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An editorial I wrote which expresses my frustration about the repeated use of this phrase by pundits, politicos, and the public.
A ProjectConstellation.US exclusive!
While a team of aerospace engineers takes aim this week on the $10 million Ansari X Prize competition for privately developed suborbital spaceflight, a Nevada millionaire is planning an even loftier contest.
Robert Bigelow, chief of Las Vegas-based Bigelow Aerospace, is apparently setting higher goals for private spaceflight endeavors with America's Space Prize, a $50 million race to build an orbital vehicle capable of carrying up to seven astronauts to an orbital outpost by the end of the decade, according to Aviation Week and Space Technology.
+ Read Article (Space.com)
Richard Branson, Britain's best-known entrepreneur and part-time daredevil, plans to launch the world's first passenger service to space in 2008, offering zero-gravity flights for $198,600.
Branson, whose Virgin empire stretches from planes and trains to vodka, music and personal finance, is teaming up with Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen to build five, fish-shaped capsules for the two-to-three hour flights.
Virgin Galactic will be the latest offshoot of Branson's business empire, which started in mail-order recorded music in the 1970s. It will invest $100 million in ground infrastructure and spacecraft capable of carrying five passengers.
+ Read Article (Reuters)
The Senate Appropriations Committee used a somewhat controversial technique Tuesday to increase NASA's fiscal year 2025 budget by $200 million over what President Bush requested. The committee voted to give NASA $16.4 billion in 2025, about $200 million more than what the President requested and over $1 billion more than what House appropriators approved in July. However, $800 million of that funding comes in the form of an emergency appropriation that senators approved during Tuesday's hearing: $500 million more for shuttle return-to-flight activities and $300 million to begin work on a Hubble repair mission.
+ Read Article (Space Today)
Northrop Grumman beat out Boeing and Lockheed Martin to win a $400 million contract to help NASA design the proposed multibillion dollar Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter (JIMO) mission.
Under the contract, which runs through 2009, Northrop Grumman will work with a government team led by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory to complete preliminary design of what would be NASA's first nuclear electric propulsion spacecraft.
+ Read Article (Space.com)
The aerospace firm SpaceDev cast its hat into the ring of private human spaceflight today, announcing its plans to build a reuseable spacecraft that may one day carry passengers into orbit.
Based in Poway, California, SpaceDev is designing a piloted sub-orbital spacecraft that could eventually be scaled up for orbital flights. The effort springs from a partnership between SpaceDev and NASA's Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California to explore hybrid propulsion-based hypersonic testbeds for routine human spaceflight.
"We have tried to make it clear that SpaceDev does have plans of our own in terms of human spaceflight, both orbital and suborbital," said Jim Benson, the firm's founding chairman and CEO, in a telephone interview.
Benson said the SpaceDev Dream Chaser, as the vehicle is known, could make its maiden flight by 2009 if it is fully funded. The project is currently a partially funded effort, he added.
+ Read Article (Space.com)
Editor's Note: I have always admired SpaceDev and their execution of building low cost space hardware. I'm sure they will eventually be successful.
Also announced today, they signed an agreement with NASA to help achieve the Vision for Space Exploration.
One innovation that has promised such revolutionary reductions is the space elevator: long consigned to the realm of science fiction, the concept has gained support in recent years thanks to new developments such as carbon nanotubes. With NASA’s focus towards the Vision and not on low-cost space transportation, though, is there any hope to get the agency, or some other entity, to fund continued development of the space elevator idea?
+ Read Editorial (The Space Review)
Editor's Note: I've never been a big advocate of space elevators with their single point of failure and therefore (if current trends continue) a susceptability to terrorism.
The Russian Federal Space Agency (FSA) is working on the project to launch a new space shuttle called Kliper. If the program is implemented successfully the first launch may take place in five years’ time, the official told the Itar-Tass news agency.
The metal hull of the craft has already been built. The 14,500-kilogram Kliper will be able to carry a six-member crew and a 700-kilogram payload. A modified Soyuz rocket, the new generation Angara booster rocket and the Ukrainian Zenit could be used for delivering Kliper into orbit, he said.
+ Read Article (MosNews)
Editor's Note: Thanks to frequent commenter Harold LaValley for the scoop!
While design studies for the CEV are only now getting started—such as the exploration studies awarded to eight companies at the beginning of this month—and requirements for the vehicle still being hashed out, there is some consensus about how the CEV will work. Most proposals—primarily in the form of artists’ renditions at this stage—envision a capsule-shaped vehicle launched atop an EELV, either an Atlas 5 or a Delta 4 (or both).
However, there have been some studies, both within and outside of NASA, of an alternative: a capsule CEV with a very different, yet very experienced, launch vehicle.
+ Read Editorial (The Space Review)
No one is seriously challenging the need to radically reduce the cost of getting into low Earth orbit (LEO). Knowledgeable people are now looking critically at the way the US government has pursued and failed to achieve this goal.
While the defense budget may have some funds for RLV work under the heading “Operationally Responsive Spacelift” or elsewhere, the various initiatives supported by both DARPA and the Air Force are, for now, a scattered effort to raise some of the essential technology readiness levels (TRLs) from their current fairly low levels.
+ Read Editorial (The Space Review)
We have a big batch of real estate sitting in the sky just waiting to be divvied up by humanity and settled. The Aldridge Commission called for property rights. Whether and how property rights are accomplished could be the difference between a settled Moon and an unsettled Moon.
+ Read Editorial (The Space Review)
"Boeing Co., Lockheed Martin Corp. and Northrop Grumman Corp. were among eight companies to win $6 million NASA contracts to help develop the architecture of space transportation systems that will once again send astronauts to the moon, and – one day – to Mars.
Each contract also calls for initial development of a crew exploration vehicle, the first space transportation system in Project Constellation’s architecture. NASA also awarded three smaller concept exploration and refinement contracts that did not include preliminary planning for the exploration vehicle. Those contracts, worth up to $2 million each, went to Raytheon Co., Science Applications International Corp. and Spacehab Corp.
+ Read Article (Washington Technology)
"As part of a $6 million concept exploration and refinement (CE&R;) contract awarded by NASA's Office of Exploration Systems, Northrop Grumman will help NASA define the "system of systems" architecture for Project Constellation, a constellation of human and robotic space transportation systems, launch vehicles and related in-space and lunar infrastructure required to ferry astronauts to and from the moon and Mars."
+ Read Press Release (Northup Grumman)
Editor's Note: Although I'm not sure what else I'd expect, it looks like NASA is awarding these study contracts to the typical aerospace giants and rejecting bids from the small startups like Armadillo Aerospace. I'm not sure if this is good or bad; what do you think?
"Among other things, the Outer Space Treaty (and several other international agreements) clearly prohibit any claims of national sovereignty on the Moon or Mars, etc. Therefore no nation can claim, grant or sell land in outer space. I’ve spent two decades researching this subject and can assure you there is not one expert out there who thinks there is any chance the US would ever withdraw from the Outer Space Treaty, because it has so many good features, like banning nuclear weapons in space."
+ Read Editorial (The Space Review)
"The CBO has determined that, through 2021, NASA will require $32 billion more than the agency is currently projecting for its budget in order to pursue the exploration plan. This increase represents about 12% more than NASA’s total projected funding of $271 billion through 2021. CBO has also determined that of that $271 billion, NASA plans on spending $95 billion on the exploration program, but if it truly intends to fund everything in that program, it will need 33% more than that. The money will have to come from somewhere."
+ Read Editorial (The Space Review)
"The Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) has the most visible damage. According to Kennedy the damage can be seen on the South and East walls of the VAB. There are some 1,000 panels that have lifted off of the building. There are also areas of insulation and subpanels missing. Each panel is 4x10 feet in size. According to Kennedy, "this means that there is as much as 40,000 square feet more or less open to the elements on the VAB. The good news is that not much critical hardware was in the VAB. There are two ETs - and two aft SRB skirts in there but they are protected from the elements. The VAB was being used for storage of cars and trucks. We now need to see what we can do to protect VAB from further damage." Kennedy added "we have not inspected the VAB roof yet."
"The Shuttle Tile Facility suffered significant damage. The roof is partially gone an there is extensive water damage inside. "Tile manufacturing is on the critical path for return to flight. We are looking at possibility of Palmdale as a back up" Kennedy said."
+ Read Article (Spaceref.com)
"CBO developed estimates of how the costs to carry out NASA's plans for space exploration might differ from its current budget projection and then assessed potential budgetary or programmatic options that might be available to address such cost differences. In addition, CBO examined options for the continued operation of the space shuttle and the United States' participation in the International Space Station (ISS), two programs that would be significantly affected by NASA's proposed program changes."
+ Read News Release (Congressional Budget Office)
"This procurement is for the purchase of the legal services and business advice in support of the Agency's effort to create a venture capital fund similar in concept to the Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA) In-Q-Tel. NASA's fund is hereby referred to as "The Mercury Fund"...The goal of The Mercury Fund will be to invest in tandem with established private sector venture capital funds to sponsor innovative, multi-use technologies to help NASA achieve its mission and to better position these technologies for future multiple and/or commercial uses."
+ Read News Release (NASA)
"Raytheon Company has been selected by NASA to participate in a six-month study team to define various system requirements and design the architecture for the agency's Project Constellation Moon-to-Mars program. Raytheon, led by engineers at its Missile Systems business, received a nearly $1 million contract for the Concept Exploration and Refinement (CER) work, which could extend beyond the initial six-month award period."
+ Read Press Release (Raytheon)
+ Read News Story (Tucson Citizen)
"China, a rising space power, provided a rare look into its top-secret launch center Wednesday, promoting the military-funded project as a lure for foreign investment and a key to the nation's growing prosperity."
+ Read Article (Space.com)