This week in The Space Review…. Rocket Man Robert Truax, one of the pioneers of rocketry, passed away earlier this month. Dwayne Day discusses Truax’s role in the early history of American space efforts. Charting a Flexible Path The Augustine Committee introduced the concept of “Flexible Path†exploration last year, and NASA is taking steps to implement that approach. Jeff Foust examines what approaches NASA is considering as well as […]
CSF PRESS RELEASE The Commercial Spaceflight Federation strongly supports Senate bill S.3729, the NASA Authorization Act of 2010, which has been approved unanimously by the Senate. The Commercial Spaceflight Federation urges that the House vote to pass the Senate bill immediately, before the new fiscal year begins on October 1. Commercial Spaceflight Federation President Bretton Alexander said, “With the new fiscal year about to begin, space industry businesses and individual space workers […]
The Space Show schedule for this week…. Monday, Sept. 27, 2010: 2-3:30 PM PDT: We welcome Mark Boudreaux, FASTSAT project manager, Joe Casas, FASTSAT Project Scientist and Science Operations Director, and Dean Alhorn who is the PI for NanoSail-D, all at NASA Marshall Spaceflight Center. Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2010, 7-8:30 PM PDT: We welcome back John Garvey of Garvey Spacecraft Company. Thursday, Sept. 30, 9:30-11:30 AM PDT: We welcome back […]
Sir Richard Branson greets Virgin Galactic ticketholders. Financier Per Wimmer is at left; behind Branson is Virgin Galactic President Will Whitehorn.
Virgin Galactic Founder Richard Branson has given an estimate of when suborbital space tourism will begin, AFP reports:
“We just finished building SpaceShipTwo. We are 18 months away from taking people into space,” Branson told a business conference in Kuala Lumpur, adding that the fare will start at 200,000 dollars.
A schlieren image of the Lynx supersonic wind tunnel model at mach 4.0, 10 degree angle of attack at the NASA MSFC supersonic wind tunnel in Huntsville, AL.
Wind Tunnel Tests Clear Lynx Stability Mods
Aviation Week
XCOR Aerospace is finalizing the structure of the Lynx suborbital spacecraft following the completion of primary supersonic wind tunnel tests that confirmed design changes to increase stability.
In a post on his blog, retired Space Shuttle Program Manager Wayne Hale has revealed what most of us have long suspected: the Vision for Space Exploration — George W. Bush’s grand plan to send Americans to the moon, Mars and beyond — was built of sand on sand by people with their heads in the sand. And, needless to say, it washed away with the first high tide.
Appalling? Yes. Surprising? Not at all.
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A not-so-positive review of Richard “Lord British” Garriott’s Man on a Mission documentary that chronicled his space tourism trip to the International Space Station.
‘Smaller is better’ as Israel launches itself as space contender
Jewish Herald Voice
The Netanyahu administration reportedly is placing a major thrust on space research and development. The aim is to boost sales of Israel’s miniaturized space platforms to nearly $8 billion a year over the next several years, according to Israeli media reports, and to secure a small but significant percentage of the $250-billion-a-year international space market….
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No ATK vote upsets Bishop / Lawmaker: Congress needs to get moving to save jobs
Standard Examiner
A frustrated Rep. Rob Bishop left Washington, D.C., for Utah on Friday afternoon, taking time only to call the Standard-Examiner from the airport and lambaste House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for not holding a vote on a bill he thinks is the best compromise yet to save jobs at ATK Space Systems.
Starchaser's rocket, which may carry tourists into space.
Look out, Sir Richard Branson! You’ve got competition in your own backyard.
A small group of British rocket scientists hope to beat you into commercial suborbital space tourism service with a small rocket that costs a fraction of what you’re pouring into Virgin Galactic. And they plan to do it from Spaceport America, the $200 million taxpayer funded facility that you convinced New Mexico to build for your SpaceShipTwo flights.
Congress must fulfill duty to clarify NASA’s future
by U.S. Rep. Peter Olson
The Houston Chronicle
Russia, China and now India and Japan know that the future is still in human space flight. The mission of NASA must ensure that the U.S. remains the global leader. To that end, Congress has a duty to ultimately provide the necessary resources for NASA to accomplish this mission.
RIA Novosti reports: The Russian Federal Space Agency Roscosmos plans to send Soyuz spacecraft with two space tourists to the International Space station (ISS) after 2013, the head of Roscosmos’ manned flights department, Alexei Krasnov, said. “Such a proposal is under consideration of Roscosmos’ and the American Space Adventures [company],” Krasnov said adding that a flight is due not earlier than 2013. “There are also detailed offers, which we will […]