The Orion crew module for Exploration Flight Test-1 is shown in the Final Assembly and System Testing (FAST) Cell, positioned over the service module just prior to mating the two sections together. (Credit: NASA)

DENVER, June 10, 2014 (LMT PR) – Following the completion of the heat shield installation, Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] has stacked the Orion crew module atop of the service module. The stacking took place inside the Final Assembly and System Test (FAST) cell inside the Operations and Checkout facility at Kennedy Space Center.

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MOSCOW (Roscosmos PR) — On June 25, 2014, the first scheduled test launch of the new booster Angara will occur from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome. Angara is a new generation of modular carrier rockets with oxygen-kerosene engines. The Angara launch vehicle family includes light, medium and heavy classes capable of launching payloads weighing from 3.8 to 35 metric tons. Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center is the lead developer and manufacturer […]

Made in Space tests a 3D printer in microgravity. (Credit: Made in Space)

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — Made In Space’s 3D printer, specially designed for use on the International Space Station (ISS), has passed final NASA certifications and testing ahead of schedule.

Due to the project meeting all milestones with minimal risk, the 3D Printer has been moved up to a launch on SpaceX CRS-4 in August 2014 instead of the originally slated SpaceX CRS-5.

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UPDATE: ORBCOMM issued the following statement indicating that more testing was needed on one of the six satellites: All six satellites have completed additional testing and are functioning as expected. In an effort to be as cautious as possible, it was decided to perform further analysis to verify that the issue observed on one satellite during final integration has been fully addressed. The additional time to complete this analysis required […]

I will be appearing on The Space Show with David Livington on Monday, June 16, beginning at 7:00 p.m. PDT (10 p.m. EST). We will be talking for 90 minutes to two hours about events here in Mojave, including Virgin Galactic’s partnership with Google, the recent fire at the Mojave spaceport, and other topics of interest.

Sierra Nevada Corporation’s Dream Chaser flight vehicle undergoes taxi tow testing on May 31 at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center in California. (Credit: NASA)

SPARKS, Nev., June 12, 2014 (SNC PR) – Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) announces it has selected Craig Technologies of Cape Canaveral, Florida, to join its expanding list of ‘Dream Team’ organizations selected to support SNC’s Dream Chaser^® program.  SNC is developing the Dream Chaser spacecraft as a commercial transportation vehicle to low-Earth orbit.  Craig Technologies will provide multiple contracted products and services to SNC. The announcement was made at a press conference today at Craig Technologies Aerospace and Defense Manufacturing Center in Cape Canaveral.

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The Bulgarian Parliament has approved a draft Cooperation Agreement with the European Space Agency, according to news reports. The vote authorizes the Minister of Economy and Energy to sign the agreement, which will allow formal cooperation on space projects between Bulgaria and ESA. A Cooperation Agreement is the first step in a multi-year process of becoming a full member of the space agency, which currently has 20 member nations plus Canada […]

David Livingston has now archived my appearance last night on The John Batchelor Show for your listening pleasure. The three of us discussed Virgin Galactic’s switch to a plastic engine, and the concerns over whether the engine will be properly tested on the ground before the resumption of powered flight tests scheduled to begin by late summer. We also talked about whether the plan to fly Richard Branson and his […]

As I reported here exclusively back on May 11, Google has been in talks with Virgin Galactic for acquisition of its LauncherOne satellite technology and an equity stake in Richard Branson’s space tourism company. Sky News reports:

The talks are likely to lead to a deal with two main elements, according to insiders.

The first will see Google inject hundreds of millions of dollars into a joint venture, with Virgin Galactic folding in the technology it has developed as part of its efforts to build the world’s first space tourism business.

The second component will involve Google spending roughly $30m (£17.8m) in return for a small stake in the Virgin Galactic holding company.

The terms of the alliance have not yet been finalised and could yet be altered before a deal is struck.

A person close to Google said, though, that its £17.8m investment could value Virgin Galactic at as much as £1.2bn, equating to a shareholding of approximately 1.5%.

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Silicon Valley, CA (SFF PR) — The NewSpace Business Plan Competition, in collaboration with its sponsors (The Space Frontier Foundation, ATK, and Heinlein Prize Trust) are excited to announce the competitors for this years’ unique program, the 2014 Lightning Pitch Competition. Competitors are listed below, in alphabetical order.

This years’ Lightning Pitch Competition is a novel format, somewhere between an “Elevator Pitch” Competition and a traditional Business Plan Competition. During the first day of the Space Frontier Foundation’s annual NewSpace Conference, each of the eight competitors will deliver a four minute presentation to an audience of space industry professionals, Silicon Valley investors and our Lightning Pitch judges.

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