Falcon 9 second stage engine burn.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Mike Coffman PR) —  Today, U.S. Representative Mike Coffman (R-CO), along with Representative Cory Gardner (R-CO), sent a letter to the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) expressing strong concerns over anomalies that have occurred on taxpayer-funded space launch vehicles, and the lack of public disclosure or transparency of these anomalies.  The letter expresses concern over an epidemic of anomalies that have occurred during SpaceX launches or launch attempts, and communicates frustrations with NASA’s refusal to provide insight into those mishaps.

[Editor’s Note: The letter is also signed by Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL).]

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Possible UK spaceports (Credit: CAA)

BBC News science correspondent Jonathan Amos has some reactions from XCOR and Virgin Galactic to the UK’s plan to construct a spaceport:

“We expect to start our flight test programme in Q1 of 2015 and be taking people up at the end of 2015 or the beginning of 2016,” said Xcor president Andrew Nelson.

“We could fly out of Scotland, but we like the look particularly of Newquay. It’s excellent that the UK is investigating this because it can only help the market to grow.”

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The United Arab Emirates plans to establish a space agency and to launch for the first Arab spacecraft to Mars by 2021 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the nation’s founding.

“The UAE Mars probe represents the Islamic world’s entry into the era of space exploration,” said President Sheikh Khalifa, according to state news agency WAM.

“We will prove that we are capable of delivering new scientific contributions to humanity.

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Falcon 9 lifts off with the SES-8 satellite. (Credit: SpaceX)

LOS ANGELES AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (USAF PR) — The U.S. Air Force Space Command’s Space and Missile Systems Center declared both the Dec. 3, 2013 and Jan. 6, 2014 flights of the Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) Falcon 9 v1.1 launch vehicle will each count as a successful flight towards Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) certification. This completes the three flights required for the flight experience requirement.

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Cygnus and ISS robotic arm (Credit: NASA)

WASHINGTON (NASA PR) — The Expedition 40 crew welcomed more than a ton and a half of science, supplies and spacewalking equipment to the International Space Station Wednesday with the arrival of Orbital Sciences’ Cygnus cargo spacecraft.

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Video Caption: DARPA created its Experimental Spaceplane (XS-1) program to help create a new paradigm for more routine, responsive and affordable space operations. The program aims to develop a fully-reusable unmanned vehicle that would provide aircraft-like access to space and deploy small satellites to orbit using expendable upper stages. XS-1 seeks to deploy small satellites faster and more affordably, and develop technology for next-generation hypersonic vehicles.

XS-1 vehicle (Credit: Boeing)

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif., July 15, 2014 (Boeing PR) – Boeing [NYSE: BA] plans to  design a reusable launch vehicle for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in support of the U.S. government’s efforts to reduce satellite launch costs.  DARPA’s XS-1 Experimental Spaceplane is conceived as a reusable, unmanned booster with costs, operation and reliability similar to modern aircraft.

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WASHINGTON (DARPA PR) — In an era of declining budgets and adversaries’ evolving capabilities, quick, affordable and routine access to space is increasingly critical for both national and economic security. Current satellite launch systems, however, require scheduling years in advance for a handful of available slots. Launches often cost hundreds of millions of dollars each, in large part to the massive amounts of dedicated infrastructure and personnel required.

DARPA created its Experimental Spaceplane (XS-1) program to help overcome these challenges and create a new paradigm for more routine, responsive and affordable space operations. In an important step toward that goal, DARPA has awarded prime contracts for Phase 1 of XS-1 to three companies:

• The Boeing Company (working with Blue Origin, LLC)
• Masten Space Systems (working with XCOR Aerospace)
• Northrop Grumman Corporation (working with Virgin Galactic)

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UK spaceport drawing (Credit: UKSA)

FARNSBOROUGH, England — The UK’s bid to become Europe’s leading space nation took a giant leap forward today (15 July) as government revealed the 8 locations now under consideration to base Britain’s first spaceport.

Speaking at Farnborough Air Show’s ‘Space Day’, Aviation Minister Robert Goodwill and Chief Executive of the UK Space Agency Dr. David Parker unveiled the findings of a recent Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) report highlighting 8 possible airfields that could host a spaceport and the economic opportunities it could open up for the UK.

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Blue Origin Space Act Agreements Milestones Award Periods: 2010 – 2014 Milestones: 20 Milestones Completed: 19 Milestones Remaining: 1 Total Amount Awarded: $25.38 million Total Amount Remaining: $0 NO. DESCRIPTION ORIGINAL DATE STATUS AMOUNT COMMERCIAL CREW DEVELOPMENT 1 A1 Project Kickoff Meeting. A meeting to brief NASA personnel on the pusher escape system maturation plan. March 2010 Complete $835,000 A2 1-DOF TVC Plan. Conduct test firing of full-scale demonstration SRM […]