This week on The Space Show with David Livingston…. Monday, Sept. 19, 2011, 2-3:30 PM PDT: We welcome back Dr.Larry Krauss, an internationally known theoretical physicist, regarding his new book, “Quantum Man: Richard Feynman’s Life in Science,” plus his perspective on science, space, and more. Dr. Krauss will be with us for the first hour. The last segment of the program will be for open discussion. Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2011, […]

XCOR PR — September 19, 2011, Mojave CA, USA and Curaçao:   Space Expedition Curaçao (SXC) and XCOR Aerospace, Inc. jointly announced today the completion of a multi-million dollar transaction that secures the wet lease of production Lynx tail number two for operation on the Caribbean island of Curaçao, pending export licensing action.

“Since we signed the initial Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in October of 2010, XCOR and SXC have worked diligently towards completing the Definitive Agreement,” explained XCOR CEO Jeff Greason.   “Now that the ink is dry and the check has cleared we can proceed at full pace to begin operations in Curaçao in 2014.”

[Editor’s Note:  The press release’s headline say this is an “eight figure” deal, meaning at least $10 million. To put this in perspective, Greason recently said that XCOR had spent $27 million since it was founded 12 years ago this month. XCOR’s cost for producing the first Lynx prototype is a tiny fraction of the $400 million that Virgin Galactic is spending on WhiteKnightTwo and SpaceShipTwo vehicles. XCOR will begin Lynx test flights next fall.]

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NASA PR — WASHINGTON — NASA will hold a media teleconference at 1 p.m. EDT on Tuesday, Sept. 20, to announce the company that will lead the agency’s Composite Cryotank Technologies Demonstration effort.

The selected company will design and manufacture two lightweight composite cryogenic propellant tanks. The demonstration effort will use advanced composite materials and manufacturing techniques to develop new technologies that could be applied to multiple future NASA missions, including human space exploration beyond low Earth orbit. The Composite Cryotank Technologies Demonstration effort is part of NASA’s Space Technology Program.

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Below is a comparison of the President’s FY 2012 budget request for NASA with the budgets approved by House and Senate appropriators. I’ve included figures for some of the key programs within each area where I have been able to find them. Account PBR SAC HAC Exploration $3,948,700,000 $3,775,000,000 $3,649,000,000 Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle System $1,800,000,000 $1,800,000,000 $1,985,000,000 Orion Multipurpose Crew Vehicle $1,010,200,000 $1,200,000,000 $1,063,000,000 Commercial Space Flight $850,000,000 $500,000,000 […]

Cool views of the asteroid Vesta from NASA’s Dawn spacecraft.

Having bequeathed to NASA a massive rocket capable of sending astronauts out beyond low Earth orbit, Senators now want the space agency to determine where precisely those explorers will go: One of the greatest successes of the ISS has been a true partnership between the United States and other space faring nations to live and work in space. For our next stage of space exploration, the United States will need […]

NASA PR — WASHINGTON — NASA has selected two game-changing space technology projects for development.

NASA PR — WASHINGTON — NASA is offering space shuttle heat shield tiles and dehydrated astronaut food to eligible schools and universities. The initiative is part of the agency’s efforts to preserve the Space Shuttle Program’s history and technology and inspire the next generation of space explorers, scientists and engineers.

The lightweight tiles protected the shuttles from extreme temperatures when the orbiters re-entered the Earth’s atmosphere. The food, which was precooked or processed so that refrigeration is unnecessary, is ready to eat or could be prepared simply by adding water or by heating. Schools can register for a login ID and request a tile or food at:

https://gsaxcess.gov/NASAWel.htm

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NASA PR — HOUSTON — NASA is offering undergraduate students the opportunity to test an experiment in microgravity as part of the agency’s Reduced Gravity Education Flight Program. The program is accepting proposals for two different flight experiences in 2012.

Teams interested in conducting student-driven research should submit a letter of intent by Sept. 14. This step is optional, but serves as an introductory notice that a team plans to submit a proposal for the competition. Proposals for student-driven experiments are due Oct. 26, and selected teams will be announced Dec. 7. The actual flight experience will take place in June 2012.

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An electric propulsion engine. Courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech

The Senate has whacked $400 million out of two budget areas designed to allow NASA to develop new space technologies.  However, proposed expenditures are significantly above the level proposed by the House and the minimal amount urged by the Commercial Spaceflight Federation.

The majority of the funding — $387 million — was cut from the President’s request for space technology funding. The remainder — $13.5 million — was sliced from the Exploration and Development budget that is part of the space agency’s Exploration Directorate.

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