San Francisco, CA– April 2, 2012 – Space Angels Network, a national network of seed and early-stage investors focused on aerospace and aviation startups, has announced its participation in producing the 2012 Space Frontier Foundation Business Plan Competition.  Serving as a Contributing Sponsor, Space Angels Network will screen applicants, serve as a presentation coach for finalists, and provide the first place finisher complementary investment guidance, including an opportunity to meet in-person with Space Angels Network members,

(more…)

PARIS (ESA PR) — Investors will meet with start-up companies using space tech in terrestrial systems to discuss business prospects and partnerships at the seventh ESA Investment Forum on 16 October in Toulouse, France.

The Forum is an exceptional platform for exploring investment opportunities and business potential.

The selected companies have all built a significant portion of their growth and competitive advantage on the utilisation of technologies and expertise originating from Europe’s space programmes. They will discuss their business ideas and products with the investors.

(more…)

China launched the Shenzhou 9 spacecraft with three astronauts aboard atop a Long March 2F rocket on Saturday. Commander Jing Haipeng, Liu Wang and Liu Yang — the first Chinese woman in space — are headed for a two-week mission to the Tiangong-1 space station. This will be the first human crew to dock with China’s first space station, which was launched last year. The crew will dock with Tiangong-1 […]

The X-37B after its first mission in December 2010. (Credit: USAF)

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. — June 16, 2012 — (USAF PR) — The X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV), the Air Force’s unmanned, reusable space plane, landed at Vandenberg Air Force Base at 5:48 a.m. (PDT) June 16.

OTV-2, which launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., March 5, 2011, conducted on-orbit experiments for 469 days during its mission.
(more…)

The Space Frontier Foundation has announced 10 finalists for the $110,000 NewSpace2012 Business Competition. The finalists for the late July competition include:

Digital Solid State Propulsion LLC: They have developed a new form of solid-state propellants that are completely inert unless ignited with electric power of the appropriate magnitude. The first truly throttle-able solid rocket motor.

(more…)

MOSCOW — June 15, 2012 (Khrunichev PR) — At the State Research and Production Space Center Khrunichev completed the preparation for shipment to the Plesetsk Cosmodrome bench products launcher “Angara” to practice starting and ground systems. Currently underway for the preparation of the product to be loaded on rail unit. After loading in the near future, the product will be sent to the Plesetsk Cosmodrome. In Plesetsk technicians space industry, […]

Space News quotes Orbital Chief Financial Officer Garrett E. Pierce as saying the inaugural test flight of its new Antares rocket will slip to later in the summer:

Pierce also said Orbital now plans to test-fire the first stage of its Antares rocket in late July or early August at the new Wallops Island, Va., spaceport — a month later than the schedule announced in late April.

A successful test-firing will be followed by a demonstration flight of the two-stage Antares vehicle, without the Cygnus cargo module, in August or September.

(more…)

Live broadcasting by Ustream

Second to None Employee Rally 39,246 Florida jobs at stake Kaman Corporation, in conjunction with the Aerospace Industries Association, is hosting an employee rally May 21 at their Jacksonville Aerostructures facility to raise awareness of the critical contribution of the aerospace and defense industry to the U.S. economy and to our national security. Beginning in 2012, the Defense Department will absorb $487 billion in reductions over the next decade. In […]