Rick Ambrose

BETHESDA, Md., Jan. 24, 2013 (LMT PR)  –– Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE: LMT) announced that its board of directors has approved the appointment of Rick F. Ambrose, 54, to executive vice president (EVP) of its Space Systems business, and Sondra L. Barbour, 50, to EVP of its Information Systems & Global Solutions (IS&GS) business. The appointments are effective April 1, and follow announcements that Joanne Maguire, 58, EVP, Space Systems, and Linda Gooden, 59, EVP, IS&GS, will retire.

“Joanne and Linda have made significant contributions to Lockheed Martin and our industry over their exceptional careers,” said Marillyn Hewson, chief executive officer and president. “Both are distinguished leaders whose vision, expertise and unwavering commitment to performance excellence have positioned Lockheed Martin for continued success. They leave strong legacies and we wish them the best in their retirements.”

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Inside the Operations and Checkout Building, a birdcage tool along with work platforms surround the Orion Exploration Flight Test 1 crew module. (Credit: NASA/Charisse Nahser)

By Cheryl L. Mansfield
NASA’s John F. Kennedy Space Center

Using its experienced workforce and state-of-the-art facilities, NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida is working with private companies to ensure the future of U.S. space exploration stays on course. By bringing contracted work to Kennedy, NASA is providing a means to expedite Orion work from months to build and ship across the nation, to mere days.

NASA employees and Lockheed Martin contractors are working side by side in a revamped area of Kennedy’s Operations and Checkout Building. Their goal is to prepare NASA’s Orion spacecraft for its first launch, Exploration Flight Test-1, or EFT-1, in 2014. Orion is designed to take American astronauts farther into space than ever before.

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Longueuil, Quebec, January 25, 2013 (CSA PR) – Dextre, the Canadian Space Agency’s robotic “handyman” on board the International Space Station (ISS), made space history last night by successfully refueling a mock satellite on the exterior of the station.

Topping off the satellite’s fuel tank was the pivotal task in the experimental Robotic Refueling Mission (RRM), a collaboration between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) to demonstrate how robots could service and refuel satellites on location in space to extend their useful lifetime.

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Orlando, FL, January 14, 2013 (ESI PR) – To further awareness of Florida’s team in the $30M Google Lunar X PRIZE, Earthrise Space, Inc. (ESI) and the Central Florida Racing Complex (CFRC) announce a benefit event, “Space Day” to be held at the CFRC on March 9th. The event, which is open to the public for paid admission, will provide an opportunity for attendees to interact with and support ESI’s Omega Envoy team while enjoying the thrills and excitement of a major Drift Racing competition.

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By Rebecca Regan
NASA’s John F. Kennedy Space Center

NASA’s Commercial Crew Program (CCP) and its industry partners have spent the last few years investing their time, money, efforts and reputations into shaping America’s next-generation human spaceflight capabilities.

“This program reflects a true partnership between NASA and industry where our goals are aligned toward ending the gap in U.S. human access to space” said Phil McAlister, NASA Commercial Spaceflight Development director, during a televised status update Jan. 9 at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

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The U.S. Air Force’s Office of Operationally Responsive Space (ORS) has teamed up with the University of Hawaii and Aerojet to develop a new small-sat launch vehicle that will make its maiden flight later this year from a missile range on Kauai.

The rail-launched Spaceborne Payload Assist Rocket Kauai (SPARK, a.k.a., Super Strypi) will be capable of launching small satellites and CubeSats into low Earth and sun synchronous orbits at a low cost. The objective is to place 250 kg. (551 lb.) payloads into a 400-km (249 mile) sun-synchronous orbit from Kauai.

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Near Space Corporation balloon launch. (Credit: NSC)

Tillamook, OR, January 24, 2013 (NSC PR): Near Space Corporation (NSC) launched its first balloon flight with the NASA Flight Opportunities Program on Sunday January 20th. NSC has completed more than 160 balloon flights since it began operating from Tillamook, Oregon in 1996. This was the first balloon launch with the NASA Flight Opportunities Program.

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Sierra Nevada Corporation will be holding a press conference next Wednesday during which it will announce an expansion of its Dream Chaser shuttle program and provide a Commercial Crew Program update. Vice Presidents Mark Sirangelo and Jim Voss will speak along with others to be announced. The event will include a viewing of the Dream Chaser Engineering Test Article. It will take place and will take place at the company’s […]

Debra Facktor Lepore

BOULDER, COLO. (Ball PR) — Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. today announced the appointment of Debra Facktor Lepore to the newly created position of vice president and general manager of Washington Operations. Effective January 15, Lepore will lead Ball’s Washington operations, corporate communications and strategic planning, reporting to President and CEO, David L. Taylor.

“Ball Aerospace continues to increase its position in the market and its presence in the Washington, DC area,” said Taylor. “The hiring of Debra Facktor Lepore is a key part of that strategy.”

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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.