VR PR — Virgin Galactic is pleased to announce the appointment of former NASA, White House and Department of Energy official Steven J. Isakowitz as Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer.

In his role, Isakowitz will have leadership responsibilities across a range of areas as the company prepares to begin commercial operation of its space vehicles. Specifically, he will lead technical oversight of key programs, development and management of new programs, government and industry business development, government affairs, advanced technologies, and strategic analysis.

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Hey everyone. Greetings from the ATK test site in Promontory, Utah! I’m here to cover the third test firing of the five-segment solid rocket booster set to take place at 2:05 MDT (4:05 EDT/1:05 PDT). Look for updates and photos here and @spacecom. Hash tag is #DM3 Watch live streaming of the test at https://www.ustream.tv/channel/atk-dm-3.

SpaceShipTwo. (Photo: Mark Greenberg)

VG PR — SPACEPORT AMERICA, N.M. — Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic, LLC, the world’s first commercial spaceline, and sister aerospace production company, The Spaceship Company (TSC), in cooperation with the New Mexico Spaceport Authority, today announced that they will host their first-ever “Industry Day” on Oct. 18., 2011 at Spaceport America near Las Cruces, N.M.

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The Associated Press reports: An accomplished former government space scientist admitted in court Wednesday to trying to sell classified information to Israel, but federal agents say they believe they stopped him from actually passing any secrets. Not that they can know for sure. The investigators say the undercover sting operation that caught Stewart David Nozette might never have been launched if he hadn’t been cheating on his taxes. But it […]

In The Space Review this week…. An enduring value proposition for NASA human spaceflight (part 4) In the fourth part of her ongoing analysis of a value proposition for NASA’s human spaceflight program, Mary Lynne Dittmar examines the role Congress plays, or should play, in shaping that value proposition. A quarter century of smallsat progress The last 25 years has seen a resurgence of interest in small satellites, which had […]

Video Caption: In this prequel to the Moon Express Lander Development webisodes, company co-founder & CEO Bob Richards narrates an overview of his Phoenix Mars Lander experience and the very different challenges of landing on the Moon. The company is executing a technical strategy of developing and testing new landing technologies utilizing a rapid-prototyping Lander Test Vehicle platform in the adaptation of NASA’s Common Spacecraft Bus to a lunar lander. […]

Above is a NASA provided chart showing reimbursable Space Act Agreements (SAAs) with the four CCDev 2 partners. Reimbursable SAAs permit the CCDev2 partners to use NASA’s unique resources and technologies such as facilities, personnel, expertise, or equipment to further advance their commercial crew transportation system concepts. In exchange for using NASA resources, NASA’s associated costs are reimbursed by the CCDev 2 partner. These agreements encompass various skills and infrastructure […]

MARS500 PR — 1 September 2011 —  The ‘mission’ to Mars is now generating unique data – nobody has been isolated as long as these six marsonauts. Soon, the communications delay will end and the crew will feel that much closer to opening the hatch on 4 November.

The first full simulation of a mission to Mars and back is proceeding smoothly in the special facility at the Institute of Biomedical Problems in Moscow.

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A quick look set to music at current and future NASA human space flight activities.

NASA Chief Technologist Robert Braun

NASA PR — WASHINGTON — Bobby Braun, who served as the first NASA chief technologist in a decade, will leave the agency in October to return to the faculty of the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. Braun’s service at NASA was possible through a two-year intergovernmental personnel agreement with Georgia Tech.

During his tenure at NASA, Braun served as the agency’s principal advisor and advocate on matters concerning agency-wide technology policy and programs. Braun also was responsible for the formulation and initial implementation of NASA’s Space Technology Program, which develops crosscutting technologies and advanced capabilities to enable NASA’s future space missions.

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