,
development, test and evaluation contract, awarded in 2006, following
new CEV requirements that emerged from project reviews in November and
December. Lockheed expects the restructured seven-year deal to increase
costs in the short term but require no overall change to the total
contract award of $3.9 billion. Requirements for the Orion that have
already been dropped are two-failure tolerant specifications for some
of its subsystems while others, such as the ability of the capsule to
cope with Atlantic or Pacific sea-states for up to 36h before the crew
can be recovered, are in negotiation.
New Use For NASA's Ceramic Thermal-Protection Tiles Saves Some
Jobs (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Ceramic heat-protection tiles -- for three decades, a fragile symbol of
the space-shuttle era -- have gained an unexpected new lease on life.
Long assumed to be destined for the engineering garbage can as NASA
abandons the shuttle for a new spaceship, the tiles have made a
comeback as part of the thermal-protection system of the Orion space
capsule that is supposed to return astronauts to the moon in 2020. Even
better for the beleaguered workforce at KSC -- which expects to lose
thousands of jobs when the shuttle is retired -- the tiles will be
manufactured and applied to the sides of the Orion capsule at KSC. But
only as few as 10 tile technicians will remain, down from an estimated
several hundred today.
NASA Adds Power and Height to Ares V Rocket (Source:
Flight International)
NASA's Ares V cargo launch vehicle (CLV), named after its five
first-stage cryogenic engines, could end up with six engines, be taller
than the Saturn V and diminish the space agency's common element
approach to its new transportation system. For missions to the Moon,
Ares V will launch the Earth departure stage (EDS) and Altair lunar
lander that will dock with the manned Orion crew exploration vehicle.
The ongoing changes to the CLV are to provide more performance margin
to help with possible future mass growth in the Altair and Orion. Click
here
to view the article.
Ares I Issue Near Resolution, NASA Says (Source: Aviation
Week)
The focus team studying the thrust-oscillation problem that has raised
concerns over development of NASA's planned Ares I crew launch vehicle
is set to brief senior agency managers on their findings next month,
with early indications the problem won't be a show-stopper. The team
has almost finished its work on both the "forcing function" that a
vibration in the Ares I first stage sets up in the rest of the stack,
and on ways to mitigate potentially damaging effects in the vehicle's
response to it.
Ares I-X Test Launch To Study Vibrations (Source:
Aerospace Daily)
NASA engineers are adding instrumentation to the first full-scale
flight version of the Ares I crew launch vehicle to gather real data
about vibrations from its solid-fuel first stage that initially were
predicted to be seriously out-of-spec. Those predictions, which could
mean expensive modifications to the Ares I and the Orion crew
exploration vehicle that will ride atop it, are based largely on
ground-test data. Managers hope flight-test results from the Ares I-X
flight will give them a much better idea of just how bad the problem
is, and what it will take to solve it.
NASA Views Possible Lunar Landing Site (Source: UPI)
NASA has obtained the highest-resolution terrain mapping to date of a
possible landing site at the moon's south polar region. The new images,
containing a resolution to about 66 feet per pixel, were obtained using
the Goldstone Solar System Radar located in California's Mojave Desert. NASA said the imagery
has been incorporated into animation depicting the descent to the lunar
surface of a future human lunar lander and a flyover of Shackleton
Crater. The data indicates Shackleton Crater is much more rugged than
previously understood, NASA said, noting the crater's rim area is
considered a candidate landing site for a future human mission to the
moon. The imagery shows the lunar south pole has peaks as high as Mount McKinley and crater floors four
times deeper than the Grand Canyon.
NASA Still Mum on Job Losses (Source: Florida Today)
Communities near Kennedy Space Center could feel the impact of the
space shuttles' retirement more than regions surrounding other NASA
field centers, according to a new agency report. The reason: the space
shuttle program accounts for a bigger share of this area's economy.
Space shuttle work represents less than 1 percent of economic activity
in NASA communities in other states, but nearly 3 percent of economic
activity in the central Florida region surrounding the
spaceships' launch and landing base. NASA has given no official job
loss figures since news of the shuttle's retirement in 2004.
Senators Clash with NASA Chief on Speed of Space Transition
(Source: Government Executive)
Complaining that President Bush's proposed $17.6 billion NASA budget
would slow the NASA's transition from the space shuttle to
Constellation, senators from both parties Wednesday questioned whether
the administration correctly weighed the risks in relying on Russia to
ferry American astronauts and equipment to and from the International
Space Station. Space Subcommittee Chairman Bill Nelson, D-Fla., and
Sen. David Vitter, R-La., trained their sights on what they portrayed
as a high-risk reliance on a partner whose ambitions might run counter
to U.S. foreign policy goals.
Nelson said "there is a realistic political monkey wrench" that could
complicate any deal. He said current law forbids any U.S. contract payments to Russia if it continues to
support the Iranian nuclear development program, unless the White House
requests a waiver and Congress grants it.
"We will need a waiver of that law," Griffin said, and added: "Our
folks are working with the Department of State to get one." Nelson
reminded him that Congress would have to receive the request for the
waiver by March 14. Griffin also said the shutdown of
the shuttle program is likely to lead to the loss of thousands of NASA
jobs at Kennedy Space Center in Florida and the Michoud Assembly
Facility in New Orleans. Vitter said the loss of
technical and scientific knowledge from the layoffs could cost NASA
more than the amount saved by relying on Russia for space transport and
the expense of recruiting, hiring and training a skilled workforce to
develop the Ares and Orion vehicles.
Seven Generations: a Re-Evaluation of the Paine Report
(Source: Space Review)
NASA's exploration program faces an uncertain future given the upcoming
change in administrations. Alex Howerton looks back to a report
completed over 20 years ago for guidance on how the nation should
continue its space efforts. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1067/1
to view the article.
Former President Clinton Stumps for Hillary in Houston
(Source: Houston Chronicle)
In the heart of the mostly Hispanic near north side of Houston today,
President Clinton delivered an unbleached populist message on behalf of
his wife. Clinton pointed out that Hillary
Clinton places more of an emphasis than Obama on human space travel.
"This is the center of American space travel," he said of Houston and the Johnson Space Center. "Sixteen thousand
(local) jobs -- and a lot of America's future -- rely on this."
Clinton, Obama Address Houston Hot Topics (Source: Houston
Chronicle)
On space exploration, the energy industry and the Latino vote, Barack
Obama and Hillary Clinton dispelled any impression Friday that they are
policy twins inside different outer shells. Clinton was more enthusiastic
than Obama about human space travel and domestic oil production when
the Democratic presidential candidates conducted separate telephone
conferences with the Houston Chronicle editorial board. "I intend to
pursue an ambitious agenda in both space exploration and earth
sciences," Clinton said. "I want to support
the next generation of spacecraft for a robust human spaceflight
program."
Obama agreed that NASA, which employs thousands of Houston-area voters
who work at or with the Johnson Space Center, should be a tool for
inspiring the nation. But, he said, the next president needs to have "a
practical sense of what investments deliver the most scientific and
technological spinoffs — and not just assume that human space
exploration, actually sending bodies into space, is always the best
investment."
Candidates' Views Differ
on Space Exploration (Source: NPR)
Advocates of NASA's plan to return to the moon are concerned that
Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has said he will raid
NASA's budget to fund education. While the issue of space exploration
hasn't gotten much attention this campaign season, it is a topic on
which the candidates do differ. Visit http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=87829747
to hear the radio news segment.
Obama Talks Space on WKYC Interview (Source: NASA Watch)
Obama: "I've got a strong belief in NASA and the process of space
exploration. I do think that our program has been stuck for a while -
that the space shuttle mission did not inspire the imagination of the
public - that much of the experimentation that was done could have been
conducted not necessarily with manned flights. I think that broadening
our horizons - and looking at a combination of both unmanned satellites
of the sort that we saw with the Jupiter launch - but also looking at
where we can start planning for potential manned flights. I think that
is something that I'm excited about and could be part of a broader
strategy for science and technology investment ... The only thing I
want to say is that I want to do a thorough review because some of
these programs may not be moving in the right direction and I want to
make sure that NASA spending is a little more coherent than it has been
over the last several years."
California Space Authority
Supports Aerospace Advisory Committee, Candidate Outreach (Source: CSA)
Former Congresswoman Andrea Seastrand, executive director of the
California Space Authority, will chair an Aerospace Advisory Committee
of the California Commission for Economic Development. Visit http://www.californiaspaceauthority.org/images/press-releases/pr080225-1.pdf for
information.
CSA also recently
developed a point paper titled: "Benefits and Challenges of Space
Enterprise In California" for distribution to all the Presidential
candidates. Visit http://www.californiaspaceauthority.org/images/government/pointpaper.pdf to view the document.
California Takes Space Industry
Pulse with Online Survey (Source: CSA)
The California Space Authority’s strategic plan implementation process
includes taking the pulse of space enterprise in California using a quick online
survey. The 10 minute survey seeks gut reactions to pointed questions
about the state's space industry and space programs. The survey closes
March 31. Visit http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=yFf3MpjT0QryJga7acYF6A_3d_3d
to take the survey.
California Space Day Planned May 13
in Sacramento (Source: CSA)
Space enterprise stakeholders will meet in Sacramento on May 13 to discuss
space policy and regulatory issues with state legislators and executive
branch key officials. Click here
for information and registration.
Florida Space Day Planned March 6
in Tallahassee (Source: FSD)
On March 6, 2008, Florida-based companies
supporting the Aerospace Industry will meet in Tallahassee for Florida Space Day
2008. Industry leaders and representatives will conduct legislative
visits with House and Senate Representatives to bring collaborative
messages on Space and Aerospace initiatives and discuss pending
legislation with policymakers.
Editorial: Florida Seeks Legislative Relief
for Spaceflight (Source: Palm Beach Post)
This week provides new evidence that the dangers of space travel are
well known to all. The Florida Legislature soon will consider House
Bill 737, "An act relating to informed consent for spaceflight." It
would provide immunity from lawsuits for companies that blast tourists
- who reportedly would pay $200,000 to $300,000 per trip - into
suborbit. "A spaceflight entity is not liable for injury to or death of
a participant resulting from the inherent risks of spaceflight launch
activities."
Barney Bishop, president of the influential business group Associated
Industries of Florida, says state leaders are planning to copy a
Virginia law that would provide immunity for, among other things,
private satellite-launch companies who operate out of Florida. Why do
such companies need immunity? Because it is the nature of launches of
all kinds to go, on occasion, horribly wrong. If Virginia isn't going to hold such
companies responsible for dropping a satellite on a condominium, the
only way Florida can compete for that
emerging industry is to give Buck Rogers entrepreneurs a pass if they
happen to knock off a few Floridians. Hey, whose fault is it if gravity
acting on spacecraft kills a hapless golfer or two?
A Taste of Space on Earth: Pilots, Passengers Train for
Spaceliner Flights (Source: Space News)
Future space passengers are getting a leg up on appreciating the
physiological rigors of suborbital spaceflight they plan to take in the
future, but without leaving the Earth. Using state-of-the-art
equipment, the National Aerospace Training and Research Center (NASTAR Center) in Southampton, Pa., is helping to train both
the pilots and prospective passengers of commercial spaceliners.
The NASTAR Center is a wholly owned
subsidiary of Environmental Tectonics Corp. and houses an array of
training devices, including a specialized high-performance human
centrifuge. Known as the Space Training System-400, the centrifuge
mimics the flight dynamics and sustained Gs of a rocket-powered flight
to the edge of space, while providing a realistic view from the
simulated cockpit windows. Along with G-force exposure, center
facilities make available to patrons altitude exposure, spatial
disorientation and other physiological effects they will encounter as
they enter the space environment.
Florida Race to Space (Source: Naples News)
Once the exclusive province of science fiction or the government,
economic opportunities in space are now available to all. Steve Kohler,
president of Space Florida, pointed out that there
are now vast fields of opportunities available to entrepreneurs in Southwest Florida — and anywhere on Earth —
from technological partnerships to mining of precious metals on
asteroids. The fast-talking former CEO of Winner Global Defense now
runs the single point of contact for state aerospace-related activities
with federal agencies, the military, state agencies, businesses and the
private sector.
In case opportunities weren’t clearcut enough for his audience, Kohler
pointed out that a standard asteroid has a market value of $20 trillion
in metals: nickel, iron, platinum, iridium, osmium and palladium. Florida has some $9 billion in
aerospace assets at Cape Canaveral and at the Jacksonville
Spaceport, but there is growing competition from 13 other states,
including nine states with spaceports. Florida has aerospace-related
industries in 47 of its 67 counties. And for those who need to relate
to a more tangible market: There is a commercial space tourism need
coming, Kohler said. British entrepreneur Richard Branson is already
starting to sell tickets for Virgin Galactic’s second spaceship, Kohler
said.
Starfighters Flies Range Technology Test from
Shuttle Landing Facility (Source: Starfighters)
Clearwater-based Starfighters Inc. conducted two F-104 flights on Feb.
28 from KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility. The test flights carried
elements of a NASA-sponsored Autonomous Flight Safety System (AFSS), a
developmental flight termination system for space launch vehicles. The
AFSS uses vehicle navigation data from redundant onboard sensors and
makes flight termination decisions using software-based rules.
Hundreds Protest NASA
Proposal to Use Kennedy Wildlife Area for Launches (Source: AP)
Hundreds of people attended back-to-back hearings at the Titusville
City Council to protest a NASA proposal to launch rockets from a nearby
wildlife refuge. NASA officials say they haven't decided yet whether to
use the 200 acres inside the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge as
a commercial launch site. Another oceanside site has been proposed
within the restricted area of the Kennedy Space Center. Endangered wildlife and
wetlands exist in both locations. Officials say both sites also fit
NASA's requirements for distance from residential areas and risk from
hurricane storm surge. The protesters who attended yesterday's meetings
say NASA instead should consider using abandoned launch pads at the
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
Economic Study Backs Anglers' Argument Against Launch Complex
(Source: Daytona Beach News Journal)
The timing of a new state study couldn't have been better for opponents
scrambling for ammunition to shoot down a NASA proposal to build a
private launch complex next to a wildlife refuge. The study concluded
retail sales for wildlife viewing doubled in Florida in the past five years.
Outdoor enthusiasts hope the study will lend oomph to their pleas for
NASA to look south instead, to the border it shares with Cape Canaveral
Air Force Station.
The NASA proposal to consider using one of two 200-acre sites on the
northern end of Kennedy Space Center as a commercial launch
complex has scores of fishermen, bird-watchers, surfers and nude
sunbathers in a tizzy. Either complex would be adjacent to or very near
popular fishing, swimming and wildlife viewing spots at Merritt Island
National Wildlife Refuge and Canaveral National Seashore. The two
attract more than 1 million visitors each year.
Launch Site Opposition Focuses Mainly on Northern Option
(Source: ERAU)
Opponents of NASA's concept for allowing a new commercial launch
complex to be built on KSC are most concerned with the northernmost
site among the two options identified. The northern site is on
relatively undisturbed land and its development and operations would
impact public use of the Mosquito Lagoon, a wildlife sanctuary and
nearby beaches. The southern site is adjacent to existing Space Shuttle
launch pads, is located within KSC's current security area, and would
not impact public access to wildlife areas. Advocates hope the strong
opposition to the northern site expressed at recent public meetings
will not prevent the development of the southern site. Click here
to view a map of the two sites.
Editorial: Location, Location, Location (Source: ERAU)
The idea of building a new commercial launch complex on Kennedy Space Center has caused many opponents
to suggest locating it on Air Force property. This may be feasible, but
it defeats the intent. The two currently proposed sites on KSC may not
be perfect, but they have a huge advantage over an Air Force location:
no Air Force. The KSC sites would allow a greater role for the FAA and
a state- or county-empowered spaceport authority, including streamlined
processes for commercial access, and potentially the use of an
FAA-approved range safety system instead of the notoriously complex Eastern Range. This airport-like
approach was envisioned nearly two decades ago when the state
established the Spaceport Florida Authority, but the Air Force never
embraced the concept. The Air Force's resistance to change is the
reason new commercial--and even new military--launch programs avoid the
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and the Eastern Range.
Company Rethinking New Mexico Launch Site (Source: Las
Cruces Sun)
A British rocket company, cited by New Mexico economic development
officials as a potential tenant at the state's spaceport, is looking at
other launch sites in Florida and Europe. Steve Bennett, chief
executive of Starchaser Industries, said Thursday by e-mail that the
company performed a European Space Agency study contract "which
effectively defined a 'road map to launch' for Starchaser." "It became
clear that New Mexico may not be the optimum
location from which to conduct Starchaser operations," he wrote.
"Launch location offers from Florida, as well as Europe, are therefore under
consideration as possible alternatives."
Bennett didn't elaborate on reasons for the decision, but the company's
fledgling operation west of Las Cruces — a small building along
Interstate 10 — has been shuttered since November. Spaceport America executive director Steve
Landeene said he hadn't spoken with Bennett and didn't have additional
details. But he said the company's decision won't affect plans to
develop the $225 million spaceport. "I wouldn't characterize it as a
strike," Landeene said. "I haven't fully assessed the situation for
Starchaser, but they were not in the core model. They are one of many
out there on the horizon."
Blue Origin Buys Texas Ranch for Launch Site (Source:
SpaceRef.com)
According to sources, Jeff Bezos' company Blue Origin has reportedly
bought a 32,000 acre ranch a few miles north of Sierra Blanca, Texas to
use as a launch site. This location was previously cleared by the FAA
for a launch attempt for the Space America suborbital launch vehicle in
1998.
California Atlas Launch Delayed to Avoid Spy Satellite Debris
(Source: Florida Today)
The planned launch of an Atlas 5 rocket with a classified payload is
being pushed back about two weeks to avoid the scattered remnants of a
spy satellite that was destroyed last week in a deliberate Navy missile
shot. The powerful United Launch Alliance rocket and its National
Reconnaissance Office payload had been slated to blast off from
Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on Friday.
SpaceX Falcon 9 Maiden Flight Delayed by Six Months to Late Q1
2009 (Source: Flight International)
Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) is blaming the overwhelming
amount of work related to the development of its Falcon 9 rocket and
Dragon capsule for a delay of six months for the new vehicles’ maiden
flight. The rocket and capsule’s development is in part being funded by
the NASA Commercial Orbital Space Transportation Services (COTS)
program. Previously scheduled for a US government funded maiden
demonstration flight in the fourth quarter with two more flights before
the end of the year; the first launch is now expected late in the first
quarter of 2009 and the subsequent COTS and commercial flights in the
second quarter.
SpaceX Completes Qualification Testing of Merlin Engine for
Falcon 1 (Source: SpaceX)
SpaceX has completed the qualification testing program of its Merlin 1C
next-generation liquid fueled rocket booster engine for use in the
Falcon 1 rocket. Tests were conducted at the SpaceX Texas Test Facility
near Waco, TX, on a Merlin 1C
configured for powering the first stage of a Falcon 1 rocket. The
qualification program included a record-breaking day of four
full-mission duration firings on the engine. “This marathon run brought
the total operating time on a single engine to over 27 minutes, which
is more than ten complete flights. The engine meets or exceeds all
requirements for thrust, performance and durability.” “In the coming
weeks SpaceX will begin qualifying Merlin for the higher thrust and
performance levels required by its Falcon 9 rocket, keeping the company
on track for delivering the first Falcon 9 vehicle to Cape Canaveral by
year end.”
AirLaunch Passes Hardware Milestone (Source: CSA)
AirLaunch LLC passed a major hardware milestone in Phase 2C of the
DARPA/Air Force Falcon Small Launch Vehicle (SLV) program. The
company's upgraded Horizontal Test Stand (known as HTS-2) is now
complete, with new hardware and additional sensors and instrumentation
systems for the HTS and the HTS test article installed. AirLaunch plans
to launch small payloads aboard rockets dropped from the cargo holds of
aircraft like the C-17.
Air Force Funds Boeing and
Lockheed Martin to Retain EELV Rocket Availability (Source: ERAU)
Boeing and Lockheed Martin will receive contract modifications totaling
over $518 million to "maintain uninterrupted support" for the
companies' Delta-4 and Atlas-5 launch vehicles. Boeing will receive the
majority of the new funding, just under $308 million, with some
additional tasks. Boeing will use $20 million for "pre/post mission
engineering and critical components...supply chain management and
technological improvement tasks" for the Delta-4 launch system.
USAF To Use Its Last Three Delta 2s for GPS Launches
(Source: Space News)
The U.S. Air Force plans to use its last three Delta 2 rockets during
fiscal 2008 to launch GPS 2RM satellites. The Air Force does not need
to launch these satellites to replenish the GPS constellation, a
government official points out, since there currently is a record
number — 31 — of functioning GPS satellites already in orbit. "There's
actually a 32nd satellite in orbit standing by as a live spare in case
we lose one of our older birds. This is the first time we've had an
on-orbit spare," this source said.
The GPS 2RM launches are happening because the funds for launching on
the Delta 2 "are only available this year," the government source said,
leading the Air Force to temporarily launch according to schedule
instead of launching satellites as they are needed. The government
source said this sets an "interesting precedent," since the Defense
Department "has always resisted a launch on schedule approach whenever
the civil community" has suggested accelerating modernization of the
GPS constellation.
NASA Picks Up Pace of Shuttle Launches (Source: Florida
Today)
The Endeavour astronauts strapped into their spaceship during a
practice countdown Monday as NASA strives to keep assembly of the
International Space Station on a roll. Just five days after Atlantis
and a station construction crew landed at Kennedy Space Center, NASA is poised to punch
out another outpost assembly mission on March 11. The 20-day
launch-to-launch turnaround would be the fastest NASA has pulled off
since its shuttle fleet returned to service in July 2005. Five years
after the Columbia accident, NASA's pace
seems more like the flurries of flights typical in the 1990s.
NASA Approves March 11
Shuttle Launch (Source: Florida Today)
NASA managers have confirmed that Endeavour will launch at 2:28
a.m. EST on March 11. The 16-day
mission will include five spacewalks and likely will be the longest
stay to date at the International Space Station. Endeavour is scheduled
to stay nearly 12 days at the station. A Japanese logistics module and
a Canadian robot will fly up on the shuttle, and a European cargo
carrier will be near the station during the mission. The Automated
Transfer Vehicle will dock at the space station after the shuttle
departs.
NASA Mulls Booster Chute Failures on Atlantis Mission
(Source: Aviation Week)
The upcoming space shuttle Flight Readiness Review (FRR) for
Endeavour's STS-123 mission will review recovery system malfunctions
that occurred on both of the boosters that launched the orbiter
Atlantis on the STS-122 mission earlier this month. None of the
problems involved flight safety or propulsion aspects of the ATK solid
rocket motors and both were towed back to Kennedy Space Center (KSC)
without difficulty. Also, no delay of STS-123 will occur because of the
booster issues.
But the failure of one of three large recovery parachutes to open
properly on the flight's left solid booster will result in the shuttle
program scrapping the aft skirt for the booster that would normally be
refurbished and reused. A camera on the booster showed that when the
three 136-foot diameter main chutes were deployed, one of the three
immediately developed what grew to be a 25-foot hole at the top of its
canopy. This resulted in the chute never opening properly, instead
streaming uselessly as the booster descended toward the Atlantic Ocean 150 miles northeast of
KSC.
Space Station Orbit Lifted Three Miles for Shuttle/Soyuz
Docking (Source: Itar-Tass)
The Russian Mission Control Center has prepared the International Space
Station for docking with the American Endeavour shuttle and a Russian
manned Soyuz spaceship. The orbit adjustment was made automatically
with the use of two adjusting jets of the Zvezda (Star) service module,
which switched on at 08.16 MT and worked 123.6 seconds. According to
specialists, the station’s average altitude increased by around 5.2
kilometers.
Thousands of Objects
Called 'Space Junk' Orbiting the Earth (Source: Alabama Times
Daily)
As if Earth didn't have enough litter to worry about on its surface,
now it's got a mess of stuff hanging over its head. It's called "space
junk," a term referring to satellites and other man-made debris that
orbit the planet. There are more than 12,000 objects orbiting Earth,
according to NASA's Orbital Debris Program Office, based at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. About 95 percent of the
objects are classified as orbital debris, meaning they are not
operating satellites.
Editorial: Failure is
Always an Option (Source: Palm Beach Post)
Fans of Star Wars - the anti-missile system, not the George Lucas
movies - went all giddy last week after a missile the Navy fired from
the Aegis-class cruiser Lake Erie shot down a dead U.S. spy satellite.
Although the Pentagon tried to pretend that shooting down the satellite
was not a test of the Star Wars system, Defense Secretary Robert Gates
said, "The question of whether this capability works has been settled."
However, the ability to "hit a bullet with a bullet" remains dicey.
Even "successful" tests of a system that needs to be infallible have
relied on circumstances that have been rigged to some extent. We're far
away from being able to shoot down a missile fired in a sneak attack
and equipped with software that executes evasive maneuvers or deploys
defense mechanisms such as decoy flares.
Our anti-missile missiles are designed to lock onto the heat source of
the missile they set out to destroy. But the satellite hit last week
was cold. In fact, the big threat was from frozen toxic fuel.
Furthermore, the satellite was on a regular, predictable orbit.
Shooting it down was a great feat of engineering. But it wasn't a
real-life test of an anti-missile system. All space missions run a high
risk of failure. That is why it makes no sense to rely on an
anti-missile system. Further, it makes no sense to base weapons in
space, a development that some people think the U.S. decision to shoot down
the satellite makes more likely. If we have weapons in space, sooner or
later one of them is going to fail fatally and spectacularly.
Siberian Shepherd Seeks $40,000 Over Space Junk Impact
(Source: RIA Novosti)
A shepherd in Russia's southwestern Siberian Altai Republic is to seek
over $40,000 in damages from the Russian space agency Roscosmos over a
fragment of rocket that fell into his yard on Feb. 5. "Boris Urmatov
[the shepherd] is preparing to file a lawsuit demanding compensation to
the sum of about 1 million rubles [over $40,000]," a local
administration official said. The incident occurred after the launch of
a Proton-M carrier rocket from the Baikonur spaceport. The 11 foot long
fragment fell several meters from his door, badly frightening him and
his children. The official said the local administration would back him
up because the fragment fell outside the designated area for rocket
debris. Several years ago, another resident sought damages in similar
circumstances. A court awarded him some $400 in compensation.
China's Space Reputation is
Growing Fast
(Source: New Scientist)
China's reputation in human
spaceflight goes from strength to strength. Last week, NASA chief Mike
Griffin admitted at a congressional hearing that China is a serious competitor
for the US. His speech marks a
turnaround: "A few years ago, I was not particularly concerned about
Chinese primacy in human spaceflight relative to that of the US," he said. China's rapid progress and a
visit to the country changed his mind. China still has some catching
up to do. So far, it has only launched two crewed missions. But on
Tuesday, the state media reported that the country plans to launch at
least 10 missions this year - a record number. These include two
Shenzhou spacecraft, two environmental satellites and a communications
satellite for Venezuela. There are worries that
the rivalry between the US and China could spill over into an
arms race in space.
India Funds Manned Space Mission (Source: Hindustan Times)
India's ambitious plan to
launch manned space missions received a boost on Friday with the
government sanctioning Rs 100 crore for the initiative. The Union
Budget, presented in Parliament by Finance Minister P Chidambaram, has
earmarked Rs 100 crore for Indian Space Research Organization's (ISRO)
manned mission initiatives as it hiked the allocation for the
Department of Space (DoS) by nearly 24 percent. The DoS has been
allocated Rs 4,074 crore for 2008-09, a Rs 784 crore hike over the Rs
3,290 crore allocation last fiscal.
India's Moon Mission Pushed to July (Source: The Hindu)
India's first planetary mission, Chandrayaan-1, has now been
rescheduled to take place in the first week of July as the mission
personnel work overtime to sort out payload integration and
launch-related issues. The lunar mission was originally scheduled for
April this year, a time-frame targeted four years ago to get all the
payloads well ahead of time and to galvanise the scientists into
mission mode with a target to work on. Indian Space Research
Organisation officials insisted that there are no hardware problems and
that the space agency is moving more cautiously to ensure that all
systems are well tested before and after integration at each stage.
Indian Mars Mission Possible Before 2015 (Source: The
Hindu)
After the Moon, it could be Mars before 2015 for the Indian Space
Research Organization (ISRO) if the ambitious space missions drawn up
by ISRO’s Advisory Committee for Space (ADCOS) up to the year 2020 are
realized in the envisaged time frame. It was on the basis of the
recommendations made by ADCOS that the first lunar mission
Chandrayaan-1, and the multi-wavelength X-ray astronomical satellite
ASTROSAT have been undertaken by ISRO.
Indian Official Proposes Joint Investment in Space With Israel
(Source: The Hindu)
India and Israel should consider jointly investing up to $1 billion in
selected areas in space technology based on their mutual core
competence, former Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam said. Pointing
towards the large number of satellites in the geosynchronous orbit
leading to a "clutter", Kalam, a renowned rocket scientist, emphasized
on the need of immediate steps to enhance cooperation between the
space-faring nations. As a first step towards achieving these goals,
Kalam suggested that the Indian and Israel aerospace agencies should
consider establishing a world knowledge platform to enable joint
design, development, cost effective production and marketing of the
aerospace systems and products.
Japan's Mitsubishi Expects
Foreign Launch Orders (Source: SpaceDaily.com)
Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy
Industries expects to win its first orders for commercial satellite
launches with its H-2A rocket from foreign companies, its president
said. The industrial giant is in the final stages of negotiations with
US and South Korean telecommunications firms and hopes to launch their
satellites by February 2009. Mitsubishi Heavy was chosen by the
Japanese government in 2002 to operate large-scale launch vehicles
following the privatization of the project, which it took full control
of last year. It is now seeking orders from governments and private
companies around the world.
South Africa Ponders Satellite Launch Options (Source:
Engineering News)
The fact that all the leading players in Outer Space have, or are
developing, national launch capabilities, has resulted in debate within
and between government departments and institutions about South Africa
exploring the establishment of its own satellite launch capability.
"This has definitely come up," reveals Department of Science and
Technology space science and technology manager Dr Val Munsami. "In
fact, when we were doing the public consultation on the National Space
Science and Technology Strategy, the issue of launch capability came
up, purely because of the difficulties we are encountering with
SumbandilaSat at the moment...The Department of Trade and Industry is
busy drafting a space policy at the moment and the launch issue is part
of these discussions. The launch capability issue is also sensitive.
Cast your mind back to how we got involved in the Missile Technology
Control Regime (MTCR)."
Britain's Race for Space (Source: The Journal)
As speculation mounts over British manned expeditions into space, it's
time to ask whether this is a dream worth pursuing. The race for space
is back on and the UK doesn’t want to be left
behind. This month saw the release of the UK’s Civilian Space Strategy
2008-2012 which aims to keep the UK “at the forefront of the
evolving space scene.” The headline grabbing announcement was that
there would be a fresh look at the merits of participating in human
space missions. The UK has not participated in
such missions since a decision by Margaret Thatcher in 1986 to pull out
of the European Space Agency’s human space missions.
There have even been four British astronauts: one was part of a
privately financed space flight and the other three gained US citizenship in order to
take part in NASA missions. However, if the UK is going to participate
in the next wave of human space missions it needs to substantially
increase its investment and commitment to space exploration.
Putin Signs Decree to Set
Up Rocket-and-Space Research Center (Source: RIA Novosti)
Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree establishing a
federal government-sponsored Rocket and Space Industry Research and Test Center. The center would be
created by reorganizing the Scientific and Research Institute of
Chemical Engineering, which will be merged with the Scientific and
Research Institute of Chemical and Construction Machine Manufacturing.
The president instructed the government to report on the decree's
implementation within nine months and to submit proposals on the
center's official registration and inclusion into the list of strategic
enterprises and strategic joint stock companies.
Russia's Proton-M to Launch Another Arab Satellite
(Source: RIA Novosti)
A Russian-American joint venture has signed a contract to orbit another
satellite for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by a Russian Proton-M
carrier rocket. Proton-M launch services are provided by
Russian-American joint venture International Launch Services (ILS),
owned by the Khrunichev Center, RSC Energia, and U.S. firm Space Transport Inc.
The company received $1.5 billion in new launch orders in 2007.
Iran Built Space Rocket in Just Months (Source: AP)
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said the research rocket Iran recently
launched was built in just nine months without using any foreign
models. Iran's launch of a rocket in
early February provoked unease in an international community already
suspicious over the Islamic Republic's nuclear program since the
technology involved can also be used to deliver warheads. "Iranian
space engineers built the research rocket in nine months," said
Ahmadinejad, according to the IRNA, the state news agency. "The rocket
was not a reproduction of a foreign one."
Analysts have expressed doubts about certain technological achievements
announced by Iran in the past. The country
launched its first domestically built rocket last February, which
soared to the edge of space but did not reach orbit level. John Pike,
director of defense research group GlobalSecurity.org, said that nine
months was a "feasible" amount of time to build a rocket if the
engineers began with some of the parts assembled.
Montana Girl Wins Planet Mnemonic Contest (Source: AP)
A fourth-grader at Riverview Elementary School has won the National
Geographic planetary mnemonic contest, developing a handy way to
remember the newly assigned 11 planets, including three dwarf planets.
The contest was in response to the recent announcement by the
scientific community that there are now 11 recognized planets —
Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Ceres, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune,
Pluto and Eris. Ceres, Pluto and Eris are considered dwarf planets.
Maryn Smith's winning mnemonic is My Very Exciting Magic Carpet
Just Sailed Under Nine Palace Elephants. Smith's mnemonic will be
published in a National Geographic book, "11 Planets: A New View of the
Solar System." It also will be recorded into a song by Grammy-nominated
singer and songwriter Lisa Loeb. Both are scheduled to be released in
March.
Life Without the Moon (Source: Damn Interesting)
Life is a tenuous thing. Earth is just within Sol's habitable zone, and
constantly pelted with solar radiation and cosmic rays. Rocky scraps
constantly cross Earth’s orbit, threatening to eradicate all
terrestrial life. In point of fact, it is almost certain that countless
Extinction-Level Events would have sterilized the surface of our plucky
planet had it not been for our constant companion and benefactor; a
body which unwittingly wards away many of the ills that could befall
us: the moon.
Luna is unique among the observed celestial bodies; there is no other
satellite closer in size and composition to its mother-planet (if one
discounts the dwarf-planet Pluto), and the Earth/moon system is the
only tidally locked pair. Furthermore, it also happens to be the only
moon in the solar system which is circling an intelligent civilization–
a factor which may not be a mere coincidence. Visit http://www.damninteresting.com/?p=942
to view the article.
NASA Baffled by Unexplained Force Acting on Space Probes
(Source: Space.com)
Mysteriously, five spacecraft that flew past the Earth have each
displayed unexpected anomalies in their motions. These newfound enigmas
join the so-called "Pioneer anomaly" as hints that unexplained forces
may appear to act on spacecraft. A decade ago, after rigorous analyses,
anomalies were seen with the identical Pioneer 10 and 11 spacecraft as
they hurtled out of the solar system. Both seemed to experience a tiny
but unexplained constant acceleration toward the sun.
A host of explanations have been bandied about for the Pioneer anomaly.
At times these are rooted in conventional science — perhaps leaks from
the spacecraft have affected their trajectories. At times these are
rooted in more speculative physics — maybe the law of gravity itself
needs to be modified. Now Jet Propulsion Laboratory astronomer John
Anderson and his colleagues — who originally helped uncover the Pioneer
anomaly — have discovered that five spacecraft each raced either a tiny
bit faster or slower than expected when they flew past the Earth en
route to other parts of the solar system.
Fighting to Launch Cosmic-Ray Detector (Source: New York
Times)
In a recent report to Congress, NASA offered two contradictory
statements: a $1.5 billion Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) intended
for the space station was on track for a 2009 launch, but it had no
intention of actually launching AMS into space. Once upon a time the
AMS was to be the scientific centerpiece of the space station. The
15,000 pound detector would look for evidence of antimatter or the
mysterious dark matter that accounts for 25 percent of creation. The
brainchild of MIT physicist and Nobel laureate Sam Ting, the detector
was built by a collaboration of scientists from 16 countries, including
China and Taiwan.
NASA agreed in 1995 to give it a ride to the space station and then
reneged 10 years later after Columbia's loss, saying the
remaining flights between now and 2010's shuttle retirement were all
spoken for. This dismayed many physicists who thought the space agency
should keep its word and was being a bad international partner. “It’s a
pity that NASA is living up to its commitment to finish the Space
Station, but not to its commitment to use it for something
scientifically interesting,” said Steven Weinberg, himself a Nobel
physicist. But Dr. Ting has supporters in Congress, including Sen. Bill
Nelson, who vowed to file legislation adding a shuttle flight for the
detector if NASA did not change its mind. A recent NASA report on the
status and prospects of the AMS reveals that NASA has not changed its
mind.
In order to fly AMS before Sep. 2010, the shuttle end date, either
“critical space station hardware” would have to be bumped from a
flight, or an additional flight would have to be booked at a cost of
some $300-400 million and additional risk. Extending the shuttle
operations into 2011, they said, would cost $3 billion or more and have
a “significant negative impact” on NASA’s new exploration program.
Moreover, it takes 18 months to get ready for a flight, so the decision
to fly the experiment has to be made (and presumably the funds
provided) by a year from now.
What about launching the experiment on another unmanned rocket? That
could cost as much as $1 billion and couldn’t happen before 2013 or
2014, which raises a final problem: Dr. Ting’s spectrometer is supposed
to work for three years, but the money for space station operations,
according to the report, is currently scheduled to run out in 2016. Dr.
Ting declined to comment on the NASA report. But he said by e-mail that
the detector, being assembled at CERN, the European physics laboratory
outside Geneva, was now complete.
US Team Wins Asteroid Competition (Source: BBC)
A US team has won a $50,000 competition to design a spacecraft to
rendezvous with and track the path of an asteroid which may threaten
Earth. The winning entry, led by SpaceWorks Engineering, will shadow
asteroid Apophis for 300 days. The measurements it takes will be used
to refine what is known about the orbit of this 300m-wide space rock.
Apophis will make a close pass of Earth in 2029 and there is a small
but real possibility it could hit in 2036. The competition was
organized by the Planetary Society, a space advocacy group with its
headquarters in Pasadena, California.
Plant Growth Experiment Starts Aboard Columbus Laboratory Module (Source: ESA)
European astronaut Léopold Eyharts has activated the first experiment
inside the European Columbus laboratory. The WAICO experiment, which
investigates the effect of gravity on plant root growth, has started
inside the module's Biolab facility. WAICO, short for Waving and
Coiling of Arabidopsis Roots at Different g-levels, looks at the growth
of two types of Arabidopsis seed. In all, two different sets of seeds –
wild type and genetically modified type - will be allowed to grow under
varying levels of gravity, 0g and 1g, where g is the equivalent of
gravity on Earth.
Thales Alenia Space, Eutelsat Ink Deal for Satellite
(Source: Space News)
Thales Alenia Space will build a large Ku- and Ka-band satellite for
satellite-fleet operator Eutelsat to cover Europe, southern Africa, the
Indian Ocean region and Europe and scheduled for delivery in mid-2010
under a contract the two companies announced Feb. 26.
Urges U.S. To Block Thales Alenia
from Using Chinese Launcher (Source: Space News)
Satellite manufacturer is asking the U.S.
government to block a competitor -- Thales Alenia Space -- from
offering China's Long March rocket in commercial competitions because
China's low-priced launch vehicles give the French-Italian company a
competitive advantage, Space Systems/ Chief Executive Patrick DeWitt
said Feb. 27.
Loral Selected by SES to Build Largest, Most Powerful
Satellite in SES Fleet (Source: Loral)
Loral and SES, the world's leading provider of high-power commercial
satellites, announced that Loral has been awarded a contract to
manufacture a new spacecraft for SES. Designed as the largest most
powerful satellite in the SES fleet, NSS-14 expands and enhances the
company's ability to provide Fixed Satellite Services (FSS) to the Americas, Europe, Africa and the Middle East. NSS-14 is the second
satellite contract that SES has awarded to Loral and it will be
positioned to support trans-Atlantic traffic. The spacecraft is a
state-of-the-art, hybrid C- and Ku-band satellite that includes Loral's
heritage ion propulsion system and a 15 year design life.
Loral and Northrop Grumman Agree to Pursue Satellite
Opportunities (Source: Loral)
Northrop Grumman and Loral are pursuing a group of initiatives that
could to broaden each company's opportunities to provide the U.S.
government with cost competitive satellite systems. The resulting
agreement also will enable Loral to expand its manufacturing capacity
as needed, in order to address near-term increased satellite demand,
through use of the satellite test facilities and services at Northrop
Grumman facilities in California.
Orbital Awarded Contract for System F6 Satellite Program
(Source: Orbital)
Orbital Sciences Corp. has been selected by the Defense Advanced
Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop a Phase 1 concept for
System F6 (Future Fast, Flexible, Fractionated, Free-Flying Spacecraft
united by Information eXchange). The objective of the F6 program is to
demonstrate the feasibility and benefits of a satellite architecture in
which traditional “monolithic” spacecraft are replaced by clusters of
wirelessly-interconnected spacecraft modules.
XM and Sirius Extend
Merger Deadline by Two Months (Source: Reuters)
XM Satellite Radio and Sirius Satellite Radio have extended by two
months a deadline to potentially terminate without penalty Sirius's
year-old proposed acquisition of its bigger rival. Under the original
terms of their deal, first announced in February 2007, the companies
could have walked away after March 1 if they did not receive regulatory
approval. U.S. regulators, including the
Federal Communications Commission and Department of Justice, have yet
to decide whether to approve the merger. Both companies said this week
that they are optimistic both agencies will approve the deal. The
deal's strongest critics, including the traditional radio industry,
charge that combining the two U.S. satellite radio companies
would be anti-competitive.
For XM, Fewer Losses And More Subscribers (Source:
Washington Post)
XM Satellite Radio said it trimmed its loss while adding more
subscribers in the fourth quarter, and its executives said they remain
hopeful that its merger with Sirius Satellite Radio will be approved.
But as the wait for the regulatory go-ahead drags on, the company also
tried to reassure investors that it's prepared for a future without
Sirius. XM executives cast the sales increase in sunny light. But
analysts said remaining independent would cloud both companies'
futures. XM's revenue during the quarter rose 20 percent, to $308
million, from the fourth quarter a year earlier. The company lost $239
million, compared with a loss of $257 million in the comparable quarter
of 2006. For the full year, revenue rose 22 percent, to $1.1 billion.
The loss narrowed to $682 million, from $719 million in 2006. XM ended
2007 with 9 million subscribers.
Sirius To Launch FM-6 on ILS Proton M in 2010 (Source:
Space News)
Sirius Satellite Radio will launch its FM-6 satellite into highly
elliptical orbit aboard an International Launch Services (ILS) Proton M
rocket in late 2010 as part of a contract that includes a Proton launch
of a second, unidentified Sirius satellite, ILS announced Feb. 29.
Sirius Satellite Quarterly Loss Narrows (Source: Reuters)
Sirius Satellite Radio, which plans to buy rival XM Satellite Radio,
posted a narrower fourth-quarter loss after an increase in subscribers
to its pay-radio service. Sirius posted a net loss of $166.2 million,
compared with a loss of $245.6 million in the year-ago quarter. Revenue
increased 29 percent to $249.8 million. Sirius added 654,309
subscribers in the quarter, ending the year with 8.32 million.
Three Competing to Build Iridium Next Constellation
(Source: Space News)
Iridium Satellite LLC has selected Lockheed Martin, Space Systems/Loral
and Thales Alenia Space to compete for the job of prime contractor on
Iridium's $2.6 billion second-generation constellation of low-orbiting
communications satellites, industry officials said.
Iridium Satellite Announces Q4 and Fiscal Year 2007 Results
(Source: Iridium)
Iridium Satellite LLC revenue in the fourth quarter was $66.8 million
versus $53.2 million in the same quarter last year, a 26 percent
increase. FY 2007 revenue was $260.4 million, a 23 percent increase
over $212.4 million in revenue for 2006. Additionally, as of December 31, 2007, the worldwide subscriber
base reached 234,000, a 34 percent increase over the fourth quarter
2006 total of 175,000.
2007 Was a Mixed Year for Satellite Stocks (Source: Space
News)
Satellite stocks got whacked by the credit market downturn along with
most other sectors in 2007 but not everyone suffered, and some did very
well, Wall Street investment bankers said Feb. 25 in presenting what
one called "the Oscars for 2007 satellite stock performance."
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Last Week’s DOD
Contract Awards in California
Northrop Grumman Corp., of Los Angeles, Calif., is being awarded a cost
plus incentive/award fee, fixed price incentive, firm fixed price
contract for the newly-named KC-45. This contract is awarded after full
and open bidding, and provides for the system design and development of
four test aircraft for $1.5B. This contract also includes five
production options targeted for 64 aircraft at $10.6B. At this time no
funds have been obligated. Contracting activity is the Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright-Patterson Air
Force Base, Ohio.
Boeing Launch Services of Huntington
Beach, Calif., is being awarded a
contract modification for $20,000,000. This undefinitized contract
action for pre/post mission engineering and critical components under
the Assured Access to Space Program. Boeing Launch Services, Inc., will
perform supply chain management and technological improvement tasks to
minimize the risk of launch failure for the Delta IV Rocket on the
Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle Program under
the Launch and Range Systems Wing. At this time all funds have been
obligated. SMC, Launch and Range Systems Wing, Los Angeles Air Force
Base, Calif., is the contracting
activity.
Northrop Grumman Space and
Mission Systems Corp., of San Diego, Calif, is being awarded a
contract for $18,600,000. The objective of the Virtual Combat
Environment for Electronic Conflict program is to develop a virtual
combat environment for the: 1) design and development of advanced
electronic warfare (EW), cyberspace and information operations
technologies, 2) evaluation and demonstration of new sensor
technologies 3) development and demonstration of layered sensing and
battle management techniques and 4) identification of “game changing”
disruptive technologies. The virtual combat environment will prepare
the United States Air Force and other services for a wide range of
challenges, including traditional, irregular, catastrophic and
disruptive threats. This unique environment will permit the assessment
of existing and conceptual sensor technologies and characterize the
application of these “disruptive” technologies. In addition, it will
support the identification of sensor technologies that are potential
“game-changers” for the evolving battlefield. The virtual combat
environment must represent the electro-magnetic spectrum to support
Radio Frequency countermeasure development, enable advanced sensor
utility analysis, represent Integrated Air Defense System attack,
permit software application development, facilitate warfighter
analysis, support development of electronic warfare battle management
methods and technologies, allow evaluation of layered sensing
techniques and concepts, enable demonstrations of network centric
technologies, and produce future electronic warfare, cyberspace, and
Information Operations (IO) system designs and applications. At this
time $25,000 has been obligated. AFRL/PKSE, Wright-Patterson Air Force
Base, Ohio, is the contracting
activity.
L-3 Communications, Randtron Antenna
Systems, Menlo Park, Calif., is being awarded a
$6,900,000 not to exceed ceiling priced order #7003 under previously
awarded contract (N00383-06-G-072B) for repair of E-2C TRAC-A rotodom
antenna assemblies. Work will be performed in Menlo Park, Calif., and work is expected to
be completed by Jan. 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of
the current fiscal year. This contract was not awarded competitively.
The Naval Inventory Control Point is the contracting activity.
Raytheon Space and
Airborne Systems, El Segundo, Calif.,
is being awarded $22,000,000 for delivery order #0005 under a
previously awarded firm-fixed ceiling priced
definite-delivery/definite-quantity contract (N00383-04-G-200H) for
various line items of F/A-18 advanced targeting forward looking infra
red (ATFLIR) system components. Work will be performed in El Segundo, Calif., (70 percent), and Forrest, Miss., (30 percent), and work
is expected to be completed by Dec. 2009. Contract funds will not
expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not
awarded competitively. The Naval Inventory Control Point is the
contracting activity.
General Atomics of San Diego, Calif., is being awarded a
contract for $17,202,335. This action is for non-recurring engineering
development for eh Advanced Cockpit Increment Two for Predator/Reaper
Ground Control Station. At this time $7,804,672
has been obligated. 658 AESS/PK, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting
activity.
Tetra Tech EC, Inc., (co.’s name changed
from Tetra Tech Foster Wheeler, Inc.), San Diego, Calif., is
being awarded $18,044,036 for modification 40 to Task Order #0072 under
a previously awarded cost-plus-award-fee contract (N68711-98-D-5713)
for base-wide radiological surveys and remediation at Hunters Point
Shipyard. Work will be performed in San
Francisco, Calif., and is expected to be
completed by Dec. 2008. Contract funds will not expire at the end of
the current fiscal year. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command
Southwest, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting
activity.
Northrop Grumman Space and
Mission Systems Corp., Redondo Beach, Calif.,
was awarded on Feb. 20, 2008, a $3,289,079.00 cost-plus-fixed-fee
contract for Phase one of the System F-6 Program. Work will be
performed in Redondo Beach, Calif., Carson, Calif.,
Beltsville, Md., Nashua, NH, Ithaca, N.Y.; Pasadena, Calif.,
Cambridge, Mass., and Wilmington, Mass., and is expected to be
completed by Feb. 19, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end
of the current fiscal year. There was a broad agency announcement bids
solicited on Jul. 16, 2007, and six bids were
received. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Va., is the contracting
activity.
The Boeing Co., Huntington
Beach, Calif., was awarded on Feb. 21, 2008, a $10,568,621.00
cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for research, development, design and
testing to support DARPA’s System F-6. Work will be performed in Huntington
Beach, Calif., Anaheim, Calif., Manhattan Beach, Calif.,
San Jose, Calif., and Torrance, Calif., and is
expected to be completed by Feb. 20, 2009. Contract funds will not
expire at the end of the current fiscal year. There was a broad agency
announcement bids solicited on Jul. 16,
2007,
and six bids were received. The Defense Advanced Research Projects
Agency, Arlington, Va., is the contracting
activity.
McKesson Corp., San
Francisco, Calif., is being awarded a
maximum $821,876,947.00 firm fixed price, prime vendor contract for
pharmaceutical supplies in support of the TRICARE Mail Order Pharmacy
(TMOP). Other location of performance is Arizona. Using service is
Department of Defense. This proposal was originally solicited on Fed
Biz Ops with 2 responses. Contract funds will not expire at the end of
the current fiscal year. This contract is exercising option year five.
Date of performance completion is February
28, 2009. The contracting activity
is Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP), Philadelphia, Pa.
BAE Systems Land &
Armaments Inc., Ground Systems, Santa Clara, Calif., was awarded on February 21, 2008, a $23,599,998.00
Undefinitized Contract Action Firm Fixed Price contract for the
procurement of additional Expanded Armor Plates. Work will be performed
in Santa Clara, Calif. with an estimated
completion date of Dec. 31, 2008. There was one bid
solicited and one bid received. The U.S. Army TACOM Life Cycle
Management Command, Warren, Mich., is the contracting
activity.
Gryphon Technologies, LC, Greenbelt, Md., is being awarded a
$34,189,962 cost-plus-fixed-fee,
indefinite-delivery-indefinite-quantity contract for engineering,
technical analysis, and support services in connection with assigned
tasks for Navy Ship Hull, Mechanical and Electrical (HM&E)/Combat
Support Systems over a five year ordering period. Work
will be performed in Philadelphia, Pa. (54 percent); Pascagoula, Miss. (15 percent);Bath, Maine (7 percent); Washington D.C. (6 percent); Norfolk, Va. (6 percent); San Diego, Calif. (3 percent); Everett, Wash. (3 percent); Mayport, Fla. (3 percent); and Yokosuka, Japan (3 percent), and work is
expected to be completed by January 2013. Contract funds will not
expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This
contract was procured through Request for Proposal N65540-06-R-0010
using competition that was restricted to 8(a) small business concerns
and was synopsized in the Federal Business Opportunities website, with
four offers received. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting
activity.
EHS Technologies
Corporation,
Moorestown, N.J. is being awarded a
$31,826,272 cost-plus-fixed-fee,
indefinite-delivery-indefinite-quantity contract for engineering,
technical analysis, and support services in connection with assigned
tasks for Navy Ship Hull, Mechanical and Electrical (HM&E)/Combat
Support Systems over a five year ordering period. Work
will be performed in Philadelphia, Pa. (54 percent); Pascagoula, Miss
(15 percent); Bath, Maine (7 percent); Washington, D.C. (6 percent);
Norfolk, Va. (6 percent); San Diego, Calif. (3 percent);
Everett, Wash. (3 percent); Mayport, Fla. (3 percent); and Yokosuka,
Japan (3 percent), and work is expected to be completed by Jan. 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the
current fiscal year. This contract was procured
through Request for Proposal N65540-06-R-0010 using competition that
was restricted to 8(a) small business concerns and was synopsized in
the Federal Business Opportunities website, with four offers received.
The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting
activity.
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