Palo Alto, CA, February 27, 2012 (NSC PR): Near Space Corporation (NSC), one of seven suborbital flight providers selected to support the NASA Flight Opportunities Program, is proud to announce the creation of the first commercial high altitude balloon flight facility. Located in Tillamook, Oregon, the $6.9 million first phase will include 31,000 square feet of construction. It will serve as NSC headquarters and will house engineering, manufacturing, payload integration, and flight operations at a single location. The new facility will enable an unprecedented level of responsiveness and an increased capacity to meet the growing needs of NSC customers.
AUTHOR
Doug Messier
Boulder, Colo. — Feb. 27, 2012 — Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has reached an agreement with XCOR Aerospace, Inc. to conduct pioneering suborbital space missions with Institute payload specialist astronauts flying aboard one or two test missions in the XCOR Aerospace Lynx Mark I vehicle. The flights will test capabilities of the Lynx vehicle with actual researchers and research experiments aboard.
In 2011, SwRI and XCOR Aerospace inked a deal for six SwRI suborbital flights aboard Lynx, with options for three more. Today’s announcement moves the first such flights ahead of XCOR’s commercial services to be a part of XCOR’s Lynx test flight program.
Palo Alto, California (A4H PR) – After more than a year of development, Astronauts for Hire (A4H) is proud to announce its proposed training programs for Research Specialist Astronauts and Operations Specialist Astronauts. These programs, which were developed by the nonprofit in close consultation with former NASA astronauts and astronaut instructors, are the most comprehensive commercial scientist-astronaut training guidelines available in the world.
Gear down. (Photo: Mark Greenberg)
MOJAVE, Calif. – (Feb. 27, 2012) Virgin Galactic LLC, the world’s first commercial spaceline, announced today that it has selected NanoRacks LLC to construct a rack system to allow research payloads to fly to space aboard Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo (SS2). With these new racks, SS2 will allow researchers to conduct experiments during several minutes of microgravity using a mounting system also employed on the International Space Station (ISS).
27 February 2012, Mojave, CA and Palo Alto, CA (XCOR PR): XCOR Aerospace announced today that it recently closed a $5 million round of equity funding. The round, combined with cash on hand plus anticipated and existing contracts should fund the company through production of its Lynx Mark I Suborbital vehicle.
The financing included participation of new and previous investors. Among them are Esther Dyson, Pete Ricketts (co-owner of the Chicago Cubs) and several top Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and former venture capitalists.
Paul Damphousse, National Space Society
- NSS lobbied for expansion of informed consent law in New Mexico….
- Will be making a renewed push to get full funding for commercial crew program…every dollar you cut from commercial crew is another dollar going to pay for Russian flights…makes no sense….
- in negotiations to have the NSS gala at the National Air & Space Museum in Washington for 2012 conference…
Panel Members
- Bretton Alexander, Blue Origin
- Neil Milburn, Armadillo Aerospace
- Andrew Nelson, XCOR
- William Pomerantz, Virgin Galactic
- Joel Scotkin, Masten Space Systems
Bretton Alexander: Blue Origin
- lost a vehicle last year in flight — this was a test vehicle that we expected to lose, not an operational vehicle
- Blue Origin is focused on building a human spaceflight business first
- Blue Origin orbital vehicle will eventually shift from Atlas V to company’s own resuable launch vehicle
This week on The Space Show with David Livingston… 1. Monday, Feb. 27, 2011 4-5:30 PM PST (7-8:30 PM EST, 6-7:30 PM CST): We welcome back MARCIA SMITH for a comprehensive look at the proposed NASA FY 13 budget. 2. Tuesday, Feb. 28 2012, 7-8:30 PM PST (10-11:30 PM EST, 9-10:30 PM CST): We welcome back JOHN POWELL for updates with JP Aerospace. 3. Friday, March 2, 2012, 9:30-11 AM […]
27 February 2012, Mojave, CA and Palo Alto, CA (XCOR PR): At the Next Generation Suborbital Researchers Conference (NSRC) 2012 in Palo Alto, California, XCOR Aerospace announced that EMXYS of Spain, Texas A&M’s Space Engineering Research Center, and the Planetary Science Institute have joined XCOR’s payload processing sales channel for the Lynx suborbital vehicle. The new members of the XCOR team will provide services to the research, scientific, educational, engineering, and medical markets that are using the XCOR Lynx suborbital reusable launch vehicle for experiments and investigations.
Mojave's runways. (Credit: Mojave Air and Space Port)
PALO ALTO, California (Press Release) — The man who manages the nation’s first commercial spaceport called on state lawmakers Monday to help him keep the emerging commercial space industry in California.
Stuart Witt, CEO of the East Kern Airport District, which manages the Mojave Air and Space Port, said immediate action is needed to battle efforts by governors in several states to lure the new industry to their states.