Former Astronaut Chang Said Costa Rican Should Insert Itself In Aerospace Development
Inside Costa Rica
Costa Rica’s own former NASA astronaut, Franklin Chang-Diaz, feels that Costa Rican businesses should take advantage of the aerospace technology that is ripe for local businesses to be involved in a field with enormous possibilities.
Blue Origin has received NASA funding for a crew launch abort system although it does not currently have an active permit for experimental flights.
Four Swedes Waiting to Travel into Space
Radio Sweden
Four Swedes have so far booked a ticket to fly into space, the news agency TT reports. Now a new space travel agency opens in Sweden…
Ann Klefbom from UmeÃ¥ has reserved a ticket and hopes to become the first Swedish woman in space. “It is something extraordinary for a completely ordinary middle aged woman, she tells TT.
Miles O’Brien looks at “IMAX: Hubble 3D”, keeping space shuttle operational, and President Barack Obama’s upcoming space summit in Florida.
SPACEX PRESS RELEASE Today, SpaceX successfully completed a test firing of the inaugural Falcon 9 launch vehicle at Space Launch Complex 40 located at Cape Canaveral. Following a nominal terminal countdown, the launch sequencer commanded ignition of all 9 Merlin first stage engines for a period of 3.5 seconds. Just prior to engine ignition, the pad water deluge system was activated providing acoustic suppression to keep vibration levels within acceptable […]
Space News reports progress on bailing out Sea Launch, the bankrupt international satellite launch provider that could end up playing a major role in the emerging space tourism market:
Launch services provider Sea Launch Co. is in advanced negotiations with two potential strategic investors and expects to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings by midyear and to return to operations in 2011, Sea Launch President Kjell Karlsen said.
Gates To Outline Export Reform Plan by April
Space News
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates will outline in the coming weeks a plan to reform the U.S. export control system that governs the sale of sensitive technologies overseas, including U.S. commercial communications satellites, according to U.S. President Barack Obama.
SPACE FLORIDA PRESS RELEASE
Space Florida is pleased to announce that it has secured Real Property Licenses for Space Launch Complexes 46 and 36 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. As a result, the 45th Space Wing now grants Space Florida full rights to proceed with construction and refurbishment work at either launch location.
Space Shuttle
SUZANNE KOSMAS PRESS RELEASE
Today, Congresswoman Suzanne Kosmas (FL-24) and Congressman Bill Posey (FL-15) introduced legislation to maintain a robust human spaceflight program, minimize the spaceflight gap, and protect Space Coast jobs.
The Human Spaceflight Capability Assurance and Protection Act would extend use of the International Space Station (ISS) through 2020, allow NASA to continue flying the Space Shuttle, and push to accelerate a next-generation NASA-developed space vehicle. A companion bill has been introduced by Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) in the U.S. Senate.
Andy Cochrane of SpaceUp Ignite talks Ben and Cariann about how NASA can make space less boring and get people excited about exploring the cosmos.
China’s fourth space center to be completed by 2015
RIA Novosti
China’s fourth space center, Wenchang, will be put into service between 2014 and 2015, not in 2013 as it was previously announced, the CCTV channel reported on Tuesday.
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Even as parent company EADS lost $1 billion in 2009, its fully-owned subsidiary Astrium reported strong growth, Space News reports:
Europe’s Astrium space hardware and services provider reported a 12 percent increase in revenue and a 33 percent increase in backlog in 2009 compared to 2008, with its services business growing by nearly 18 percent, Astrium parent EADS reported March 9.
