NASA’s Office of Inspector General has issued a report saying the space agency has taken on too much financial risk in Orbital Sciences Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract by funding future missions before the company has demonstrated the capacity to deliver cargo to the International Space Station.

Although we do not second guess NASA’s decision to concurrently fund up to three rocket systems given the critical need for additional ISS resupply capabilities, in the case of Orbital, NASA will fully or partially fund six rocket systems under the CRS contract before Orbital has fully demonstrated its spaceflight system.

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This just in from Mywesttexas.com: The Midland City Council approved the nearly $4 million purchase of land by the Midland Development Corp. for land for north of Midland International Airport, a move expected to aid the city as it tries to obtain a spaceport designation. The 374 acres is located north of the airport near Farm-to-Market Road 1788 between Highways 191 and 158. The deal is not to exceed $4.01 […]

CENTENNIAL, Colo., June 12, 2013 (ULA PR) — United Launch Alliance (ULA) successfully completed the Preliminary Design Review (PDR) and initial round of development testing for the Dual Engine Centaur in support of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.

Under Independent Research and Development (IRAD) funding, ULA is re-establishing the Dual Engine Centaur (DEC) configuration for performance and human space flight safety. Atlas V is capable of flying both a single and dual engine on the Centaur second stage, but most satellite missions require only a single engine due to the powerful capability of the Atlas V booster to loft the payload into orbit.

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

Reuters reports on a FTC investigation of United Launch Alliance for allegedly denying Orbital Sciences the ability to purchase RD-180 engines for the Antares launch vehicle:

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is investigating whether United Launch Alliance (ULA), a joint venture of Lockheed Martin Corp and Boeing Co, violated federal antitrust laws by “monopolizing” or restraining competition through an exclusivity agreement with the maker of the engines used in its rockets, according to a FTC document obtained by Reuters on Wednesday.

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Amsterdam, 13 June 2013 (SXC PR) – The appointment of Georgette Schlick as CEO of SXC Group coincides with the expansion of SXC to New York and Hong Kong, in order to fulfill the specific needs for customers from Asia and the Americas.

Michiel Mol, SXC founder: “A rapidly growing corporation like SXC needs an internationally experienced CEO that knows how to manage and optimize business. We are extremely pleased to have an organizational talent like Georgette join our team.”

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BREMEN, Germany (OHB AG PR) — MT Aerospace AG, part of the European space and technology group OHB AG, signed an authorization to proceed with The Boeing Company for the development and production of large tank components for the NASA Space Launch System (SLS) core stage. Boeing is a prime contractor for the SLS, which is scheduled for first launch in 2017.

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This just in via Space News: Sierra Nevada Space Systems of Louisville, Colo., got a nearly $2 million contract from NASA to build the berthing mechanism Bigelow Aerospace of North Las Vegas, Nev., will need to attach an experimental inflatable stowage module to the international space station (ISS) in 2015. Under the terms of the 16-month firm-fixed-price contract awarded May 28, Sierra Nevada will build a passive common berthing mechanism […]

A long CCTV report on China’s space program, including interviews with the Shenzhou 10 crew, an overview of the nation’s space station plans, a report on life at the nation’s main spaceport, and a Q&A with American lunar expert John Lewis. Please follow Parabolic Arc on Facebook and Twitter.

Ottawa, Ontario, June 11, 2013 (AIAC PR) – The Aerospace Industries Association of Canada (AIAC), in partnership with Industry Canada, today released The State of the Aerospace Industry: 2013 Report, which contains updated data and analytics for the Canadian aerospace industry as of 2012. The report highlighted the economic significance of the sector, which is responsible for $42 billion of revenue and 170,000 jobs across industries in Canada, its leadership in research and development (R&D) and productivity, and its potential for growth in coming years.

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Video Caption: The latest version of Virgin Galactic’s ‘Your Journey To Space Starts Here’ – June 2013 Please follow Parabolic Arc on Facebook and Twitter.