By Rebecca Regan
John F. Kennedy Space Center

NASA’s astronauts will play an integral role in flight testing America’s future space transportation vehicles as the Commercial Crew Program (CCP) works toward mid-decade service missions to the International Space Station.

During a media briefing at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on June 27, CCP’s manager Ed Mango and astronaut Mike Good discussed the joint test team concept that will be built into the program’s next phase of certification efforts.

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RepRap v.2 ‘Mendel’ open-source FDM 3D printer. Credit: CharlesC

PISCES — the Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems — is looking to develop 3-D printing capability for use on the moon under a new cooperative agreement with NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC), according to Executive Director Rob Kelso.

Kelso said PISCES is seeking to develop printing technology that can make use of the island’s lava rock, which is similar to rock on the moon and Mars.

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Launch of Atlas V NRO satellite on June 20, 2012. (Credit: ULA)

CENTENNIAL, Colo., June 27, 2013 (ULA PR) — United Launch Alliance (ULA) today announced the selection of RUAG Space AG of Zurich, Switzerland as its strategic partner for Dual Launch Capability development.

“Our relationship with RUAG over the last 17 years has grown to be highly collaborative and synergistic,” said Michael Gass, ULA president and chief executive officer. “Forming this strategic partnership is the next evolutionary step, and creates future business possibilities for both our companies.”

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Wall Street Journal Opinion: Will Bureaucrats Ground Private Space Before It Launches? XCOR Aerospace COO Andrew Nelson on the threat potential suborbital space regulations pose to America’s burgeoning space industry.  Please follow Parabolic Arc on Facebook and Twitter.

The Shuttle Landing Facility in Florida. (Credit: NASA)

The Orlando Sentinel reports that Space Florida is the victor in competition to control the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The privatization of SLF, which was a 3-mile long runway, will pave the way for commercial spaceflights by XCOR’s Lynx and other vehicles.

The preliminary deal, to be announced at KSC on Friday by NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden, would give Space Florida control of one of the largest landing strips in the world and one that’s enshrined in space history: Nearly 80 shuttle crews landed there before NASA ended the 30-year program in 2011….

A top executive with the California company XCOR Aerospace, a space-plane builder that has expressed interest in the runway for months, said the preliminary agreement makes it all but certain that it would establish a base at the strip for “participant flights” — beginning as soon as 2015.

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Fremont, California, June 27, 2013 (SFF PR) — With $135,000 in prizes, more industry support than ever before, and a new location and date, the Space Frontier Foundation today announced the details of the largest, richest and most exciting NewSpace Business Plan Competition to date.

In years past, this competition has been a part of the Space Frontier Foundation’s NewSpace Conference, however, this year the competition will be a stand-alone event to be held in the Fall, allowing the Foundation to give this outstanding program its own spotlight. The NewSpace 2013 Conference will be held July 25-27. Both events will be in California’s famed investor hot-spot, Silicon Valley.

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One of the first images released by Planet Labs. (Credit: Planet Labs)

San Francisco, CA, 26th June 2013 (Planet Labs PR) – Planet Labs, a space and analytics company, announced plans to launch the world’s largest fleet of Earth imaging satellites to image the changing planet and provide open access to that information. Today, they revealed the first images from their first two satellites.

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Space News reports that Italy’s Avio launch vehicle builder is attracting some suitors: The new chief executive of satellite services provider Telespazio said he is positioning the company to better compete with Astrium Services, and that ownership of Italy’s Avio rocket builder would enhance his product portfolio. In a June 19 interview here at the Paris Air Show, Luigi Pasquali declined to say whether Rome-based Telespazio’s parent company, Finmeccanica, would […]

Video Caption: With 15 years of experience in global online payments, PayPal is looking to push the boundaries of payments even further with the launch of PayPal Galactic. This visionary partnership with the SETI Institute and others in the scientific community aims to create a secure and functional space commerce ecosystem.

PayPal, SETI Institute, Buzz Aldrin & Space Leaders
Launch PayPal Galactic

June 27 9am PDT Launch Event with Buzz Aldrin will be available
LIVE at www,paypal-galactic.com

SETI INSTITUTE, Mountain View, CA – June 27, 2013 (PayPal PR) – PayPal today announced the launch of PayPal Galactic, an initiative that addresses the issues to help make universal space payments a reality. PayPal Galactic brings together leaders in the scientific community, including the SETI Institute and Space Tourism Society, to prepare and support the future of space commerce.

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Skylon precooler test. (Credit: Reaction Engines)

Via the BBC’s Jonathan Amos and New Space Watch’s Clark Lindsey comes a report that the British government wants to help fund the development of SABRE engine, which will power Reaction Engine’s Skylon space plane.

The plan was included in a spending document produced by Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne. The document is not specific on how much the British government would invest in the project.

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