SPACE FLORIDA PR – ORLANDO, FL (December 1, 2011) – The first annual U.S. States and Federal Government Space Forum was held November 29-30 in Orlando. This first-of-its kind event was led by the Eisenhower Center for Space and Defense Studies of the United States Air Force Academy and sponsored by Space Florida.

As part of this event, conducted under Chatham House Rule, The Eisenhower Center facilitated discussions to enhance working relationships between Federal and State governments to advance U.S. capabilities within the various sectors of the space enterprise in today’s constrained fiscal environment.

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The Lurio Report FOR PRICING & SUBSCRIPTIONS: <https://www.thelurioreport.com/subscribe.html> Lynx Research Flight Giveaway, Spaceports and a New Major Prize?, Excalibur Almaz and New Options Vol. 6, No. 17, December 2, 2011 Contents: SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: SwRI and XCOR Announce Lynx Research Flight Giveaway Quick Updates: Space Angels Network Event in Washington Blue Origin Site Updates, Video and Related Correction Congress “Whacks” Commercial Crew, But Is There a Silver Lining? Deciding Not to […]

Amateur astronomer Ralf Vandeberg took these images of Phobos-Grunt in orbit. You can find more images of Phobos-Grunt, the International Space Station, and other objects on his website at https://ralfvandebergh.startje.be/.

ESA PR — 2 December 2011 — In consultation and agreement with Phobos-Grunt mission managers, ESA engineers will end tracking support today. Efforts in the past week to send commands to and receive data from the Russian Mars mission via ESA ground stations have not succeeded; no response has been seen from the satellite. ESA teams remain available to assist the Phobos-Grunt mission if indicated by any change in the […]

Above is the third part of an interview that Robert Bigelow gave to reporters during the International Symposium for Personal and Commercial Spaceflight in Las Cruces, NM. Bigelow had just given an address to the conference in which he warned that China could claim the moon in the early 2020s and urged American leaders to renew their commitment to leadership in space. If you missed any of it, Parts I […]

Garvey's Prospector 18 suborbital reusable launch vehicle. (Credit: Garvey Spacecraft)

Garvey Spacecraft of Long Beach, Calif., has been selected for a NASA Small Business Innovation Research award to develop alternative hydrocarbon propulsion for a nano-sat/micro-sat launch vehicle. No terms were mentioned, but SBIR awards are typically for six months for amounts up to $125,000. The award is contingent upon contract negotiations.

“The technical innovation proposed here is the application of an alternative hydrocarbon fuel – densified propylene, in combination with liquid oxygen (LOX) – that has the potential to enhance the performance of a proposed Nano / Micro Launch Vehicle (NMLV) enough such that a simple two-stage, pressure-fed configuration will be sufficient for orbital missions. Besides eliminating the third stage, the absence of turbopumps reduces hardware costs, improves overall system reliability and simplifies engine start-up,” the proposal reads.

A full description of the project follows after the break.

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Interorbital Systems of Mojave has been selected for NASA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) award. The company will use the funding to help develop its Common Propulsion Module (CPM) for the Neptune rocket, which is aimed at bringing down the cost of launching nanosats. No amount is mentioned, but SBIR agreements are typically made for six months for amounts as high as $125,000. The award is contingent upon successful contract negotiations.

Read a description of the work after the break.

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RCSP PR – PR Huntsville, Ala. (Dec. 1, 2011) –The Rocket City Space Pioneers (RCSP), the Huntsville-centric team competing in the $30 million Google Lunar X PRIZE competition, invite you to launch a rocket from Rocket City to the moon, land on the moon and explore the moon to meet your mission objectives. RCSP’s new iPad game is now available at the App Store. The game can be downloaded at https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/rocket-city-space-pioneers/id481158783?mt=8.

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Launch facilities on Wallops Island, Virginia

Virginia should invest in making the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) on Wallops Island into a multi-use launch facility capable of handling missions for more than just Orbital Sciences Corporation’s (OSC) new Taurus II rocket, according to a new consulting report.

The review by KPMG includes a recommendations on further developing the commercial launch base and restructuring the Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority (VCSFA), the state-funded organization which oversees MARS. One controversial recommendation is to strip OSC of its guaranteed seat on VCSFA’s Board of Directors, which KPMG calls a disincentive for other companies that want to use the spaceport.

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NASA has selected Firestar for an award under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. The Mojave-based company will use the funding to improve its NOFBX propulsion system, a green engine which is set for testing aboard the International Space Station late next year.

NASA announced the selection on Tuesday. No amount was provided, but SBIR agreements are usually made over a six-month period for amounts of up to $125,000. The award is contingent successful negotiation of terms.

A full description of Firestar’s proposal follows after the break.

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