Orbital Sciences Corporation's Stargazer aircraft at the Mojave Air and Space Port. The L-1011 is used to launch Pegasus rockets to space.
The dusty desert town of Mojave might not have very much to recommend it, but the town’s spaceport is definitely worth a visit. Some photos I took during the recent Plane Crazy Rockets R Us open house.
NASTAR PRESS RELEASE
The NASTAR® Center, the premier commercial space training and research center in the world, has completed the initial phase of a research effort focused on commercial human spaceflight and systems development related to emergency detection and response using an Atlas V flight profile, under a contract with Special Aerospace Service (SAS) on August 16, 2010.
Reports out of Mojave, Calif. indicate that famed aircraft designer Burt Rutan is looking to retire from the company he founded, Scaled Composites, and move away from the desert town where he designed and built groundbreaking aircraft and spacecraft for 36 years.
Bob Richards has departed as CEO of Odyssey Moon, the Google Lunar X Prize competitor which is competing to place a rover on the lunar surface. Richards is no longer listed on the Odyssey Moon website. The reasons behind his departure from the Isle of Man-based company are not clear. Reports indicate that Richards will continue to pursue a lunar lander project. An announcement is expected within the coming weeks.
Sierra Nevada Corporation says it is making “excellent progress” on efforts to develop its Dream Chaser orbital vehicle, according to a report on the Recovery.gov website.
NASA Jump-starts Space Technology Program
Space News
Senior NASA officials are so eager to jump-start advanced technology efforts that they sought and won congressional approval to devote $36.5 million in 2010 funding to eight high-priority research projects.
Those projects, which include joint efforts with the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to investigate horizontal launch capabilities, in-orbit satellite servicing and power-beam propulsion, are set to begin immediately, said Robert Braun, NASA chief technologist.
Globalization of Space Draws New Market Entrants
The Space Foundation
“While a number of Asian countries have long-standing space programs, in recent years the region has emerged as a significant hub for space activity. Over the next five years, an estimated 25 Asian-manufactured satellites are scheduled for launch, with an additional three countries – Malaysia, Pakistan, and Vietnam – planning to purchase payloads for national programs. Economic growth and regional competition among Asian powers has resulted in renewed focus and increased investment in space programs. As a result, Japan, China, India, and South Korea are increasingly moving to match the technological levels achieved by the United States, Europe, and Russia.”
Read the full press release after the break.
This artist’s concept illustrates the two Saturn-sized planets discovered by NASA’s Kepler mission. The star system is oriented edge-on, as seen by Kepler, such that both planets cross in front, or transit, their star, named Kepler-9. This is the first star system found to have multiple transiting planets. Image credit: NASA/Ames/JPL-Caltech
NASA MISSION UPDATE
NASA’s Kepler spacecraft has discovered the first confirmed planetary system with more than one planet crossing in front of, or transiting, the same star.
The transit signatures of two distinct planets were seen in the data for the sun-like star designated Kepler-9. The planets were named Kepler-9b and 9c. The discovery incorporates seven months of observations of more than 156,000 stars as part of an ongoing search for Earth-sized planets outside our solar system. The findings will be published in Thursday’s issue of the journal Science.
I just came from the Singularity University over at NASA Ames. Students presented their business proposals this afternoon for how to open up space over the next decade so that it positively affects a billion people. A total of 24 students — a third of the class — were involved in developing space projects. They will be forming companies to pursue their ideas.
There were five ventures presented:
My friend Clark Lindsey at Hobby Space found this update on Blue Origin’s work on creating a pusher escape system and composite vessel cabin. NASA funded the $3.7 million project in January as one of five grants given for commercial crew development (CCDEV).
The report indicates that the project is now more than 50 percent complete and directly generated 22.5 full-time jobs at Blue Origin. It indicates that “following completion of the CCDev activity, Blue Origin plans suborbital flight test at private expense.” The company also will conduct a drop test of the composite test cabin.
Deputy NASA leader Lori Garver thinks stalemate between Congress and White House is over Huntsville Times NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver said Friday that she believes the Washington stalemate over NASA’s future is over, and Marshall Space Flight Center will lead development of NASA’s new heavy-lift rocket. “I do not feel like we are in a stalemate anymore,” Garver said of the White House and Congress. “We are talking.” What […]
Artist's conception of Boeing's commercial crew module. (Credit: Boeing)
NASA Seeks To Ease Doubts About Commercial Crew Support
Space News
NASA is reassuring commercial space firms that it will be a supportive customer for privately built space taxis even as it cautions that Congress could stymie efforts to foster development of such vehicles.
