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April
14, 2008
Editorial: More than the
Moon
(Source: Washington Times)
The high visibility of returning to the moon offers an opportunity to
build the kind of "soft-power" that serves America's long-term national
interests. The reverse is also true. Having made the commitment, laid
out a plan, and started to develop capabilities, changes in direction
can only send a message of American inconstancy. Procrastination,
especially for short-term budget considerations, can only undermine
faith in American leadership and priority setting. Failure to execute
can only send a message of incompetence. Visit http://www.washingtontimes.com/article/20080411/EDITORIAL/190619503/1013/EDITORIAL to view the editorial.
(4/11)
NASA Sets Sights on Lunar Dust Mission (Source: NASA)
NASA is preparing to send a small spacecraft to the moon in 2011 to
assess the lunar atmosphere and the nature of dust lofted above the
surface. Called the Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer
(LADEE), the mission will launch before the agency's moon exploration
activities accelerate during the next decade. LADEE will gather
detailed information about conditions near the surface and
environmental influences on lunar dust. A thorough understanding of
these influences will help researchers understand how future
exploration may shape the lunar environment and how the environment may
affect future explorers. (4/9)
Lunar Science Community Needs Rebuilding, Researchers Say
(Source: Space.com)
NASA's plan to return to the Moon - first by robotic missions scheduled
to start this year, followed by the replanting of human footprints
there by 2020 - will require a new cadre of lunar research and
exploration specialists. That talent largely was dissipated after the
Apollo lunar landing program ended in 1972. As a result, several steps
need to be taken to recuperate both the scientific and technical
expertise that will be needed to investigate and understand the Moon.
And scientists are enthusiastic about the prospect. They say Earth's
closest celestial neighbor is far from being a "been there, done that
world" that offers no unknowns worth solving. And several sessions
dedicated to lunar science clearly showed a rebound of interest in the
Moon. "There will be new lunar scientists developed in India, Japan and China ... that's good. But we
need more here in the United States," observed G. Jeffrey
Taylor, a planetary scientist at the Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and
Planetology at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu. (4/11)
Japan Previews New Moon Map (Source: Aviation Week)
The Japanese SELenological and ENgineering Explorer (Selene) team
revealed its first preview of the world's first-ever global topographic
map of the moon April 9. The preview map includes two weeks of data,
but already contains 1,127,392 point measurements of the lunar surface,
which dwarfs similar past maps of the moon, such as the one compiled by
United States Geological Survey's 'Unified Lunar Control Network 2005,'
which used 272,931 points. Selene scientists say they had already
collected more than 6 million measurements by the end of last month
(since the beginning of the mission) and expect more than 30 million
points to be obtained within in one full year of observation. (4/10)
Latest NASA Mars Lander
Prepares for Arrival (Source: NASA)
NASA engineers have adjusted the flight path of the Phoenix Mars
Lander, setting the spacecraft on course for its May 25th landing on
the Red Planet. NASA has conditionally approved a landing site in a
broad, flat valley informally called "Green Valley." A final decision will
be made after NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter takes additional
images of the area this month. (4/10)
Troubles Parallel
Ambitions in NASA Mars Project (Source: USA Today)
NASA's new Mars rover aims high. It's bigger, more powerful and more
sophisticated than any other robotic vehicle that has landed on another
planet. It will try to answer a big question: Has life existed
elsewhere in the solar system? Its very ambition has gotten the rover
in trouble. Thanks to a mix of technological setbacks and engineering
misjudgments, the rover's epic scale is matched by epic problems. Its
story offers a cautionary tale as NASA plans to devote large chunks of
its science budget in coming years to grand "flagship" missions,
including a spacecraft to return Mars rocks to Earth and another that
would visit a moon of Jupiter or Saturn.
The new rover, known as the Mars Science Laboratory, is $235 million,
or 24%, over budget. Work on it has run so late that engineers are
racing to prepare the rover for its blastoff in 2009. After that, the
next good launch window, when Mars and the Earth are closest, is in
2011. "They aimed high, and they got burned," says Arizona State University's Phil Christensen, a
Mars scientist who helped review NASA's Mars program. Visit http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/space/2008-04-13-mars_N.htm
to view the article. (4/13)
Is NASA's Workforce Too Old? (Source: New Scientist)
There have already been some early road bumps in NASA's shift to the
Constellation program, but NASA officials assure us they have their
finest experts on hand to tackle them. But is that the best strategy?
Perhaps in facing the challenges of this novel space enterprise, NASA
should mine the creativity and insights of its younger engineers
instead of turning first to industry old-timers. After all, youngsters
at NASA have accomplished some pretty great things in the past.
"If you look back on the Apollo program, most of that generation was
probably in their 20s. Somebody in their 30s was probably in a senior
position," said a NASA official. The average age of NASA's workforce
has been steadily increasing for the past decade and a half, according
to a 2007 report. With the average age now at 47, "we tend to have the
burden of knowledge - or the curse of knowledge - that we don't tend to
take a fresh look at things", he said. And NASA's graying cadre of
scientists and engineers poses another, more practical problem - what
will happen when they all retire? (4/11)
Senator Calls for Young Adults to Consider Space Careers
(Source: AP)
U.S. Sen. Wayne Allard says it's time to encourage young adults to
consider jobs in the space industry because it needs new, young
professionals. Other speakers at this week's National Space Symposium
also emphasized the need to encourage young engineering students into
the industry, noting they favor other businesses, such as video games,
that offer more rapid advancement. The average age of an aerospace
engineer is 54, said Boeing's James Albaugh. He harkened back to early
days of space exploration when Americans were caught up in the U.S. space race after Russia launched the Sputnik
satellite some 50 years ago. Today, he said, few recall the excitement
that came with the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs. (4/8)
Training Funds Available
for Qualified California Aerospace Businesses (Source: CSA)
California's Employment Training
Panel (ETP) provides up to $120 million in job training funds annually
to employers throughout California. ETP has invested a
billion dollars to train California workers since 1983. ETP
is a funding agency - not a training agency. Businesses determine their
own training needs and how best to provide training. Visit
http://www.californiaspaceauthority.org/Download/ETP.pdf for
information.
ETP has established a
Small Business Program that provides up to $50,000 in training cost
reimbursements for small businesses. Eligibility determination and
formal proposals can usually be completed in one week or less and the
contract is short and compact. Visit
http://www.californiaspaceauthority.org/Download/SBP.pdf for
information, or send a note to mailto:Randall.Echevarria@californiaspaceauthority.org.
So You Want to be a Rocket Pilot (Source: Space Review)
If the commercial human spaceflight market emerges as some anticipate,
there will soon be demand for a new kind of job: commercial rocket
pilot. Jeff Foust reports on how pilots can prepare for such work, and
why at least one person things the occupation will be far less
glamorous than one might expect. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1099/1 to view the article. (4/7)
Space Tourists Set for '09 Liftoff (Source: Emirates
Business 24-7)
A Dubai-based tourism company has begun marketing a truly
out-of-this-world experience and has already sold voyages that will
create the first Emirati astronauts. Sharaf Travels has sold $200,000
tickets for a journey on Virgin Galactic’s space flights, which will
begin blasting off on a regular basis from the last quarter of next
year. And while officials were unwilling to disclose the names of
clients, they confirmed the first Emirati space traveler has already
purchased a seat.(4/10)
South Africa on Shortlist for Tourism
Spaceport
(Source: Adelaide Now)
Tourists may soon be blasted into space from the South Australian
Outback. Billionaire Richard Branson and his new venture Virgin
Galactic are considering launch sites in SA and Victoria for flights in
the SpaceShipTwo craft. The company is building the world's first
commercial spaceport in the US state of New Mexico and voyages from that
site are expected to start in early 2010. Virgin Galactic yesterday
confirmed its desire to set up a launch site in Australia. (4/12)
Officials Try to Sell
Sierra County Residents on New Mexico Spaceport Tax (Source: Las Cruces
Sun-News)
New Mexico Spaceport officials hosted a town hall meeting Tuesday to
tout the potential benefits of Spaceport America, two weeks ahead of a
crucial vote that could push the $198 million publicly funded project
closer to reality or set it a step backward. New Mexico Spaceport
America Executive Director Steve Landeene told the audience of about
120 people that Sierra County stands to benefit from
passage of the tax and subsequent construction of the spaceport. (4/9)
Space Startup Rocketplane Fails to Launch (Source: WIRED)
In the hypercompetitive world of commercial spaceflight, you need deep
pockets just to stay in the game. That's why some customers and
investors are losing confidence in Rocketplane, which spent 2007
getting outflanked by better-funded competitors and being buffeted by
bad publicity -- instead of launching its first suborbital flight, as
the company had promised just a few years earlier. In October 2004,
when Reda Anderson plunked down her deposit and made the first
reservation to be flown to the edge of space, she had a reasonable
expectation that she'd be the first civilian "pioneer" (she dislikes
the term "tourist") to take that ride. Now Anderson is quietly checking out
other companies that could get her off the ground sooner.
"Rocketplane is plan A, absolutely," Anderson told Wired.com. "But
there's always a plan B." Rocketplane has suffered largely from the
scope of its ambition: It tackled both the suborbital tourist market
and the NASA-servicing orbital market at the same time, and tried to do
it all without the benefit of a billionaire backer, like Virgin
Galactic's Richard Branson. While all of the companies in the young
commercial space industry have experienced delays and setbacks,
Rocketplane's current position seems shakier than most.
At a recent conference, panelists called the rush toward the first
space tourism flight a "horse race" with two clear leaders: the
well-financed Virgin and the scrappy but impressive Xcor Aerospace.
Almost as an afterthought, panelists mentioned the other companies in
the pack: Rocketplane, Armadillo Aerospace and the secretive Blue
Origin. Rocketplane has publicly stated that it still expects to start
commercial flights in 2010 or 2011, the same time frame now being
quoted by Virgin and Xcor. (4/8)
Commercial Space Hasn't Yet Landed Big VC Investments
(Source: CNN)
The fledgling commercial space industry has attracted a lot of money,
but little from the mainstream venture capitalists so crucial to the
emergence of PCs, chips and the Internet. The reasons VCs have yet to
climb aboard are many, but one is that the level of funding needed for
commercial space might well soar beyond most endeavors. "Space is not
cheap," said George Whitesides, executive director of the National
Space Society. "The investment community has had a cautious response so
far. But if you look at the business models, some of these companies
could be making money relatively quickly." (4/11)
Global Space Economy
Exceeds $250 Billion (Source: SpaceToday.net)
A report released Tuesday concluded that the worldwide space budgets
and revenues totaled $251 billion in 2007, an 11-percent increase over
2006. "The Space Report", published by the Space Foundation, looks at
both government budgets and commercial revenues in various
space-related industries to reach that total. Satellite-based products
and services, and US government expenditures, comprise the two largest
parts of the space industry, accounting for 80 percent of the overall
total. The report also found that space industry employment in the US is growing, and that
average wages in the industry are double the overall private sector
average. (4/9)
Boeing Urges Major Increase in U.S. Space Funding (Source:
Reuters)
Boeing, which calls itself the world's leading aerospace company, said
the U.S. was in danger of losing its edge in space to countries like
China and India absent major funding increases. "The road back to the
moon will be paved with commitment, leadership and innovation and a
government willing to step up and fund space innovation at levels that
haven't been seen in decades," Jim Albaugh, the head of Boeing's
defense arm, told a major space-industry gathering here. "Today, we
have ample warning," he said, referring to India and China by name. "We can clearly
see our international competitors fast approaching in the rear view
mirror." (4/8)
AIA Fears Obama Will Slash Space Budgets (Source: Aviation
Week)
Despite a history of bipartisan cooperation on space, "It will be a
battle if there is a Democratic administration," warns Aerospace
Industries Association space systems vp J.P. Stevens. "One of the first
areas that people start looking to cut budgets is in that civil space
area, and that's a real concern as we transition out of what we've been
doing for the last 20 or 30 years...One of the candidates," the former
Marine Corps aviator adds, speaking of Senator Barack Obama, "has come
out and said he's going to use that program and the money in the
exploration program to fund one of his educational programs...That
takes a five-year and maybe a six-year program and makes it become a
ten- or 11- or 12-year program." (4/10)
Obama's Modest Proposal: No Hue, No Cry? (Source: Space Review)
Since late last year Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has
proposed delaying NASA's Constellation program for five years to help
pay for an education initiative. Greg Zsidisin examines what Obama has
proposed and what the candidate said to him about it in a recent town
hall meeting. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1100/1 to view the article. (4/7)
Democrats, Republicans Differ on Space Weapons (Source:
Defense News)
Speakers at the National Space Symposium needed only moments to make
clear a difference of opinion among many Democrats and Republicans over
whether to pursue development of space-based weapons in response to
rising tensions between the United States and China. Sen. Wayne Allard,
R-Colo., called for "space-based interceptors" to knock down missiles.
Minutes later, Rep. Mark Udall, D-Colo., struck a different tone about
the U.S. role in space. "Nobody
that I know of in the industry and the DoD and the commercial side
wants to get in a space race that results in the weaponization of
space," Udall said.
Udall called for more "cost-efficient" spending on military space
programs to help ease budget pressures on NASA. He said he would "work
on" Sens. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., to seek up
to $2 billion in additional funds for NASA, should one of them be
elected president, and he asked Republicans to do the same with their
candidate Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. (4/8)
General Calls for White
Paper on Space Issues (Source: Air Force Times)
For the next U.S. president to be ready “on Day One,” he or she should
be presented with a detailed white paper outlining space issues,
services and capabilities across the civil, military and commercial
space worlds, said Lt. Gen. Michael Hamel, commander of the Air Force’s
Space and Missile Systems Center, which manages construction of
military satellites.
Hamel’s white paper proposal was just one element of a theme that
emerged Wednesday during the National Space Symposium here. Industry
and military officials say they are worried that the presidential
candidates do not appear to have space issues on their radar scopes, a
factor that could slow progress toward improving satellites, rockets
and commercial markets. (4/12)
Military Space Center Chief Calls for National Policy
(Source: Air Force Times)
Lt. Gen. Michael Hamel, commander of the Air Force’s Space and Missile
Systems Center in Los Angeles, called on the attendees of the 24th
National Space Symposium here to take up the case for developing a
codified, clear national space policy, something he says the nation
lacks as it moves into the next 50 years of space programs. In recent
years, the focus that national space policy once enjoyed has waned, he
said, and the space community has ended up “living off investments and
infrastructure of the 1950s, making for an uncertain and cloudy
future.” (4/11)
Allard Calls for Return to Star Wars (Source: Gazette.com)
Satellites armed with missiles are needed to counter nuclear threats,
U.S. Sen. Wayne Allard said Tuesday in Colorado Springs, calling for
something akin to the Reagan-era Star Wars program. Allard, serving out
the final months of his term after declining to seek re-election, said
the space-based weapons would offer a better defense against missiles
in flight. "It's important to the longterm security of this country,"
said Allard, a Republican who serves on the Senate Appropriations
Committee. (4/9)
Military's Space Demands Keep Topping Supply (Source:
Reuters)
U.S. military demand for satellite services will continue to outrun
supply as the United States fleshes out a global information "mosaic,"
the Air Force's top civilian said Wednesday. "We are entering an age
when warfighters want more of what space has to offer," Air Force
Secretary Michael Wynne said. Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Northrop
Grumman, Raytheon and other defense contractors are vying for billions
of dollars of work on advanced military communications, navigation and
other satellite systems that will boost U.S. signal-processing power
as much as 10-fold compared with systems being replaced. (4/10)
Pentagon Reviewing SatCom Needs (Source: Reuters)
Pentagon officials are weighing alternatives to a multibillion-dollar
military satellite-communications program being vied for by Lockheed
Martin and Boeing, U.S. Air Force officials said. At issue is a planned
network of laser-linked communication satellites, known as
Transformational Communications Satellites, or TSAT, valued at up to
$26 billion over the next 10 years. Consisting of five satellites plus
a spare, it would enable new ways of operating on the battlefield by
providing jam-resistant communications services to U.S. forces worldwide at 10
times the previous processing power, according to the Air Force Space
Command. (4/11)
Powerful New Military Satellite to Debut Over Pacific
(Source: Guardian)
The U.S. is set to start operating a powerful new military
communications satellite over the Pacific next week, the first of a
planned six-satellite network that will boost data flows 10-fold. On
its own, the maiden Boeing co-built Wideband Global Satellite will
provide more capacity for video, data and voice than the entire group
of 10 or so satellites it is designed to replace, the command said. Australia joined the WGS program
last year, providing funds that expanded it to include the sixth
satellite, which had been an option under a contract awarded to Boeing
in January 2001. (4/10)
Pentagon Says Surveillance Satellite Will Cost $824 Million
(Source: AIA)
The DOD expects its Space-Based Space Surveillance Block 10 satellite
to launch by early next year and to cost an estimated $823.9 million. A
team led by Boeing and Ball Aerospace is building the spacecraft, which
will include a highly responsive optical telescope. (4/10)
USAF Secretary Confident in T-Sat's Readiness (Source:
Space News)
The technological readiness of the Air Force's next-generation
Transformational Satellite (T-Sat) Communications system is at an
appropriate level to move forward with the program, according to Air
Force Secretary Michael Wynne. The T-Sat system, which incorporates
satellite-to-satellite laser links and space-based Internet routing
technology, is expected to provide the U.S. military with an
unprecedented level of mobile, protected communications capacity. The
system was most recently expected to begin launching in 2016, but the
Air Force currently is reassessing the program's direction and does not
have an expected launch date. (4/9)
GPS 3 contract To Be Awarded April 17 (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Air Force likely will award the multibillion dollar GPS 3
space segment contract April 17, Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne said
April 9 at the National Space Symposium. (4/9)
General Dynamics Lands $109M Contract for Military Satellite
Terminals (Source: AIA)
General Dynamics has received a contract to provide satellite
communications terminals for the Army's Warfighter Information
Network-Tactical program. The contract is worth $109 million. (4/10)
U.S. Air Force, NRO Create Team Focused on Space Protection
(Source: Space News)
U.S. Air Force Space Command and the National Reconnaissance Office
(NRO) joined together March 31 to create a new program to advise the
military and intelligence community on how to protect space assets.
(4/9)
Satellite Protection Lining Up For Increased Funding
(Source: Aviation Week)
The idea of being able to protect friendly satellites, and
simultaneously interfere with hostile satellites if necessary, is
gaining new emphasis at the Pentagon in the wake of demonstrations by
China and the U.S. of abilities to destroy satellites. Space
Situational Awareness, or SSA, is one aspect of U.S. efforts to protect its
satellites, but annual funding has been relatively low-less than 4% of
the Pentagon space budget. Recently, however, there has been a boost in
investment, according to Gen. Kevin P. Chilton, commander of U.S.
Strategic Command. He doesn't elaborate, but is glad to see the
up-trend. (4/8)
Lockheed Plans to Launch First Anti-Jam Satellite Next Year
(Source: AIA)
Lockheed Martin hopes to launch the first new-generation anti-jam
military communications satellite on an Atlas V rocket in early 2009.
The company is conducting final tests on the spacecraft. Meanwhile, the
Defense Department is assessing plans for the future milsatcom
architecture. Officials note that the schedule for the Transformational
Satellite program will not be set until the assessment is complete.
Boeing has also submitted a plan for a TSAT development contract. (4/9)
Delta 4-Heavy Rocket on the Pad for Late July Military Blastoff
(Source: SpaceFlightNow.com)
Preparations for the next launch of America's largest unmanned rocket
are underway at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport's Complex 37 following the
recent rollout of the Delta 4-Heavy vehicle from its assembly hangar.
Resting on its transporter, the mammoth orange and white rocket
stretching about 170 feet in length emerged from the Horizontal
Integration Facility on March 26 for the short drive to pad 37B. The
vehicle is capable of carrying the military's largest payloads that
once relied upon the now-retired Titan rocket fleet. (4/10)
F-22 Raptor as Space Fighter? (Source: Spaceports Blog)
The F-22 Raptor is an adaptable high-technology military flying machine
with capability to become an early 21st Century anti-satellite weapon
launcher, according to a recent report indicating that a derivative of
the Aim-120 AMRAAM missile is being modified for just such a new
mission. “If you put the missile in an F-22 [Raptor] and launch it at
Mach 2 and 60,000 ft. while in a zoom and at a 45-degree angle, you’ve
got an ASAT capability against spacecraft in low-earth orbit,” says one
USAF General. (4/5)
U.S. Eyes Removing Some Satellite Components from Munitions
List (Source: Space News)
In an attempt to make major changes to the arms export control regime,
the Defense Technology Security Administration and the National
Security Space Office (NSSO) plan to review commercial satellite
components with the intent of removing some of them from the U.S.
Munitions List, government and industry officials confirm. If some
items are removed from the munitions list it would — in the eyes of
some government and industry officials — restore balance to a law many
in the commercial satellite business feel has been interpreted far too
broadly.
In November, NSSO Executive Director Joe Rouge, pledged during the
California Space Authority's Transforming Space 2007 conference in Los
Angeles that he would begin working with his colleagues in the U.S.
State and Defense departments to get technologies now readily available
on global commercial markets removed from the auspices of ITAR "or die
trying." He also said then that he thought it possible to make
substantive change as early as this spring. (4/7)
Korean Firm "Americanizing" Rocket Engine (Source:
Aviation Week)
Challenge & Space, the Korean-based rocket maker, is planning to
"Americanize" its Chase 10 engine to overcome U.S. State Department
roadblocks currently slowing plans for using the motor to power a space
tourism project. The process is being led by Oklahoma-based TGV
Rockets, which "will lead the marketing and is looking for government
contracts for us over here," he said. The methane/liquid oxygen (LOX)
fueled engine was selected in 2005 by AirBoss Aerospace for the
Proteus, a sub-orbital space tourism vehicle, but progress has been
hampered by State Department concerns over off-shore sourcing of the
rocket technology.
Unlike other methane/LOX developers, notably XCOR Aerospace which last
year successfully demonstrated the pressure-fed XR-5M15 engine with ATK
and NASA, the engine developed by C&S has not gone that route. "We
are the only company that has methane technology that's not
pressure-fed," says Robert Schultz, president of CH4 Aerospace, a
Colorado-based company teamed with C&S to help market the Chase 10.
(4/10)
Developers Seek to Speed Reusable Rocket Engines (Source:
Aviation Week)
Aerojet is meeting with the Air Force in a bid to speed development of
a US-designed, reusable hydrocarbon rocket engine that could play a key
part in plans for an operationally responsive space vehicle. Dubbed HC
Boost, the technology development program is aimed at providing an
improved, home-grown alternative to the Russian RD-180, the only other
viable current-production hydrocarbon rocket engine. Unlike the RD-180,
however, the US engine would be designed to be re-usable for up to 100
missions, have up to 15% better performance and would operate for up to
50 missions between engine overhauls.
More importantly perhaps, says the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)
which is leading the program, it would help pave the way for responsive
access to space in terms of days and weeks, rather than months. The
development would also, it says, free up U.S. dependency from the
Energomash-produced RD-180, which is used to power the Atlas V
launcher. Aerojet is currently working on the HC Boost under a $109
million contract spread over almost nine years. (4/10)
Aerojet Lands NASA Methane Engine Contract (Source:
Sacramento Business Journal)
Aerojet has been awarded a 21-month, $6.9 million contract by NASA's
Glenn Research Center to continue development of a liquid oxygen-liquid
methane engine for NASA's lunar exploration program. NASA's Altair
lunar lander program and the NASA Exploration Technology Development
Program have joined forces to create the NASA Propulsion Cryogenic
Advanced Development project to support methane technology maturation
and advancement. The project is managed jointly by Glenn Research
Center in Cleveland, Johnson Space Center in Houston and Marshall Space
Flight Center in Huntsville. (4/11)
NASA Extends Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne Contract for Lunar
Lander Engine (Source: PWR)
Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne has been awarded a contract extension by
NASA to continue development of the Common Extensible Cryogenic Engine
(CECE). The CECE is advancing technology readiness to support future
lunar lander development. The CECE development contract, which was
originally awarded in June 2005, extends through March 2009. During
this next phase of the program, Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne will
design, manufacture and test a new, enhanced injector to support stable
combustion at very low thrust. (4/10)
New Division for Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne (Source:
Defense News)
In an industry where failure is not an option, Pratt & Whitney
Rocketdyne (PWR) is working to give its engineers a place where they
can experiment with new possibilities in propulsion. The new Power
Innovations division provides a more laboratory-like setting, Rick
Bachtel, PWR's general manager for operations in Alabama, said. Many of
the projects will come out of the Huntsville offices where PWR is
headquartered, but if an idea pops up at the company's California,
Florida or Mississippi locations, it would move forward, possibly even
temporarily drawing staff from other locations.
While aerospace giants Lockheed Martin and Boeing have their Skunk
Works and Phantom Works, and some of the developmental envelope is
being pushed by purely innovation-centered companies like SpaceX, a
unit like Power Innovations is a unique thing in the rocket industry,
said a PWR official. (4/10)
Key Spacecraft Motor Passes Test, Orbital Announces
(Source: Washington Post)
Orbital Sciences Corp. announced yesterday that it successfully tested
a rocket that can propel astronauts to safety in event of an emergency
on NASA's new spacecraft. For the past 18 months, Orbital has been
working along with Sacramento-based Aerojet on the escape pod for the
next generation of spacecraft that will put humans on the moon for the
first time since 1972. The spaceship will also be the forerunner to a
planned manned flight to Mars. This successful rocket trial "definitely
means they are playing very well with big boys -- the Lockheeds,
Boeings, Northrops," said Paul Nisbet, an aerospace analyst with JSA
Research. "It's right up there in terms of space technology, and in
some areas it might even be better." (4/8)
Russia to Conduct 28 Space Launches from Baikonur in 2008
(Source: RIA Novosti)
The number of spacecraft to be launched from the Baikonur space center
in Kazakhstan will increase 33%, year-on-year, in 2008 to a total of
28. Baikonur, built in Kazakhstan in the 1950s, was first leased by
Russia from Kazakhstan under an agreement signed in 1994 after the
collapse of the Soviet Union. Russian officials have repeatedly said
Russia will continue to use the Baikonur launch site until at least
2050. Russia launched a total of 21 carrier rockets from the site in
2007.
At present, the two countries are working to build a space complex at
Baikonur, Baiterek, to launch Angara carrier rockets capable of
delivering 26 metric tons of payload into low-Earth orbits. The project
is being implemented on a parity basis and enjoys tax, customs and
other privileges. Kazakhstan and Russia have reportedly each allocated
$223 million for the construction of the Baiterek launch site under a
2004 agreement. "We have prepared the documentation and developed
technical requirements [for the project], and all that's left is to
start construction," said an official. (4/9)
Russia to Speed Construction of New Spaceport (Source: AP)
President Vladimir Putin ordered his government Friday to speed up
construction of a new spaceport and development of a booster rocket in
a bid to revive the nation's space glory. Russia's space agency chief,
meanwhile, said the country may stop selling seats on its spacecraft to
"tourists" starting in 2010 because of the planned expansion of the
international space station's crew from the current three to six or
even nine in 2010. (4/11)
Cosmonauts to Abandon Soviet-Era Spaceport by 2020
(Source: AFP)
Russia will end manned space launches from Kazakhstan's Soviet-era
Baikonur spaceport by 2020, replacing it with a launch pad in Russia, a
top official said. All cosmonauts will instead take off from the new
Vostochny base, planned in Russia's southeast near the Chinese border.
(4/11)
Russia to Create Manned Assembly Complex in Orbit (Source:
Xinhua)
Russia is going to create a manned assembly complex in orbit, the chief
of the Federal Space Agency (Roskosmos) said Saturday. "We shall create
this complex in order to make dockings in orbit, build craft there and
send them to the Moon, Mars and other planets," he said. "This proposal
was on the whole approved at the meeting of the Russian Security
Council on Friday, but a specific time has not been determined," he
said. (4/13)
Russia Needs $5 Billion to Complete Space Station Segment
(Source: RIA Novosti)
Russia will need an additional $5 billion to finish the construction of
its segment of the International Space Station (ISS) by 2015, the head
of Russia's rocket and space corporation Energia said. The orbital
station is likely to remain operational until 2020. "So far, we have
allocated about $4.2 billion for the ISS project, but we will need an
additional $5 billion to finish the construction [of the Russian
segment] by 2015," Energia President Vitaly Lopota said. (4/11)
Russia to Call for Extending ISS Use (Source: AFP)
Russia will ask its foreign partners in June to extend the exploitation
of the International Space Station (ISS) until 2020 as the station's
Russian segment would take longer to complete, Russian space officials
said. "We can do what we planned to do by 2010 only in 2015, and so we
will have to appeal to our foreign partners to use the ISS until 2020,"
said RKK Energia's chief. Russia still does not have a research module
at the ISS, officials said, adding that the Russian segment, which is
due to contain 10 modules, would have only two small research modules,
a laboratory and two energy modules by 2011. (4/11)
NASA Rejects Non-Shuttle Answers to Stranded ISS Instrument
(Source: Flight International)
Pressure on the International Space Station's cargo delivery schedule
has left NASA with no way to get an international antimatter experiment
to the station. The US Congress has directed NASA to find a way to
transport the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) detector to the ISS
despite the fact that it is not scheduled to fly on any of the 10
remaining ISS missions to be carried out by the Space Shuttle fleet
before its retirement. But NASA has rejected as unfeasible suggestions
that cargo delivery be rescheduled, including by use of a European
Space Agency Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) to take onboard equipment
designated for the Space Shuttle payload bay. (4/9)
South Korean Astronaut, Cosmonauts Arrive at Space Station
(Source: Space.com)
Crewmembers aboard the International Space Station (ISS) welcomed the
arrival of a Russian spacecraft bearing their replacements and South
Korea's first astronaut early Thursday. Russian cosmonauts Sergei
Volkov and Oleg Kononenko, and South Korean spaceflyer So-yeon Yi
pulled in at the station aboard their Soyuz TMA-12 spacecraft, which
docked with the outpost's Earth-facing Pirs module. Yi's journey
represents a landmark achievement for her country. (4/10)
T-Minus 367 Days (Source: Florida Today)
A year-long push to NASA's first Ares 1 test-flight will pick up at KSC
this week as the agency continues marching toward an American return to
the moon. Standing an astonishing 327 feet tall, NASA's Ares 1-X rocket
is scheduled to leap off launch pad 39B a year from Tuesday, speeding
out over the Atlantic on a mission aimed at testing vital flight
control systems. Preparations for the flight already are rocketing
along, and those involved with the $320 million project expect the
remaining time to fly by. The inaugural test flight scheduled for April
15, 2009, will employ a four-segment shuttle booster topped with an
empty fifth segment and replicas of an Ares 1 second stage, Orion
spacecraft and Launch Abort System. (4/13)
ATK Plans Commercial Ares I (Source: Aviation Week)
ATK, which is building the first stage of NASA's Ares I crew launch
vehicle by recycling the solid-fuel booster it builds for the space
shuttle, wants to make the same capability available to other users for
missions without crews. ATK's Ron Dittemore said the human-rating that
led NASA to build the Ares I first stage around the shuttle booster
should also be attractive to other customers with "high-value"
payloads, including the Defense Dept. and the National Reconnaissance
Office (NRO). Possible concepts include an Ares I with a payload shroud
for launching big geosynchronous communications satellites, and a
version with a Centaur stage mounted atop the NASA-designed,
Boeing-built Ares I cryogenic upper stage for planetary missions. (4/9)
NASA, SpaceX Renegotiate COTS Agreement, Delay Launch
(Source: Space News)
NASA has accepted a nine-month slip in the first demonstration flight
of the commercial space tug Space Exploration Technologies Corp.
(SpaceX) is building with the help of $278 million in government
financing. (4/9)
Weather 60% Favorable for
Monday Commercial Atlas Launch (Source: Florida Today)
There is a 60 percent chance of favorable weather for Monday's launch
of a communications satellite on an Atlas 5 rocket from the Cape
Canaveral Spaceport. The most likely possible problem is that ground
winds and thick clouds could interfere with the launch in a one-hour
window that begins at 4:12 p.m. EDT. This mission marks the first ULA
commercial launch of an Atlas V vehicle procured by Lockheed Martin
Commercial Launch Services. The satellite will provide nationwide
television, Internet and communications to vehicles some time in 2009.
(4/11)
Senators: Reuse Old Florida Launch Sites (Source: Daytona
Beach News Journal)
Florida's two U.S. senators want NASA to consider existing launch
locations for a private commercial launch facility, rather than
expanding into previously unused areas at Kennedy Space Center.
Senators Mel Martinez and Bill Nelson wrote letters urging NASA to work
with the Air Force to find a site among the dozens of abandoned launch
pads at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. (4/11)
Arianespace to Launch Satellite for Japan (Source:
Arianespace)
Arianespace has been selected to launch the BSAT-3b satellite by
Japanese operator Broadcasting Satellite System Corporation (B-SAT).
BSAT-3b will be orbited by an Ariane 5 in the second half of 2010 from
the Guiana spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. BSAT-3b is the 7th
satellite entrusted to the European launcher by B-SAT Corporation. In
addition, this will be the 25th Japanese satellite won by Arianespace
from the 34 GTO commercial satellites that have been commercially
accessible. (4/11)
Galileo Deal Opens Door to Non-European Participation
(Source: Space News)
European contractors bidding for work on the Galileo satellite
navigation constellation will be permitted to include U.S. and other
non-European partners in their bids if doing so brings "demonstrated
substantial advantages in terms of quality and cost," European Union
transport ministers agreed in a document to be presented to the
European Parliament the week of April 21. (4/9)
Astrium Assurances of SSTL Independence Helped Seal Deal
(Source: Space News)
Britain's University of Surrey agreed to sell small-satellite builder
Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. (SSTL) to Astrium Satellites only
after Astrium gave detailed assurances about SSTL's future independence
-- specifically about an upcoming competition between the two companies
to build Europe's navigation satellites, the university's director of
corporate services said April 7. (4/9)
Astrium Weathers Weak Dollar (Source: Space News)
Astrium Satellites has been able to remain competitive in the
commercial telecommunications market despite a substantial
exchange-rate handicap -- its costs are in euros while sales are made
mainly in U.S. dollars -- by chipping away at its cost structure and
improving its Eurostar satellite design. Part of the proof of the
success is visible in the company's satellite integration facility
here, where half a dozen telecommunications satellites are nearing
completion. Others, in less-advanced stages of integration, are at
Astrium's British facilities, while two smaller satellites are being
made ready at the Indian Space Research Organization's Bangalore,
India, facility. (4/13)
Canada Blocks Space Sale to Alliant Tech (Source:
Financial Post)
The federal government of Canada blocked the sale of Vancouver-based
MDA Corp.'s space business to American interests. The office of
Industry Minister Jim Prentice confirmed on Thursday that Mr. Prentice
wrote to Alliant Techsystems on Apr. 8 to say "he is not satisfied that
the proposed sale of MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. to ATK is
likely to be of net benefit to Canada." Minneapolis-based ATK will now
have 30 days to make a better case to Industry Canada if it intends to
pursue the deal. The main point of contention involves legislation
governing remote-sensing satellite technology made by MDA. This
includes the Radarsat 2 satellite, which has received government
funding. ATK agreed to buy the space unit of MDA in January for about
$1.3-billion. (4/10)
Editorial: Harper's Avro Arrow? (Source: National Post)
In what has now become a grandstand economic-policy performance over
the $1.3-billion sale of Vancouver's MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates
space division to a U.S. firm, the Harper Tories have embarked on a
dangerous and potentially destructive exercise in economic nationalism.
It's impossible to know what the strategy is at this point, although
the signals are all pointing in one direction. Setting themselves up as
more Liberal than the Liberals, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his
Industry Minister, Jim Prentice, have laid out a plan to use the
open-ended Investment Canada Act to prevent Alliant Techsystems of
Minnesota from completing the deal.
What happens after that is anyone's guess. An ominous sign came
yesterday from Mr. Prentice. In a speech at the Canadian Space Agency,
he set out what amounts to new and volatile policies on space
technology and corporate control. In a section of the speech under the
subhead "Government's Role," Mr. Prentice declared for the first time
in Canadian space history: "We need to own our technology." The bold
type for the word "own" is the minister's. (4/12)
MDA Reeling After Space-Division Sale Rejected (Source:
Vancouver Sun)
MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates is maintaining a stoic silence in
the wake of Ottawa's rejection this week of the proposed sale of its
space division to the U.S. company Alliant Techsystems (ATK). But
behind the scenes the lobbying is intense, and questions are piling up
as investors speculate on what the company will do now that its plans
to divest itself of a low-growth business have been stymied. (4/12)
New Projects Will Have Positive Impact on NASA Jobs in Texas
(Source: Houston Chronicle)
The stories about the possible loss of 2,300 jobs at the Johnson Space
Center don't tell the whole story, Bay Area Houston Economic
Partnership President Bob Mitchell says. "These numbers fail to reflect
many factors," he said in an e-mail to his membership. "What NASA
reported is simply a snapshot of today's current work associated with
the shuttle and only the current Constellation contract awards. It does
not factor in...future Constellation contracts." These include the new
space suit, the lunar lander, the Ares V rocket, etc. As the program
office for the entire Constellation Program, all awards will flow
through JSC. Also, future jobs will be created locally through
commercial space efforts in the area. (4/11)
Colorado Attracts $355 Million in Space Exploration Funds
(Source: Rocky Mountain News)
Colorado is one of the nation's largest recipients of NASA
space-exploration dollars. The federal space agency spent $354.6
million on Colorado-based contracts last year, putting the state No. 8
nationwide for NASA contract funding, according to the space agency.
Nearly $200 million went to Lockheed Martin Corp., which is designing
and developing NASA's Orion spacecraft to take astronauts to the moon
and Mars. Other big recipients of NASA dollars included Ball Aerospace
& Technologies Corp. and the University of Colorado, the nation's
single largest recipient of NASA university research dollars. (4/10)
They Were Warned (Source: Space Review)
Last week members of Congress wrung their hands over the anticipated
job losses at the Kennedy Space Center and elsewhere as the shuttle is
retired. Taylor Dinerman argues that the solution is for Congress and
the White House to act to provide additional funding to speed up the
development of its successor, not to extend the life of the shuttle.
Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1098/1 to view the article. (4/7)
$150 Million AMC-14 Satellite Written Off as 'Space Junk'
(Source: Times Online)
A $150 million satellite which was to deliver television services to
the US has been written off as a piece of 'space junk' after the
'complete failure' of its launch a month ago. The satellite,
manufactured by Lockheed-Martin and launched aboard an unmanned Russian
rocket last month, was intended to deliver TV services to viewers in
the US, Mexico and Central America as part of the Echo Star network.
"We expect to receive the insurance proceeds of approximately $150
million in the next few months," said an official with the satellite's
owner/operator, SES. (4/11)
Boeing Patent Shuts Down AMC-14 Lunar Flyby Salvage Attempt
(Source: SpaceDaily.com)
Attempts to salvage a wayward GEO comsat have come unstuck in the face
of institutional disinterest and an aging patent of questionable
validity. The AMC-14 commercial geostationary satellite was launched in
March by a Proton launch vehicle into space just short of its minimum
geostationary transfer orbit (GTO). Following the failed launch, SES
Americom looked into how they might salvage the satellite in a manner
similar to the Asiasat-3 salvage in 1998. However, a plan to salvage
AMC-14 was abandoned a week ago when SES gave up in the face of patent
issues relating to the lunar flyby process used to bring wayward
satellites back to GEO Earth orbit.
It was possible to bring AMC-14 back via the moon to a stable GEO orbit
where the high powered satellite would have been able to operate for at
least four years and probably longer. In the face of unrelated legal
battles between the current patent owner Boeing and the satellite's
owner SES Americom - any efforts to salvage AMC-14 have been cast
aside. Primarily this is because SES is currently suing Boeing for an
unrelated New Skies matter in the order of $50 million dollars - and
Boeing told SES that the patent was only available if SES Americom
dropped the lawsuit. (4/10)
SES Americom Orders Additional Spacecraft From Orbital
Sciences Corp. (Source: SES Americom)
SES and Orbital Sciences Corporation announced the order of a third
spacecraft under the multi-satellite contract both companies announced
in May 2007. Under this contract, the first and second satellites
ordered were AMC-5R and a ground spare. That ground spare will now
become AMC-1R, and a new ground spare will be produced for a future
use. Planned for launch in the second half of 2009, AMC-1R will have a
permanent home in geosynchronous Earth orbit at 103 degrees West
longitude. (4/9)
ESA to Recruit New European Astronauts (Source: ESA)
With ESA astronauts working in the Columbus laboratory onboard the
International Space Station (ISS) and the first of ESA’s new ATV cargo
ships having delivered fresh supplies to the station, ESA’s human
spaceflight activities have entered a new era. It is now time for ESA
to seek out new talent to bolster its Astronaut Corps for future manned
missions to the ISS, the Moon and beyond. The selection process will
start on Monday 19 May. (4/10)
Managing Space Radiation Risk in the New Era of Space
Exploration (Source: NASA Watch)
"For astronauts, however, there is one danger in space that does not
end when they step out of their spacecraft. The radiation that
permeates space-- unattenuated by Earth's atmosphere and
magnetosphere--may damage or kill cells within astronauts' bodies,
resulting in cancer or other health consequences years after a mission
ends." (4/11)
Drug Protects Mice, Monkeys From Radiation Damage (Source:
Reuters)
An experimental drug helped protect mice and monkeys from the damaging
effects of radiation, researchers said on Thursday, in a finding that
may lead to less toxic cancer treatments or an emergency treatment for
radiation exposure. They said the drug protected animals' bone marrow
and cells in the gut from being destroyed by radiation without
interfering with radiation therapy's ability to fight cancer. (4/10)
Cancer Concerns Continue at NASA Glenn Research Center
(Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer)
A union wants a more thorough investigation of cancer rates at the NASA
Glenn Research Center, but so far few workers have cooperated with a
survey to gather data about the disease. Union leaders said they know
of about 40 workers with cancer among 100 on the third floor of the
Developmental Engineering Building in the past few years. But only 28
of the several hundred workers in the building filled out a cancer
questionnaire sent out in January and turned it in to management, which
has since forwarded it to independent state and federal analysts. Other
workers turned in the questionnaire to the union, which withheld it
from the analysts, calling it one-sided. (4/11)
Space Foundation Seeks New Headquarters (Source: Colorado
Springs Gazette)
Less than two weeks after local officials came up with $53 million to
keep the U.S. Olympic Committee here, the U.S. Space Foundation went
public Thursday with a plea for help with a new and expanded
headquarters. Bill Tutt, chairman emeritus of the foundation's board,
told 192 business and community leaders that the group is being courted
by other cities and is looking for help to find larger headquarters.
The foundation hasn't determined how much additional space it needs,
what it would cost or how much financial help it requires.
The city and developer Landco Equity Partners agreed to spend $53
million to renovate and expand a downtown building for the Olympic
Committee headquarters, convert a former Colorado Springs Utilities
building for use by sports organizations and expand the Olympic
Training Center. The USOC employs 330 people locally and pumps about
$341 million annually into the local economy. The Space Foundation
employs about 40 people and resides in an 8,800-square-foot
headquarters building. (4/11)
Russian Space Shuttle Travels up the Rhine (Source:
SpaceDaily.com)
It whizzed around the Earth twice but on Tuesday the Buran 002 Russian
space shuttle's journey was more prosaic as it was shipped up the River
Rhine in Germany towards its new museum home. The 36 meter by 12 meter
shuttle set off from the Dutch port of Rotterdam by barge and was due
to arrive in the German city of Speyer on Saturday. (4/9)
Senate Passes Measure to Explore Shuttle Memorials
(Source: Lufkin Daily News)
Almost a year after it passed in the House, a measure was passed in the
Senate that would explore the construction of at least four memorials
in East Texas to honor the space shuttle Columbia tragedy, according to
a press release from the office of Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison
(R-Texas), who co-authored the bill. The memorials are slated for
Lufkin, Nacogdoches, San Augustine and Hemphill, communities that
helped lead recovery efforts when Columbia disintegrated over Texas in
February 2004. (4/11)
Astronauts Auction Prized Possessions and Experiences for
Charity (Source: ASF)
Do you have the “Right Stuff” to challenge Apollo 15 Command Module
Pilot Al Worden in a NASCAR race; or the courage to jump out of a plane
with 5-time Space Shuttle veteran Robert “Hoot” Gibson? Well if your
answer is yes, now’s your chance! The Astronaut Scholarship Foundation
(ASF) is offering these and twenty-eight other coveted prizes in its
Semi-Annual Online Auction of Astronaut Memorabilia and Experiences at http://astronautscholarship.org/auction.pl. (4/8)
Space Lovers Party Like It's 1961 (Source: ABC News)
Loretta Hidalgo Whitesides' fascination with space started when she was
a little girl who played "star ship" under the stairs. Next, it was
reading books about the universe and space. Today, she may not pretend
to travel to space or read picture books about the universe, but she's
never lost her love of that place beyond the atmosphere of Earth.
Whiteside's interest led her to start Yuri's Night, a global
celebration of the first human to go to space. The annual event is
named after Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, who traveled to space on
April 12, 1961. Another reason to celebrate is that April 12, 1981 was
also the launch date of Columbia, the first U.S. space shuttle. (4/13)
NASA Launches New Science Website (Source: NASA)
NASA's Science Mission Directorate has launched a new Website that
provides enhanced and engaging information about NASA's vast scope of
scientific endeavors and achievements. The site will provide in-depth
coverage of NASA's past, present and future science missions Visit http://nasascience.nasa.gov to check it out. (4/10)
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Event Calendar
SMC Industry Days Planned
in Long Beach on Apr 15-17
SMC Industry Days is an
annual event where industry is invited to learn about the current and
upcoming programs at the Center, focusing on business opportunities for
the 350 aerospace professionals in attendance. Visit http://www.SMCIndustryDays.org
NASA Future Forum Planned in Miami on April 18 (Source:
NASA)
Join NASA scientists, engineers, astronauts, local business, technology
and academic leaders, and local, state, and federal officials to
discuss the past, present, and future of NASA and its contributions to
the Nation for the advancement of science, technology, engineering,
education and the economy. The program will also feature NASA's
Constellation Program - America's return to the Moon and beyond. The
event will be held at the University of Miami on April 18. Visit http://www.regonline.com/futureforum-miami
IDGA Fourth Annual
Military Satellites Event Planned in Virginia on April 28-30
Discover the latest on
Space Situational Awareness! Gain insight into current space programs
such as TACSAT, ORS, and MUOS. Discover future
government plans for interoperability of space programs.
Achieve net-centricity by learning about space acquisition
programs. Visit http://www.iqpc.com/ShowEvent.aspx?id=71300
RS6 Responsive Space
Conference Planned in Los Angeles on April 28 - May 1
With the creation of the
ORS Office at Kirtland AFB and a Responsive Space budget showing up for
the first time, the RS environment has changed substantially from prior
years. The goal for all of us shifts to how we go about demonstrating
near-term progress and utility and how we convince both ourselves and
Congress that we really can do business differently and create
responsive, near-term missions at low cost. Visit http://www.responsivespace.com
California Space Authority
Plans Space Day in Sacramento on May 13
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. Visit
http://www.californiaspaceauthority.org/spacedaysacto2008/registration.html
for information (4/4)
JPL Briefing to Industry
Planned on May 13
The one-day conference
provides a forum for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory leadership to engage
industry partners by providing insight into future business
opportunities at JPL. It brings key JPL
decision makers into direct contact with industry personnel. Visit
http://www.nscwest.org/JPL_Briefing_to_Industry.html
AIAA Aerospace Workforce
Conference Planned in Washington DC on May 13-14
Inside Aerospace—An
International Forum for Aviation and Space Leaders, a conference
focusing on aerospace workforce issues, will be held on May 13-14 in
Washington DC. Visit
http://www.aiaa.org/agenda.cfm?lumeetingid=1949&viewcon=agenda&pageview=2&programSeeview=1&formatview=2
for information.
Responsive Access to Space Conference Planned in Dayton on May
19-23
RASTE 2008 is the premier forum to meet the challenges of Affordable
and Responsive Space Access through technology exchange and
collaboration. This will be achieved by bringing together the space
access system integrators and sub-system providers to share, exchange
and transition the technologies into the next generation space launch
vehicles. The RASTE 2008 seeks to accelerate the development of the
emerging commercial space launch industry by establishing and
continuing an exchange and collaboration between engineers, developers,
planners, and managers in the community. Visit http://www.usasymposium.com/raste/RASTEexhibitreminder.html
Planetfest 2008 Planned at
Pasadena Hilton on May 25
Planetfest 2008 is a
one-day live data event with special guests from the space community.
When NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory receives the signal that Phoenix
is safely down, people around the world will stand up and cheer. And
when that first picture of Mars comes down -- I can tell you from
personal experience -- people will still be standing and cheering even
louder. Sharing these moments with others is exciting, memorable, and
just plain fun. Phoenix is about to make exploration history. Celebrate
it with us. Come to Planetfest 2008! Order your tickets today at the
Early Bird Special at
http://www.planetary.org/explore/topics/planetfest08/
Berlin International
Aerospace Show Planned May 27 - June 1
With more than 1,000
exhibitors from over 40 countries, more than 115,000 trade visitors and
about 250,000 visitors in total, ILA Berlin Air Show is one of the
world’s largest aerospace trade shows. ILA provides best access to the
EU and particularly to the markets in Central and Eastern Europe. The El Camino College CITD in partnership with CSA,
Hannover Fairs USA, and the U.S. Commercial Service, is offering a
discounted rate for small to medium size California aerospace companies
to exhibit at the El Camino booth and to take advantage of the online
business matchmaking service. Registration
deadline is May 7. For more information, contact: LeeAnne Haworth,
Manager, International Program and Partnerships, (805) 349-2633, x120.
Visit http://www.californiaspaceauthority.org/images/events/BerlinAirShow-1.pdf
International Space Development Conference Planned in
Washington DC on May 29 - June 1
The theme for ISDC 2008 is "The New Pace of Space." With NASA fully
engaged in building the next generation of space exploration vehicles,
and the commercial space sector beginning to test fly their new
personal spaceships, we have entered the next space age. Visit http://isdc.nss.org/2008/ -.
Discount Registration to CSA Members!
CSA Co-Hosts Satellite
Conference in San Diego on June 10-12
The California Space
Authority is co-hosting a joint conference on satellite communications
on June 10-12 in San Diego. For more information on the 26th
International Communications Satellite Systems Conference (ICSSC), and
the ISCe 2008 satellite & communications conference, visit
http://www.isce.com/.
Teacher Workshops Planned
Near California Spaceport on June 14
NASA and the California
Space Authority encourage teachers to participate in the Delta II
launch of the Jason-2 Satellite: NASA and NOAA’s Ocean Surface
Topography mission. For all interested school educators &
administrators: this is a unique opportunity to learn about realworld
Earth and atmospheric science, rocket science (no previous knowledge
necessary), and OSTM/Jason-2’s cutting-edge satellite instrument
technology. This educational program will provide a general
introduction to the NASA/NOAA OSTM/Jason-2 mission and a variety of
Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) workshops with
specific science behind the Jason-2 satellite instruments. Visit
http://sealevel.jpl.nasa.gov/mission/ostm.html.
Joint Propulsion
Conference Planned in Connecticut on July 20-23
This is the AIAA's premier
event for engineering and management professionals focused on space
technologies, systems, programs, and policy. Visit
http://www.aiaa.org/content.cfm?pageid=230&lumeetingid=1874 for
information.
2008 Regolith Excavation
Challenge Planned at CalPoly on Aug. 2-3
CSA is sponsoring the
Regolith Excavation Challenge on August 2-3, 2008, on the campus of
California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo. Visit
http://regolith.csewi.org/
APSCC 2008 Satellite
Conference & Exhibition Planned in Korea on Sept. 22-25
The satellite industry's
premier conference for business and networking opportunities in Asia is
planned for September 22 - 25, 2008 at the Hotel Lotte, Jeju, Korea. To
register visit http://www.apscc.or.kr/event/apscc2008.asp. Registration
Discount to CSA Members!
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Last Week’s DOD
Contract Awards in California
Northrop Grumman Corp.
Integration Systems, Bethpage, N.Y., is being
awarded a $101,900,000 firm-fixed-price contract for the Fiscal Year
2007 full rate production (LOT III) of seven AN/ALQ-218 Tactical
Jamming System Receivers (TJSRs), a component of the EA-6B Airborne
Electronic Attack Aircraft. In addition, this contract provides for
spare Shop Replacement Assemblies and Weapons Replacement Assemblies.
Work will be performed in Baltimore, Md. (57 percent), Bethpage, N.Y.
(30 percent); various locations throughout the United States (8
percent); Nashua, N.H. (2.5 percent); and San Diego, Calif.
(2.5 percent), and work is expected to be completed in November 2010.
Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.
This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Air Systems
Command, Patuxent River, Md. is the contracting activity.
ITT Communications &
Countermeasures Systems, Thousand Oaks, Calif.,
is being awarded a $45,194,148 modification to previously awarded
contract (N00024-07-C-6311) for the production and support of 586 JCREW
2.1 Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device (RCIED) Electronic
Warfare (CREW) systems to meet urgent Department of Defense (DoD)
requirements in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Vehicle mounted
CREW systems are one element of the DoD’s Joint Counter RCIED
Electronic Warfare program. Spiral 2.1 CREW systems are vehicle mounted
electronic jammers designed to prevent the initiation of RCIED. This
contract is for the urgent procurement and support of CREW systems, to
be used by the military service of the Air Force for the Global War on
Terror. The Navy manages the joint CREW program for Office of the
Secretary of Defense. Work will be performed in Thousand Oaks, Calif.
(87 percent) and Lancaster, Calif. (13 percent) and is expected
to be complete by November 2008. Contract funds will not expire at the
end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command,
Washington, D.C. is the contracting activity.
Northrop Grumman Systems
Corporation,
Integrated Systems Air Combat Systems of San Diego, Calif., is
being awarded a modified fixed price incentive firm contract for
$21,332,347. This contract will provide for long lead associated with
five Airborne Signals Intelligence Payload Sensors to be procured in
conjunction with Global Hawk Lot 8 Air Vehicles. At this time
$21,332,347 has been obligated. Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio,
is the contracting activity.
RJC Architects, San Diego, Calif.,
is being awarded a maximum $7,500,000 (base and options - with a
guaranteed minimum of $5,000) firm-fixed-price,
indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity architect/engineering contract
for renovation/repair and new construction of facilities in the Naval
Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southwest area of
responsibility (AOR). The work to be performed provides for engineering
studies and site investigation reports to support new development on
raw land, or re-development of existing developed sites; preparation of
Requests for Proposals for design-build projects; preparation of fully
designed plans and specifications for Invitation for Bid projects;
other engineering designs, studies, reports, cost estimates,
evaluations, and construction support services. Work will be performed
at various Navy and Marine Corps facilities and other government
facilities within the NAVFAC Southwest AOR including, but not limited,
to California., (87 percent); Ariz., (5 percent); Nev., (5
percent); Colo., (1 percent); N.M., (1 percent) and Utah (1 percent),
and work is expected to be completed Apr. 2009 (April 2013 with options
exercised). Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current
fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Naval
Facilities Engineering Command e-solicitation website with 20 proposals
received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San
Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity.
Boeing Co., of Anaheim, Calif., is
being awarded a modified contract for $24,960,000. This undefinitized
contract action will incorporate Engineering Change Proposal (ECP)
0035, Strategic Networks, into the Family of Advanced
Beyond-Line-of-Sight Terminals (FAB-T) Increment 1 program. At this
time $9,250,000 has been obligated. Hanscom AFB, Mass., is the
contracting activity.
Northrop Grumman Systems
Corp.,
Integrated System Sector, of El Segundo, Calif., is being
awarded a modified contract for $22,300,005. This action will provide
T38, 33 wing assemblies and gear boxes, 15 each. At this time
$22,300,005 has been obligated. Hill AFB, Utah, is the contracting
activity.
Solpac Construction, dba Soltek Pacific Inc.,
San Diego, Calif., is being awarded $6,126,200 for
firm-fixed-price Task Order #0002 under a previously awarded
indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award construction
contract (N62473-08-D-8609) for construction of a physical fitness
center at area 33, Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton. The work to be
performed provides for a new single-story physical fitness center that
will include racquetball and basketball courts, telescoping bleachers,
aerobics, weight and cardiovascular training areas, restrooms, lockers,
showers, saunas, laundry and administrative support areas, and will
include all services, labor, materials and equipment necessary to
complete the work as described in the request for proposal.
Kinder Morgan Liquids
Terminals LLC., Orange, Calif.,
is being awarded a maximum $32,000,000 firm fixed price, cost
reimbursement contract for services and facilities to receive, store
and ship turbine and aviation fuel. There are
no other locations of performance. Using service is Navy. This proposal
was originally electronically solicited with two responses. Contract
funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Date of
performance completion is Jun. 17, 2013. The contracting activity is
Defense Energy Support Center, Fort Belvoir, Va.
Sound & Sea
Technology, Inc., Lynnwood, Wash., is
being awarded $5,849,090 under a previously awarded cost-plus-award-fee
contract (N62473-06-D-3005) to exercise option year four for
engineering and technical services in support of the Naval Facilities
Engineering Service Center (NFESC), Ocean Facilities Department, Port
Hueneme, Calif. The work to be performed
provides for ocean engineering services that include project planning
and execution of sub-sea cable projects including shore landings,
seafloor engineering, ocean work platform support, underwater
construction tool development, offshore structure and buoy projects,
marine power systems, heavy load handling engineering, and harbor and
waterside security projects. The current total contract amount after
exercise of this option will be $28,571,647. Work will be performed at
various installations under NFESC’s area of responsibility worldwide,
and work is expected to be completed Apr. 2009. Contract funds will not
expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Facilities
Engineering Command, Southwest, Specialty Center Contracts Core, Port
Hueneme, Calif., is the contracting activity.
Composite Engineering,
Incorporated
of Sacramento, Calif., is being awarded a modified firm fixed
price contract for $5,692,990. This action will result in a firm fixed
price modification to an existing contract awarded to Composite
Engineering Incorp., Sacramento, Calif., Air Force Budget
Appropriation 3010 funds will be used to procure ten additional Air
Force Subscale Aerial Target (AFSAT) under the Lot five option. At this
time $5,692,990 has been obligated. Eglin AFB, Fla., is the contracting
activity.
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