NASA BUDGET DESCRIPTION
The Commercial Crew Program will provide $6 billion over the next five years to support the development of commercial crew transportation providers to whom NASA could competitively award a crew transportation services contract analogous to the Cargo Resupply Services contract for ISS.
The space review examines NASA’s proposed human spaceflight policy and the mysterious private space company Blue Origin.
International Space Station
John Kelly: Most NASA projects over budget
Florida Today
Year after year, NASA’s biggest projects are way over budget and way behind schedule.
They’re not a little over budget or slightly behind schedule either. When NASA blows a budget or deadline, the space agency does it with gusto.
NASA has posted details of its proposed FY 2011 budget online.
Mockup of India's human spacecraft (Credit: ISRO)
This could be the week that ISRO gets formal approval of its plan to send astronauts into space. Express News Service reports:
The Rs 12,000-crore [$2.6 billion] project is yet to be cleared by the government despite the fact that ISRO has submitted the feasibility report. Officials are hopeful that the government will clear the proposed project in which the space agency intends to put two people into space orbit for seven days.
This week on The Space Show: 1. Monday, Feb. 22, 2010: 2-3:30 PM PST We welcome back noted space legal authority, George Robinson to discuss space law and commercial space management plus policy. 2. Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2010, 7-8:30 PM PST: Jim Funaro returns to talk about the upcoming Contact Conference to be held at NASA Ames. 3. Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2010: 7-8:30 PM PST:, We welcome back Jim Muncy […]
Anatoly Perminov
Roscosmos Head Anatoly Perminov gave a wide-ranging Q&A interview to Novosti Kosmonavtiki magazine concerning the current state and future plans of the Russian space program. He touched upon the planned Soyuz replacement spacecraft, the new spaceport in the Far East, Russo-Chinese cooperation, and other topics. Some highlights:
On the Soyuz replacement:
“In early 2009, following the contest, Russian space industry commenced draft design of the advanced crew transportation system (ACTS) which is grounded on a set of scientific, research and search efforts. The core of the system is the new-generation advanced crew vehicle (ACV) intended to use Russian technologies and industrial cooperation.
Rep. Suzanne Kosmas is working on a bi-partisan plan to extend space shuttle flights by 5 years.
Senators Bill Nelson of Florida and Barbara Mikulski of Maryland are crafting a response to President Obama’s plans for NASA.
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist is looking to boost Florida aerospace spending by at least $100 million over the next five years.
SpaceX's Falcon 9 on the pad at Cape Canaveral. (Credit: Chris Thompson/SpaceX)
SPACEX UPDATE
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 launch vehicle is now vertical at Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral. Following its mate to the transporter erector, Falcon 9 was rolled from the integration hangar to the launch pad where final checks of the pad hydraulic and pneumatic systems were completed.
Scientists Alan Stern and Dan Durda describe the coming era of suborbital spaceflight.
