Following up on this Starwalker astronaut reality show that is headed up by Australian filmmaker Jonathan Nolan. It turns out that Nolan’s resume in film is relatively short, consisting of a 9-11 conspiracy documentary titled, “Fortunate Sons,” and a film, “Sweet Cyanide.” I have found no clips of either online, but there is a brief discussion on the latter film here (hated it) and a review here (mediocre).

However, Nolan has been making computer-generated short films that he has been posting on the TMUnderGround website under the user name Doghead. An example is shown above. One of his six films appears to be a remake of an old Simon Templar (“The Saint”) radio program.

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Looks like there was not any real news generated by today’s meeting between President Barack Obama and NASA Administrator Charles Bolden at the White House. Space News reported via Twitter: A senior NASA official reiterated today that the WH intends to wait until the February budget rollout to unveil new plan. In lieu of an actual plan, the White House reaffirmed the President’s commitment to do something in space, Florida […]

President Barack Obama will meet NASA Administrator Charles Bolden at the White House this afternoon. They will discuss options for NASA’s future as it relates to human spaceflight.

DYNETICS PRESS RELEASE

Dynetics announced today it has purchased Orion Propulsion, Inc. (OPI), a Huntsville aerospace company that specializes in spacecraft and rocket propulsion design and fabrication, testing services, ground support equipment and launch operations support. The addition of OPI will expand Dynetics’ capabilities to develop space-related hardware.

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NASA PRESS RELEASE

NASA and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) have signed a joint statement that allows for collaboration in lunar and asteroid science research. The partnership recognizes the Saudi Lunar and Near-Earth Object Science Center as an affiliate partner with the NASA Lunar Science Institute at NASA’s Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif.

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The Space Frontier Foundation will be lobbying Congress from Feb. 7-10, 2010. According to a post on the SFF blog, the agenda will include: Legislation to provide matching funds to fly 200 teachers per year into space and to create a professional-development program that provides teachers with realistic spaceflight training experiences and knowledge they can bring back to their classrooms; Full funding for NASA’s innovative Commercial Reusable Suborbital Research (CRuSR) program […]

Photo Credit: Sam Coniglio

Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic signs up Spandau Ballet to be first band to perform in space
The Daily Mail

Eighties hearthrobs, Spandau Ballet, are planning an out-of-this-world performance – literally – by becoming the first band to make music in space.

The aging rockers, who reformed the band this year, have reportedly signed up to perform outside the Earth’s atmosphere on Sir Richard Branson’s new commercial spacecraft, Enterprise.

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RICHARD SHELBY PRESS RELEASE

U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), ranking member of the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, today wrote a letter to NASA Inspector General Paul Martin calling for an investigation of the Augustine Commission’s staff. The Augustine Commission was tasked with reviewing U.S. human space flight activities and presenting objective options to the President on the optimal path going forward. In light of the fact that several members of the Commission’s staff are federally registered lobbyists for the commercial space industry, Shelby called on NASA to investigate how these staff members’ involvement affected the Commission’s findings:

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An unpaved road leading into Spaceport America at the time of a groundbreaking. (Photo Credit: Lucinda Weisbach)

Spaceport seeks funds to pave ‘critical’ road
Las Cruces Sun-News

A New Mexico spaceport official said the agency needs another $7.5 million to pave a southern road to the facility, a route that would shorten the travel time from Las Cruces.

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Photo Credit: Sam Coniglio

Fly Abu Dhabi to LA in 2 hours – Aabar
Arabian Business

Aabar Investments boss Khadem Abdullah Al Qubaisi has unveiled plans to fly from Abu Dhabi to LA in two hours, as part of a venture with Virgin Galactic.

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I’ve done a little bit of followup on this Starwalker astronaut reality show, which began accepting applications on Saturday. With the help of an alert reader (thanks, Peter Lambert!), I have discovered that this already interesting story has become ever more curiouser and curiouser.

After the break: Staff departures! 9-11 conspiracy theories! Mega-lawsuits! And lots and lots of !!!!!s!

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Esther Dyson says the entrepreneurial space is ready for private equity but not institutional venture capital.