Some good news for Virgin Galactic and it’s foreign passengers via Space News:
New Mexico-based Virgin Galactic, which now expects to fly its first paying customers in 2013, was told by the U.S. government that the company may fly non-U.S. citizens to the edge of space without first obtaining an export license from the State Department.
Hello from Phoenix. After a long drive from the Mojave Desert through another desert or two (or three), I have arrived in the Valley of the Sun which appears to be….wait for it….yet another desert, albeit largely paved over. And if I had kept driving east, I probably wouldn’t be out of the desert for another couple of days. But, I digress. I’m here to cover Space Access 12, which runs […]
OSC PR — For the next several days, Orbital will be conducting “pathfinder” operations for the critical process of rolling out and erecting the Antares rocket at the MARS launch Pad 0A at Wallops Island. In the top photo below, the Antares first stage has just left the Horizontal Integration Facility (HIF), beginning its one-mile trip to the launch pad aboard the specially designed Transporter/Erector/Launcher (TEL). In the lower photo […]
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook Parts 1 and 2 of John Stewart’s interview with SpaceX Founder and CEO Elon Musk. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook
REACTION ENGINES PR — The testing of the Pre-cooler, now fully integrated into the B9 test stand with the Viper jet engine, has finally begun this month after a number of delays shaking down the system. The initial tests have gone very well and represent a good start to the test campaign which will last several months. The flow thorough the Pre-cooler has been found to be aerodynamically stable without […]
SXC PR — In order to maximize safety and comfort for our Future Astronauts solid medical support is essential. Therefore, in February 2012 SXC has selected the team of Wings of Care to form the independent medical advisory board and provide support for SXC and the Future Astronauts throughout the screening, training and spaceflight phases. Wings of care, a Dutch organization with aerospace medical expertise, has developed a tailor made procedure to conduct the medical screening for SXC.
(Credit: David Wilson, Spaceport America)
By Douglas Messier
Parabolic Arc Managing Editor
Some of the 500 people who have signed up to fly into space aboard Richard Branson’s SpaceShipTwo are getting a little impatient with the brash British billionaire’s failure to deliver flights after seven-and-a-half years of development:
But not all of the investors keen to fly to the final frontier on this Star Trek dream are happy with the way they are being treated. Lebanese technology tycoon Bassim Haidar, who paid US$200,000 six years ago for his ticket, is frustrated at Galactic’s reluctance to give a date for the flight.
At his home in Surrey multi-millionaire Bassim tells me: “I wanted to be the first Arab in space, so I signed up right away. But I can’t get Branson to say when we will fly. I’m very disappointed in him. He’s not the ‘can-do businessman’ he likes to project to the media.
RIA Novosti recently conducted an interview with Vladimir Nesterov, the Director General of the Khrunichev Center. He provided an overview of the company’s 2011 financial results and the forecast looking forward: “With regard to financial and economic indicators of our Center over the past year, the sales volume of more than 43 billion rubles [$1.44 billion], while in 2010 this figure was 36.2 billion rubles [$1.2 billion]. That is, an […]
United Launch Alliance's configurations for launch commercial crew vehicles on Delta IV and Atlas V vehicles. (Credit: United Launch Alliance)
CENTENNIAL, Colo., April 9, 2012 (ULA PR) —United Launch Alliance (ULA) today announced the formation of a new organization that will focus exclusively on NASA’s human spaceflight programs.
ULA’s Human Launch Services organization will be dedicated to supporting NASA and its partners in the development of capabilities to deliver U.S. astronauts to Low Earth Orbit and human exploration beyond Earth orbit.
“NASA is making tremendous progress towards closing the U.S. human spaceflight gap and we are committed to supporting them with our flight-proven Atlas V and Delta IV launch vehicles and technologies,” said Michael Gass, ULA president and CEO. “ULA understands that human spaceflight requires the utmost attention to safety and reliability and the new organization will focus our energy and attention towards those crucial goals.”
ULA’s Human Launch Services Organization will be led by Dr. George Sowers. Prior to this position, Sowers headed ULA’s Business Development and Advanced Programs team and brings with him more than 25 years of launch systems design, development and integration expertise.
April 10 General Meeting Open House You are invited to attend Mojave Makers’ First General Meeting and Open House Tuesday April 10 at 5 PM. Building 82, 1347 Barnes St. Mojave Air & Space Port Mojave, California 93501 Information on how to join Mojave Makers – and Cupcakes! We are opening our doors for the first time to the general public to share who we are and what we are […]
