NASA's Ares I rocket lifts off in this artist's conception. (Credit: NASA)

Alternative moon rockets to over-budget Constellation gaining traction
Orlando Sentinel

They have deemed some of these projects worthy of further study, including ideas written off by NASA engineers a few years ago as being underpowered, unsafe and unimaginative. One of them is being promoted by the head of NASA’s shuttle program. Another is the product of a group of freelance engineers — some of them NASA employees working on their own time — and rocket hobbyists calling themselves the Direct team.

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Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport on Wallops Island, Virginia

Wallops Island facility to be ‘Cape Canaveral of North’
The Baltimore Sun

David Smith, a state official from Virginia, which joined with Maryland six years ago to operate a commercial spaceflight center with the lofty acronym MARS, says the area is on track to become “the Cape Canaveral of the North.”

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India will attempt to land a rover on the moon by 2013.

Model of NASA's Orion spacecraft

Some bad news about the Orion capsule and Ares rocket, courtesy of NASASpaceFlight.com:

The Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) is undergoing further reductions in its capability – including the elimination of the vehicle’s unmanned ability – as Constellation managers attempt to resolve numerous issues ahead of the Orion Project PDR (Preliminary Design Review). Issues noted in the recent “Top Risks” review list 10 serious issues with the Ares and Orion vehicles, ranging from Ares I-X, through to Orion itself.

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Space For More: ISRO bets on 25% growth in 2009-10
The Economic Times

The economy may be witnessing a downturn, but the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is hopeful of registering a 25% top line during 2009-10. During 2008-09 it achieved revenues of Rs 1,000 crore.

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First space-to-earth solar power station targeted for Oct. 2010
The Examiner

Sir Charles Shults of Xenotech Research describes their current projects, including assisting deployment of an orbital solar power station; ramping up for manufacturing of an affordable, modular 500W Solar Pod for purchase within six months; and designing a residential wind turbine expected to be 1/3 the cost of others.

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Space Flight panel study finds alternative rocket “capable”
Orlando Sentinel

A study done by NASA engineers at various agency centers on behalf of the U.S. Human Space Flight Review Committee has found that shuttle program manager John Shannon’s alternative to the Constellation rockets is capable and affordable.

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ROCKET RACING LEAGUE PRESS RELEASE

The Rocket Racing League® today announced the closing of a $5.5 million dollar financing round, ensuring the next phase of development of the league. It also announced the appointment of a new President & CEO and the commencement of manufacturing activities for its next generation Rocket Racer®.

The financing round, led by Augustus Ventures Limited and America’s Cup winner Bill Koch, puts the League on track for execution of its plans to launch the world’s first interactive sport pitting pilot against pilot in manned rocket powered airplanes competing through a Raceway-in-the-Sky.

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Defying U.S., North Korea Fires Barrage of Missiles
The New York Times

North Korea fired a barrage of seven ballistic missiles into the sea between the Communist state and Japan on Saturday in a move that flouted a United Nations Security Council resolution and sent a message of defiance to the United States on its Independence Day holiday.

After a nuclear test by North Korea on May 25, the Security Council adopted a resolution that, among other things, barred the country from testing ballistic missiles. North Korea sharpened its standoff with Washington on Saturday by following through on part of its earlier warnings that it would respond to the resolution and sanctions with more tests of its ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons.

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Global Map

NASA and Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and industry (METI) released the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) Global Digital Elevation Model (GDEM) to the worldwide public on June 29, 2009.

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Russia's Phobos-Grunt spacecraft, which includes a small Chinese sub-satellite.

ROSKOSMOS PRESS OFFICE
2 July 2009

Russia and China prepare joint space projects. These days, the projects are being discussed in Beijing by Roscosmos Head Anatoly Perminov and Sun Laiyan, Administrator of the Chinese Space Administration.

New bilateral space cooperation program is supposed to be accepted as a result of these negotiations.

Vesti clarifies that China pays special attention to exploration of the Moon. Initial joint steps of Russia and China in this area were made in 2006.

Anatoly Perminov, Head of the Russian Federal Space Agency, explains more about it: “We reviewed the new program which would cover 2010-2012. The core of this program is based on individual projects and topics with the goal to achieve more serious ones. For expample, completion of the Phobos-Grunt project. It is to finalize in October. Completion of this work will provide much for the world space business.”

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