|
April
7, 2008
Calling All Space Enterprise Advocates! California Space Day on May 13 (Source: CSA)
CSA's twelfth annual Space Day in Sacramento is planned on May 13. A
morning orientation will be followed by meetings throughout the Capitol
with various legislative leaders. A lunch is also planned with members
of the Governor's Administration and with leaders from NASA
Headquarters. The afternoon will be spent in meetings with more
legislators, followed by a reception in the Governor's Counsel
Chambers.
Plan to spend both Monday
and Tuesday nights in the host hotel, the Hyatt Capitol Park. Hotel
reservations are filling up, so if you haven't secured your rooms you
should. Call 800-233-1234 before April 21 to
obtain the negotiated rate. After that, prices
very well will go up. Be sure to inform the
reservations agent that you are with the California Space Authority.
For information, contact Randall
Echevarria via email or at 916-551-1543.
Visit http://www.californiaspaceauthority.org/spacedaysacto2008/registration.html
for registration. (4/4)
Yuri's Night Planned at Ames on April 12 (Source: CSA)
This year the San
Francisco Bay Area will be home to the largest Yuri's Night celebration
ever. Over 8,000 people will join astronauts, artists, musicians,
scientists and engineers to lean, celebrate, and pay tribute to our
global space heritage. For more information and tickets
www.yurisnightbayarea.net
Massive Job Cuts in Space Program Likely (Source: AP)
More than 8,000 NASA contractor jobs in the nation's manned space
program could be eliminated after the space shuttle program is shut
down in 2010, the agency said. The number of civil servants is expected
to remain roughly the same, but dramatic job cuts are possible among
private contractors as NASA transitions to the Constellation program,
which is developing the next-generation vehicle and rockets to go to
the moon and later to Mars. Officials cautioned that the estimates of
job losses were preliminary and don't take into account numerous
factors of potential workload. NASA acknowledged job losses could
fluctuate depending on who's occupying the White House next year and
their support for space exploration.
The bleakest forecast was issued for Kennedy Space Center, where just 1,600 to
2,300 employees were expected to remain in 2011, a cut of up to 80
percent from its current 8,000 contractor workers. Florida Gov. Charlie
Crist said the state was committed to trying to blunt the impact of the
job losses with an aggressive effort to lure new contractors to the
area that would work with future NASA flights, as well as private
launches. In all, he said the state was trying to attract more than 50
space-related firms to the state. "This rapid shift is opening doors
for new companies and technologies that are blurring the previous
separations between aviation and spaceflight," Crist said. (4/1)
80% of KSC Contractors Could Lose Jobs After Shuttle Program
Ends (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
In the bleakest employment forecast yet for Kennedy Space Center, a
NASA report due out today estimates that as many as 6,400 contractors
could lose their jobs after the space shuttle is retired in 2010. By
2011, only 1,600 to 2,300 jobs are likely to remain for workers
assigned to the shuttle or its successor, called Constellation,
according to NASA estimates. And that assumes the program is supported
by the president who will take office in January, an assumption that's
by no means certain. The drastic job cuts are a consequence of NASA
retiring the shuttle to make room for Constellation, which isn't
scheduled to begin flights until 2015. And that's only if NASA can
overcome budget and technical problems dogging the program's Ares 1
rocket and Orion capsule. (4/1)
Job Losses Will Bring $1.5 Billion Annual Florida Impact
(Source: Florida Today)
With up to 6,400 Florida space jobs in jeopardy with the Shuttle's
retirement, economic analyses indicate that at least as many
KSC-dependent non-space jobs could also be lost in the communities
around the space center. Local officials are now hoping to offset an
estimated $1.5 billion per-year blow to the local economy. (4/2)
Shuttle Retirement May Cost 2,300 Jobs in Houston (Source:
Houston Chronicle)
As many as 2,300 people, most of them contractors, could lose their
jobs at Johnson Space Center as the shuttle fleet nears retirement in
two years. The number of permanent civil servants would essentially
remain flat. The losses at Johnson Space Center could amount to as few
as 400 jobs through 2011 if work quickly picks up on the Constellation
program, the initiative to build a successor to the shuttle for
missions to the moon and Mars. That would depend on an increase in
congressional funding and support by the next president. (4/2)
More Than 1,000 Jobs May
Be Lost at Michoud (Source: Times Picayune)
NASA's plan to phase out its space shuttle program could mean the loss
of as many as 1,300 jobs at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New
Orleans during the next five years. But NASA officials say that figure
represents a "worse than worst-case scenario." What is more, hundreds
of new jobs will be created as NASA pursues the Constellation program,
the next step in its ambitious plan to return to the moon. It will take
NASA engineers several years to design the new system, but most of the
hardware for the Constellation program eventually will be built at the
Michoud plant. (4/2)
Marshall Jobs 'Pretty Stable' (Source: Huntsville Times)
As NASA retires the space shuttle, Marshall Space Flight Center work is
steadily moving toward developing the next set of rockets for the space
agency, center Director Dave King said. The shuttle is slated to retire
by the end of 2010, meaning many NASA workers - mostly civilian
contractors - will be out of a job after the final flight. Marshall
jobs are "pretty stable and will continue to be so," King said, because
its engineers and contractors are developing the Ares I and Ares V
rockets. These are the launch vehicles NASA plans to use to send
astronauts to the International Space Station and, possibly, on to the
moon. "That's an advantage of being a development center and, since the
Ares is in the development stage, we have stable work," he said. (4/3)
Alabama Center Gains While
Other Centers Suffer Job Losses (Source: NSS-SCC)
Although the numbers remain worst-case estimates, it looks like NASA
facilities in Florida, Texas, and Louisiana will lose thousands of jobs
with the retirement of the Space Shuttle program. Florida’s Kennedy
Space Center will be hardest hit with up to 6,400 jobs lost. Meanwhile,
Alabama’s Marshall Space Flight Center is positioned to gain between
400-2,400 jobs. Alabama can thank its aggressive Congressional
Delegation for protecting and expanding the center’s responsibilities
and programs, despite NASA's Ten Healthy Centers policy aimed
at maintaining sustainable workloads for all its centers nationwide.
(4/2)
NASA Glenn Center's Tech Transfer Program Running Out of Money
(Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer)
A fruitful program that spun NASA Glenn technology into Ohio business
will die on the vine unless more money is found, frustrated business
leaders say. The Glenn Alliance for Technology Exchange, known as GATE,
has no prospects for funding, after expending a $3.2 million
congressional earmark. The money seeded efforts to spin off NASA Glenn
Research Center technology to eight small, regional companies and to
spur research and development of technologies that promise commercial
success. (4/3)
Public Invited to Discuss Clean-Up Plan for NASA Glenn Property
(Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer)
The Ohio EPA is hosting a public meeting to air the cleanup plan for
the NASA Glenn Research Center property in Brook Park. On April 14,
officials will discuss the contamination in the west-central part of
the 364-acre facility. After considering six alternatives, EPA is
recommending that NASA removes contaminated soil and use the property
for commercial or industrial purposes. (4/3)
NASA Langley Told to Speed Up Spending (Source:
DailyPress.com)
The slow speed at which NASA has been spending the money allocated to
it by Congress caused lawmakers to pull about $200 million from the
space agency's budget last year — a hit that cost Hampton's NASA
Langley Research Center $5 million. The agency-wide cut amounted to
about 1 percent of the NASA budget, while Langley's slice was less than
1 percent of its total. But NASA leaders are now putting an emphasis on
speeding up procurement and spending, lest Congress decide to send more
of its cash elsewhere. (4/3)
NASA Vision Not Getting Funded, Experts Find (Source:
Reuters)
An ambitious vision to take people to the moon and Mars may fall apart
before it even gets off the ground because of uncertain planning and
inadequate funding, several experts said on Thursday. A GAO report said
NASA's replacement for the space shuttle is in jeopardy, and members of
Congress as well as at least one former astronaut agreed at a hearing
on the issue. (4/3)
Mikulski Pledges To Keep Fighting To Boost NASA Budget by $1
Billion (Source: Space News)
U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), said she will try again this year
to get NASA an extra $1 billion to pay back the agency for what it
spent in the aftermath of the 2003 Space Shuttle Columbia accident.
(4/3)
Editorial: Both Parties Should Save Space (Source:
Politico)
Americans’ support for building on the “greatest generation’s”
achievements in space is so broad and deep that both political parties
ought to include similar planks at their conventions this summer to
commit the U.S. to continued and expanded space exploration. One
quantifiable measure of deep popular support is successive Gallup
polls. They show that, notwithstanding other issues that divide voters,
Americans remain steadfast that space exploration is an important
priority that deserves taxpayer funding. Americans’ support for space
exploration is ingrained. It crosses political party lines. The
foundation of our respect for the results of innovation and advancing
technology goes back to the first days of the United States. Visit http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0308/9282.html
to view the article. (4/1)
Weldon, Feeney Seek to Prolong Shuttle Program (Source:
Florida Today)
As NASA warned the nation against overreacting to its grim employment
forecast, some of Florida's congressional delegation braced themselves
for some painful possibilities. "When I practiced medicine, I always
tried to be honest with my patients about their condition. Sometimes
that was hard to do," said Rep. Dave Weldon, a physician. As a way to
mitigate the losses, both lawmakers pushed for passage of Weldon's
Space Act legislation, which would infuse future NASA budgets with more
than $10 billion to prolong shuttle flights until the Constellation
program becomes operational.
Both Weldon and Feeney pointed out that Congress was expected this week
to authorize a $30 billion program supported by President Bush that
would extend an HIV-prevention program in Africa for another five
years. "You could retire the entire shuttle gap of five years if you
spent $7 or $8 billion of that money," Feeney said. "I'm offended by
the notion that the administration and Congress is deliberately going
to create huge problems for American human space flight while we're
spending $30 billion to Africa." (Source: 4/2)
Shuttle Plan Won't Fly for Safety Group (Source: Florida
Today)
Independent safety experts say it would be dangerous to fly NASA
shuttles beyond 2010, and doing so could lengthen a five-year gap in
the nation's ability to launch American astronauts, NASA warns. But
some argue the 6,400 job cuts projected for Kennedy Space Center could
be reduced by flying shuttles twice a year until replacement rockets
and spaceships are ready. U.S. Reps. Dave Weldon and Tom Feeney say it
could be done by giving NASA about $2 billion more a year to pay for
the added shuttle flights and speed up development of spacecraft for
missions to the moon and Mars.
What the Republican congressmen propose is possible. The plan could
reduce or even eliminate an anticipated five-year gap in NASA human
space flight, potentially saving thousands of jobs. But people inside
and outside NASA nonetheless raised financial, practical and safety
concerns. NASA's shuttle program already is winding down. Production
lines are shutting down. Suppliers no longer are making critical
shuttle parts. Vendors are moving on to other businesses. Consequently,
shuttle operations after the planned retirement date in 2010 might be
dangerous and even NASA says it makes no financial sense. (4/6)
Florida County Appeals for Space Support (Source: Florida
Today)
Brevard County commissioners voted to ask every fellow commissioner
across the state to write their congressional representatives in
support of space industry jobs. The action followed news that Kennedy
Space Center could lose more than 6,000 jobs by 2011, after the
shuttle’s retirement. The commission also asked the Economic
Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast to analyze the
potential economic impact of the job losses, which were higher than
previous estimates. (4/1)
Editorial: Space Coast Needs Aggressive New Plan (Source:
Orlando Sentinel)
Space Coast advocates at all levels need to be working together to move
up the 2015 launch date on NASA's next vehicle, and to land more of the
work on that program for the area. They need to attract more
investments from the burgeoning commercial space industry. And they
need to seize opportunities to diversify the area's economy, so its
fortunes don't rely so heavily on space. Moving up the next vehicle's
launch date would require a boost in NASA's budget, but advocates have
some good arguments beyond preserving jobs. Under current plans, U.S.
astronauts traveling to the international space station after shuttles
are grounded will have to hitch rides on Russian spacecrafts. And other
countries, including China, are racing ahead with their own space
programs.
Meanwhile, Florida will win more work on the next vehicle and more
commercial space investments if the state gets more aggressive in
pursuing them. And there's no need to sacrifice pristine wilderness to
do it. Two Space Coast legislators, Rep. Thad Altman and Sen. Bill
Posey, have proposed a smart package of initiatives to help Florida
keep up amid fierce competition from other states and other countries.
(4/3)
Florida Governor Announces Space Efforts (Source: EOG)
Governor Charlie Crist and Lt. Governor Jeff Kottkamp announced Space
Florida’s efforts to attract commercial space companies to Florida,
including Bigelow Aerospace, XCOR, Rocketplane Corporation, as well as
competing teams for the Google Lunar X Prize. In addition, Space
Florida is also negotiating with Orbital Sciences Corp. to win their
business for Florida. In total, Space Florida is aggressively pursuing
more than 50 different space-related firms for the commercial Florida’s
space market.
“The involvement of entrepreneurs and private corporations in the
United States’ launches is creating new economic opportunities for our
state’s aerospace industry,” Governor Crist said. “This rapid shift is
opening doors for new companies and technologies that are blurring the
previous separations between aviation and spaceflight – and between
civil, military and commercial industries.” (4/1)
Startup SpaceX Could Boost Florida Economy (Source:
Florida Today)
SpaceX and other companies working on NASA's crew-cargo privatization
program have the potential to bring jobs and manufacturing operations
to Florida. The company plans to launch its Falcon 9 rocket from Cape
Canaveral next year. "Florida is certainly key for us," Vice President
Gwynne Shotwell said. "It's possible we will increase our footprint in
Florida even further." The company could take over additional launch
pads or expand its work in Florida to include refurbishment of reusable
portions of its vehicles. (4/3)
Editorial: ZERO-G
Committed to Florida, Brevard (Source: Florida Today)
In response to a recent Florida Today article regarding Zero-G's
purchase by Space Adventures, the companies' CEO's wrote a joint letter
to clarify Zero-G's plans in Florida. Dr. Peter Diamandis wrote that
Zero-G "will continue to operate in Brevard County at the same, and
hopefully increased, levels in the future, thanks to our partnership
with Florida in Education and Workforce programs and a Space Act
agreement we have in place to utilize the Space Shuttle Landing
Facility...The Space Coast very much remains our operational
headquarters for Zero-G education, research and tourism programs."
"We are actively engaging Florida state agencies, educational
institutions and private industry to develop microgravity education,
workforce training and research that will be unrivaled by any other
space state. Our recent $25 million NASA research and training contract
will allow the company to grow, and we are hopeful that a portion of
this award will lead to additional flights from Kennedy Space
Center...While ZERO-G operates nationwide, currently, 50 percent of our
flights take place in Florida. Additionally, significantly more than 50
percent of our costs are expended in Florida, including those for all
of our pilots, maintenance and aircraft operations." (4/2)
Space Scientists Support Alzheimer's Research (Source:
LabTechnologist.com)
A new theory on the origins of Alzheimer's has divided opinion in the
medical world, but if proved right could revolutionize treatment.
Florida Tech scientist Dr. Shaohua Xu of Florida's Space Life Sciences
Lab at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) has won recent grants from the state
and NASA to test his theory. Conventional wisdom dictates that when tau
protein joins together to form tangled fibers at the start of
Alzheimer's, each tau molecule joins to the fiber's tip. Xu believes
differently: "First, molecules of the tau protein cluster together into
spheres, each almost the same size. Next, the spheres join together in
linear chains like beads on a string. In the third stage the beads
merge together to form a uniform filament identical to those found in
the brains of patients with the disease."
"Shaohua's theory is revolutionary; his evidence is overwhelming. The
medical implications are beyond anything in my experience," said
advocate Dr Daniel Woodard at KSC, who was the first medical doctor to
review Xu's work. "This could be the most important biomedical
discovery ever made at Kennedy Space Center," echoed NASA physician
David Tipton, chief of the Aerospace Medicine and Environmental Health
Branch at KSC.
Hibernation Method Tested for Space Travel (Source:
Discovery)
No matter how much you like your crewmates, a three-year mission to
Mars would test the even the best of relationships. And that's not even
the primary reason why future long-duration space travelers may spend
part of the journey in suspended animation. There's the tremendous
expense of carrying food, oxygen and carbon dioxide scrubbers to keep
astronauts alive, not to mention the hassle of processing their urine
and feces. "Wouldn't it be neat if you could just put them out?" said
Warren Zapol, the head of anesthesiology at Harvard University's
Massachusetts General Hospital.
One option would be to cool the crew cabin into a big chill. But body
temperatures below 30 Celsius (86 degrees F) can disturb the heart's
rhythm. Another possibility would be to have the astronauts breathe
swamp gas. Zapol and colleagues report in this month's Anesthesiology
journal about how hydrogen sulfide -- the same stuff produced by rotten
eggs and swamp gas -- slows mouse metabolism without cutting blood flow
to the brain. (4/4)
Indoor Plant, Outer-Space History (Source: Philadelphia
Inquirer)
Thanks to outer space, Arietta Varner's African violets produce
half-dollar-size blooms nearly year-round and need little care. Her two
plants come from a strain grown from seeds that spent about six years
in space in the 1980s. The seeds were exposed to radiation, which
caused certain genetic mutations. When the space seeds were returned to
Earth, some plants grown from them were hardier and bloomed almost
constantly. A company called Optimara cultivated the plants and
marketed them as Space Violets. "They don't need hardly any attention.
I take care of them and water them, and she admires them," said Ron
Varner. He uses Miracle-Gro on most of his flora. But the chemical
fertilizer is unnecessary for the space violet, he said. (4/6)
Superconductors Could Help Spacecraft Hover (Source: EE
Times)
Luke Skywalker's space racer hovered unpowered above the ground in the
seminal Star Wars movie, but scientists have searched in vain for a
real-world technology that realizes the same dream. Now, Cornell
University researchers propose that superconductors paired with
permanent magnets could fit the bill. Superconductor technologies
designed at Cornell aim to hold space-station modules and satellites in
place without tethers or retrorockets by magnetically "pinning" them in
place. Using unpowered superconductors and fixed permanent magnets, the
Cornell researchers claim a new-age solution to longstanding stability
and control problems in space vehicles. Visit http://www.eetimes.com/news/latest/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=207001324
to view the article.
Researchers Studying Matter-Antimatter Split (Source:
Scientific American)
Nature may have handed scientists a new clue in a longstanding mystery:
how matter beat out antimatter for dominance of the universe. Early
data from twin experiments at the Tevatron, the world's reigning
particle accelerator at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
(Fermilab) in Batavia, Ill., suggest an unexpected chink in the hugely
successful standard model of particle physics. The twist comes from odd
behavior in a particle called the BS (pronounced "B-sub-S"), which
flips back and forth between its matter and antimatter forms three
trillions times per second. Researchers believe that such a breakdown,
known as CP violation, is required to explain why matter is so abundant.
Researchers say the finding is well worth following up to make sure it
is not a random clump in the data, as frequently happens in particle
physics experiments. "This is exciting, definitely," says physicist
Jacobo Konigsberg of the University of Florida in Gainesville,
co-spokesperson for CDF, one of two detectors that may have glimpsed
the effect. Antimatter is well-known to science fiction fans as the
stuff that explodes on contact with regular particles such as protons
and electrons, which have the same mass as their antiparticles but the
opposite charge. The hot, early universe contained equal parts matter
and antimatter. (4/3)
Mini-Black Hole is Smallest Ever but Still Strong (Source:
Reuters)
NASA scientists have identified the smallest black hole ever found --
less than four times the mass of our sun and about the size of a large
city. But the mini-black hole, dubbed J1650, could still stretch a
person into a "strand of spaghetti" with its pull, the researchers
said. (4/2)
'Peanut' Stars May Explain Strange Supernovae (Source: New
Scientist)
A pair of yellow supergiant stars, orbiting so close to one another
that they form a single peanut-shaped object, has been discovered in a
nearby galaxy. The astronomers who discovered it say that similar
conjoined giants might be the source of some unusual supernova
explosions. The stellar peanut inhabits a small galaxy called Holmberg
IX, around 12 million light years from Earth. It was discovered using
the Large Binocular Telescope in Arizona. Over a period of 270 days,
the team saw the star dim twice. This behavior can be explained if
there are actually two stars rotating around each other, so each
periodically blocks the light from its neighbor. The precise shape of
this "light curve" reveals that the two stars are bloated enough to
share their outer regions, forming the peanut shape. (4/1)
CalPoly University Hosts
CubeSat Developers’ Workshop (Source: CSA)
The CubeSat program
creates launch opportunities for universities previously unable to
access space. With over 60 universities and high schools participating
in the CubeSat program, the educational benefits are tremendous. The
CubeSat program also benefits private firms and government by providing
a low-cost way of flying payloads in space, all while creating
important educational opportunities for future leaders of industry.
Visit http://cubesat.atl.calpoly.edu/pages/workshops/developers-workshop-2008.php
Cornell University Student-Built Satellite System Ready For
Launch (Source: SpaceDaily.com)
Cornell University's CUSat - a student-built, identical-twin satellite
system designed to separate so that one twin can obtain
three-dimensional images of the other - is one of the three finalists
for a June launch from the SpaceX launch complex in the Central Pacific
Marshall Islands. Cornell has built the pair of satellites with funding
from the Air Force's University Nanosatellite Program. If chosen from
among the finalists, CUSat will be the first spacecraft launched by the
U.S. Department of Defense's newly formed Operationally Responsive
Space (ORS) office. (4/3)
University of Maine Team to Test Inflatable Habitats for NASA
(Source: UMaine)
NASA faces many challenges in its quest to establish a colony on the
moon by 2020, and providing suitable shelter for the next generation of
space explorers is at the top of the list. An inflatable lunar habitat,
one of several concepts now on the drawing boards, must be lightweight
and flexible enough to minimize packaging size and transportation
costs. Once deployed, the expanded structure must provide its occupants
ample living and work space as well as withstand the rigors of the
moon's brutal, airless environment for weeks or months on end.
Supported by NASA funds issued through the Maine Space Grant
Consortium, Vince Caccese, a professor of mechanical engineering, is
examining how flexible fabric-like materials used in inflatable
structures wrinkle under shearing strain and how that deformation can
be eliminated by making the materials rigid. The rigidifying process,
he says, involves treating the materials with a chemical or resin-like
material that can then be activated with some form of energy acting as
a catalyst. The UMaine team will include researchers from the
departments of mechanical, electrical, civil and environmental
engineering as well as graduate and undergraduate students. Researchers
plan to run tests on a small inflatable structure developed by a
leading aerospace contractor to see how it compares to computer models.
(4/3)
University of Wisconsin Students Compete to Promote NASA
(Source: UW)
From creating a space-based reality show called "NASA's Next" to
assisting local organic farmers, the University of Wisconsin-Madison's
NASA Means Business team has a slew of ideas about how to promote NASA.
As part of a national collegiate competition, the team has developed a
NASA Spaceflight Promotion Plan designed to market everything from
NASA's well-known International Space Station to its lesser-known
programs, such as research into organic foods. The team was one of four
teams selected to move on to the final round this semester. In May, the
team will travel to the Kennedy Space Center to present their final
proposal at the 10th annual NASA Customer Engagement Conference. (4/2)
Arizona University Mars Research the Topic of Free Lectures
(Source: Tucson Citizen)
Mars exploration is becoming a hotter and hotter topic as the
University of Arizona-led Phoenix Mars Lander mission nears its target.
Four free lectures on Mars research will be held at 11 a.m. Saturdays
in April at the UA's Biosphere 2. The $420 million Phoenix mission,
which left Earth on Aug. 4 on a 423-million-mile journey, is slated to
land in Mars' arctic region May 25. It will analyze soil and ice
samples scooped from the surface for evidence of water and the elements
of life. "This is a really incredible event, the first time the
university has run a planetary mission like this," said one official.
(4/2)
West Virginia Legislature Passes "Bucks for Brains" Legislation
(Source: SGPB)
West Virginia became the latest state to initiate a “Bucks for Brains”
economic development strategy. The West Virginia program, inspired by
programs in other states such as Georgia, Oklahoma, Missouri, and
Kentucky, provides $50 million in state funds for an endowment to
assist research at West Virginia and Marshall universities and draw
world-class researchers to the state. (4/2)
University of Virginia Official Urges Congress to Back
Exploration (Source: UVA)
Kathryn Thornton, professor and associate dean at the School of
Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Virginia, told a
congressional committee today that it is time for humans to go beyond
low Earth orbit because "orbiting the earth, as thrilling as it is, is
not exploring space." Thornton, who served for 12 years as an
astronaut, was among four individuals invited to testify before the
House Committee on Science and Technology's Subcommittee on Space and
Aeronautics. She was invited for the role she played in organizing and
co-chairing an independent workshop, "Examining the Vision: Balancing
Exploration and Science," held last February at Stanford University.
(4/4)
GAO: Shuttle Successor Flawed, Dangerous (Source: Orlando
Sentinel)
NASA's Constellation program -- the successor to the aging space
shuttle -- faces critical problems and might never work as intended,
according to a congressional Government Accountability Office report.
The report ticks off a list of difficult issues, especially with the
Ares I rocket, which it said is prone to violent shaking on liftoff and
might not have enough power to reach orbit with a capsule full of
astronauts. In fact, according to GAO, the whole project is dogged by
such "considerable unknowns" that it is doubtful whether NASA's request
for an additional $2 billion during the next two years will be enough
to overcome design flaws and speed its development for a first liftoff
before 2015.
"We do not know yet whether the architecture and design solutions
selected by NASA will work as intended," says the 20-page report. It
was presented at a congressional hearing that is taking a critical look
at NASA's plan to return astronauts to the moon by 2020. The GAO
identified several areas that could delay Constellation: Orion's weight
and Ares' lifting capacity; excessive Ares vibration; heat shield
issues for Orion; and insufficient test facilities for the Ares I and
Orion systems.
Doubts over the viability of Ares and Orion, which are the two major
components of the Constellation program, add to concerns by NASA
supporters that the president who takes office in January could gut or
abandon the project. U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, the leading Democratic
candidate, has already questioned the need to keep the moon-rocket
program on track. Visit http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/space/orl-nasa0308apr03,0,7779196.story
to view the article. (4/3)
NASA Unfazed by GAO Findings (Source: Florida Today)
A NASA official told lawmakers Thursday that the space agency concurs
with government auditors' findings about troubles with proposed new
rockets and spaceships, and is working to fix them as soon as possible.
Richard Gilbrech said NASA has made "great progress in better
understanding the issue" surrounding excessive engine vibrations,
identifying several ways to fix the problem. "It is a problem common of
all rocket motors," the associate administrator of NASA's Exploration
Systems Mission Directorate said. "To me that's nothing that's
alarming. These are the types of things you run across when you start
to develop new rockets and try to integrate them." Gilbrech said that
for him, a bigger risk for the program is whether the nation elects a
new president who will cut the space program. (4/4)
Shock Absorbers May Fix Rocket Shaking (Source: AP)
To fix a potentially fatal shaking problem on its snazzy new moon
rocket, NASA is considering something that works for mud-stained pickup
trucks: heavy-duty shock absorbers. For nearly half a year, NASA's No.
1 technical problem in designing its Ares I rocket has been a sound
wave vibration problem from its solid rocket motors. The leading
solution is to put weight on springs in parts of the bottom end of the
rocket and underneath astronauts' seats to dampen the vibrations. (4/3)
Status Update: Ares I Thrust Oscillation Mitigation
(Source: NasaSpaceFlight.com)
One of the top "RED" concerns for Ares I - Thrust Oscillation - has
received an array of potential mitigation techniques, varying from
detuning the vehicle, adding inhibitors, to a configuration change to a
four segment first stage. A huge engineering effort is being conducted
on solving the issue. Visit http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/content/?cid=5394
to view the article. (4/2)
NASA Cancels Ares I Crew Launch Vehicle Test Study
(Source: Flight International)
NASA has stopped a study it commissioned from the Aerospace Corporation
that would have informed the agency’s flight test planning for the Ares
I crew launch vehicle and its Orion crew exploration vehicle, but has
been unable to explain why the work ceased. The commissioned study,
which took place in 2007, was being carried out simultaneously with an
internal NASA report and dealt with the Constellation program’s Ares I
ground-test requirements. “We completed aspects of the study, but not
the entire study as we envisioned. We provided NASA what we had, but
received no authorization or request to proceed with further
development of the study,” says Aerospace. (4/2)
Congress Considers Ares/Orion Alternative (Source: Orlando
Sentinel)
Among the topics outlined for the April 3 Congressional hearing on
NASA's Constellation program was the option to revise the agency's
Ares/Orion approach to replacing the Space Shuttle. Enough doubts
remain about Ares/Orion that lawmakers planned to ask Richard Gilbrech,
NASA's associate administrator for exploration, about possible
alternatives to the Ares rocket, including a shuttle-derived system
known as Direct. Developed independently of NASA but based on the
agency's designs from the 1980s, Direct would use the shuttle's giant
external fuel tank and two solid-rocket boosters to blast a capsule --
rather than a shuttle orbiter -- into space. (4/3)
Speeding Up COTS Crew Option Studied (Aerospace Daily)
NASA has nearly finished a study on the feasibility of accelerating the
crew transport portion of its Commercial Orbital Transportation
Services (COTS) program, which for now remains focused exclusively on
cargo. During testimony April 3, Richard Gilbrech, NASA's associate
administrator for exploration, said the agency would be happy to share
the results of the study with lawmakers as soon as it is completed.
"We're in the final stages of vetting that," he said. SpaceX and
Orbital Sciences have been funded under the COTS program to develop
commercial options for transporting cargo - and eventually crew - to
the Space Station. So far only SpaceX has said it also plans to develop
crew transport capability for COTS. Some lawmakers have expressed the
desire for NASA to speed that part of the effort to help narrow the
expected post-Shuttle gap in U.S. human spaceflight capability. (4/3)
The Next Battlestar (Source: Space Review)
NASA's science program, already constrained by tight budgets, will soon
have to take on the challenge of both a flagship outer planets mission
and a Mars sample return mission. Taylor Dinerman questions whether the
agency can handle two such major missions at the same time. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1094/1
to view the article. (3/31)
Moon Seen as Laboratory for Life (Source: Space.com)
There are many fascinating places in our solar system to explore, but
space missions are dangerous and expensive. Sending robots instead of
people helps reduce these drawbacks. For this kind of exploration,
Professor Bernard Foing looks to the Moon, Mars and beyond, hoping to
discover tantalizing secrets useful to astrobiologists. Foing is the
senior research coordinator at the ESA space science department, and
executive director of the International Lunar Exploration Working
Group. Foing sees potential in using our Moon as a unique laboratory to
export life from Earth to other worlds. Visit http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/080403-am-moon-development.html
to view the article (4/3)
Giant Robots Could Carry Lunar Bases on Their Backs
(Source: New Scientist)
NASA engineers are testing out a giant, six-legged robot that could
pick up and move a future Moon base thousands of kilometers across the
lunar surface, allowing astronauts to explore much more than just the
area around their landing site. In a 2005 report about its exploration
plans, NASA said it wanted to set up a base at a fixed location on the
Moon after initially returning humans there in 2020. But a gargantuan
robotic vehicle called ATHLETE (All-Terrain Hex-Legged
Extra-Terrestrial Explorer) could change that. Measuring about 7.5
metres wide, with legs more than 6 meters long, the robot could act
essentially like a turtle, carrying the astronauts' living quarters
around on its back. It was designed by engineers at JPL in California,
who are now testing two small-scale prototypes of the robot. (4/4)
Internal Audit Raps NASA for Handling of Aviation Survey
(Source: AP)
NASA shut down a massive air-safety survey project without ever
properly evaluating, explaining or publicizing its purpose and results,
and thus lost a chance for valuable insight into safety issues, the
space agency's inspector general said. The watchdog office said NASA
should interpret and analyze the results of its interviews with some
30,000 pilots, but NASA in a written response continued to reject that
idea. NASA will evaluate the methodology that its staff used in the
$11.3 million project, but going further to actually report on the
findings isn't worthwhile because the interviews, which were stopped at
the end of 2004, are less relevant with the passage of time, wrote the
agency's associate administrator. (4/1)
NASA's Pre-College Education Programs Critiqued (Source:
SpaceRef.com)
The federal role in precollege science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics (STEM) education is receiving increasing attention in light
of the need to support public understanding of science and to develop a
strong scientific and technical workforce in a competitive global
economy. Agencies like NASA are being looked to as a resource for
enhancing precollege STEM education and bringing more young people to
scientific and technical careers. The space agency faces an aerospace
workforce skewed toward those close to retirement. In addition, public
support for the agency's missions stems in part from public
understanding of the importance of the agency's contributions in
science, engineering, and space exploration. Visit http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12081
to view the report. (4/4)
DOD Programs are Overbudget, Behind Schedule, GAO Says
(Source: AIA)
Dozens of the DOD's weapons programs are years behind schedule and
billions over budget, according to the Government Accountability
Office. A DOD spokesman said the Pentagon is evaluating the GAO's
comments. "We'd like to look at what GAO has said, and then at the
appropriate time make an informed comment," he said. The GAO said the
delays and costs were the result of technologies that are not mature
enough to enter production and the length of time required to develop a
system. (4/2)
Military Space Radar Cancellation Confirmed (Source:
Aviation Week)
Cancellation of the Space Radar (SR) program, now confirmed by
contractors, marks another setback for the snakebitten U.S. military
space imaging program. Two teams, led by Lockheed Martin and Northrop
Grumman, had been working on SR, directed by an integrated program
office (IPO) involving the U.S. Space & Missile Center, the
National Reconnaissance Office and the National Geospatial-Intelligence
Agency (NGA). Under a January 2005 restructuring, which created the
IPO, the government had been due to select a single contractor team in
fiscal 2009, leading to first launch in 2016.
Space Radar has been under pressure because of high costs. A
Congressional Budget Office study in early 2007 postulated that the SR
would need a 40-square meter active electronically scanned array
antenna to achieve its target of 10-centimeter resolution in spotlight
mode. However, it would not be able to track moving targets on the
ground at an affordable constellation size: the cost of even a bare
minimum nine-satellite system was estimated at $35 billion-$50 billion.
(4/2)
Congress Could Push Space Security Strategy (Source:
Aviation Week)
Congressional auditors at the Government Accountability Office (GAO)
are sounding an alarm that the Bush administration never issued a
National Security Space Strategy and they are suggesting lawmakers
consider forcing defense and intelligence leaders to work out
differences and publish a plan. It has been almost four years since the
White House was originally expected to deliver the plan. Doubts have
grown in recent years after several military and intelligence space
programs experienced high-profile setbacks, and lawmakers have
increasingly questioned the government’s ability to carry them out or
oversee industry’s work. (3/31)
Civilian Space Booms; How
Much Should Military Use? (Source: Defense News)
The outlook remains strong
for companies that provide space-based imagery and communications to
U.S. defense and intelligence agencies, although federal officials have
not yet struck a consensus on how often to depend on non-governmental
assets. Federal use of commercial space soared after 1996, when
President Bill Clinton signed a national space policy that said
Washington would use "commercial imagery satellites to augment its
capabilities, save money and help ensure the health of the domestic
industry," according to the Center for Defense Information. (4/5)
Aerospace Group Pushes for Floor on Defense Spending
(Source: AIA)
Members of the Aerospace Industries Association want to see a floor of
4% of GDP spent on defense, AIA President Marion Blakey said. She said
a defense treaty between the U.S. and U.K. that could be ratified this
spring could allow companies to exchange goods without an export
license. "It's a game-changer, the ability for us to work together
closely on technologies," Blakey said. Meanwhile, European aerospace
and defense companies are being urged to sign an ethics code as part of
an effort to improve the industry's reputation. (4/2)
Lawmakers Own Nearly $200M
in Defense Investments (Source: AIA)
A report by a nonpartisan research group found members of Congress have
up to $196 million collectively invested in defense companies. The
Center for Responsive Politics report noted that some of the companies
are not typical defense firms. The study found that more Republicans
than Democrats own defense stocks. (4/4)
Air Force Awards United Launch Alliance MUOS Satellite Launch
Contract (Source: ULA)
The Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center awarded United Launch
Alliance a contract modification to perform the launch services for the
U.S. Navy's first Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) satellite aboard
an Atlas V Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle. The anticipated launch
date is the first quarter of 2010 from Launch Complex 41 at the Cape
Canaveral Spaceport. (4/1)
China to Launch Venezuela-Uruguay Satellite in 2008
(Source: RIA Novosti)
Venezuela and Uruguay plan to have their own communications satellite
in space by the end of 2008. Under an agreement signed in 2005, the
China Great Wall Industry Corp was contracted to design, manufacture,
test and put into orbit the VENESAT-1 for Venezuela. Uruguay later
joined the $241-million project, financing 10% of its cost. The launch
is scheduled for late September-early November. The satellite, designed
to have a service life of 15 years, will be launched from Xichang
spaceport in Southwest China atop a CZ-3B rocket. (4/2)
LandLaunch Mission Will Fly Israeli Satellite (Source:
SpaceDaily.com)
The launch of a modified Zenit rocket to put an Israeli communications
satellite into orbit has been scheduled for April 24 from Russia's
Baikonur spaceport in Kazakhstan. Russia started preparations for the
launch of a Zenit-3SLB rocket with a DM-SLB booster and Israeli AMOS-3
satellite on board in October last year. The Zenit-3SLB is a modernized
version of the Zenit-3SL carrier rocket whose launches have been
conducted from the Sea Launch consortium's floating launch platform in
the Pacific Ocean. (4/1)
Proton Accident Investigation Delays Rockot Launches as Well
(Source: Space News)
The launch of a European satellite to take precise measurements of
Earth's gravity field has been delayed by at least three months, to
August, because its Rockot launch vehicle uses the same hardware that
failed on a larger Russian Proton rocket in March. The satellite also
may need to be placed into a different orbit because of the delay,
program managers said April 3. (4/3)
India Plans 70 Space
Missions in Five Years (Source: The Hindu)
India plans to undertake 70 space missions in five years, a nearly
three-fold jump from the previous half-decade, as it seeks to address
requirements and develop new technologies to meet future needs. The
proposed missions have a "good mix" of both INSAT class satellites as
well as remote sensing ones. Nair, also Secretary in the Department of
Space, indicated that the aim is to address requirements of the area of
communication transponders and work in the fields of microwave remote
sensing, hyper spectral and other new technologies of the future. (4/4)
India Readies for Manned Mission by 2014 (Source: India PR
Wire)
The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has finalized its project
report for a manned mission by 2014-15. "The report is being submitted
to the government for approval and budgetary allocation. The Space
Commission, headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, will meet next
week or so to review the report and take a decision. We plan to launch
a manned mission in the next seven-eight years," ISRO chairman G.
Madhavan Nair said. The space agency's report has assessed technologies
and infrastructure facilities required to undertake the first such and
ambitious mission, which is estimated to cost about Rs.100 billion.
(4/4)
Italy Successfully Tests Vega's Second-Stage Zefiro 23
(Source: SpaceDaily.com)
Paris, France (ESA) Apr 01, 2008 - On 27 March 2008, the second stage
motor for Vega - Europe's new small launcher - successfully completed a
static firing test at the Salto Di Quirra Inter-force Test Range in
Sardinia, Italy. (4/1)
Korea Starts to Localize Space Rocket (Source: Korea Times)
South Korea has finished building the upper portion of its first space
rocket, which will carry a satellite into orbit in December. The Korea
Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) said Thursday that it has built the
top section of the Korea Space Launch Vehicle-1 (KSLV-1) with its own
workforce. Final testing was now underway. The project is one of the
country's moves into commercial exploitation of space, along with the
flight of the first Korean astronaut set for April 8. Lee So-youn is to
fly to the International Space Station via a Russian Soyuz spacecraft.
"The successful designing, production and testing of the rocket's core
parts has enabled Korea to obtain core technology for space vehicles,"
KARI said. (4/3)
Russian Rocket Rolled Out for Korean Astronaut's Launch
(Source: AFP)
The Russian Soyuz rocket due to take South Korea's first astronaut into
space was rolled out of its hangar on Sunday at Russia's Baikonur
spaceport. Yi So-Yeon, 29, is to take off on Tuesday for her 12-day
mission to the International Space Station along with Russian
cosmonauts Sergei Volkov and Oleg Kononenko in a key step for South
Korea's nascent space program. A biosystems engineer, Yi is preparing
to conduct a series of scientific experiments in space and has said she
will be bringing with her Korean specialities, including the classic
pickle dish kimchi. She has also voiced hope that her flight could help
reconcile the south and the north of the divided Korean peninsula.
South Korea is paying $27 million for her mission. (4/6)
Vietnam Delays Launch of First Satellite (Source:
SpaceDaily.com)
The launch of Vietnam's first satellite has been delayed by a week. The
Vinasat, originally scheduled for launch April 12, will now shuttle
into space on April 19. Commercial services launcher Arianespace, which
will send Vinasat from French Guiana, had warned that the launch could
be delayed if conditions were not optimal. The project, which cost
about $300 million, has been in the pipeline for more than 10 years.
(4/4)
Japan Recruits Astronauts for First Time in Decade
(Source: Space Daily)
Japan on Tuesday began recruiting astronauts for the first time in a
decade in the wake of a successful mission to carry Japan's maiden
space laboratory to the International Space Station. The Japan
Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) will pick three candidates using
screening procedures such as aptitude tests, medical checks and
interviews. JAXA said it would announce its selections in February
2009. The successful candidates will take various training programs at
NASA for two years before being certified as astronauts. (4/1)
Minister Jim Prentice Announces New Astronaut Search For Canada
(Source: SpaceDaily.com)
Longueuil, Canada (SPX) Apr 01, 2008 - The Honorable Jim Prentice,
Minister of Industry Canada and the Minister responsible for the
Canadian Space Agency, announced at Agency headquarters that the CSA
will begin a national astronaut recruitment campaign at the end of May
2008, to select astronauts to join its Canadian Astronaut Corps. (4/1)
Canada May Have New Astronauts, But No Industry to Go With Them
(Source: Ottawa Sun)
The Canadian Space Agency announced yesterday that it is launching a
year-long mission to find a few good recruits with the right stuff to
be astronauts. The two or three successful candidates among thousands
of expected applicants will train mostly at NASA, and probably for
years, for what may be a single out-of-this-world chance to fly in
space. Across Canada, this next generation of homegrown space pioneers
will come to represent some of the best and brightest this country has
to offer. Unfortunately, by the end of this month, our astronauts may
find themselves aboard the final mission of the Canadian space program
-- destination U.S.A. Even as the Conservative government is recruiting
new astronauts, it is deciding whether to allow the Americans to buy
much of the rest of this country's space program. (4/1)
MDA Boss Says Canadian Satellite Sale Wouldn't Hurt Canada
(Source: Vancouver Sun)
Canada will retain total control over its Radarsat-2 surveillance
satellite regardless of who owns it, says the head of the space company
whose proposed sale to U.S. interests has raised concerns about
national security. Daniel Friedmann, president of MacDonald, Dettwiler
and Associates (MDA), says fears that the sale of his company to a U.S.
defense contractor will jeopardize Canadian sovereignty are unfounded
because the satellite will continue to operate under Canada's rules.
"Canada's foreign affairs minister regulates everything about that
satellite," he said. (4/2)
NASA Rejects European ISS Logistics Idea (Source: Flight
International)
NASA has rejected a European proposal to permanently dock an
Italian-built Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) to the
International Space Station to try to insure against shortfalls in ISS
resupply after the Space Shuttle fleet is retired in 2010. The European
proposal envisaged the Thales Alenia Space-built MPLM, called
Raffaello, being permanently docked to the ISS's Harmony module's
zenith port from January 2010. (4/2)
European Space Freighter Makes ISS Docking Debut (Source:
Space.com)
Europe's first space freighter, the unmanned cargo ship Jules Verne,
made its docking debut at the International Space Station (ISS)
Thursday with a graceful arrival after weeks of waiting in Earth orbit.
The first of a new fleet of automated resupply ships, Jules Verne
successfully docked at the orbiting laboratory at about 10:40 a.m. EDT
under the watchful eye of station commander Peggy Whitson and flight
engineer Yuri Malenchenko. (4/3)
New Era In Space Travel Begins -- And The U.S. Is On The
Sidelines (Source: Minnesota Post)
A new era in space travel is set to open Thursday when an orbiting
freighter the size of a London double-decker bus is scheduled to dock
with the International Space Station and deliver fresh supplies. At the
same time American scientists and space buffs applaud this
breakthrough, many also lament the fact that it comes from Europe while
the United States prepares to move to the sidelines of space travel.
The three space shuttles still operating in the United States' fleet
are scheduled to retire in 2010. First launched in the 1980s, they are
expensive to operate. More important, their safety is an increasing
worry for the sake of astronauts aboard them. (4/2)
New Mexico Governor: NASA Chief Welcomes Commercial Space
Programs (Source: KOAT.com)
New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson said NASA Administrator Michael
Griffin can't promote New Mexico's spaceport over competing efforts in
Texas, California and Florida. But Richardson said Griffin supports
commercial space facilities. Richardson also said Griffin is familiar
with New Mexico's Spaceport America and the space assets New Mexico
offers. Richardson and the director of New Mexico's spaceport, Steve
Landeene, made the rounds in Washington this week, trying to secure
federal help in New Mexico's space commercialization efforts. They did
not land any immediate business or funding agreements. (4/3)
Gov. Richardson Seeks
Federal Help for New Mexico Spaceport (Source: Las Cruces
Sun-News)
Gov. Bill Richardson and
Steve Landeene, the director of New Mexico's spaceport, made the rounds
in Washington last week, trying to secure federal help in the state's
push toward space commercialization. The effort could produce long-term
payoffs after Richardson secured expressions of support from NASA's top
boss and a key congressional leader. The New Mexico site needs help
from another agency before it can become fully operational — the
Federal Aviation Administration, which must authorize use of airspace
for suborbital space flights. Richardson and Landeene didn't meet with
FAA officials.
NASA recently announced
plans to contract with private firms on suborbital research and
training missions. Landeene said the decision offers a tremendous
opportunity for commercial space development, with companies poised to
fill domains long dominated by NASA — satellite launches, for example.
Landeene predicted other opportunities will arise through commercial
suborbital flights, especially when improved launch vehicles allow
scientists to accompany their experiments into space. Landeene said
Griffin agreed that NASA will continue to need suborbital missions and
the agency will become a major customer for companies operating from
sites like New Mexico. "He said, "If you have the vehicles and the
systems and the infrastructure, we will buy,"' Landeene said. "The
problem right now is they are not available." (4/5)
New Mexico County Plans
Spaceport Vote on April 22 (Source: Spaceports Blog)
April 22 is the date set for a tax referendum among Sierra County
voters to decide whether or not to impose a .25% sales tax to become
part of the team sponsoring New Mexico's Spaceport America. The deal
struck nearly two years ago was that at least two of the three counties
surrounding the New Mexico spaceport would create a taxing district by
voting to levy a quarter percent on gross receipts to support the
spaceport construction with the state. Dona Ana County approved the tax
last year, with Las Cruces going for it in a big way and voters in the
southern part of the county making it a close election. Otero County
has not set a date for a vote. Sierra County is the site of the
would-be spaceport. (4/1)
Swedish Authorities Look to Ease Way for Virgin Galactic
(Source: Space News)
Swedish authorities planning to host flights of the Virgin Galactic
suborbital space plane hope to lower the costs and regulatory barriers
to the operation by having it classed as a sounding rocket and given
the tax advantages of hot-air balloon flights, Swedish and Virgin
Galactic officials said April 1. (4/2)
One Size May Not Fit All (Sources: Space Review, Space.com)
As Virgin Galactic and Scaled Composites continue the development of
SpaceShipTwo, other companies are making headway in the commercial
suborbital spaceflight market. Jeff Foust reports on recent
developments by XCOR Aerospace and other companies, and how the
diversity of technical approaches may be received by the market. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1095/1
to view the article. While you're at it, visit http://www.space.com/php/video/player.php?video_id=080327-xcor
to view a video animation of the XCOR vehicle in flight. (3/31)
Assessing the Practicality of Scramjet-Powered, Single-Stage
Aerospaceplanes (Source: Space Review)
To many the ideal low-cost, reusable launch vehicle is a scramjet-
powered spaceplane. Mike Snead examines the technical issues and
challenges associated with developing such vehicles. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1092/1
to view the article. (3/31)
NASTAR Center Sends
Ninety-Six Space Cruise Participants to Space (Source: ETC)
Environmental Tectonics Corp.'s NASTAR Center will provide a 2-day
space training experience in Philadelphia for 96 participants attending
Space Cruise Week in April 2009. The Space Cruise is set to sail aboard
the luxury yacht Sea Dream and will include several space-themed
festivities during its journey including the boarding of several famous
astronauts to act as guests and educators during the voyage. The Space
Cruise will be provided by XtraOrdinary Adventures. (3/31)
Boeing, Orion Sign Mentor
Agreement
(Source: AP)
Boeing and Huntsville-based Orion Propulsion signed a
government-sponsored agreement to work together on NASA's Ares I
rocket, which will transport astronauts into space after the space
shuttle retires. The one-year agreement was announced at NASA's
Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama and marks the first
Mentor-Protege agreement in 2008 in support of a major NASA contract.
Orion is a small company that provides propulsion engineering, testing,
verification, qualification and production expertise to NASA and other
partners. (4/1)
Vandenberg Helps Small Businesses Grow (Source: USAF)
The 30th Space Wing gave small businesses the opportunity to market
their goods to the Air Force at the 'Grow Your Business' conference in
the Pacific Coast Club March 19 and 20. The two-day conference gave
business owners opportunities to meet and market with government
purchase card holders and to network with federal agencies, prime
contractors and other small businesses. During the event, speakers from
both the government and major government prime contractors discussed
business opportunities, vendor selection criteria, and provided
insights on what it takes to be successful and how to avoid common
mistakes. (3/24)
Low Margins Cloud Loral's Success as Manufacturer (Source:
Space News)
The sharp business-model differences between building commercial
telecommunications satellites and operating them were on full display
April 2 as Loral's top executive was forced to defend continued
investment in what has been the world's most successful commercial
satellite builder over the past several years. (4/2)
Loral Misses Filing
Deadline, Gets Warning from Nasdaq (Source: Space News)
Loral Space and
Communications Inc. announced April 4 that it no longer satisfies the
Nasdaq stock exchange's filing requirements because of an ongoing delay
in filing the company's 10-K form with the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission (SEC) for the year ended Dec. 31, 2007. As a result the
company potentially faces delisting from the exchange. (4/5)
Universal Plans Armstrong Biopic (Source: Variety)
Universal has acquired nonfiction novel "First Man: The Life of Neil A.
Armstrong" and will turn it into a film. Armstrong was a test
pilot-turned-astronaut who was so driven to reach the moon and play the
role of American hero that he became known as "the Ice Commander." "The
closer he got to the moon, the further away he became from his family,"
said one official. "He had a family tragedy before Apollo that turned
him into this driven astronaut, and he became such a perfect hero that
while Buzz Aldrin was announced to be the first man on the moon, NASA
reversed its decision because Neil was regarded as more heroic." He
returned from the moon as one of the most famous men on Earth but
didn't capitalize on it with a political career or endorsements. He
reconnected with his family, shut out the world and became an intensely
private man. (4/2)
|
|
Last Week’s DOD
Contract Awards in California
Boeing Launch Services of Huntington Beach,
Calif., is being awarded a modified contract for $20,000,000. This
contract modification will authorize Boeing to perform demonstration
testing on a rebuilt RS-68 engine, labeled 10009. The launch and range
systems wing is currently tracking several “low-medium” risks on the
RS-68 engine. The government has authorized work under the Assured
Access to Space initiative to develop hardware that will reduce or
element these risks and increase the reliability of the RS-68 engine.
In order to certify this hardware as flight worthy, a certain number of
tests must be performed. At this time $20,000,000 has been obligated.
El Segundo, Calif., is the contracting activity.
JC Produce, West Sacramento,
Calif. is being awarded a maximum $10,724,670 fixed price with
economic price adjustment, total set aside contract for fresh fruit and
vegetables support. There are no other locations of performance. Using
services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and USDA Schools. This
proposal was originally DIBBS solicited with 2 responses. Contract
funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Date of
performance completion is September 17, 2009. The contracting activity
is Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP), Philadelphia, Pa.
Northrop Grumman Systems
Corporation,
Integrated Systems Air Combat Systems of San Diego, Calif., is
being awarded a contract for $10,000,000. This effort is for Lot 8
advance purchase items for: two Block RQ-4 Air Vehicles; three Block 40
Air Vehicles (AV); four Multi-Platform Radar Technology Insertion
Program (MP-RTIP) sensors; four Enhanced Integrated Sensor Suites
(EISS); Mission Control Element (MCE) One Launch Recovery Element
(LRE). At this time $10,000,000 has been obligated. Wright-Patterson
AFB, Ohio, is the contracting activity.
Ultra Electronics Advanced
Tactical Systems, Inc., Austin, Texas is being
awarded a $23,180,475 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity,
firm-fixed-price contract to provide the Multi-TADIL Processor (MTP)
and the Air Defense Systems Integrator (ADSI) program. The contract
will provide technical services and supplies for appointed systems
being implemented with the U.S. Navy Data Link Systems, Communication
System, and Cryptographic System. This contract is for technical,
management, and logistics support to include, product development,
communication systems production, and training. The contract contains
options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this
contract to an estimated $49,500,840. Work will be performed in Austin,
Texas, (70 percent); Charleston, S.C., (10 percent); San Diego,
Calif., (10 percent); Other (10 percent); and work is expected to
be completed by Mar. 2010 (Mar. 2012 with options exercised). Contract
funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This
contract was not competitively procured because Ultra Electronics is
the designer and manufacturer of the Multi-TADIL Processor (MTP) and
the Air Defense Systems Integrator (ADSI)ä product line. The ADSI
product line software and hardware are proprietary items belonging to
Ultra Electronics. The Request for Proposal was posted on the Space and
Naval Warfare Systems Center E-commerce website, one offer was received. The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center,
Charleston, S.C., is the contracting activity.
Northrop Grumman Corp., San Diego, Calif.,
is being awarded a $5,809,689 delivery order against a previously
issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-05-G-0009) for the procurement
of spares in support of the Maritime Demonstration Program. Work will
be performed in San Diego, Calif., and work is expected to be
completed in Feb. 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of
the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River,
Md., is the contracting activity.
General Atomics
Aeronautical System, Inc., of San Diego, Calif.,
is being awarded a firm fixed price contract for $49,870,416. This
action provides for 24 Predator MQ-1B Aircraft, Hellfire missile kit
installation, IMAs, and core tasks. At this time $49,870,416 has been
obligated. Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is the contracting activity.
Science Applications
International Corp. of San Diego, Calif.,
is being awarded a contract for $31,162,736. This modification will
allow research and development in accordance with the contractor’s
statement of work entitled risk reduction of the Alternative Infrared
Satellite System. The additional effort provides for upgrading the
integrated sensor assembly components to yield a space qualifiable
configuration of the integrated sensor assembly. These upgrades will
allow enhanced ground environmental testing of the sensor assembly in
order to determine that it is a “Space Qualified” design and
additionally reduce the risk associated with building space
qualification satellite units in the future. At this time $18,750,000
has been obligated. Kirtland AFB, N.M., is the contracting activity.
General Atomics of San Diego, Calif.,
is being awarded a firm fixed price contract for $28,947,434. This
effort is for the manufacture, test, and delivery of four Predator B
Reaper MQ-9 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. At this time $28,947,434 has been
obligated. Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is the contracting activity.
McDonnell Douglas Corp., A Wholly-Owned
Subsidiary of the Boeing Co., of Long Beach, Calif., is being
awarded a modified contract for $6,125,000. This contract modification
is a Foreign Military Sales requirement for the Royal Australian Air
Force (RAAF) C-17 Globemaster III Sustainment Partnership (GSP)
program. This action incorporates the FY08 Quarter III Option Exercise
for site activation and material for RAAF aircraft sustainment. At this
time $0 has been obligated. Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is the
contracting activity.
McDonnell Douglas Corp., St. Louis, Mo., is
being awarded a $38,540,436 firm-fixed-price,
definite-delivery/definite-quantity contract modification #0004 under
previously awarded basic ordering agreement (N00383-06-D-001J) for new
spares to support the F/A-18 AN/APG-79 AESA radar. Work will be
performed in El Segundo, Calif., (90 percent) and St. Louis,
Mo., (10 percent), and work is expected to be completed by Aug. 2010.
Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not awarded competitively. The
Naval Inventory Control Point is the contracting activity.
Alliant Techsystems, Inc.,
Integrated Systems Division, Clearwater, Fla., is
being awarded a $37,482,191 cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order against
a previously issued Basic Ordering Agreement (N00019-06-G-0014) for the
engineering study to modify the AAR-47 Missile Warning Systems in order
to improve probability of detection in operational environments. This
delivery order will also include the development of a class one
engineering change proposal and delivery of modified government
furnished equipment for developmental test. Work will be performed in
Clearwater, Fla., (50 percent); Austin, Texas (45 percent); Santa
Barbara, Calif., (3 percent); Atlanta, Ga., (1 percent); Natanya,
Israel (.5 percent); and Hamamatsu, Japan (.5 percent), and work is
expected to be completed in Aug. 2008. Contract funds in the amount of
$16,000,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The
Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md. is the contracting
activity.
Lockheed Martin Corp., San Diego, Calif.,
is being awarded a $12,177,810 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to develop
technology that supports the Globally Netted Maritime Headquarters with
Maritime Operations Center Component Commander by an applied research
program which calls for innovative technologies in support of war
fighters. Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif., and work
is expected to be completed Mar. 2011. Contract funds will not expire
at end of current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured
under Office of Naval Research BAA Number 07-021. The
Naval Research Laboratory. Washington, D.C., is
the contracting activity.
L-3 Services, Inc., Unidyne Division,
Norfolk, Va., is being awarded a $11,223,059 cost-plus-fixed fee,
indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for engineering and
program support services associated with Battle Force Tactical Training
(BFTT) legacy shipboard training systems. The BFTT system is a highly
flexible, interactive simulation/stimulation tactical combat training
system. BFTT is used on all combatant and amphibious ships. Work will
be performed in Norfolk, Va., (53 percent) and San Diego, Calif.
(47 percent), and work is expected to be completed by Mar.2009.
Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.
This contract was not competitively procured. The, Naval Surface
Warfare Center, Crane Division, Crane, Ind., is the contracting
activity.
L-3 Communications, Linkabit Division, San
Diego, Calif., was awarded on Mar. 28, 2008, a $28,913,720
firm-fixed price contract for PROPHET electronic support. Work will be
performed in San Diego, Calif. And Melbourne, Fla., and is
expected to be completed by Dec. 1, 2010. Contract
funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Web bids were solicited on Jun. 12, 2001, and three
bids were received. CECOM Acquisition Center, Fort Monmouth, N.J., is
the contracting activity.
|
