The Russian government’s proposal to consolidate the nation’s rocket industry to deal with serious quality control problems in its space industry is getting a decidedly chilly reception: Russian space rocket corporation Energia head Vitaly Lopota on Wednesday rejected as a “non-market” measure the idea of establishing an engine holding company in the domestic space industry. “This proposal would completely eliminate the competitive environment in the country,” Lopota said…. Russian Space […]
AUTHOR
Doug Messier
This week on The Space Show…. Friday December 28, 2012, 9:30-11 AM PST (11:30- 1 PM CST, 12:30PM-2:00 PM EST): We welcome DAVID LAWRENCE who is on the Mercury Messenger team. We will get the latest from Messenger on Mercury and related news. Sunday, December 30, 2012, 12-1:30 PM PST (3-4:30 PM EST, 2-3:30 PM CST). We welcome HOYT DAVIDSON of Near Earth LLC to the program. We will be […]
A message from David Livingston, host of The Space Show….
December 22, 2012
Dear Space Show Listeners:
Re: Space Show/One Giant Leap Foundation 2012 Year End Appeal
The Space Show/One Giant Leap Foundation Annual Campaign is in full swing as we approach the end of 2012. We certainly want to thank the many of you who have supported us during 2012 and over the last few weeks during our annual campaign. For those of you who have not yet supported The Space Show, do consider what The Space Show does for supporting space development, exploration, the many projects, books, movies, and works by many of you and those in our community. The Space Show also works with students from the fifth grade up to help assure their continued interest in space as they go through school and eventually move into their careers.
HAWTHORNE, Calif. (SPACEX PR) — SpaceX’s Grasshopper took a 12-story leap towards full and rapid rocket reusability in a test flight conducted December 17, 2012 at SpaceX’s rocket development facility in McGregor, Texas. Grasshopper, SpaceX’s vertical takeoff and landing vehicle (VTVL), rose 131 feet (40 meters), hovered and landed safely on the pad using closed loop thrust vector and throttle control. The total test duration was 29 seconds. Grasshopper stands […]
Sen. Barbara Mikulski
By Douglas Messier
Parabolic Arc Managing Editor
Maryland Senator and NASA backer Barbara Mikulski is set to get a big promotion, moving up to become the first female chair of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee. The new role will give Mikulski, who has served in the Senate for 26 years, greater influence over spending on the entire federal budget.
The unexpected decision came after the death last week of Hawaii Sen. Daniel Inouye. Several other senators in line for the position reportedly passed on the assignment.
Mikulski is the current chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee’s Subcommitee on Commerce, Justice, and Science, which oversees funding for NASA, National Science Foundation, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce, Federal Trade Commission, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Roscosmos has awarded Energia a 350 million ruble ($11 million) contract for the design of a free-flyer experiments module that will fly in formation with the International Space Station and periodically dock with the orbiting laboratory for servicing. Energia was the lone bidder for the contract. The multi-functional Oka-T-MKS module is an 8 metric ton (8.8 ton) spacecraft designed for microgravity experiments in materials sciences, biotechnology, nano-electronics and other disciplines. […]
PALO ALTO, California and BERN, Switzerland– Dec. 19, 2012 (Sea Launch-SS/L PR) – Space Systems/Loral (SSL) and Sea Launch AG (Sea Launch) today announced that the Independent Oversight Board (IOB) formed to investigate the solar array deployment anomaly on a satellite launched in the spring of 2012 has successfully reached a unanimous conclusion.
The IOB, which was comprised of three highly regarded industry experts, worked with a comprehensive team of engineers from both SSL and Sea Launch to conduct an exhaustive investigation of data from the launch vehicle, the spacecraft, and interactions between the two. Extensive data provided by Sea Launch were instrumental in achieving the findings which led to the investigation’s positive conclusion.
HOUSTON (NASA PR) – NASA’s Johnson Space Center and the Houston Technology Center have officially opened the doors to the JSC Acceleration Center at the Johnson Space Center.
The JSC Acceleration Center provides onsite offices to enhance collaboration for business growth and future technology development under an agreement with the Houston Technology Center (HTC).
Athough Masten Space Systems lost its Xaero vehicle during a test flight in September, the reusable rocket lives on at the company’s headquarters at the Mojave Air and Space Port. Part of the vehicle has been turned into a grill, which was used the other day for the company’s holiday party. Alexander Hreiz (@MdlRcktScientst) Tweeted the picture.
ATLANTA, December 21, 2012 (GO PR) — Generation Orbit Launch Services, Inc. (GO) has entered into a strategic partnership with Sunnyvale, CA-based Space Propulsion Group, Inc. (SPG) to continue the development of its dedicated small satellite launch system, known as GOLauncher.