KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL. (SEPTEMBER 5, 2012) – Space Florida, the State’s spaceport authority and aerospace economic development organization, and NanoRacks, LLC, have announced a partnership to host the Space Florida International Space Station (ISS) Research Competition. As part of this program, NanoRacks will provide up to eight Payload Box Units (NanoLabs) that will fly payloads to the ISS, with scientific research that will be conducted on board the U.S. National Lab. Space Florida will cover the costs of research payload transportation to the ISS for the eight winning applicants.

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WASHINGTON (NASA PR) — NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and other dignitaries will attend a public memorial service at the Washington National Cathedral to honor the life and career of astronaut Neil Armstrong on Thursday, Sept. 13. The memorial will be broadcast live on NASA Television and streamed online by the agency’s and National Cathedral’s websites.

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Louisville, CO, September 4, 2012 (Altius PR) — Altius Space Machines of Louisville, CO is pleased to announce that we have signed a non-reimbursable Space Act Agreement (SAA) with NASA Langley Research Center of Hampton, Va., to develop concepts for a new series of compactly-stowable, long-reach spacecraft robotic manipulators.
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NASA has posted the Selection Statement in which Associate Administrator for Human Exploration and Operations William Gerstenmaier explains why the space agency decided to award $1.1 billion in Commercia Crew Integrated Capability (CCiCAP) funding to Boeing, Sierra Nevada Corporation and SpaceX. The document includes ratings for the proposals submitted by all three companies as well as the one from ATK, which did not receive funding. NASA eliminated three other applicants […]

The Democratic National Platform contains a single mention about civil space policy: President Obama has charted a new mission for NASA to lead us to a future that builds on America’s legacy of innovation and exploration. It’s a bit disappointing that the Democrats didn’t choose to spotlight NASA’s new direction and its accomplishments. This was an opportunity to rebut Mitt Romney’s charges that the space agency is floundering because it […]

ScienceDebate.org posed 14 questions to President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney.  The twelfth question related to space policy. The answers are after the break. You can read all the questions and answers here.

12. Space. The United States is currently in a major discussion over our national goals in space. What should America’s space exploration and utilization goals be in the 21st century and what steps should the government take to help achieve them?

Mitt Romney. (Credit: Gage Skidmore)

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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL, September 4, 2012 CASIS PR) –– The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), the nonprofit organization managing research on board the International Space Station (ISS) U.S. National Laboratory, today issued a solicitation for proposals in Materials Testing in the Extreme Environment of Space.

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Launch of Atlas V NRO satellite on June 20, 2012. (Credit: ULA)

Space News reports that a Pentagon analysis has found multiple causes for the sharp rise in cost for the U.S. Air Force’s Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program, which includes United Launch Alliance’s (ULA) Atlas V and Delta IV launch vehicles:

The Pentagon’s acquisition czar cited a contracting arrangement that offers little incentive to control costs as a contributor to soaring prices on the program that launches the vast majority of U.S. government satellites.

In a July 12 letter to lawmakers, Frank Kendall, U.S. undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, said the projected cost of the U.S. Air Force’s Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) rocket program over 150 missions has more than doubled since 2004, to nearly $70 billion. The primary drivers of the cost growth are unstable demand, international market vagaries and industrial base issues, he said….

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SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and NASA Administrator Charles Bolden in front of the Dragon capsule. (Credit: NASA)

Bloomberg reports on a possibility with big implications for SpaceX and Tesla Motors:

Elon Musk, co-founder of Tesla Motors Inc. (TSLA) and founder of Space Exploration Technologies Corp., said he’s interested in creating a holding company for shares of his electric car and rocket launch businesses.

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This week on The Space Show with David Livingston…. 1. Monday, September 3, 2012, 2-3:30 PM PDT (5-6:30 PM EDT, 4-5:30 PM CDT): We welcome back GIL MOORE. When talking with Gil at SmallSat, I learned of his new & very exciting space projects including RAMPART and PrintSat cubesat projects. 2. Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012, 7-8:30 PM PDT (10-11:30 PM EDT, 9-10:30 PM CDT): OPEN LINES. All space related topics […]