My friend Misuzu Onuki was in town over the weekend for the NewSpace 2010 conference. She’s doing some very interesting work in a sometimes overlooked area of space travel that will likely become increasingly important as more people venture out into the cosmos.

The JAXA-funded Quality of Life in Space project is looking at the essential elements that can make all the difference between a good stay in space and a bad one. How comfortable are the accommodations? What amusements exist? How good is the food? What does a traveler smell? Are amenities offered?

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Chris McKay and Rick Tumlinson what the future holds as we move outward into space.

Sea Launch – which declared bankruptcy last year – is back in business.

As expected, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware today approved a reorganization plan in which Russia’s Energia RSC will take 95 percent ownership of the company, which launches Zenit rockets from both land and an off-shore platform.

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

Commercial Spaceflight, We Have a Problem: Reduced government funding could scuttle some projects
Technology Review

A key element of the White House’s revised direction for NASA is turning over the transportation of astronauts to and from low-Earth orbit to the private sector.

Recent funding moves by Congress could sharply restrict the ability of companies to provide those services.

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The Space Frontier Foundation honored Masten Space Systems, Miles O’Brien, Art Dula, Spacevidcast, and the movie “Moon” with awards at its annual gala on Saturday evening. They were honored for their visionary and pioneering work in support of the NewSpace sector.

Vision to Reality – Masten Space Systems
For outstanding achievement in the development and operation of a device, system, or entity that forwards the opening of the Space Frontier.

“Masten’s flight was the culmination of a close race for the prize between them and Armadillo Aerospace, and we expect to see both companies doing great things in the future,” said SFF Chairman Bob Werb. “Masten’s precision lunar flight demonstration shows we can do amazing things at low cost outside of the government, do them quickly, and do them right.”

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NewSpace 2010: War Stories from the Entrepreneurial Frontier When NewSpace companies get started, they have all the best intentions and very often a solid business plan. But what happens when all doesn’t go according to plan? Presented here are a few case studies and lessons learned from the NewSpace start-up trenches. Guillermo Sohnlein (moderator) – Managing Director, Space Angels Network Jason Andrews – Andrews Space Jeff Greason – CEO, XCOR […]

CSF PRESS RELEASE

The Commercial Spaceflight Federation is pleased to announce that Andrews Space, Inc., DCI Services and Consulting, MEI Technologies, Special Aerospace Services, and SRA International have joined the Federation as Associate Members.  The Commercial Spaceflight Federation now includes over 30 leading aerospace companies.

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Pete Conrad

CONRAD FOUNDATION PRESS RELEASE

Officials with The Conrad Foundation today announced ManSat Limited, a global commercial space corporation headquartered on the Isle of Man , has joined with the Conrad Foundation to expand the 2010-2011 Spirit of Innovation Awards program on the international stage.

ManSat will sponsor a national competition on the Isle of Man from which one finalist team will participate in the annual awards competition, which gives high school students the opportunity to design, develop and commercialize innovative products that help solve challenges of the 21st century. Working in closely with Island’s Department of Education and Children, ManSat employees will mentor the student teams from the Island five high schools as they prepare their award entries. The winning team will travel to the Innovation Summit, where the finalists will be showcased and winners will be announced. The Summit will take place at NASA’s Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif. in April 2011.

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Lockheed surfs Pentagon changes; 2Q net up 12 pct
Associated Press

Defense contractor Lockheed Martin Corp. said Tuesday that its second-quarter profit rose 12 percent thanks to stronger military hardware sales and a gain from plans to sell off a business unit.

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China considers big rocket power
BBC News

Chinese engineers are considering a new super-powerful engine for the next generation of space rockets, say officials.

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The Government Accountability Office has issued a report saying that NASA acted legally in its efforts on the Constellation lunar program. Congressional appropriators had called for investigation, saying that the Administration was illegally attempting to shut down the program in violation of a law requiring Congressional approval.

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This week in The Space Review… Recasting the debate about commercial crew One of the most controversial elements of the White House’s plan for NASA, commercial crew, has suffered setbacks in Congress in recent weeks. Jeff Foust reports on how proponents of commercial crew believe that the effort’s long-term success may hinge on resetting the terms of the debate about it. A new debate, part 2 If radically reshaping and […]