A report on the China National Space Administration website indicates that the Tiangong 1 (Heavenly Palace) space station is in its countdown. “Reporters learned from the Chinese military networks, at present, ‘Tiangong’ has entered the countdown,” according to the report. It will be launched by a Long March II-F rocket.
AUTHOR
Doug Messier
Futron Corporation has released its 2011 Space Competitiveness Index today. This fourth annual study confirms what the previous studies already showed: a steady decline in U.S. space leadership as mid-tier countries continue to enhance their capabilities. The document is available for purchase, or you can download the Executive Summary.
SUMMARY HIGHLIGHTS
- The United States remains the overall leader in space competitiveness, but its relative position continues to decline as other countries enhance their capabilities while the U.S. undergoes major transitions, particularly in the arena of human spaceflight.
- Russia’s world-leading launch sector is poised for increased activity, with a vital role transporting astronauts and cargo to the International Space Station, as well as the introduction of Soyuz launches from the European spaceport at Kourou.
- Europe’s integrated approach is complemented by new national space agencies across the continent—from the United Kingdom to the Czech Republic to Estonia—as well as more assertive space export financing.
- Canada retains a skilled space workforce, and Canadian space companies did well in 2010. But delays in space policy refresh and implementation are offsetting these competitive advantages.
- China performed a record number of launches in 2010, matching the United States for the first time, while increasing investment in technical education programs and civilian research institutes. (more…)
Two Soyuz launchers at Kourou. (Credit: Arianespace)
Today, Parabolic Arc launches the latest chapter in our almost famous “What the Frak?” series with a look at the Russian rocket industry. This will be the first of a series of posts looking at rocketry around the world.
During the past two decades, Russian rocketry has been largely coasting on Soviet-era achievements. However, as the world prepares to mark the 20th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s demise in December, the industry beginning to emerge from that long shadow with new rockets, a new spaceport in the Far East, and a growing series of international partnerships. The goals are to modernize the rocket fleet, to compete on the international launch market, and to free Russia from dependence on Ukrainian rockets and the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
Today, we will be examining the new boosters that Russia is developing and the ones that it is phasing out.
August 16, 2011 – Reston, Va. – The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) will hold its SPACE 2011 Conference & Exposition September 27–29 at the Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach, Calif., focusing on the theme “Enhancing Today, Inspiring Tomorrow.”
SPACE 2011 will examine how best to pursue the nation’s space and technology goals to explore, educate, build, and innovate in the post–space shuttle era, and in a time of severe budgetary constraints, and how to drive the advancement of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education in the nation’s schools to preserve and enhance our nation’s scientific and technological capabilities.
RepRap v.2 'Mendel' open-source FDM 3D printer. Credit: CharlesC
Here’s an interesting request for information (RFI) from NASA Langley for in-space manufacturing of new parts using 3-D printing:
NASA is conducting studies for in-space additive manufacturing (ISAM) subsystems and replacement parts to enable economical, on-demand, servicing of space systems. In addition, in-space manufacturing will permit the re-purpose of items no longer needed, such as cargo and food packaging. Recent developments in near net shape fabrication using additive manufacturing technology, also known as rapid prototyping and 3-D printing, have made possible the direct manufacture of useful parts from digital CAD files.
The purpose of this request for information (RFI) is to obtain information to support the formulation of future technology development projects to develop in-space manufacturing capabilities that could exist as stand-alone, robotic tended systems, smaller systems that can be integrated with human tended vehicles, and surface manufacturing systems that can utilize in-situ resources. Advanced system concepts that include integration/fabrication of electrical devices are also sought.
The full RFI is reproduced after the break. The deadline for submissions is Sept. 15.
LAS CRUCES, NM – The New Mexico Spaceport Authority (NMSA) announced the selection of Fiore Industries Inc., of Albuquerque, NM, as the contractor to perform Protective Services for Spaceport America. The company was awarded a two-year base contract with a not-to-exceed value of $2.3 million and two one-year renewal options. Fiore will provide 24/7 site security, badging, firefighting, emergency medical services and environmental, safety and health requirements at Spaceport America. Initially, the contractor will develop policies and procedures for the site security, emergency response, and risk management, as well as perform pre-operational exercises.
The latest animation from Space Adventures showing a space tourism flight aboard an Armadillo Aerospace vehicle.
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Innovative Partnership Program (IPP) and Earth Science Division will be hosting a Commercial Suborbital Vehicles Workshop at the GSFC on September 7, 2011.
The purpose of the proposed workshop is to provide information for Earth and Space scientists about these vehicles capabilities, and to examine and discuss science topics that might be conducted from these platforms.
Roscosmos Head Vladimir Popovkin was in Voronezh over the weekend where he witnessed the test of an upper stage engine destined to fly aboard Soyuz and Angara rockets. On Saturday, Popovkin visited the Khimavtomatiki Design Bureau and Voronezh Mechanical Plant, where engineers successfully fired the RD-0124 engine on a test stand. The kerosene/LOX engine is slated to fly aboard a Soyuz 2-1b rocket carrying a GLONASS-K spacecraft at the end […]
Standing five stories tall fully stacked, the Launch Abort System was mounted atop the Orion MPCV, or Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle, last week at the Lockheed Martin’s facilities near Denver. Orion is being prepared for the next round of testing in an acoustic chamber. Each test will expose the Orion MPCV and its launch abort system to acoustic levels exceeding 150 decibels while instruments record the vehicle’s response. The test vehicles […]