The latest test summary on RocketMotorTwo from Scaled Composites (via Clark Lindsay at Hobby Space). This is the first test firing since Nov. 29, 2011. Fire: 09 Date: 13 March 12 Objectives: Ninth full scale flight design RM2 hot-fire. Continued evaluation of all systems and components: – Pressurization – Valve/Injector – Fuel formulation and geometry – Nozzle – Structure – Performance Results: All objectives completed. Performed full 45 second hot […]
AUTHOR
Doug Messier
Tallahassee, FL (Space Florida PR) – Aerospace-related economic development remained a top priority for the State lawmakers during the 2012 Legislative Session, with Space Florida’s current $10 million budget remaining stable through the upcoming fiscal year. As part of this commitment, a first-time award of $4 million in recurring funds was also approved for the organization.
In addition to Space Florida’s budget, several critical, aerospace-related bills were passed that will result in significant benefits to Florida’s aerospace industry, including:
SPACEX PR — Ten years ago today, SpaceX was founded with the goal of helping make the human race a multi-planetary species. We remain firmly committed to this goal and will do everything within our power to help make this happen.
Below we have collected some of our most memorable moments from the last ten years. As we look back, we would like to thank NASA, our customers, supporters, and those who believe in what we are working so hard to accomplish. We appreciate your continued support and look forward to an exciting future. (more…)
Political Action Alert on Commercial Crew, Space Technology
Action Needed By Monday, 3/19/12
By Henry Vanderbilt
Space Access Society
We’ve been busy putting together our next Space Access conference (April 12-14 in Phoenix, latest details at space-access.org/updates/sa12info.html) and our comprehensive Update on this year’s new government space-funding politics season has been on hold.
The real world, as usual, didn’t wait – your first opportunity to push Congress to support a couple of genuinely useful space programs starts now, and runs through this coming Monday March 19th.
This is an artist's conception of a crew on board a commercially owned and operated spacecraft for NASA's Commercial Crew Program. (Credit: NASA)
Rebecca Regan
NASA’s John F. Kennedy Space Center
NASA’s plans for a new generation of commercially owned and operated spacecraft and launches involve meeting a number of goals, none higher than keeping to the agency’s high standards for crew safety.
The agency’s Commercial Crew Program (CCP) outlined hundreds of human safety and performance requirements for the companies it is working with to carry astronauts to low Earth orbit. NASA’s engineers won’t directly tell the companies how to meet the requirements, though. Instead, they’ll rely on their partners’ innovations to meet their safety objectives.
“The success of this program is really dependent on all of us working together to design, develop and verify that we have a sound crew transportation system,” said Ed Mango, CCP program manager. “Safety is our No. 1 priority. That’s why, in our list of goals as a program, it’s safe first, then reliable, then cost-effective access to low Earth orbit.”
NASA PR — The Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator (HIAD) project will focus on the development and demonstration of hypersonic inflatable aeroshell and technologies suitable for returning mass from the International Space Station.
Video Caption: Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne has completed a series of hot-fire tests of the 52,000-54,000lb-thrust Bantam demonstration engine for a”pusher” launch abort system on Boeing’s CST-100 spacecraft, under design for NASA’s Commercial Crew Development program. The motor “pushes” the spacecraft to safety if a launch is aborted. The tests were conducted in the California desert.
Metro is sending one lucky reader into space, and it could be you! Just describe why you are perfectly suited for the mission and then gather as many votes as possible via Facebook or other social media.
Prizes
1. Spaceflight from the SXC Space Mission in Curacao
This includes a return flight to Curacao, and three nights in a five-star hotel.
NASA PR — In two years, human space exploration will make its biggest leap in more than four decades.
Lockheed Martin Space Systems will conduct the Orion Exploration Flight Test-1, or EFT-1, in 2014 under contract to NASA. NASA is acquiring the EFT-1 test data for Orion design and development. Lockheed Martin is responsible for performing the flight test and supplying the test data to NASA. The test will launch NASA’s Orion spacecraft, without a crew, to an altitude that has not been achieved by a craft intended for human flight since the Apollo lunar landing missions. The milestone test moved closer with the recent selection by Lockheed Martin of the Delta IV Heavy, operated by United Launch Alliance, to launch Orion on the flight.
Falcon 9 launch. (Credit: Chris Thompson)
The SATELLITE 2012 Conference is going on this week in Washington, DC. Jeff Foust sat in on some sessions today and posted updates on Twitter at @jeff_foust. He covered panels by launch providers and the four major satellite operators.
Launch Vehicle Providers Panel
SpaceX
- Gwynne Shotwell of SpaceX announces they have an April 30 launch date for their next Dragon mission to ISS; berth May 3.
- Shotwell: they have almost an instantaneous launch window that day; launch opportunities only every 3 days.
- Shotwell: will have 1st upgraded Falcon 9 (needed for comm’l sat launches) at VAFB by December, launch “shortly thereafter”