China’s Military Space Program
China has been very vocal about its growing space launch capabilities and manned space milestones. However, they have been silent about their military counterspace capabilities. Some members of the pentagon say China has a "robust, multidimensional counterspace program." After January's ASAT test, one has to assume China is developing more technology to at least limit other countries access to space.Paul Spudis on NASA and the VSE
Paul Spudis gave his views, positive and negative, on NASA's implementation of President Bush's Vision for Space Exploration at the ISDC 2007. Here is a simplification:
Pros:
- RL-10 engine can use in-situ lunar propellant
- Building an Outpost on the lunar south pole
- Lack of Robot Probes
- Lunar orbit rendezvous instead of an Earth-Moon L1
- Ares
NASA Budget Problems
Congressman Nick Lampson of Texas’ 22nd Congressional District that represents NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas thinks NASA is not getting the monetary support they need to implement the VSE.
Apparently Congress is working to give them more money ($20 & $48 million).
NASA Budget Problems
Congressman Nick Lampson of Texas’ 22nd Congressional District that represents NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas thinks NASA is not getting the monetary support they need to implement the VSE.
Apparently Congress is working to give them more money ($20 & $48 million).
US Military creates Operationally Responsive Space Office in New Mexico
The United States military has opened a new office for Operationally Responsive Space at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico. Col Kevin McLaughlin is the director.
The mission of the new office is to develop, test and more rapidly deploy satellites if existing, bigger satellites were attacked or damaged in natural disasters. “There’s a [...]
Benson to do Redesign of Dream Chaser
As a result of a five month-long study by SpaceDev, Benson Space Company (BSC) has chosen to pursue a fresh approach in the design of its Dream Chaser spaceship, it was announced today by BSC Chairman and President Jim Benson.
Rather than using the orbital NASA HL-20 vehicle as a model, BSC will base its suborbital [...]
SpaceDev Expanding in North Carolina
SpaceDev’s Electro-Mechanical Components facility is moving to a 13,500 sq ft building in research triangle park. They are currently in Durham, NC. This new building gives SpaceDev a total of 150,000 sq ft of building space across the country.
China is Creating an Asian Space Club
China is using it new found space chops to create a sort of “space club” in Asia and Africa. I just finished launching a Nigerian satellite (which it built and financed). Now it is partnered with Bangladesh, Indonesia, Iran, Mongolia, Pakistan, Peru and Thailand to develop an earth observation satellite system. An Asian space association [...]
Airborne to Create Parachute for SpaceX
SANTA ANA, Calif., May 23 /PRNewswire/ — Airborne Systems, which hascombined the world’s leading parachute brands specializing in aerialdelivery, rescue and survival equipment, and engineering services announcedthat its Space and Recovery Systems Engineering team (formerly IrvinAerospace) has been selected to provide Recovery Systems for SpaceExploration Technologies Corp.’s (SpaceX) Falcon 9/Dragon system.
ESA Creates a Stronger Space Policy
The European Space Agency has released a new space policy which seems to have a stronger interest in space utilization. The policy expands Europe’s interest in space to areas of security and defence space programmes, the EU’s relationship with other countries, and growth in industry.
SpaceDev Wins Phase III of MDA Contract
SpaceDev won Phase III of the Missile Defense Agency’s micro-satellite program worth $4.4 million. Mark Sirangelo, SpaceDev`s chairman and CEO said “Our program anticipates having major components for the first of the series of micro-satellites fabricated and integrated by the end of September 2007.”
Wire Space Issue
Wired magazine has a number of space articles out:
* Elon Musk Is Betting His Fortune on a Mission Beyond Earth’s Orbit
* The Falcon 1’s Rocket Science, From Its Avionics to Its Engines
* Burt Rutan and Richard Branson Want You to Hit Space in High Style
* How NASA Screwed Up (And Four Ways to Fix It)
They [...]
Mars Dirt Points to Water
While exploring the great red planet, Spirit, that spunky little rover, knocked over some dirt that relaved a lot of (90%) silica. This is strong evidence added to that already found that Mars was once a wet planet.
Spirit and Oportunity are 3 years over their orginal 3 month mission. One or poor Spirit’s wheels has [...]
62 Mile Club
To all Adventure Travelers, Space Enthusiasts, and Entrepreneurs,
We are pleased to announce the debut of the 62 Mile Club website. 62 Mile Club provides its members with insider access that will take them behind the velvet rope to the hottest and most exclusive new ticket of the millennium - the leading edge of space exploration [...]
Dark Matter?
NASA, led by Myung-kook James Jee, has found evidence of a ring of dark matter.
dark matter refers to hypothetical matter of unknown composition that does not emit or reflect enough electromagnetic radiation to be observed directly, but whose presence can be inferred from gravitational effects on visible matter. According to present observations of structures larger [...]
