An artist's conception of a Virgin Galactic flight above Spaceport America in New Mexico
The Final Frontier
Sante Fe Reporter
New Mexico State University economics professor Anthony Popp, who worked on a state-contracted economic analysis of [Spaceport America] in 2004-2005, says his study’s projections still hold up—just change the start date on his timeline from 2006 to 2008.
Millionaut Richard Garriott aboard the International Space Station with five other lesser known professional space travelers.
Geeks in Space
The Big Money
“There’s a documentary called Orphans of Apollo that’s stated this well,” [Richard Garriott] explained. “There’s a generation of us, who are the tech leaders of today, who were universally inspired to go into science and technology because of the NASA Lunar Space Program. And the reason the movie is called Orphans of Apollo is because, in many ways, we feel orphaned by the fact that the space industry has not done a good job of capitalizing on that momentum of what many of us believed were the first steps into space, carrying the mission of human space flight farther and farther into deep space.”
PRESS RELEASE
In celebration of the 40th Anniversary of man’s first steps on the Moon, Borders(R) has teamed with Astronomy magazine and Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex for the “Train Like an Astronaut” Sweepstakes. Beginning today through July 27, customers can visit www.borders.com/moon or astronomy.com and enter for a chance to win a four-day trip to Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex located just east of Orlando, Fla.
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PRESS RELEASE
Today, Team Part-Time-Scientists announced its official entry into the Google Lunar X PRIZE competition, marking Germany’s debut in this new race to the moon. The team joins the $30 million contest that challenges space professionals and engineers
from across the globe to build and launch a privately funded spacecraft to the moon. The spacecraft must complete a series of exploration and transmission tasks as outlined in the competition’s official rules. Team Part-Time-Scientists, headquartered in Berlin, Germany has seven team members and is among 19 teams from 42 countries that are competing for their share of the multimillion dollar prize purse.
NASA AMES PRESS RELEASE
MOFFETT FIELD, Calif. – NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., will welcome more than 500 guests, including an international cadre of students and faculty from nearly 40 countries for the International Space University and Singularity University Opening Ceremony on June 29, 2009. The ceremony will be held in the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts and will feature a multimedia celebration of space.
Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin has a problem with NASA’s current manned space plan: Namely, the five-year gap between the shuttle’s scheduled retirement next year and the debut of the Ares I rocket and the Orion spacecraft, which will take us no further than the moon—a place we’ve already been. Aldrin thinks NASA can do better. His plan is to scrap Ares I, stretch out the remaining six shuttle flights and fast-track the Orion to fly on a Delta IV or Atlas V. Then, set our sites on colonizing Mars. Here, Buzz challenges NASA to take on his bolder mission.
Fury over ‘lost opportunity’ of space tourism conference
The Press and Journal
A furious councillor yesterday accused Moray Council’s administration of a lack of vision after it decided not to send representatives to an upcoming space tourism conference. Members of the planning and regulatory services committee had been due to decide who would attend next week’s event, which will include a talk on Virgin Galactic’s possible collaboration with RAF Lossiemouth.
Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport on Wallops Island, Virginia
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Spaceport’s project manager thrives in a unique job
Delmarvanow.com
When the Minotaur rocket carrying the TacSat-3 military satellite blasted off last month from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport, one of the people who helped it happen was a Saxis native and mother of two whose job it is to ensure spaceport customers have everything they need to succeed.
SPACE FLORIDA PRESS RELEASE
Today, a conduit financing package was approved by the Space Florida Board of Directors to reassign the lease for Launch Complex 41 (LC-41) to United Launch Alliance (ULA). The renovation and upgrade of the launch complex infrastructure was originally funded by the State of Florida, through Space Florida’s legacy organization Florida Space Authority, and completed for use by Lockheed Martin. In 2005, Lockheed and Boeing formed ULA, a joint venture that operates government space launch systems, including the Atlas V rockets that currently launch from LC-41. Through this conduit financing agreement, the lease will be transferred to ULA, and the Atlas V mission will continue to utilize Complex 41 to provide reliable launch services on its Atlas V in support of the Air Force and NASA. ULA employs approximately 700 people in the Cape area.