An Ariane 5 rocket soars into orbit on Dec. 29, 2010. Credits: ESA / CNES / Arianespace / Photo Optique vidéo du CSG

ESA PR — 22 June 2011 — The new main engine to power Europe’s successor to its Ariane 5 space launcher was brought a step closer today when ESA signed a €60 million contract with a propulsion consortium at the Paris Air & Space Show.

ESA is preparing the NGL Next-Generation Launcher to meet Europe’s institutional needs and safeguard its guaranteed access to space into the long term, ensuring it will continue to have effective and economic launchers at its disposal.

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Space News’ Brian Berger has posted a couple of Tweets on the recent testing mishap for Orbital Sciences Corporation’s Taurus II AJ-26 engine:   > Orbital is acknowledging one of the Taurus 2’s AJ26 engines was badly damaged June 9 when leaking RP caught fire. > Has #orbital said how the fire will impact Taurus 2 demo by EOY ’11? It’s possible. Depends on whether test stand or engine is […]

New maps of lunar surface characteristics LOLA data give us three complementary views of the near side of the moon: the contours of the landscape, or topography (left), along with new maps of the surface slope values (middle) and the roughness of the topography (right). All three views are centered on the relatively young impact crater Tycho, with the Orientale basin on the left side. The slope magnitude indicates the steepness of terrain, while roughness indicates the presence of large blocks, both of which are important for surface operations. Credit: NASA/Goddard/Massachusetts Institute of Technology

WASHINGTON — NASA has declared full mission success for the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO). LRO changed our view of the entire moon and brought it into sharper focus with unprecedented detail.

NASA’s Exploration Systems Mission Directorate (ESMD) operated the LRO spacecraft and its instruments during the one-year mission phase. Now that the final data from the instruments have been added to the agency’s Planetary Data System, the mission has completed the full success requirements. The data system, which is publicly available, archives data from past and present planetary missions as well as astronomical observations and laboratory data.

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PARIS, Le Bourget and SACRAMENTO, Calif., June 21, 2011 – Aerojet, a GenCorp (NYSE: GY) company, QinetiQ, (LSE: QQ.L) and EADS Astrium Crisa, an EADS (PAR:EAD) company, announced today that the companies have entered into a joint agreement to supply the XENITH(TM) (Xenon Ion Thruster) ion propulsion system to the worldwide commercial spacecraft market. The agreement will enable customers to benefit from the combined expertise of independent market leaders in design, manufacture and supply of space propulsion systems, who are collaborating to deliver the XENITH(TM) system.

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HUNTSVILLE, Ala., June 21, 2011 – Dynetics, Tishomingo County, Miss., and Tishomingo’s Tri-State Commerce Park have partnered to establish a multipurpose test facility that will provide affordable propulsion testing services to customers for varying sizes of thrusters and engines. This new test site, located in Iuka on the former Yellow Creek site, will be used for propulsion testing of small- to medium-class thrusters, rocket engines and stages using various fuel types. It is one of only a few commercial hydrazine test facilities in the United States.

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The rising global power of Brazil has ambitious plans to become self-sufficient in launcher and space technology, although its efforts are threatened by a shortage of funding and trained personnel. In order to reach its goals, the nation has forged partnerships with Russia, Ukraine, China and other nations.

The core of Brazil’s move toward launcher independence lies with two rockets: Cyclone-4 and the Satellite Launch Vehicle (VLS-1). The Cyclone-4 is an updated version of the Soviet-era Cyclone-3 booster that is being developed by Ukraine. It has been improved upon from its predecessor by adding a more powerful third stage with a new rocket engine, a fairing derived from the Ariane 4, and an improved control system.

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This week in The Space Review…. It’s not (just) about the starship A 100-year project to develop the technology needed for a crewed interstellar spacecraft is a sure way to attract attention, especially when it’s backed with even a small amount of funding from DARPA and NASA. Jeff Foust reports on how this long-term effort may really be just a nontraditional way to promote short-term research and development. Prophets of […]

CNN talked to Sir Richard last week.

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. and SACRAMENTO, Calif., June 19, 2011 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Teledyne Brown Engineering, Inc. (TBE), a subsidiary of Technologies Incorporated (NYSE:TDY), announced today that it finalized its strategic alliance agreement with Aerojet-General Corporation, a GenCorp (NYSE:GY) company.

The agreement, which was signed prior to the opening of the Paris Air Show at Le Bourget, establishes a formal plan for Teledyne Brown and Aerojet to cooperate in the development and production of propulsion systems for launch and in-space applications. The strategic plan has been anticipated since a formal announcement was made on June 2, 2011 by the two companies to pursue this endeavor. The alliance is a departure from the historical single-source method of rocket design and manufacturing, and provides the customer with improved processes and lower-cost solutions.

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Space Access Update #124  6/20/11
Copyright 2011 by Space Access Society
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We don’t (currently) expect further legislative action on NASA Exploration budget and policy before sometime in July.  As the political season slows to its usual hot-weather saunter, it’s a good time to take a look at where things stand on some of the issues we care about this year.  Briefly, things are… interesting.  Neither as bad as they could be, nor in some cases as good as they may superficially appear.  Much is in flux, little definitively settled yet.

SLS “Competition”: We’re Not Impressed

Lawmakers cutting public deals are generally about as subtle and delicate as a brontosaur courtship.  The recent grafting of “competition” onto the ongoing NASA Space Launch System (SLS) heavy lifter boondoggle was no exception.

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Dnepr launch vehicle. (Credit: ISC Kosmotras)

MCLEAN, Va., June 20, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Iridium Communications Inc. (Nasdaq:IRDM) today announced it signed a contract with International Space Company (ISC) Kosmotras as a supplemental provider of launch services for its next-generation satellite constellation, Iridium NEXT. The contract enables ISC Kosmotras to provide Dnepr launch services for the Iridium NEXT program in 2015 and beyond. Iridium has the capability and flexibility to launch the Iridium NEXT satellites on Kosmotras Dnepr and SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets to successfully deploy the Iridium NEXT constellation.

“ISC Kosmotras is a well-established company with an excellent record as a reliable launch services provider, and the Dnepr rocket is a proven and robust launch vehicle with more than 15 orbital flights and 55 payloads deployed,” said Scott Smith, executive vice president, satellite development and operations, Iridium. “ISC Kosmotras joins Iridium’s world-class community of partner companies that are well underway with designing and developing our next-generation, truly global network.”

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SNC Dream Chaser docks with the International Space Station. (Credit: Sierra Nevada Corporation)

HAMPTON, Va., June 20, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Decades-old research and testing done by engineers at NASA’s Langley Research Center will be recognized Wednesday for its applicability to a future commercial crew space vehicle that could eventually carry astronauts to the International Space Station.

Sierra Nevada Space Systems, which operates out of Louisville, Colo., is working with NASA under a Space Act Agreement to develop a new orbital crew transportation system.

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