The New Mexico Senate approved a measure that extends liability protections to spacecraft manufacturers and equipment suppliers by a 34-0 vote earlier today. The measure, which is supported by Gov. Susana Martinez, now goes to the House, where it is expected to pass.
AUTHOR
Doug Messier
By Douglas Messier
Parabolic Arc Managing Editor
At a press conference this morning, Sierra Nevada Corporation announced that it has formed a partnership with Lockheed Martin to help certify and manufacture its Dream Chaser space shuttle.
“With today’s announcement we’ve added another best of the best to the team,” said SNC’s Mark Sirangelo in announcing the multi-million dollar deal, which will leverage Lockheed Martin’s expertise in building NASA’s Orion deep space vehicle, developing and manufacturing aircraft, and working with composite materials.
On Thursday night, officials will be unveiling the Mojave Community Revitalization Vision Plan, a citizen created road map for improving the town. Mojave Visioning Unveiling Thursday, JANUARY 31, 2013 5:30 – 8:00 P.M. Veteran’s Building 15580 ‘O’ Street (Next to Mojave Park) The plan is a result of a two-day visioning session held in September during which Mojave residents, county officials and planning experts worked together to brainstorm a long-range […]
The third time was a charm for South Korea’s KSLV-1 rocket. The launch vehicle blasted off from the Naro Space Center at 4 p.m. local time and placed a climate satellite into its correct orbit, according to media reports. Officials said that the satellite is set to make contact with ground control on Thursday. KSLV-1 featured a first stage built by Russia’s Khrunichev and a second stage and satellite constructed […]
The Associated Press reports that Virgin Galactic is once again threatening to pull out New Mexico, this time over unfinished work at the $209 million, taxpayer-funded Spaceport America:
Virgin Galactic has agreed to start paying New Mexico rent on the nearly quarter-billion-dollar spaceport the state built for British businessman Richard Branson’s space tourism business, but it says it is doing so under protest and without waiving its right to walk away from the project, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press.
In a Jan. 16 email to the New Mexico Spaceport Authority, Virgin Galactic said it does not believe the state has finished the work necessary to trigger activation of its $1 million annual rent obligation, and said if the work is not complete to its satisfaction by March 31, it “may either stop paying rent, pay reduced rent or give notice to terminate” its lease.
This is the second rationale Virgin Galactic has advanced for potentially pulling out of the deal in recent months. It had previously suggested that it would abandon the state if legislators did not extend limited liability protections against lawsuits to spacecraft manufacturers and suppliers. A compromise measure is now speeding through the Legislature.
By Bob Granath
NASA’s John F. Kennedy Space Center
On Jan. 22, NASA took a crucial next step toward launching astronauts to the International Space Station from the United States. Beginning the first phase of the Commercial Crew Program’s (CCP) certification efforts, three companies now are conducting activities that will confirm commercial spacecraft are safe to carry crews to the station.
This landmark comes as the agency celebrates the 45th anniversary of an essential stage in sending Americans to the moon.
Hi all. I’m going to be chatting with David Livingston on The Space Show on Tuesday, Jan. 29, from 7-8:30 PST (10-11:30 PM EST, 9-10:30 PM CST). We’ll be talking about the latest news about Spaceport America, Virgin Galactic and Mojave. Please tune in live and ask questions, or listen to the podcast once it is archived. The full schedule for this week: 1. Monday, Jan. 28, 2013, 2-3:30 PM […]
Epsilon rocket (Credit: JAXA)
JAXA has spent the last six years developing a new small satellite launch vehicle designed to be launched much quicker and significantly cheaper than its retired predecessor, the M-V rocket. The solid-fuel Epsilon launch vehicle, which will be capable of placing up to 1.2 metric tons into low Earth orbit, is set for its maiden flight in August or September of this year.
The following information is taken from the JAXA website.
The Epsilon Launch Vehicle is a solid propellant rocket suitable for a new age, delivering both high performance and low cost. Based on the M-V Launch Vehicle, a multistage solid propellant rocket with the best performance in the world (discontinued in 2006), we try to achieve improved performance with the Epsilon Launch Vehicle, and build a system which will allow the frequent launch of launch vehicles by largely-reducing operational costs through enhancing aspects of operational efficiency, such as assembly and inspection.
Through increased launch opportunities, we anticipate that space development activity will increase. The biggest goal of the Epsilon Launch Vehicle is to make space more accessible as rocket launches are made easier.
Video Caption: This video illustrates DARPA’s Phoenix program and some of the technical progress that has been made since it began in July 2012. As performers demonstrate the progress of their work in a lab, an artist’s simulation of a fully-realized Phoenix demonstration scenario runs in the background to help illustrate how the technology may be applied.
LONDON (UKSA PR) — The UK Space Agency is set to further boost the growth of the UK’s space sector with an extra £25 million [$39.5 million] announced today for its National Space Technology Programme (NSTP). The extra money will be used to drive the development of commercial products using space technology and services utilizing data from space-based systems.