ET Throws up on the Cyclon

Roswell, NM is building the worlds first extra-terrestrial theme park. No it isn't a joke. I might be really fun.

Rocketeers has a New Cover

Check out the cover of Michael Belfiore's forthcoming book, Rocketeers.

Space Review is Out

• Taylor Dinerman thinks treaties are next to worthless out in the cold of space. "In the end, America’s freedom to use space will have to be actively defended. Negotiations over space debris or calls for talks or moratoriums merely prolong US vulnerability." I can't disagree with that.
• Peter C. Klanowski says that the ESA did not try to cover up anything after the explosion of the Ariane 5.
• Donald A. Beattie argues that there are not resources compelling us to send people back to the Moon. I would argue more space is resource enough.
• An interview with Michael Cassutt, a sci-fi writer of SG-1, Farscape, and Max Headroom (2 out of 3 ain't bad ).
• Bob Mahoney tells NASA how to increase public interest in space.
• Andrew E. Turner talks about ocean launch platforms in the wake of the Sea-Launch failure.

Europe in the 2nd Space Race

A French parliamentary group (not sure what that means) has said the the 2nd space race has started with India and China's lunar plans as well as China's ASAT Test last month. They believe Europe should be part of it. I welcome more countries going into space (particularly friendly ones).

Some of their advice:

• France should begin preparing nuclear-powered satellites to permit deep-space exploration, using expertise at the French Atomic Energy Commission and in French industry.
• Europe’s heavy-lift Ariane 5 rocket should be made capable of launching astronauts within five years.
• France and other European governments should give assistance to companies that propose to develop suborbital flight systems designed to create a space-tourism industry.

Griffin's Speech on the 2008 Budget

Michael Griffin gave a speech to the National Space Club on February 7 about the 2008 budget.

I believe that everyone here knows that "the gap", as we have labeled it, between shuttle retirement in 2010 and operational deployment of Orion and Ares has been a publicly stated concern of mine since my Senate confirmation hearing. I know that I am joined in this concern by many of you, and by many others in the space policy arena, in both the legislative and executive branches of government. This is expressed in the NASA Authorization Act by the requirement that we develop the capability of "launching the crew exploration vehicle as close to 2010 as possible". But despite that concern, given the press of our existing commitments, the best we had been able to do was to hold the presidentially mandated date of "not later than 2014".

That date is now in jeopardy. For at least four years, and maybe more, we will be forced to rely on services-for-hire from our international partners to meet our logistics and crew rotation requirements for the International Space Station. We're trying to hedge our bets with the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) agreements, whereby we're providing "seed money" for the development of commercial capability. But by the very nature of the Space Act agreements underpinning the COTS effort, NASA cannot guarantee a successful outcome for these ventures.

It is interesting to note that he says the Ares/Orion development is in jeopardy of missing their 2014 drop dead date and the COTS program is a "hedge." So we are pitting one gamble against another. That's America at its best.

The Lunar Base

Jeff Foust has an article in the The New Atlantis on NASA's plan to build a Moon base.

Bigger and Better Videos from Bigelow

If you like the last Genesis I video, check this one out.

ULA and SpaceDev to compete on the LEO Front

SpaceX and Rp/K watch out, ULA and SpaceDev are coming too. I guess ULA figured out how much money was going to be made. Heaven help us.

United Launch Alliance, a joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin, and SpaceDev, a small entrepreneur driven company, both expect to compete in the developing arena, company officials said at the 10th annual commercial space transportation conference.

"We're very excited about the new low earth orbit marketplace," said George Sowers, an executive with ULA.

The joint venture's Atlas V and Delta IV heavy lift vehicles are proven, reliable and available right away when NASA begins purchasing non-governmental launch services to re-supply the International Space Station, perhaps as soon as 2010, Sowers said.

Sowers added that the company is far along in obtaining a human rating for the Atlas V launcher, which would then make it qualified to compete to haul astronauts to the space station.

And from SpaceDev

Jim Benson, a space entrepreneur working to fund and build the six-person Dream Chaser tourist spaceship for launch possibly as soon as 2008, said his company's launchers and vehicles will be ready to compete for the NASA business as well.

"I hope the COTS contractors are successful but if they are not, we're on a parallel path," Benson said.

More on China Stuff Wrangling

Michael Krepon, a speaker on nuclear proliferation, says China is the main focus of US Space defense analysis.
----
China is building a fourth space launch center on a tropical island in southern Hainan Province currently known for it's tourism.
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Here is a scary view of the country we are talking about from one of its Asian neighbors:

China has a history of pursuing its goal of constantly sharpening its military teeth unmindful of protests from the rest of the world. More than a decade ago, China test fired missiles off the coast of Taiwan as a provocative gesture. It has not ruled out a military take over of that tiny island nation. It has surreptitiously supplied nuclear know-how and material to certain nations while professing to adhere to its NPT obligations.

And frankly I think it (rightfully) scares India:


Indian officials may talk of a healthy 'competition' with China in the economic and trade fields but they would not like to see Beijing far outstrip New Delhi militarily. Not as long as China continues to insist that much of the Indian Northeast is its territory. Not as long as it continues to supply, overtly or covertly, its superior arms and equipment, not to mention nuclear and missile know-how, to India's western neighbour that tries to camouflages its aggressive designs by talking of 'peace' that is conditional upon the resolution of a 'dispute' on its own terms.
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Meanwhile, back at home, the Chinese ASAT test has hyped up debate on space based missile defense and the PAC-3 missile deployment.
----

After Lisa Nowak's Mess, NASA revisits Astronaut Screening

NASA said today it will review the way it screens astronauts for mental or medical problems after the arrest of astronaut Lisa Nowak for attempted murder and attempted kidnapping.

Ya Think?

SpaceX Update

This just in from Elon -

DemoFlight 2 Launch Update

We have recently been informed by the Kwajalein Army Range that they do not have sufficient resources to support our launch in mid to late Feb. Several range personnel critical to the launch safety process will be unavailable in that timeframe. The earliest launch window available from the Range now opens March 9.

Additional Falcon 1 Flights in 2007

After the upcoming demonstration flight, Falcon 1 is scheduled to launch a satellite for the US Navy Research Laboratory (funded by the Office of Force Transformation) in late summer and then a satellite for the Malaysian Space Agency late in the year. We are also building an additional Falcon 1 vehicle in the event that some promising customer discussions culminate in a fourth Falcon 1 launch this year.

---Elon

COTS Milestones; Home Grown Rockets

Daniel Schmelzer has broken out the COTS milestones for SpaceX and RocketPlane/Kislter (they need an acronym).
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Orion Propulsion has an article in the paper (they are in Huntsville).
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For Info on Lisa Nowak

Go to NASA Watch, or MSNBC.

It isn't that I think I am above any of this, I just don't care.

If you don't know what I am talking about, carry on.

Space Prize a Winner after all

Brian Emmett won a future spaceflight as part of a 2005 sweepstakes sponsored by software giant Oracle Corp. He gave it up after finding out he would owe $25,000 in taxes for the prize.

Now, Jim Benson of Benson Space Co. has given it back. As part of the agreement with Emmett, the company would pay him to serve as a "test passenger," giving him a free ride into space in late 2008 when the company hopes to send its first paying tourists.

Jim Benson broke off from SpaceDev to form Benson Space Co. and Space Dev is developing the DreamChaser spacecraft that will send Emmett into space.

More at MSNBC.

NASA Budget

Here is the transcript from the 2008 NASA budget briefing.

Fallout of China's ASAT Test

Apparently China's recent ASAT test could start a chain reaction that would endanger everyone's satellites.
----
Yale Globalization (not surprisingly) blames the US mostly for China's test. They do however, give China some blame:

In its defense, China will likely claim that American policy is hypocritical on
the question of weaponizing space. While there may be some truth to that,
nothing excuses the irresponsible stunt they pulled last month.

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India is apparently building a missile defense system in retaliation to China's test.
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Bigelow Aerospace has a new Video of Genesis I

Here is a new video of the impressive Bigelow Aerospace Genesis I inflatable prototype currently in Orbit.

NASA Agrees to Advise T/Space and PlanetSpace

NASA has agreed to advise the two companies left out of the COTS contracts. PlanetSpace and Transformational Space, or T/Space, were left out of the $500 million COTS space station resupply contract, but they are not going to be left out of NASA's experience.

They will not receive any funding but they will be given agency feedback which could keep hopes of winning resupply jobs to the international space station after the space shuttles are retired in 2010.

In a written statement, Scott Horowitz, NASA's associate administrator for exploration systems, said the agency was "proud to reach agreements with two more private companies dedicating their own resources toward establishment of a robust commercial launch industry."

COTS, or Commercial Orbital Transportation Services, is NASA way of getting private space into NASA business by awarding payments based on progress milestones in the hopes of getting a substantially cheaper orbital launch service.

SpaceX and RocketPlane/Kislter won the COTS program and are working toward their first milestones currently.

Details on the Human Rated Atlas V for Bigelow Aerospace

NASA Space Flight.com has details on the human rated Atlas V to launch both Bigelow's inflatable space modules and people to and from them.

Last September, Bigelow Aerospace and Lockheed Martin began a study of using the Atlas V EELV as a possible tourism vehicle.

The plan is to put the space station in a 264nmi circular repeating ground track orbit at 41 degrees inclination that would provide daily launch opportunities.

For more general information on the Bigelow's Inflatable modules, see Feb. IEEE Spectrum

Beautiful Picture of Mars

Here is a beautiful picture of Mars with the milky way behind it from the ESA's Rosetta Probe.

China Wants to Sign a Space Weapons Treaty

After their space weapon test earlier this month, China said Tuesday that it wants to sign a treaty to prevent the weaponization of space.

"We hold that space as the common heritage of all mankind and should be used for peaceful purposes. We are willing to enhance international cooperation in this regard," she said.

Yeah I'll bet the wolf wanted the sheepdog to sign a treaty of no weapons in the field with the sheep too. I think I'll pass.

Weapons in space are going to happen.

STS-123; ISS Extended

NASA has named the STS-123 crew:

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration said U.S. Navy Capt. Dominic Gorie will command space shuttle Endeavour when it launches in December. U.S. Air Force Col. Gregory Johnson will serve as shuttle pilot. Astronauts assigned to the mission are Richard Linnehan, Air Force Maj. Robert Behnken, Navy Capt. Michael Foreman and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Takao Doi.

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NASA has decided to continue supplying the Space Station with either the currently paper Ares I or whomever takes on the COTS contract until 2020.

Griffin Cleared

The investigation of whether Mike Griffin, NASA's Chief, used his office to help former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay is over. Although he didn't do anything illegal, Office of Special Counsel sent a warning letter to NASA Administrator Michael Griffin, saying he should have used better judgment.

A Week of Fallen Heros

This past week, we honor those who died making space exploration a reality:

Launch Pad 34 on Jan. 27, 1967, Apollo 1 astronauts Virgil ``Gus'' Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee were killed as a fire engulfed the capsule of Apollo 1. It was two years later that we landed two men on the Moon.

On Jan. 28, 1986, The Crew of STS-51L boarded the Space Shuttle Challenger. 73 seconds into the flight, the shuttle was destroyed along with Michael J. Smith, Dick Scobee, Ronald McNair, Ellison Onizuka, Christa McAuliffe, Gregory Jarvis, and Judith Resnik.

SpaceDev Award; More SpaceX Launchs; SpaceShip2 Design Plans

SpaceDev Wins Prestigious Local Business Award
SpaceDev, Inc. announced that it won the Poway Chamber of Commerce Large Business of the Year Award for 2006.
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The Military is looking at SpaceX for the rest of the TacSat launches. (If TacSat 1 goes well).
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Lots of info on SpaceShip2 design and plans.

More on China's ASAT Test

Senator Jon Kyl of Arizonia doesn't buy China's peaceful intentions in space.

"Chinese military doctrine and numerous writings make it clear China does not believe space can or should be free of military capabilities," said Kyl.

----
John Bersia may have the only real long term answer to China:

That is where the Chinese people enter the discussion; I believe in them much more than I do in their government. They are the ones who will lead the third revolution. They will speak when their government reaches too far, spends too lavishly, and otherwise threatens China's position and growth. Once roused, they will take action.

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Speaking of China in space, the Ministry of Science is currently discussing budget requirements for programs including more manned space missions and Lunar probes for 2007.
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XPrize Releasing New Prizes

The X-Prize foundation, header by Tom Vander Ark of Bill & Melinda Gates fame, is releasing new prizes in more technology frontiers in March

Bigelow and Virgin Galactic are Wonders of the Modern World

CNN lists Bigelow Aerospace's Genesis I and Virgin Galactic's plans as wonders of the modern world.

The first commercial space flights are due to start in 2008 with Virgin Galactic offering a sub-orbital flight lasting around 2.5 hours at a cost of $200,000 -- Dennis Tito, the first space tourist paid $20m in 2001. A space hotel built by Bigelow Aerospace hopes to be orbiting the Earth by 2012.

Science is starting to Piss me Off

On reading an article on the budget crunch for NASA in 2007, I found this little snarky comment:

It wouldn't be the first time "sciences are gutted," said Handberg of UCF.

My entire life, NASA manned program has been crap. Science has run NASA. What with planetary probes, weather studies, "Project Earth", and related stuff.

Yeah yeah, I know the ISS and Shuttle get the majority of the budget, but lets face it that has been all about science not exploration. So whine to someone else, I have been waiting for this for 31 years.

NASA Speaks on Weight & Performance of the Ares I/Orion

Scott Horowitz, NASA's Associate Administrator for Exploration Systems Mission Directorate, Talks about the reports of overweight/under performance of the Ares I & Orion programs.

This caught my eye

Horowitz also downplayed the notion put forth by some that you might use two "Ares IV" vehicles - one for crew, the other for the lunar lander, as an alternate way to get humans to the Moon. Among other things he said that such an approach would require dramatic changes to the LSAM (lander).

How can any change to a paper design be "dramatic"? I have said it before and I will say it again, NASA needs to be more agile and less rigid in its designs if any of this is to work long term.

Bigelow Aerospace Wins the Space Foundation's Space Achievement Award

Congratulations to all the folks at Bigelow Aerospace on winning the Space Foundation's 2007 Space Achievement Award.

The Space Achievement Award annually recognizes an individual or organization that has demonstrated space achievement, breakthrough space technology, or program or product success deemed to represent a critical milestone in the evolution of space exploration and development.

Robert Bigelow will receive the award Monday, April 9 at the 23rd annual National Space Symposium, Colorado Springs. He will also be participating in a panel about "Why People Who Could Invest in Anything Are Investing in Space" on April 12.

The Space Foundations CEO, Elliot G. Pulham said. "Bigelow's successful endeavor is paving the way for a robust commercial space market."


Amen.
That sounds like a fun weekend.

Ares 1/Orion Status

NASA has reported the status of their new space vehicle and rocket Ares I and Orion.

• Entire Briefing
• New York Times
• NASA Watch

New Space Tibits

The FAA has asked the Space Frontier Foundation to help with ideas on risk and how to control it when passengers begin sub-orbital flights in 2009.
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SpaceX is putting off their static fire until mid-February.

Endeavour is being Prepped for Launch

Endeavour is being readied for it's March 15 launch. Scott Kelly will command the crew. Flying as the first "educator astronaut" will be Barbara Morgan. She was back-up to Teacher-In-Space Christa McAuliffe, who died in the Challenger disaster.

Bumping Asteroids

Eward Lu is still pushing his idea to bump an asteroid. Might work.

NASA News and Such

NASA is planning four spacewalks in February at the ISS.
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Glenn is having a memorial for fallen astronauts.
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NASA is having a ceremony to transition the historic Operations and Checkout Building high bay for use by the Constellation Program.
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New Line may be making a series of tv shows about the building of the new generation of NASA rockets.

How China is Keeping Space Peaceful

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Liu Jianchao said at a Press Conference on Jan 23,

China has informed relevant parties, including the U.S., on the recent test in the outer space. I'd like to emphasize that China consistently advocates peaceful utilization of the outer space, and opposes to weaponization of arms race in the outer space. Neither has China has participated, nor will it participate in arms race of the outer space in any form.

I gotta say, China is building and testing weapons to attack outer space assets. They are not participating in a arms race in outer space because the don't want anyone else to do it. As soon as someone does, poof arms race. Not that I have a big problem with that in general, but China scares me, frankly.

Lets parse the comments and add what he really means:

China has informed relevant parties, including the U.S., on the recent test in the outer space [after everyone found out]. I'd like to emphasize that China consistently advocates peaceful utilization of the outer space [by other countries], and opposes to weaponization of arms race in the outer space [so no one but us should build spaced weapons]. Neither has China has participated, nor will it participate in arms race of the outer space in any form [since we are the only one's doing it].

India is Nuts

Srikanth Kondapalli, an associate professor at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, seems to think China's ASAT program is no big deal as they have had it for 10 years. And also since:

"Additionally, the US is planning to set up space-based troops by 2015 to have supreme command over space based assets"

What? I wish we had the capability station troops in space. Were are they getting this? I think the lack of meat is harming his brain.

NASA Robots; Russian Moon Shot; China Shrugs

NASA is developing robots to "locate, excavate, extract, transport, process, store and perform waste disposal"
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Russia and the ESA are working on going around the moon in 2016.
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China finally admitted their ASAT test with a shrug of the shoulders and a big so what? Space Politics has more commentary.
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COTS is a Win/Win

According to Spaceworks Engineering COTS is good for everyone. Clark Lindsey has more. Here is the full report.

"The popular opinion is that the COTS approach is cheaper for NASA and makes good business sense for the commercial companies, but no publicly available study prior to this one has investigated the sincerity of this claim," according to Dr. Dominic DePasquale, Systems Engineer at SpaceWorks Engineering, Inc. (SEI) and the lead author of this study, "SEI has now determined through advanced economic simulation that the benefits of NASA's COTS program and the future ISS support market are real."

VTOL UAV

I found this on an ad today. Too neat.

Arcturua Tracker UAV

Super Light Storage

This is cool if it can be scaled up:

Researchers at the University of Rochester have made an optics breakthrough that allows them to encode an entire image's worth of data into a photon, slow the image down for storage, and then retrieve the image intact.

New Address

Space Pragmatism has taken a step forward by dissing the blogspot thing and getting our own domain name. You can now get the latest and greatest space news at:

http://www.spacepragmatism.com

and http://spacepragmatism.blogspot.com will forward you there, if you are too lazy to update your links.

Thanks All,
Dan Schrimpsher

Bigelow Update

Bigelow Aerospace has posted some new photos of the Eart from it's ground-breaking private space module, Genesis I.

Also they have a new Where in the World? game starting up. Do you have the mad geography skills to win?

Remember the launch of the Genesis II is comming up in March or April.

New Space Tibits

Steven King wants to go to space and Reason magazine has an article on new space.
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Sir Richard Branson's space plans.

Moon Opinions

Some people still don't believe we went to the Moon.
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Some clear ideas about returning to the Moon.
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The New York Times things we should use space to look back at ourselves.
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Using Moon dust to make the Moon self-sustaining

China's ASAT Test

Here is Rand Simberg's opinion of the Chinese ASAT test earlier this month.

More on China's ASAT

China said on Friday:

BEIJING (XFN-ASIA) - China said other nations have no reason to feel threatened by its space program, amid reports that it had shot down a satellite for the first time

Somehow, I don't feel a lot safer.

Space Dev's Starsys Inc. Get's a new MDA Contract

Silently, SpaceDev continues to make money any way they can. I think there is a future there. -djs

SpaceDev subsidiary receives contract

POWAY ---- SpaceDev says that its subsidiary, Starsys Inc., in partnership with the University of Colorado Laboratory for Space Physics, has been awarded a $750,000 contract from the Missile Defense Agency. Starsys will design and develop a nonsticking cover seal system for the Exo-atmospheric Kill Vehicle program.

The contract is scheduled to be completed in 2008.

New Prizes at Space Shot

Space Shot is offereing more prizes for their skill game. Take a look --djs.
http://www.freespaceshot.com


Free Space Shot Gives the People a Free Shot at a Trip to Space

Ongoing tournament-style game has six grand prizes to choose from.

Austin, TX (PRWeb) January 15, 2007 -- Space Shot, Inc. announces today the grand opening of its free game site, FreeSpaceShot.com, offering winners a trip to space. Players of all ages are eligible to win.

Contestants can compete for one of six prizes:
• A flight for two around the Moon on Lunar Express and $100 million.
• A flight for one around the Moon and $50 million.
• An orbital flight and $10 million.
• A flight to outer space and a $100,000 scholarship or $100,000 if graduated from college.
• A $300,000 scholarship or $300,000 if graduated from college.
• A flight in zero G and a $2,250 scholarship or $2,250 if graduated from college.

About the skill game:

As a child, Dr. Sam Dinkin, the founder of Free Space Shot, dreamed of spaceflight. As a top economics student at Caltech, he realized that the key to having more astronauts lay in making space exploration a viable business venture. Dr. Dinkin went on to create a game to convert advertising dollars into space flights. Schools that participate can receive a portion of the advertising proceeds.

"Spaceflight is awesome. But you have to make a lot of money to pay for it. You can take out a $100,000 in student loans for college, but not for spaceflight," said Dr. Dinkin. "I want people to take space flights while they are young enough to want to. So I put together a skill game for students.

"Kids will no longer be limited to flying around the country when they grow up. With this game, they'll be free to fly around the Moon!"

To win the Free Space Shot skill game, students research, then predict the weather for Central Park for the next day. The students' predictions are then paired with opponents'. Students may make as many predictions as they like each day. The next day at 5:00 PM Eastern Time, students can log in and see the results of their predictions. The student with the closer prediction is GO for the next milestone. Every milestone is played the same way. The students who win at all milestones win trips to space.

Free Space Shot conducted sneak previews of the educational game in both Mexico City and Austin, Texas. "I think Space Shot is cool because you can go to space, it gives you internet games to play and it can pay for your college," said one Mexico City student.

Winning students can take the spaceflights upon turning 18 and passing a physical exam. According to US law, spaceflight vendors must ensure that winners fully understand the risk of flight before agreeing to fly. Dr. Dinkin stresses that no personal information is collected from students. "If a person under 13 wants to play, a parent or a teacher provide their name so that we can award a flight if the player wins without the player providing any online personal information. Our site is a completely safe environment which offers kids the chance to achieve the dream of being an astronaut."

About Space Shot, Inc.
Space Shot, Inc. is a Texas corporation dedicated to democratizing space via FreeSpaceShot.com

Space Review post: http://www.thespacereview.com/article/783/1

Site release: http://www.freespaceshot.com/info/press/view_article.php?article=01_15_07_freespaceshot_launch.php


# # #

About Sam Dinkin:

Dr. Sam Dinkin is CEO of Space Shot, Inc., which has just opened FreeSpaceShot.com offering a free educational skill game where students can win free trips to space including a flight around the Moon. He has founded the Eclipse Danger Foundation to deploy more automatic external defibrillators than the number of people who have flown in space. He is a frequent contributor at The Space Review, and sponsor of a space journalism prize three years running. Sam sits on the advisory boards of the Colony Fund, the Lifeboat Foundation and the Space Settlement Institute. Sam is published in Astropolitics and has had his recommendations for space property rights adopted by the Aldridge Commission. He is the author of a forthcoming children's space elevator book. Sam is also Senior Advisor to the Claro Group, Chief Economist of Solar startup U-linc energy, and Chief Economist at Optimal Auctions, Inc. He has designed and implemented auctions for over $120 billion in cost of goods sold including all of the electricity for the New Jersey rate payers since 2002. Prior to that he was an applied visionary at IBM Research. While there he filed over 100 patents including a patent on a cell phone that used both wifi and cellular at the same time. Sam's Ph.D. in economics from the University of Arizona was under thesis advisor Vernon Smith, 2002 Nobel Laureate in economics. His B.S. in economics is from Caltech. Sam can be contacted toll free at (888) 434-6546 or dinkin@freespaceshot.com.


--
Background: This week a new game is being launched to help all people, including kids and teachers, meet their goal of spaceflight. The game, which has been featured on MSNBC.com and Space Review, offers participants a chance at a free trip to the Moon as well as other space flight prizes, can be found at http://www.freespaceshot.com. The skill game asks individuals to predict tomorrow's weather in Central Park. The game has been tested in classrooms in both Mexico City and Texas to the delight of players. (Even though the game is designed to appeal to kids, there is no age restriction on playing.)

SpaceX Lanuch Delay

This from Elon:

January 19, 2007: DemoFlight 2 Launch Update

During our final check-outs prior to static fire, we uncovered an anomaly with the thrust vector control (TVC) pitch actuator on the second stage that will result in launch being pushed to February. Since this is not used during the static fire, we have decided to push forward with that test in order to acquire valuable data on engine ignition, pad acoustics, and the overall system response. The static fire is now planned to occur between Saturday and Tuesday (California time). This test will proceed very slowly and then only burns for about four seconds, so will not be webcast to avoid boring people silly. We will post a video afterwards.

Upon completion of the static fire, we will take the rocket back into the hangar to thoroughly investigate the TVC issue. With the range available to us only until January 23 (Kwaj needs to reconfigure for an incoming Minuteman mission), this means launch is now planned for mid-February. As I’ve mentioned previously, don’t hold your breath for this launch. Given the large number of robustness improvements and the fact that our vehicle/pad health verification system has increased from about 30 checks to almost 1000, shifts in the launch date are to be expected. Overall, the SpaceX team is quite happy with the smooth progress so far.

---Elon

SpaceX Falcon I Launch Prep

The Falcon I is preparing to launch, according to Kimbal Musk's every useful blog.

Sunset on Omelek with the Upgraded Falcon 1 (courtesy of Kwajalein Atoll and Rockets)

Why Youngsters are not Impressed with NASA

A Dittmar Associates survey of 18-25 year olds found a depressing lack of interest in NASA's program. While ADD may explain some of it, that seems a pat answer.

Jeff Foust (the one man space press) thinks it may not be space but the message NASA is putting out. When asked about space tourism and other private ventures, the 18-25 year olds show much more interest.

So how can NASA capitalize on this? Well COTS is an obvious push. Just doing something exciting would help. Just my $0.02

Growing Concern over China's ASAT

Here a growing list of articles on China's test of ASAT technology on their own weather satellite:

Govt protests against China's space missile testABC Online - Australia

Chinese Test ASAT?ArmsControlWonk.com - College Park,MD,USA.

Jeremy Warner's Outlook: DSG's John Clare is in as tough a space ...Independent - London,England,UK

Bold move escalates space war debateMSNBC - USA

Good news: China stuns US intel by testing anti-satellite missileHot Air - MD,USA

China Space Attack: UnstoppableHuffington Post - New York,NY,USA

China Tests Anti-Satellite Weapon, Unnerving USNew York Times - New York,NY,USA

US, China: Successful ASAT Test?Stratfor - USA11,

Race to the Moon오마이뉴스 - South Korea

India fourth-biggest M&A target in Asia-Pacific IT spaceZee News - Noida,India

China, Russia developing space weaponsWorld Peace Herald - Washington,DC,USA

China Tests anti-satellite weapon - US agenciesChina Daily - China

NASA News and Such

NASA is getting ready to launch five satellites to study magnetic storms and auroras. The launch should occur next month and is part of the THEMIS project. This will be the largest number of scientific satellites NASA has ever launched on a single rocket.
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NASA might move up the Atlantis Launch to March 15 in order to relieve strains on the ISS. It is currently set for March 16.
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The James Webb Space Telescopes prime contractor, Northrop Grumman, has reached a milestone with the passing of the mirror backplane.
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NASA has award a grant to UC Santa Barbra professor Luann Becker and his team to help find life on Mars.
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New Horizons, the Pluto bound probe, will make it closest approach to Jupiter on Feb 28, 2007. The flyby will allow NASA to test many of it's instruments before its 2015 encounter with Pluto. It will also allow scientists to get close of images of Jupiter.
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Misc Space News for Today

Progress has launched to take supplies to the ISS.
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Mike Griffin has an Oped piece: To the Moon and Beyond.
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China's New Space Weapons

China apparently, for all their hand wringing has developed an anti-satellite weapon of their own. I, quite frankly, am shocked at their deception.

Really?

No, Not Really.

Update: Here is the Aviation Weekly article about China destroying an aging weather satellite with their new toy.

Blue Origin's Updated Web Site

Blue Origin has a new web site with actual pictures and stuff. As most of you know, Blue Origin has been very secretive until recently about the space craft they are working on.

The New Shepard prototype, the Goddard, is shown in various stages of test and taking off in this video. There are four or five more videos on their site.

Another SpaceX Update

Update form Elon:

DemoFlight 2 Launch Update

The static fire has moved to Friday (California time) and launch to Monday, January 22. We have not encountered any new issues – the shift in timing is primarily to provide for additional risk reduction activities on site, as we continue to operate with a healthy paranoia.
As stated in the prior update, there is a high likelihood that the dates will continue to change, given the broad array of vehicle robustness upgrades. This will remain true all the way up to the final few seconds of the countdown, as our new health verification software executes hundreds of systems checks between engine ignition at T-3 sec and liftoff at T-0, when the hold down clamps release the rocket for flight. This is a critical phase for verification, given that the vehicle will have undergone substantial state changes throughout the first stage and avionics system.

---Elon---

SpaceX Launch; Mike Griffin's Speech;Idiotic Ideas about COTS

Space X has a launch window for January 21 and 22:

Going forward, a static fire is planned Thursday, January 18 (California time). We have a launch window on January 21 and 22 (California time) and are working with the range to secure a couple of additional days as contingency. Should we go beyond that, which is still a good possibility as we work with the upgraded vehicle, pad, and procedures, the next available launch window is mid February. There will be a live webcast and a media call in line for the launch. Details will be provided shortly.

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Mike Griffin talks with the Space Transportation Association about why NASA can't just "get out of the way of space development." He did make this quite amusing comment:

So, let me acknowledge that, yes, government is not usually very efficient. I am sure that you are shocked – shocked – to hear this. And while I like to think that we really try to do our best, NASA is part of government

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Jeffery Bell needs to fact check. I am trying hard not to resort to name calling.
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Bigelow Aerospace Genesis II Launch Delayed

Statement from Bigelow Aerospace founder Robert T. Bigelow

Las Vegas, NV 01/15/07 –

Unfortunately, we have recently received notification from our launch provider, ISC Kosmotras, that the launch of Genesis II will be delayed by at least 60 days. I know, we are disappointed too.

During a launch that occurred directly after the successful deployment of Genesis I, Kosmotras experienced its first failure in late July of last year. Since that time, Kosmotras engineers, as well as their Ukrainian partners at SDO Yuzhnoye, have conducted a thorough analysis of the Dnepr launch vehicle. The Kosmotras/Yuzhnoye team have successfully identified, evaluated and resolved the problem that caused the failure. Kosmotras has assured Bigelow Aerospace that the Dnepr will soon be prepared to safely and successfully return to flight.

Naturally, we are all disappointed because the spacecraft was and is ready to ship out to meet the original Jan. 30 launch date. Currently, our spacecraft is awaiting shipment to Russia with all your photos and personal items, etc. onboard. We now expect to ship the spacecraft for flight sometime in the early part of March for a launch on or about April 1.

Meanwhile, in Las Vegas, Genesis II stands ready for its mission and we are putting this additional time to good use by testing and retesting its systems. If Kosmotras can deliver on its current schedule, we expect to ship Genesis II to Russia as we said above at some point in early March for a launch on or about April 1st.

If this situation changes or we receive new or different information from Kosmotras, we will post additional announcements on the Bigelow Aerospace Website at www.bigelowaerospace.com.

We’re looking forward to doubling our footprint in space with the launch of Genesis II later this year, and, with all of you, taking another step forward in this bold adventure.

— Robert T. Bigelow

Dateline January 3, 2007

Hope everyone had a good holiday. On to 2007 and the stars -djs

• A run down of NASA's top exploration stories of 2006
• NASA is looking a an Ares IV and (gasp!) docking in lunar orbit.
• Lunar Gardens
• Alan Boyles Year in Space 2006.
• Lunar Probes from Asia are going up in 2007.
• Virgin Galactic considers design.

Bigelow News

Some stuff from Bigelow Aerospace who's Genesis II will launch early 2007.

Ace Up Our Sleeve
It's the workplace pastime for those taking a discreet break from work: Playing computer solitaire. In the best Bigelow Aerospace tradition of making spaceflight fun, a solitaire game with a Bigelow Aerospace twist has been launched today at www.bigelowaerospace.com.
Bigelow Aerospace Solitaire functions similar to the Klondike game that is one of the most frequently used files on a Windows computer. The BA game has a space theme with images throughout from the Bigelow Aerospace files. Players also have at their disposal different card backsides.
A running leaderboard is also included of the fastest 20 times worldwide.
Play Bigelow Aerospace Solitaire now at this link:
http://www.bigelowaerospace.com/galaxy_games/flash/BASolitaire.php.


Winning a World View
Another ongoing and popular game at www.bigelowaerospace.com is “Where in the World?”
In this two-part game, Web site visitors try to solve an online slide puzzle to see one of the latest pictures beamed down from Genesis I.
The challenge doesn’t end there. The user then needs to figure out just where on Earth Genesis I was flying over when the picture was taken based upon land features and other landmarks seen in the photo. The first visitor to submit the correct answer is recognized on the Web site.
The latest Where in the World? winner — Robert Gutowski — has been announced at http://www.bigelowaerospace.com/galaxy_games/flash/BigelowsSlidePuzzle.php.

Private Space Tibbits

Benson Space has signed an agreement with SpaceDev to develop Phase I of the Dream Chaser space ship. Benson said: "It's official -- we've begun our countdown to what I expect will be BSC's first suborbital flights by the end of 2008."

Sounds good to me.
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The Astronaut Farmer was obviously written by the private space group I mentioned last week who thinks NASA is the great evil of the world.
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Michael Belfiore's new book Rocketeers is coming this summer.
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UGS will be building the software for the K-1 for RocketPlane Kistler.
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Curran R. Kemp thinks only private colonies will work. He thinks that is why we haven't settled Antarctica.

Shanan Dale on COTS

Deputy Director of NASA, Shana Dale, has an editorial out about vision and innovation. On the anniversary of the Wright Brother's flight (December 17th), she says:

NASA is leveraging the power of innovation to enable a viable commercial enterprise in space. This approach is a radical departure from tradition for NASA, which previously has relied on major aerospace contractors and its own engineering talent and resources to acquire their own space capabilities. The demands today, however, are for more efficient, more affordable access to space, something the Wright brothers of today are keen to deliver.

...

With the Vision for Space Exploration, which includes human and robotic missions to the moon and Mars, NASA will need to free its resources to focus on long-range highly complex engineering challenges. Routine yet necessary missions to bring humans and supplies to the Moon, to service the International Space Station, and for other purposes will need to become more of a streamlined, turnkey operation. Building this essential infrastructure for space exploration, however, will require a dedicated and strong commercial sector.

Hard to argue with that.

Dan Rather is Excited about the Lunar Base

Never thought I would agree with Dan Rather on something...

FAA Private Space Requirements and other Priavet Space News

The FAA has released the official requirements for private space passengers and crew.
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An interview with T/Space and how they are continuing forward after loosing the COTS money.
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Beyond Earth Enterprises had their 8th successful "consumer based" launch
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Ideas on Lunar commercial markets
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Richard Branson's space travel agents are out and ready to take your order.
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NASA News and Such

NASA and Google have signed an agreement to work "on a variety of challenging technical problems" related to information management, distributed computing, and human-computer interaction. I guess the Google servers have reached sentience and are ready to leave Earth :)
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An idea to keep ISS going.
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Saddam Hussein was apparently saddened by the Challenger tragedy.
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Space Ties with India and what that could mean.

NASA Budget News

Congress can't get their act together. They only had a year to get the 2007 budget approved. But they have acted to continue funding everything at the 2006 level until Feb 15, when they can pull it together.

This screws the Exploration side of NASA, but aeronautics is happy. If I set up my budget this way, I would be bankrupt and in prison.

Private Space Tibbits

Bigelow has posted two articles on their website about the coming launch of the Genesis II.

• Life in a Box - development of a biobox for a select grop fo arthroponauts.
• Thinking Outside the Bingo Box: B-I-N-G-O! Aerospace Style - development of a mechanical game system that will allow the public to "play a game of space bingo on the Internet".

(hat tip to RLV and Space Transport News).

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An interview with Elon Musk on his interests in space and electric cars.

Focus of the VSE

Space Alumni.com thinks we need to talk up Mars more:

To attract the future generation of explorers, NASA needs to establish
itself as the agency of the future, not the agency of the past. A return to the
Moon is merely the stepping stone necessary to set foot on Mars and beyond, but
advertisements would have the audience think the return to the Moon is the main
goal of the VSE.

I would argue that the goal of the VSE is to get humanity into space permanently. If we get fixated on one destination, we sell ourselves short.
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Mike Griffin Responds on the Cost of Exploration

In the USA Today, Mike Griffin rebuts the idea that we can't afford to explore space:

Our great-great-grandparents accepted the challenge of their frontier. Will today's generation do less? And if so, why? To save 15 cents per day? To save six-tenths of 1% of the federal budget? Because that is the cost to the average citizen of our nation's space program. Whether we wish to explore space or not, to say that we cannot afford space exploration is ridiculous.

Today's investments in space exploration are, like the Louisiana Purchase, a down payment on our future. We are focusing NASA's investments on key technologies that will enable our nation to bring the solar system into our economic sphere and for scientific discovery. The geography of our solar system dictates that our first, halting steps will be to the moon — three days journey away from Earth. A lunar outpost might follow soon afterward, allowing us to exploit the resources and vantage point of the moon.
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Of course the robot guys come out in the comments.

Given ample evidence for Moore's Law of exponential computing power, it's not
unreasonable to conclude that humans will be eclipsed by A.I. in a few more
years. Why not let intellectually superior robots explore the cosmos and
report back what they find, the way same way the people currently bring back a
bone from the butcher to give to their dogs?

Are you crazy? We are no closer to true intelligence in AI than we were when Charles Babbage designed the Difference Engine. Besides why would we let our creation do something we want to do. Dogs did not create humans. Bad analogy. Besides, if the dog had the power, I am sure he would prefer to go to the butcher shop. By the way, Moore's law is really more of a rule of thumb and is just few years from a brick wall. You can only make wires and transistors so small before quantum mechanics starts mucking with your hardware.

Eventually, yes, we'll need to colonize. Let's figure out how we'll be able to
do that, put the research funds into that, then send people up.

Yeah, good idea. We will figure out how to live on the Moon on the Earth. Then once we know exactly what to do, we will do it. Good call. I know that works in city planning...

It's Not Just a New Mission, it is a New Charter

After reading a story about Mike Griffin and the Moon Base plan, I came across this interesting comment:

And [the VSE] gives the space agency a mission without an end date when the budget axes start coming out, he said.

Hmm. I think that is where we have a problem. President Bush didn't give NASA a new mission to perform along with all the other "missions" they have been doing since Apollo ended. He gave them a new charter. A new direction, if you will, that should change how everything else is viewed.

The Vision for Space Exploration does not say "Go to the Moon while you are at it," but rather "Go to the Moon, Mars, and put humanity in the solar system. Drop everything that doesn't help this goal." At least that is the speech I heard.

Treating this as a single mission that can be cut and moved and dropped if necessary is an injustice to our future. It isn't about which date we get there and what check boxes were fill out, it is about getting America off this rock. It isn't a 30 year plan, or a 60 year plan, but a new direction for our society.

And it isn't just about NASA. I think President Bush was calling our country to a new direction. Burt Rutan, and Elon Musk, and you and I need to look forward at what we can achieve. Where can we be in 20 years, 60 years, and 100 years from now. Think about it.

My $0.02 Worth what you paid for it.

New Ideas in Space

GPS like navigation? Cool.
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Spaceport America's continuing development.
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Aviation Week is focusing on New Space:

• Private Spaceflight Industry Building Toward Takeoff

For a summary of the subscription only articles, check out RLV and Space Transport News.

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Did I mention the Shuttle Launched Saturday?

And it is doing fine.

Astronomy Tidbits

Jupiter's Super Hurricane Red Spot (really more of a brown, though).
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Detecting Asteroid impacts on extrasolar planets
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Back to the Moon Discussions

Jeff Foust thinks NASA needs to better explain why we are going back to the Moon.
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Jeff Brooks devises an international plan to allow people to buy land on Mars. Anything with the word international in it is doomed.
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NASA is talking a lot about getting "generations" into space. Specifically the "coastal regions of low Earth orbit." Sounds awesome, I won't hold my breath, though. At least they are seriously talking now.
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Mike Griffin talks again about what a mistake the shuttle was. He then goes on to the future moon base.
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NASA Releases 3 new RFIs

NASA has released three new RFI (courtesy of Commercial Space Watch):

1. ISS Cargo Transportation: Obtain information on ISS commercial resupply opportunities in the interim period prior to completion of the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) Phase I demonstrations and initiation of COTS Phase II.
2. Constellation Program Design for Operations: system designs and integrated processes that enhance, simplify, and streamline the operations of the Program.
3. Constellation Technical Support: the resources and capabilities to conduct engineering integration and engineering tasks in support of the Constellation Program.

Gene Cernan's thoughts on the Moon Base

(From RLV and Space Transport News):

Flight Global has an interview with Gene Cernan Commander of Apollo 17 about the new Moon plan. He thinks that NASA needs to include the Apollo astronauts on some of the design decisions on the new mission. I would agree with him.

Zero-G Gets its Own Jet; Virginia Launch; X-Prize Cup; More on Orbital Outfitters

Zero-G is doing so well they are buying a 727F so they can run full time. Previously they used two B727-200 cargo jets on the weekends. Way to go Zero-G.
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Chair Force Engineer discusses if Virginia can sustain a space launch facility.
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The X-Prize cup may be expanding to more than one location.
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Alan Boyle has more on Orbital Outfitters mentioned yesterday.

Russian Helping on the Moon; Shuttle, Moon Bases

Russia wants to contribute technology to the NASA's 2024 Moon Base plan. Probably because they don’t' have any money. Hmm, Russia seems to covering all their bases, since they have agreements with the ESA and China. Whoever gets to space, Russia wants to be there.

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Shuttle Launch has been postponed until Saturday.

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What the Washington Post thinks of NASA's Plan to build a Moon Base. They got this about the plan right for sure,

one that has ardent supporters and vocal detractors. But to a degree generally unappreciated by the public

• Brian Szabelski is cautiously in favor of NASA's plan.
• I can't tell if Ton Teepen is for it or not?
• In Rochester they like the international spin on the Moon Base.
• And in Virginia they are praising the visionaries at NASA.
• Arizona will wait for the price tag.
• And Macon, GA hopes for a hopeful return to 1960's optimism in the space program.

Amen.
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Everyone continues to worry about where new scientists and engineers are coming from.
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Space Advocate Coalilition Website

A New website from the Coalition for Space Exploration. Here is the press release. You can register and you get calls to action (when Congress is going to cut NASA's funding for example.) Time will tell where this goes. Of course it never hurts to sign up for one more space advocatcy group, you never know which one will get you there.

Orbital Outfitters Gets Space Suite Contract

Orbital Outfitters has signed a contract with XOR to make emergency space suits for next-gen space ships. Their CEO is Rick Tumlinson of Space Frontier Foundation fame. Good luck to them!

Why NASA? Why Private Space?

Darnell Clayton left a comment on my earlier post of the Wall Street Journals $50 billion Moon base prize idea. Basically he said: "I think it would be better via NASA, that way if something goes wrong, then we have somebody to blame " and " the private sector may have the passion but lack the financial resources for multiple attempts at the prize"

This got me thinking about the NASA cheerleaders vs. the Private Space guys (the IRC as Mark Whittington likes to call them). Is it possible we could view the foundations of their arguments and come to some useful middle ground.

As far as NASA supporters go, I think Darnell's views are a solid foundation to work from. The basic core beliefs are:

1. NASA has more money
2. NASA has put men into space
3. NASA is accountable to citizens
4. Private industry doesn't have the capital to support massive space activities
   

Lets examine each point objectively (pretending we don't really care).

Does NASA have more money and conversely does Private industry have enough money? I would agree that NASA has a concentration of money with about $15 billion a year budget. However, Boeing spent over $1 billion in the early 1960s to develop the 747 (over $6 billion in 2005 dollars). That was one company for a single jet. The GDP for R&D in this country is for 2005 was $320 billion. In 2005 $22 billion was invested in venture capital. There is a total GDP for 2005 was a little over $12 trillion dollars. I think it is safe to say that if industry was to jump into the pool of the space industry, they have the money. The private space industry currently gets a fraction of this money, but the American economy for all it's size, is very flexible when potential profits are good enough.

It is hard to argue with point two, since only NASA, Russia, and China have point men into orbit (Scaled Composites of course has put men into space, but not orbit). Of course it doesn’t immediately follow based on logic, that they are the only entity that could put men into orbit.
In a complex democracy it is difficult to really have any government agency accountable to the people. NASA is accountable to Congress and the President, but as space exploration is a low priority item nationally, representatives are mainly known for using NASA to fund pork projects for their own districts.

Now to continue with Private Space, here are the basic axioms as I see them:

1. The government is inefficient & private industry can do things much faster and cheaper
2. Everybody wants to go to space if they could just get the chance
3. NASA is only out for their own interests and generally screws private companies whenever possible
   

Point one is generally true, I would say. However, there are specific cases were the government is a much better administrator. The military is a good example. For all it's inefficiencies, it would be hard to find someone who wants to privatize the military. There is to many possible conflicts of interests to allow our national security to be run for profit. Scientific research is another place where I would argue government funding for the good of all is safer than complete privatization. Does this mean that NASA is one of these types of industries? During the cold war I would say yes. Currently, I doubt it.

I would it is true that when it suits their goals, private industry is very efficient and inexpensive in developing new products. However, when it isn't they can block progress better than any bureaucracy (non-gas running cars, for instance). Industry needs a profit goal to jump on an idea. As you may have noticed, most of the private space companies developing new ideas are run and funded by idealists. They have a vision above profit motive, but for it to really move en mass, the profit has to be clearly defined.

Point 2 is difficult for me to remove myself from, as I have dreamed of space travel since I was little. However, I know people who wouldn't go up even if it was free. The truth is, while a majority of people express interest in going to space, very few are willing to do anything about it.

Point 3 is tough. I think is has been true in the past, that NASA has been a roadblock to private space development, lately, they seem to have come around (e.g. centennial prizes). The fact that NASA won't hand over the shop to private space doesn't mean they hate it. Large entities move slowly. I think it is in the best interest of private space supporters and industry to work with NASA and to support space development wherever it can occur.

To sum up, NASA is not the devil. Private Space is not the Savors. NASA is not the savor, Private space is not geeks who have read too many comic books. I think as we move forward to a privatized space industry, NASA must be a part. However, NASA cannot continue as it has in the past if it is to open new frontiers. It must give up smaller kingdoms to expand humanities place in the universe.

Just my $o.02. Comments welcome.

Private Moon Base Prize

The Wall Street Journal has a slightly different plan than NASA to settle the Moon:

[w]hy not take half of that and offer it as a bounty to the first private
company to build the station and man it. A prize in the neighborhood of $50
billion is bound to attract plenty of interest --

(thanks to RLV and Space Transport News)

Astronomy Tidbits

Mark Whittington has an article on Lunar Astronomy.

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See a black hole eating a star. Here is the animation (4.1MB mpg file).

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Interesting dicussion on the shape of the universe.

ULA CEO is looking to Manned Missions

While NASA doesn't seem to think the EELV's are good enough to take men to space, ULA CEO Michael Gass said while touring the Decatur, AL ULA plant:

Gass said Decatur-made rockets could one day have a role in manned space
missions. He noted that John Glenn entered orbit in a spacecraft perched atop an
Atlas rocket in 1962.

His statement, while oblique, was not idle. According to published reports,
Lockheed is in talks with Bigelow Aerospace to evaluate the business and
technical aspects of using the Atlas 5 for launching manned space vehicles. The
initial focus is on launching spacecraft to service orbital space complexes like
the International Space Station.

"Manned space flight is a possibility" for ULA products, Gass said.

New Stuff From NASA

Water on Mars:

Scientists say they have photographic evidence that suggests liquid water may
have been on the planet as little as five years ago.

That is a major find. Here is more (with thanks to spacetoday.net):

• SpaceRef
• SPACE.com article
• Washington Post article
• San Francisco Chronicle article
• AP article
• NASA press release

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Also here is a preview of the next Mars Rover/Lander the Pheonix.

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The Shuttle is only waiting on the weather to clear, now.

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Reactions to the Moon Base plan released by NASA:

• Some Goob who doesn't think we should go to space at all (unless Al-Quida does)
• A more hopeful view.

If you yourself are interested in living on the Moon, check out the Moon Society.

Dateline December 6, Space News from the Internet

• Jon Goff continues to describe possible alternatives to the Ares launcher families. Mark Whittington thinks he doesn't go in-dept enough to make sure there are no show stoppers.
• Transcripts of the Lunar Architecture briefing.
• NASA Watch goes on PBS talking about the Lunar Architecture
• The Mars Water annoucement should happen today at 1:00pm EST (12:00pm CST). It will be on NASA TV.
• The Shuttle Launch may not happen this week.

Dateline December 5, Space News from the Internet

• China's Sinosat 2 is toast.
• Debate over whether the Ares I first stage should be recoverable or not.
• The Washington Post has an article on the VSE and NASA implememtation of it.
• Glenn is working on tuna cans to boost the Ares I.
• Jeff Foust has a plan to skip the Moon altogether and go to Earth-Mars L2 point.
• Discussion of the Ares plan and alternatives.
• Taylor Dinerman talks about arms control in space.
• Budget worries about NASA's plan to go to the Moon.
• New Mexico likes the idea of mining the Moon for Helium-3.
• NASA is going to the Moon permantly in 2024. MSNBC has more.
• A write up of space developments in 2006.
• NASA is about to relase a major annoucement about water on the surface of Mars.

Dateline December 1, Space News from the Internet

• Boeing and LockMart has completed their EELV merger into the ULA. Is that how the first terminator started?
• Richard Branson is investigating whether Stephen Hawking is medically fit enough for a trip into space. If anyone deserves it, he does.
• Mark Whittington talks about how to use the Orion architecture to send a manned team to an asteroid.

Dateline November 30, 2006: Space News from the Internet

• NASA has released an image of the Mars Rover's landing site.
• STS 116 is set for December 7, a night launch. More here.
• China's Moon probe is set for launch next year.
• Roll control problems with the Ares upper stage.
• More on the X-37.
• Some discussion on non-space fairing countries using Bigelow's hotel fore their astronaut core.
• Steven Hawking is still saying we need to get off the Earth. Hey who am I to argue.
• A shy Chinese business man has bought a seat on Virgin Galactic.

Dateline November 29, 2006: Space News from the Internet

• Scientists are working on Liquid Mirror telescopes and other possible lunar observatories.
• In the next week, Blue Origin will have another test launch. Good Luck!
• New Horizon's has it's first image of Pluto.
• NASA will release their lunar architecture next week.
• Shuttle Launch STS 116 should be next week.

Dateline November 28, 2006: Space News from the Internet

• Varied space associations are calling on funding for the Centennial Challenges for 2007.
• Space Colonists will need to be handy.
• Some research going on the space station
• China is jumping on the space tourism bandwagon.
• NASA is trying out different robot designs.

Dateline November 20, 2006: Space News from the Internet

• The Air Force is working on an orbital test bed ship called the X-37B. It will be used to send equipment into orbit to test its reaction to space.
• The Russians are about to smack a golf ball off the ISS.
• The Space Review is out:
  
  • Will Congressman James Oberstar (D-MN), destroy the coming space tourism industry now that he is likely the chairman of the Transportation Committee? He will try, I imagine.
  • Lies of the Cold War
  • The history of the Space Shuttle and national intelligence.
  • Satellite policy that was left out of the National Space Policy.
  • Review of The Rock from Mars.
  
  
• NASA response to the rumors that the Ares I would lift enough mass.

  Hanley said in an interview he normally does not respond so directly to what he characterized as misinformation that appears in “the pseudo media—blogs and so forth.

  Don't you just love NASA. Apparently it is in the same thrust category as the Saturn V 3rd stage. However, if I am not mistaken the Orion is heavier than the Apollo module, is it not?

  “If you held [Lockheed Martin's] feet to the fire and asked them what is their no-kidding projected mass, it would be something on the order of 15-20 percent lower than 48,500 pounds (21,825 kilograms),” he said. “They have plenty of margin.”

  I would like to get ahold of his crystal ball if that turns out to be true.
• China may be building space weapons.
• Jon Goff talks about dry launch.
• A view on the first time to the Wirefly X-Prize Cup.
• Armadillo may switch to Methane.
• Alternatives to the Ares I & V.
• A European game show may send a winner to the ISS for 9 days.

Dateline November 17, 2006: Space News from the Internet

• NASA has finished a review of all the Orion spacecraft and there respective launchers, the Ares I & V.
• Let me just say for fans of Serenity, this is too cool. (The Notes of a Fridge are awesome).
• Information on the test firing of the Shuttle SRB by ATK.
• Masten-Space Systems progress, thus far.
• Star Chasers test firing is being put off.
• More on the Blue Origin. The Van Horn Advocate has the story (big shock).

Dateline November 15, 2006: Space News from the Internet

• This has nothing to do with space, but it is funny and good advice. Marine Corps rules for Gun Fighting.
• NASA is releasing the national strategy for Lunar Exploration next month. They are planning on "sorties" of between 3 & 6 days with 14 days as the maximum.
• ESA is launching the COROT satellite to search for extra-solar planets
• Information on DARPA's Falcon program (not to be confused with SpaceX's Falcon I rocket)
• StarChaser is test firing their rocket.
• More on Blue Origin's rocket firing earlier this week.

Dateline November 14, 2006: Space News from the Internet

• NASA says the Ares I has plenty of power.
• Apparently space companies are outperforming the S&P 500.
• SpaceDev's earnings for the 3rd quarter are out.
• The moon may have useful localized magnetic fields.

Blue Origin Rocket Test

Blue Origin fired a rocket test fire this morning, but you didn't hear it from me :) They will apparently release a statement later this week (likely through the Van Horn Advocate, the unlikely media center of all things Blue Origin.)

Dateline November 13, 2006: Space News from the Internet

Prelims are almost over, my life is calming down. Sorry about the lapse this fall, but you get what you pay for ;-)

• The Ares I may be underpowered.
• Space Review is out. Space Weapons, National Space Policy, A Liberal magazine's view on space exploration, SDI, and A Book Review on Astrobiology and Society.
• Michael Belfiore will be on the Space Show tommorrow night (11/14/2006).
• Russia is having a fit over our latest space policy.
• Global Surveyor has lost contact after 10 years.
• Virgin Galactic is detailing some of the aspects of a suborbital vacation.
• Another announcement from Bigelow Aerospace and Lockheed Martin is coming...