PRESS RELEASE
The Conrad Foundation, in partnership with NASA Ames Research Center, today announced the winners of The Pete Conrad Spirit of Innovation Awards, a competition for high school students to contribute to America’s goal of improving science education by building a grassroots community of socially engaged scientists.
The winners and their projects in each category were:
Executives concerned about U.S. dominance in space
Reuters
The United States may lose its competitive edge in space unless it improves how it buys equipment, shores up its industrial base, and makes a firm commitment to human spaceflight, industry executives warned at a conference this week.
At the same time, companies must become more innovative and flexible to respond to rapidly evolving threats, industry executives and military officials said.
PRESS RELEASE
Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne completed a series of successful hot-fire tests for a propulsion system that could lead to increased mission capability and flexibility in sending humans to the moon, Mars and beyond. Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne is a United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX) company.
The Planetary Society is examining whether it can do a solar sail mission. The society attempted to test this experimental propulsion technology in 2005 with its Cosmos 1 mission; however, the Russian Volna rocket failed to reach orbit.
The Space Review has a couple of stories about the military uses of space: How should we secure our space-based assets as a nation? The White House has proposed negotiating a ban on space weapons, even though there is uncertainty about exactly what would be considered such a device. Christopher Stone argues that other measures can be taken to better protect the safety and security of space assets. North Korea […]
There are a number of interesting analysis pieces about what direction NASA should take and how it should get there.
Russian rocket plans may prompt new space race
Jim Oberg
New Scientist
Russia is embarking on its most ambitious space project since the heady days of the space race: planning a new spaceship, launcher and even a new launch site. The plans are remarkably similar to NASA’s Orion project and could provide a vital fallback if the US, Russia or other nations run into trouble with space missions.
Ares and Altair design contracts to be awarded
Flight International
Design contracts for NASA’s Ares V cargo launch vehicle (CaLV) and its Altair lunar lander payload are to be awarded in the next few days and weeks.
ROSKOSMOS PRESS RELEASES
On March 31, 2009, Dmitry Medvedev, President of the Russian Federation, signed Decree N 344 to award the Motherland Merit Order, III Degree, to Anatoly Perminov, Head of the Russian Federal Space Agency, for his great contribution into development of the Russian rocket and space industry and continuous effective work.
ROSKOSMOS PRESS RELEASE
Sixteen launches were carried out in the world within the first three months of 2009. Five of them were from Baikonur, two from Plesetsk. 6 launches were made by the USA (1 failed), 1 Japan, 1 ESA. Iran entered the “LV-club” after orbiting its first communication satellite.
“Where there is crisis, there is opportunity.”
“Where there is cheese, there is usually pizza.”
The Mars Society has decided to try to cash in on The Colbert Crisis by naming its Mars Desert Research Station after the late-night comedian:
Spaceport Could Spur CRE Development in New Mexico
Commercial Property News
Southern New Mexico is well on its way to becoming home to a burgeoning U.S. industry, commercial space flight–and the area could see a spate of new commercial real estate development to support that industry.
