Dream Chaser shuttle. (Credit: NASA)
SPARKS, Nev., June 10, 2014 (SNC PR) – Sierra Nevada Corporation’s (SNC) Space Systems announces that Siemens PLM Software is expanding its current relationship with SNC by officially joining the SNC Dream Chaser® ”Dream Team”. Siemens PLM Software, headquartered in Plano, Texas, has been supporting SNC’s Space Systems’ product lines, including the Dream Chaser spacecraft program, for over a decade with Siemens’ engineering software tools.
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (Skybox PR) — We’re thrilled to announce that Skybox Imaging has entered into an agreement to be acquired by Google!
Five years ago, we began the Skybox journey to revolutionize access to information about the changes happening across the surface of the Earth.
We’ve made great strides in the pursuit of that vision.
We’ve built and launched the world’s smallest high-resolution imaging satellite, which collects beautiful and useful images and video every day. We have built an incredible team and empowered them to push the state-of-the-art in imaging to new heights. The time is right to join a company who can challenge us to think even bigger and bolder, and who can support us in accelerating our ambitious vision.
Antares lifts off from Wallops Island. (Credit: NASA)
Orbital has updated its Antares launch schedule for the Orb-2 mission to a date no earlier than (NET) July 1, 2014. Orb-2 is the second of eight cargo resupply missions to the International Space Station (ISS) under the company’s Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract with NASA. The new launch schedule reflects the timing of the investigation into the cause of an AJ26 engine failure that occurred in late May at NASA’s Stennis Space Center during customary acceptance testing. All other elements of the Orb-2 mission are prepared to move forward, including the Cygnus spacecraft, which is fueled and, except for late-load cargo, is packed with its manifest of ISS cargo.
This week on The Space Show with David Livingston: 1. Monday, June 9, 2014, 2-3:30 PM PDT(5-6:30 PM EDT, 4-5:30 PM CDT): RAND SIMBERG returns to discuss Russia, NASA, the ISS, sanctions, & his recent book. 2. Tuesday, June 10, 2014:, 7-8:30 PM PDT (10-11:30 PM EDT, 9-10:30 PM CDT): We welcome FRANK VAN RENSSELEAR of Schafer Corp. Our guest is the SVP for Aerospace and Strategic Business Development. 3. […]
On June 21, 2004, Mike Melvill stood atop a vehicle in Mojave that he had just piloted into space holding up a sign that read, “SpaceShipOne GovernmentZero.” Thousands cheered not only for Melvill having become the first private astronaut in history, but for the new era he had just helped to launch. Soon, people would be flying into space every week or so, and private entrepreneurs would put dinosaur space […]
LM10-MIRA engine firing. (Credit: KBKhA)
VORONEZH, Russia (KVKhA PR) — On May 16, 2014 in the test facility, Chemical Automatics Design Bureau (KBKhA) successfully conducted test firing of the engine demonstrator LM10-MIRA, developed together with the Italian company Avio. Objectives of the first test fire were carried out in full.
Retesting was decisive stage of cooperation between the two companies in the framework of research works carried out by order of the Italian Space Agency (ASI).
Fire at a Spaceship Company hangar at the Mojave Air and Space Port. (Credit: Douglas Messier)
By Douglas Messier
Parabolic Arc Managing Editor
Some additional intel on that fire at the Mojave Air and Space Port on Thursday evening.
The fire occurred next to a large, stationary nitrous oxide storage tank that provides the oxidizer for SpaceShipTwo flights. There also was a tractor trailer marked nitrous oxide parked beside the stationary tank at the time of the fire. Firefighters sprayed down these tanks to keep them cool while others put out the fire.
It is not clear what the capacities of the storage tank and trailer are, or how much nitrous oxide they contained at the time of the fire. However, fears that the tanks could breach and cause a major conflagration resulted in an evacuation of the airport around the site. This reason was explicitly mentioned by the security officer who told me and others to evacuate the area we were in at the time.
Jillianne Pierce
FSDC PR, June 4, 2014 — Jillianne Pierce of Orlando has been elected to serve as president of the Florida Space Development Council (FSDC), replacing Laura Seward who held the position since the National Space Society chapter was re-activated in January 2013. A short bio for Ms. Pierce is available here.
Also elected to the FSDC board are Edward Ellegood (vice president); William Allen (secretary); and Randy Pruitt (treasurer).
Jillianne is a lawyer, government relations professional, and self-described “space nerd.” She is Co-Editor of the Space Law Newsletter for the American Bar Association’s Section on Science & Technology Law Space Law Committee. Jillianne’s work experience is diverse and includes journalism, law, and public policy practice.
Titan submarine
WASHINGTON (NASA PR) — NASA has selected 12 proposals for study under Phase I of the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Program, which aims to turn science fiction into fact through pioneering technology development.
The selected proposals cover a wide range of imaginative concepts, including:
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (June 4, 2014) – The 2014 Florida Legislative session has concluded and Governor Rick Scott has approved dedicated funding for space and aerospace projects in Florida, through Space Florida’s 2014-2015 budget.
The new budget breaks down in the following manner:
