Mark Sirangelo (Credit: SNC)

Via Office of John Hickenlooper

Gov. John Hickenlooper announced on Aug. 29, 2013 the appointment of Mark Sirangelo, head of Sierra Nevada Corporation Space Systems, as the Chairman of the Colorado Innovation Network (COIN) and as the state’s new Chief Innovation Officer. He will begin work Aug. 30.

“Mark’s experience in aerospace, a heavily innovative and important industry in Colorado, will serve him well as he leads the state’s efforts to increase our innovative competitiveness,” Hickenlooper said. “He is a well respected business executive and understands the necessity of collaboration in building this type of ecosystem. We are proud he is joining our team.”

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Video Caption: Leading roboticist, Red Whittaker, takes you through his journey of leading teams to create the world’s most innovative robots, including a robot that will compete for the Google Lunar XPRIZE challenge to launch to the moon. Learn more at https://bit.ly/cjRvqB

Launch of Delta IV NROL-65, August 28, 2013 from Vandenberg Air Force Base. (Credit: ULA)

Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., Aug. 28, 2013 (ULA PR) – A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV Heavy rocket carrying a payload for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) lifted off from Space Launch Complex-6 here at 11:03 a.m. PDT today. Designated NROL-65, the mission is in support of national defense. This is ULA’s eighth launch in 2013, the 24th Delta IV mission and the second Delta IV Heavy launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base.

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Atlas V launches OTV3 into orbit from Cape Canaveral. (Credit: Pat Corkery, United Launch Alliance.)

The Kremlin funded RT news channel reports that the Russian Security Council is considering a ban on the export of RD-180 rocket engines that power the first stage of ULA’s Atlas V launch vehicle.

A specially created joint venture, RD-AMROSS, between NPO Energomash and Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, has already delivered 63 engines to the US worth $11-15 million apiece, reportedly 40 of them have already been used. In December 2012, a new contract was signed to deliver another 31 engines. But this contract is now being reconsidered by Russia’s Security Council, according to Izvestia.

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A 3-D printed rocket part blazes to life during a hot-fire test. (Credit: NASA/MSFC/David Olive)

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (NASA PR) — The largest 3-D printed rocket engine component NASA ever has tested blazed to life Thursday, Aug. 22 during an engine firing that generated a record 20,000 pounds of thrust.

This test is a milestone for one of many important advances the agency is making to reduce the cost of space hardware. Innovations like additive manufacturing, or 3-D printing, foster new and more cost-effective capabilities in the U.S. space industry.

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R2 with astronaut Scott Kelly aboard the International Space Station. Credit: Credit: ESA/NASA

Reston, Va. (AIAA PR) – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) will present awards for key contributions to space science and technology during the AIAA SPACE 2013 Conference & Exposition, September 10–12, at the San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, Calif.
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TOKYO (JAXA PR) — The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) cancelled today’s launch of the first Epsilon Launch Vehicle (Epsilon-1) with the Spectroscopic Planet Observatory for Recognition of Interaction of Atmosphere (SPRINT-A) onboard from the Uchinoura Space Center, because an automatic stop alarm was issued as an attitude abnormality was detected approximately 19 seconds prior to the liftoff time during the automatic countdown sequence. The launch had been originally scheduled […]

HOUSTON, Texas, August 26, 2013 (DSI PR) – While you may not be able to get there yet, Deep Space Industries is offering you the chance to participate in the opening of space while showing the world you are in the know, be it on your wall, on your desk or even on your body.

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This week on The Space Show with Dr. David Livingston: 1. Monday, August 26, 2013, 2-3:30 PM PDT (5-6:30 PM EDT, 4-5:30 PM CDT): We welcome DR. JAMES HANSEN, author of “First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong.” Dr. James Hansen is Professor of History and former Director of The Honors College at Auburn University in Alabama. An expert in aerospace history and the history of science and technology, […]

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL., August 26, 2013 (CASIS PR) – Today, Gregory H. Johnson, Colonel (Ret), was named executive director for the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) – the nonprofit entity selected by NASA to manage the utilization of the International Space Station (ISS) U.S. National Laboratory. Col. Johnson will assume his role effective September 1, 2013.

As executive director, Col. Johnson will lead the CASIS organization to identify novel applications and new partnership opportunities advancing use of our nation’s orbiting laboratory.

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