This week on The Space Show with David Livingston…. Monday, Oct . 24, 2-3:30 PM PDT: We welcome back Dr. Paul Spudis to discuss concepts for Cis-Lunar space and economic development. Visit his website for more information, www.spudislunarresources.com. Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2011, 7-8:30 PM PDT: We welcome back Sy Liebergot for a look at his “back room” SSR guys on Apollo 13 plus some of his thoughts on current U.S. […]
AUTHOR
Doug Messier
A NASA safety panels says that the space agency’s commercial crew program is seriously underfunded: Funding for NASA’s commercial crew space transportation services initiative appears headed for funding problems that could undermine the agency’s efforts to regain the independent U.S. human launch capability that lapsed with the shuttle program’s retirement earlier this year, members of NASA’s Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP) warned Oct. 21…. “If America wants a solid space […]
Santa Rosa, CA, October 22, 2011 –(PR.com)– Yuri’s Night, the World Space Party, today announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the National Space Society (NSS) that provides for cooperation and joint activities between the two organizations.
The MOU calls for the NSS and Yuri’s Night to promote each other’s organization to its respective members. The NSS will help promote Yuri’s Night to its membership and Yuri’s Night in turn will promote the NSS to participants in the World Space Party. In addition, Yuri’s Night event organizers are encouraged to work with local NSS representatives and members in the planning of their events.
Video Caption: This concept video explains DARPA’s Phoenix program, which seeks to develop technologies to cooperatively harvest and re-use valuable components from retired, nonworking satellites in GEO (GEO–22,000 miles above the earth). The goal is to demonstrate the ability to create new space systems at greatly reduced cost compared to developing, building and launching brand new replacement satellites. More info may be found here: https://go.usa.gov/9tC
NASA PR — NASA is engaging technical experts of all kinds from across the agency to help our commercial partners mature their crew transportation capabilities during Commercial Crew Development Round 2. As a key element of this support, NASA has assigned experienced NASA astronauts to work closely with our partners to help them develop and demonstrate crewed spacecraft systems. NASA’s crew members evaluate the partners’ designs, and provide them feedback […]
Ap0logies for being a bit late on this story. (I got distracted by moving, traveling and conferencing this week). A Government Accountability Office (GAO) review has raised serious questions over the DOD’s plan for a five-year bulk buy of United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V and Delta IV rockets. GAO found that the plan was based on incomplete information and could leave the government with more boosters than it needs.
The publication of the report resulted in an immediate response from SpaceX, which is seeking to compete for military contracts using its Falcon rockets. The Falcon 9 has flown twice to date, both times successfully, while Falcon Heavy is still in development. The DOD relies exclusively on ULA’s rockets for its heavy payloads. Both rockets, which were developed with DOD funding, have a near perfect record of success.
The summary section from GAO’s report is below, followed by SpaceX’s response.
RCSP PR — Las Cruces, NM – Anyone who has an iPad can participate in a mission to the moon via a free interactive game produced by Analytical Mechanics Associates (AMA) for the Rocket City Space Pioneers (RCSP). RCSP announced here today at the International Symposium for Personal and Commercial Spaceflight that AMA has joined their team. The company has developed an interactive game called “RCSP Moon Race” that will allow gamers to launch a spacecraft from Rocket City and put a lander and rover on the moon. The gamer will encounter many mission challenges along the way. A demonstration of the game is available at the Dynetics/Rocket City Space Pioneers conference booth this week.
The objective of “RCSP Moon Race” is the same as the objective of RCSP’s Google Lunar X PRIZE mission: to safely land RCSP’s lander on the moon, drop off the rover and have it maneuver 500 meters over the lunar surface.
CST-100 airbag drop test. (Credit: Boeing)
NASA Return on Investment 60 Day Report
Commercial Crew Development Industry Partners Continue Progress
NASA PR — Over the last two months, NASA’s industry partners demonstrated substantial progress toward achieving crewed spaceflight in the middle of the decade by completing six more Space Act Agreement milestones. In just six short months since the Commercial Crew Development Round 2 partners were selected, they have completed 21 of the 57 planned milestones.
Soyuz lifts off for the first time from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana carrying the first two Galileo In-Orbit Validation satellites. Credits: ESA/CNES/ARIANESPACE - S. Corvaja, 2011
ESA PR –The first pair of satellites for Europe’s Galileo global navigation satellite system has been lofted into orbit by the first Russian Soyuz vehicle ever launched from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana in a milestone mission.
The Soyuz VS01 flight, operated by Arianespace, started with liftoff from the new launch complex in French Guiana at 10:30 GMT (12:30 CEST) on 21 October.
DARPA PR — DARPA’s Phoenix program seeks to develop technologies to cooperatively harvest and re-use valuable components from retired, nonworking satellites in GEO and demonstrate the ability to create new space systems at greatly reduced cost. “If this program is successful, space debris becomes space resource,” said DARPA Director, Regina E. Dugan.