China’s top space official said his nation is willing to join an international effort planning exploration of space if an invitation is issued: Ma Xingrui, administrator of the China National Space Administration (CNSA), said China has signed bilateral space accords with several dozen nations but has yet to join the multinational International Space Exploration Coordination Group (ISECG). ISECG, whose members include most other spacefaring nations, is assembling a Global Exploration […]
AUTHOR
Doug Messier
Orbital Sciences Corporation has filed a lawsuit against the Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority (VCSFA) over payments the company says it is due for supporting improvements at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) on Wallops Island, according to Courthouse News Service. In the lawsuit, Orbital says it had to step in to save the project when VCSFA began to run out of money while making improvements needed to support the launch […]
The Google Lunar X Prize has named the following judges to review all aspects of the competition. Twenty-three teams are competing to land a rover on the moon by the end of 2015.
David Swanson, CHAIRMAN (U.S.)As Orbital Sciences Corporation’s Senior Director of Safety and Mission Assurance, David brings to the panel a strong understanding of successful space mission systems. After nearly 25 years of commissioned service in the U.S. Air Force, David retired out of the Space and Missile Systems Center as its Director of Engineering. His space experience includes space system development, operations, procurement, education, surveillance and senior leadership. David’s education started with a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Southern Illinois University in 1986. He currently holds Master’s degrees from Air University in Military Arts & Sciences, the University of Colorado in Electrical Engineering, and the Air Force Institute of Technology in Operations Research in Space Operations.
Space debris in orbit around Earth. (Credit: NASA)
Via NASA — More than 500,000 pieces of debris, or “space junk,” are tracked as they orbit the Earth. They all travel at speeds up to 17,500 mph, fast enough for a relatively small piece of orbital debris to damage a satellite or a spacecraft.
The rising population of space debris increases the potential danger to all space vehicles, but especially to the International Space Station, space shuttles and other spacecraft with humans aboard.
NASA takes the threat of collisions with space debris seriously and has a long-standing set of guidelines on how to deal with each potential collision threat. These guidelines, part of a larger body of decision-making aids known as flight rules, specify when the expected proximity of a piece of debris increases the probability of a collision enough that evasive action or other precautions to ensure the safety of the crew are needed.
Members of the Ad Astra Houston team welcomed Ambassador Andrew (center) on October 2, 2013,
during her first tour of the company’s U.S. facility as a member of the Ad Astra Board of Directors. (Credit: Ad Astra Rocket Company)
Houston, TX (Ad Astra PR) – Former US Ambassador to Costa Rica, Anne Slaughter Andrew, a distinguished attorney, entrepreneur and environmentalist has been elected to the Board of Directors of Ad Astra Rocket Company. The unanimous vote was cast Friday, September 27, 2013, at Ad Astra’s Texas corporate headquarters near Houston during the board’s fourth scheduled meeting of 2013. Ambassador Andrew, a native of Evansville, Indiana, becomes the 8th member of the Ad Astra board and the first female director to join the top leadership of the company. Her term begins immediately and she will stand for re-election at the company’s annual shareholders meeting in November. All Ad Astra board members are elected annually.
Although no formal program has been approved, Chinese engineers are eying super heavy boosters designed to send taikonauts to the moon and beyond:
Chinese engineers are proposing a Moon rocket more powerful than the Saturn V of the Apollo missions and matching the payload of NASA’s planned Space Launch System (SLS) Block 2, the unfunded launcher that would put the U.S. back into super-heavy space lift.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL., October 3, 2013 (CASIS PR) – Today, the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), which was selected by NASA in July 2011 to maximize use of the International Space Station (ISS) U.S. National Laboratory, announced an agreement with Kentucky Space LLC to facilitate biomedical research on the ISS.
SpaceShipTwo soars skyward on a column of flames. (Credit: Ken Brown)
NEW YORK, NY, Oct. 3, 2013 (NBC PR) – NBC today announced an exclusive deal with Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic, the world’s first commercial spaceline, and Mark Burnett’s One Three Media to create the spectacular unscripted series, “Space Race.” “Space Race” is a groundbreaking, elimination competition series where everyday people compete for the ultimate prize – a trip for the winner into space on Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo for a life-changing experience few people have ever enjoyed, all captured on camera. “Space Race” will have unprecedented access to Virgin Galactic’s home in the state-of-the-art Spaceport America in New Mexico, the departure point and training and preparation center for space flights.
“The scope of this endeavor is so staggering, that it took these two titans to even imagine it,” said Paul Telegdy, President of Alternative and Late Night Programming, NBC Entertainment. “The term ‘trip of a lifetime’ has for once been delivered on! This will be a remarkable experience for anyone who has looked at the night’s sky and dared to dream of Space Flight.”
Cygnus berthed at ISS. (Credit: NASA)
Seattle, WA, Oct. 2, 2013 (Andrews PR) — Andrews Space (Andrews) today announced today that they’ve completed on-time delivery of four more Cargo Module Power Units (CMPUs) to Orbital Sciences Corporation (NYSE: ORB) which supply power to payloads aboard Orbital’s Cygnus cargo logistics spacecraft.
ORLANDO FLA (Earthrise Space PR) — Earthrise Space Foundation (ESF) is set to debut their Lunar Outreach Rover, “Artemis,” Saturday, October 5th, at the Mini Maker Faire at the Orlando Science Center. ESF is the host of part of Team Omega Envoy.