For anyone wondering what sorts of incentives Florida can offer to companies relocating to the Space Coast, AAR Corporation’s decision to move its airlift services and specialized airlift modifications businesses to Melbourne International Airport offers some pretty good data. According to press releases from Florida organizations involved in the deal:

As part of the deal, Space Florida will provide up to three years of rent deferment funding and assistance in securing equipment and building infrastructure at commercially-competitive terms. Space Florida will also assist AAR’s business development efforts by facilitating ongoing working relationships between AAR and the DoD and U.S. State Departments. Additionally, Space Florida will work in partnership with the EDC to leverage job training assistance and support the company’s overall relocation to Florida.

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Masten's Xombie vehicle

The State of the Industry is Strong

It was impressive to see reps from all five flight providers – Armadillo Aerospace, Blue Origin, Masten Space Systems, Virgin Galactic and XCOR – together on one panel. This rare alignment of cosmic forces really brought home the diverse approaches being taken to suborbital space, and how the field will be dominated by America companies at the start. That’s a good sign for a country hoping to regain its standing in commercial spaceflight.

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Discovery gets a wake up call from Captain James Tiberius Kirk.

Getting caught up on The Space Review. Here are stories from today’s and last Monday’s editions: Suborbital back out of the shadows In the last couple years commercial suborbital spaceflight has been overshadowed by growing interest in, and debate about, commercial orbital human spaceflight. Jeff Foust reports that vehicle developments and growing customer interest could soon thrust suborbital back into the spotlight. A dark future for exploration The Planetary Sciences […]

On the The Space Show this week: Monday, March 7, 2011 , 2-3:30 PM PST. We welcome back Eric Lerner of Focus Fusion and Lawrenceville Plasma Physics for fusion updates. Derek Shannon may join our discussion. Tuesday, March 8, 2011, 7-8:30 PM PST. Open Lines discussion. Note the topics for discussion at the first of the show. Telephone calls welcome. Civility required. Friday, March 11, 2011 , 9:30-11 AM PST. […]

Laura Seward, a graduate student at UCF, works on components of a science experiment slated to fly into suborbital space on a commercial space craft. Photo: Jason Greene

UCF PR — Three University of Central Florida undergraduate students are getting the opportunity of a lifetime — building an experiment that is scheduled to launch into space in late 2011 or 2012.

“It was a bit intimidating at first,” said Josh Steele, a computer engineering major from Jensen Beach, who’s building an experiment that will help test theories about how planets form.

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An Atlas V rocket lifts off from Cape Canaveral on Saturday carrying the USAF’s X-37B orbiter.

Armadillo Aerospace’s Tube Rocket undergoes its first test firing. This is a longer burn at lower final pressure than the vehicle will see in a flight to altitude, but it was a good test of the systems, as well as a good heating test of the bottom of the rocket. The tube rocket, named Stig, is a LOX/alcohol reusable sounding rocket. It will test our high altitude systems and operations, […]

NASA would see its overall budget reduced and spending on new long-range space technology eliminated under a funding bill being considered by the Senate. The appropriations bill also requires NASA focus on building the Orion crew capsule and heavy-lift vehicle. Highlights include: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is funded at $18.5 billion, a reduction of $461 million from the FY 2011 request. This is $412 million more than […]

Andrews PR — Feb. 27, 2011 — Andrews Space announced today that it has been awarded a contract by the United States Air Force (USAF) to study higher risk aspects of the Air Force’s proposed Reusable Booster System.

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The Huntsville Times takes a look at the love-hate relationship that Alabama’s elected officials have toward the federal government which they are determined to cut back on while squeezing every possible cent out of it to benefit their own constituents. Despite their calls to make sacrifices to reduce the national deficit, they are determined to make sure their state doesn’t do so.

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Charlie Bolden was up on the Hill a couple of times this week, testifying about NASA’s FY 2012 budget request before a Congress that still hasn’t finished work on the FY 2011 budget. That problem, non-trivial as it is, is probably less serious than the rift that has developed between Congress and the Administration about how to move forward on human spaceflight in the years ahead.

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