The Commercial Spaceflight Federation, Aerospace Industries Association and the Satellite Industry Association are all praising the passage this week of a House bill that will loosen the nation’s restrictive laws on satellite exports.

Washington D.C. (CSF PR) – The Commercial Spaceflight Federation lauds the passage of H.R. 4310 today, the National Defense Authorization Act, with Rep. Adam Smith’s amendment providing authority to the President to remove some satellites and related components and technology from the U.S. Munitions List, but calls for further progress regarding spaceflight participant training and the appropriate regulatory position for manned space vehicles.

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The Falcon 9 rocket began the initiation sequence for launch and then cutoff at the last second. Smoke appeared at the base of the rocket before the flight was terminated at 4:55 a.m. EDT. There was an abort on Engine No. 5 due to excessively high chamber pressure. The computer apparently saw a parameter it didn’t like on that engine and aborted the launch sequence. The next possible launch date […]

Washington (Bill Posey PR) – Today the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed a bill introduced by Congressman Bill Posey (R-Rockledge) as an Amendment to H.R. 4310, the National Defense Authorization Act, that enables the Department of Defense (DoD) to work with Space Florida and commercial companies to improve space launch infrastructure to better meet national security and commercial space launch needs.

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By Douglas Messier
Parabolic Arc Managing Editor

Tenants at the Mojave Air & Space Port could have high-speed, fiber optic services by July if a required approval is given within the next few weeks, the CEO of Race Communications said on Tuesday.

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NASA TV Coverage SpaceX Dragon Demonstration Mission to ISS Watch NASA TV May 18, Friday 1 p.m. – SpaceX/Falcon 9 Dragon Pre-Launch Briefing – KSC (All Channels) May 19, Saturday 3:30 a.m. – SpaceX/Falcon 9 Dragon Launch Coverage Begins (Launch scheduled at 4:55 a.m. EDT) – KSC (All Channels) 5:10 a.m. – Update from Mission Control Houston – JSC (All Channels) 5:25 a.m. – Launch Replays – KSC (All Channels) […]

The Lurio Report FOR PRICING & SUBSCRIPTIONS: <https://www.thelurioreport.com/subscribe.html> SpaceX Launch Day, Motorcycle Tests XCOR Rocket Pump, Altius Update From ‘Space Access’ and After Vol. 7, No. 7, May 18, 2012 Contents: Quick Updates:  SpaceX Launch Date and Commercial Flights Setting May 19 Joint Marketing With Bigelow Are Some Waiting for a Failure? Dear Acquaintances, –  Amazing Savings As Motorcycle Trip Tests Critical Rocket Component – – A Few Notes From […]

Students Paige and Max of Chaminade College Preparatory in West Hills, Calif. run preliminary variations of their experiment in the laboratory. Image Credit: SSEP

WASHINGTON (NASA PR) — When SpaceX’s Dragon capsule launches in spring 2012, a very special payload will be on board: 15 student experiments from the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program. The big deal is that those experiments from “SSEP Mission 1 to ISS” will be part of space history. Dragon will become the first commercial vehicle to dock to the International Space Station, and these student experiments have the distinction of being the only payload on board.

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WhiteKnightTwo was out flying solo on Wednesday from the Mojave Air & Space Port. Virgin Galactic posted the above photo on its public Google+ page today with the following caption describing the aircraft’s 80th flight: “One of our pilots, Keith Colmer, got to fly WhiteKnightTwo. Keith’s flown a wide range of commercial, military, and general aviation aircraft, but flying part of a reusable space system was first for him. “Your […]

The New Mexico Spaceport Authority (NMSA) has issued request for proposals in order to purchase land for a pair of Spaceport America welcome centers in Truth or Consequences and Hatch. The authority plans to purchase the land and have developers build the centers, which will be staging areas for tourists who will take buses to the desert spaceport. NMSA will lease the buildings from the developers under long-term agreements. This […]

Image above: A technician guides a cargo bag into the Dragon spacecraft at the SpaceX facility at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. (Credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann)

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER (NASA PR) — The Dragon spacecraft built by SpaceX will head to the International Space Station with about 1,200 pounds of cargo during its demonstration mission, including commemorative patches and pins, 162 meals and a collection of student experiments.

Since the company’s rocket and spacecraft are conducting a test flight, the manifest attests to important goods for the station’s crew of astronauts and cosmonauts, but not mission-critical items.
A successful flight, due to liftoff from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.,at 4:55 a.m. EDT on May 19, is expected to lead to regular cargo missions that will carry a wider range of goods to the orbiting laboratory. Hawthorne, Calif.-based SpaceX, formally known as Space Exploration Technologies, is also deep into the work required to make Dragon suitable to carry people into orbit.

The mission is a landmark because it is the first time a privately built spacecraft will head to the International Space Station. The flight, which includes no crew members other than those already on the station who will guide Dragon’s arrival, carries enormous challenges and involves numerous individual evaluations.

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