Starfighters Aerospace Pilot Mike 'Smitty' Smith, Virginia Dickens, Terry Witt and lead pilot Rick 'Comrade' Svetkoff. (Photo Credit: Incredible Adventures)

INCREDIBLE ADVENTURES PRESS RELEASE

Two Florida residents have become the first to complete civilian space flight training in the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter, the same supersonic jet used to prepare generations of astronauts for space travel. Terence Witt and his wife Virginia Dickens of Indialantic spent five days training with Starfighters Aerospace at Florida’s John F Kennedy Space Center.

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Louisiana Republican Sen. David Vitter’s attack on NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver during a hearing on Wednesday has apparently backfired, the Orlando Sentinel reports: Vitter accused Garver — who was not present at the hearing — of orchestrating the cancellation of Constellation. He also seemed to suggest that Garver was running the agency, and not Administrator Charlie Bolden. Bolden later called Vitter’s comment “unfair.” Aerospace workers in Vitter’s home state […]

Virgin Galactic's VMS Eve during its third test flight in March.

Kiwis lining up to be on Virgin space flight
The Dominion Post

Kiwis could be on Virgin Galactic’s very first commercial flight into space, says Carolyn Wincer, the company’s head of astronaut sales.

Of the seven New Zealanders who have signed up for the US$200,000 two-hour trip, three – including Christchurch-based rocket entrepreneur Mark Rocket and realtor Jackie Maw – are in the first 84, from which six will be selected.

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Bolden: Mars is the ‘ultimate’ goal
Orlando Sentinel

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden told Congress on Wednesday that the agency’s “ultimate” destination is to send astronauts to Mars, an emphatic statement aimed at quelling criticism that the new White House vision for NASA lacks long-range goals.

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DLR Takes Step Toward In-Orbit Servicing Demo
Space News

OHB Technology will be system prime contractor for a German government program to demonstrate in-orbit servicing and de-orbiting of satellites and other hardware, Bremen, Germany-based OHB announced Feb. 24.

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GAO Denies SpaceX Protest of Launch Contract
Space News

The U.S. government rebuffed a protest by rocket maker Space Exploration Technologies Corp. of a contract award to rival Orbital Sciences Corp. to launch a scientific satellite for NASA.

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Senators to NASA chief: Go somewhere specific
Associated Press

NASA needs to go somewhere specific, not just talk about it, skeptical U.S. senators told the space agency chief Wednesday.

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Safety approvals holding up debut of Falcon 9 rocket Spaceflight Now The Air Force 45th Space Wing and the Federal Aviation Administration are still reviewing paperwork on the new rocket, which is currently on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral for several days of ground tests. Because of the continuing safety checks, SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk says the earliest launch could occur is around March 22, although the […]

Bolden: NASA legit as it readies to end moon program
Orlando Sentinel

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden bluntly told Congress in a letter sent Friday that the agency has kept within the law as it prepares to dismantle the Constellation moon rocket program — despite accusations to the contrary from nearly 30 U.S. House members.

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Florida Gov. Charlie Crist

SPACE FLORIDA PRESS RELEASE
Feb. 18, 2010

As part of his ongoing focus on growing Florida’s economy through job retention and creation, workforce training and economic development, Governor Charlie Crist today announced new legislation to ensure the state’s continued leadership in spaceflight and exploration.

The Governor’s announcement came during remarks at the Florida Statewide Space Industry Summit, where he joined Lt. Governor Jeff Kottkamp and several industry, legislative and community leaders to explore actions that advance Florida’s aerospace economy.

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South Africa is interested in restarting its rocket program.

Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport on Wallops Island, Virginia

NASA PRESS RELEASE

NASA has increased the support contract to the Virginia Space Flight Authority/Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Va., to provide launch services for expendable launch vehicles.

The indefinite delivery, indefinite-quantity, with fixed price and cost reimbursable task orders contract addition has a potential value of approximately $43 million through May 3, 2014.

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