A Lunar Nuclear Reactor
Technology Review
Researchers at NASA and the Department of Energy recently tested key technologies for developing a nuclear fission reactor that could power a human outpost on the moon or Mars. The tests prove that the agencies could build a “safe, reliable, and efficient” system by 2020, the year NASA plans to return humans to the moon.
Space Investment Summit 7
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
8:15 am – 6:30 pm
Hynes Convention Center, Boston, Massachusetts
Overview
Space Investment Summit 7 (SIS-7) features exclusive educational sessions with prominent investment leaders and a showcase of limited pre-qualified space-related business plans from reputable entrepreneurs. The Summit helps investors gain knowledge that might guide future investment decisions, and helps entrepreneurs gain from an increased investor interest in their efforts and development of new opportunities for partnership.
EDWARDS AFB PRESS RELEASE
“Flight Test Nation” will make its inaugural flight Oct. 17 as Edwards Air Force Base heralds its test legacy and the 50th anniversary of the X-15 during its open house and air show.
Edwards is unveiling the new air show slogan to honor its long-standing pursuit of performance excellence and the rich aviation heritage it shares with neighbors in Antelope Valley.
Russia's new Angara rocket
There’s an interesting sidelight to Wednesday’s upcoming launch of South Korea’s first rocket, KSLV-1 (Nano-1), that gives some valuable insights into how Russia conducts its space business.
The Russian-made lower-stage is actually the first stage of that nation’s new Angara family of rockets. The Korean government paid for the development, although the Russians are not sharing any of the technical details with them. (The Koreans have built the KSLV’s second stage using their own technologies.)
Putin pledges major state investment in Russian aerospace sector
RIA Novosti
The Russian government will heavily invest in the development of the country’s aerospace industry, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday.
EA PRESS RELEASE
Excalibur Almaz Limited (EA), an international space exploration company, today announced plans to open up a new era of private orbital space flight for commercial customers, using updated elements of the “Almaz†space system originally developed by JSC MIC NPO Mashinostroyenia (NPOM) of Russia.
Lockheed to Cut 800 Jobs
Denver Business Journal
Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co. is eliminating 800 jobs in Denver and Sunnyvale, Calif., the company reported Monday.
It’s reducing its workforce by about 4.5 percent, through layoffs and offering incentives for voluntary departure, by year-end.
Space Elevator Faces Reality
Alan Boyle
MSNBC Cosmic Log
Like almost everyone else in the space vision business, the enthusiasts who foresee a “railway to space” are adjusting their high-flying dreams to fit down-to-earth realities.
ORBITEC PRESS RELEASE
Orbital Technologies Corporation (ORBITEC) announced today that it is poised for commercial expansion and rapid growth after completing major commitments for both equity and debt capital. A combination of committed equity sales and a debt agreement from Johnson Bank of Madison, WI provides a significant portion of the $11MM capital base planned for ORBITEC to expand new products to markets with only $2MM in equity offering remaining.
Black Brant 9 rocket carrying the Inflatable Re-entry Vehicle Experiment launches from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility. Credit: NASA/Sean Smith
NASA MISSION UPDATE
A successful NASA flight test has shown that a spacecraft returning to Earth can use an inflatable heat shield to slow and protect itself as it enters the atmosphere at hypersonic speeds. This was the first time anyone has successfully flown an inflatable reentry capsule, according to engineers at NASA’s Langley Research Center.
The Inflatable Re-entry Vehicle Experiment, or IRVE, was vacuum-packed into a 15-inch diameter payload “shroud” and launched on a small sounding rocket from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island, Va. Nitrogen inflated the 10-foot (3 m) diameter heat shield, made of several layers of silicone-coated industrial fabric, to a mushroom shape in space several minutes after liftoff.
Moon Beckons Commercial Comeback for Beagle
Space.com
Project managers for the British Beagle lander program are seeking redemption – on the moon – nearly six years after their spacecraft disappeared on Mars.
Collin Pillinger who headed the unsuccessful Beagle Mars project is in discussion with the commercial “Odyssey Moon” program to fly a backup version of Beagle’s most powerful instrument on board the Odyssey lunar lander.
Artists conception of SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft in orbit
LockMart: Not Safe To Rush Commercial Human Space Transport
Aviation Week
Lockheed Martin warns that fast-track plans to develop alternate commercial human-rated transport systems to the International Space Station could be costly in terms of time, money and even safety.
