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July
13, 2009
NASA Administrator: Who Is Charles F.
Bolden, Jr.?
(Source: AllGov)
President Obama has chosen a former astronaut and Marine Corps aviator with strong
ties to the defense industry to lead NASA in its transition from the Space
Shuttle era to the next phase of space exploration. Born in the Jim Crow
South, retired Marine Corps Major General Charles F. Bolden, Jr., faced
pre-confirmation questions about his ties to the aerospace and defense
industries, but seems destined for confirmed as NASA’s first permanent
African American Administrator.
Born August 19, 1946, in Columbia, South Carolina, Bolden graduated in 1964
from C. A. Johnson High School in Columbia, where his father was the head
football coach. He earned a BS in Electrical Science from the U. S. Naval
Academy in 1968, and an MS in Systems Management from the University of
Southern California in 1977. Upon graduation from the Naval Academy, Bolden
accepted a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps. He
flew more than 100 sorties into North and South Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.
As a pilot, he has logged more than 6,000 hours flying time. (7/8)
Top NASA Picks on a Glide Path Toward Their Jobs (Source: Congress
Daily)
Charles Bolden, a former fighter pilot, astronaut and retired Marine Corps
major general, received assurances of confirmation to be NASA administrator
Wednesday, but was challenged by Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John
(Jay) Rockefeller, D-W.Va., to explain how he would restore the past
excitement and prestige of an organization he said was "adrift."
Rockefeller gave a similar assurance and challenge to Lori Garver, the
nominee for deputy NASA administrator after 20 years of experience in civil
space at NASA and in the private sector. (7/9)
Bolden Identifies Four Challenges for NASA (Source: SPACErePORT)
During his confirmation hearing in the U.S. Senate, NASA Administrator
Charles Bolden identified four challenges he sees for NASA, including: 1)
Building upon our success with the International Space Station; 2)
Accelerating the development of next-generation launch capabilities; 3)
Expanding our capability to understand Earth; and 4) Inspire the next generation
of space industry workers. (7/8)
Bolden and Garver Respond to Senate Concerns (Source: SPACErePORT)
Charles Bolden told Senators that he wants NASA to become the pre-eminent
research agency in the U.S., saying that the agency hasn't invested enough in
basic research. He also said he sees NASA's focus as "beyond low Earth
orbit", although Earth Science must also be addressed. When asked about
the Space Station and its status as a National Lab, Bolden said with human
Mars missions 20-years out, he can't easily inspire young people with
promises of human Mars missions...but ISS is currently operating and can
inspire young scientists and engineers. Ms. Garver remarked on the importance
of ISS biomedical research. Both nominees view the ISS as a stepping stone to
deeper-space exploration. (7/8)
Bolden and Garver Support Commercial Space (Source: Space Politics)
Both Bolden and Garver, on multiple occasions, mentioned commercial and
entrepreneurial ventures, both as something NASA can enable and as something
that can help NASA carry out its mission. Regarding the Space Station, Bolden
said: “It is the way that we will allow commercial ventures, entrepreneurial
ventures, to have a place where they can seek to go to carry cargo, and one
of these days, maybe even carry crew.” And in his opening statement: “I dream
of a day when any American can launch into space and see the magnificence and
grandeur of our home planet Earth, as I have been blessed to do.” (7/9)
Editorial: Bolden's Right: America Must Lead or Lose in Exploration of
Space (Source: Florida Today)
The most telling moment in former astronaut Charlie Bolden’s confirmation
hearing Wednesday as NASA’s next boss came in response to a question about
how he planned to reinvigorate the agency. The two-time shuttle commander and
retired Marine Corps major general told this story: When he’d go into a
classroom in 1980 and ask students how many of them wanted to be astronauts,
every hand went up. But today, he said, “I may see three hands. All of them
want to go into business.” NASA’s inability to inspire a new generation of
Americans — along with an inability to gain sustained political support for
its efforts in Washington — shows the enormous challenges that Bolden will
face when he takes the agency’s helm. (7/10)
Forty
Years Ago Man First Walked on the Moon (Source: SpaceDaily.com)
Forty years ago on July 20, 1969, American astronaut Neil Armstrong realized
the oldest dream of human civilizations when he became the first man to walk
on the moon. As an estimated 500 million people around the world waited with
bated breath crowded around fuzzy television screens and radios, Armstrong
stepped down the lunar module's ladder and onto the lunar surface.
"That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind," Armstrong
intoned, his words slightly distorted by distance and communications
equipment, in a phrase now etched forever into the history books. Armstrong,
Buzz Aldrin, and Mike Collins launched from Florida's spaceport on July 16,
1969. (7/5)
Why Neil Armstrong Remains an Elusive Hero (Source: Telegraph)
The greatest technological triumph of the 20th Century was the product of
eight feverish years of research and development, $150 billion (at today’s
prices) and 400,000 people. At the center of it all was the 38-year-old son
of a minor civil servant from a small town in the Ohio corn belt. When Neil
Alden Armstrong placed his boot on the lunar surface on July 20 1969 he took
one small step into immortality, the first human being to touch another
world. It was a mythic and insuperable moment, propelling him to global fame,
and he has spent the rest of his life dealing with its consequences.
He once said he had no wish to play the part of a “human memorial.” An
elusive, reluctant hero, he has long since given up signing his name in books
and cards for fear of yet another autograph offer on eBay. “Mr Armstrong,”
said one of his university colleagues, “can smell exploitation a mile
[away].” Not always. His Ohio neighbors respected the Armstrongs’ privacy and
they returned the favor by participating in the local community. Neil would
visit Herald’s, a small barber shop where Marx Sizemore cut Armstrong’s hair.
In 2004 Sizemore was approached by Todd Mueller, a dealer in celebrity
memorabilia. Mueller wanted Sizemore to save some of Armstrong’s hair and
sell it to him for $3,000. Sizemore told him he was nuts, but eventually
agreed. Click here to view the
article. (7/9)
Going
Back to Moon Not Enough for Buzz Aldrin (Source: Galveston Daily News)
For Buzz Aldrin, a manned space mission to the moon is not good enough. It’s
a bit of been there, done that. “I’m always looking to go forward,” he said.
With the 40th anniversary of his historic trip to the moon next week, Aldrin
is pushing for a bolder vision. “We have to expand and make use of what we
have already done,” the pilot of Apollo 11 said during an appearance in
Webster on Friday. “What is the major return of going back to the moon? Is it
to build refueling locations for missions to Mars? Simply going back is not
enough.” Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon, was in the area Friday
to promote an updated version of his book “Magnificent Desolation: The Long
Journey Home from the Moon” and to promote a short-wave radio he helped
design. (7/11)
Moon-Landing Debunkers Won't Fade Away (Source: Florida
Today)
Did NASA secretly stage history’s biggest scam by filming fake lunar landings
— complete with phony astronauts and pseudo-moon rocks — on some Hollywood
soundstage? Or, are the skeptics who believe these moon-hoax theories a
collection of conspiracy theorists, money-grubbers and the perpetually
paranoid? The debate continues. July 20 marks the 40th anniversary of the
Apollo 11 moon landing, er, “alleged” moon landing. NASA has trumpeted the
purported touchdown of the Eagle lunar module as the human race’s “single
greatest technological achievement of all time.” However, try this Google Web
search: “Apollo moon hoax.” You’ll get nearly 3 million results.
And perhaps the nation’s foremost moon-mission doubter — who was famously
punched in the face by astronaut Buzz Aldrin during a combative 2002
interview — still argues that NASA archive video and photographs reveal that
the mission was rigged. “The fact is, this footage is them faking being
halfway to the moon. I’m a filmmaker, and it’s my job to make fake things
look real,” said Nashville media producer Bart Sibrel, who publicized his
theories in the documentary “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Moon.”
Sibrel said he is planning unspecified activities for the 40th anniversary of
Apollo 11, but he declined to provide details, saying they are “still in the
works.” (7/7)
Apollo
and America's Cold War (Source: Space Review)
As the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission approaches, we are reminded
of the superpower space race that made that mission possible. Taylor Dinerman
looks back on the geopolitical forces that drive the race to the Moon. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1409/1 to view the
article. (7/6)
Astronauts and Filmmaker Host Space Apollo
Documentary Events in Florida (Source: SPACErePORT)
The Wonder of it All is a feature documentary focusing on the rarely told
human side of the men behind the Apollo missions expressed through thoughtful
and candid accounts from seven of the surviving Moonwalkers. Astronauts Buzz
Aldrin, Alan Bean, Edgar Mitchell, John Young, Charles Duke, Eugene Cernan
and Harrison Schmitt reflect on their childhood, training, the tragedies, the
camaraderie and the effect their space travel had on their families. They
fulfilled the dream of humankind to set foot on another world and in so
doing, forever changed the way we view ourselves. This film gives us the
unique opportunity to preserve the thoughts of these great modern heroes.
Filmmaker Jeffrey Roth will be joined by Apollo moonwalker Ed Mitchell on
July 25 to sign DVDs at Borders Books in Boca Raton. Roth will also host
signings on July 23 in Oviedo, and July 24 at Kennedy Space Center. Click here for other U.S.
dates and locations. (7/6)
US Manned Space Flight in Doubt 40 Years After Moon Walk (Source:
SpaceDaily.com)
US ambitions to send astronauts back to the moon as a prelude to missions to
Mars have been put in doubt by budgetary constraints 40 years after man's
triumphant landing on Earth's nearest neighbor. After the Columbia space
shuttle disaster in 2003, former president George W. Bush decided to phase
out the shuttle flights and set a more ambitious mandate for America in
space. The space shuttles, which have carried crews of astronauts into space
since 1981, were conceived as reusable vehicles to transport heavy, bulky
equipment into Earth's orbit, primarily for the construction of the
International Space Station. But the shuttle has kept the United States stuck
in a low orbit for too long at a time when other countries like China are
emerging as rivals in space, argues Michael Griffin, the former NASA chief
who championed the Constellation program. (7/5)
Editorial: NASA's Not Dreaming Far Enough (Source: Orlando
Sentinel)
Claiming that close-in shuttle missions and robots afar are all we can do is
no longer acceptable. Man on the moon was the most profound scientific
achievement of our lifetimes because of all it symbolized in the conquering
of human knowledge gaps — and it happened too long ago. It's time for
"change" to reverse NASA satisfaction with the mundane, and replace
it with the other-worldly — so that potentially all mankind can benefit.
(7/6)
Humanity's Itch (Source: Eureka
Times-Standard)
Civilizations before us had pyramids. They had so-called manifest destiny
beckoning them to cross vast continental spaces to plant Western flags where
American Indians had lived for millennia. They had walls crossing the breadth
of their nation to keep hordes at bay, and coliseums and aqueducts to improve
their quality of life and distinguish themselves from all that came before
and much of what came after. Every civilization searches for its noteworthy
achievement, the monument it will leave to subsequent generations as a high-water
mark. We were here, and with our minds and hands, this is what we were able
to do. This is a fundamental attribute of human society, and today we are no
different.
Our noteworthy achievement, the one that advances that marker of human
civilization and will be recorded -- we can hope -- for thousands of years in
the future is our ability to break free of the gravitational bonds that
anchor us to this planet and achieve space travel. And it's an achievement
roughly 40 years ago that remains the pinnacle -- the Apollo moon landing.
Truthfully, there's no shortage of innovation in this era, and many
achievements could be hailed as our greatest contribution to the evolution of
the species -- from nanotechnology and nuclear energy to genetics and
Chicago-style pizza.
But it is no exaggeration to say that the survival of the human species
depends on our success in reaching and ultimately settling other planets. Any
clear-eyed examination of our own planet's history -- the 4.5 billion-year
story -- shows that the only constant is change. Where one species is
dominant in a given moment, another will surely rise to take its place as
soon as the inevitable happens -- that is, extinction. (7/7)
NASA Experts Scale Back Moon/Mars Plans
Fearing Funding Cut
(Source: Telegraph)
US space experts are downsizing plans to send astronauts back to the moon and
possibly to Mars amid fears of funding cuts by the Obama administration. With
NASA engineers now floating cut-rate rocket alternatives, some politicians
and former astronauts fear that the 2020 deadline will be foiled by financial
constraints. Noting a space exploration budget of six billion dollars in
2009, Senator Bill Nelson of Florida said: "NASA simply can't do the job
it's been given - the president's goal of being on the moon by 2020."
Norman Augustine, chair of the panel reviewing NASA's options, admitted it
all comes down to money. "With a few exceptions, we have the technology
or the knowledge that we could go to Mars if we wanted with humans. We could
put a telescope on the moon if we wanted," he said. "The technology
is by and large there. It boils down to what can we afford?" Click here to view the
article. (7/6)
In Light of National Debt, What Priority
Should Space Have?
(Source: CNN)
In 2003, Former President George W. Bush announced plans to phase out the
space shuttle program by 2010 and instead shift the focus and funding to what
was named the Constellation program — a plan to send man back to the moon by
2020. This is all part of a bigger plan to eventually send a manned space
mission to Mars. None of that may happen any time soon. The country is broke
and in a nasty recession and as a result, the Constellation Program is being
reconsidered because of budgetary constraints. Here’s my question to you: In
light of the ballooning National Debt, what priority should the U.S. space
program have? Click here to view reader
responses. (7/6)
U.S.
Space Program Should Align With Broader National Goals (Source: National Academies)
The U.S. civil space program should be aligned with widely acknowledged
national challenges, says a new report from the National Research Council's
Committee on Rationale and Goals of the U.S. Civil Space Program. Aligning
the program with pressing issues – environmental, economic, and strategic –
is a national imperative, and will continue to grow in importance.
Coordination across federal agencies, combined with a competent technical
workforce, effective infrastructure, and investment in technology and
innovation, would lay the foundation for a purposeful, strategic U.S. space
program that would serve national interests. Click here to view the
report's recommendations. Editor's Note: This committee
includes two members of the Augustine Panel, Lester Lyles and Wanda Austin.
(7/7)
What Are the Real Costs for Constellation? (Source: Orlando
Sentinel)
At the end of the day, space travel now is all about money – or lack of it.
Getting astronauts back to the moon affordably is the key in these tight
times. And making sure that a human exploration program fits within Obama
White House budget constraints is a central guideline for the
presidentially-appointed Augustine Panel. NASA officials told the panel on
June 17 that Constellation's cost up to first flight of the Ares/Orion in
2015 would be $35 billion. But that is a new number and it clashes with other
numbers that have been released by top NASA officials in recent months.
After the Orlando Sentinel did a story based on the work of Constellation
Program budget analysts which put the real cost of the first crewed launch of
Ares I and Orion to the international space station at well over $40 billion
and rising, NASA pushed back. NASA's Doug Cooke on Apr.7 wrote: “The cost of
this initial operating capability of hardware and systems is still at $36
billion.” But a day later on a NASA blog, NASA's Jeff Hanley wrote: “The
development cost for achieving the first crewed flight today is roughly $30
billion, far short of estimates which have been recently bandied about.”
Yet just two months later, the figure given to the Augustine Panel was $35
billion, one billion less than what Cooke said and five billion more than
Hanley’s estimate. Now, it is possible that as NASA cuts out tests for Ares
and Orion and scales back the project like cutting down the number of seats
in Orion from six to four, that money is being saved. But at the same time,
according to NASA’s own study of ways to speed up the development of Ares and
Orion, the program is at least $1.9 billion in the hole. Whatever the cost,
sources close to the Augustine committee, say panel members have serious
doubts about the $35 billion figure now being used by agency officials. (7/7)
Saturn V, Apollo's Thunderous Rocket, Would
be a Spacefaring Dinosaur Today (Source: Arizona Daily Star)
Since the last manned lunar mission, Apollo 17 in 1972, mankind has taken one
giant leap backward. Neither the United States nor any other country
currently has the means to send a manned mission to the moon, said Michael J.
Drake, director of the UA's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory. Detailed designs
of the Saturn V rocket no longer exist, Drake said. And even if they were
recovered, they'd be obsolete because they wouldn't meet current safety
standards — which the U.S. deemed acceptable in the 1960s as it scurried to
beat the Soviets to the moon. The designs would also be too archaic to work
with modern computers and communications systems. "Technology has moved
on," Drake said. (7/12)
NASA's Ares Partners Say They're Open to
Moon-Rocket Alternatives (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
The aerospace giants contracted to help build NASA's next-generation spaceships
are quietly hedging their bets and stepping back from the Ares rockets that
the agency has staked its future on after the shuttle retires next year. In
recent weeks, Lockheed Martin Corp. and the Boeing Co. have reached out to
NASA officials, lawmakers and a presidentially appointed panel reviewing
America's human-spaceflight plan, expressing a willingness to change plans or
offering alternatives to the rockets that until recently they strongly
advocated. With contractors distancing themselves, the future of the
Constellation program of rockets and capsules to return astronauts to the
moon looks bleak, especially if the panel endorses alternatives.
Early last month, top executives from the major Constellation contractors —
Boeing, Lockheed Martin, solid rocket builder ATK and rocket-engine
manufacturer Pratt Whitney — were in Washington, vowing to oppose any
alternatives. According to industry officials present, former astronaut and
Boeing Vice President Brewster Shaw, Lockheed Vice President John Karas and
other executives met with the staff of powerful U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby to
discuss creating a media campaign to counter Ares I critics and alternative
ideas. Shelby, R-Ala., is a fierce protector of NASA's Marshall Space Flight
Center, which is designing the Ares rockets. But the campaign never
materialized. Instead, Lockheed and Boeing have softened their positions and
even indicated some support for looking at alternatives. (7/9)
Editorial: Shelby Slowing the Race for
Space
(Source: Waco Tribune)
Earth to U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby: The conquest of space won’t be won by
odious pork-barrel politics. Shelby, who has often joined other Republican
lawmakers in Washington decrying President Obama’s economic recovery and
reinvestment act, now ironically seeks to take millions of dollars in
stimulus funds targeted for private space firms and funnel them instead into
Constellation, NASA’s troubled rocket program in his home state of Alabama.
To get most of this cash, the Republican senator attacked private companies
such as SpaceX, which seeks stimulus funds not only to further secure its
position as NASA’s partner but to double the number of jobs at its McGregor
rocket site, from 80 to 160.
It’s an odd position for Shelby, a supposed critic of pork-barrel politics
and government waste. One reason that the White House was quick to consider
private companies such as SpaceX is because the space shuttle retires next
year and the Constellation program set to succeed it is behind schedule.
White House officials hope investing in firms like SpaceX, based in
Hawthorne, Calif., might fire up rocket development, keeping us from having
to piggyback rides to the space station via Russian rockets. (7/11)
NASA Drops Ares V from Launch Services
Contract
(Source: Flight Global)
NASA has dropped the Ares V cargo launch vehicle (CaLV) and Altair lunar
lander from its Constellation program's Exploration ground launch services
(EGLS) request for proposals citing, the CaLV's distant first launch. The
Ares V ground systems' development was to begin in 2012, but in a revised
planning chart presented at the 10 June EGLS pre-proposal conference Ares V
and Altair are eliminated out to 2020. (7/9)
NASA's Ares I Starting To Take Shape at Marshall (Source: Aviation
Week)
Four years after NASA embraced Ares I as the next route to space for U.S.
astronauts, the new crew launch vehicle is beginning to move from
computer-aided-design workstations to the floors of various "fab
labs" here that in some cases date back to the Saturn V program in the
1960s. However, the Ares I's destiny is very much up in the air as a panel
headed by former Lockheed Martin CEO Norman Augustine pores over options for
U.S. human spaceflight. The panel is pitting progress, and problems, here
against human-rating the Delta IV heavy that already is flying cargo, and
against a few other concepts that are still in the "paper-rocket"
stage. NASA engineers on the Ares I project are using an approach that dates
back to the 1930s, when Wernher von Braun and his colleagues at the German
army's Kummersdorf ordnance center near Berlin started developing rockets
in-house before farming out production to industry. Click here to view the
article. (7/6)
Stacking of Ares I-X Begins at Kennedy Space Center (Source: USA)
For the first time in more than a quarter-century, a new space vehicle will
begin stacking on a mobile launch platform (MLP) at KSC, thanks to the hard
work of employees from NASA and contractors United Space Alliance and Alliant
Techsystems. The Ares I-X aft skirt, which was mated to a solid fuel segment
in the Rotation, Processing and Surge Facility at KSC, rolled over to the
528-foot-tall Vehicle Assembly Building, where it will be lifted and placed
on the MLP. On that platform, workers will secure the aft booster and
continue adding segments of the first stage rocket, the upper stage simulators,
the crew module mockup and the launch abort system simulator, taking the
vehicle to a height of 327 feet. (7/8)
Vibration Analysis Delays Ares I-X Stacking (Source: Aviation
Week)
Crews at Kennedy Space Center will wait to start stacking the Ares I-X test
vehicle so engineers will have more time to analyze three vibration-loads
issues that could threaten range safety during its suborbital test flight,
which probably will slip into October. Stacking is expected to begin the week
of July 6. Constellation Program Manager Jeff Hanley, who oversees
development of the Ares I crew launch vehicle, said July 2 that the extra
analysis may give test managers more confidence that they won't have to
destack the vehicle later to correct one of three potential problems. If it
doesn't, more work may be necessary before stacking can begin.
One of the issues involves concerns by some engineers that the shaking of the
four-segment space shuttle solid-rocket booster that forms the active portion
of the Ares I-X stack will overwhelm the hydraulic mechanism that drives the
thrust vector control system that helps guide the vehicle during powered
flight. Engineers also want more calculations on whether the vibrations would
disable the avionics box linking the flight termination system on the vehicle
with the range safety officers who would destroy it if it veers off course.
And they want extra analysis on whether any of the secondary structures
inside the steel boilerplate simulating the Ares I upper stage - ladders,
railings and the like - could shake loose. (7/6)
NASA Successfully Tests Alternate Ares-1
Launch Abort System at Virginia Spaceport (Source: NASA)
NASA has successfully demonstrated an alternate system for future astronauts
to escape their launch vehicle. A simulated launch of the Max Launch Abort
System (MLAS) took place Wednesday at Wallops Flight Facility. The unpiloted
launch tested an alternate concept for safely propelling a future spacecraft
and its crew away from a problem on the launch pad or during ascent. The MLAS
consists of four solid rocket abort motors inside a bullet-shaped composite
fairing attached to a full-scale mockup of the crew module.
The 33-foot-high MLAS vehicle was launched to an altitude of approximately
one mile to simulate an emergency on the launch pad. The flight demonstration
began after the four solid rocket motors burned out. The crew module mockup
separated from the launch vehicle at approximately seven seconds into the
flight and parachuted into the Atlantic Ocean. See the odd-looking vehicle
and its mission profile here. (7/8)
States & Counties Poised to Battle for Virginia Spaceport Businesses
(Source: DelMarVaNow)
It appears competition between Accomack County in Virginia and its northern
neighbor, Worcester County, Md., is heating up in an effort to attract
business associated with Orbital Science’s Taurus II rocket program and other
growth at Wallops Island. Despite talk of cooperation between Maryland and Virginia
at a groundbreaking for the project last week at Wallops, Accomack County
officials Wednesday at a Board of Supervisors meeting appeared ready to fight
Worcester for economic development dollars.
“We’ve got to be quick on our feet ... We’re not going to have another bite
of the apple,” said Accomack Board of Supervisors Chairman Steve Mallette, in
response to remarks U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski made last week during a
meeting with Worcester County, Md. commissioners. She urged Worcester County
officials to rename the Pocomoke City Industrial Park to “something more 21st
century” to better reflect technological upgrades and other amenities that
are being added to the park in an effort to attract commerce associated with
activities at Wallops. She said construction of a launch facility for Taurus
II will create almost 300 new jobs now and bring another 400 high-tech jobs
to the Wallops area by 2010. (7/7)
Engineers Lose Jobs at Wallops Spaceport (Source:
DelMarVaNow.com)
Scientists who use the Wallops Flight Facility to get data from spaceflights
were alarmed to learn that up to 30 engineers designing rockets got pink
slips this week, according to their report. The defense contractor, Northrop
Grumman, terminated its relationship with subcontractor Orbital Sciences
Corp. on July 1. The two had shared a 10-year contract with NASA to launch
sounding rockets at Wallops. The vessels record scientific measurements
during a suborbital flight. A report was produced after a June 19 meeting by
NASA's Sounding Rocket Working Group -- a 10-person committee of researchers
and two representatives from the Goddard Space Flight Center -- which claims
the decision will have "serious and lasting repercussions" that
delay space research and technological development across the USA. (7/11)
Workforce Agency Chief Predicts 7,000
Florida Jobs Lost
(Source: Florida Today)
Florida Today interviewed Lisa Rice, president of the Brevard Workforce
Development Board Inc. She spoke of the progress in helping the shuttle
workforce transition as the program approaches a planned retirement next
year, when thousands of jobs will be lost at Kennedy Space Center. Asked how
bad job losses will be, Rice said job losses could reach 7,000 and the time
for job recovery could lengthen to seven years. "With the new NASA
administrator, we're not sure what kinds of goals he's going to set,"
said Rice. Several years ago Rice and other officials estimated 3,500 jobs
would be lost, even with Kennedy Space Center getting important parts of the Constellation
program.
"What we're hearing is that a lot of those work packages are not coming
to Florida," Rice said. "That's a huge loss. You can't keep people
on for that time frame." Talk of bringing the lunar lander the KSC has
become less firm. "At this point that is not on the table as coming to
KSC," Rice said. Editor's Note: Former NASA Administrator Mike Griffin
at one time indicated that the Altair lunar lander would be assembled at KSC
to help mitigate Shuttle program workforce losses. NASA later revealed that
it would not dictate which location would be used for Altair assembly. (7/12)
Florida Effort Focuses on Dealing with
Shuttle Workforce Losses (Source: Florida Today)
A regional approach to managing the space industry's job losses -- expected
to be in excess of 3,500 when NASA retires the shuttle in 2010 -- is the goal
of a meeting of government and industry leaders from seven Central Florida
counties. They hope to keep the workforce intact by expanding other
industries as the number of space industry jobs contracts.
"We could lose these workers to other states," Tyler Sirois,
business liaison for the Regional Aerospace Workforce Initiative, said.
"Our goal is to keep them in Central Florida. It's critical to the
economy," the former legislative aide with Florida House of
Representatives added. A $250,000 regional innovation grant from the
Department of Labor will fund the effort that begins with bringing 80 to 90
economic leaders together Friday at the University of Central Florida in
Orlando. (7/9)
Weather (& Lightning) Delays NASA Space
Shuttle Launch to Monday (Source: AFP)
Inclement weather, including a dramatic lightning storm on Saturday, forced
NASA to delay the space shuttle Endeavour's launch to Sunday, and then
Monday, in the latest blow to the seven-astronaut mission. At least one
lightning bolt struck the Shuttle launch pad's lightning protection system,
though no damage was reported. (7/11)
Kosmas Wins Measure to Help Space Coast
Businesses
(Source: Orlando Sentinel)
U.S. Rep. Suzanne Kosmas managed to attach an amendment to House legislation
that gives preference in receiving government loans to small businesses
affected the upcoming retirement of the space shuttle, due to fly its final
mission in 2010 or 2011. "The Kosmas Amendment was included in the
Enhancing Small Business Innovation and Research Act (HR 2965), bipartisan
legislation that reauthorizes and increases funding for the successful SBIR
program. The bill passed the House 386-41."
“As we work to minimize the spaceflight gap, I want to make sure that the
hundreds of small businesses involved with the Shuttle program have the
support they need to move forward and keep their employees,” said Kosmas,
D-New Smyrna Beach, in a statement. “The SBIR program has proven successful
in helping innovative businesses find a market for their products, and my
amendment will give Shuttle-related small businesses a leg up in the grants
process.” (7/8)
House OKs Help for Firms Hurt by Shuttle Retirement (Source: Space
News)
Legislation that includes language authored by U.S. Rep. Suzanne Kosmas
(D-Fla.) to assist small businesses affected by the space shuttle's looming
retirement was approved July 8 by the House of Representatives. The Kosmas
amendment to the Enhancing Small Business Innovation and Research Act (H.R.
2965) would give preference to these small businesses when applying for
grants through the Small Businesses Innovation and Research (SBIR) program,
helping them make the transition from space shuttle work to work in other
industries. (7/10)
Hukill Joins Race for Kosmas' Seat (Source: Daytona Beach News
Journal)
Third-term state Rep. Dorothy Hukill wants to become a first-term
congresswoman. Hukill, a Port Orange Republican, announced Monday she will
challenge U.S. Rep. Suzanne Kosmas for the 24th District seat in 2010.
Kosmas, a New Smyrna Beach Democrat, was elected last November. Four other
Republican candidates have filed for the race. Editor's Note:
During the 2009 Florida legislative session, Hukill sponsored a bill to
establish a Space Transportation Research & Development Institute
(STRDI). (7/7)
Hawaii Works on Space Tourism Plan (Source: MSNBC)
Space pioneers envision launching high-end Hawaii tourists from the sand to the
stars, taking island-hopping to new heights. Hawaii won't win the race to
become the first state with space tourism, but in a new twist, it probably
will be the first place where travelers can use the planes for real
transportation. Hawaii's planes would take off in one place and land in
another — from an airport on the Big Island to a landing on Oahu. (7/10)
New Mexico Spaceport America Gets Bonds, Power (Source: Las Cruces
Bulletin)
In the latter part of the coming week, Spaceport America should have $58
million for the first round of construction contracts to build the $198
million spaceport between Las Cruces and Truth or Consequences. At a recent
special meeting, the New Mexico Spaceport Authority board was given details
of bids on this first series of bonds to begin construction. The bids were
very favorable, spaceport officials told the board, amounting to an interest
rate of less than 5 percent for an annual debt service of an estimated $4.37
million.
This gives the spaceport more flexibility in case gross receipts taxes (GRT)
from Doña Ana and Sierra counties are less than expected. Though conservative
estimates were used when GRT increases were proposed to county voters, that
was before the recession hit. Should the GRT yield better funds than estimated,
the bonds can be sold off earlier or additional bonds can be sought for other
projects. (7/10)
Former Astronaut John Herrington Heads
Tulsa's Bid for Retired Shuttle (Source: Examiner)
The Tulsa Air and Space Museum and Planetarium has turned to home-grown space
experience in its bid to obtain one of America's space shuttles after their
retirement. John Herrington will chair a committee working on landing a
shuttle in Oklahoma. Herrington, NASA's first federally-registered Native
American astronaut, is a member of the Chickasaw Nation. Born in Wetumka,
Herrington flew on STS-113, a 2002 mission to the International Space
Station. (7/6)
Texas Congressman Supports Stimulus Funds For SpaceX (Source: Waco
Tribune)
SpaceX, which tests rockets in McGregor, is competing for up to $150 million
in federal stimulus dollars. SpaceX officials say they probably could double
the size of its McGregor facility, from 80 to 160, if it receives a
significant percentage of the $150 million. But securing the money won’t come
easily. U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Alabama, is fighting hard to get some, if
not all, of the $150 million for spending on the Constellation program in his
state.
U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Waco, said Wednesday he strongly supports efforts
by SpaceX to compete for stimulus money. He said he arranged meetings between
congressional leaders and SpaceX chairman Elon Musk. “This will be a tough
fight,” said Edwards, “but we will do everything we can to help SpaceX
receive a significant amount of these funds.” (7/8)
Avanti Secures Funds to Switch From SpaceX Launch Vehicle (Source:
Space News)
Start-up broadband satellite operator Avanti Communications Group raised some
$68 million in cash from institutional investors and the British government
to pay the additional costs it will incur in shifting the launch of its first
satellite to an Ariane 5 or Soyuz rocket instead of a Falcon 9 vehicle
operated by Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX), Avanti said. About
a quarter of the funding is from the European Space Agency (ESA), from
British ESA contributions.
Avanti's Hylas had been scheduled for launch in late 2009. The yearlong delay
has been caused by unexpected difficulties Astrium has encountered in
completing the payload. It remains unclear when the satellite will be ready
for launch. SpaceX is also behind schedule with its new Falcon 9 launch
vehicle, which previously had been slated to make its debut in 2007. Avanti
announced in February 2008 that it had secured a Falcon 9 insurance policy valued
at 89 million British pounds covering the satellite's launch and its first
year in orbit. SpaceX said at the time that the Avanti contract was valued at
$150 million including the Hylas flight and three additional Avanti launches
for satellites Avanti has yet to order. (7/10)
Falcon-1 Launch Planned on July 13 (Source:
SpaceFlightNow.com)
The fifth flight of the SpaceX Falcon-1 rocket will launch the RazakSat
Earth-imaging spacecraft for Malaysia. The satellite also features the name MACSat,
or Medium-sized Aperture Camera Satellite. It will be launched from the
Kwajelein Atoll in the Pacific Ocean. (7/6)
Atlas Rocket Team Continues Active Year of Launches (Source:
SpaceFlightNow.com)
Inside the towering assembly building at Cape Canaveral's Complex 41, United
Launch Alliance technicians have begun stacking another Atlas 5 rocket in
preparation for the year's third launch. Following a successful flight on
April 3 that deployed a sophisticated Air Force communications satellite and
the June 18 launch to the Moon with NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and
LCROSS impactor experiment, attention has turned toward a planned mid-August
liftoff of the secretive PAN mission. (7/9)
It's Rocket Science — Lots of Opportunity (Source: Denver
Post)
On June 18, ULA's Atlas V rocket launched two lunar missions, and on June 27,
a NASA/National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration GOES satellite was
launched on a Delta IV. The launches were ULA's No. 27 and No. 28 — with
eight of those coming this year. Question: ULA has had an impressive record
of launches in the 2 1/2 years that it has been a joint venture between
Lockheed Martin and Boeing Co. What has it been like melding the two cultures
and what lies ahead? Click here to view the
interview with ULA's Michael Gass. (7/12)
Interorbital Plans to Launch out of Tonga (Source: Parabolic Arc)
California-based Interorbital Systems plans to launch its Neptune 1000 rocket
from the island of ‘Eua at the southeast end of the Tonga island chain in the
South Pacific. “Over the past few days, I’ve been corresponding with our
friend and fellow space enthusiast, King George V of Tonga, about our status
of being quite near to beginning our flight test program. He has again stated
that Interorbital has the Kingdom’s full support for setting up our private
spaceport,” CEO Randa Milliron writes in a post on the Google Lunar X Prize
website. (7/8)
Japan Plans September Test Launch of Upgraded H-IIB Rocket (Source:
JAXA)
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
are planning the launch of the H-IIB Launch Vehicle Test Flight with the H-II
Transfer Vehicle (HTV, a cargo transporter to the International Space
Station) onboard. The launch will be conducted on Sep. 11 at the Tanagashima
spaceport. (7/8)
Japan's Now-Finished Lunar Mission Found No Water Ice (Source:
SpaceFlightNow.com)
High resolution imaging sensors on the Japanese Kaguya lunar orbiter have
failed to detect any signs of water ice in permanently shaded craters around
the South Pole of the Moon. (7/6)
China Chooses First Female Astronauts (Source: Russia
Today)
China could see its first female astronaut launch into space by 2012 as the
Chinese Air Force has begun choosing graduates recently to fill the next
team, reports China Daily newspaper. “The selection is underway. I believe
Chinese women will be seen in space in the near future,” said China’s first
astronaut Yang Liwei. While he wasn’t sure how many women would be selected,
he did express certainty that women would be a part of the next team. (7/9)
India: Let Us Develop a Military Space
Program
(Source: Rediff)
How do we deal with military symmetry in our unfriendly neighborhood? One
obvious first step is creating asymmetry through the assimilation of our
space prowess. We need to develop and deploy space-based assets so as to
cumulate sensor inputs, datalink it to the networked military command and
control system from where it can be fed to the field units and commanders.
This will enhance the battlefield situational awareness through real-time
projection of the battlefield.
For this, the Indian armed forces will have to attain network centric warfare
(NCW) capability, but they are just inching, not marching towards that goal.
NCW will pivot upon the networking of terrestrial, nautical & aerospatial
radars; AEW platforms; air defense fighters, missiles & artillery
batteries; communication centers; electronic warfare systems and aggregation
of other air defense assets of army and navy.
Though we enjoy the edge over Pakistan in satellite technology, one cannot
rule out China -- Pakistan's soul mate and an alleged, unapologetic
proliferator -- sharing its know-how and intelligence with Pakistan. China is
light years ahead of us in offensive space technology; so our endeavor should
be 'space denial.' In case of Pakistan, we must go all out to achieve total
'space control.' India must also prepare a contingency plan for the
worst-case scenario -- China emerging as a 'rogue space power.' (7/10)
Russia Sends Three Military Satellites Into
Space
(Source: Xinhua)
Russia successfully put three military satellites into orbit early Monday. A
Russian Rokot carrier rocket carrying three Cosmos-series satellites was launched
by the Space Forces from the Plesetsk spaceport in northwest Russia. Rokot is
a modified version of the RS-18 two-stage intercontinental ballistic missile.
(7/6)
Obama and Medvedev Add Space Cooperation to
Bilateral Commission Plan (Source: Hyperbola)
During President Obama's visit to Russia on July 6 included the creation of a
bilateral Presidential commission that includes a space cooperation working
group. The working group is to be led by the head of Roscosmos, Anatoly
Perminov, and the NASA administrator. The first meeting could be in
September. (7/7)
ESA and NASA Establish a Joint Mars
Exploration Initiative (Source: ESA)
ESA Director of Science and Robotic Exploration, David Southwood met NASA’s
Associate Administrator for Science, Ed Weiler to establish a way for a
progressive program for exploration of the Red Planet. The outcome of the
bilateral meeting was an agreement to create a Mars Exploration Joint
Initiative (MEJI) that will provide a framework for the two agencies to
define and implement their scientific, programmatic and technological goals
at Mars. (7/8)
Astrium to Begin Designing Cargo-Return ATV (Source: Space News)
Astrium GmbH of Germany will begin design work on an unmanned vehicle to
shuttle cargo to and from the international space station under a contract
signed July 7 and valued at 21 million euros ($29.2 million), Astrium and the
German space agency, DLR, announced. (7/7)
Europe Targets Manned Spaceship (Source: BBC)
Europe has taken the first step towards building its own manned spaceship.
The European Space Agency has asked industry to work out the requirements of
the craft and its likely cost. Known as the Advanced Re-Entry Vehicle, it
would be developed in phases - first as an unmanned vessel to carry cargo,
and then as an astronaut crew ship. At the moment, Europe has no independent
capability to transport humans into space and must hitch rides on American or
Russian systems. Tuesday's announcement is just the start of a very long
process, and there is no guarantee either ARV variant will be built. ESA
member states will want to see industry's report before approving any
development on the spaceship. (7/7)
Space Tourism: a European Perspective (Source: Space
Review)
Space tourism is generally perceived as primarily led by American companies,
but there are a number of efforts elsewhere, particularly in Europe, seeking
to get involved as vehicle developers and spaceport operators. Jeff Foust
reports on a recent conference where these efforts, and some of the obstacles
to future development, were discussed. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1411/1 to view the
article. (7/6)
Space Tourism: Tories Accuse Government of Dropping the Ball (Source:
Times Online)
Virgin Galactic, Sir Richard Branson's space tourism operation, has announced
plans to launch suborbital spaceflights for paying customers from two bases,
in the United States and Sweden. But though the British company has discussed
the possibility of flying from RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland, among other
sites, it still has no UK spaceport. Virgin Galactic's Will Whitehorn said
the reason is simple. He'd love to fly from the UK, and praised Lossiemouth
as an "ideal location", but the UK has no legislative or regulatory
framework for space tourism.
Adam Afriyie, the Shadow Science Minister, has now discovered that the
Government was warned about this four years ago. In 2005, it commissioned a
report into the arrangements necessary to promote commercial spaceflight, and
though it was never published, some details have been revealed in a
parliamentary written answer. The report urged the British National Space
Center to "establish precise responsibility for sub-orbital manned
flight with the Civil Aviation Authority", and to review licensing
procedures and insurance requirements. Yet, Afriyie says, little has been
done. (7/9)
Britain's Space Policy Decline (Source: BBC)
Giles Dilnot looks at why Britain, which 50 years ago was at the forefront of
the space race, has fallen to the back of the pack. Visit http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8146403.stm
to view the video. (7/12)
Congress Moving to Loosen Restrictions on U.S. Satellite Exports (Source:
AIA)
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill are moving to ease limits on technology transfers
that have stymied U.S. satellite makers for more than a decade. The efforts
have the support of President Barack Obama, who said during the campaign that
"outdated restrictions have cost billions of dollars to American
satellite and space hardware manufacturers as customers have decided to
purchase equipment from European suppliers." U.S. satellite makers have
seen their share of the $120 billion market drop from 73% to 27% as a result
of the export restrictions, and other countries have stepped up their own
R&D efforts to make up for the lack of American products, according to
Aerospace Industries Association VP Cord Sterling. (7/7)
Low-Cost Imaging Satellites Encouraged in Defense Bill (Source: Space
News)
A U.S. Senate panel is taking aim at the Defense Department's plan for
medium-level satellite imaging capabilities, calling for a new program to
quickly field low-cost spacecraft and recommending changes to the Pentagon's
latest strategy for engaging the commercial sector in this arena. (7/10)
Two Florida Projects Win Innovation Fund Grants (Source: NASA)
NASA's Innovative Partnerships Program, working with the Office of the Chief
Engineer at NASA Headquarters, has selected 20 projects for the 2009 NASA
Innovation Fund. The selected projects are led by NASA scientists and
engineers and include partners from five universities, two small businesses,
Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio and the National Institute for
Aerospace in Hampton, Va. More than 230 proposals were submitted this year.
Each project is funded for a maximum of $50,000, with work to be completed by
the end of September. The Florida (KSC) projects include: Repair Techniques
for Composite Structures; and a Dust Tolerant Intelligent Electrical
Connection System. (7/10)
UCF Student Among Team Winning NASA Internships for Supersonic Aircraft
Designs (Source: NASA)
UCF's Alex Lepage is part of a second-place multi-university team that has
won summer jobs at NASA this year, thanks to their participation in a contest
to design a supersonic airliner. They were challenged to design a small
supersonic airliner and submit a research paper limited to 25 pages. Designs
had to be efficient, environmentally friendly, low sonic boom commercial
aircraft that could be ready for initial service by 2020. (7/10)
NASA Awards Satellite Sensor Contract to University of Colorado
(Source: NASA)
NASA has awarded a contract to the University of Colorado at Boulder's
Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics for the development of the Total
and Spectral Solar Irradiance Sensor, or TSIS, a key instrument for the
future National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System,
known as NPOESS. The total estimated value of the cost, no-fee contract is
approximately $42 million. (7/10)
University of Arizona Dreams Stretch from
Moon to Mars
(Source: Arizona Daily Star)
For as long as our species has been able to look skyward, humans have dreamed
of touching the moon. Forty years ago, the University of Arizona helped make
that happen. Without continued investment in Arizona's universities by the
state, such achievements could become a thing of the past. The challenge to
create the technology, the spacecraft and the systems that allowed Armstrong,
Aldrin and Michael Collins to reach the moon — and come back safely — was
monumental. Tucson should be proud of the part the UA played in lunar
exploration. The UA's Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, or LPL, was created by
Gerard Kuiper around 1960 as a place to study the moon and planets. The LPL
was originally housed in a Quonset hut and was dubbed the
"Loony-Lab," a moniker of affection for scientists working there,
but also used not-so-affectionately by others who derided the academic
pursuit. (7/12)
Mars Rover Devours Budgets (Source: Nature)
The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL), NASA's souped-up 1-ton rover due for
launch in 2011, needs yet more money. The latest budget overrun could for the
first time delay other missions in the agency's cash-strapped
planetary-science division. The rover's latest price tag is $2.286 billion —
40% more than the official $1.63 billion estimate made in 2006. But even that
will not be enough. In a 'breach report' due to be handed to the US Congress by
the end of July, NASA will report that the troublesome mission, now also
called Curiosity, needs $15–115 million more on top of the $2.286-billion
estimate. (7/10)
Satellite Shows Big Thinning of Old Arctic Sea Ice (Source: AP)
New NASA satellite measurements show that sea ice in the Arctic is more than
just shrinking in area, it is dramatically thinning. The volume of older
crucial sea ice in the Arctic has shrunk by 57 percent from the winter of
2004 to 2008. That's losing more volume of ice than water in Lake Michigan.
NASA scientist Jay Zwally said global warming is to blame. He said rapidly
shrinking sea ice in the Arctic warms the rest of the globe indirectly. Older
ice is more important in the Arctic because it is thicker, surviving the heat
of summer and building over time. (7/7)
Interplanetary Internet Gets Permanent Home in Space (Source: New
Scientist)
The interplanetary internet now has its first permanent node in space, aboard
the International Space Station (ISS). The new software will make sending
data from space less like using the telephone, and more like using the web.
In the modern era of the web and information on demand, teams still have to
schedule times to send and receive data from space missions. But the newly
installed system aboard the ISS could one day allow data to flow between
Earth, spacecraft, and astronauts automatically, creating what is being
dubbed the "interplanetary internet". (7/6)
Bizarre Blast is New Class of Supernovae (Source: Cosmos)
A mystery explosion recorded by the Hubble Space Telescope in 2006 was the
first of a whole new class of supernova. The explosion showed some odd
characteristics, which caused researchers to struggle understanding the
nature of the explosion. The astronomers who detected the event were not sure
whether it happened in our cosmic neighborhood or at the edge of the
universe. And, unusually, the object (also known as SCP 06F6) was located in
an empty part of the sky and has no visible host galaxy. (7/6)
General Dynamics Awarded National Air and Space Intelligence Center
Contract (Source: 7/10)
The National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC) has awarded General
Dynamics Advanced Information Systems an Advanced Technical Exploitation
Program (ATEP) contract. This five-year, indefinite delivery/indefinite
quantity contract has a ceiling value of $600 million to be competed among
the three awardees who received contracts. General Dynamics will provide
around-the-clock intelligence analysis, software systems development and
support, and sensor exploitation research and development of space-based and
airborne sensor data. General Dynamics' solutions will directly support
national priorities, including the Overseas Contingency Operations and
missile defense, with timelines to meet that range from minutes to hours.
(7/10)
Craig Technologies Employees at KSC
Recognized for Performance (Source: Craig)
The Earned Value Management System (EVMS) team at Kennedy Space Center
received a Group Achievement Award for EVMS at the 2009 NASA/KSC Honor Awards
Ceremony on May 15th. Craig Technologies has provided project and business
management, and administrative support to Kennedy's Ground Operations Project
Office (LX) in support of NASA's Constellation Program with SAIC since July
2007. (7/6)
Astronauts Elected to Scholarship
Foundation Board
(Source: ASF)
The Astronaut Scholarship Foundation (ASF) is proud to announce its 2009-2010
Board and leadership team. Apollo 15 astronaut Colonel Al Worden is once again
chair the Board of Directors for a fifth consecutive year. Joining him in
this venture is Space Shuttle astronaut Robert “Hoot” Gibson as Vice
Chairman. Attorney Michael Neukamm will once again serve as
Treasurer/Secretary and Linn LeBlanc will continue to serve as Executive
Director. (7/8)
Astronaut Oefelein to Wed While Nowak
Awaits Court
(Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Colleen Shipman, the alleged victim of Lisa Nowak's alleged bizarre
kidnapping plot in 2007, is to wed William Oefelein, the third member of what
was portrayed as an astronaut love triangle with Fatal Attraction overtones.
According to police, Nowak had a relationship with Oefelein before Shipman
began dating him and found romantic e-mails that Shipman sent to Oefelein,
who was in space at the time of the incident. Nowak, a former mission
specialist who flew aboard the space shuttle Discovery in 2006, is free on
bail, awaiting a November hearing in her case, and lives near Houston. (7/10)
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