OFFICIAL CONFERENCE INFORMATION
(COURTESY AIAA)
The 13th Annual FAA Commercial Space Transportation Conference will be held on Wednesday–Thursday, 10–11 February 2010, at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Virginia.
Conference panel sessions, designed to amplify the conference theme of “Igniting the Space Economy,” have been categorized into three tracks: Commercial Space Technologies, Commercial Space Business, and Commercial Space Regulatory Concerns.
The Mars Society has launched a Humans to Mars petition.
A P3 Navy aircraft with Hanger One at NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California. (Copyright 2008: Douglas Messier)
NASA PRESS RELEASE
NASA’s Ames Research Center was launched 70 years ago as a high-speed aeronautics research laboratory as part of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), and was named after NACA’s chair, Joseph S. Ames. The center was the second NACA aeronautics research center in the United States.
Spirit attempted to turn all six wheels on Sol 2126 (Saturday, Dec. 26, 2009) to extricate itself from the sand trap known as "Troy," but stopped earlier than expected because of excessive sinkage. Telemetry indicates that the rover moved forward 3 millimeters (0.12 inch), left 2 millimeters (0.08 inch) and down (sinkage) 6 millimeters (0.24 inch). The right-front and right-rear wheels did not move. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
NASA PRESS RELEASE
NASA’s Mars rover Spirit will mark six years of unprecedented science exploration and inspiration for the American public on Sunday. However, the upcoming Martian winter could end the roving career of the beloved, scrappy robot.
An update on planning for the Space Access ’10 Conference: It’s been eight months since Space Access ’09 was a (successful) wrap, and it’s well past time we got back to work. We now have a signed hotel contract for Space Access ‘010, for Thursday afternoon April 8th through Saturday evening April 10th 2010, at the Best Western Grace Inn in Phoenix Arizona. Space Access ‘010, our next annual conference […]
PLANETARY SOCIETY PRESS RELEASE
Please join us to celebrate the achievements of two renowned heroes of space exploration, physicist Stephen Hawking and Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin, at a luncheon in Pasadena, California on January 23, 2010.
The Planetary Society will present the Cosmos Award for Outstanding Public Presentation of Science to Dr. Hawking, author of “A Brief History of Time” and host of the television series “Stephen Hawking’s Universe.”
An update from Greg Smith, director of operations for the southern hemisphere, on the Starwalker reality show. This is taken from the program’s public Facebook discussion forum:
The show has a budget of roughly 100 million dollars. The show is fully funded with the funds having been put up through private equity investors and the producers themselves. The equity investors want their anonymity. Confidentiality agreements guarantee this, so we won’t be giving any further information.
The road to Spaceport America on its groundbreaking day. Virgin Galactic and New Mexico hope it will soon be paved in gold. (Photo Credit: Lucinda Weisbach)
Profile: Hayhoe finds Spaceport opportunities
Las Cruces Sun-News
Several years ago, Jim Hayhoe gave a presentation to the Hatch Board of Trustees about how the area could prepare for, and take advantage of, the impending construction of Spaceport America.
“(Trustee) Andy Nuñez walked out from behind the podium and handed me a 60-pound bag of green chile and said, ‘Your hired,'” Hayhoe said. “I had no idea I was going to get into consulting.”
Mockup of India's human spacecraft (Credit: ISRO)
Indian Space Research Organisation hunt on for vyomanauts – desi astronauts
DNAIndia.com
The hunt for India’s first astronauts — ‘vyomanauts’ in a desi tweak — has begun. Two of the four selected vyomanauts (vyoma means ‘space’ or ‘sky’ in Sanskrit) will finally go on India’s first manned space mission scheduled to lift off in 2015.
Spaceport America
Spaceport gets mixed reception in Truth or Consequences
Los Angeles Times
When residents of this isolated place voted in 2008 to tax themselves to pay for an audacious redevelopment scheme — construction of a commercial spaceport in the desert — Kim Audette was an ardent supporter.
XCOR's Lynx suborbital vehicle
AIA PRESS RELEASE
Congress has taken a major step for the U.S. commercial space launch industry by extending government indemnification of launches for another three years.
“Elimination of government indemnification would have driven launch business overseas,†said AIA President and CEO Marion C. Blakey. “In 2008 only six of the 28 worldwide commercial launches were conducted by U.S. companies, and America can’t afford to lose more of that business.â€
NASASpaceflight.com takes a look at the various heavy-lift options being considered by the White House in wake of the Augustine Committee’s report:
2010 will mark a number of key decisions for NASA, not least the potential switch from the current Ares I/V architecture to an alternative mix of commerical crew launch – accompanied by a new heavy lift workhorse. A decision is expected to be announced early in the new year by President Obama, although at least three heavy lift vehicles – including a huge 200mt vehicle – were still being classed as options ahead of the Christmas break….
