Space shuttle Atlantis lands at Edwards Air Force Base in California, completing the final servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope. Image Credit: NASA/Carla Thomas

NASA PR — After 30 years of spaceflight, more than 130 missions, and numerous science and technology firsts, NASA’s space shuttle fleet will retire and be on display at institutions across the country to inspire the next generation of explorers and engineers. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden on Tuesday announced the facilities where four shuttle orbiters will be displayed permanently at the conclusion of the Space Shuttle Program.

• Shuttle Enterprise, the first orbiter built, will move from the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York.
• The Udvar-Hazy Center will become the new home for shuttle Discovery, which retired after completing its 39th mission in March.
• Shuttle Endeavour, which is preparing for its final flight at the end of the month, will go to the California Science Center in Los Angeles.
• Shuttle Atlantis, which will fly the last planned shuttle mission in June, will be displayed at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor’s Complex in Florida.

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RCSP PR – Colorado Springs, Colo. (April 12, 2011) – The Rocket City Space Pioneers (RCSP), a team of Alabama-based industry leaders and educational partners, are selling payload rides to Earth orbit, as well as to the Moon, at approximately half the cost of a dedicated launch.

“The Rocket City Space Pioneers, through our partner Spaceflight Services, are providing low-cost access to space for fixed and deployable cargo and spacecraft,” said Tim Pickens, team leader. “Through standard flight interfaces and a streamlined integration process, we can take your payload to the Moon at half the cost of traditional services!”

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KSC Director Bob Cabana welcomes everyone and introduces a cool video narrated by….wait for it….William Shatner, aka Capt. James Tiberius Kirk of the Starship Enterprise. Documentary on shuttle Discovery’s final mission from start to finish. Cabana rhapsodizes about the shuttle program and thanks everyone involved in the effort Cabana interrupted by the astronauts of the International Space Station who do the same. A video about the space shuttle Discovery, the […]

CSF PR — The Commercial Spaceflight Federation, the industry association of leading businesses and organizations working to make commercial human spaceflight a reality, will be making a major announcement on Wednesday, April 13, 2011, the day after the 50th anniversary celebration of the world’s first human spaceflight in 1961. Following the announcement, a press availability will be held at 1:30 pm Mountain Time at the National Space Symposium in Colorado […]

NASA PR — CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA Administrator Charles Bolden will participate in a ceremony at the Kennedy Space Center, Fla., on Tuesday, April 12 on the 30th anniversary of the first space shuttle launch. During the 1 p.m. EDT ceremony, Bolden and Kennedy Center Director Bob Cabana will honor the shuttle work force’s dedication, which has made it possible for NASA to take the next steps in exploration […]

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SSC PR – Colorado Springs, Colo. (April 4, 2011) – SSC, formerly the Swedish Space Corporation, recently joined the Space Foundation as a Corporate Partner and plans to launch its new corporate brand at the 27th National Space Symposium, April 11-14, 2011.

“We are proud to join the Space Foundation as a partner and work together to share their mission to advance space-related endeavors that inspire, enable and propel humanity,” said Lars Persson, SSC president and CEO. “The National Space Symposium provides a strong platform to reach our customers and share our strategic direction for the future.” (more…)

SPACEWED PR — On April 12, 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first person to journey into outer space, permanently shattering the definition of the word impossible.  To commemorate the 50^th anniversary of that historic event, on May 20, 2011, SpaceWed, a privately owned Polish company, will send a wedding ring set into space. [Editor’s Note: Aboard a suborbital flight from Spaceport America.]

These rings, which will be called SWR-001, will mark the launch of SpaceWed’s Space Wedding Rings Initiative.  Later this year, SpaceWed will continue its celebration Yuri Gagarin’s achievement, by sending an additional 50 wedding ring sets into space.  These Limited Edition rings, which will be known as the SWR-50^th Anniversary Collection, will be made available for purchase worldwide.

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This week in The Space Review…. Whither human spaceflight? Tuesday marks the 50th anniversary of the first human spaceflight, and it comes at a time of uncertainty about NASA’s future human spaceflight plans. Jeff Foust discusses some of the root causes of that uncertainty and what it means for the long-term future of human spaceflight and space exploration. Vostok: an aerospace classic The legacy of Vostok goes far beyond Yuri […]

The robotic lander prototype's propulsion system, shown during a hot-fire test, consists of 12 small attitude control thrusters, three primary descent thrusters to control the vehicle’s altitude, and one large “gravity-canceling” thruster which offsets a portion of the prototype’s weight to simulate a lower gravity environment, like that of the moon and asteroids. (Photo Credit: Dynetics Corp.)

DYNETICS PR – COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., April 11, 2011 – Dynetics’ propulsion system has been approved for flight on NASA’s next free-flying lander known as the Robotic Lander Prototype. The prototype is a system designed to affordably and responsively test candidate flight software, electronics, guidance and sensors to be used on near-term robotic exploration systems NASA plans landings on heavenly bodies such as the moon, asteroids and beyond. This “go” milestone marks the final pre-flight acceptance test before the flight test program commences.

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This week on The Space Show… Monday, April 11, 2011 , 2-3:30 PM PDT. We welcome back Dr. Jim Wertz, CEO of Microcosm. We will be discussing the upcoming Reinventing Space Conference 2011, May 2-6, 2011 in Los Angeles, plus the new SMAD text book soon to be released. Sunday, April 17, 2011, 12-1:30 PM PDT. We welcome back Dr. Alan Stern of the Southwest Research Institute and we welcome […]