By Douglas Messier
Parabolic Arc Managing Editor

During recent public talks, Scaled Composites Founder Burt Rutan has bemoaned the lack of recent rocket development in the United States. After the initial burst of creativity in the 1950’s and 1960’s, decades went by with very few new rockets being developed. He has also pointed to Scaled Composites’ SpaceShipTwo, SpaceX’s Dragon and Stratolaunch Systems air-launch project (which he worked on for 20 years) as the only serious developments in the field at present.

My first thought was: Burt’s wrong. There’s a lot more going on than just that. Including developments just down the flight line in Mojave that he somehow fails to mention. And my second thought was: well, just how wrong is Burt, exactly?

A lot, it turns out.

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EAST AURORA, NY, Jan. 2, 2013 (Moog PR) — Moog Inc. announced today that it has acquired Broad Reach Engineering Company (BRE), located in Golden, Colorado. The purchase price is approximately $48 million, including $37 million in cash, a $6 million note payable and a $5 million potential earn out payment, based on the achievement of certain financial targets.

Broad Reach, founded in 1997, is a leading designer and manufacturer of spaceflight electronics and software for aerospace, scientific, commercial and military missions. The company also provides ground testing, launch and on-orbit operations. Trailing twelve month revenues were approximately $27 million.

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RSC Energia board meeting. (Credit: RSC Energia)

MOSCOW (Energia PR) — An enlarged Board of Directors meeting was held at S.P. Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia, where the President and General Designer of the Corporation V.A. Lopota viewed the company performance in 2012 and set tasks for the next year.

On the whole, 2012 was a good year for RSC Energia, said the Corporation President and General Designer. Fully implemented were the plans for the International Space Station (ISS) and Sea Launch program. Nearing completion is the work on the development of unmanned spacecraft and systems for various customers. Studies were conducted on the advanced space projects to develop manned and unmanned systems , including work on the next-generation manned transportation spacecraft.

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In this artist’s concept, U.S. Navy boat teams have attached a line from inside the well deck of the landing platform-dock ship (LPD)to start pulling in the Orion crew module. Lines from small boats will also be attached to bring the capsule inside the stern of the LPD. (Credit: NASA)

By Bob Granath

NASA’s John F. Kennedy Space Center

At first glance, recovery operations of NASA’s Orion spacecraft look much like the efforts used to recover its Apollo predecessor. However, many design and technological upgrades have been added to the new spacecraft by teams at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and Johnson Space Center in Houston. NASA also is partnering with the U.S. Navy to develop procedures to recover the Orion capsule and crew after splashdown.

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Statement by Marion C. Blakey, President and CEO of the Aerospace Industries Association on the failure to fix sequestration in the fiscal cliff deal

While we are pleased Congress made some headway on tax elements of a deal to avert the fiscal cliff, we are concerned that they could not agree to a long term solution to fix a problem no serious person wants – sequestration.  We are relieved that the heavy axe of sequestration will not fall today and we expect Congress will use the next two months to find thoughtful alternatives to ill-conceived, indiscriminate budget slashing.  More than 2 million Americans across all sectors of the economy will lose their jobs starting in 57 days if our political leaders fail to fix the self-inflicted wound of sequestration and the dangers it poses to our warfighters and national security.

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Gov. Rick Perry. (Credit: Gage Skidmore)

Texas Gov. Rick Perry prides himself on running a state government that is lean, with light regulations and low taxes to attract employers. This business friendly approach appears to be complicating efforts to put together a financial package that will convince SpaceX to locate a commercial launch facility near Brownsville.

An underfunded education system and health care reform are just a sample of the issues facing lawmakers in the upcoming session. With the University of Texas Board of Regents also pushing to accelerate creation of a medical school in the Rio Grande Valley, the proposed space venture will not even be the biggest local economic development cause.

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The Lurio Report FOR PRICING & SUBSCRIPTIONS: <https://www.thelurioreport.com/subscribe.html> Illuminating Issues and Prospects, Commercial Crew Elements, Dream Chaser & SpaceShipTwo Vol. 7, No. 14, December 31, 2012 Contents: Notes and Regards for the New Year Quick Updates Boeing Investments and the Nature of CCiCap Certification Products Contracts (CPC) Awards and Cautions Dream Chaser Drop Test Updates and Further Evolution SpaceShipTwo (SS2) Motor Tests, “Powered Flight Configuration” Glides Dear Acquaintances, – SpaceX […]

Washington D.C. (CSF PR) – The Commercial Spaceflight Federation today thanked Members of Congress for the extension of government risk-sharing for commercial launch companies. A bill to extend the current framework for one year passed the House and Senate in the closing hours of the 112th Congress, and has been sent to the President for signature. The previous law expired on December 31, 2012.

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BANGALORE, India (ISRO PR) — Three centres of ISRO, viz., Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram, Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), with campuses in Thiruvananthapuram, Bangalore and Mahendragiri and Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota, have new Directors (Mr. S. Ramakrishnan, Mr. M. Chandradathan and Dr. M.Y.S. Prasad respectively) from January 1, 2013.

Shri S. Ramakrishnan – Director, VSSC: Mr. S. Ramakrishnan, Distinguished Scientist of ISRO and hitherto Director, LPSC, has assumed the office of the Director, VSSC. He took over the charge from Mr. P. S. Veeraraghavan, the retiring Director. VSSC is the lead centre for the design and development of launch vehicle technologies for the Indian Space Programme.

Mr. Ramakrishnan graduated in Mechanical Engineering in the year 1970 from Guindy Engineering College, Chennai and got his M.Tech in Aerospace from IIT, Madras in 1972 with first rank.

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