Video Caption: This video is the first Zero-G flight test of Altius Space Machine’s Electroadhesive “Sticky Boom” rendezvous and docking technology. This test was carried out by Altius engineer Mike Judson and Altius CEO Jonathan Goff on May 14th 2011, on a parabolic aircraft flight run by the Zero Gravity Corporation.
Monday, May 16, 2011, 2-3:30 PM PDT. We welcome Mark Holderman to the program. Recently retired from NASA JSC, he will be discussing the Nautilus -X multi-purpose crewed vehicle concept and space workforce issues. Tuesday, May 17, 2011, 7-8:30 PM PDT. We welcome back Gary Hudson to the program. Mr. Hudson is best known for Air Launch LLC, T/Space, Rotary Rocket and more. He will be discussing some of the […]
The space shuttle Endeavour is safely in orbit, having blasted off from its seaside launch site in Florida this morning. This is the penultimate flight for the 30-year space shuttle program. The finale will take place in about six weeks from now when Atlantis lifts off. And then there will be no more.
While the White House and Congress are engaged in a tug-of-war over whether NASA should cooperate with China in space, two nations that inherited parts of the Soviet Union’s space program — Kazakhstan and Ukraine — have moved forward on engaging with the emerging superpower. They join other space powers — including Russia, Canada and Europe — that are already cooperating with China.
Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA), chairman of the House Appropriations subcommittee that oversees the budgets of NASA, the National Science Foundation and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, today delivered the following remarks at a U.S. – China Economic and Security Review Commission hearing on the implications of China’s military and civil space programs:
“I appreciate the commission’s leadership and I strongly support its work in this area. I believe that this review of the Chinese space program is both necessary and long overdue.
“Before I start, I want to express my sincere disappointment that NASA has chosen not to participate in this important hearing. As the agency responsible for our nation’s civil space program, NASA has a unique responsibility to lead in this area and to ensure that the American space program remains preeminent. NASA’s absence is reflective of this administration’s abysmal record on American leadership in space.
NASA Coverage The space shuttle Endeavour is set for iftoff at 8:56 a.m. EDT on Monday, May 16. The launch of STS-134 will be broadcast live on NASA Television and streamed online. A NASA blog will provide countdown updates beginning at 3:30 a.m. May 16. Originating from Kennedy’s Launch Control Center, the blog is the definitive Internet source for information leading up to liftoff. During the mission, visitors to NASA’s shuttle website […]
Do you have a can’t miss space business idea?
Could you use $5,000 for it?
And can you be in California at the end of July?
If your answers are “Yes,” you’re in luck. Keep reading.
SFF PR — The Space Frontier Foundation (SFF) will host the NewSpace Business Plan Competition (NewSpace BPC) during its NewSpace 2011 Conference and is currently accepting submissions. The goal of the NewSpace BPC is to help entrepreneurs develop problem-solving and game-changing technologies into functioning businesses in support of the commercial space industry. The conference will be held at the NASA Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley on July 28-30 and registration is available online.
NASA PR — WASHINGTON — NASA has selected 16 payloads for flights on the commercial Zero-G parabolic aircraft and two suborbital reusable launch vehicles as part of the agency’s Flight Opportunities Program. The flights provide opportunities for space technologies to be demonstrated and validated in relevant environments. In addition, these flights foster the development of the nation’s commercial reusable suborbital transportation industry.
The FAA and the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) are in discussions with the International Space University (ISU) on conducting a study on the need for beacons or transponders on commercial space vehicles, officials revealed this week.
The study is likely to be conducted as a Team Project during the 2012 Space Studies Summer Program, which is being co-housed by the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Approximately 40 students from about 20 countries cight participate in the project.
Caption: Here is a glimpse of our tethered test sequence. With the tied down (or tied up) tests completed, this is the next step in qualifying our Xaero rocket vehicle for flight. In addition to testing the various aspects of the hardware and shaking out bugs in the software, we are also refining our crew operations. Today (05.12.11) we completed 3 tethered flights. Yesterday, we ran 5 tethered flights. It […]
Flight: 59 / GF08 Date: 10 May 11 Flight Time: 13 min, 2 sec SS2 Pilot: Stucky SS2 CoPilot: Shane GS Crew: Alsbury, Tighe, Verderame, Persall, Bozarth, Reid, Glaser, Knupp, Inks Objectives: Flutter susceptibility testing Pilot proficiency Results: All objectives achieved. Editor’s Note: This is the fourth flight in 13 days for SpaceShipTwo.
Andrew Nelson sounds exhausted after a long trip from the United Arab Emirates to Boston. But his enthusiasm comes through loud and clear on a scratchy cell phone call to the West Coast.
“It’s a great time to be in this business. It’s just incredible. I’m having a blast,” the XCOR COO says.
Optimism? From XCOR? Well, why not? Everything seems to be coming up roses these days.