Terminal Hangar Facility at Spaceport America.
White Sands Missile Range and and the New Mexico Spaceport Authority have signed an agreement to coordinate launches from the rocket test facility and the adjoining Spaceport America commercial base:
Establishing a partnership that will continue a long history of space activities, White Sands Missile Range leaders and the New Mexico Spaceport Authority last month signed an agreement to coordinate launch schedules with the range….
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U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) was shot today during a public appearance at a shopping center in Tucson. The Congresswoman underwent surgery for her wounds, and her surgeon said he was “very optimistic” that she will recover. MSNBC reports that at least three five people were killed, including U.S. District Court Judge John M. Roll, an aide to Giffords, and a 9-year-old child. An unknown number of wounded people are […]
Former Apollo astronaut and U.S. Senator Harrison “Jack†Schmitt is poised to take a lead role in the administration of New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez. He is one of several astronauts providing advice to the new administration about the future of Spaceport America. And in a highly controversial move, the governor has nominated the conservative global warming skeptic to serve as secretary of the Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department.
The Albuquerque Journal reports that Schmitt has been providing input to Gov. Martinez’s Spaceport Review Team, which is reviewing the project’s status, financing and future. The review team, which includes leaders from the business and space communities, is receiving advice from a number of astronauts, including space shuttle commander Sid Gutierrez.
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden spoke at the AIAA New Horizons Forum in Orlando on Wednesday. His talk focused largely on the successes of the space shuttle program that is set to end later this year. He also touch upon three topics that will impact NASA’s future: commercial crew and cargo delivery to the International Space Station, the development of a heavy-lift vehicle, and the additional of an extra space shuttle flight.
I’ve excerpted four relevant passages from the speech. The full address follows after the excerpt.
As we move toward a true commercial capability for reaching low Earth orbit, it seems people are yearning even more for routine access to space – one of the unfilled promises of the original space transportation system. With greater commercial access to LEO, we’re going to open up an entirely new segment of the economy and with this will come new high tech jobs. I hope we can all agree – as a nation, we’re ready for that. We know we can do it; in part because of all that we have learned from shuttle, and the fact that we have flown more than 130 missions to space – more than any other NASA human spaceflight program.
ANDREWS SPACE PRESS RELEASE
Seattle, WA – Jan 5, 2010 Andrews Space announced today that it is part of the winning Rocket City Space Pioneers Team selected by NASA to provide critical data moon mission data.
The Rocket City Space Pioneers (RCSP), the Huntsville-based Google Lunar X PRIZE team, is one of only three organizations selected to supply flight component test data to NASA through its Innovative Lunar Demonstrations Data contract. In October, NASA’s Johnson Space Center made the contract award to six teams, including Dynetics (RCSP), out of 20 total teams competing for the Google Lunar X PRIZE. The ILDD teams will provide data to NASA to enable the development of future human and robotic lander vehicles and exploration systems. Of the six selected for the original contract, three were down-selected for this first task order, which will allow RCSP to provide NASA with critical data from the hot fire test of a candidate rocket engine system and lunar rover system.
NASA Chief Technologist Robert Braun
NASA PRESS RELEASE
The American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) honored NASA Chief Technologist Bobby Braun with the Von Karman Lectureship in Astronautics.
The award is given annually to someone who has performed notably and distinguished themselves technically in the field of astronautics. Braun was recognized for significantly advancing the understanding of the challenge of Mars entry, descent, and landing, and for the development of systems concepts and technologies enabling Martian exploration programs.
As part of the award, Braun delivered the speech “Mars Entry, Descent and Landing Technology Advancements” Thursday during the AIAA’s 49th Aerospace Sciences Meeting in Orlando. The award honors Theodore von Karman, an early astronautics pioneer responsible for breakthroughs in understanding supersonic and hypersonic airflow characterization and the value of the swept wing design.
NASA PROCUREMENT NOTICE
NASA/JSC intends to contract with Roscosmos for these services on a sole source basis for up to 12 Soyuz seats and associated services beginning in 2014 for a period up to 2 years and 6 months, through June 30, 2016. The maximum number of 12 seats may be procured using multiple modifications in increments of 6 seats to complete this entire effort.
These services are being procured through Roscosmos because the Soyuz is the only other proven crew transportation and rescue vehicle, other than the Space Shuttle, which is scheduled to retire. These services are serving as a bridge between the Space Shuttle and the availability of a commercial vehicle. Until a commercial vehicle is available, continued access to Russian human-rated launch, return, and rescue services is essential for planned ISS operations and utilization by all ISS partners.
The synopsis is after the break. The announcement can be found here.
Soyuz rocket
For more than 50 years, thousands of rockets have thundered from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, sending a series of historic firsts in space: satellite (Sputnik), human (Yuri Gagarin), space station (Salyut 1), lunar probes and more Hundreds of cosmonauts have lifted off from the cosmodrome and landed to hero’s welcomes on the Kazakh steppes since 1961.
But in all time, and in all those flights, how many ethnic Kazakhs have ventured out into humanity’s final frontier?
One. Un. Uno. Ein. Один.
And that’s is not sitting very well with the nation’s first cosmic voyager, Tokhtar Aubakirov: (more…)
Richard Branson, Bill Richardson and Rick Homans at the Spaceport America runway dedication ceremony.
To: Board of Directors, New Mexico Spaceport Authority
From: Rick Homans, Executive Director
Date: January 5, 2011
Re: Resignation
First, let me start by thanking each of you on the Board for your commitment to the NMSA and the Spaceport Authority. I have valued the many years that we have worked together. I particularly want to thank Ben Woods, who has served as Chairman for the last six months. We have all benefited from his steady hand and his reasoned approach to complex issues.
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden
After months of relative silence, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden re-emerged this week to talk about the space agency’s future. Speaking at an AIAA conference in Orlando, Bolden discussed the upcoming space shuttle schedule and his aim to ensure that NASA’s is undertaking realistic missions in a sustainable way.
Florida Today reports that an additional shuttle mission to supplement the final two ones of the books is on the agenda, despite uncertainty in the space agency’s funding levels caused by Congress’ failure to approve the FY2011 budget:
NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden today reiterated a commitment to fly a third shuttle mission this year and said the agency has determined the mission would be safe.
The 2010 NASA Authorization Act requests the flight pending an assessment of its safety, which Bolden said is not yet final. Since no rescue shuttle would be available, the mission dubbed STS-135 would rely in Soyuz spacecraft to gradually return crew members from the International Space Station.
Richard Branson, Bill Richardson and Rick Homans at the Spaceport America runway dedication ceremony.
In a blunt letter of resignation to the New Mexico Spaceport Authority Board of Directors, outgoing Executive Director Rick Homas said that the $210 million effort to bring commercial space to the state requires a “complete commitment” from new Republican Gov. Susana Martinez to succeed:
“As of January 1, the Martinez Administration owns Spaceport America and all of its potential. The change that is taking place today is all part of taking ownership, and preparing for the challenges and heavy-lifting that lies ahead.
“Now that we have the spaceport nearly built, the harder work begins — we have to attract the customers, the operators, the manufacturers, suppliers and the R & D. We have to turn Spaceport America, and the surrounding communities, into a major visitor destination. We have to BE the leader of this new commercial spaceflight industry. All this is possible, but only if the Governor leads the way. She has to believe in the project and its massive potential to create jobs and impact education. She has to become its biggest champion and rally her Administration to support this effort. There is no middle ground – nothing short of complete commitment from Governor Martinez and her Administration will allow this project to achieve its full potential, which is the promise we made to the citizens of New Mexico, and particularly the citizens of Dona Ana and Sierra counties who taxed themselves to make Spaceport America happen.
Launch Date Set For First Orbital COTS Demo Aviation Week NASA has set Dec. 14 as the target launch date for Orbital Sciences Corp.’s Commercial Orbital Transportation System (COTS) cargo demonstration mission. Meanwhile, the company says it continues to make progress with NASA toward attaining safety clearance for the mission, in which its Cygnus spacecraft will dock with the International Space Station (ISS). The flight is scheduled to include delivery […]
