Economic officials representing Florida’s Space Coast are furious over a draft bill from Sen. Bill Nelson that takes away billions of dollars in proposed NASA spending for the state to fund a heavy-lift vehicle largely build elsewhere.
In a stinging letter, Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast Chairman Bill Cunningham and President Lynda Weatherman accuse the senator of endangering the state’s efforts to develop a commercial space industry.
The first "captive carry" and flight of VSS Enterprise or SpaceShip II over Mojave, California Monday March 22,2010. The center mounted spaceship is attached to the "mothership" WhiteKnight II for a series of flight tests prior to its first drop test later in the year.
Below are summaries of recent test flights of Scaled Composites’ WhiteKnightTwo carrier aircraft. It clear from the summaries that they are preparing for a SpaceShipTwo glide flight (SS2 GF01 mission practice).
NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS RELEASE
NASA should develop a broad, integrated strategy to contain costs and maintain schedules as earth and space science missions are planned and designed, says a new report by the National Research Council. The report also calls on NASA, Congress, and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to consistently use the same method to quantify and track costs.
“Cost and schedule considerations are important for NASA missions,” said Ronald M. Sega, chair of the committee that wrote the report and the Woodward Professor of Systems Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins. “Although the agency is already taking action to address these issues, NASA needs a comprehensive plan to improve the mission planning and development process. Containing costs and staying on schedule will enable additional NASA mission opportunities for earth and space sciences in the future.”
AIAA PRESS RELEASE
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) will hold the AIAA SPACE 2010 Conference & Exposition August 30 – September 2 at the Anaheim Convention Center and Hilton Anaheim, Anaheim, Calif., focusing on the theme: “Space: Imagine, Innovate, Collaborate.â€
Orbital keeps eye on Cape Canaveral for NASA contract: If Obama’s commercial plan passes, firm would likely launch from here Florida Today The Space Coast could gain a new launch provider if President Barack Obama’s plan to develop commercial crew taxi services wins approval. Orbital Sciences Corp. would likely launch from Florida if it won contracts to fly NASA crews, said Frank Culbertson, a former astronaut who oversees the Dulles, […]
The Houston Chronicle says that the Senate draft bill for NASA is good for the region, although it’s not clear how much of the bill will survive the inevitable negotiations and horse trading:
A draft budget bill for NASA released by the Senate on Tuesday suggests Congress will not accept President Barack Obama’s proposed revision of the space agency without a fight. The Senate bill seeks to extend the life of the space shuttle program by a year, accelerate development of a heavy-lift rocket and preserve elements of the Houston-based Constellation Program.
“The proposed bill as it stands transitions NASA’s skilled work force to an executable long-term mission, and it preserves and utilizes our $100 billion investment in the International Space Station,” said Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas.
The Space Frontier Foundation is urging commercial space backers to speak out in favor of an amendment by Virginia Sen. Mark Warner:
Contrary to the White House’s request and recommendations of the Augustine Commission, Senator Bill Nelson’s proposed NASA Authorization Bill slashes commercial space by $2.1 billion (up to 66%). Virginia’s Senator [Mark] Warner is ready to ride to the rescue with an amendment restoring full funding to the program, but he needs YOUR help to gain support from other Senators.
XCOR's Lynx suborbital vehicle
The following appeal is being circulated on behalf of the Commercial Reusable Suborbital Research (CRuSR) Program. This program is designed to fund research experiments on an emerging fleet of suborbital vehicles.
As you may know, Sen. Nelson’s NASA authorization markup kills the Crust line item. Yesterday Senator Tom Udall of New Mexico introduced an amendment that would bolster this small but high-profile program, designed to allow students, small companies, and researchers to fly experiments on-board new commercial suborbital space vehicles such as Virgin Galactic or XCOR Aerospace. The amendment would ensure that this program, known as Commercial Reusable Suborbital Research (CRuSR), would be fully funded at $15 million per year and report directly to NASA’s Chief Technology Office to give it high-profile status.
Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center
Florida Today has an excellent editorial that neatly sums up the benefits and drawbacks of the Senate compromise bill on NASA’s budget. The editors say that on the plus side, there is relief on the employment side:
The Obama Administration’s effort to refocus NASA on technology development would take a major hit under a proposed budget being circulated in the Senate. The proposal slashes about $1 billion from a planned R&D budget while requiring NASA to begin immediate work on building a heavy-lift vehicle.
The Senate budget has mixed news for proponents of commercial space. It funds development of commercial rockets and spacecraft, although at a slower rate than the Obama Administration wants.The proposal also fully funds the Orion capsule.
ISRO's PSLV-C15 rocket lifts off with five satellites aboard on July 12, 2010.
India’s successful PSLV flight yesterday represented more than the successful placement of five small satellites into orbit. It also marked a successful effort by the Obama Administration to begin breaking down the restrictive ITAR laws that have hurt U.S. high-tech manufacturers.
The Times of India reports:
Almost a year ago on July 20, 2009, external affairs minister SM Krishna and US secretary of state Hillary Clinton met at Hyderabad House in New Delhi and signed what is known as Technology Safeguards Agreement (TSA) which strengthens Indo-US space ties.
On Monday, this pact became a reality when PSLV for the first time placed in orbit a satellite with a large number of US components. According to Isro officials, this flight is therefore politically important with regards to Indo-US relationship.
Exciting Developments in Space Exploration and the Future of International Cooperation
Prepared Remarks by NASA Administrator Charles F. Bolden
American University in Cairo
June 15, 2010
“As salaam alaykum” – and good evening. I am honored to be in your beautiful city of Cairo. I especially want to thank the faculty, staff and students of American University in Cairo for hosting our NASA contingent here tonight. Though not my first visit to your extraordinary country, it is my first visit here and to the region as NASA Administrator and, more importantly, the first time that a NASA Administrator has visited here in pursuit of cooperation in space.
When my president, Barack Obama, came here to Cairo one year ago, he came to speak of a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world. As he stated in his remarks at Cairo University, the new beginning would be one “…based on mutual interest and mutual respect, and one based upon the truth that America and Islam are not exclusive and need not be in competition. Instead, they overlap, and share common principles – principles of justice and progress; tolerance and the dignity of all human beings.â€
