Stumble It!
Seattle, WA – December 11, 2007 – Andrews Space, Inc. is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a Phase I contract by the U.S. Army through the Small Business Innovation Research program (SBIR). Phase I of the contract is valued at $70K over six (6) months, with an optional Phase II at $50K over four (4) months. The Army selected Andrews’ proposed approach in a competitive procurement out of hundreds of other SBAs.
Urban warfare poses unique challenges for the Future Combat System (FCS) and other Army systems that require high-fidelity terrain information. The shape of the terrain is an important component, and dense networks of elevation data are needed to represent the complex shape of an urban landscape. Applications like line-of-sight or drive-through in an urban area also need high-resolution terrain data.
Currently, transmission of terrain data is done via hand-carried external hard drives. Under the terms of the contract, Andrews will develop a new approach that helps the military reduce the burden required to manage data.
Andrews will use two approaches to reduce the size of elevation data files to be stored and transmitted. The first approach is to develop a better compression algorithm that works well on discontinuous data, which will provide high fidelity urban elevation data with a minimum file size. The second approach is to develop an innovative way to transmit the data that will dramatically reduce the amount of data that needs to be transmitted to, and stored by, a soldier or vehicle in the field.
“Andrews’ solution to this problem will provide our armed forces with a significant advantage in the urban warfare environment”, said Jason Andrews, President of Andrews Space. “By speeding up the availability of this terrain data, our troops will be able to respond much more quickly to combat threats and other battlefield challenges.”
Commercial applications of this technology include computer scene generation, mapping software such as Google Earth/Maps, Microsoft Live Search/Terra-Server, and MapQuest. It will allow them to more efficiently store 3D buildings for larger portions of major cities and then transmit and reconstruct the information for users. This will also allow enhanced capabilities for GPS and car navigation, and GPS capable cell phones.
About SBIR
The SBIR program is a highly competitive, three-phase award system. It provides qualified small businesses - including women-owned and disadvantaged firms - with opportunities to propose unique ideas that meet specific research and development needs of the federal government.
About Andrews Space
Andrews Space, Inc. (Andrews) is a privately-held business founded in 1999 to be a catalyst in the commercialization and development of space. The company is an affordable integrator of aerospace systems and a developer of advanced space technologies. Andrews' customers include NASA and the Department of Defense, as well as commercial aerospace prime contractors. Andrews is currently engaged in several launch vehicle and spacecraft development efforts in both the prime and subcontractor role. To learn more, please visit www.andrews-space.com.
Staff
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prag·ma·tism (prgm-tzm)
n.
A way of approaching situations or solving problems that emphasizes practical applications and consequences.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
U.S. Army Selects Andrews Space to Enhance Urban Battlespace Capabilities
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
China Publishes Four new Moon Photos
China has published four new moon photos taken by their Chang'e-1 lunar probe currently in orbit around the Moon.
New Zealander to Draw Space
Mr. Scott, an artist of New Zealand, has complete his training to fly on SpaceShip2 with Virgin Galactic. He will draw what he sees in orbit. Mr. Scott will be the first professional artist in space. We look forward to his work.
Sir Richard Branson has also completed his space training.
NASA Delays STS-122 Until January
NASA has delayed Atlantis, STS-122, until at least January while it works on a fuel sensor malfunction. The earliest launch would be January 2, 2008.
New NASA Mission to Reveal Moon's Internal Structure and Evolution
Press Release:
WASHINGTON, Dec. 10 -- At a Monday meeting of the American Geophysical Union, NASA's Associate Administrator for Science Alan Stern announced the selection of a new mission that will peer deep inside the moon to reveal its anatomy and history.
The Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory, or GRAIL, mission is a part of NASA's Discovery Program. It will cost $375 million and is scheduled to launch in 2011. GRAIL will fly twin spacecraft in tandem orbits around the moon for several months to measure its gravity field in unprecedented detail. The mission also will answer longstanding questions about Earth's moon and provide scientists a better understanding of how Earth and other rocky planets in the solar system formed.
"GRAIL's revolutionary capabilities stood out in this Discovery mission competition owing to its unsurpassed combination of high scientific value and low technical and programmatic risk," Stern said. "GRAIL also offers to bring innovative Earth studies techniques to the moon as a precursor to their possible later use at Mars and other planets."
Scientists will use the gravity field information from the two satellites to X-ray the moon from crust to core to reveal the moon's subsurface structures and, indirectly, its thermal history.
The study technique GRAIL will use was pioneered by the joint U.S.-German Earth observing Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment, or GRACE, mission launched in 2002. The GRACE satellites measure gravity changes related to the movement of mass within the Earth, such as the melting of ice at the poles and changes in ocean circulation. As with GRACE, both GRAIL spacecraft will be launched on a single launch vehicle.
GRAIL's principal investigator is Maria Zuber of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Zuber's team of expert scientists and engineers includes former NASA astronaut Sally Ride, who will lead the mission's public outreach efforts. A camera aboard each spacecraft will allow students and the public to interact with observations from the satellites. Each GRAIL spacecraft will carry the cameras to documents their views from lunar orbits.
GRAIL will support NASA's exploration goals as the agency returns humans to the moon by 2020. In 2008, the agency will launch the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, to circle the moon for at least a year and take measurements to identify future robotic and human landing sites. The orbiter also will look for potential lunar resources and document aspects of the lunar radiation environment. After a 30-year hiatus, LRO represents NASA's first step toward returning humans to the moon. The orbiter will be accompanied by another spacecraft, called the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite mission, which will impact the lunar south pole to search for evidence of polar water frost.
"As NASA moves forward with exploration endeavors, our lunar science missions will be the light buoy leading the path for future human activities," said Jim Green, director of the Planetary Division, Science Mission Directorate, Washington.
Created in 1992, NASA's Discovery Program sponsors a series of scientist-led, cost-capped solar system exploration missions with highly focused scientific goals. The GRAIL proposal was selected from 24 submissions in response to a 2006 Announcement of Opportunity for the program. Proposals were evaluated for scientific merit, science implementation merit, and technical, management and cost feasibility.
NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., will manage the GRAIL mission. The spacecraft will be built by Lockheed Martin Space Systems, Denver.
For more information about NASA's Discovery Program, visit:
http://discovery.nasa.gov
Website: http://discovery.nasa.gov/
Website: http://www.nasa.gov/
Evidence for Past Life on Mars
The overachieving rovers have done it again. Spirit, while working on a plateau called Home Plate, has discovered a patch of almost pure silica (i.e. glass). The current thinking is that the patch came from hot springs coming up from underground or a fumarole where acidic steam comes. On Earth, these hot springs are always covered in microbial life.
Not conclusive but all the evidence seem to point toward life.
Our Solar System is Dented
Our solar system has a dent in it. Science base this conclusion on Voyager 2 reaching the termination shock a billion miles closer than Voyager 1. Apparently the dent is caused by a large magnetic field created by a super-nova 10 to 20 million years ago in the Scorpius-Centaurus Association region of the Milky Way.
The termination shock caused Voyager 2 to slow to 350,000 miles/hour and it will reach interstellar space in 7 to 10 more years. The transmitters will continue to work until 2020, thanks to its radioactive fuel.
Monday, December 10, 2007
SpaceX Update
Elon has a new update for SpaceX.
Notes:
- Fully Integrated Falcon 9 first stage firing (only 1 Merlin engine)
- Merlin C is done and ready for final testing
- Pad at the Cape begun
- NASA COTS CDR Approval of the Dragon capsule
- There are lot of details of the Dragon capsule including a simulation of the Dragon hooking up to ISS.
X-Prize Foundation News
From the X-Prize Foundation:
The X PRIZE Foundation welcomes Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google, and his wife Anne Wojcicki Brin to the Vision Circle. We would also like to acknowledge Board members Elon Musk of Space Exploration Technologies, Jeffrey Shames of the MIT Sloan School of Management, Ray Sydney of Big George Ventures, and Erik Lindbergh, President of Lindbergh Woodworks and Director of the Lindbergh Foundation for their generous support of the X PRIZE Foundation.
Two new members have joined the X PRIZE Foundation’s Board of Trustees, Arianna Huffington and Will Wright. Huffington is the co-founder and Editor-in-Chief of the Huffington Post, a leading news and blog source on the Internet as well as the author of 11 books. Wright is a globally recognized visionary in interactive entertainment and EA’s chief designer behind the block-buster game franchises “SimCity™,” “The Sims™” and the soon-to-be-released universe simulator “Spore™.”
Odyssey Moon Announced as First Official Competitor in the Google Lunar X PRIZE
The first official team has completed registration for the Google Lunar X PRIZE. Odyssey Moon, from the Isle of Man, announced its contention for the prize on December 6th at the Space Investment Summit in San Jose, CA. The brainchild of Robert Richards, one of the founders of the International Space University, Odyssey Moon views the Google Lunar X PRIZE as a short term goal. Long term, they will work toward lowering the cost of going to the Moon by an order of magnitude and eventually to the peaceful development of the Moon. In all, the Google Lunar X PRIZE has received 350 requests for information from more than 40 countries, 11 of which have started or completed Letters of Intent.
Thursday, December 06, 2007
STS-122 Postponed
STS-122 which was schedule to launch today, was scrubbed due to a fuel sensor malfunction. It will be at least 24 hours before the launch.
Astrobotic and Ratheon Team on the Google Lunar X-Prize
Astrobotic Technology, Inc. has selected Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN - News) as its supplier for development of a next-generation of high-precision, propellant-efficient lunar landing technologies.
On Sept. 13, 2007, Dr. William L. "Red" Whittaker, Astrobotic's Chief Technology Officer and Lunar Mission Commander declared his intention to pursue the recently announced Google Lunar X Prize. Astrobotic Technology, Inc. is the commercial organization through which Dr. Whittaker plans to carry out the lunar mission as well as engage in potential commercial orbital transfer services and potential cis-lunar services that may be best enabled by leading-edge robotics.
"We have great confidence in Raytheon's ability to co-develop a spacecraft that can land on a dime," said Whittaker.
Raytheon has undertaken initial design and planning activities on the project. Possible roles for Raytheon include engineering management, lander design, and high bandwidth telecommunications. A common goal is for Raytheon to develop key technologies for advanced thrust controlled descent, ascent and movement, including automated topographic scene matching.
"We are delighted to work with Dr. Whittaker on this extraordinary lunar project," said Mike Booen, Raytheon vice president of Advanced Missile Defense & Directed Energy. "Development of a lunar lander is a natural extension for the company's space-proven technologies."
Astrobotic is planning for Raytheon to begin work on a contract basis with the scope of Raytheon's work to be expanded upon completion of certain financing goals by Astrobotic. It is anticipated that 15 or more professional engineers from Raytheon will be devoted to the Astrobotic lunar program.
Dr. Whittaker is the Fredkin Professor of Robotics, Director of the Field Robotics Center, and founder of the National Robotics Engineering Consortium, all at Carnegie Mellon University. He is a world-famous scientist and engineer, renowned for managing the research, development, operation, and scientific discoveries associated with several dozen exploratory robots. Most recently, Dr. Whittaker led CMU's "Tartan Racing Team" to victory in the November 2007 Urban Challenge sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
Raytheon has a legacy of experience in space missions that dates back to the Apollo era, when Raytheon provided solutions for the Saturn launch vehicle, lunar modules, and space suits. Raytheon has deployed more than 100 unique control systems for military and commercial satellites as well as 75 GPS systems for the Department of Defense, civil, commercial and national markets ranging in scope from navigation, transportation, surveying and rescue operations.
Raytheon Company, with 2006 sales of $20.3 billion, is a technology leader specializing in defense, homeland security and other government markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 85 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command, control, communications and intelligence systems, as well as a broad range of mission support services. With headquarters in Waltham, Mass., Raytheon employs 73,000 people worldwide.
Astrobotic Technology, Inc. (http://www.astrobotictech.com) is a privately held seed-stage company formed by Carnegie Mellon University professor William "Red" Whittaker and his colleagues in November 2007.
Media Contact:
Mitchell London
President and CEO
(425) 462-7428
ceo@astrobotictech.com
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "expect," "estimate," "project," "budget," "forecast," "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "may," "will," "could," "should," "believes," "predicts," "potential," "continue," and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements.
Astrobotic and Raytheon undertake no obligation and do not intend to update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after this press release. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Law in the Columbus Module
The European Union has decided that crimes aboard their module Columbus will be in the jurisdiction of the criminal's country. Columbus is set to launch to the ISS tomorrow.
Just to play devils advocate, what if we don't know who the criminal is? A sort of Nancy Drew mystery? Which country will conduct the investigation?
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
SpaceX to go Public in 2 Years
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk says the company hopes to go public with an IPO in late 2009.
STS-122 Set to Launch Thursday, Dec 6
STS-122 is set to launch the Columbus Lab to the ISS this Thursday.
Russian Convicted of Spying for China
The head of TsNIIMASH-Export in Russia was convicted of leaking rocket information to China. He will serve 11 1/2 years in prison.
Saturday, December 01, 2007
Space Settlement 2009 Art Contest
The National Space Society is sponsoring an art contest in which artists are to create visions of a spacefaring future - a future of space settlement, be they on the Moon, on Mars, on asteroids, or orbiting independently in space. Twelve winning entries will be chosen to illustrate the NSS 2009 Space Settlement Calendar. Judges include space artists Don Davis and David Robinson. Artists may submit multiple works and submissions will be accepted until December 31, 2007.
The Grand Prize winner will have their artwork featured on the calendar cover and as one of the monthly images; $200 cash; three graphics packages from DAZ Software (Carrara 6, Hexagon 2.1, and Bryce 6.1, retail values totaling $500); signed copies of 50 Years in Space (2006) by David Hardy and Sir Patrick Moore as well as Space Art: How to Draw and Paint Planets, Moons, and Landscapes of Alien Worlds (2007) by Michael Carroll; Starry Night Pro Plus 6.0 - the world's most realistic astronomy software ($250 value); the two-volume book Astronautics or a choice of any one-volume space book from Apogee Books; complimentary admission to the 2008 International Space Development Conference in Washington, DC. The Grand Prize winner also receives one-year complimentary memberships in the International Association of Astronomical Artists and the National Space Society, including a subscription to Ad Astra magazine, and 5 complimentary copies of the calendar.
There will be four First Prize winners in the categories of Best Lunar Settlement, Best Mars Settlement, Best Asteroid Settlement, and Best Orbiting Settlement. In addition to being published in the calendar, each of the four First Prizes winners will receive $100 cash; a Carrara 6 graphics software from DAZ Software (retail value $250); the artist's choice of any one-volume space book from Apogee Books; one-year complimentary memberships in the International Association of Astronomical Artists and the National Space Society, including a subscription to Ad Astra magazine; and 2 complimentary copies of the calendar. In addition, one random First Prize Winner will receive a copy of the Starry Night Complete Space & Astronomy Pack desktop planetarium software ($50 value).
The remaining seven winning entries will each appear in the calendar and the artists will each receive a copy of the Project Constellation Pocket Space Guide from Apogee Books; a Bryce 6.1 software package from DAZ Software (retail value $100); a 1 year complimentary membership in the National Space Society, which includes a subscription to Ad Astra magazine; and a complimentary copy of the calendar.
For all the contest details go to http://www.nss.org/settlement/calendar/
Carnival of Space #31
Carnival of Space #31 i at:
http://www.outofthecradle.net/archives/2007/11/carnival-of-space-31/
Also, the Best of the Moon 2007 is at:
http://www.outofthecradle.net/archives/2007/12/best-of-the-moon-2007/
Friday, November 23, 2007
PlanetSpace, Lockheed Martin and ATK Team Up to Bid on NASA COTS
PlanetSpace is teaming with ATK and Lockheed Martin in order to win a share of NASA's COTS money. RocketPlane/Kistler missed to many milestones and NASA is currently deciding who to give their money to.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
NASA Creates Inexpensive FASTSAT
NASA Has created an inexpensive ($4 million) satellite , called FASTSAT, to test if small, cheap satellites can be done. While I applaud their effort, I have to disagree with one thing. In speaking about SpaceX and their Falcon line of rockets, Marshall Space Flight Center's Edward "Sandy" Montgomery said:
"You wouldn't put an expensive payload on an inexpensive rocket – it's a risk issue. You'd use an inexpensive bus to fly an inexpensive instrument on an inexpensive rocket," says Montgomery.
Cheap doesn't equal risk. Now if he had said untested or new rocket, then I can't argue with him. But my little Suzuki was inexpensive, but I don't think it is riskier than driving a Ferrari.
Florida Needs SpaceX
When the shuttle is retired in 2010, Florida is putting its hopes in SpaceX, the front-runner in the race to offer delivery services to NASA when the shuttle is retired. SpaceX is part of NASA's COTS program and is building a launch facility in Cape Canaveral and hopes to launch from there next year. Without the shuttle, Florida is hopping to get rocket support jobs and supply chain industry in their state.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
SpaceHAB ready for COTS PDR
SpaceHAB has gone ahead with its unfunded Advanced Research and Conventional Technology Utilization Spacecraft (ARCTUS) for COTS. They just finished a spacecraft concept review on November 8 and will be ready for the preliminary design review (PDR) in early 08.
Average American's View in NASA's Budget
The average American thinks NASA gets 1/4 of the federal budget. That is roughly $600 Billion annually. In reality NASA gets 0.58% of the federal budget, or ~$17 billion.
Friday, November 16, 2007
Everyone is Looking for Astronauts
Astronaut openings.
Space Adventures is looking for people to train alongside their space tourist, Richard Garriott, for $3,000,000. You get to do all the same stuff. You just don't get to fly.
NASA is also accepting applications for the 2009 class of astronauts.
Of course, Virgin Galactic is always looking for more private astronauts, if you can only afford $200,000.
SpaceX Completes Merlin 1C Engine
HAWTHORNE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
New, More Powerful Engine to Launch Both Falcon 1 and Falcon 9 Rockets
Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) announced today that it has completed development of its Merlin 1C next generation liquid fueled rocket booster engine. It is among the highest performing gas generator cycle kerosene engines ever built, exceeding the Boeing Delta II main engine, the Lockheed Atlas II main engine, and on par with the Saturn V F-1 engine.
The Merlin 1C is an improved version of the Merlin 1A ablatively cooled engine, which lofted the Falcon 1 on its first flight in March 2006 and second flight in March 2007. The regeneratively cooled Merlin 1C uses rocket propellant grade kerosene (RP-1), a refined form of jet fuel, to first cool the combustion chamber and nozzle before being combined with the liquid oxygen to create thrust. This cooling allows for higher performance without significantly increasing engine mass.
“We performed the final test in the development series, a 170 second long mission duty firing,” said Tom Mueller, Vice President of Propulsion for SpaceX, from their Texas Test Facility in McGregor, Texas. “This series of runs has verified the final design features. Total run time on this engine exceeded 3,000 seconds across 125 hot fire tests.”
“The SpaceX Texas test facility was critical to the rapid and efficient development of Merlin,” said Elon Musk, CEO and CTO of SpaceX. “In August alone, we ran twenty-one major Merlin test firings, nearly one per working day, a rate we could not equal anywhere else. The success of Merlin is really due to the joint function of a great propulsion and test team.”
Merlin 1C in its Falcon 9 first stage configuration has a thrust at sea level of 95,000 lbs, a vacuum thrust of over 108,000 pounds, vacuum specific impulse of 304 seconds and sea level thrust to weight ratio of 92. In generating this thrust, Merlin consumes 350 lbs/second of propellant and the chamber and nozzle, cooled by 100 lbs/sec of kerosene, are capable of absorbing 10 MW of heat energy. A planned turbopump upgrade in 2009 will improve the thrust by over 20% and the thrust to weight ratio by approximately 25%.
The Merlin 1C will power SpaceX’s next Falcon 1 mission, scheduled to lift off in early 2008 from the SpaceX launch complex in the Central Pacific atoll of Kwajalein. SpaceX’s far larger Falcon 9 rocket, now in development, will employ nine Merlin engines on its first stage, and one on the second stage. The Falcon 9 will have over a million pounds of thrust – four times the maximum thrust of a Boeing 747.
The Merlin engine is the first new American booster engine in ten years and only the second in over a quarter century. The prior two American engines were the RS-68 developed in the late nineties by Pratt & Whitney’s RocketDyne division, used in the Boeing Delta IV launch vehicle, and the Space Shuttle Main Engine developed in the late seventies, also by RocketDyne.
SpaceX is preparing to produce more rocket engines than the rest of US production combined. In 2008, SpaceX targets the manufacture of approximately 50 booster engines, a number that exceeds the output of any country except Russia.
About SpaceX
SpaceX is developing a family of launch vehicles intended to reduce the cost and increase the reliability of both manned and unmanned space transportation ultimately by a factor of ten. With its Falcon line of launch vehicles, powered by Merlin engines, SpaceX is able to offer light, medium and heavy lift capabilities to deliver spacecraft into any inclination and altitude, from low Earth orbit to geosynchronous orbit to planetary missions.
As winner of the NASA Commercial Orbital Transportation Services competition, SpaceX will conduct three flights of its Falcon 9 launch vehicle and Dragon spacecraft for NASA. This will culminate in Dragon berthing with the International Space Station and returning safely to Earth. When the Shuttle retires in 2010, Falcon 9 / Dragon will have the opportunity to replace the Shuttle in servicing the Space Station.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
SpaceDev Gets Two New Board Members and One new VP
SpaceDev has announced that Mr. G. Scott Hubbard, former NASA Ames Research Center Director and Mr. Hans J. Steininger Chief Executive Officer of MT Aerospace AG, have joined the SpaceDev Board of Directors.
They have also announced that former Auburn Associate Dean of Engineering, James S. Voss, will be the new VP of Engineering.
NASA has Started Launch Pad Construction
NASA has began construction on a launch pad to test the Orion's escape system.
China's ASAT Weapon Pushes Space Entrepreneurs
According to the NY Times, the Chinese ASAT weapons test in January has had an effect on private space, since the military needs faster cheaper launchers to combat the threat of space weapons.
Would You Spend $200,000 on a Space Flight
The SettlePI blog asks readers if they had an extra $200,000 would they by a flight on a spaceship. Of course, loyal readers, you know my answer.
D.J. McLeod says, as much as she would love to, she would rather spend $200,000 on a Community Resource Exchange where they can talk about homelessness and give homeless people government services. Well whatever works for you.
Will would rather pay off his house and max his retirement. In my opinion, it wouldn't be a spare $200,000 unless you had already done both.
Anonymous wants the price to drop (as do the rest of us).
Onyotaka Lukwe is milking goats to space apparently...
Just a cross section of what Seattle thinks of private space flight.
Feel free to comment on their comments (or answer the question for yourself).
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Virgin Galactic's Sales Pitch
Andrea James has the pitch Bothell travel agent Angie Lepley has been using as one of 45 agents licensed to sale seats on SpaceShip2.
It sounds like fun to me.
Space Vision 2007
Dave Brooks seems to have had his mind changed (somewhat) about private space by Elon Musk and his Falcon Rockets.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Andrews Space Sponsors Laser Motive in 2007 Space Elevator Competition
Press Release: Seattle, WA - November 7, 2007 – Andrews Space, Inc. is pleased to announce its sponsorship of Seattle-based LaserMotive in the Elevator 2010 Power Beaming competition. The competition took place from October 19 – 21, near Salt Lake City, Utah.
Andrews contributed the use of their Rapid Prototyping Laboratory (ARPL) for LaserMotive to conduct laser testing and other system assembly requirements. Located near Seattle's Boeing field, the ARPL provides fabrication and assembly facility space. It houses Andrews' avionics integration and cryogenic test facilities, fabrication machine shop, and hardware integration and test facilities.
The NASA-sponsored 2007 Space Elevator Games had 30 teams competing in various categories, including the Climber Power Beaming competition. Teams entering the Power Beaming Challenge had to power a vehicle straight up a ribbon using only energy beamed to the vehicle from a ground-based laser, at a minimum of 2.5 m/sec. The 2007 prize purse, provided by NASA, was $500,000. No teams won the 2007 competition.
LaserMotive was recognized as having an innovative and potentially powerful technology. The LaserMotive system uses a high-power laser array to shine ultra-intense infrared light onto high-efficiency solar cells, converting the light into electric power, which then drives a motor. The system automatically tracks the vehicle as it climbs, compensating for motion due to wind, twisting of the ribbon, and other changes.
Andrews Chief Technology Officer Dana Andrews said, "LaserMotive had a promising start in this years' competition, and we expect them to come back strong next year in the 2008 competition. We believe their concept is the right approach to powering a planetary scale elevator."
About LaserMotive
LaserMotive is a Seattle-based team that competed in the 2007 NASA-sponsored Power Beaming competition. They are comprised of world-class laser power beaming experts, experienced machinists, systems engineers, and experts from industry partners. Visit their Web site at www.lasermotive.com for more information.
About Andrews Space
Andrews Space, Inc. was founded in 1999 to be a catalyst in the commercialization and development of space. The company is an affordable integrator of aerospace systems and developer of advanced space technologies. To learn more, please visit: www.andrews-space.com.
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Carnival of Space #28 is Up
Emily Lakwdawalla is hosting this Week's Carnival of Space at
http://www.planetary.org/blog/article/00001222/
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Chinese Probe Enters Moons Orbit
China's probe, Chang'e 1, has entered lunar orbit.
"All of the subsystems of the Chang'e 1 are in normal operation so far," said Pei Zhaoyu, spokesman for the China National Space Administration.
It is expected to send photos back later this month.
SpaceX Breaks Ground in Florida
SpaceX has broken ground on their launch facility at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
Space Walk Shows Need for COTS
According to John Borland, at Wired.com, the risky spacewalk to fix a broken solar panel shows the need for NASA to fund private launch companies through COTS, with the shuttle being retired in 2010.
With the shuttle being retired in a few years, it clearly can't serve that
purpose. But perhaps the new commercial spaceflight companies will be able to
fill that role, at least as well as the Soyuz missions launched by Russia. NASA
should make this a priority when it is funding and helping to guide development
of companies like SpaceX.
ISS Brings up Space Law Again
With the new European module Columbus launching on the Columbia shuttle in December, space law has been brought to the forefront again. The issues are: who's law will be enforced on Columbus and what if two astronauts got in a fight?
This was all a problem with the Russian modules, but I guess they didn't get it worked out sufficiently then.
SpaceDev Completes First Milestone under NASA Space Act Agreement for Development of Commercial Access to Space (Press Release)
SpaceDev Dream ChaserTM Space Plane Development Would Provide Cargo and Crew Transport
POWAY, CA – November 5, 2007 – SpaceDev, Inc. (OTCBB: SPDV) recently completed its first milestone under the Space Act Agreement that it signed with NASA in June 2007. This significant first milestone is to define the outer mold line (OML) of the SpaceDev Dream ChaserTM space vehicle. The SpaceDev team generated a surface model that will be used for future analysis, subscale flight test modeling, and full scale tooling of the Dream ChaserTM flight vehicle. The Dream Chaser™ OML surface model was derived from digitized scans of the original NASA Langley wind-tunnel tested models, which are currently on loan to SpaceDev.
SpaceDev entered into the Space Act Agreement with NASA’s Johnson Space Center to facilitate its development of reliable, safe and affordable transportation of passengers and cargo to and from Earth orbit. As part of the agreement, NASA is providing support regarding commercial vehicle requirements for rendezvous and docking with the ISS as well as ongoing regularly scheduled technical exchange.
Friday, November 02, 2007
SpaceDev Gets Air Force Contract for New Thermal Radiator Technology
SpaceDev has won a $100,000 contract with the Air Force to develop a new radar system to help with thermal control on satellites.
Risky Spacewalk to Fix Solar Panels
NASA is planning a risky spacewalk to fix a damaged solar panel to restore the ISS to full power in anticipation of a European science module scheduled to launch in December.
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Carnival of Space #27 is Up
Fraser Cain is hosting this Week's Carnivalof Space at
http://www.universetoday.com/2007/11/01/carnival-of-space-27-and-an-announcement/
SpaceDev Gets DARPA Propulsion Contract
SpaceDev has won a propulsion contract from DARPA worth $3.75 million.
SpaceDev to Release Earnings Nov 13
SpaceDev is holding a conference call to release their earnings report for the 3rd quarter 2007 on November 13, 2007.
Florida Conference to Atrract Commercial Space
Florida is holding a conference to attract commercial space companies.
China's Long March 5 Rocket
According to the Guardian, China is building a much more powerful rocket:
China laid out plans yesterday to build a rocket with enough power to put a
space station into orbit, raising fresh questions about whether it aims to
compete or collaborate with the US in space. The Long March 5 rocket will have
almost three times as much thrust as the existing launch vehicle, putting it on
a par with developed countries in its ability to carry heavy satellites, state
media said. The announcement came as the Chang'e 1 lunar probe pushed further
into space than any previous Chinese spacecraft. China plans to put a robot on
the moon in 2012 and an astronaut by about 2020.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Bigelow is Offering $760 Million for a Rocket
Bigelow Aerospace is offering a $760 million contract that can met their criteria for getting passengers to their inflatable orbital habitats.
Commentary on Private Space
Michael Belfiore has a commentary in the Financial Times about private spaceflight.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Visit to Bigelow Aerospace
Vince Beiser visited Bigelow Aerospace's headquarters in Vegas and the has a write up in Wired.
The also have a photos and a the launch plan.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
New COTS Competition for Rp/K's Funding
Since Rocketplane/Kistler hasn't met NASA's milestones, they have started the competition for their replacement. I would imagine SpaceDev and t/Space are the favorites.
Space Business Plan Competition
Space 2.0 is have a Space Business Plan Competition for university students. There is a $100,000 prize, so get business you little budding entrepreneurs.
SpaceX Completes CDR for COTS
SpaceX has completed the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) Critical Design Review (CDR) for its first Falcon 9 / Dragon mission as required by NASA.
SpaceX is one of my favorite new space companies. They don't talk a lot, but they just keep rolling along with rockets and cargo and passing whatever milestones are thrown at them.
Just for your information, this CDR required "480 design documents to NASA for detailed review by its experts. At the review, twenty six speakers gave thirty two presentations on over two dozen different topics including aerodynamics, propulsion, communication, ground processing, flight operations, recovery and more."
Good job to Mr. Musk and his team.
Carnival of Space #25 is Up
Carnival of Space #25, which has a link to our article on space based solar power.
Monday, October 15, 2007
How Private Space is Getting Past Tragedy
Here is an article on how private space (or new space) is getting past the tragedy the Scaled Composites has with their new SpaceShipTwo earlier this year.
History of Rocket Work in McGregor, Texas
Here is a history of some the rocket work done in McGregor, TX where SpaceX has been test firing engines since 2003.
NASA is Leaning toward Oct 23 Launch
After a safety group has looked at Discovery's wings, NASA is leaning towards a simple fix and continuing with the planned launch on October 23.
Carnival of Space #24 is Up
This week's Carnival of Space is up atSpace for Commerce, by Brian Dunbar:
http://space4commerce.blogspot.com/2007/10/carnival-of-space-for-thursday-october.html
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Space Based Solar Power Study Paper
If you haven't yet read the NSSO paper on space based solar power, you should. It is really really interesting. I think it could open some eyes.
[update 10/15/2007] The link I has been broken. Here is the (currently) correct link. I fixed the orginal one as well, so it should work now.
$220 Billion in Space Spending in 2006
According to the Space Foundation, space spending topped $220 billion in 2006. This represents a %16 increase in space spending. While the greatest growth was in GPS related products, $30 million was spent on commercial space transportation. $20 million was for Anousheh Ansari's trip to the ISS and $10 million in Virgin Galactic deposits.
Self-sufficient Space Habitat
An Australian group has created a habitat design they claim is "90 to 95 percent self-sufficient." Luna Gaia, as it is called, uses microbes, called Micro-Ecological Life Support System Alternative (or MELIiSSA), to recycle waste products, water, and carbon dioxide.
I wonder if Bigelow could use this?
Discovery may be Delayed due to Wing Problem
NASA is studying a problem with the thermal shielding on Discovery's wings that may delay the shuttle's launch. The original launch date was October 23.
Low Cost Missions to Near Earth Objects Workshop
NASA is hosting a workshop on missions to Near Earth Objects (NEOs) and how to keep the cost to a minimum.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
SpaceShipTwo on Hold
SpaceShipTwo is on hold until a California Occupational Safety and Health report is out. It is expected by 26 January. While Knight Two continues however.
Space Solar Power Study
New Space Solar Power Organization Announced
The Space Solar Alliance for Future Energy
Will Pursue Recommendations of New NSSO-Led Study
Study Concludes Space Solar Power Could Deliver Clean, Renewable Energy for Planet,
But Requires a Coordinated National Program of Investment
Wednesday, October 10, 2007: The Space Solar Alliance for Future Energy (SSAFE), a new organization advocating investment in space-based solar power technologies to address the planet's future energy needs, was announced today at the National Press Club.
The coalition of thirteen leading research organizations and space advocacy groups focused their inaugural event on the announcement of a new study of space-based solar power led by the National Security Space Office (NSSO).
The study concludes that space-based solar power deserves substantial national investment as a path towards addressing America's future energy needs via a renewable energy source with no carbon emissions or hazardous waste. In the Space Solar Power concept, developed in the late nineteen-sixties by Dr. Peter Glaser, energy from sunlight is collected in space and transmitted wirelessly for use on Earth.
Mark Hopkins, Senior Vice President of the National Space Society, stated, "As the United States makes decisions now to answer the energy challenges of the next 50 years, space-based solar power must be a part of the answer. While the technical challenges are real, significant investment now can build Space Solar Power into the ultimate energy source: clean, green, renewable, and capable of providing the vast amounts of power that the world will need. Congress, federal agencies and the business community should begin that investment immediately."
The new Space Solar Alliance for Future Energy (SSAFE) will promote the findings of the NSSO-led study, and seek to communicate the benefits of the technology to business, government and the general public.
According to Air Force Colonel-Select M.V. 'Coyote' Smith, the leader of the study, "When we started this work I had my doubts about the technology. But as the facts poured in, it became obvious that my initial assessment was wrong. Not only is this possible, but space-based solar power is probably the greatest opportunity to develop a safe, clean source of energy that can readily be shared with all of humanity."
The founding members of SSAFE are the National Space Society, Space Frontier Foundation, Space Power Association, Aerospace Technology Working Group, Marshall Institute, Moon Society, ShareSpace Foundation, Space Studies Institute, Spaceward Foundation, AIAA Space Colonization Technical Committee, ProSpace, Space Enterprise Council, and Space Generation Foundation.
###
Editors:
Still images of a space solar power system created for today's announcement are available at:
http://www.nss.org/settlement/ssp/mafic.htm
Video animations in NTSC and HD are available upon request. Email: katherine.brick@nss.org
The NSSO-led study will be made available at:
http://ssp.space-frontier.org
New National Space Society white paper on Space Solar Power:
http://www.nss.org/legislative/positions/NSS-SSP-PositionPaper.pdf
The website of the new Space Solar Alliance for Future Energy is:
http://ssafe.org/
SSAFE Founding Organizations and Contacts:
National Space Society
http://nss.org
Mark Hopkins, Senior Vice President
loby4space@aol.com
310-775-3546
Space Studies Institute
http://ssi.org
Lee Valentine, Executive Vice President
lee@ssi.org
412-418-0177
Space Enterprise Council
http://www.uschamber.com/space
David Logsdon, Executive Director
dlogsdon@uschamber.com
202-463-5332
Aerospace Technology Working Group
http://www.atwg.org/
Ken Cox
kcox12@houston.rr.com
281-728-3072
Space Frontier Foundation
http://space-frontier.org
Margo Deckard, Space Solar Power Project Manager
mardeckard@aol.com
937-367-8737
Marshall Institute
http://marshall.org/
Jeff Kueter, President
kueter@marshall.org
202.296.9655
Moon Society
http://www.moonsociety.org/
Peter Kokh, President
KokhMMM@aol.com
414-342-0705
ProSpace
http://prospace.org
Frank Johnson, President
fjohnson3@gmail.com
240-460-8578
Space Generation Foundation
http://www.spacegeneration.org/
Loretta Hidalgo Whitesides, President
loretta@spacegen.org
626-429-6603
Space Power Association
http://www.spacepowerassociation.org
John Mankins, President
sunsat@spacepowerassociation.org
703-858-1574
Spaceward Foundation
http://spaceward.org
Ben Shelef, Co-founder ben@spaceward.org
650-969-2010
ShareSpace Foundation
http://sharespace.org
Lisa Cannon
lcannon@buzzaldrin.com
310-458-4717
AIAA Space Colonization Technical Committee
http://www.aiaa.org/portal/index.cfm?GetComm=195&tc=tc
Klaus Heiss, Chairman
klaus.Heiss@verizon.net
703-535-8774
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Interview with Burt Rutan
Dicover Magazine has an interview with creator of SpaceShipOne, Burt Rutan.
Here is a summary of his views on NASA:
No, no. NASA does hundreds of wonderful things. They send robots all over the solar system. They have scientists doing all kinds of stuff. Some of it is good work. The stuff that JPL [the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California] does is fabulous work.
People think I’m a NASA critic. That’s not true. I’m just saying what they are doing on [the manned space program] is not looking for the breakthroughs that are needed. The breakthroughs are likely to come from folks who go out and try some new stuff.But I have a tremendous amount of respect for what JPL does. NASA did some phenomenal research during the 1960s in response to [Yuri] Gagarin [the first cosmonaut], and very quickly we were driving cars and playing golf on the moon. That is something that made me very proud to be an American who sent taxpayer funds to that NASA.
Movie on Private Race to the Moon
Dreamworks is doing a movie on a private flight to the Moon.
(hat tip to Curmudgeons Corner)
Profile on Space Adventures CEO
Eric Anderson's, CEO of the worlds first and currently only space tourism company, is profiled in USA Today's Executive Suite.
Rocketplane/Kistler President Resigns
William Byrd has resigned as Rp/K's President. They have seen some trouble lately with getting enough investment to stay in NASA's COTS program to provide orbital services.
[Update 8:32 PM CST] I can't ready. Randy Brinkley has resigned and William Byrd is the new president. Those of you who read English, already knew that :)
Monday, October 08, 2007
Serenity 2?
Good God there may be a sequel to the best movie this Eon, Serenity. Keep your fingers crossed and keep buying the DVD (I may go buy another one just to keep up the fight :)
(thanks to Curmudgeons Corner)
NASTAR To Train Space Tourists
National Aerospace Training and Research (NASTAR) will be training space tourist astronauts for Virgin Galactic in Philadelphia.
Pharmacy in Space
Thomas Pickens III, Chairman of SpaceHAB, wants to use the ISS for the drug industry.
NASA Gets More Money
Congress has given NASA $1 Billion extra dollars for 2008 to make up for money spent analysing the Columbia accident. This brings NASA's budget for 2008 to $18.5 billion.
New Astronauts
NASA is looking for 10-15 new astronauts to begin in 2009 and eventually go to the Moon. While I agree it is hard to go in knowing you won't fly for a long time (if ever), who among you would turn it down if NASA gave you a slot.
Separating Space & Science
Roger Pielke thinks space science should be moved to other agency's and NASA should focused on a vision of colonizing space. While I agree with him in principle, I don't think it solves the money problem for NASA, as the science money would go with the science. Certainly NASA would be more focused and that would gain some efficiency, I think the best plan is to have NASA support the efforts of private groups in colonizing space.
These types of efforts begin with small steps, such as space tourism and Bigelow's private space "hotels."
Friday, October 05, 2007
X-Prize Cup
Leonard David has a preview of the X-Prize Cup October 27-28 which will feature such things as The SpaceX Dragon capsule on display. You don't want to miss this one at Alamogordo, New Mexico.
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Carnival of Space #23
This week's Carnival of Space is up:
http://advancednano.blogspot
I think this is the first time we've had an
entry about pigs. The entry is related to space, it
is about pigs on Mars.
Bigelow Aerospace Update
Leonard David at Space.com has an overview of where Bigelow Aerospace is headed. Remember that Bigelow launched the space module Genesis 1 & 2 to test out the inflatable structure they plan to build private orbiting stations in a few years.
QUID, the First Space Currency
The Quasi Universal Intergalactic Denomination, or QUID, has been developed by the Travelex to be the first currency in space.
The QUID has been designed to withstand the stresses of space travel and the extreme environment found in orbit around the Earth. It has also been created so that it can be purchased on earth in any one of the 176 currencies used around the globe.
Different colors and sizes are used to denote different values. They are valued from one to ten and by looking at today’s rates one QUID would cost you $12.50, 6.25 Pounds, or 8.68 Euros.
The 50th Anniversary of the Space Age
Today is the 50th anniversary of the space age when the world heard the beep beep of Sputnik.
Rocketplane/Kistler Hasn't Given Up
With the timeline to meet investment benchmarks approaching, Rp/K has not given up.
Private Space Rundown
CNET has a current state of private space at Sputnik's 50th anniversary.
They also ask if we even need NASA anymore.
SpaceDev Receives Contract for Solar Thermal Propulsion
DARPA has given SpaceDev a $3.75 million contract to develop solar thermal propulsion and bus design for the High Delta-V satellite program.
Monday, October 01, 2007
Next Space Tourist
Richard Garriott, game designer and multimillionaire, is set to go to the ISS in October 2008. His father is former astronaut and Vice President of Space Programs at Teledyne Brown Engineering (where yours truly used to work) Owen Garriott.
Discovery Ready for October 23 Launch
Discovery is on the launch pad and ready for its October 23 launch to the ISS.
