Space News reports that NASA is set to announce about $270 million in awards on Wednesday as part of the the second round of the Commercial Crew Development (CCDev) program. NASA had contacted at least eight companies to Houston for further discussions of their proposals, including: Alliant Techsystems (ATK) — rocket Blue Origin — crew vehicle Boeing — crew vehicle Excalibur Almaz – crew vehicle Orbital Sciences Corporation — crew […]
Nursultan Nazarbayev has been re-elected president of Kazakhstan, winning 95.5 percent of the vote to crush three token opponents in a poll criticized by international observers as falling short of democratic standards. Nazarbayev, who has ruled the Central Asian nation since its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, increased his total from the 91.15 percent that he won in his 2005 re-election bid. Voter turnout was 89.9 percent. Nazarbayev’s […]
ZERO-G PR — ZERO-G wants to know what you would like to see float in weightlessness. Submit one photo of an object you would like to see weightless by April 15. ZERO-G will select the Top 5 entries and publish them on ZERO-G’s Facebook page on April 18. Then it’s up to ZERO-G fans to select the winning object. The winner will be announced on April 22 and the winning object will fly on an upcoming ZERO-G flight. Object […]
NASA PR — Following discussions among the International Space Station partners on Sunday, NASA has targeted the launch of space shuttle Endeavour’s STS-134 mission for 3:47 p.m. EDT on Friday, April 29. The delay removes a scheduling conflict with a Russian Progress supply vehicle scheduled to launch April 27 and arrive at the station April 29. NASA managers will hold a Flight Readiness Review on Tuesday, April 19, to assess […]
Monday, April 4, 2011 , 2-3:30 PM PDT: We welcome Bill Richardson, N5VEI, a past participant in the ARRL Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology, a professional development program that is part of ARRL’s donor-funded Education & Technology Program. He has led Olde Towne Middle School (OTMS) in Ridgeland, Mississippi in preparing for a trip to space with a balloon launch project. CLASSROOM: Tuesday, April 5, 2011, 7-9 PM PDT: This […]
UKSA PR — The MoU, signed on Wednesday 30th March 2011, has already led to a Joint Working Group being set up. This week, leading ISRO space experts have met UK Space Agency staff and visited the UK’s National Centre for Earth Observation and the world’s leading small satellite company, Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd, to learn more about the UK’s strengths in using space to help every-day life.
Both the UK and India have a long heritage in space. The UK’s Ariel-1 spacecraft was launched in April 1962, while India orbited its first satellite Aryabhatta in April 1975. Today, both are major users of space and providers of space technology to the world. In November 2010, the Avanti Communications Ltd. Hylas 1 satellite was launched. This will provide broadband internet services to Europe thanks to the unique combination of UK telecommunications payload know-how and an Indian satellite platform.
In a blog post, Space Florida Director of Business Development Keevin Williams says that last week’s trade mission visit by a UK group was a great success:
Today, Space Florida completed a very successful, two-and-a-half day trade mission with aerospace companies from the United Kingdom.  Cosponsored with UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), the mission was held on Florida’s Space Coast, from Wednesday, March 30 through Friday, April 1 and was the first formal initiative between Space Florida and UKTI since the execution of a Memorandum of Understanding between the respective organizations at the 2010 Farnborough International Airshow.
Soyuz launch complex in Kourou. (Credit: ESA - S. Corvaja, 2011)
ESA PR — The Soyuz site at Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana is now ready for its first launch. ESA yesterday handed over the complex to Arianespace, marking a major step towards this year’s inaugural flight.
Construction of the Soyuz site began in February 2007, although initial excavation and ground infrastructure work began in 2005 and 2006, respectively.
Russian staff arrived in French Guiana in mid-2008 to assemble the launch table, mobile gantry, fuelling systems and test benches.
Washington D.C. – Today the Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation held a hearing to examine the role of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs in promoting innovation. The Science, Space, and Technology Committee will consider a reauthorization of these programs in advance of their expiration at the end of May.
“SBIR and STTR are unique in that they are examples of federal programs that have largely been successful, and have received bipartisan support since their creation,†noted Subcommittee Chairman Ben Quayle (R-AZ). Quayle added that small businesses that have received SBIR and STTR grants “have expanded innovation, helped grow our economy by creating thousands of jobs, and are assisting participating federal agencies to fulfill their missions. â€
UKSA PR — The UK Space Agency becomes an executive agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills today.
This will see the Agency taking over responsibility for the majority of the UK’s commitment to space exploration and science. Efforts will be targeted at areas that have the greatest potential for delivering economic benefits, scientific excellence and national security.
Priority areas include developing scientific advancements in space technologies, gaining a better understanding of our planet through Earth observation spacecraft, and nurturing our next generation of space scientists and researchers.
Canadian Space Agency President Steve MacLean recently led a delegation to Beijing for consultations with officials of the China National Space Administration. MacLean and CNSA Administrator Chen Qiufa discussed cooperation and exchanges on space. Conservatives in the U.S. Congress are trying to block similar talks between CNSA and NASA against the Obama Administration’s wishes. Given the enthusiasm that CSA, ESA, Roscosmos and other agencies have for cooperating on space with […]
Jupiter Direct Launcher Variants
Much of the debate over NASA’s heavy-lift launcher program has centered around how to build it. How much to spend this year vs. next year, to use shuttle- and Ares-derived technologies vs. starting from scratch, and whether the Dec. 31, 2016 deadline is remotely realistic. However, there is a far more fundamental issue that has received little or no attention, one that could affect tens of billions in spending and thousands of jobs nationwide in many districts and states.
In his latest note, Space Access Society Founder Henry Vanderbilt points out the existential threat faced by advocates of building a heavy-lift vehicle: namely, that the HLV might not be necessary to accomplish beyond Earth orbit exploration. A combination of existing rockets and a new technology (propellant depots) could allow the United States to launch its deep-space exploration effort without having to develop an expensive new booster with extremely high operational and launch costs.
Vanderbilt closes with a plea for opponents of the Congressionally-directed HLV to call their Congressional representatives to urge them to not to dictate to NASA what architecture is required for BEO exploration.