KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL., February 20th, 2014 (CASIS PR) – The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) today announced an agreement with HySpeed Computing and Exelis for a project demonstrating cloud computing capabilities for image processing and remote sensing applications on the International Space Station (ISS). CASIS was selected by NASA in July 2011 to maximize use of the ISS U.S. National Laboratory.
AUTHOR
Doug Messier
Launch providers in the United States and Europe announced agreements to launch a series of satellites over the coming two years: Arianespace will launch CGS S.p.A’s OPTSAT 3000 and the Israeli Space Agency’s VENµS satellite aboard a Vega launcher in early 2016 from the Guiana Space Center in South America. Read more Skybox Imaging has tapped Orbital Sciences Corp. to launch six Earth observation satellites aboard a Minotaur-C from Vandenberg […]
Orbital Sciences’ Cygnus cargo craft moves away from the International Space Station’s robotic arm shortly after its release. (Credit: NASA TV)
Dulles, VA, Feb, 19, 2014 (Orbital PR) – Orbital Sciences Corporation (NYSE: ORB), one of the world’s leading space technology companies, today announced the successful completion of the first of eight CygnusTM operational cargo logistics spacecraft missions to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the company’s $1.9 billion Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract with NASA. The Cygnus spacecraft unberthed from the ISS yesterday morning at 6:41 a.m. (EST), completing a 37-day stay at the orbiting laboratory. Today, Cygnus reentered Earth’s atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean east of New Zealand at approximately 1:20 p.m. (EST).
A mission concept to enter and explore a skylight on the Moon using Tyrobot. (Credit: Astrobotic Technology)
Pittsburgh, PA (Astrobotic PR) — Astrobotic Technology announced today that it has advanced to the Accomplishment Round of the Milestone Prizes offered by the Google Lunar XPRIZE, qualifying the team to receive up to $1.75 million for reaching its objectives in three categories – Landing, Mobility, and Imaging.
In a major step toward one of those objectives, Astrobotic is testing its autonomous landing technology with a series of flights on a propulsive lander at the Mojave Air and Space Port in California this month. The flight campaign, which will test the guidance sensors for Astrobotic’s lunar lander, is made possible by a NASA Flight Opportunities Program award. Results will be posted on the Astrobotic website, www.astrobotic.com, once they are available.
Rogozin Threatens Satellite Producers With Heavy Fines as Creation of New Space Corporation Advances
Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin. (Credit: A. Savin)
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin is on the warpath again, threatening to levy heavier penalties against space companies that failed to meet satellite production deadlines.
“We certainly need a completely different level of discipline and responsibility in this area,” he said after a government meeting on reform of the space industry, chaired by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.
Rogozin said the government would introduce stronger penalties for companies that did not manufacture and deliver spacecraft on schedule. He did not specify what the penalties would be.
Richard Branson’s son Sam will co-host a Galactic Hangout on Feb. 28 during the Google Science Fair. He and Virgin Galactic Vice President Will Pomerantz will address the question, “Why go to space?” Branson and Pomerantz will be interviewed by Gavin Ovsák, a former Google Science Fair finalist and a frequent host for GSF Hangout On Air sessions last year. Educators who want their classrooms to join the Hangout can […]
Saber Astronautics employees test their DragEN satellite de-orbiting tether in microgravity. (Credit: Bill Stafford)
AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 19, 2014 (Saber AstronauticsPR) — Saber Astronautics, a space technology and analytics company based in Austin TX, recently passed NASA flight tests for a product that addresses the growing threat of “space junk”. The device, called “DragEN”, unrolls a conductive space tether which uses the magnetic field of the Earth to gently drag a dead satellite back to Earth allowing it to burn up safely in the atmosphere at the end of its life.
The rapid growth in the launch of small satellites by governments, universities and commercial interests is dramatically increasing the amount of hardware in low Earth orbit. “Without technologies like the DragEN for safely returning these spacecraft to Earth at the end of their mission life cycles, the danger of space debris will continue to grow exponentially,” Saber Astronautics’ Dr Timothy Meehan cautioned.
My appearance on The Space Show with David Livingston last night has now been archived online. We talked about Virgin Galactic, Google, XCOR and a host of other topics. Charles Lurio of The Lurio Report also called in. So, it was fun. The show is now archived as follows: 1. www.thespaceshow.com. Scroll down to the archives in the lower half of the page. Your show is currently the first one […]
Spacewalker Oleg Kotov works outside the Zvezda service module. (Credit: NASA TV)
VANCOUVER, February 18, 2014 (UrtheCast PR) UrtheCast Corp. (TSX:UR) (“UrtheCast” or “the Company”) is extremely pleased to announce that its two Earth sensing cameras — a High Resolution Camera (HRC) that will produce 1-meter class, full color videos, and a Medium Resolution Camera (MRC) that will produce 6-meter class, 50-km wide swaths of imagery — have successfully passed initial functional testing.
A CNBC report on commercial space that features and interview with Bigelow Aerospace Founder Robert Bigelow.