Boeing's CST-100 crew transport. (Credit: Boeing)

Boeing probes international market for human spacecraft
Spaceflight Now

Boeing is weighing international sales of its CST-100 commercial crew spacecraft if NASA selects the firm to continue development of the capsule, a company official said Wednesday…

“There’s an interesting opportunity that we’re just starting to flesh out,” [John] Elbon said Wednesday. “The spacecraft that we’re designing is rocket-agnostic. It would be possible to sell this like a commercial airplane to countries who perhaps have a launch vehicle who would like to launch it in their own country.”

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On Thursday, ISRO issued a background note explaining its deal with a private company concerning S-band Internet services. The 2005 no-bid deal between ISRO’s commercial arm, Antrix, and Devas Multimedia, has come under severe criticism and charges of corruption. The government has established a “High Power Review Committee” to look at the deal.

The background note is reproduced in full after the break.

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Boeing Still Seeking $356M from Sea Launch Partners
Space News

Boeing has not abandoned its effort to collect $356 million from its former Sea Launch commercial launch service partners in Russia and Ukraine despite an initial setback at a Swedish arbitration panel, saying the companies in question “have the wherewithal to pay,” Boeing said Feb. 9.

Long Beach, Calif.-based Sea Launch is emerging from bankruptcy with fresh cash provided by an affiliate of RSC Energia of Korolev, Russia, the company that Boeing says owes nearly two-thirds of the money it is seeking for reimbursement of loans and bank guarantees it made to Sea Launch.

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It looks like ATK and Astrium would move ahead with building its Liberty rocket even if it doesn’t get a portion of the $200 million NASA is set to distribute next month as part of the Commercial Crew Development (CCDev) program:

Regardless of whether the government agrees to help fund Alliant Techsystems’ rocket that would take astronauts to the International Space Station, the Utah company intends to move forward with its project because it believes there will be no shortage of commercial customers….

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SFF ANNOUNCEMENT

Members of the Space Frontier Foundation are headed to Washington on March 6-8, 2011 to urge Congress to “Keep the Promise” when it comes to supporting the new US commercial space industry. The group is inviting all supporters and friends of America’s space efforts to show up and speak up in defense of innovative budget saving initiatives like NASA’s Commercial Crew program, and warn Congress about the damage it will do if it does not act to support this critical new approach to space.

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ISRO is in deep trouble over an insider deal it made involving to allocate valuable S-band spectrum to capabilities with a well-connected media company. The furor over the controversy has been growing daily as critics and government officials spar over details and responsibility.

The 2005 deal between Devas Multimedia and ISRO’s commercial arm, Antrix, involves the space agency building two S-band satellites, GSAT 6 and GSAT 6A, and the company leasing 90 percent of capacity getting use of them to deliver Internet services. ISRO did not actually allocate S-band spectrum to the company, but provided capacity on the satellites to use the spectrum. The scarce S-band spectrum was provided to deal was made with Devas with no competitive bidding. Devas includes two former high-ranking ISRO officials.

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A CubeSat

NASA PROGRAM UPDATE

WASHINGTON — NASA has selected 20 small satellites to fly as auxiliary cargo aboard rockets planned to launch in 2011 and 2012. The proposed CubeSats come from a high school in Virginia, universities across the country, NASA field centers and Department of Defense organizations.

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The Planetary Society's LightSail-1 solar sail. Credit: Rick Sternbach/The Planetary Society

PLANETARY SOCIETY PRESS RELEASE

NASA announced this week that the Planetary Society’s LightSail-1 solar sail mission is on their short list for upcoming launch opportunities. The missions selected are Cubesats destined for piggyback launches as part of NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative.

“This is great news,” said Louis Friedman, Program Director for LightSail-1. “Our spacecraft will be ready this summer, and we are hoping for the earliest launch possible.”

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Russia should have its own deep space program – Medvedev
Itar-Tass

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev believes that Russia should develop its own program for the exploration of deep space in general and the Moon in particular. “I think this is a very important topic, even in terms of our scientific ambitions. If we fail to address it at all, we shall degrade and will be pushed to the sidelines,” the president said at a meeting with young scientists on Tuesday.

Medvedev admitted that he could not promise such a program would be ready in one year’s time, “which would let us catch up with the Americans.”

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AIA PRESS RELEASE

AIA is very encouraged that the newly released National Security Space Strategy emphasizes the need for a healthy space industrial base.

“We’ve long supported a more cohesive, strategic approach to managing our nation’s space enterprise,” said AIA President and CEO Marion C. Blakey. “The strategy’s commitment to maintaining a healthy industrial base, including focused science, research and development efforts and promoting STEM education and professional development is crucial to success in the space arena.”

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DOD PRESS RELEASE
Feb. 4, 2011

The National Security Space Strategy released today responds to the realities of a space environment that is increasingly crowded, challenging and competitive, said senior Defense Department officials.

“The National Security Space Strategy represents a significant departure from past practice,” Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said in a DOD news release issued today. “It is a pragmatic approach to maintain the advantages we derive from space while confronting the new challenges we face.”

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Florida’s new governor has pitched a curve ball at Space Florida’s efforts to attract business to the Sunshine State:

Funding for Space Florida to improve infrastructure and offer incentives to help lure business to the area would drop significantly under Gov. Rick Scott’s proposed budget for the 2011-12 fiscal year.

But the agency would compete for a pool of incentive and development funds the governor plans to consolidate, possibly allowing it to recoup some or all of the agency’s proposed $21 million cut, a state lawmaker said…

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