The scanner is used in a Mold Impression Laser Tool (MLT), a hand-held instrument used to scan space shuttle tiles to detect and measure the amount of any damage. Image Credit: NASA Ames Research Center

NASA AMES PRESS RELEASE

NASA’s Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., has been named the recipient of the 2008 NASA Government Invention of the Year Award. NASA’s Langley Research Center, Hampton Roads, Va., won the 2008 NASA Commercial Invention of the Year Award.

Ames won the award for developing a “High Speed Three-Dimensional Laser Scanner with Real Time Processing.” The scanner is used in a Mold Impression Laser Tool (MLT), a hand-held instrument used to scan space shuttle tiles to detect and measure the amount of any damage.

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Check out my space tourism analysis piece on Virgin Galactic vs. XCOR at the Commercial Space Gateway.

John Kelly: Shuttle’s past says time isn’t on its side
Florida Today

Under intense pressure to keep space station assembly on schedule and within budget, managers harped on that date to the point of installing screensavers on workers’ computers counting down the seconds. The message: hurry up, time is running out on your program.

Then, we lost the Columbia astronauts.

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NASA Budget Being Drafted Without a Top-Level Advocate
Aviation Week

NASA plans to roll out its Fiscal 2010 budget the first week in May, amid complaints that the White House staff is giving short shrift to the U.S. space program. The space agency is struggling to make ends meet during the difficult transition to the post-shuttle era.

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Florida Senator Bill Nelson

Florida Sen. Bill Nelson urged President Barack Obama to quickly appoint a new NASA administrator so that America’s “adrift” space program can recover its bearings. Nelson’s full statement in The Congressional Record is reproduced below.

Mr. President, there are so many things I would like to talk about, not the least of which—which I will not confine my remarks to—is our space program, which is adrift. (more…)

The Space Review takes a look at space-based solar power satellites, Space 2.0 ventures, the Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge and more.

There’s some interesting information coming out of a Virgin Galactic press conference in Australia today where it was announced that Brisbane fashion shop owner Glenys Ambe would be the first Australian to fly into space aboard SpaceShipTwo. iTNews reports that: (more…)

Aussie over the moon about leaving Earth
The West Australian

Glenys Ambe, who has bought a ticket on Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic spaceship, resembled a giddy schoolgirl today as she sat and watched a simulated flight of the aircraft.

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Formula One racer Rubens Barrichello

Barrichello to go to space with Virgin Galactic
SportNetwork.net

The Virgin logos on the Brawn GP BGP 001 cars have been replaced this weekend with Virgin Galactic logos, Sir Richard Branson’s space tourism venture. Having already signed up some 300 passengers, Rubens Barrichello has paid his $200,000 (£136,000/150,000) and, once the VMS and VSS (Virgin MotherShip and Virgin SpaceShip) become operational, will officially become an astronaut.

At a press conference in Bahrain yesterday, Rubens Barrichello was handed his ticket by Branson, and was joined by Formula One World Champion Niki Lauda, who will be training to become a space pilot for Virgin Galactic.

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Quality Control, Transparency Push ESA to ITAR-Free Products
Space News

The European Space Agency (ESA) is gradually moving toward an ITAR-free posture for sensitive satellite components for reasons having as much to do with quality control as with the larger goal of achieving autonomy in space technologies, ESA and European industry officials said.

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SES PRESS RELEASE

SES S.A., the pre-eminent worldwide satellite operator, (Paris:SESG) (LuxX:SESG), reports on the financial performance in the three months to 31 March 2009.

Highlights

• Reported revenue of EUR 423.9 million, an increase of 8.4% over the prior year period
• Recurring1 revenue of EUR 423.4 million, an increase of 3.1% over the prior year period
• Reported EBITDA of EUR 308.9 million, an increase of 12.2% over the prior year period
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Russia's Phobos-Grunt spacecraft

Russian lunar and Mars missions face delays
SpaceFlightNow

The planned revival by Russia of its once mighty lunar and planetary robotic exploration program is beginning to falter due to Russian budget and spacecraft problems.

The difficulties are threatening to delay Russia’s first mission to the Moon in 33 years. A Russian roundtrip mission to the Martian moon Phobos is also in trouble.

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