As NASA looks to have private companies build their next human space system, four expendable rockets are emerging as possible candidates: Atlas V Delta IV Taurus II Falcon 9 Which one of these is most viable? And why? Weigh in….
SPACE FOUNDATION PRESS RELEASE
The mission that definitively proved the presence of water on the Moon has been selected as the 2010 recipient of the Space Foundation’s John L. “Jack” Swigert, Jr., Award for Space Exploration. The Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) mission will be honored April 12 during the 26th National Space Symposium Opening Ceremony, sponsored by Northrop Grumman, at The Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Obama plans Florida space summit to defend his vision for NASA
Orlando Sentinel
In the latest sign that his NASA vision is in peril, President Barack Obama will announce today his plans to host a space summit in Florida on April 15.
The move follows weeks of criticism from Congress about his proposal to cancel NASA’s Constellation moon-rocket program in favor of an approach that would push NASA engineers to develop new technologies while using commercial rocket companies for future astronaut missions.
International Space Station
NASA PRESS RELEASE
The International Space Station Program has won the 2009 Collier Trophy, which is considered the top award in aviation. The National Aeronautic Association bestows the award annually to recognize the greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America.
“We are honored to receive this prestigious award,†said Bill Gerstenmaier, associate administrator for NASA’s Space Operations Mission Directorate. “We’re proud of our past achievements to build and operate the space station, and we’re excited about the future- there’s a new era ahead of potential groundbreaking scientific research aboard the station.”
Miles O’Brien talks to Buzz Aldrin. Or, more accurately, he largely listens to Buzz talk about his latest plan for a sustainable space architecture and his upcoming appearances on “Dancing With the Stars,” and “30 Rock”.
USA PRESS RELEASE
Richard O. Covey today announced his intentions to retire as President and Chief Executive Officer of United Space Alliance, effective March 26, 2010. Covey is retiring following a distinguished career spanning more than 40 years as an Air Force fighter pilot, NASA astronaut and a highly respected space industry executive.
A replacement has not yet been named.
Burt Rutan talks about space tourism in this video from Big Think.
China Studies Moon Rocket
Aviation Week
China is studying the design of a Moon rocket in the class of the Saturn V, as the Obama administration proposes canceling the U.S. successor to the Apollo launcher, Ares V….
Confirming that such a Chinese Moon rocket is at the study stage, the vice-president of the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, Liang Xiaohong, says it will have a thrust at lift off of 3,000 tons. The Saturn V’s S-1C first stage generated 7,648,000 lb. (3,470 metric tons) of thrust at sea level.
New Rocket Engine Could Reach Mars in 40 Days
Space.com
A mission trajectory study estimated that a VASIMR-powered spacecraft could reach the red planet within 40 days if it had a 200 megawatt power source. That’s 1,000 times more power than what the current VASIMR prototype will use, although Ad Astra says that VASIMR can scale up to higher power sources.
This artistic interpretation of the Sikun Labyrinthus area on Saturn's moon Titan is based on radar and imaging data from NASA's Cassini spacecraft and the descent imaging and spectral radiometer on the European Space Agency's Huygens probe. The relative elevations are speculative and organized around the assumption that fluids are flowing downhill. Image credit: NASA/JPL/ESA/SSI and M. Malaska/B. Jonsson
NASA MISSION UPDATE
Planetary scientists have been puzzling for years over the honeycomb patterns and flat valleys with squiggly edges evident in radar images of Saturn’s moon Titan. Now, working with a “volunteer researcher” who has put his own spin on data from NASA’s Cassini spacecraft, they have found some recognizable analogies to a type of spectacular terrain on Earth known as karst topography. A poster session today, Thursday, March 4, at the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in The Woodlands, Texas, displays their work.
Sarasota test pilot ready to ride into space
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Miguel Iturmendi has been waiting for his “wow” moment ever since he was a teenager. So at age 38, another year or two in limbo won’t matter.
But when it does happen — when a vehicle called SpaceShip-Two fires its rocket engine and punches him through the doorway of the high frontier — the Sarasota test pilot/engineer suspects the stakes will be far more profound than a three-hour joy ride.
XCOR's Lynx suborbital vehicle
Dubai Conference Seeks Investors in Space Tourism
ABC News
Space travel could get a boost from a meeting of the minds and wallets in Dubai this week when the World Space Risk Forum brings together companies, insurance firms, and financiers interested in underwriting privately-funded trips into orbit.
The consensus, said the forum organizers, is that space travel could be viable within the next two to three years.