During the UK Space Conference in Glasgow last week, Science Minister David Willetts outlined the government’s ongoing efforts to expand the nation’s space program.

Actions include a $91 million (£60 million) investment in Reaction Engines’ SABRE propulsion system for the Skylon space plane, increased activities in a variety of commercial and scientific areas, and a long-term plan to capture 10 percent of the global space market by 2030.

Excerpts from his prepared remarks follow that focus on the overall health of the industry, future goals, and the UK’s investment in SABRE and other propulsion technologies. To see what else he discussed, click over to his prepared remarks.

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Robert McBrayer of Mojave Makers works on a spacesuit project funded by SpaceGAMBIT. (Credit: Douglas Messier)

Maui, Hawaii (Maui Makers PR) — SpaceGAMBIT, a program of Maui Makers LLC in collaboration with an international group of space enthusiasts, announces the first round of funded sub-projects.

Maui Makers LLC received a 2 year grant of $500,000 US from DARPA in September 2012 to manage SpaceGAMBIT and fund community spaces (makerspaces, Fab Labs, hackerspaces, etc.) to work on open-source projects that help build mankind into a space-faring civilization.

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A new group of business and community leaders called Space Volusia has been formed to promote the development of a spaceport on the Shiloh site located the north end of the Kennedy Space Center. The description from the group’s Facebook page reads: Space Volusia is seeking to assist private sector launches and get Florida back into the $280 billion commercial space market. In the 1980s, Florida was the leader in […]

Here’s a description of the program from the University of Texas Medical Board website:

UTMB is working with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Center of Excellence for Commercial Space Transportation to investigate how persons with common chronic diseases will respond to the forces of acceleration that are experienced during a typical commercial spaceflight. This is a new frontier in medicine.

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Video Caption: Can this coastal launch site drive commercial development of the Solar System’s frontiers? Gilberto Salinas, Executive VP, Brownsville Economic Development Corporation, discusses a pending SpaceX private spaceport with SPACE.com’s @DavidSkyBrody.

Brevard County, Fla., July 19, 2013 (EDC PR) – The Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast (EDC) is pleased to announce that BRS Aerospace will open a research-and- development operation for its global market in a former shuttle facility at Kennedy Space Center, creating nearly three dozen jobs and furthering the space center’s push into the commercial aerospace industry.

BRS Aerospace will occupy the former Parachute Repack Facility at KSC, investing $7.4 million over three years on renovations and equipment.

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by Rebecca Regan
NASA Kennedy Space Center

Two NASA astronauts conducted flight suit evaluations inside a fully outfitted test version of The Boeing Company’s CST-100 spacecraft July 22, the first time the world got a glimpse of the crew capsule’s interior.

“The astronauts always enjoy getting out and looking at the vehicles and sharing their experiences with these commercial providers,” said Kathy Lueders, deputy manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program (CCP).

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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL., July 22, 2013 (CASIS PR) – The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), the nonprofit organization promoting and managing research onboard the International Space Station (ISS) U.S. National Laboratory, today announced receipt of a $50,000 gift from the Institute for Collaboration in Health.

The Institute for Collaboration in Health (ICH) is a Texas nonprofit corporation, created and incorporated in 2012. ICH’s mission is to seek out, encourage and support (both through grant making and in-kind expertise) innovative, collaborative projects that improve healthcare for all people.

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Silicon Valley, CA (SFF PR) — You don’t want to miss the networking and business opportunities at the industry event of the year, but for those who cannot make it in person to the NewSpace 2013 Conference, you can still catch the programming on our live stream at Spacevidcast.com. You can even submit questions for the panelists by emailing [email protected] or texting 408-461-8159. NewSpace 2013 takes place July 25-27 in […]

Boeing tests the ability of astronauts to evacuate the CST-100 in the event of an unscheduled water landing. (Credit: Boeing)

HOUSTON, July 19, 2013 (Boeing PR) – Boeing recently demonstrated that astronauts in its Crew Space Transportation (CST)-100 capsule will be able to safely exit the spacecraft during an emergency water landing.

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