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July 28, 2008
NASA Will Struggle When
Shuttle Retires, Says Griffin (Source: Guardian)
One might think Michael Griffin has much to celebrate. The agency he
heads receives $17 billion a year and is buoyed up by the kind of
public support Americans normally reserve for celebrities and gods. He
has presidential backing for the most ambitious plan to take humankind
into the solar system. Griffin wants to see American astronauts back on
the moon by 2020, though many in the industry say the agency is loathe
to let 2019 - the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing - pass
without fresh prints on the surface. Early work will focus on creating
a permanent moon base. From there, NASA will turn its sights on the
incomparable task of a crewed mission to Mars.
But Griffin has a problem, and it is
one he is vexed by. To fly people to the moon, NASA must develop a new
rocket. And to pay for it, the agency must cancel all future space
shuttle flights. It means that from 2010, for around five years, the
nation that beat the Soviet Union in the space race will not only be
grounded, but will have to pay Russia for seats aboard Soyuz if it
wants to visit the space station it bankrolled and built. Griffin likens the space station
to an Antarctic research base, which needs a regular supply of food and
water, which suffers technical glitches, and needs to have its staff
rotated on a regular basis for their sanity if nothing else. Both the US and Russian space
agencies agree that at a minimum, it needs two independent supply
chains - read rockets - to ensure the safety of the station and those
on board.
And then there is the election. The vision for moon and Mars is tightly
associated with the Bush administration and while it has widespread
support, the new president may well decide to tinker with it. The
Republican candidate John McCain has emphasized the need to ensure
taxpayers are getting good value from NASA, leading some to fear a
return to the moon will be viewed as an expensive re-run of project
Apollo. The Democrat Barack Obama has stated that NASA needs to be
"redefined" and hopes to fund an $18 billion education program by
delaying NASA's moonshot for five years. All of this, says Griffin, should not shift NASA's
sights on the moon and Mars. "We're on the right path and it is of
course fragile, but I think it's crucial we remain on it. (7/25)
California Innovation Survey Open Now (Source: CSA)
Innovation is a key driver of our California economy. University of
California at Riverside is leading a State-wide study on the factors
that contribute to innovative behavior in California companies. We have
put together a survey to better understand innovation, and would
appreciate 15 minutes of your time in accomplishing this task. Please
complete this survey online at: http://www.engr.ucr.edu/wired/survey.html
Buzz Aldrin Calls for
Reevaluation of Constellation (Source: Houston Chronicle)
Just four years after President Bush announced his vision to send
astronauts back to the moon and then on to Mars, legendary astronaut
Buzz Aldrin is leading an effort to re-examine the whole idea — in
particular, NASA's choice of rockets for the mission. It is the latest
sign that NASA's Constellation program — intended to replace the space
shuttle after 2010 — is in trouble. Concerned by reports that the Ares
rockets and Orion crew capsule are beset by cost overruns, schedule
delays and complex technical woes, Aldrin says he wants to create a
panel of experts to make sure that Constellation is the right way to
go.
NASA's proposed Ares-1 and Ares-5 rockets were originally presented as
relatively uncomplicated projects that would reuse technology from the
space shuttle, Ares is now an almost completely new design. A NASA
report made public last week said the agency will probably not meet its
own internal goal of launching the rocket in 2013, and may even miss
its publicly stated goal of a launch by 2015. However, NASA officials
publicly insist the 2015 date is still on track. Aldrin said he wants
the panel to look at the Direct 2.0 rocket, a design that would use the
shuttle's giant external fuel tank and rocket boosters to launch the
Orion capsule into space. Jake Garn, a former Republican senator from Utah and the first member of
Congress to fly in space, agrees. "We are not far enough down the road
that we shouldn't consider other options while we're working on the
current path," he said.
Aldrin compared the Ares situation to the development of the shuttle
after the end of the Apollo program. "It was not wisely planned, it was
under-funded and we rushed into another decision that left us with a
gap," he said. "And the shuttle — as marvelous as it is — has not lived
up to its expectations." Some space advocates fear that both Barack
Obama and John McCain might latch onto any study as a way to scrap
Constellation entirely. Obama has said he would like to postpone
Constellation for five years and use the money for the Department of
Education. McCain has said that he favors increasing NASA's budget —
but also wants to freeze spending except for defense and homeland
security.
"We need to stick with the mission but rethink some of the ways we
implement it," said Aldrin. "It doesn't pay to stick with a bad idea."
He has won some backers, including a prominent Washington think tank and the
backers of the Direct 2.0 design created by moonlighting NASA
employees. But the space agency — and its allies on Capitol Hill —
insists there's no need for more study. Meanwhile, the National Academy
of Sciences is currently assembling a 14-member panel for a $400,000
study of the goals and rationale of the U.S. space program. Click here
to view the article. (7/25)
What's Wrong with Ares I? (Source: New Scientist)
The Ares I design was intended to be cheap and relatively easy, as it
was supposed to reuse as much technology from the space shuttle as
possible. But that has not been the case, largely because it must carry
up a relatively heavy crew capsule, says Roger Launius, head space
historian at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. "The
solid rocket booster was not designed to lift this kind of load or to
have something stacked on top of it," he told New Scientist. One major
problem is "jack hammer" vibrations caused by irregularities in the way
the solid rocket motor burns fuel, though NASA says the problem is
fixable. This and other concerns were highlighted in a NASA report made
public last week that suggested NASA will probably not meet its own
internal goal of launching the rocket in 2013, and may even miss its
publicly stated goal of a launch by 2015. (7/21)
If You Want to Repeat Apollo, Do it Right (Source: New
Scientist)
NASA's two new launchers are increasingly in big trouble, and may come
to a bad end. Ares I, the small launcher designed to lift a crew
capsule, is the centre of the problem. The original idea was to start
with a shuttle solid rocket booster (SRB), and top it off with a small
upper stage using a shuttle main engine (SSME). This plan had some
flaws, but if it could be done easily and quickly, it looked passable
if not ideal. Unfortunately, it hasn't been easy or quick. First the
upper-stage engine was changed to the J-2S, the Apollo-era engine being
revived for the big launcher, Ares V. This wasn't as fuel efficient, so
the upper stage got fatter to hold more fuel. That was too heavy for
the SRB, so Ares I would have to use the stretched "five-segment" SRB
also planned for the big launcher. Click here
to view the article. (7/22)
Moonlighting Engineers Design Alternative NASA Rocket
(Source: New Scientist)
Recently, media reports have described a sort of "shadow army" of
engineers who – in their spare time – are designing an alternative to
NASA's future Ares rockets. Proponents of the DIRECT plan believe that
the Ares rocket has strayed from its original Congressional mandate,
set in 2005, to recycle as much technology from the shuttle as possible
to keep costs low, the space workforce employed, and the window between
the shuttle's retirement and the new vehicle as small as possible. The
DIRECT plan uses two identical "Jupiter" rockets – one that would loft
only cargo and the other that could carry crew – that are similar in
design to a concept developed at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center
after the Challenger shuttle disaster in 1986.
Like the shuttle launcher, each Jupiter rocket would have a liquid fuel
tank and two solid rocket boosters. But unlike the shuttle system,
Jupiter's liquid fuel tank would have two or three engines at its base
and would carry its payload on top rather than on its side – a design
that would prevent any insulating foam it might shed from damaging the
crew capsule. Using only one type of rocket, the DIRECT team says,
could save NASA $35 billion dollars because it's easier to develop and
maintain a single type of vehicle. Visit http://space.newscientist.com/article/dn14364-moonlighting-engineers-design-alternative-nasa-rocket.html
to view the article. (7/22)
Editorial: Shorten the Gap (Source: Houston Chronicle)
Don't allow the United States to be out of the human spaceflight
business for five or more years. The last shuttle mission is scheduled
for launch May 31, 2010. The shuttle Endeavour will leave Launch Pad
39A and carry vital spare parts to the International Space Station.
When Endeavour returns, U.S. astronauts must depend on Russian space
capsules to reach and return from the space station. One Soyuz capsule
recently plunged to the ground hundreds of miles from the landing zone,
casting doubt on the aging design's reliability.
NASA scientists and engineers have developed a long and apolitical
rapport with their Russian counterparts. But continued cooperation is
at the whim of anti-Western Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. Perhaps
unlikely, the risk is that Putin could play the space station card and
force the United States to make an unwanted concession. Complicating
the matter, the Government Accountability Office notes that NASA faces
cost overruns and design difficulties with Constellation, the shuttle's
replacement program. The GAO raised doubts whether NASA had enough
money to fix design flaws in the Ares rocket and Orion crew capsule.
(7/27)
The Moon is Not Enough (Source: Register)
NASA and its international aeronautical cohorts have some serious
explaining to do before they start rocketing folks to the Moon again.
They better convince the public why it's so important for our species
to invest hand-over-fist just to root around some boring gray orbital
dust ball - a dust ball we already stuck a flag in a full score and 19
years ago. Perhaps they're preaching to the choir, but this week a
gathering of scientists are giving this sort of time-tested anti-space
exploration diatribe a workout at the NASA/AMES Research Center in
Mountain View, California. They're in Silicon Valley for the first
(theoretically) annual Lunar Science Conference. It's being run by the
newly-formed NASA Lunar Science Institute — whose job it will be make
dust vapor studies look sexy while doling out $2m grants to teams of
lucky researchers.
"Apollo was exciting... but been there done that," said one researcher.
"We have enough problems on Earth to solve like climate change, hunger,
and war." Furthermore, Mars and the search for life are more
compelling. Titan and Europa are exotic challenges. The big bang,
string theory and dark matter are more fundamental, she added. What
good can studying the Moon do us? Visit http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/22/lunar_science_conference_08_part_2/ to view the article.
(7/22)
McCain is Onboard for
Bush's Space Mission; Obama May Be More Down to Earth (Source: LA Times)
We know how John McCain and Barack Obama are polling in the red states,
the blue states, Europe, the Middle East, China and around the world.
But how are the presidential candidates polling on Mars? Red Planet
policy turns out to be one of the areas in which McCain and Obama
present bright, clear policy differences. In short, McCain supports the
vision for space exploration that President Bush articulated in 2004,
with a vaguely defined ambition to send astronauts on to Mars before
2050. And the Democratic contender? Earlier this year, in a 15-page
position paper detailing his ideas for education, Obama sneaked in the
following line at the end: "The early education plan will be paid for
by delaying the NASA Constellation program for five years."
Who's right? There's something to be said for pulling the plug on
Constellation. The space agency should take a fresh look at its goals
and practices, possibly even giving up its role as a driver in human
space exploration and becoming a paying passenger on vehicles built and
operated by foreign and private-sector organizations. This would leave
NASA with more funds for the robotic exploration that has brought such
vast rewards on a relatively small budget (and without risk to life and
limb).
Fiscal realities and NASA's commitment to keeping its $17-billion
budget flat already seem to be putting a limit on Constellation, but
Bush's, and now McCain's, vision nicely balances realism and ambition.
Yet it's Obama who is sounding like the more realistic, market-oriented
candidate. His campaign said recently that Obama hopes to enhance
NASA's role "in confronting the challenges we face here on Earth,
including global climate change" and "to reach out and include
international partners and engage the private sector to increase NASA's
reach and provide real public economic benefits for the nation." (7/23)
Kennedy Versus Obama on Space (Source: Space Review)
While Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has been compared
to John F. Kennedy, Obama has been far less supportive of human
spaceflight today than Kennedy was nearly 50 years ago. Michael Huang
makes the case for Obama to change course. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1171/1
to view the article. (7/21)
Alabama’s Rep. Cramer A Staunch Supporter for Defense and Space
(Source: Huntsville Times)
Over his 18 years in Washington, D.C., U.S. Rep. Bud Cramer says his
connection to defense, NASA and the Space Station has been huge. "In
the early years, I had constant battles in defending the Space Station
and with protecting NASA," Cramer says. "We won those battles, but it
took going member to member asking for votes. It meant building support
to preserve the station. One of those victories was won by one vote."
In defense, early issues with the Redstone Arsenal arose with the base
military realignment - or BRAC - rounds. The congressman says he
immediately sought to tell the "Redstone story," often by showing its
cooperatives with BRAC. (7/27)
Are We Driven to Explore? (Source: Space Review)
Many of the arguments constructed in support of spaceflight focus on
the importance of exploration. Rand Simberg questions that focus and
argues that it would be more effective to find other, more compelling
arguments. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1174/1
to view the article. (7/21)
Will We Soon Find Life in the Heavens? (Source: US News
& World Report)
Alien-hunting scientists have had an eventful year, and they're about
to get busier. In just the past few months, life-friendly soil and ice
turned up on Mars, astronomers bagged a trio of Earth-like planets in a
distant star system, and scientists looking closer to home reported
that certain hardy microbes thrive below Earth's ocean floor—a big clue
that life may exist on planets that at first glance appear
inhospitable. None of the findings shout, "Here be aliens!" but each
report has stoked optimism among astrobiologists that they will
discover life beyond Earth. Some leading stargazers, in fact, suspect
we're now on the verge of learning that we're not alone—and that
genesis wasn't a unique event. (7/24)
Can People Live on Mars? (Source: RIA Novosti)
The discovery of ice immediately under the surface of Mars is
increasing the chances of finding life there. Water is more than the
key to the origin of life. Water on Mars raises intriguing questions.
Can people build settlements on Mars? Is it suitable for colonization?
Can we learn more about our planet by studying the Martian climate? Did
Mars go through the same geological processes as Earth? Water plays a
major role in answering these questions, or, to be more precise, the
possibility of a water cycle on Mars. Moreover, the chemical analysis
of the samples of the Martian ground, performed by the onboard
laboratory of the spacecraft, showed that they contain all elements
required for the origin and maintenance of life. (7/26)
Moon-Walker Claims Alien
Contact Cover-Up (Source: Daily Telegraph)
Former NASA astronaut and moon-walker Dr Edgar Mitchell - a veteran of
the Apollo 14 mission - has stunningly claimed aliens exist. And he
says extra-terrestrials have visited Earth on several occasions - but
the alien contact has been repeatedly covered up by governments for six
decades. Chillingly, he claimed our technology is "not nearly as
sophisticated" as theirs and "had they been hostile", he warned "we
would be been gone by now".
"I happen to have been privileged enough to be in on the fact that
we've been visited on this planet and the UFO phenomena is real," Dr
Mitchell said. "It's been well covered up by all our governments for
the last 60 years or so, but slowly it's leaked out and some of us have
been privileged to have been briefed on some of it. "I've been in
military and intelligence circles, who know that beneath the surface of
what has been public knowledge, yes - we have been visited. Reading the
papers recently, it's been happening quite a bit." (7/24)
Aliens? Moonwalker Believes (Source: Huntsville Times)
Dr. Edgar Mitchell, the sixth man to walk on the moon, has professed
his belief that aliens exist and the government has covered up their
visits to Earth. Not surprisingly, former NASA administrators and
astronauts here give Mitchell's comments the same credence as the myth
that the first moon walk was fake. Said Owen Garriott, who flew the
Skylab 3 mission in 1973: "I'll give you three comments. First, he's a
good friend of mine. Second, he's a very honest man. And third, he is
laboring under self-delusion if he thinks he's seen extraterrestrial
beings."
Ed Buckbee, former director of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center and a
former aide to Dr. Wernher von Braun, said it's the first time an
astronaut has commented on aliens or UFOs. He saw Mitchell last summer
in Florida at a book-signing and autograph session at Kennedy Space
Center. "He seemed to have all his marbles," Buckbee said. "He was
alert and attuned to what was going on." Garriott, though, said he was
already aware of Mitchell's views. "I know he's had similar thoughts
(that) he has considered in the past," he said. (7/25)
European Team Discovers New Alien World (Source: Space.com)
Scientists have discovered a new Jupiter-sized planet orbiting around a
distant sun-like star. This planet takes 9.2 days to orbit its star,
the longest period for any transiting exoplanet ever found. The planet,
called CoRoT-Exo-4b, was discovered by the European Space Agency's
CoRoT space telescope, which was designed to search for extrasolar
planets by looking for transits, or tiny dips in the light output from
a star when a planet passes in front of it. (7/24)
Killer Asteroid Heading Our Way (Source: Russia Today)
Astronomers are battling to work out the trajectory of an asteroid that
will cause havoc if it hits the Earth in 2036. Called Apophis, the
giant meteor is hurtling through space at 10km per second. Scientists
are warning that an impact would be far more devastating than the
atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima at the end of WW2. At the Zvenigorod
Observatory near Moscow, space researchers keep watch on cosmic bodies
and study known meteorites to understand their size and inner
structure. They are tracking the path of the asteroid Apophis as well.
They aim to determine how real the danger is but that will only be
clear in a decade's time.
Astronomer Sergey Barabanov explains the predicted course of events:
“The critical moment will be in 2029, when Apophis passes so close to
Earth that it will be visible to the naked eye. The consequence of this
fly-by will tell us whether it will come back again and collide with us
in 2036,” he said. If Apophis passes through a particular point in
space called a keyhole the Earth's gravity may change its course for
the worst. (7/25)
Nukes Are Not the Best Way
to Stop an Asteroid (Source: WIRED)
Nuclear weapons could be used to stop earth-bound asteroids, but in
most instances, they are not the best option, said Apollo astronaut
Rusty Schweickart during a public lecture. The venerable scientist
explained that all but the largest heavenly bodies can be redirected by
rear-ending or towing them with an unmanned spacecraft. But last year,
NASA issued a report stating that using nukes is the best strategy to
prevent a catastrophic collision with earth.
Schweickart feels that NASA issued the misleading statement under
immense political pressure. It was a nefarious excuse to put nuclear
weapons in space. His own organization, the B612 Foundation, intends to
use gentler tactics to alter the course of an asteroid by 2015. Right
now, humans are not tracking most of the objects that could cause
serious damage to earth, but in the next century, as powerful new
telescopes come online, we will begin watching many of them. When that
day comes, we will know which ones stand a chance of hitting earth, and
it will be time to make some tough decisions. (7/27)
Makemake Makes the List (Source: Science News)
Pluto has yet another brother. The International Astronomical Union has
accepted the name Makemake for the newest family member of dwarf
planets and the subgroup plutoids. Makemake (pronounced MAH-kay
MAH-kay) is two-thirds the size of Pluto and slightly dimmer than the
former planet. The new object — formerly known as 2005 FY9 — also has a
reddish tinge. The name was recently accepted by the IAU after
discussions circulated via email. Formerly known as 2005 FY9, it is
named after the Polynesian god of fertility and creator of humanity.
(7/21)
Military Space Policy in
2012
(Source: Space Review)
What will the next four years bring to military space policy in the US
and elsewhere? Taylor Dinerman predicts little in the way of major
upheavals, but still some opportunities for the next administration to
affect change. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1172/1
to view the article. (7/21)
Russia 'Could Answer U.S. Shield with Orbital Ballistic
Missiles' (Source: RIA Novosti)
Russia could put in place an orbital ballistic missile system in
response to U.S. missile defense plans for Central Europe, a senior
Russian military expert said. The U.S. plans to deploy a radar in the
Czech Republic and 10 interceptor missiles in northern Poland as part
of a U.S. missile shield for Europe and North America against possible
attacks from "rogue states," including Iran. Russia strongly opposes
the possible deployment of the U.S. missile shield, viewing it as a
threat to its national security. (7/24)
Soyuz Launches Russian Military Satellite (Source:
SpaceToday.net)
A Soyuz 2 rocket placed a classified Russian satellite into orbit late
Saturday. The Soyuz 2-1b rocket, a modernized version of the workhorse
Soyuz vehicle, lifted off from the Plesetsk spaceport in northern
Russia and placed the payload, Kosmos 2441, into a sun-synchronous
orbit. The spacecraft is believed to be the first in a new generation
of reconnaissance satellites called Persona. The launch, not announced
in advance, was delayed a day because of software problems. The launch
is the fifth for the Soyuz 2 family and the second of the 1b variant,
which uses a new engine in its upper stage. (7/27)
Russia Launches German Military Satellite (Source:
SpaceToday.net)
A Russian Kosmos rocket launched the fifth and final satellite in a
German military radar satellite constellation on Tuesday. The Kosmos 3M
rocket lifted off from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome at 10:40 pm EDT Monday
(0240 GMT Tuesday) and placed the SAR-Lupe 5 satellite into a
550-kilometer orbit. The launch completes the SAR-Lupe constellation of
spacecraft that will provide radar imagery for the German military. The
satellites were all launched on Kosmos boosters between late 2006 and
today. (7/22)
Russia to Start Assembly Work at European Spaceport
(Source: Itar-Tass)
Assembly works on the prospective Soyuz launch pad at the Kourou
spaceport in French Guiana will begin in the middle of August. The
company is a key participant in the Soyuz Kourou project. Assembly work
will start on August 10-15, as soon as the equipment is brought to the
spaceport. The first Soyuz launch from Kourou is planned for spring
2009. Europe's spaceport is situated in the northeast of South America
in French Guiana, an overseas department of France. (7/21)
Russia Dragging Feet Over Korean Rocket Launch (Source:
Korea Times)
South Korean ambitions to launch the country’s first space rocket by
Christmas might have to be put on hold for a few months. The Korean
Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) had planned to send its Korea Space
Launch Vehicle-1 (KSLV-1), a carrier rocket designed for transporting
satellites, into orbit on Dec. 21. However, with its Russian partner
failing to deliver the ground test vehicle (GTV), a machine for testing
the rocket engine and liquid-fueled propulsion system, in time, there
is the possibility the launch date could be moved to next year. The
Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center, which is
providing the technology for the KSLV-1 project, was to send the GTV to
Korea during this month. Now, KARI officials can’t give a date. (7/23)
Russia's Federal Space Agency Announces More ISS Modules
(Source: Flight International)
While investigations continue into why two Russian Soyuz capsules'
service modules failed to separate correctly before re-entry, the
country's Federal Space Agency is planning new modules for the
International Space Station. The additional ISS modules were announced
by FSA chief Anatoly Perminov at a heads of agency meeting in Paris on
17 July. NASA's Space Shuttle launch manifest details three modules.
The Mini Research Module 2 (MRM2), being delivered by a Russian
launcher in 2009, the MRM1 that is installed by NASA's Space Shuttle
Discovery's crew on mission STS-132 in 2010 and a Proton
rocket-delivered multipurpose laboratory module targeted for 2011. The
Shuttle mission STS-132 is described as a contingency, but NASA has
recently said that it will fly both its contingency missions, STS-132
and STS-133. (7/22)
Russian/European Manned Spaceship Design Unveiled (Source:
BBC)
The first official image of a Russian-European manned spacecraft has
been unveiled. It is designed to replace the Soyuz vehicle currently in
use by Russia and will allow Europe to participate directly in crew
transportation. The reusable ship was conceived to carry four people
towards the Moon, rivaling the US Ares/Orion system. Click here
to view a graphic of the vehicle. (7/22)
Europe Aims for Manned Capsule by 2020 (Source: Flight
International)
A €300 million ($475 million) three-year Automated Transfer Vehicle
(ATV) Advanced Return Vehicle (ARV) development project, to be proposed
to the European Space Agency's November ministerial meeting, could
become a stepping stone to a human transport system in 2020. ESA wants
to evolve its expendable 20,000kg (44,000lb) ATV, which docked with the
International Space Station for the first time in April, into an EADS
Astrium Ariane 5-launched ARV. That cargo vehicle would be the basis
for the manned system operating around 2020.
ESA will design ARV with a view to man-rating it in future. The cargo
version will be about 5,000kg lighter than the Ariane 5's low-Earth
orbit capability to allow for the future addition of a launch abort
tower. The ARV, with up to 1,500kg downmass capacity, would be
operational by 2015. Its use assumes an extension of the International
Space Station's lifespan beyond 2016, which the outpost's space agency
partners said they wanted in their 17 July joint statement. (7/21)
In Ireland, It is Rocket Science – European Style (Source:
Silicon Republic)
Ireland currently contributes €13m per year to the European Space
Agency (ESA), enabling Irish companies and researchers to secure ESA
contracts, Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation. Ireland has
been a participant in the European launcher development program since
the early 1980s, having been involved in the Ariane 4 launcher and the
current European (heavy lift) Ariane 5 launcher. Currently, the main
Irish industrial involvement in the European launchers program is by
Marotta Ireland, which provides support struts for the engine mounting
on Ariane 5. A number of emerging Irish technology companies, supported
by the ESA and Enterprise Ireland, are currently developing highly
innovative technologies for the further evolution of the Ariane or the
next-generation launcher to be developed in Europe. (7/23)
Italian Space Agency President Ousted in Shakeup (Source:
Space News)
The Italian government apparently has dismissed the president of the
Italian Space Agency (ASI) following the resignation of six of seven
ASI administrators in what looks to be an overhaul that will lead to
the appointment of a Finmeccanica senior vice president as the agency's
president, Italian government officials said July 21. (7/22)
Kayser-Threde To Build German Technology Satellite
(Source: Space News)
GmbH will build Germany's TET-1 technology-demonstration satellite,
which will be launched in 2010 under a contract that also includes
launch services, Munich-based Kayser-Threde announced July 24. Under
the contract with the German Aerospace Center, DLR, valued at 21
million euros ($33 million), Kayser-Threde will build the 120-kilogram
TET-1 satellite and integrate its 11 experiments. TET-1 is scheduled
for launch in mid-2010 as a piggyback payload aboard a Soyuz rocket
operated from Europe's Guiana Space Center spaceport in French Guiana.
(7/26)
Chile Reaches Deal With Europe’s EADS-Astrium To Buy Satellite
(Source: Wall Street Journal)
The Chilean government signed an agreement with European aerospace
group EADS-Astrium to buy a satellite valued at $70 million. (7/27)
Eumetsat Signs with Arianespace for 2013 Launch (Source:
Space News)
A European Ariane 5 rocket or a European version of Russia's Soyuz
vehicle will launch the MSG-4 meteorological satellite for Europe's
Eumetsat organization in January 2013 under a contract signed here July
21. (7/22)
Europe’s Arianespace Chosen to Launch MSG-4 Weather Satellite
(Source: Arianespace)
EUMETSAT and Arianespace signed a launch Service & Solutions
contract for the MSG-4 meteorological observation satellite in Kourou,
French Guiana. The MSG-4 satellite is scheduled for launch in the first
half of 2013 by an Ariane 5 or Soyuz launcher, from the Guiana Space
Center, Europe's Spaceport, in French Guiana. (7/22)
NASA Not Discussing
Japanese Cargo Support Procurement for Space Station (Source: NASA)
Contrary to recent news reports, NASA has not officially or
unofficially been discussing the purchase of H-II Transfer Vehicles
(HTV) -- uninhabited resupply cargo ships for the space station -- from
the Japanese Space Agency, or JAXA. NASA is committed to domestic
commercial cargo resupply to the space station and does not plan to
procure cargo delivery services from Japan. (7/21)
India Signs Agreement with US to Carry out Lunar Exploration
(Source: Press Trust of India)
India, along with seven other countries, has signed a landmark
agreement with the United States to carry out lunar exploration. The
agreement was signed at NASA's Ames Research Center. Apart from India,
the countries which signed the pact with the US are Britain, Canada,
France, Germany, Italy, Japan and South Korea. The agreement, which
lays the groundwork for a new generation of lunar exploration, will see
a multinational fleet of robot spacecraft returning to the moon in
coming years, with countries like India, Germany and South Korea
playing key roles. It also allows NASA to share costs. While the United
States has budgeted money for four lunar spacecraft, scientists want up
to eight landers on the surface. (7/27)
China To Build World-Class Space Industry in Seven Years
(Source: Xinhua)
China aims to attain the world level in space technology development by
building a comprehensive aerospace industry by 2015, the country's
Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASTC) said. According to
a blueprint released by the state-owned company, CASTC was to set up
four more scientific research and production bases including Tianjin,
Inner Mongolia and Hainan. The move would enable China to have eight
space industry bases nationwide. At present, it has four bases
respectively in Beijing, Shanghai, Shanxi and Sichuan. (7/25)
China Aims for Bigger Slice of Satellite Market (Source:
Reuters)
China aims to build a leading aerospace industry by 2015, when the
country would command 10 percent of the world's commercial satellite
market, and 15 percent of the commercial space launch market. Beijing
was planning to double the number of aerospace scientific research and
production bases to eight, according to a blueprint released by
state-owned China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASTC).
(7/25)
International Space Race Heats Up as More Players Jump In
(Source: Fox News)
As NASA's space-shuttle program nears its official end in 2010, space
exploration has become an increasingly global competition. The
Europeans, Russians, Chinese and others are competing for bragging
rights to develop the next generation of manned spacecraft. NASA’s
Constellation program, designed both to replace the space shuttle and
get America back to the moon and on to Mars, has gotten a lot of
publicity — and a lot of flak — as it threatens to go over budget and
behind schedule. Meanwhile, the Europeans and Russians have teamed up
to create their own platform, the Chinese are continually upgrading
their vehicles and the Japanese and Indians are mulling their own
manned space flights. Visit http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,391480,00.html
to view the article. (7/25)
SpaceX Prepares For Third Launch (Source: Aerospace Daily)
After two unsuccessful attempts to reach orbit, Space Exploration
Technologies (SpaceX) is preparing to launch its third Falcon 1
booster, but says the flight is "not make or break" for the privately
funded startup company. Flight 3 is on the pad at Kwajalein in the
Pacific being prepared for a launch "in the coming weeks," says Larry
Williams, the company's vice president of strategic relations, adding:
"We don't have a firm date." (7/23)
July 29 Date Expected for
Next Falcon 1 Launch (Source:
SpaceFlightNow.com)
The SpaceX Falcon 1 rocket will launch the Jumpstart mission for the
U.S. Air Force Operationally Responsive Space initiative. The Jumpstart
mission will fly the Trailblazer spacecraft built by SpaceDev, Inc. The
mission was delayed from late June. (7/26)
Space Rocket Tests Being Done in Central Texas (Source:
KCEN)
Central Texas has become a proving ground for a new generation of space
flight. NASA has contracted with a company called Space Exploration
Technologies or Space-X to build rockets to take cargo and possibly
humans to the International Space Station. Those rockets are being
tested at a site in the McLennan County town of McGregor. California
based space-x is testing a series of rockets like the Falcon 1 to
launch satellites into orbit and eventually the much larger Falcon 9
with its 9 Merlin rocket engines to launch other cargo. (7/25)
Orbital Gets $7.5 Million Missile Defense Contract
(Source: Space News)
Orbital Sciences Corp. has received a $7.5 million sole-source contract
from the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) for a foreign military sale
to provide a target missile to Japan. The medium-range test missile
will be used in Japan's third test of its ship-based Aegis Ballistic
Missile Defense System. Work on the target is expected to be completed
by January 2010. Japan successfully conducted its first intercept test
of the system in December and has another planned for late this year.
The contract includes an option for one addition test missile at the
same price. (7/26)
Orbital Sciences Weighs Human-Rating Taurus 2 (Source:
Space News)
Orbital Sciences Corp. is studying what it would take to launch people
aboard its planned Taurus 2 medium-lift rocket, according to a source
inside the company. Orbital shifted Taurus 2 development into high gear
in February after NASA awarded the company $171 million under the
Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program to
demonstrate an ability to ferry cargo to and from the international
space station. Orbital is shooting for a late 2010 demonstration flight
of Taurus 2 and its Cygnus space tug.
Orbital's COTS proposal, unlike that of Hawthorne, Calif.-based Space
Exploration Technologies — the only other NASA-funded COTS contender —
did not include an option for conducting a crewed demonstration flight.
NASA to date has been unenthusiastic about funding crew-carrying demo
flights before one or both COTS contenders show that they can safely
deliver cargo. However, legislation currently before Congress could
force NASA to fund such a flight as a hedge against long-term reliance
on Soyuz vehicles for transporting U.S. astronauts to and from the
station.
An Orbital source told Space News that the company in early July began
an internal study intended to identify the costs associated with
human-rating the Taurus 2 and modifying the Cygnus system to carry a
two-person crew. The source said the main market Orbital has in mind is
space tourism but that a human-rated Taurus 2 also could be used for
space station crew rotation flights if demand warrants. (7/26)
Uncertain Futures (Source: Space Review)
Both civil and commercial spaceflight appears to be approaching a
turning point, thanks to events ranging from the retirement of the
shuttle to the development of commercial suborbital vehicles. Jeff
Foust reports that what remains unclear is the direction and magnitude
of the impending changes. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1173/1
to view the article. (7/21)
New Space Race Heats Up with Unveiling of Aircraft
(Source: AP)
Aerospace engineers have been holed up in a Mojave Desert hangar for
four years, fashioning a commercial spaceship to loft rich tourists
some 62 miles above Earth. Now the wraps come partially off the
top-secret project. British billionaire Sir Richard Branson and
American aerospace designer Burt Rutan are due Monday to show off their
mothership, which is designed to air launch a passenger-toting
spaceship out of the atmosphere.
The rollout — a year after a deadly accident at Rutan's test site —
marks the start of a rigorous flight test program that space tourism
advocates hope will climax with the first suborbital joy rides by the
end of the decade. More than 250 wannabe astronauts have paid $200,000
or put down deposits for a chance to float weightless for a mere five
minutes. (7/27)
Neglecting Safety Could Nip Space Tourism in the Bud
(Source: New Scientist)
Space tourism operators need to get real about the extraordinary risks
they face, the FAA warned last week. George Nield, head of the FAA unit
that regulates commercial human space flight safety, said many civil
companies presented their efforts as pioneering a "golden age". For
example, the X Prize Foundation, which backed the $10 million prize for
the first civilian spacecraft to reach sub-orbit, has often likened the
race to Charles Lindbergh's 1927 transatlantic flight which set off the
golden era of aviation.
"What's going on now represents a very different level of risk," Nield
told the Space Frontier Foundation's annual meeting in Washington DC.
If you have to draw parallels, he said, look to the early supersonic
jets, such as the F-104 Starfighter, dubbed the Widowmaker, which took
the lives of 110 pilots of the Luftwaffe alone. Neglecting safety could
mean "an end to commercial human space flight before it has chance to
get started", he warned. (7/25)
New Mexico County Poised to Block State from Spaceport Board
(Source: Las Cruces Sun-News)
Doña Ana County commissioners on Tuesday will vote on a proposed
contract setting up a spaceport tax district, which will oversee
spaceport tax dollars from the county. The proposed contract is at odds
with an initial proposal for the district by the New Mexico Spaceport
Authority. Kent Evans, county commission chairman, said he doesn't
"foresee any big problems" relating to the commission's consideration
of the contract Tuesday. He expects it to be approved. "The state won't
be happy with that," he said. "I think the biggest deal is Sierra
(County), and us — we don't feel the state should be in total control
of it. We should all have an equal voice." (7/21)
New Mexico Spaceport Tax District OK'd (Source: Las Cruces
Sun-News)
The Doña Ana County Commission on Tuesday voted to join a spaceport
district with Sierra County, despite the concerns of two commissioners
about details of the agreement. The commission agreed 3-2 to approve a
contract creating the district, a precursor to the collection of a
county spaceport sales tax. The district will exist to channel county
sales tax dollars to the New Mexico Spaceport Authority to repay bonds
for the $198 million spaceport. (7/23)
Orion's Max Launch Abort System Test Set at Wallops Island,
Virginia (Source: Spaceports Blog)
The Orion space capsule now being designed as NASA's next human
spacecraft may have a new launch escape system if tests now underway at
NASA Wallops Flight Facility this year prove positive. The Max Launch
Abort System (M-LAS) tests will provide data to the NASA Engineering
and Safety Center which is charged with evaluating a potential
alternate design for the launch abort system of NASA's Orion crew
exploration vehicle. The M-LAS concept will be validated by conducting
an unmanned pad-abort test at the NASA Wallops Flight Facility in
Virginia this fall 2008. (7/24)
California Governor Praises NASA's 'Superstar' in Fire Effort
(Source: CSA)
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger credited an unmanned NASA aircraft Monday
with helping save the Sierra foothills town of Paradise from a wildfire
last week, calling the plane "one of the most exciting new weapons in
our firefighting arsenal." Schwarzenegger was at NASA's Ames Research
Center in Mountain View, getting a behind-the-scenes look at the help
the aircraft has given to crews fighting more than 1,700 blazes that
have blackened 829,000 acres of California this fire season. (7/25)
NASA Center in Ohio Eyes Moon (Source: Cleveland.com)
Before NASA astronauts rocket to Mars, they're supposed to return to
the moon in a sweet new ride to test-drive everything from high-tech
maps and buggies to new spacesuits and next-generation power sources.
"We're going to use the moon as a proving ground to go on to Mars and
other destinations," said Stephen N. Simons, associate director of
Lunar Systems at NASA Glenn Research Center, which is working on a host
of projects with scientists from universities in Ohio and across the
country. (7/22)
KSC Workforce Focused on Safe Flyout (Source: Space News)
Kennedy Space Center Director Bill Parsons said employees of the
Florida launch operations center understandably are worried about the
space shuttle's looming 2010 retirement, but remain focused on the safe
and successful execution of the program's 10 remaining flights. "Right
now they are okay. I'm really more worried about next summer," Parsons
said. "I think next summer we'll start to feel that mood change a
little bit as they decide they need to go find something to do to
support their families."
Parsons said younger employees by and large appear willing to stick
around in hopes of finding a job in support of the Constellation
program, while Kennedy's retirement-eligible employees are content to
see the shuttle program through to its completion. Parsons said he is
hearing the job-related anxiety most from Kennedy's mid-career
employees with children in college and mortgages to pay. (7/26)
High-Quality NASA
Positions Boost Salary Average (Source: Florida Today)
Want to earn more money? Getting a job with the federal government
might be a good start. Government payroll data for most federal
employees in Brevard County reveals that they made more than twice as
much as private sector workers here. The presence of Kennedy Space
Center and its cadre of uniquely skilled specialty workers who command
above-average pay drives the difference. The big investment in people
highlights why the looming retirement of the space shuttle and the
transition to a new moon program is getting so much attention from
government and economic development leaders.
Federal workers in Brevard on average earned $85,984 in 2007. Overall,
Brevard workers earned an average of $39,230 last year, according to
the Bureau of Labor Statistics. NASA was the largest federal employer
locally with 2,199 workers. They earned on average $91,383 in 2007. The
federal government directly employs few of the service-sector workers
who make up a large portion of the workforce locally. Instead, most of
those jobs -- such as security guards, food-service workers and general
maintenance -- have been farmed out to private contractors. (7/25)
Florida Teachers' Summer: Space Technology Training
(Source: Florida Today)
Carleen Beard is learning valuable lessons this summer; not about
recreation and travel, but about technology. The fourth-grade science
teacher is learning about life support in space, to be exact, and will
bring the lessons back to her Freedom 7 Elementary classroom this fall.
Her on-the-job training at Wyle Labs at Kennedy Space Center is part of
the Summer Industrial Fellowships for Teachers program, which gives
local teachers opportunities to learn about technology in a hands-on
fashion.
"When we go out to the industry, we're supposed to capture different
experiences that we learn on the job and take back to the classroom,"
Beard said. The SIFT Program provides teachers with seven weeks of
training, from early June to late July. This summer, 27 teachers are
participating locally. They work at various local companies such as
United Space Alliance, L3 Communications, and United Launch Alliance,
among others. At the end of the program, the teachers gather to discuss
ways they can use what they've learned in their classrooms. (7/24)
Embry-Riddle on
State-Funded Aero-Propulsion Center Team (Source: Tallahassee
Democrat)
A multi-university team led by Florida State University has been given
the job of coordinating efforts to turn university research in
aerospace and aviation into commercial enterprise. FSU will be home to
the new Florida Center for Advanced Aero-Propulsion (FCAAP), a
collaboration of researchers in aerospace and aviation that will work
with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the University of Central
Florida and the University of Florida to create viable companies. The
FCAAP is one of only two Centers of Excellence created by the Florida
Legislature during its 2008 regular session. (7/21)
Scientists Gather to Exchange Ideas on Future Lunar Exploration
(Source: AIA)
Hundreds of scientists and engineers gathered at the NASA Lunar Science
Conference to discuss proposals for new tools that will study the
moon's structure. They also planned robotic missions to the moon which
will lay the groundwork for future manned missions to the moon and to
Mars. (7/22)
Ohio State University: Project to Develop GPS-Like System for
Moon (Source: OSU)
The same Ohio State University researcher who is helping rovers
navigate on Mars is leading a new effort to help humans navigate on the
moon. When NASA returns to the moon -- the space agency has set a
target date of 2020 to do so -- astronauts won't be able to use a
global positioning system (GPS) to find their way around, explained Ron
Li, the Lowber B. Strange Designated Professor of civil and
environmental engineering and geodetic science. (7/21)
UH Researcher: Humans Could Live on Mars 'Within 25 Years'
(Source: Australian Broadcasting Corp.)
A professor at Hawaii's Institute of Geophysics and Planetology says
humans could be living on Mars within 25 years. He says humans could be
living on the moon within 15 years, and if basic life supports like
oxygen and water can be secured, humans could colonize Mars within 25
years. (7/23)
CalTech: Intelligent Space Robots will Explore Universe by 2020
(Source: Computerworld)
Before the year 2020, scientists are expected to launch intelligent
space robots that will venture out to explore the universe for us.
Researchers are working on creating autonomous spacecraft that will be
able to analyze data about points of interest as it passes and then
make quick decisions about what needs to be investigated, according to
Wolfgang Fink, a physicist and senior researcher at the California
Institute of Technology. (7/24)
Space Scientists at UCLA Solve Mystery Behind Aurora Borealis
(Source: UCLA)
UCLA space scientists and colleagues have identified the mechanism that
triggers substorms in space; wreaks havoc on satellites, power grids
and communications systems; and leads to the explosive release of
energy that causes the spectacular brightening of the aurora borealis,
also known as the northern lights. For 30 years, there have been two
competing theories to explain the onset of these substorms, which are
energy releases in the Earth's magnetosphere, said Vassilis
Angelopoulos, a UCLA professor of Earth and space sciences and
principal investigator of the NASA-funded mission known as THEMIS (Time
History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms).
One theory is that the trigger happens relatively close to Earth, about
one-sixth of the distance to the moon. According to this theory, large
currents building up in the space environment, which is composed of
charged ions and electrons, or "plasma," are suddenly released by an
explosive instability. The plasma implodes toward Earth as the space
currents are disrupted, which is the start of the substorm. (7/24)
California Researcher: Worm Pincers May Inspire Better
Spacecraft Materials (Source: New Scientist)
The ultra-strong mouthparts of Nereis virens (aka the sandworm or
ragworm) could be the key to developing a new class of tough,
lightweight materials for airplanes and spacecraft. The worm uses its
jaws and pincers to burrow into the shallow-water sediments of the
North Atlantic. Its jaws are made up of about 90% protein, which should
make them no more resistant to buckling and penetration than a human
fingernail. But the protein is fortified with metal, creating a
material that is three times harder and stiffer than current manmade
polymers. A University of California biologist discovered the nature of
the worm's super-pincers.(7/21)
Harvest the Sun — From
Space
(Source: New York Times)
As we face $4.50 a gallon gas, we also know that alternative energy
sources — coal, oil shale, ethanol, wind and ground-based solar — are
either of limited potential, very expensive, require huge energy
storage systems or harm the environment. There is, however, one
potential future energy source that is environmentally friendly, has
essentially unlimited potential and can be cost competitive with any
renewable source: space solar power. Science fiction? Actually, no —
the technology already exists. A space solar power system would involve
building large solar energy collectors in orbit around the Earth. These
panels would collect far more energy than land-based units, which are
hampered by weather, low angles of the sun in northern climes and, of
course, the darkness of night.
Once collected, the solar energy would be safely beamed to Earth via
wireless radio transmission, where it would be received by antennas
near cities and other places where large amounts of power are used. The
received energy would then be converted to electric power for
distribution over the existing grid. Government scientists have
projected that the cost of electric power generation from such a system
could be as low as 8 to 10 cents per kilowatt-hour, which is within the
range of what consumers pay now. Visit http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/23/opinion/23smith.html
to view the article. (7/23)
NASA Aims to Move Up
Shuttle Launch Dates (Source: Florida Today)
NASA is looking to move up the launch dates for its next two shuttle
missions by almost a week each to increase the chances that the second
flight -- an International Space Station supply run -- can be sent up
before a window of opportunity closes in late November. But it's
unlikely NASA will be able to advance the planned Oct. 8 launch of a
Hubble Space Telescope servicing mission more than a couple of days,
and a proposed six-day move in the planned Nov. 10 launch of the
station logistics mission would put liftoff of that flight on the same
day as the 2008 presidential election. (7/22)
NASA Moves Up Key Dates for Launch (Source: Florida Today)
NASA aims to accelerate the campaign to launch shuttle Atlantis in
October by moving major pre-launch milestones up about four days each.
If all goes well, the Atlantis move to the assembly building would come
around Aug. 18 rather than Aug. 22. Rollout to the pad would come
around Aug. 25. NASA wants to move up its next two launches to make
sure the second flies before a window of opportunity closes in late
November. (7/26)
Lockheed Martin Receives $42 Million NASA Extension on Cargo
Mission Contract (Source: Lockheed Martin)
NASA recently announced it awarded Lockheed Martin a one-year contract
extension of the Cargo Mission Contract (CMC) valued at $42 million.
The extension provides integration services for cargo delivery to and
from the International Space Station (ISS). The extension begins Oct.
1, 2008, and is the first of two options in the original contract.
(7/24)
Lockheed Martin Team
Demonstrates High Power Electric Propulsion System (Source: CSA)
Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, partners in the Transformational
Satellite Communications System (TSAT) Space Segment team has completed
a successful demonstration of its new-generation High Power Hall
Current Thruster (HPHCT) electric propulsion system designed for use on
the Air Force's TSAT constellation. TSAT will provide thousands of
military users with wideband, highly mobile, beyond line-of-sight
protected communications to support network-centric operations for the
future battlefield. (7/25)
MDA Receives NASA Grant to Commercialize Crop Insurance
Evaluation and Hedging Tool (Source: MDA)
MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates has been awarded a prestigious NASA
Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) Grant in the
amount of $681,000. Under this three year grant, MDA Federal will
employ NASA assets to improve and commercialize a crop insurance
decision making tool called InsuranceVision. When completed this tool
will present a wide range of agricultural producers the ability to
evaluate and optimize crop insurance and risk management decisions.
(7/22)
Contractors Blast Awarding of NASA Spacesuit Deal (Source:
Houston Business Journal)
A $180 million spacesuit contract awarded by NASA to Houston-based
Oceaneering International Inc. last month has been called into question
by the incumbent companies that lost out on the bid. Hamilton
Sundstrand, a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp., and its partner,
ILC Dover, filed a protest with the U.S. Government Accountability
Office on July 14. The two companies, which have made spacesuits for
NASA since the Apollo Program of the 1960s, said in their complaint
that they did not get adequate information from NASA about how the
contract award decision was made. (7/25)
NASA, USDA Sign Space Station Research Agreement (Source:
NASA)
On Wednesday, U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Tex.) hosted NASA
Administrator Michael Griffin and Secretary of Agriculture Edward T.
Schafer during the signing of a memorandum of understanding to enable
the USDA's Agricultural Research Service to conduct plant related
research on the International Space Station. The research will improve
our understanding of biological cellular mechanisms and may lead to
creative new ways to improve American agriculture, protect the
environment and contribute to better human health. The agreement
reflects NASA's ongoing efforts to develop the space station as a
national laboratory, with the ability to serve a broad range of users.
(7/23)
House Committee Seeks Information From FAA on Ending of
Aviation Safety Survey (Source: SpaceRef.com)
The House Committee on Science and Technology Subcommittee on
Investigations and Oversight Chairman Brad Miller (D-NC) sent a letter
to the Acting Director of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
calling on him to work with NASA to reestablish a program to survey
professionals in the air traffic system for better insight into air
safety problems. (7/25)
NASA Report Clears O'Keefe's Name (Source: Daily Reveille)
NASA officials have decided there was no intentional wrongdoing by
former NASA administrator and former Chancellor Sean O'Keefe involving
allegations of inappropriate travel. But a recent NASA report declared
two trips in 2003 and 2004 - one for a speaking engagement at Syracuse
and one for a ceremony naming O'Keefe one of the top 100 Irish
Americans - as "wasteful spending." NASA Chief Financial Officer Ronald
Spoehel said NASA will not attempt to recoup travel costs from O'Keefe.
O'Keefe served as LSU's chancellor from January 2005 until January
2008. He resigned in January and was recently named the head of General
Electric's aviation operations in Washington D.C. (7/24)
Nude Artist Floats Free in
Zero-G
(Source: WIRED)
Bradley Pitts let it all hang out on the Russian Ilyushin 76 weightless
trainer aircraft July 9th just outside of Moscow. After six years in
the making, his vision of using the experience of weightlessness as a
meditation finally came to fruition. But the 20 parabolas Pitts
experienced in Russia were not his first. The artist was also a
propulsion engineer during the weightless testing of the MIT SPHERES
project, now onboard the International Space Station. He wanted to
experience the pure sensation of weightlessness and opted to surrender
his other senses to be able to fully immerse himself in space. He
closed his eyes, wore earplugs and just let his body drift through
space. "Blind, deaf, and nude is definitely the way to experience
parabolic flight!" Pitts said. (7/24)
Rocket Racers Boosted by Fashion (Source: MSNBC)
Do rocket planes and men's fashions ever mix? The Rocket Racing League
and DKNY certainly hope so: They've struck a sponsorship deal that will
give ample exposure to DKNY's fashion brand on the league's flight
suits and one of the rocket racers. It's one more example showing how
the league's rocketeers are following the model set in auto racing.
NASCAR teams have long festooned their uniforms with sponsors' logos -
and the organizers of the Rocket Racing League want to work that into
their business model as well. (7/22)
Space Angels Network Issues a Call for Applicant Companies
(Source: Space Angels)
Space Angels Network, LLC, a national network of seed- and early-stage
investors focused on aerospace-related ventures, has issued a Call for
Applicant Companies to its first Aerospace Venture Forum to be held in
Los Angeles on September 26, 2008. The Forum will be a full-day event
that showcases promising aerospace ventures and allows entrepreneurs to
present their investment opportunities to an exclusive audience of
active accredited investors. Visit http://www.spaceangelsnetwork.com
for information. (7/21)
FCC Still Haggles Over XM-Sirius (Source: Wall Street
Journal)
Three votes have now been cast in the Federal Communications
Commission's review of the XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. and Sirius
Satellite Radio Inc. merger, but the deal is still no closer to being
done. Democratic FCC commissioner Michael Copps voted against the deal
Monday night. (7/22)
FCC Ready to Approve XM-Sirius Merger (Source:
SpaceToday.net)
The FCC is expected to approve the long-delayed merger of satellite
radio companies XM and Sirius as soon as this week. Four of the five
FCC commissioners have voted on the proposed merger and are deadlocked
at 2-2, but the fifth, Deborah Taylor Tate, is expected to vote in
favor of the merger. Her vote is expected to come with minor
conditions, including a $20-million fine on the companies for failing
to make their radios interoperable, that are not expected to disrupt
the merger. XM and Sirius announced their merger plans in February 2007
but have been stuck in limbo for months waiting for regulatory
approval. The proposed merger passed an antitrust review by the Justice
Department earlier this year. (7/24)
XM-Sirius: Land Mines Aplenty (Source: Business Week)
A lot can happen in 17 months, especially when it comes to the digital
music landscape. In the stretch between when Sirius Satellite Radio and
XM Satellite Radio first announced their merger and it got final
approval from regulators on July 25, the competitive field got crowded
for the two satellite radio companies. The state of the economy
worsened, forcing folks to think twice about spending on such services
as $12.95 a month for radio. Advertising was pinched. And sales of new
cars, many that include factory-installed satellite radios, tanked.
Meanwhile, products that offer music to listeners, some for free, just
kept coming. (7/26)
XM Radio Predicts Quarterly Loss Even as Its Customer Base
Grows (Source: Washington Post)
XM Satellite Radio expects losses of as much as $38 million in the
second quarter and would have to refinance debt as it waits for final
regulatory approval of its merger with Sirius Satellite Radio. The D.C.
company also reported that it gained 322,000 subscribers in the
quarter, most of whom joined through the sale of promotional radio
subscriptions that come automatically with the purchase of some cars.
XM's total subscriber count is at 9.65 million, a 17 percent jump from
the corresponding period last year. (7/22)
DirecTV-Dish Next to Merge? (Source: Hollywood Reporter)
With the XM-Sirius merger finally approved, expect to see revived
chatter on Wall Street about a possible DirecTV-Dish Network
combination. If the big two satellite radio companies can merge, why
shouldn't the big two satellite TV firms do the same? Indeed, in a
legal system based on precedents, the XM-Sirius deal approval opens the
door for a possible DirecTV-Dish merger. However, there are at least
two arguments against a DirecTV-Dish deal during the near term. First,
regulators blocked such a deal a few years ago, and some argue the
marketplace hasn't changed enough yet to convince regulators this time.
And second, there is no natural seller for now. (7/24)
Harbinger, Inmarsat Break Off Takeover Talks (Source:
Space News)
Inmarsat and its biggest investor, Harbinger Capital Partners, have
ended preliminary discussions on a Harbinger purchase of the
London-based mobile satellite services operator two weeks after the
talks had begun, both companies announced July 21. Birmingham,
Ala.-based Harbinger said regulatory issues surrounding the possible
purchase could take 18 months to resolve, leading the company to
suspend takeover talks and the kind of due-diligence negotiations that
would have led to a buyout-price offer to Inmarsat's board and
shareholders. (7/22)
Court Sides with Insurers
in Boeing Telesat Loss (Source: Space News)
Boeing's satellite division has lost the first round in a battle with
its insurers over whether the company's insurance policy covers losses
for "breach of contract, gross negligence and willful misconduct" that
could potentially result from Boeing's arbitration dispute with
satellite-fleet operator Telesat Canada. The Circuit Court of Cook
County, Ill., has agreed with Boeing's insurers that Boeing's insurance
policy does not automatically cover losses resulting from the Telesat
dispute. Telesat Canada and its insurers are demanding more than $385
million in damages and $10 million in lost profits from Boeing relating
to the in-orbit failure of the Anik F1 telecommunications satellite,
one of the six first-generation Boeing 702 satellites that contained a
design defect in the solar array. (7/26)
Boeing's 2Q Profit Falls
19 Percent
(Source: AP)
Delays hurt Boeing Co.'s second-quarter profit, which fell 19 percent
because of late delivery of military aircraft and rising costs from the
postponed introduction of its 787 jetliner. Boeing posted profits of
$852 million for the three months ended June 30, compared with $1.05
billion a year earlier. Revenue remained essentially flat at $17
billion. (7/23)
Lockheed Posts Stronger Q2 Profit, Boosts Outlook (Source:
AIA)
Profits at Lockheed Martin rose from $778 million in the 2007 second
quarter to $882 million in the 2008 second quarter. Sales were up from
$10.6 billion to $11 billion. The company boosted its outlook for the
full year from its previous estimate of $7.15 to $7.35 per share to
$7.45 to $7.60 per share. (7/22)
General Dynamics Reports Strong Earnings, Backlog Growth in
Q2-2008 (Source: General Dynamics)
General Dynamics reported second-quarter 2008 earnings from continuing
operations of $641 million, compared with 2007 second-quarter earnings
from continuing operations of $518 million. Revenues grew to $7.3
billion in the quarter, a 10.8 percent increase over second-quarter
2007 revenues of $6.6 billion. Net earnings were equal to earnings from
continuing operations of $641 million. (7/23)
Aerospace Sales Help Raise Honeywell's Q2 Profit 18%
(Source: AIA)
Growth in aerospace sales helped push up Honeywell International's
second-quarter profit by 18%. The company reported income of $723
million. It continues to expect double-digit earnings growth for the
second half of this year. (7/21)
Raytheon Says Q2 Profit
Falls, Cites Sales of Aircraft Unit (Source: AIA)
Raytheon on Thursday said its second-quarter profit declined from $1.34
million in 2007 to $426 million this year. The company attributed the
decline to the sale of its aircraft unit. It also boosted its earnings
outlook for the rest of the year. (7/25)
Spacehab Moves Headquarters Within Houston (Source:
Houston Business Journal)
Spacehab Inc. has relocated its corporate headquarters in an effort to
streamline its operations. The commercial space services provider has
moved from Webster to Houston. The new office is in the Clear Lake area
and close to NASA’s Johnson Space Center. The new facility accommodates
the firm’s ongoing fabrication and manufacturing operations, the
company said, allowing Spacehab to continue its efforts in prototype,
mockup and flight hardware development and production. (7/24)
Biggest Annual U.S. Air Show to Salute NASA's 50th Anniversary
(Source: NASA)
NASA's 50th anniversary celebration continues this summer with special
recognition at EAA AirVenture 2008, the United States' biggest annual
air show, held in Oshkosh, Wis., July 28 - Aug. 3. One of the
Experimental Aircraft Association activities commemorating five decades
of NASA's aerospace achievements will be an appearance by NASA
Administrator Michael Griffin. (7/23)
KSC to Host Space and Air Show in November (Source: The
Avion)
After the enormous success of last year's World Space Expo at the
Kennedy Space Center Visitor's Complex and NASA causeway, officials
have announced a second event this fall at the facility. From November
7-9, 2008, the KSC Visitors Complex will host the Space and Air Show.
Headlining the event will be the United States Navy Demonstration Team
the Blue Angels. This event will mark the team's second appearance at
Kennedy Space Center since the mid 70's. The first event where the
demonstration squadron performed was the U.S. Bicentennial Exposition
on Science and Technology on July 20, 1976. NASA has significantly
improved the schedule of appearances by different aircraft this year.
As of the beginning of July, six other demonstrations have been
confirmed. (7/15)
Air Force Week Planned in
Los Angeles on Nov. 14-21 (Source: CSA)
Air Force Week Los Angeles
will take place in the greater Los Angeles with numerous large and
small events planned throughout the week. The week will begin with a
proclamation event at the Hollywood and Highland Plaza that will
feature celebrity appearances, music, and displays by America's Air
Force. The week will culminate with an air show with a performance by
the Air Force Thunderbirds. Other events planned during the week
include an Expo at Hollywood and Highland, the Air Force Film Festival,
The Night Of The Stars Party at Griffith Observatory, The Hollywood
Canteen Airmen's Party, and many other exciting activities. Visit
http://www.airforceweeklosangeles.com
for information. (7/25)
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Last Week’s DOD
Contract Awards in California
Booz Allen Hamilton (BAH)
of McLean, Va.; MacAulay Brown, Inc. (MacB) of Dayton, Ohio;
Client/Server Software Solutions, Inc. (CSSS.NET) of Bellevue, Neb.;
ITT Corp., Advanced Engineering & Sciences Div (ITT AES) of
Herndon, Va.; Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC)
of San Diego, Calif.; and CACI Technologies, Inc. of Chantilly,
Va., are being awarded an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity
(ID/IQ) contract for a maximum of $900 million. The six multiple award
ID/IQ contracts are for Advisory and Assistance Services (A&AS) in
support of USSTRATCOM to provide support for necessary information and
advice, opinions, alternatives, analyses, evaluations, recommendations,
training and engineering services. The six contracts will have shared
capacity of $900 million (maximum) to include the base year and four
option years for all contracts combined. At this time no funds have
been obligated (obligations will be via task orders). 55th Contracting
Squadron, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., is the contracting activity.
The Air Force is modifying
a cost plus award fee contract with TYBRIN Corp., of Fort
Walton Beach, Fla., for an estimated $11,249,014. This contract
modification provides systems engineering and technical assistance
support for a variety of research, test and evaluation, and training
programs at the Air Force Flight Test Center (AFFTC) Edwards Air
Force Base, Calif. The types of support include requirements
definition, engineering management, risk reduction, developmental
engineering, verification and validation, technical analysis, master
planning, program management support, and acquisition management
support. At this time $3,017,855 has been obligated. AFFTC/PKTJ,
Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., is the contracting activity.
Straub Construction, Bonsall Calif.,
is being awarded $21,445,000 for firm-fixed-price design-build task
order #0002 under previously awarded contract (N62473-08-D-8610) for
site preparation and interim facilities, at Marine Corps Air Ground
Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, Calif. The total task order
amount is not to exceed $48,739,188 (base item and seven options). Work
will be performed in Twentynine Palms, Calif., and is expected
to be completed by August 2010. Contract funds will expire at the end
of the current fiscal year. This task order was competitively procured
under the Commercial and Institutional Building Multiple Award
Construction Contract (N62473-07-D-2002) and five proposals were
received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San
Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity.
Harper Construction Co.,
Inc., San
Diego, Calif., is being awarded $20,477,265 for firm-fixed price
task order #0006 under a previously awarded multiple award construction
contract (N62473-06-D-1056) to design and build Bachelor Enlisted
Quarters at Marine Corps Air Station, Yuma, Ariz. The
Bachelor Enlisted Quarters Building comprises 150 rooms with
semi-private bathrooms in the standard 2x0 configuration and
telecommunications room. The contractor shall provide all labor,
supervision, engineering, materials, equipment, tools, parts, supplies
and transportation to perform all work described in the specifications.
Work will be performed in Yuma, Ariz., and is expected to be completed
January 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current
fiscal year. Four proposals were received for this task order. The
Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest, San Diego, Calif., is
the contracting activity.
Dimensions Construction,
Inc., San
Diego, Calif.; Allen Engineering Contractor, Inc., San
Bernardino, Calif.; RMA Land Construction, Inc., Brea,
Calif.; Candalaria JV LLC., Glendale, Ariz.; Marcon
Engineering, Inc., Escondido, Calif.; RQ-Brady JV 01
San Diego, Cailf.; I.E.-Pacific,
Inc., San Diego, Calif.; Patricia I. Romero Inc., dba
Pacific West Builders, San Diego, Calif., and Hal Hay
Construction, Inc. Riverside, Calif., are each being
awarded a not to exceed $100,000,000 8(a) set-aside firm-fixed-price
multiple award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for
indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award construction
contract for new construction and renovation of general building
construction at various locations within the Naval Facilities
Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southwest area of responsibility including
but not limited to Southern California, Arizona, and New
Mexico. The $100,000,000 (with guaranteed minimum of $5,000) is for all
contracts combined - base period and four option years. The work is for
the design, construction, supervision, equipment, materials, labor, and
all means necessary to provide complete and usable facilities at
various locations. Work will be performed at various Navy and Marine
Corps installations within the NAVFAC Southwest Area of Responsibility
including, but not limited to Calif., (82 percent), Ariz., (16
percent), and N.M., (two percent). The terms of the contracts are not
to exceed 60 months, with an expected completion date of Jul. 2013.
Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.
This contract was competitively procured as a set-aside for eight (a)
Small Businesses via the NAVFAC e-solicitation website, with 77
proposals solicited, and 28 offers received. These nine contractors
listed may compete for task orders under the terms and conditions of
the awarded contract. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command,
Southwest, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity.
Associates for
International Research Inc., Engineering Services LLC, of Annapolis,
Md.; Boeing Support Systems of Fort Walton Beach, Fla.; DRS Technical
Services of Herndon, Va. and Calverton, Md.; L-3 Communications TCS (3
Com) of Warner Robins, Ga.; Lockheed Martin Integrated Systems of
Warner Robins, Ga.; MacAulay-Brown, Inc., of Dayton, Ohio; MTC
Technologies (now BAE Systems Science and Technology, Inc.) of Dayton,
Ohio; Northrop Grumman Technical Services Inc., of Herndon, Va.;
Raytheon Technical Service Co., Customized Engineering Depot Support,
of Indianapolis, Ind.; Science Applications International Corp.,
of San Diego, Calif.; Scientific Research Corporation of
Atlanta, Ga.; Support Systems Associates, Inc., of Melbourne, Fla., are
being awarded an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract for a
maximum of $6.9 billion. This action will provide for potential
requirements to include modifications, development, repairs, and
limited, critical or contingency spares for all Air Force managed
weapons systems. At this time a minimum of
$5,000 for each contractor has been obligated.
General Dynamics Advanced
Information Systems, Inc. Fairfax, Va., is being
awarded a $9,733,571 cost-plus-fixed-fee research and development
delivery order #0004 under a previously awarded
indefinite-quantity/indefinite-delivery contract (N00014-05-D-0508) for
the development of a Digital Array Radar. Work will be performed in
contractor facilities at General Dynamics, Fairfax, Va., (79 percent); REMEC
Defense and Space, San Diego, Calif., (18 percent); and
Shenandoah Solutions, Red Lodge, Mont., (3 percent), and work is
expected to be completed Jan. 2014. Contract funds will not expire at
end of current fiscal year. The Office of Naval Research, Arlington,
Va., is the contacting activity.
Environmental Systems
Research Institute, Redlands, Calif.,
was awarded on Jul. 18, 2008, a $7,914,778 cost-plus-fixed fee contract
for the development of a prototype to address data fusion within a
geospatial environment. Work will be performed
in Redlands, Calif., and is expected to be completed by Jul.
18, 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the
end of the current fiscal year. One bid was
solicited on Dec. 6, 2007. The National
Geospatial Intelligence Agency, Reston, Va., is the contracting
activity.
Dultra Dredging Co., San Rafael, Calif.,
was awarded on Jul. 17, 2008, a $7,486,000 firm-fixed price contract
for navigation improvements and construction of a rock breakwater,
along with dredging, artificial reefs, and a boat launch ramp. Work will be performed in Unalaska, Ala., and is
expected to be completed by Feb. 28, 2010. Contract
funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Web bids were solicited on May 6, 2008, and three
bids were received. U.S. Army Engineer
District, Elmendorf Air Force Base, Ala., is the contracting activity.
ViaSat Inc. - Carlsbad,
California 92009-1699 was awarded a modification to firm
fixed-price contract HC1047-07-C-0013, in the amount of $9,318,382.00
for Integrated Waveform (IW) Phase II effort on July 21, 2008. The
period of performance is July 21, 2008 through November 20, 2010 and
includes a base period of 16 months and an option period of 12 months.
Performance will be at ViaSat's facility in Carlsbad, California.
The solicitation was issued as an "only one responsible source and no
other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements"
justification and approval process pursuant to FAR 6.302-1. ViaSat Inc.
- Carlsbad, California is a large business. The Defense
Information Technology Contracting Office - National Capital Region
(DITCO-NCR) is the contracting activity.
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