By Douglas Messier
Parabolic Arc Managing Editor

The UK is looking to spend £25 to £50 million ($41.9 to $83.8 million) on a spaceport because it believes that “after the US, the UK has the best chance to be the second country in the world to enable spaceplane operations.”

That’s the word from the UK Department for Business Innovation & Skills (DBIS), which recently published “Creating the Future: A 2020 Vision for Science & Research: A Consultation on Proposals for Long-Term Capital Investment in Science & Research.”

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During its first free flight test at night, Morpheus (a Human Exploration and Operations MD project) tests NASA’s ALHAT and an engine that runs on liquid oxygen and methane, which are green propellants. These capabilities could be used in the future to deliver cargo to planetary surfaces. (Credit: NASA)

WASHINGTON (NASA PR) — NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) is paving the way for future Mars exploration. The directorate is currently investing in and developing bold, disruptive technology required for future deep-space missions. This critical work leads a concerted effort throughout the agency, including at the program level and across multiple centers, as well as with partners in American industry.

“NASA remains committed to developing the critical technologies required to enable future exploration missions beyond low Earth orbit,” said Michael Gazarik, associate administrator for STMD. “Within STMD, we are focusing on creating advanced technologies that could lead to entirely new approaches for the needs of the agency’s future space missions, especially on Mars.”

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NBC News has more details on Google’s planned global broadband network based on a Wall Street Journal report that is behind a pay wall: Sending a satellite into orbit is not cheap. Google is reportedly expected to spend between $1 billion and $3 billion launching rockets into space. So why not just rely on the balloons and drones it already has? “Yes, you have to spend $3 billion to get […]

SILICON VALLEY, CA (SFF PR) — The Space Frontier Foundation and the NewSpace Business Plan Competition are thrilled to announce a new type of entrepreneurial competition for 2014. This year, the NewSpace Business Plan Competition, along with ATK and the Heinlein Prize Trust, will be co-sponsoring a “Lightning Pitch” event during the Space Frontier Foundation’s annual NewSpace Conference. The sponsors will award over $20,000 in cash prizes for the top contestants.

“This novel event, that is somewhere between an Elevator Pitch Competition and a customary Business Plan Competition, offers an exciting new way to reward entrepreneurial space companies while providing an engaging and fast-paced event for spectators,” said NewSpace BPC Project Manager, Thomas A. Olson. “Holding this competition in conjunction with the NewSpace Conference also gives start-up companies an unparalleled opportunity to network and interact with some of the top companies, investors and scientists in the space community.”

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Video Caption: SpaceX CEO Elon Musk answers questions following the Dragon V2 spacecraft public reveal in Hawthorne California May 29th 2014.

Mars colony (Credit: Mars One)

Endemol-owned Darlow Smithson Productions (DSP) will exclusively follow the selection and training of the world’s first one way astronauts to MarsCandidates chosen from over 200,000 applicants will be tested to the extreme in one of the most extraordinary and challenging job interviews ever seen

The winners will be the first to make the 300 million-mile journey to establish permanent human life on the red planet

DSP’s landmark production will be broadcast around the world and further announcements are due to follow soon

LONDON,  June 2, 2014 (Mars One PR) — Mars One and multi-award winning factual producer DSP (an Endemol company) today announced they have entered an international partnership to screen the mission to send the world’s first one way astronauts to Mars.

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This week on The Space Show with David Livingston: 1. Monday, June 2, 2014, 2-3:30 PM PDT(5-6:30 PM EDT, 4-5:30 PM CDT): TOM OLSON RETURNS to discuss the new Lightening Round which replaces this year’s New Space Business Plan Competition. 2. Tuesday, June 3, 2014:, 7-8:30 PM PDT (10-11:30 PM EDT, 9-10:30 PM CDT): We welcome back CLAY MOWRY, the head of the Arianespace’s U.S. subsidiary in Washington, DC. 3. […]

Video Caption: The first free-flight test of the Morpheus prototype lander at night was conducted May 28 at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The 98-second test began at 10:02 p.m. EDT with the Morpheus lander launching from the ground over a flame trench and ascending more than 800 feet. The vehicle relied on its autonomous landing and hazard avoidance technology sensors to survey the […]

PARIS (GIFAS PR) — Marwan Lahoud, Chairman of GIFAS [French Aerospace Industries Association], presented the French aerospace, defence and security industry results for 2013.

“The sector enjoyed another good year in 2013. Sales rose to €47.9 bn (by 9% on a comparable basis) with exports inputting €30.4 bn (an 11.4% increase) equating to 79% of consolidated sales. The civil sector accounted for 75% of all sales. Our industry is a centre of excellence for France on both technological and economic levels. It is propelled by a sector that is coherent, cohesive, responsive and ambitious and whose performance is frequently quoted as being exemplary”, Marwan Lahoud was pleased to announce to the press.

In 2013 orders rose to a new record height of €73.1 bn – a 49% improvement on 2012 – which was mainly ascribable to the civil sector that drew 84% of the orders.

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C/NET.com has an interesting interview with Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield about the unveiling of SpaceX Dragon V2 spacecraft on Thursday. Don’t be misled by the headline [Astronaut: Musk’s capsule no substitute for Soyuz (Q&A)]; Hadfield is actually quite complimentary. However, he does provide some really excellent insights into what it takes to get from what Elon Musk unveiled last week to a functioning spacecraft capable of carrying astronauts into space. […]