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July 21, 2008
Space Industry Expected to
Take Off
(Source: Investment News)
Despite a slowing economy and some potential future funding obstacles,
the space industry has nowhere to go but up, participants at a recent
space industry conference said. Revenue from commercial satellites
could take off in the very near future, according to a prominent
analyst. He was one of the industry experts who addressed the Space
Business Forum conference in New York on June 18. The
conference, sponsored by the Space Foundation, focused on the future of
the space sector and was designed for an audience of financial
advisers, Wall Street analysts, investment bankers and high-risk
insurers. Click here
to view the article. (7/14)
Editorial: Bold New Frontiers--and Markets--Await Us in Space
(Source: Naples Daily News)
Although the news media make it sound as if space exploration is the
most expensive program in the whole government, the fact is that all
the money NASA has been given since the agency’s inception in 1958
doesn’t add up to one year’s expenditure by the Department of Defense
or the Department of Health and Human Services. In return for that
investment, space technology has poured trillions of dollars into the U.S. economy in areas such as
electronics and computers, aircraft, medical sensors, communications,
new fabrics and materials, and many other industries. In balance, space
development has been the biggest bargain for the American taxpayer
since the Louisiana Purchase.
But where do we go from here? Since NASA’s inception in 1958, virtually
all our efforts in space have been done by the government. The major
exception is communications satellites, which have been a
trillion-dollar global market since the 1960s. That situation is
changing. A handful of private companies are working to develop rocket
launchers that can carry people and payloads into space much more
economically than NASA’s space shuttle, which is slated for retirement
in another decade or less.
Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich recently wrote about the
future of space developments in Aviation Week & Space Technology,
the weekly newsmagazine of the aerospace industry. Whatever you think
of Gingrich’s politics, he is a bright fellow and offers much more
insight than the typical politician’s partisan posturing. Gingrich
suggests that the federal government encourage private space developers
with strong economic incentives. “We can do this,” he writes, “by
creating a 25-year tax-free window for any profits from space tourism
and space manufacturing. (7/20)
New Group To Promote Cheap
Access To Space (Source: Space News)
The Space Frontier Foundation, National Space Society and several other
nonprofits announced July 17 the formation of the National Coalition
for Cheap and reliable Access to Space (CATS) to promote the importance
of low-cost, reliable launches. The groups intend to collaborate over
the next 12 weeks to develop a National Declaration for Cheap and
reliable Access to Space. The finished document will be signed by the
chief executives of nonprofit and for-profit companies interested in
low-cost launch and presented to the next U.S. president after the
November elections. Other founding members of the CATS coalition
include the Ohio Aerospace Institute, the California Space Authority,
the NewSpace Alliance and several other organizations. (7/17)
Will the Space Elevator Rise? (Source: MSNBC)
If space elevators work out the way the idea's advocates hope, sending
payloads into orbit would become as routine as, say, sending a shipment
on a freight train - except that the train would travel straight up for
hundreds or thousands of miles, powered by laser beams. But will such a
"railroad to the sky" ever be built? That's the big question hanging
over the 2008 Space Elevator Conference, taking place this weekend on
Microsoft's Seattle-area campus. And considering that this is an event
primarily attended by elevator enthusiasts, you may find some of the
answers surprising. Visit http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/07/18/1206845.aspx
to view the article. (7/19)
Space Orlando Attraction Presented at
Space Elevator Event (Source: PC World)
Disney World, Epcot, Universal Studios and ... Space Orlando. In the future, Florida could be the site of a
simulated "elevator" that allows people to check out life on a space
station, virtually. That's one dream of Bradley Edwards, president of
Black Line Ascension and one of the leading proponents of space
elevators. The center, which would be a combined entertainment and
research facility, could help solve one of the many critical issues
plaguing the concept of a simulated space elevator, namely a lack of
funding.
At the first space elevator conference in four years, Edwards announced
that he is investigating the feasibility of a combined entertainment
and research center, to be called Space Orlando, designed to help fund
the building of a space elevator. The cluster of buildings would
comprise 2 million square feet (929,030 square meters) and a
10-story-high structure that visitors could enter as if they were
walking into a terminal for a real space elevator. They'd buy a ticket,
enter the climber vehicle and feel like they're ascending into space,
thanks to virtual reality technologies. Click here
to view the article. (7/19)
“Pit Stop”: A New Way to Return From Space (Source: Space
Review)
The use of airbags to help spacecraft land on Mars is a recent example
of just how important it is to consider unconventional recovery options
for spacecraft. The goal is to reduce or eliminate the usual weight
penalty and reliability issues associated with parachutes, touchdown
cushioning rockets, water flotation devices, and other complex
paraphernalia normally required to softly land a space vehicle on the
Earth. The “Pit Stop” concept would involve initial reentry of the
spacecraft by conventional means until it slows and descends in the
atmosphere to an altitude of perhaps 15,000 meters.
At that height the landing capsule might separate from the disposable
heat shield, which then drops away. Aerodynamic control surfaces would
then pitch the vehicle over into a vertical dive where it would reach a
terminal velocity of perhaps 100 meters per second. The goal is to
reduce or eliminate the usual weight penalty and reliability issues
associated with parachutes, touchdown cushioning rockets, water
flotation devices, and other complex paraphernalia normally required to
softly land a space vehicle on the Earth.
GPS signals would help direct the capsule’s final decent. Like a “smart
bomb” the vehicle would aim for an exact spot on the earth’s surface.
The landing capsule, carefully steered in its plunge to earth, would
aim for the opening of a deep vertical shaft set into the ground. The
capsule would dive into this hole while still falling at terminal
velocity. The landing capsule would fit loosely in the entrance of the
pit, but clearance would tighten with depth. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1167/1
to view the paper. (7/14)
Air Force Plan to Improve Launch Environment (Source: USAF)
Members from various military units and civilian organizations met last
week to compare findings and discuss plans for a consistent Roadmap to
Launch (RTL) that could be used on both the Eastern and Western Ranges.
Attention has turned to launch operations because some processes were
ill-placed in the sequence of events, causing unnecessary strain as the
launch date approached. Further, on the Eastern Range, launches were set up
differently from those on the West. The meeting identified 14 processes
on the Eastern Range that needed to be moved,
as well as 11 additional areas where efficiency could be improved.
A consistent launch procedure will aid in communication as well
increase the value for the customers using the Eastern and Western Ranges. "Our processes should be
as transparent as possible. Imagine trying to have dialog on a
substantive issue between the ranges when we neither speak the same
language in all instances or we execute the RTL differently," said one
official. "In addition, think how this dissimilarity confuses our range
customers."
To recapitalize assets in a time of diminished resources, those who run
the launch procedures will need to step outside their normal comfort
zones and seek innovative solutions. "Enduring success of any program
or culture only occurs when everyone is on board," he added.
"Consistency executed by the range and users will go a long way in
supporting space policy for commerce and the Department of Defense."
said another official. (7/17)
Cape Now Gets Look for New
NASA Launch Complex (Source: Florida Today)
Due to citizens' complaints about the environmental impact of a
proposed new commercial launch complex at Kennedy Space Center, NASA is
now considering putting the facility at one of several abandoned Air
Force launch pads instead. Hoping to lure a commercial launch company
to Florida's spaceport, NASA
proposed two pristine sites at KSC for the commercial launch pad.
Citizen comment was sought in February. More than 85 percent of those
who commented suggested using alternative sites to preserve the natural
environment on the KSC property and save taxpayers' money. Nearly half
suggested that KSC ask the Air Force to allow a commercial complex at
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. (7/15)
NASA Not Ruling Out Wildlife Site for Launch Complex
(Source: Orlando Sentinel)
NASA is considering abandoned launch pads at Cape Canaveral Air Force
Station for commercial space flights but has not given up the
possibility of using environmentally sensitive sites in a
world-renowned wildlife refuge for the private ventures, officials
said. "We are in discussions with the Air Force to determine if there
are any viable sites there," NASA's Mario Busacca said. "The public
asked us to please go talk to the Air Force, and that's what we're
doing." With the shuttle program winding down, NASA began considering
offering some its 140,000 acres inside KSC and the sanctuary for
commercial launches. Rockets launched from the private pads could be
used to transport cargo, astronauts, satellites and even tourists into
space. (7/17)
Editorial: NASA and the Air Force Should Spare Endangered
Wildlife (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
There's dodging a bullet, and then there's dodging tons of rocket
propellent composed of liquid hydrogen, nitrogen tetroxide or kerosene.
Eleven threatened or endangered kinds of wildlife, some 300 bird
species and thousands of tourists and outdoorsmen wanting a peek at
them may have dodged the latter, thanks to two government agencies
doing what, incredibly, government agencies seldom find it practical to
do. Talking to each other. NASA hadn't wanted to talk to the Air Force,
its neighbor along the Space Coast, about siting a new
200-acre commercial launch complex on Air Force property. Why bother,
it thought, when it had plenty of vacant land along its own
140,000-acre property that might fit its needs? Click here
to view the editorial. (7/20)
Shuttle Launch Pad Repairs Enter Phase Two (Source:
Florida Today)
The second phase of repairs to the flame trench at pad 39A will begin
this week. During Discovery's launch on May 31, fire bricks were blown
off a 20-foot by 75-foot section of the wall that directs flame away
from the launch pad. A larger area of loose brick has been removed.
Crews hyrdoblasted the walls to remove epoxy. Girders and wire mesh
will be attached to the wall, and a fire-proof, spray-on material will
be applied. The estimated $2.7-million repair will be finished before
the next shuttle launch in early October. (7/14)
Orion Behind Schedule, Over Budget (Source: Florida Today)
A leaked report shows cost overruns and technical problems are
threatening NASA's internal target dates for the first human launch of
the Orion spacecraft. NASA says it remains on target for the March 2015
publicly-advertised target launch, but the slew of problems and cost
overruns outlined in the report raise a lot of questions about whether
the gap between shuttle retirement and the new program is about to
widen.
The agency’s internal schedules targeted that first human mission for
the summer of 2013. A revised schedule outlining dozens of technical
dilemmas now shows that launch no sooner than August 2014. Decisions
about changing the schedule could be made this week. The cost problems
include an $80 million overrun on a motor system. The Orion
spacecraft’s current design remains too heavy for the proposed Ares 1
rocket. Software development, heat-shield testing and a host of other
complex work remains either behind schedule or over budget. Those are
just a few of dozens of serious challenges and issues, many of which
are noted as “worsening.” (7/16)
Funding in Jeopardy to
Speed Orion Work (Source: Florida Today)
NASA's chances of getting the money it needs to speed development of
the space shuttle's replacement dimmed this week amid fresh reports
that the Orion space capsules are behind schedule and over budget. "It
clearly doesn't make it any easier," said Sen. Bill Nelson, the Orlando
Democrat who chairs the Senate panel that oversees NASA. "It makes it
that much harder to get the funding." Compounding the problem, he and
other lawmakers said, is the current impasse over budget bills.
Congress has yet to pass any of the 12 annual appropriations bills, and
probably won't until a new president takes office. (7/20)
Heat Shield Threatens NASA's Orion Target Mass (Source:
Flight International)
NASA's Orion crew exploration vehicle's (CEV) struggle with its mass
could become worse if the US agency's research confirms a need to
increase the spacecraft's heat shield size by 20%. The space agency
needs to keep the spacecraft's mass at a maximum of about 30,000kg
(66,000lb) to enable its booster, the Ares I crew launch vehicle to
launch it. Orion has already gone through one redesign to satisfy its
mass limits. But now Orion's ablative thermal protection system's (TPS)
surface could be the cause of the heat shield mass growth and the issue
may not be resolved before the CEV's delayed preliminary design review,
expected in November. (7/14)
NASA Directs Contractor To Adopt Ares and Orion Launch Date
Postponements (Source: SpaceRef.com)
On 16 January 2008, Constellation Program Manager Jeff Hanley issued an
internal agency memo wherein he asked a lot of people to adopt a series
of Ares and Orion launch date slips. Most significantly, he said that
Ares 1-Y would shifted 12 months from September 2012 to September 2013.
All of this arm waving and denials aside, it would seem that Jeff
Hanley knew what was going to happen - eventually. NASA sent Lockheed
Martin a letter on 1 July 2008 asking that the company
"develop a NTE value" for the several changes. (7/16)
NASA Engineers Work on Alternative Moon Rocket (Source:
Houston Chronicle)
By day, the engineers work on NASA's new Ares moon rockets. By night,
some go undercover to work on a competing design. These dissenting
scientists and their backers insist they have created an alternative
rocket that would be safer, cheaper and easier to build than the two
Ares spacecraft that will replace the space shuttle. They call their
project Jupiter, and like Ares, it's a brainchild of workers at the
Marshall Space Flight Center and other NASA facilities. The engineers
involved are doing the work on their own time and mostly anonymously,
with the help of retirees and other space enthusiasts.
A key Ares project manager dismisses their design as little more than a
sketch on a napkin that won't work. A spokesman for the competing
effort, Ross Tierney, said concerned engineers at NASA and some
contractors want a review of the Ares plans but can't speak out for
fear of being demoted, transferred or fired. Visit http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/space/5887332.html
to view the article. (7/14)
Florida Towns That Depend On NASA Brace For Lean Times
(Source: Tampa Tribune)
In the shadow of the Kennedy Space Center, the countdown has begun
in the towns that run on the space program's clock. NASA is retiring
its shuttle fleet in two years, and for at least five years after that,
no humans will launch from Florida's "Space Coast." Communities built up
around Cape Canaveral figure to take a hobbling
hit. There will be no more blastoffs by Atlantis, Discovery or
Endeavour to pack hotels and viewing sites with tourists. Up to 6,400
of the 8,000 shuttle contractors in the area will lose their jobs,
according to early NASA estimates. It's a radical economic change for
the region, but not unprecedented. (7/16)
Gulf Coast May Be Part of Aerospace
Corridor
(Source: SunHerald)
The central Gulf Coast is poised for an exciting
future as an aerospace corridor from Louisiana to Florida. "There are so many
ingredients out here for making the brightest future possible, and all
we've got to do is have a little nudge... [to] make this thing go
gangbusters" said Leroy Barnidge, vice president of state and local
government relations, Air Mobility Systems, for Northrop Grumman. That
nudge could be contract approval for Northrop Grumman to build the
KC-45 aerial refueling tanker to replace aging Air Force tankers, he
said. (7/18)
Boeing Shuffles Executives in Tanker Program, EADS Remains
Confident (Source: AIA)
Boeing has tapped Dave Bowman, its C-17 program manager, to take over
as vice president of the Boeing tanker enterprise. The tanker program
is now a separate business unit that will report to to Boeing
Integrated Defense Systems President Jim Albaugh and to John Lockard,
IDS chief operating officer. Meanwhile, officials at EADS, which
partnered with Northrop Grumman in the tanker competition, said they
are confident that the team will win the contract. (7/16)
Lack of Space Leaves a Void at Farnborough (Source: Flight
International)
Visitors to Farnborough might be impressed by the amount of space
available – but less impressed with the number of space-related
exhibits. At Farnborough 2006 there was a dedicated space hall, plus a
special space day on the Wednesday. But there’s no space hall this year
and also absent are the European Space Agency, Arianespace and Virgin
Galactic. One of the reasons is the Berlin ILA2008 Air Show, with its
massive space pavilion, courtesy of ESA, which was held in May. It also
had three full days of space conferences. A Farnborough spokesperson
said that those space exhibitors who are here said they wanted to be in
the main halls and not in a dedicated pavilion. (7/14)
Florida Governor Crist Joins Groups for Farnborough for Trade
Trip (Source: AP)
Gov. Charlie Crist kicked off an 11-day international trade mission
with groups including Enterprise Florida and Space Florida, amid
criticism that it’s a costly and ill-timed trip. The Republican
governor is meeting with several businesses at the Farnborough
International Air Show in England to promote Florida aerospace industry
opportunities. Also on his itinerary are a nuclear waste processing
plant in France, and meetings with officials in Spain and Russia. Crist says he hopes the
trip will generate economic opportunities for Florida. But Democratic Party
spokesman Eric Jotkoff says it’s irresponsible to spend taxpayers’
money jet-setting around Europe while the state budget is
tight and people are feeling the pinch from high gas prices. (7/14)
California Governor and NASA Highlight Infrared Scanning
Technology (Source: CSA)
California's Governor joined NASA and federal and state fire officials
at the NASA Ames Research Center at Moffett Field to tour the facility
and discussed the important role of NASA’s remotely piloted aircraft to
California’s firefight. Visit http://www.gov.ca.gov/index.php?/print-version/press-release/10176/ for
information. (7/15)
NASA Responds to California Wildfire Emergency Imaging Request
(Source: NASA)
A remotely piloted aircraft carrying a NASA sensor flew over much of
California earlier this week, gathering information that will be used
to help fight more than 300 wildfires burning within the state.
Additional flights are planned for next week. The flights by NASA's
unmanned Ikhana aircraft are using a sophisticated Autonomous Modular
Scanner developed at NASA's Ames Research Center at Moffett Field, Calif. The flights are
originating from NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force
Base, Calif. (7/11)
Gov. Schwarzenegger & NORAD Discuss State and Federal
Cooperation for Firefighting (Source: CSA)
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger met with U.S. Air Force General Victor
E. Renuart, Jr., Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command
(NORAD) and U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) to build on California’s
successful partnership with the US military in fighting fires and to
ensure that the state continues to get the critical resources it needs
to respond to future emergencies. Also in the meeting were officials
from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Forest Service,
California National Guard, California Resources Agency, California
Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), and the
Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. (7/17)
Aerospace Industry Mentors
Needed for California Education Program (Source: CSEWI)
Calling all aerospace industry professionals! The California Space
Education & Workforce Institute (CSEWI) needs virtual mentors for
its new university student mentoring program. Professionals will mentor
students conveniently through a virtual mentoring platform requiring up
to only 1 hour of their time per week. Please visit http://www.icouldbe.org/CSEWI
to register today. (7/17)
Preview of Downey's Columbia Memorial Space Center (Source: Long Beach Press
Telegram)
Want to know how much you weigh on the moon and on Mars? In less than
six months, standing in the space boots of an astronaut will be within
Earthly reach. The Columbia Memorial Space Center is scheduled to open its
doors this winter, four years after Congress passed the resolution that
named the city as the facility's home. It's a fitting honor for Downey, whose history includes
the rise of its aviation and aerospace industries.
About $10 million has been invested in the project, with an additional
$5 million coming from federal funds. But don't call this two-story
18,000-square-foot aluminum-coated building a museum. City officials
say the facility is designed as a learning center equipped with
state-of-the-art offerings from a high-definition computer lab to a
revolving series of exhibits on loan from institutions such as the
Smithsonian, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and NASA. (7/20)
New L.A. Space Center Welcomes Home Apollo Capsule
(Source: CSA)
Officials at the City of Downey announced that BP-19 - a test version
of the Apollo space capsule that went to the Moon - would be
transported on July 16th from Lancaster's Apollo Park to their new
Columbia Memorial Space Center. BP-19 was constructed in Downey by North American
Aviation in 1963 and was used in many parachute drop tests. (7/15)
New Mexico County Sets Date for Spaceport Tax
Hearing
(Source: Las Cruces Sun-News)
Otero County residents will have a
chance next month to discuss a proposed gross receipts tax to help pay
for the state's spaceport. The Otero County Commission set an Aug. 21
public hearing on the tax. The $200 million Spaceport America received a major boost in
April when voters in Sierra County approved a tax levy to
help pay to build the project. Dona Ana County residents narrowly
approved the tax last year. The state expects the spaceport to go into
operation in 2010. (7/19)
Energy vs. Space (Source: Space Review)
It’s language and imagery that would make a space advocate’s mouth
water. In a television ad released last month by the campaign of
presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain last month, a
narrator intones, “American technology protected the world. We went to
the Moon not because it was easy, but because it was hard.” On the
screen, there is a matrix of images: an early satellite, a Saturn 5
lifting off, an astronaut on the surface of the Moon. Was a major
presidential candidate really talking about space in a campaign ad?
Well, not exactly. “John McCain will call America to our next national
purpose: energy security,” the narrator continued. The imagery on the
screen changed: the rocket and astronaut were replaced by a gas pump,
oil well, and windmills as the narrator talked about McCain’s plan to
reduce gas prices, increase domestic oil production, and promote
alternative energy sources. Energy quite literally pushed space out of
the picture. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1169/1
to view the article. (7/14)
Long-Term Decisions, Short-Term Politics (Source: Space
Review)
Establishing a spacefaring civilization will take a while. Taking the
first steps towards creating a permanent human presence in space, as
NASA is currently attempting to do, will take decades. Building the
infrastructure—-legal, political, financial, and technological—-to
support expansion into the solar system may take even longer. Many
political analysts, however, argue that politicians in democratic
systems are focused on the short term because their primary goal is to
be reelected. That seems fundamentally inconsistent with sculpting
sound space policy. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1168/1
to view the article. (7/14)
Congressman Weighing
Legislation for NASA Overhaul (Source: Houston
Chronicle)
Two days after telling an online town hall meeting that NASA had
"failed us miserably" and "wastes a vast amount of money," Houston Rep.
John Culberson said Thursday he was weighing legislation to overhaul
the structure of the space agency responsible for about 20,000
Houston-area jobs. Culberson, a blunt-spoken conservative from a
heavily Republican westside district, said his proposal would slash
NASA Headquarter's bureaucracy and enable scientists and engineers to
rekindle visionary space exploration. (7/18)
Space Chiefs Ponder ISS Transport Problem, Post-2015 Future
(Source: AFP)
The heads of five agencies building the International Space Station
staged talks Thursday on tackling a looming transport problem for the
ISS and gave positive signals for extending the orbital outpost's life
beyond 2015. The ISS will need extra transport for crew and freight to
substitute for the US space shuttle, scheduled
to be retired in 2010 when the ISS is completed.
The head of the Russian Space Agency, Anatoly Perminov, told reporters
that the United States and Russia will hold talks on
beefing up flights by the Soviet-era workhorse, Soyuz, to ferry
astronauts to and from the ISS between 2011 and 2014. "By the end of
this year or by the beginning of next year at the latest, the whole
rationale for our cooperation will be laid out," Perminov said. (7/17)
Funding Biggest ISS Obstacle (Source: Aviation Week)
The five partner agencies that jointly operate the International Space
Station (ISS) say they are eager to use the facility as a stepping
stone for lunar and Martian exploration, but they first must find a way
to sustain operations beyond the present partnership agreement. Agency
heads meeting at European Space Agency (ESA) headquarters in Paris July 17 agreed to utilize
the ISS to its full capacity "for a period meaningful for stakeholders
and users," and affirmed that continuation of operations beyond 2015 -
the end of the period covered by ISS intergovernmental agreements -
"would not be precluded by any significant technical challenges." They
also agreed that the newly expanded capability of the ISS will make it
an ideal "test bed for flight systems and operations critical to future
space exploration initiatives." (7/18)
Editorial: It's a Station, Not a Ship (Source: Washington
Post)
The article in Sunday's Outlook section was more science fiction than
science. it argues that the aimlessly orbiting International Space
Station (ISS) doesn't serve much of a purpose -- and that we should
retrofit it to fly somewhere more interesting. I pictured Jean-Luc
Picard piloting the ISS on a fantastic voyage through the solar system,
searching out alien beings on Europa and Titan. And I wondered whether,
with some "minor modification," my family's sedan might be adapted to
fly to Europe.
Human spaceflight still remains in its infancy. NASA has had only one
astronaut remain in space for a mission longer than 200 days, and only
27 astronauts have traveled more than 900 miles above the Earth's
surface. Just think, until 1973, the "Flying Key Brothers" held the U.S. record for the longest
time spent above the Earth's surface on a single flight. That was in
1935. In an airplane. (7/16)
Europeans Explore Expanding Their Own Efforts in Space
(Source: Wall Street Journal)
European space programs are enjoying a striking resurgence, with
politicians and industry officials stressing the importance of pursuing
their own scientific and military efforts, independent of the U.S.,
Russia and China. The European Union already has made the first moves
to support this ambitious undertaking, for the first time explicitly
linking space endeavors to broader diplomatic and foreign-policy goals.
But coming months will indicate how much support there is for taking
the next big step: funding technology aimed at possible European manned
missions. (7/19)
ESA Set To Begin Study of Venus's North Pole (Source:
Space News)
Venus Express will reach its new orbit Aug. 4 to study the magnetic
field of the planet's northern polar region, study the plasma
environment deeper in the ionosphere and determine the atmosphere's
density. (7/17)
ESA Launches Program In Support Of Earth Observation Science
(Source: Space Daily)
Since the advent of Earth observation from space, satellite missions
have become central to monitoring and learning about how the Earth
works, resulting in significant progress in a broad range of scientific
areas. In the mid-1990s, ESA set up its Living Planet Program and
established a new approach to satellite observations for Earth science
by working in close cooperation with the scientific community to
define, develop and operate focused missions.
In 2006, ESA launched a new science strategy for the future direction
of its Living Planet Program in order to address the continuing need to
further our understanding of the Earth system and the impact that human
activity has on it. ESA has launched a new element of the Earth
Observation Envelope Program - the Support to Science Element (STSE).
Visit http://www.spacemart.com/reports/ESA_Launches_Program_In_Support_Of_Earth_Observation_Science_999.html to view the article.
UK Space Competition Unearths Young Talent (Source:
SpaceDaily.com)
UK students who have reached the final stages of a competition to
design a space experiment to be flown on board a British-built
satellite presented their ideas to Ian Pearson, Minister for Science
and Innovation, during his visit to the Farnborough Air Show this week.
The competition challenged teams of 14 - 19 year olds to design and
build a small, compact satellite instrument. (7/16)
Italy’s Spaceland Dealing with
Weighty Matters (Source: Flight
International)
Want to lose weight without dieting? Spaceland might have the answer.
The Italian-based company specialises in research into weightlessness
(zero gravity) and reduced gravity, such as found on the Moon and Mars.
Spaceland also offers the public the chance to experience zero G
flights for themselves using a NASA-authorized aircraft based at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The aircraft performs
between 18-40 parabolic maneuvers each flight, offering up 26 minutes
of weightlessness.
It also plans to start up weightless operations in Europe with flights from Kiruna
in Lapland, and possibly Rome, Italy, from Spring 2009. It
isn't all just for fun either. The company undertakes research into
developments like Bluetooth-equipped biomonitors, such as those worn by
one 93-year-old passenger – the oldest person ever to fly in zero G.
(7/19)
Small Businesses to Fly New Technologies on Zero-Gravity
Flights (Source: NASA)
NASA's Innovative Partnerships Program has selected seven Small
Business Innovation Research program, or SBIR, companies to participate
in reduced-gravity test flights in early September. The companies will
have the opportunity to test their newly developed hardware on an
aircraft that simulates the weightless conditions of spaceflight. The
fights will the first by NASA's Facilitated Access to the Space
Environment for Technology Development and Training program, called
FAST. Visit http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2008/jul/HQ_08175_FAST_Zero_G_Flights.html for
information. (7/16)
Report Warns of Australia’s Space Vulnerability (Source: Sydney Morning
Herald)
Relying too heavily on the United States for space-based systems
could make Australia increasingly vulnerable,
a new study warns. In a report released by the strategic think-tank the
Kokoda Foundation, space analyst Brett Biddington said the Australian
Defense Force (ADF) was making space an essential component of its
fighting capability. He said next-generation systems, including
warships and aircraft, would not work well without access to space
communications and satellite-derived data, almost all of which came
from US satellites. (7/19)
Canadians Aim to Grow First Plant on Moon (Source: The
Gazette)
It takes three days to travel to the moon and six months to get to
Mars. But the real challenge is not getting there, it's what to eat.
"Space agriculture is what's required for long-term space exploration,"
Mike Dixon, director of the controlled environment systems research
facility at the University of Guelph, said. Research at the
state of the art facility in Guelph, Ont., has Canada leading the world in
space agriculture. "We want to grow the first plant on the moon -
that's a Canadian space first that we can actually aspire to," Dixon said. (7/16)
Canada Part of Group
Planning Mars Sample Mission (Source: Canadian Press)
Canada, which is part of a group working to bring samples of Mars back
to Earth, has helped the mission exploring the Red Planet to get more
bang for its buck, says a key American scientist. The lead scientist
behind the Phoenix Mars Lander describes the Canadian contribution to
the mission as "a godsend," and says a $37-million Canadian-built
weather station on board the spacecraft has worked "flawlessly" since
it landed on May 25. (7/20)
Russia to Study Martian Moons Once Again (Source: RIA
Novosti)
On July 7 and July 12, 1988, the Soviet Union launched two space
probes, Phobos-1 and Phobos-2, to study the surface and atmosphere of
Mars and its moons, Phobos and Deimos. Both spacecraft were to have
conducted studies of the interplanetary environment en route to Mars,
take observations of the Sun and survey the plasma environment around
the Red Planet. Phobos-1 operated without a hitch until a scheduled
communications session on September
2, 1988 failed to occur. Contact
was never reestablished. The failure has since been traced to an error
in software that deactivated the craft's attitude thrusters.
Phobos-2 operated normally throughout its cruise and entered Martian
orbit without problems, gathering data on the Sun, interplanetary
space, Mars, and Phobos. But shortly before the final phase of the
mission, during which the spacecraft was to approach within 50 meters
of Phobos' surface and release two landers, contact with Phobos-2 was
lost. The mission ended when the spacecraft's signal did not reappear
on March 27, 1989. The cause of the failure
was attributed to a malfunction of the on-board computer. The 1996
"Mars-96" probe never left Earth's orbit and crashed into the ocean.
The situation seems to be improving today. Under a stage-by-stage
national program for studying Mars, the Phobos-Grunt automatic probe
will be launched in October 2009. This cutting edge modular spacecraft
costs just 1.5 billion rubles ($64.4 million). Unlike Mars-96, the new
probe will lift off on a Zenit-class medium-size rocket, rather than
the heavy-duty and expensive Proton launch vehicle. If all goes to
plan, the probe will bring samples of Phobos' soil samples back to
Earth. (7/14)
Russia to Double Space
Exploration Expenditure in 2009 (Source: Interfax)
Russian budgetary expenditure on space exploration will more than
double in 2009, Federal Space Agency Deputy Director Vitaly Davydov
said. "The Finance Ministry has informed us of budgetary allocations
planned for the federal space program in 2009. I am glad to say that
the allocations will more than double," he said. The agency managed to
convey to the government the need for worthy funding of space
exploration plans, Davydov said.
"Larger funds will be assigned not only for manned space programs. We
will make substantial progress in Earth distant probing and
hydrometeorology. We will fully implement our plan of space launches
for the next three years," he said. Much funds will be assigned for the
development of a new spaceship, which will eventually replace the
Soyuz, Davydov said. (7/16)
Russia Hopes Contracts on 20 Soyuz Launches Will Be Signed Soon
(Source: Interfax)
The Federal Space Agency has received preliminary orders for about 20
Soyuz rocket launches from the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana and
the Baikonur spaceport in Kazakhstan, agency deputy head Vitaly Davydov
told Interfax-AVN at the Farnborough Air Show on Monday. "We are in
active negotiations with the clients. We hope to agree on up to 20
Soyuz launches in the near future," he said. (7/16)
Russian Satellite Debris Poses Hazard (Source: NPR)
NASA is carefully tracking some 500 pieces of debris from a Russian
intelligence satellite that may pose a hazard for the international
space station. The satellite exploded in March; another piece of it
broke apart in June. In recent days, a couple of pieces looked like
they might come close enough to the international space station to
prompt an evasive maneuver, says Gene Stansbery, of NASA's Johnson
Space Center, who helps track debris. Further tracking, however,
indicated the debris would pass at a safe distance. (7/17)
Russia Forgives Tajikistan's Debt in Exchange for
Space-Tracking Facility (Source: Space News)
Russia has forgiven Tajikistan's multimillion-dollar debt to Moscow in
exchange for ownership of a space-tracking station in the impoverished
Central Asian nation. (7/15)
Roskosmos to Launch Spaceship with Tourists to ISS in 2011
(Source: Kommersant)
By 2011, Roskosmos plans to create a spaceship, which will be able to
deliver space tourists to ISS. We really have the people willing to
make this flight, Davydov said. According to Davydov, this flight could
be implemented only as commercial project and Roskosmos is looking for
an investor now. (7/16)
Japan’s Success in Rocket and Space Technology (Source:
Donga)
The assembly line of rocket fuselages at Mitsubishi’s Tobishima factory
in Aichi Prefecture was rolling out H-2A rockets that measure over 52
meters. H-2A rocket is the fifth model Japan created after 1975 when
it successfully developed and launched its very first model, N-1, with
the help of the United States. Although H-2A more or
less resembles Korea’s KSLV-1 in its ability
to put an artificial satellite in orbit, there is a huge difference in
terms of performance and technology. Click here
to view the article. (7/14)
NASA Eyes Purchasing Japan's HTV Spacecraft for Space Station
Missions (Source: Daily Yomiuri)
NASA has begun unofficial negotiations with the Japan Aerospace
Exploration Agency on purchasing units of the H-2 Transfer Vehicle
(HTV), an unmanned cargo transfer spacecraft developed in Japan, as the
successor to its space shuttles, which are to retire in 2010. Behind
the move is NASA's concern that the retirement of its space shuttles
will make it difficult for the United States to fulfill its
responsibilities to deliver water, food and materials for scientific
experiments to the International Space Station. Japan has never sold such an
expensive, domestically developed item of space hardware as the 14
billion yen HTV to other countries. If a contract is concluded, it will
be the biggest in the country's 50-year space development history.
(7/20)
China 'Could Reach Moon by 2020' (Source: BBC)
China is capable of sending a
manned mission to the Moon within the next decade, if it so wishes,
Nasa administrator Michael Griffin has said. The US space agency plans to
return people to the lunar surface by 2020 using its new Orion
spacecraft. But it is just possible the first people on the Moon since
the Apollo 17 mission in 1972 could be planting a flag with five stars,
not 50. Dr Griffin said: "Certainly it is possible that if China wants to put people on
the Moon, and if it wishes to do so before the United States, it certainly can. As a
matter of technical capability, it absolutely can." (7/15)
Group Records Conversation Allegedly Showing Eutelsat Dealings
with China (Source: Space News)
A tape-recorded conversation alleged to be between a Eutelsat
representative and a Chinese dissident posing as a government
propaganda official has been publicized by an international free-speech
organization as an example of the extreme lengths some companies go to
in search of Chinese business. The transcript — translated from a
conversation conducted in a Chinese dialect — was released by Reporters
Without Borders, a not-for-profit organization concerned with
free-speech issues.
In the conversation, the alleged Eutelsat representative complains that
satellite-fleet operator Eutelsat has not won as much business as its
competitor Intelsat despite Eutelsat's multiple efforts to please the
Chinese, including removing New Tang Dynasty TV (NDTV) from Eutelsat's
W5 satellite using a recent power failure on the satellite as an
excuse. Other efforts discussed include: the possible launch of a
future Eutelsat satellite aboard a Chinese rocket, which the Eutelsat
representative said cost the company $32 million in extra manufacturing
costs to assure the satellite carried no U.S. parts that would make it
un-exportable to China. (7/17)
Eutelsat Loses Four Transponders (Source: Satnews)
Sometime during the evening of June 16-17, a "technical incident"
occurred to the Eutelsat's W5 satellite's power generation subsystem. A
technical investigation into this problem was conducted by Eutelsat and
Thales Alenia Space. The good news is that the satellite's power
performances is now stablized. The bad news is that the investigation
has revealed there is no possibility of recovering use of the four
transponders that were turned off as a result of the technical
incident. This means the operational capacity of the W5 satellite is
now 20 transponders. (7/16)
Indian Group: Cancel Launch of 2 Israeli Satellites
(Source: Howrah News Service)
July 15: The CPI(M) has asked the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s
government to "forthwith cancel" the proposed launch of two Israeli
satellites. The party said New Delhi’s statement of Monday,
opposing an attack on Iran, "is timely" but it felt New Delhi’s concern would have been
credible only if the government had not helped Israel’s military capabilities.
"If the Manmohan Singh government is really concerned about the
military attack on Iran, it should forthwith
cancel the launch of two more satellites in this series. It should
forthwith stop all military collaboration with Israel," the CPI(M) said in a
statement released to media on Tuesday. (7/16)
Indian Government Clears Funding for Six GSLV Launches
(Source: Domain-B)
The Union Cabinet cleared the funding for the operational flights of
six geo-stationary satellite launch vehicles (GSLV), numbers F11 to
F16, at a total estimated cost of Rs1280.96 crore. The funding also
involves a foreign exchange component of Rs272.90 crore. The GSLV
flights will be made to cater to the growing need for satellite
transponders that will offer meteorological and navigational services.
With these six operational flights end-to-end capability to launch
communication satellites will become available during the Eleventh Five
Year Plan. The six flights will take place in the period 2010-1012.
(7/17)
Raytheon Team To Bid For Indian Satellite Navigation System
(Source: Space Daily)
Washington DC (SPX) Jul 16, 2008 - Raytheon is leading a team to
deliver a comprehensive solution for the Indian Space Research
Organization and Airports Authority of India global navigation
satellite systems. This will complete the final phase of the Global
Positioning Satellite-Aided Geosynchronous Augmented Navigation System,
or GAGAN. (7/16)
Satellite Link for Indian State's Schools (Source: The Telegraph)
The Orissa government would be taking help of satellite technology to
extend quality education to schools in remote areas. The school and
mass education department has begun an initiative aimed at providing
satellite-based education to overcome lack of adequate infrastructure
and non-availability of teachers in villages. Senior officials say the
move would be realized through Satellite Interactive Terminals (SITs)
and Orissa Remote Sensing Application Center (Orsac) under the
department of science and technology that had been assigned to come up
with the Educational Satellite (Edusat) hub and SITs in targeted
schools. (7/15)
SeaLaunch Zenit 3SL Launches EchoStar 11 (Source:
SpaceToday.net)
A Sea Launch Zenit-3SL rocket successfully placed a new satellite into
orbit late Tuesday for a satellite TV broadcaster. The Zenit-3SL rocket
lifted off from the Odyssey Launch Platform on the Equator in the Pacific Ocean. The satellite, a
1300-series spacecraft by Space Systems/Loral, will be located at 110
degrees west in GEO and be used by DISH Network for direct-to-home TV
broadcasts for the US. The launch is the fourth
this year for Sea Launch, with two more missions scheduled before the
end of the year. (7/16)
Next Delta 2 Rocket to Carry Sharp-Eyed Spacecraft from California Spaceport (Source: Spaceflight Now)
Launch preparations are underway at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California to ready a commercial
Earth-imaging spacecraft for its deployment into orbit by a Delta 2
rocket. The GeoEye 1 satellite arrived at the launch site last
Wednesday, July 9, after being trucked from the General Dynamics
factory in Gilbert, Arizonia. The craft will undergo a final round of
pre-launch testing and fueling inside a Vandenberg processing facility.
The GeoEye 1 satellite is scheduled for launch Aug. 22. (7/14)
Asteroid Cruises Past
Earth ... With a Partner! (Source: Space.com)
A good-sized asteroid sailing past our planet right now turns out to be
two giant rocks doing a celestial jig. The setup, catalogued as 2008
BT18, was thought to be nearly a half-mile wide after its discovery by
MIT's LINEAR search program in January. Nothing else was known about
it. Now seen as two objects orbiting each other, the pair was closest
to Earth on July 14, at about 1.4 million miles (2 million kilometers)
away. That's nearly six times as far from us as the moon. (7/13)
'Duck!' Won't Save the Day (Source: Baltimore Sun)
An asteroid hurtles toward Earth, threatening devastation. A team of
attractive young scientists and engineers launches a rocket that
crashes into the asteroid and knocks it off course - just in the nick
of time. But wait. The crash pushes the giant space rock toward a
"keyhole" in space: a tiny window that guarantees that the asteroid
will come back and obliterate some hapless city in the future. What to
do? A scruffy grad student raises his hand. How about a "gravity
tractor" to tow it off course? Visit http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nation/bal-te.asteroid19jul19,0,201389.story
to view the article. (7/19)
Asteroid Switched Mars's Magnetic Field On and Off
(Source: New Scientist)
Can you flip a planet's magnetic field on and off like a light switch?
An asteroid could have done just that to Mars 4 billion years ago. Mars
once had a magnetic field, which may have been driven by a dynamo
formed from the convection of material in the core, much like the
Earth's is today. Yet crater records suggest the Martian dynamo died
quickly, over a few tens of thousands of years, something researchers
struggle to explain. (7/20)
Saturn's Moon May Host an Ocean (Source: Science News)
The Cassini spacecraft has found what may be the strongest evidence yet
that Saturn’s tiny moon Enceladus has an ocean beneath its icy surface.
If the liquid water finding is confirmed, it would suggest that the
moon may be one of the most promising places in the solar system to
search for signs of past or present extraterrestrial life. Enceladus is
already known to vent geysers of water-ice and vapor that contain
complex organic compounds. The new evidence for an underground ocean
comes from the detection of sodium in Saturn’s E ring, the extensive
band of ice particles believed to be fed and replenished by Enceladus.
(7/14)
NASA Spacecraft Shows Diverse, Wet Ancient Mars (Source:
NASA)
Two studies based on data from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter have
revealed that the Red Planet once hosted vast lakes, flowing rivers and
a variety of other wet environments that had the potential to support
life. One study, published in the July 17 issue of Nature, shows that
vast regions of the ancient highlands of Mars, which cover about half
the planet, contain clay minerals, which can form only in the presence
of water. Volcanic lavas buried the clay-rich regions during
subsequent, drier periods of the planet's history, but impact craters
later exposed them at thousands of locations across Mars. The data for
the study derives from images taken by the Compact Reconnaissance
Imaging Spectrometer for Mars, or CRISM, and other instruments on the
orbiter. (7/16)
Mars Lander Exposes More Ice (Source: Space.com)
NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander used its robotic arm to expose more of the
hard icy layer just below the Martian surface so that it can more
easily gather a sample of the material for analysis. The trench,
informally called "Snow White," was about 8 by 12 inches (20 by 30
centimeters) after digging by the arm Saturday. Mission controllers sent commands
to the spacecraft Monday to further extend the length of the trench by
about 6 inches (15 centimeters). (7/15)
Mars Pictures Look Surprisingly Like Some Parts of Earth
(Source: Daily Mail)
Scientists have released some of the most detailed photographs of Mars
ever taken. The pictures, which were snapped from a European Space
Agency (ESA) probe, show a region of the Red Planet called the Echus
Chasma. The deeply-incised area is a network of valleys that planetary
geologists believe were created by channeling groundwater that once
flowed on Mars' surface. Click here
to view the article. (7/15)
Discoveries Out There Require Preparation Right Here
(Source: Washington Post)
Reports in 1996 that a meteorite from Mars that was found in Antarctica
might contain fossilized remains of living organisms led then-Vice
President Al Gore to convene a meeting of scientists, religious leaders
and journalists to discuss the implications of a possible discovery of
extraterrestrial life. Gore walked into the room armed with questions
on notecards but, according to MIT physicist and associate provost
Claude R. Canizares, he put them down and asked this first question:
What would such a discovery mean to people of faith? Visit http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/19/AR2008071901642.html
to view the article. (7/20)
Should We Be Phoning E.T.? (Source: MSNBC)
We've been listening for the signs of extraterrestrial civilizations
for nearly 50 years - and if E.T.s are out there, they just might have
picked up on the radio signals that we've been transmitting for even
longer. More recently, some broadcasters have been sending intentional
shout-outs to the aliens. Is that so wrong? Yes, in the opinion of
physicist-novelist David Brin and other scientists who say such
transmissions could bring unwelcome consequences. Visit http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/07/14/1198808.aspx
to view the article. (7/14)
Search for Alien Life Gains New Impetus (Source:
Washington Post)
When Paul Butler began hunting for planets beyond our solar system, few
people took him seriously, and some, he says, questioned his
credentials as a scientist. That was a decade ago, before Butler helped find some of the
first extra-solar planets, and before he and his team identified about
half of the 300 discovered since. Biogeologist Lisa M. Pratt of Indiana University had a similar experience
with her early research on "extremophiles," bizarre microbes found in
very harsh Earth environments. She and colleagues explored the depths
of South African gold mines and, to their great surprise, found
bacteria sustained only by the radioactive decay of nearby rocks.
The experiences of these two researchers reflect the scientific
explosion taking place in astrobiology, the multi-disciplined search
for extreme forms of life on Earth and for possibly similar, or more
advanced, life elsewhere in the solar system and in distant galaxies.
The confidence that alien life will ultimately be found is strong
enough to have kindled formal discussions among scientists,
philosophers, theologians and others about the implications that such a
find would have for humanity's view of itself, and how to prepare the
public for the news, should it come. (7/20)
No X-Prize Cup This Year (Source: Lurio Report)
Due to various hints over the past year this news was not really
surprising. Probably the most recent indicator was the announcement on
June 6 that the Lunar Lander Challenge would take place at Holloman AFB
(site of last year’s Cup) in October, but as an event closed to the
public except via webcast. Actually, there were key doubts expressed
around the time of last year’s Cup, though they weren’t exactly
advertised. For one thing, the Holloman air show - with which the Cup
was combined last year - only happens every other year; for another,
there was talk that certain support elements at the Las Cruces airport
had been strained while hosting the 2006 Cup and for the immediate
future had sworn off of having another Cup there. (7/15)
USDOT Will Finance
Competition for Renewable Fuel (Source: AIA)
The U.S. Dept. of Transportation will hold a competition aimed at
encouraging the development of renewable fuels and technologies for the
aviation industry. The FAA and the DOT have provided $500,000 to the X
Prize Foundation for the contest to develop alternative jet fuels. The
winner of the prize will receive $10 million or more. "It will be a
competition that everyone wins, because a breakthrough in alternative
jet fuels is a potential game-changer that could bring lower airline
fuel costs, greater U.S. energy independence, and cleaner air," DOT
Secretary Mary Peters said. (7/14)
NASA Announces Competitive Grant Programs (Source: NASA)
NASA's Office of Education at headquarters in Washington has announced three new
extramural funding opportunities that could result in the award of
grants or cooperative agreements. One of the three funding
opportunities is the K-12 Competitive Grants Opportunity, a competitive
education grant program targeting secondary school level teaching and
learning, with grants being awarded to U.S. public schools and
non-profit organizations. The goal of the opportunity is to seek out
and support new, innovative, and replicable approaches to improving
science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) learning and
instruction. This will leverage NASA's unique contributions to STEM
fields. (7/18)
Arizona State University Creates Solar Power Laboratory
(Source: Space Daily)
Tempe AZ (SPX) Jul 14, 2008 - Arizona State University is strengthening
its commitment to boost Arizona's economic development prospects in the
renewable energy industry by establishing the Solar Power Laboratory to
advance solar energy research, education and technology. (7/16)
UCF Project Selected for NASA Explorer Mission (Source: UCF)
NASA recently selected a University of Central Florida project that will measure
the temperature and make-up of the Earth’s outer atmosphere as one of
two missions of opportunity under its Explorer science space program.
The Global-Scale Observations of the Limb and Disk (GOLD) project led
by UCF Physicist Richard Eastes will build and fly a special camera
known as an imaging spectrograph to record images of ultraviolet light
emitted by the atmosphere approximately 62 miles above the Earth’s
surface. (7/14)
Student Satellites: Encouraging Trend or a Sign of Panic?
(Source: Space Review)
For at least the last several years, the aerospace industry has been
trying to warn politicians that it is facing a major workforce crisis.
In spite of all the prodding and a big increase in overall government
education spending, the situation has not improved, or if it has the
evidence is microscopic. While the presidential candidates pay lip
service to the need to train a new generation of scientists and
engineers, the leadership of the educational establishment, having
successfully shrugged off the pressure from the Bush administration to
improve their performance in this area, shows no signs of being ready
to change the habits and priorities of a lifetime. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1170/1
to view the article. (7/14)
University of Illinois Marks 50 Years as Leader in Space
Exploration (Source: Chicago Tribune)
Virtually overnight, the teenage Donald Gurnett traded in his hobby of
crafting model rockets to join a fledgling University of Iowa space
program. Gurnett graduated high school, won a model airplane
competition and started as an engineering student at UI, all in 1957 --
the dawn of the space age. "They wanted anyone who knew something about
electronics. I started working on that stuff right off the bat," the
68-year-old UI physicist said. "In a few months, I was down at Cape
Canaveral working on real rockets." (7/14)
NASA Langley Awards SAIC $45 Million Contract (Source:
Space News)
Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) will analyze and
assess program objectives, costs and schedules at NASA's Langley
Research Center in Hampton, Va., under a $45-million, five-year
contract with NASA. (7/17)
NASA Awards Advanced Planning Assessment Contract (Source:
NASA)
NASA has awarded an advanced planning assessment contract to Booz Allen
Hamilton. The fixed-price contract has a maximum value of $30 million
for a three-year base period beginning July 8 and two one-year options.
The contract is a follow-on to an earlier contract, with work being
performed at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. Booz Allen
Hamilton will give independent programmatic and institutional
assessment capability support to Johnson's Advanced Planning Office. It
will provide reviews and assessments of tactical and strategic planning
efforts and make independent assessments of cost, schedule, technical
risk, safety and mission assurance. (7/14)
NASA Awards Airspace System Research Contracts (Source:
NASA)
NASA has awarded research contracts worth a total of $12 million to two
industry teams to study how the introduction of new aircraft types may
affect air traffic management efficiency, aviation safety and the
environment in the future. NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission
Directorate selected teams led by Raytheon and Sensis Corp. to receive
separate 18-month study contracts valued at $6 million each. The
research topic is "Integration of Advanced Concepts and Vehicles into
the Next Generation Air Transportation System." (7/15)
Hamilton Files Protest On NASA Spacesuit Decision (Source:
Wall Street Journal)
Hamilton Sundstrand, the lead contractor supplying spacesuits for the
National Aeronautic and Space Administration, is protesting the
decision to give the contract for a next-generation suit to a rival. In
what has become a trend among contractors seeking high-profile
government work, Hamilton, a unit of United Technologies Corp., filed a
protest late Monday with the Government Accountability Office, asking
it to review the reasons NASA chose a team led by Oceaneering
International Inc. to develop the new spacesuit for the Constellation
space program. Hamilton and its partner ILC Dover have been the sole
suppliers of spacesuits since the Apollo missions. (7/16)
Alliant Tech Says Major Acquisitions Not Attractive
(Source: Reuters)
U.S. rocket maker Alliant Techsystems aims to expand in space systems,
advanced weapons and electronics but is shunning big acquisitions after
its bid for a Canadian defense business failed. Chairman and Chief
Executive Daniel Murphy said he was disappointed by Canada's decision
in April to block the purchase, but ruled out a major alternative deal
amid what he saw as bloated valuations sought by rival defense
companies. "I was very disappointed by the politically charged
atmosphere in Canada." (7/19)
Rockwell Sees 19% Boost in
Fiscal Q3 Profit (Source: AIA)
Increased defense spending helped push Rockwell Collins' profits up 19%
in the fiscal third quarter. The company reported net income of $174
million. CEO Clay Jones expects the defense business to continue to
experience steady growth. The company, which makes flight control
equipment and electronics, has also benefit from an increase in demand
for business jets. (7/16)
Orbital Sciences Reports Strong Second Quarter (Source:
Satellite Today)
Orbital Sciences Corp. reported revenues of $301.2 million in the 2008
second quarter, a 15 percent improvement over revenues a year ago. The
company posted a profit of $25.8 million in the quarter, compared to
earnings of $13.8 million. The earnings reflected a $15 million gain on
the sale of the company’s Transportation Management Systems (TMS)
business unit, which closed in June.
Orbital credited the revenue gains to significant growth in the
advanced space programs and launch vehicles segments. Advanced space
programs segment revenues nearly doubled to $38.2 million, driven by
increases in contract activity on NASA’s Orion program and on national
security satellite programs. Launch vehicles segment revenues increased
$12.8 million, principally due to increased contract activity on
missile defense and space launch vehicle programs. Both segments also
reported gains in operating income. (7/17)
Orbital Plans Upgrade To Its Satellite Line (Source: Space
News)
Orbital Sciences Corp., which already is investing in a new medium-lift
rocket, is weighing a fresh capital investment to increase the size and
power of its current line of commercial telecommunications satellites,
Orbital Chief Executive David W. Thompson said. (7/17)
AlphaStar Presents New XM-Sirius Wrinkle (Source:
Broadcasting & Cable)
There is a new wrinkle in the already prunelike process of the Federal
Communications Commission's year-plus review of the proposed XM
Satelllite Radio-Sirius Satellite Radio merger. In a letter to FCC
chairman Kevin Martin, satellite-uplink company AlphaStar, a company
built to track Soviet satellites and missiles, said it had the
satellite backbone to provide the independent channels the FCC is
considering carving out of the merged company as a condition of
approving the deal, if it does so. Martin has proposed requiring a
24-channel set-aside, or about a combined 8% of XM/Sirius' capacity.
Others, including a number of Democratic legislators, have called for
more channels, and based only on a percentage of capacity to account
for the addition of more channels with the advancement of digital
compression. (7/17)
SUIRG Opposes Proposal For Sharing in the Ku-band (Source:
Space News)
The Satellite Users Interference Reduction Group, or SUIRG, is opposing
a request by the Utilities Telecom Council (UTC) to use Ku-band
spectrum currently reserved for fixed satellites. SUIRG says the
Telecom Council's proposal, if approved, would lead to an increase in
the number of interference incidents affecting fixed- and mobile-
satellite services. (7/17)
Lockheed Martin Awarded Contract for BSAT-3b Satellite
(Source: CSA)
Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems (LMCSS) achieved two recent
milestones with the successful launch of Vietnam's VINASAT-1
communications satellite and the BSAT-3b spacecraft contract award.
Broadcasting Satellite System Corporation (B-SAT) of Japan selected
Lockheed Martin to build its next geostationary telecommunications
satellite, designated BSAT-3b. BSAT-3b will provide high-definition
(HD) direct broadcast services throughout Japan following its scheduled
launch the third quarter of 2010 aboard an Arianespace launch vehicle.
BSAT-3b is the second consecutive satellite order B-SAT has awarded to
Lockheed Martin. (7/15)
Lockheed Lands Satellite
Communications Contract (Source: AIA)
Lockheed Martin will provide the Air Force with advanced materials for
a military satellite communications system as part of a $119 million
contract. The satellite system will provide a secure communications
network for warfighters. (7/19)
Astrium To Build Direct-to-Home TV Satellite for Astra
(Source: Space News)
Satellite-fleet operator SES Astra has selected Astrium Satellites to
build the Astra 1N direct-broadcast satellite to be placed into Astra's
core 19.2 degrees east television-broadcast slot in 2011, SES and
Astrium announced July 14. (7/15)
Astrium Purchases Majority Share In Spot Image (Source:
Space Daily)
Farnborough, UK (SPX) Jul 16, 2008 - Astrium has announced the purchase
of further shares in Spot Image from the French Space Agency. This is a
significant deal resulting in Astrium holding 81% of Spot Image and
therefore becoming the majority shareholder. As part of Astrium,
Infoterra and Spot Image will work together within the Earth
Observation Division of Astrium Services. (7/16)
Astrium Wins Contract for New SES Astra Satellite (Source:
Space Daily)
Betzdorf, Luxembourg (SPX) Jul 16, 2008 - SES Astra has announced that
it awarded the construction of a new satellite, Astra 1N, to the
European satellite manufacturer Astrium. The spacecraft is scheduled
for launch in 2011 and will be positioned at Astra`s prime orbital
position 19.2 degrees East. It will mainly serve the German, French and
Spanish markets, and provide customers with continuous operating and
back-up satellite capacity. (7/16)
Saab Reaches Agreement to Sell Space Division (Source:
Space News)
Swiss defense and aerospace company Ruag has agreed to purchase Saab
Space of Sweden, including the Saab-owned Austrian Aerospace, for the
equivalent of less than six months worth of Saab Space's 2007 sales in
a deal that includes a price escalator based on Saab Space's future
performance, Saab and Ruag announced July 15. (7/15)
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Last Week’s DOD
Contract Awards in California
The Boeing Co., Huntington Beach,
Calif., is being awarded a $153,511,595 cost-plus-fixed fee
completion contract for High Integrity GPS (Global Positioning System)
Technology Concept demonstration. The GPS is a local GPS enhancement
that leverages the Iridium Low Earth Orbit satellite, constellation
which offers significantly improved performance over stand alone GPS
today. The program will investigate technologies and design solutions
for objective performance of short time to first fix under dynamic user
equipment conditions. Work will be performed in Huntington Beach,
Calif. (34.3 percent); Philadelphia, Pa. (17.3 percent); St. Louis,
Mo. (1.5 percent); El Segundo, Calif. (12.6 percent); Cedar Rapids, IA
(12.3 percent); Bethesda, Md. (15.3 percent); Washington, D.C. (5.4
percent); Ithaca, N.Y. (.5 percent); Chicago, Ill. (.3 percent) Burlingame,
Calif. (.5 percent), and work is expected to be completed January
2011. Contract funds in the amount of $27,778,538 will expire at end of
current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured under
Naval Research Laboratory Broad Agency Announcement 68-07-01. The Naval
Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
AOC Support Services LLC, Chantilly, Va., is being
awarded a $8,902,895 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-quantity contract for
base operating support services at the Naval Air Facility, El Centro.
The contract contains options, which if exercised, will bring the
not-to-exceed total contract value to $105,986,469. Work will be
performed in El Centro, Calif., and work is expected to be
completed September 2009 (September 2018 with options exercised).
Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured as a
set-aside for small business concerns via the Naval Facilities
Engineering Command e-solicitation website with four proposals
received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, Public
Works, El Centro, Calif., is the contracting activity.
The Air Force is modifying
a cost plus award fee contract with Northrop Grumman System Corp.,
of San Diego, Calif., for $5,619,379. This action will provide
communication systems upgrades for the Global Hawk Unmanned Aerial
System. At this time $5,331,503.57 has been obligated. 303 AESG/PK,
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity.
Raytheon Co., Fullerton, Calif.,
is being awarded a cost-plus-incentive-fee contract with award fee
provisions for a total estimated value of $232,767,343 for the System
Development and Demonstration of the Joint Precision Approach and
Landing System (JPALS), including the delivery of eight fully
functional Ship System Engineering Development Models and four Aircraft
System Test Avionics Sets. Work will be performed in Fullerton,
Calif., (45 percent); Cedar Rapids, Iowa, (38 percent);
Indianapolis, Ind., (7 percent); Long Beach, Calif., (5
percent); Richardson, Texas, (3 percent); Woodland Hills, Calif.,
(1.8 percent); and Virginia Beach, Va. (0.2 percent), and work is
expected to be completed in Sept. 2014. Contract funds will not expire
at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively
procured via an electronic request for proposals, with two offers
received. The Naval Air Systems Command is the contracting activity.
BRDC a Joint Venture,
Large, Pa., Islands Mechanical Contractor, Inc., Middleburg, Fla., PAE
Government Services, Inc., Los Angeles, Calif., Ratcliff
Construction, Inc., Orange Park, Fla., TolTest, Inc., Maumee, Ohio, are
each being awarded an indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity multiple
award design-build construction contract for general building type
projects at Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay. The work to be performed is
for general building projects including new construction, renovation,
alteration, and repair of facilities and infrastructure, roofing,
demolition, and routine renovation. Each contract consists of a base
year and four option years for a maximum of 60 months or a maximum
value of $100,000,000 for all contracts, whichever comes first with a
guaranteed minimum of $10,000 for each contract. The aggregate of
$100,000,000 will potentially be shared among all four contractors.
BRDC a Joint Venture is being awarded the initial task order in the
amount of $632,646 (including the minimum guarantee) for the design and
construction of a new Temporary J6 Admin Facility with a gross building
area of approximately 4900 square feet at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay.
Work for this task order is expected to be completed by Jun. 2009. The
remaining four contractors are being awarded the minimum guarantee of
$10,000. Work will be performed in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and work is
expected to be completed Jul 2009 (Jul. 2013 with options). Contract
funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The basic
contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce
Online website with seven proposals received. These five contractors
may compete for task orders under the terms and conditions of the
awarded contract. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southeast,
Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity.
I Garcia Construction, Inc., Fresno, Calif.,
is being awarded $6,789,000 for firm-fixed price Task Order #0005 under
a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple
award construction contract (N62473-07-D-2009) for the design and
construction of the renovation of the Marine Corps Reserve Center
(MCRC) San Bruno, Calif. The work to be performed provides for
life safety, antiterrorism/force protection, and security improvements
to the Center. Work will be performed in San Bruno, Calif., and
is expected to be completed by Jul. 2009. Contract funds will expire at
the end of the current fiscal year. The original contract was
competitively procured via the Naval Facilities Engineering Command
e-solicitation website with 12 proposals received and award made on
Dec. 21, 2006. The total combined maximum for all contracts awarded is
$100,000,000. The multiple contractors (five in number) may compete for
task orders under the terms and conditions of the existing contract.
Three proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities
Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting
activity.
The Air Force is modifying
a cost plus award fee, cost plus fixed fee, cost plus incentive fee,
firm fixed price contract with Lockheed Martin Space Systems Corp.,
of Sunnyvale, Calif., not to exceed $119,160,000. This action
will provide Advanced Extremely High Frequency Satellite Communications
System, which provides secure, survivable communications to the U.S.
war-fighters during all levels of conflict and is the protected
backbone of the Department of Defense Military Satellite Communications
architecture. This contract action is for the advance procurement of
long-lead parts of the AEHF Satellite Vehicle 4 in FY08. Advance
procurement ensures that parts with significant lead times will be in
place to begin SV4 full production on schedule. This action is an
in-scope modification and will be awarded as an undefinitized contract
action. At this time $59,580,000 has been
obligated. MCSW/PK, El Segundo, Calif., is the contracting activity.
ViaSat, Carlsbad, Calif.,
is being awarded a $9,786,000 firm-fixed-price order for
Multifunctional Information Distribution System Joint Tactical Radio
System (MIDS JTRS) Pre-Production Terminals. The MIDS JTRS terminal is
a Software Communications Architecture (SCA) compliant upgrade to the
MIDS-Low Volume Terminal (MIDS-LVT) that supports legacy and advanced
networking JTRS compliant waveforms enabling integrated navigation,
identification, voice and data communications, information security,
networking and networking applications to meet Department of Defense
(DoD) software defined radio initiatives and requirements. Work will be
performed in Carlsbad, Calif., (35 percent), in various other
sites within the U.S. (65 percent), and is expected to be completed by
September 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the
current fiscal year. This order was competitively procured with two
proposals solicited and two offers received. The synopsis was released
via the Federal Business Opportunities web site. Space and Naval
Warfare Systems Command, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity.
General Petroleum, Rancho Dominguez,
Calif. is being awarded a maximum $33,874,800.00 fixed price with
economic price adjustment contract for deliveries of marine gas oil. Other locations of performance are in Eureka and
Oxnard, Calif. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps,
Federal Civilian Agencies and Coast Guard. There were originally 13
proposals solicited with two responses. Contract funds will not expire
at the end of the current fiscal year. The date of performance is Aug.
31, 2011. The contracting activity is Defense Energy Support Center,
Fort Belvoir, Va.
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