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Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp toured the Dulles, Va., facilities of Orbital Sciences Corp. as part of Florida’s effort to coax the company into using the Space Coast as its launching site for re-supplying the International Space Station. Orbital recently won a coveted $170 million NASA contract to re-supply the space station after the shuttle fleet is retired in 2010, but stunned Florida by announcing it favored launching from the Wallops Flight Facility along Virginia’s Eastern Shores. Kottkamp said the company has laid out the general type of package it would need from Florida in order to launch from the Cape, generally including: help with launch pad infrastructure, fueling equipment, buildings and support infrastructure, and utility hook-ups. “All of them are extremely achievable on our part,” said Kottkamp.

“They made it clear today they’re proud of their Virginia home, but they’re open on this because it’s a long-term proposition, and a big deal,” he added. ” They’re going to weigh the pros and cons of both locations. ” One obvious advantage for Florida will be the thousands of highly trained shuttle workers who could be out of work once the shuttle is mothballed. The state plans follow-up meetings with the company, with the rough deadline of late spring for trying to land Orbital’s business, Kottkamp said. (3/10)

Editorial: NASA Shouldn't Even Be Considering KSC Land for Launch Pad(Source: Orlando Sentinel) This isn't rocket science. Even NASA admits it isn't rocket science. Deciding where to build a new 200-acre, dual-launchpad complex for private users, a NASA administrator agrees, "is essentially about land use." That's why congressmen, environmentalists, businessmen, this Editorial Board and about everyone who has commented publicly about the project can't abide NASA siting it in either of two environmentally precious locations along the Space Coast. And why we all question why NASA doesn't immediately let go of one of the locations, a veritable Eden just west of Mosquito Lagoon called Site 2 that's in both the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and the Cape Canaveral National Seashore.

Instead, it should immediately do everything possible to locate the complex farther south inside Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, at an abandoned launch site. We're negotiating that, NASA says. But it began doing so only a few weeks ago. It's not easy, the agency says, getting the Air Force to approve building a commercial-launch complex on its property. But Sen. Bill Nelson and Rep. Tom Feeney note that the Air Force recently OK'd giving Space Exploration Technologies a five-year license at its Launch Complex 40. They add that one-to-three other Air Force sites might accommodate commercial launches. And Mr. Feeney says that because the base's current commander is more sensitive to the needs of the Space Coast community than some of her predecessors, NASA should have negotiated with her long ago.

If NASA doesn't step up, Mr. Feeney vows that he, Mr. Nelson, Sen. Mel Martinez and Rep. Dave Weldon will approach the secretaries of Defense and the Air Force. Good. Visit http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/opinion/orl-ed23108mar23,0,7551470.storyto view the editorial. (3/23)

If scientists could achieve breakthroughs in forecasting this "space weather" and devise technologies to ease the chaos generated by solar winds, millions in taxpayer dollars would be saved annually, according to a Utah State University professor. "Now is the time to get in the field and get moving," says the professor. "People are realizing space weather is causing problems in a number of industries." His space weather team is one of eight groups of USU and University of Utah scientists vying for taxpayer money under the Utah Science, Technology and Research (USTAR) Initiative to explore commercial applications for their research. The Legislature has allocated $15 million a year for the USTAR initiative, with a promise to increase that figure to $25 million if the taxpayer investment produces tangible results.

The budget increase has yet to materialize. Lower-than-anticipated revenue led lawmakers to allocate just $2.5 million more to USTAR this year, even though observers say the initiative so far has exceeded expectations. USTAR was the brainchild of Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., who pushed the project to legislative leaders as a way to position Utah as a center for research. (3/22)

A really far out idea That's getting some attention from Hawaii's top leaders. Backers believe it will take Hawaii tourism to new heights; literally. In a few years you could travel into space, from commercial spaceports at Honolulu and Kona international airports. Lawmakers are asking for half a million dollars to apply for a spaceport license. "This money would go to the office of Aerospace development within DBEDT they would be tasked with putting together an application that would go to the FAA and request that Hawaii is designated one of these commercial spaceports," said Sen. Will Espero. (3/19)

Most museums are filled with history of one kind or another, but the New Mexico Museum of Space History in Alamogordo is looking for all it can get and not necessarily things that have flown in space. What they are seeking, according to the museum's education specialist Mike Shinabery, is all the oral history people involved in the space program are willing to provide. "We sit down with them and record their stories on audio and video tape," he said. "One of our volunteers transcribes the interview." (3/19)

Space industry advocates may have more chances to ask space-related questions in what may be the last two Democratic presidential debates between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama on April 16 and 19. Too few space questions have been asked of the presidential candidates outside of brief editorial questions in Texas and a TV news segments in Ohio. Someone may yet ask a question about commercial space launches, ITAR space technologies, and/or space treaties. Clinton and Obama will debate April 16 in Pennsylvania sponsored by ABC News and April 19 in North Carolina sponsored by CBS. Pennsylvania voters go to the primary polls April 22 and North Carolina voters on May 6. And, who knows, there may yet be a Space Coast, Florida debate?! (3/13)

Because of the 2008 presidential election, our nation's human spaceflight program is at a perilous crossroad. While Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and John McCain all have made allusions to supporting the program, none has made it a priority. In fact, in late 2007 Obama went on record as saying he planned to pay for his $18 billion education plan by taking it out of the hide of NASA. In defending his desire to delay the Orion and Ares programs (the next generation crew spacecraft and rockets), he stressed, "We're not going to have the engineers and scientists to continue space exploration if we don't have kids who are able to read, write and compute."

Perhaps now would be a good time to remind Sen. Obama of the sage and relevant words spoken by a president with whom he has been compared on occasion. On Sept. 12, 1962, at Rice University, President John F. Kennedy addressed the importance of the United States having a vibrant and preeminent space program. "We mean to be part of it we mean to lead it. For the eyes of the world now look into space, to the moon and to the planets beyond. Our leadership in science and in industry, our hopes for peace and security, our obligations to ourselves as well as others, all require us to become the world's leading spacefaring nation."

No matter who is our next president, he or she is either going to have to buy in completely to the premise of that young president, or stand aside and watch as other nations lay claim to the promise of space. There is no middle ground. John F. Kennedy understood it then, and the People's Republic of China, with its ambitious manned space program run by its military, understands it now. Preeminence in space translates to economic, scientific, educational and national security advantages. (3/23)

Admittedly, Mars has drawn more space missions than the rest of the Solar System's planets, but why have nearly two thirds of all Mars missions failed in some way? Is the "Galactic Ghoul" or the "Mars Triangle" real? Or is it a case of technological trial-and-error? In any case, the Mars Curse has been a matter of debate for many years, but recent missions to the Red Planet haven't only reached their destination, they are surpassing our wildest expectations. Perhaps our luck is changing… Click hereto view the article. (3/22)

While NASA is celebrating the continued successes of its current Mars missions, the future of its robotic Mars exploration efforts is uncertain. Jeff Foust reports on concerns some scientists are expressing about a possible break in the steady stream of landers and orbiters going to the Red Planet. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1085/1to view the article. (3/17)

NASA Administrator Michael Griffin told the 39th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference that the space agency is cutting its planetary exploration budget to $343 million, which is just nearly half of the $620 million in last year’s budget estimates but will focus more on the outer planets of the solar system in the future. Dr. Griffin said that NASA is now planning in earnest for an outer planets flagship mission to Europa, Titan or Ganymede. Europa and Ganymede are moons of Jupiter. Titan is a moon of Saturn. The major funding cuts would come at the expense of future Mars programs. (3/18)

It used to be that planets were familiar places such as Mars and Saturn that orbited our sun and were well known to all schoolchildren. Since astronomers identified the first planet outside our solar system 13 years ago, however, that idea has become downright quaint. Because now, according to the Extrasolar Planets Encyclopedia, there are 277 confirmed "extrasolar" planets, and quite a few more on the list of those suspected but not yet confirmed. This explosion in planetary discoveries is taking place at such warp speed that even those most intimately involved are often amazed -- especially because their ultimate goal is nothing less than finding life elsewhere in the universe. Visit http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/23/AR2008032301237.html?sub=new to view the article. (3/23)

White House science advisor John Marburger said the United States has not abandoned plans to resume production of plutonium-238, a material used to power long-lasting nuclear batteries critical for deep space missions. "NASA has access to enough plutonium to meet its known mission requirements through much of the next decade, and the administration ultimately determined that funding to restart pu-238 production was not required in FY2009, "Marburger said. NASA Administrator Mike Griffin told the House Appropriations commerce, justice, science subcommittee March 6 that the U.S. Department of Energy is running out of plutonium-238 and would not be able to meet the space agency's demand beyond 2017 without resuming production of the radioactive material.

While the Department of Energy has been buying plutonium from Russia to help meet NASA's demand, Griffin said the agency has been informed that Russia is down to its last 10 kilograms -- an amount equivalent to less than half of what NASA expects to use of its outer planets flagship-class mission slated for 2016 or 2017. Restarting production would take about seven years, Griffin said. (3/22)

The members and board of the National Space Society are saddened by the passing of Sir Arthur Clarke, a longtime member of the society's Board of Governors. Clarke's legacy will live on in the decades to come, as humanity continues the great adventure of space travel and exploration. "Sir Arthur's positive vision of the future excited generations about space exploration, and inspired millions to pursue scientific careers, " said Buzz Aldrin, Apollo astronaut and fellow member of the NSS Board of Governors. George Whitesides, NSS Executive Director, stated: "Arthur C. Clarke invented the concept of geostationary satellites in 1945, and the orbit of such satellites is named in his honor. It is highly fitting that future space explorers setting out for distant moons and planets will forever pass Clarke's Orbit on their way." (3/18)

NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD) currently sponsors approximately 85 flight missions, involving over 90 spacecraft, divided between missions in development and missions in operations. One of SMD's programmatic objectives is to maximize the science return for the Nation within the available budget. NASA solicits input from the broad space science community that would identify possible new uses for current NASA spacecraft beyond their current missions. Visit http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewsr.html?pid=27375 for information.(3/17)

Using radar measurements of Titan's rotation, NASA's Cassini spacecraft has discovered evidence that points to the existence of an underground ocean of water and ammonia on Saturn's moon. "With its organic dunes, lakes, channels and mountains, Titan has one of the most varied, active and Earth-like surfaces in the solar system," said Ralph Lorenz, a Cassini radar scientist at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, "Now we see changes in the way Titan rotates, giving us a window into Titan's interior beneath the surface." (3/20)

The Hubble Space Telescope has found methane in the atmosphere of a distant planet — the same planet where water was found last year. Such discoveries could aid efforts to find life on planets outside our solar system, scientists said. The organic molecule was detected in the atmosphere of a Jupiter-sized planet that circles a star 63 light-years away in the constellation Vulpecula. The planet, HD 189733b, is too close to a nearby star to support life as we know it. But researchers said the observations show the astronomers' technique for detecting essential life ingredients can be used on cooler, potentially habitable Earth-sized planets.(3/19)

As potential conservation areas go, it has to be the bleakest. But this hasn't stopped one astronomer from suggesting that a protected area be set up on the far side of the moon. Like many of his colleagues, Claudio Maccone of the International Academy of Astronautics in Paris thinks that the moon's far side will one day be a haven for radio telescopes, free from the electronic chatter of Earth and the many satellites now orbiting it. Maccone is calling on the United Nations to recognize a 1820-kilometer-diameter zone on the moon's far side as the "Protected Antipode Circle". A crater called Daedalus within this area would be suitable for a future radio-astronomy base, he says.

No one has put the idea to the UN in the past, according to Sergiy Negoda, legal officer at the UN's Office for Outer Space Affairs in Vienna, Austria. Creating a legal framework for something so novel can take "years, sometimes decades", he warns. Firms claiming to sell moon land say they would welcome a lunar conservation area. "Anything that protects the moon, front side or back, is to our minds a positive thing," says William Folkes of MoonEstates in the UK. (3/23)

Imagine trying to build a structure on the surface of the Moon. Two of the biggest obstacles the first lunar settlers will come across are the very low gravity and the fine dust causing all sorts of construction issues. Although it seems likely that the first habitats will be built by automated processes before mankind even sets foot on the moon, fabrication of a settlement infrastructure will be of a primary concern to engineers so construction can be made as efficient as possible. Click here to view the article.(3/23)

Would it be 'Bon Voyage' or 'Bon Appetite'? The answer is both, if the mouth-watering menu for astronauts of India's manned Moon mission planned for next decade is any indication. Mysore's Defense Food Research Laboratory (DFRL) is applying its mind 10 years ahead on the food that the space travellers should carry. Pulav and chapatti top a tentative menu, which also has soups, fruit juices and desserts. There will also be more mood-elevating food. And if there is a refrigerator inside Chandrayan II, the space vehicle, even ice creams are no problem. Due to the extreme conditions, the food taken to space has to be of high micro-biological quality. "The packaging should suit gravitational conditions. Most importantly, it has to be tasty and nutritious." (3/20)

When visiting someone's house - even in space - bring food. That was Japanese astronaut Takao Doi's motto and his country's orbital eats are apparently a hit aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Doi packed three types of Japanese noodles, some salmon and steamed rice for his crewmates aboard the shuttle Endeavour and space station. The 10 astronauts aboard the station and shuttle sat down together for a joint meal early Wednesday, where they sampled Doi's Japanese treats. (3/20)

Last year there was an exciting biological discovery inside the tomb of the Chernobyl reactor. A robot sent into the reactor discovered a thick coat of black slime growing on the walls. Since it is highly radioactive in there, scientists didn’t expect to find anything living, let alone thriving. This slime, a collection of several fungi actually, was more than just surviving in a radioactive environment, it was actually using gamma radiation as a food source. Samples of these fungi grew significantly faster when exposed to gamma radiation at 500 times the normal background radiation level. The fungi appear to use melanin, a chemical found in human skin as well, in the same fashion as plants use chlorophyll. That is to say, the melanin molecule gets struck by a gamma ray and its chemistry is altered. This is an amazing discovery, no one had even suspected that something like this was possible.

This discovery leads to some interesting speculation and potential research. Humans have melanin molecules in their skin cells, does this mean that humans are getting some of their energy from radiation? This also implies there could be organisms living in space where ionizing radiation is plentiful. Possibly this could also be used to create plants or mushrooms that could grow in space, serving as a food source for space travelers. Maybe these fungi could be modified and used somehow to clean up radiation contaminated environments.(2007)

If you'd like to travel to Mars someday, make sure you have a strong stomach. The latest diet proposed for Martian astronauts includes a plant called mosquito fern, which apparently has a pungent and not entirely pleasant odor. The variety of foods available to humans trying to eke out an existence on Mars would naturally be limited. The plants and animals brought along for food would have to be carefully chosen in order to maximize nutrition while using the smallest amount of resources possible.

With that in mind, researchers have previously proposed that Martian diets include cookies made from silkworm pupae. Taste is a very subjective thing and plenty of people happily eat silkworm pupae on a regular basis here on Earth. The same cannot be said of the malodorous mosquito fern. It is rich in nutrients like potassium and phosphorous. As an added benefit, symbiotic bacteria that grow with Azolla take nitrogen from the air, making important nitrogen-containing nutrients needed by other food crops like rice. While the taste of Azolla may be okay, its odoriferous properties leave something to be desired. (3/19)

NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter has found evidence of salt deposits. These deposits point to places where water once was abundant and where evidence might exist of possible Martian life from the Red Planet's past. A team led by Mikki Osterloo of the University of Hawaii, found approximately 200 places on southern Mars that show spectral characteristics consistent with chloride minerals. Chloride is part of many types of salt, such as sodium chloride or table salt. The sites range from about half of a square mile to 25 times that size. "The sites are disconnected, so they are unlikely to be the remnants of a global ocean." Scientists used Odyssey's Thermal Emission Imaging System, a camera designed and operated by Arizona State University, Tempe, to take images in a range of visible light and infrared wavelengths. (3/20)

NASA's Constellation Program has selected five companies to receive contracts for a 210-day study to independently evaluate NASA's in-house design concept for a lunar lander that will deliver four astronauts to the surface of the moon by 2020. The awards total approximately $1.5 million, with a maximum individual award of $350,000. The study recommendations will be used to increase the technical maturity of the existing design in preparation for the development of vehicle requirements. The selected companies are Andrews Space of Seattle, Boeing of Houston, Lockheed Martin of Denver, Northrop Grumman El Segundo, and Odyssey Space Research of Houston. (3/17)

Alliant Techsystems has been selected by Lockheed Martin to design, develop and build UltraFlex solar arrays for NASA's next generation Orion crew exploration vehicle. The value of the initial design and development contract is expected to exceed $50 million. Program management, design, engineering, analysis, manufacturing, assembly and test work for the solar arrays will be conducted at ATK's facility in Goleta, California. Because the flight solar array system is expendable for each Orion mission, ATK expects continuous production through 2020 and beyond. Powered by ATK's solar arrays, Orion is being designed to carry astronauts to the moon. It also will transport crew and cargo to the International Space Station. (3/22)

Their fifth and final spacewalk behind them, the seven-member crew of the US space shuttle Endeavour enjoyed a break in their busy work schedule Sunday, ahead of their trip back to Earth later this week. Two astronauts from the Endeavour -- mission specialists Robert Behnken and Mike Foreman -- on Sunday attached a 50-foot sensory boom to the outside of the International Space Station. Their six-hour spacewalk was hailed by NASA as yet another ringing success. Endeavour, whose mission at the ISS is the longest ever, is scheduled to undock on Monday and return to Earth on Wednesday.

Dextre, the mighty ton-and-a-half space robot intended for repair and servicing tasks at the International Space Station (ISS), is now fully operational. The 12-foot-tall mechanical maintenance man, a product of cutting-edge Canadian space robotics tech, has been fully assembled and is ready for work. It seems that the Canadian droid will pretty much eliminate the need for spacewalking astronauts, as it can carry out almost any task a human can. Typical jobs, according to NASA, might include changing batteries or other parts in modules and "payloads" attached to the space station. The mechanoid is apparently designed for "high precision and a gentle touch", though it can also heave the likes of two-hundred-pound power units about with ease. (3/18)

Shuttle Atlantis' August mission to repair the Hubble Space Telescope might be delayed by problems with building the shuttle's redesigned external tanks. That possibility exists," said a NASA spokesman. "Right now, we are still officially targeting Aug. 28, while managers do an assessment of the tank schedule." NASA redesigned the tank to reduce foam shedding, which doomed Columbia in 2003. Incorporating design changes is taking longer than expected. We're now in the process of building tanks from scratch instead of modifying previously built tanks. The changes and redesigns of the (external tank) have increased the amount of work required to build tanks," said another NASA manager. NASA needs two tanks to launch the Hubble flight. A second shuttle must be poised for a rescue launch because Atlantis could not reach the International Space Station if damaged. (3/22)

A five-day delay in the arrival of a newly designed external tank is not expected to delay Discovery's May 25 launch. However, the loss of time virtually eliminates days off for technicians. External Tank 128, scheduled to arrive from the New Orleans factory on Thursday, was delayed by bad weather and is now scheduled to arrive Tuesday. The tank has titanium brackets on the liquid oxygen feed line, soldered ECO-sensor connectors, a redesigned ice-frost ramp and minor changes to the metal structure. Discovery is scheduled to be attached to the tank and a pair of solid rocket boosters on April 27 and then to roll out to the launch pad on May 5. (3/22)

Not long ago, some in Washington were speaking of extending the shuttle’s operating life or accelerating Orion as a fix for the human spaceflight gap. Neither makes fiscal sense. But the reality of the end of Shuttle has really started to sink in in Congress, as has the distaste for depending on Russia’s Soyuz for U.S. human transport to orbit. Some Members appear to have noticed that COTS could fill that gap. Florida Senator Bill Nelson and Senator Vitter of Louisiana suggested to NASA's Administrator Mike Griffin during a recent hearing that the agency should consider accelerating COTS and increasing its budget.

Griffin said he was working with SpaceX to try to speed up progress towards using the Falcon 9/Dragon for astronaut transport as well as cargo supply to the ISS. But additional money would be required to accelerate COTS’s human flight option. Under present planning, the COTS human flight demonstration program would start under an optional COTS ‘phase D,’ projected for 2011. But as yet there is no funding there for ‘phase D.’ In an interview with the Washington Post, Elon Musk asserted that SpaceX "might have a manned spacecraft capability by the end of 2011 if NASA exercises its option under a 2006 agreement to provide cargo service. With that go-ahead, SpaceX would put its manned rocket program into high gear...” (3/20)

Internet tycoon Elon Musk has landed another payload for his third rocket launch, even though SpaceX's first two rockets failed to reach orbit. The Air Force will pay $4 million to "ride along" on the third SpaceX launch in June from Kwajalein Atoll in the Central Pacific. The first Falcon 1 rocket caught fire after launch, while the second spun out of control after the second stage fired. The "ride along" is part of an Air Force experiment to "to rapidly integrate and execute a mission, from initial call-up to launch."SpaceX believes it has solved the problem that caused fuel in the second stage to slosh and force the vehicle off course. (3/20)

Orlando, Florida-based L-3 Coleman Aerospace, California-based Space Vector Corp., Orbital Science Corp.'s Arizona-based Launch Systems Group, and Utah-based ATK Launch Systems, are being awarded an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract for $250,000,000 to provide multiple awards with a seven year ordering period to provide engineering and technical services necessary to support the Air Force's Sounding Rocket Program. The Sounding Rocket Program provides launch systems and services for sub-orbital ballistic trajectories up to 5,500 km downrange. At this time $200,000 has been obligated. (3/18)

A Russian Rocket launch vehicle is due this year to deliver into orbit Europe's first GOCE satellite which will measure the Earth's gravitational field. The European Space Agency (ESA) Gravity field and steady state Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) mission is designed to provide unique models of the Earth's gravity field and of the geoid, on a global scale and with unprecedented accuracy and spatial resolution. GOCE will be launched from the Plesetsk space center in northwest Russia in spring 2008 and put into a low earth orbit (LEO) of 270-300 km (170-186 miles). (3/22)

A Sea Launch rocket success launched a new DIRECTV satellite designed to provide HDTV programming to customers in the US. The Russian/Ukrainian Zenit-3SL lifted off from the Odyssey launch platform on the Equator in the Pacific Ocean and placed the DIRECTV 11 satellite into geosynchronous transfer orbit. The satellite will provide high-definition TV services to viewers in the US. The launch is the second of six planned for Sea Launch in 2008, with up to three additional Land Launch missions, using a variant of the Zenit-3 launched from the Baikonur spaceport in Kazakhstan, are scheduled as well. (3/20)

Launches of high-definition direct-to-home satellites for two leading satellite TV companies hit snags on opposite sides of the world. Unusual instrument readings during Monday's countdown at the Pacific Ocean launch site of DirecTV Group Inc.'s latest satellite forced blastoff to be postponed for at least a day. It's not yet clear what or how serious the issues are with the Sea Launch consortium's Zenit rocket carrying the DirecTV satellite. No new launch time had been set as of Monday morning.

The delay is not related to the problems experienced by competitor Dish Network Corp.'s launch Friday. In that launch, handled by McLean, Va.-based International Launch Service and the Russian space agency, a Russian-built Proton Briz-M rocket malfunctioned and left the Dish Network satellite in a potentially unusable orbit. That may delay the rollout of some of its planned high-definition channels and local programming, the company announced. (3/17)

The Dish Network said it is waiting for more detail from the failed Proton launch, and engineers from SES Americom and Lockheed Martin are exploring options to bring the satellite into its proper orbit. If those efforts are successful, the fuel required to do so would substantially reduce the service life of the satellite. (3/18)

The recent Proton launch mishap was the second Breeze-M upper-stage failure in 25 months and the third overall for the commercial Proton-M rocket, whose sales are managed by International Launch Services (ILS) of McLean, Virginia. ILS officials had said they expected to perform six or seven commercial launches in 2008, which was expected to reflect the rebound in the commercial-satellite market. Next up for ILS is the launch of a satellite for mobile satellite services operator Inmarsat of London, which only weeks earlier had canceled a contract for a 2009 Atlas 5 rocket launch from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport in favor of the earlier Proton-M date.

Inmarsat had been counting on a late-April launch, but now has little choice but to wait for the conclusions of the Russian government commission investigating the failure. Inmarsat and its insurers will need to be fully reassured that Proton manufacturers have understood the problem before agreeing to put Inmarsat's satellite on the next commercial Proton flight. Returning to its original plan of an Atlas 5 launch is no longer an option. That mid-2009 launch slot has since been sold to the U.S. Air Force, Lockheed Martin Commercial Launch Services President Dave Markham said. The earliest available Atlas 5 date is now 2010.

Proton's prime contractor, Khrunichev State Research and Production Space Center of Moscow, in 2007 was given full control of Proton's component builders, including the Isayev Design Bureau of Chemical Machine-Building (KBKhM), which builds the Breeze-M motor in question. A Khrunichev official said the company is aware that Proton's recent performance is raising concerns among customers. He said Khrunichev intends to "sort out things" at KBKhM. The official said that despite the February 2007 government decree that gave Khrunichev full authority over Proton contractors, it was not until this year that the reorganization was completed. (3/22)

Mobile satellite communications services provider Inmarsat has postponed the launch of its third Inmarsat-4 satellite -- that was to give a major boost to its provision of broadband networks throughout Europe -- following the failure of International Launch Services' Proton rocket to place the AMC-14 communications satellite into geosynchrononous transfer orbit. Inmarsat immediately suspended plans to ship the third Inmarsat-4 satellite to its launch site and expects the scheduled late-April launch to be postponed pending an investigation into the failed launch of the Russian rocket. (3/17)

Scientists in Siberia rejected on Tuesday a farmer's claim that four of his horses were killed by toxic pollution from part of a carrier rocket that fell nearby. In early March, Sergei Kazantsev told district authorities in southwest Siberia's Altai Republic that in the year since a fragment of a rocket launched from the Baikonur spaceport in Kazakhstan fell near his herd of horses, four of the horses had died. However, the deputy head of the regional Institute for Water and Ecological Problems said: "The deaths of the animals cannot be associated with the falling of rocket fragments. We have to look elsewhere for the cause." (3/18)

Astronaut Takao Doi's recent installation of the first logistics module of Japan's Kibo laboratory on the Space Station instilled a sense of pride in Japanese over their first "territory" in space. But many citizens also harbor skepticism over the cost-efficiency of the government's 1 trillion yen, 20-year construction plan. On the political front, lawmakers have started to review previous space development policies. Discontent within the space industry has prompted the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) to review its space policies.

Of the government's 250 billion yen space development budget, which has declined over the past several years, 180 billion yen is allotted to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the only space organization in the country, which places orders with companies for machines and equipment. An official of the Society of Japanese Aerospace Companies, an aerospace industry organization, said that since 2003, government demands have fallen more than budget cuts, resulting in less funds trickling down to aerospace firms. With many companies withdrawing from the aerospace industry, the official said the society is concerned about the hollowing and weakening of the aerospace sector. (3/22)

There are no crossroads in the vastness of space but Canada, nonetheless, must choose a direction. Much depends on setting a clear course now for our future role beyond the confines of Earth. Few countries have been more successful in breaching the final frontier. With the 1962 launch of its Alouette satellite, Canada was the third country in space, after the U.S.S.R. and the United States. Our amazing Dextre robot arm module is currently orbiting on the International Space Station. And just last December, Canada launched its world-beating Radarsat-2 satellite, providing images of startling detail to document what's happening on our planet. All Canadians can take pride in that legacy of achievement. But much of it is drawing to a close.

Marc Garneau, former astronaut and past head of the Canadian Space Agency (and a future Liberal candidate), says what we need is a comprehensive space strategy. "We are very much at a crossroads, at a time when even India, China and Brazil have got very ambitious space programs," says Garneau. "It seems everybody's going up there while we are beginning to slip." (3/23)

In the face of mounting domestic pressure, Industry Minister Jim Prentice is holding off government approval of the $1.3-billion sale of MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates and a multi-million dollar taxpayer-funded Radarsat-2 satellite to U.S. weapons maker Alliant Techsystems. Government insiders say Prentice has ordered another 30-day review of the proposal sale that has been strongly denounced by Canadian scientists, editorial writers, and Calgary Conservative MP Art Hanger. Critics say the sale of Radarsat-2's state-of-the-art capability to monitor the Arctic would be lost to the U.S., just as Canada's Arctic sovereignty is being promoted by Prime Minister Stephen Harper. It would also mean the loss of high-quality technological jobs in Canada. (3/20)

It's been 50 years since the almost mythical Avro Arrow supersonic jet fighter was scrubbed and scrapped, a sacrificed $400-million government investment that lingers still as a defining blow to Canada's patriotic pride. We never learn. In a matter of days, the Conservative government is scheduled to rule on the sale of Canada's world-class satellite builder to American interests, selling $430-million worth of taxpayer investment south of the border for a $1.3-billion shareholder payday. In the lofty dare-to-dream department, the MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates (MDA) sale to Alliant Techsystems ranks as a far greater sin than killing off a jet of questionable economics, even one allegedly superior enough to offend American aviation sensitivities at the height of the Cold War. (3/19)

The White House missed the March 14 deadline U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) set for sending Congress a legislative proposal for granting NASA additional relief from a non-proliferation law that bars the U.S. space agency from buying space station-related goods and services from Russia beyond 2011. NASA Administrator Mike Griffin told the Senate Commerce space and aeronautics subcommittee in February that the agency needs relief from the Iran-North Korea-Syria Non-proliferation Act soon in order to enter negotiations with the Russian space agency for the Soyuz and Progress vehicles needed to staff and maintain the international space station in the years immediately following the space shuttle's planned 2010 retirement.

Griffin said U.S. dependence on the Russian spaceships could continue until 2016, because Orion would need to be in service for the better part of a year before it could be certified to serve as the station's crew lifeboat. Nelson, chairman of the Senate Commerce space and aeronautics subcommittee, said the White House would need to submit a formal proposal by March 14 to give Congress enough time to act. Nelson spokesman Dan McLaughlin said March 20 that the subcommittee had yet to receive a legislative proposal from the White House. "The space agency has made a strong case for why they need it this year, but everything first has to go through [the White House Office of Management and Budget], which seems to be a choke point," he said.

Kristen Scuderi, a spokeswoman for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) said March 20 that a proposal was in the works. "OSTP is working with NASA and other appropriate offices and agencies to coordinate the Administration's next steps on this issue," she said. "We expect this process to be completed soon. " NASA has already agreed to pay Russia $780 million for Soyuz and Progress services the United States needs through 2011 fulfill its long-standing international space station commitments.

Current US export control regulations make it difficult for companies, particularly smaller ones, to compete on the international market. Taylor Dinerman makes the case for some degree of reform that will ease the regulatory burden on these companies. Visit http://www.thespacereview.com/article/1086/1to view the article. (3/17)

The U.S. intelligence community will have more influence over procurements funded by the intelligence budget under a top-level agreement that some national security experts say likely will limit the discretion of the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) in managing spy satellite programs. Under an initial March 11 agreement, the Pentagon and intelligence community will share what is known as milestone decision authority for programs funded wholly or primarily by the so-called National Intelligence Program. This includes programs executed by the NRO and its sister agencies, including the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, National Security Agency and Defense Intelligence Agency.(3/22)

Space tourists came closer to a one-stop shop as Space Adventures announced its Jan. 1 purchase of Zero Gravity Corp. The acquisition cements Space Adventures' control of Zero-G, in which it had been a substantial investor, according to Eric Anderson, president and chief executive officer of Space Adventures. Terms of the sale were not disclosed. "Bringing the companies together allows us to provide a range of exclusive commercial spaceflight services from parabolic flights to orbital missions," said Peter Diamandis, Zero-G's chief executive officer. Diamandis, who also co-founded Space Adventures, will remain as Zero-G's chief executive and becomes a managing director of Space Adventures. Byron Lichtenberg, former NASA astronaut, continues as Zero-G's chief technology officer. Zero--G has carried more than 5,000 customers on more than 175 flights since 2004. The company won a research and training contract from NASA in January worth as much as $25 million. (3/19)

Aerospace giant EADS says it will need a production line of rocket planes to satisfy the space tourism market. The European company's Astrium division, makers of the Ariane rocket, has plans for a commercial vehicle to take ticketed passengers above 100km. Its market assessment suggests there would be 15,000 people a year prepared to part with some 200,000 euros (£160,000) for the ride of a lifetime. Astrium anticipates it be will be producing about 10 planes a year. "To satisfy the market you will need more planes than you think, because once there is regular operation, the price will decrease which means there will be more customers," Robert Laine, chief technical officer (CTO) of the pan-European company, told BBC News.

Astrium does not intend to run a space tourism marketing operation itself. Rather, it intends simply to supply vehicles to those who will. Visit http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7298511.stm to view the article. (3/17)

The world's first Lunar-Gravity, Zero-Gravity Flight Training Alpine Camp officially opened by SpaceLand at 2000 meter elevation on the Olympic Alps of Piemonte. Journalists from all over Europe were brought last week to the SpaceLand Camp by Discovery Channel Europe to familiarize with aerospace underwater & psycho-physical basic training as well as functional simulations of manned space missions paving the way to SpaceLand low gravity and weightless research and educational flights at Kennedy Space Center planned for the upcoming months. Visit http://www.SpaceLand.it for information. (3/20)

Participants attending Space Cruise Week in April 2009 will also receive a 2-day space training experience at the NASTAR Center near Philadelphia. At the center, participants will experience G forces, weightlessness and view the Earth in simulators that recreate what a sub-orbital spaceflight will be like. As announced last week by Mitchell J Schultz, Director of XtraOrdinary Adventures, "ninety-six possible participants from around the globe are expected to register" and all ninety-six will get an authentic space training experience at the NASTAR Center where NASA has trained several Astronauts. This will enable cruise week attendees to get a real taste of the flavors of spaceflight.

Additional festivities include a zero-G flight taking off and landing on the same runway our space shuttle lands on at the Kennedy Space Center. A tour of the center and a finale spectacular with many noted space enthusiasts and entertainment that all in attendance will not soon forget. For more information visit http://www.XtraOrdinaryAdventures.com(3/17)

Americans in Orbit-50 Years was founded to commemorate the first U.S. manned orbital space flight and to establish a national education outreach program. For decades, American universities had access to space in order to conduct space science experiments and allow future engineers valuable hands-on experience. This access to space has dwindled over the last few years to virtually zero. Americans in Orbit-50 Years, is proceeding with plans to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the Friendship 7 mission with "America's Launch". We plan to launch two astronauts, and up to 10,000 lbs. of space science experiments in Feb. 2012. After the initial launch, we plan to launch on a regular basis so engineering students will continue to have the opportunity to work on space science experiments and small satellites.

In partnership with the National Space Science Education Program, the project will not be limited to universities. There will also be programs for high school and elementary students. Two (2) astronauts have now been selected as the primary crew for the mission: Dr. Howard Chipman (Commander) and Veronique Koken (Second-in-Command). Dr. Chipman, an experienced pilot, has participated in cosmonaut training in Russia. Co-Pilot Koken's background includes aeronautics, physics, and education. She is currently flight training with Commander Chipman in the L-39 jet. Final decisions have been made on the construction of the spacecraft. A U.S. aerospace company will be selected to build both the manned capsule and the Space Science Module (SSM). The latest proven technology will be incorporated into the design to enhance safety. Visit http://sev.prnewswire.com/aerospace-defense/20080319/DC1721119032008-1.htmlfor information. (3/20)

Flagsuit LLC, a new startup founded by NASA Astronaut Glove Challenge winner Peter Homer, shipped their first commercially produced space suit gloves to Los Angeles-based Orbital Outfitters last month under a joint development agreement. The gloves are designed to be used with the Industrial Suborbital Space Suit-Crew (IS3C) which was unveiled by Orbital Outfitters in October 2007. The gloves will feature a patent-pending joint design that makes the fingers more flexible under pressure, increasing dexterity while reducing hand fatigue. The gloves are manufactured using a new process that eliminates time consuming adjustments to adapt the fit to the wearer's hands, producing a ready-to-wear garment that literally "fits like a glove." Flagsuit is currently implementing a preliminary production capability with support from the Maine Technology Institute.

Orbital Outfitters announced the collaboration with Homer last November. "Orbital Outfitters is committed to making the best performing and best looking commercial space suits available, without the premium price tag," says CEO Jeff Feige. "Flagsuit is helping us realize that goal." Orbital Outfitters has a contract to deliver emergency pressure suits for a piloted suborbital vehicle being developed by XCOR Aerospace of Mojave, CA, among others and will be conducting tests on the suit in a near vacuum this summer. (3/17)

The U.S. space tourist Richard Garriott, scheduled to fly to the International Space Station (ISS) this fall, intends to give lessons from orbit. "He [Garriott] plans to conduct a series of interactive webcasts associated with his spaceflight training in Russia, conduct podcasts discussing activities related to both his training and spaceflight..., and perform experiments that can be replicated by students using everyday objects to demonstrate important concepts in physics," his website said. U.S. games developer Garriott, 46, the son of former NASA astronaut Owen K. Garriott, and another would-be space tourist Nik Halik, 38, an Australian entrepreneur, are already undergoing physical training and studying Russian in preparation for their trip. (3/19)

More than thirty astronauts (John Glenn, Jim Lovell, Scott Carpenter, Buzz Aldrin and many more) have delved into their collections to provide artifacts of personal significance, autographed items, and are offering one-on-one adventures for an online auction to raise funds for scholarships provided by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation (ASF). Experiences include SCUBA diving with Apollo 16 moonwalker Charlie Duke; Skydiving with 5-time Space Shuttle Astronaut Robert “Hoot” Gibson; Attending a Space Shuttle Launch with STS-1 Astronaut Bob Crippen. Artifacts include an Apollo 13 parachute segment flown in space; a John Glenn autographed LIFE magazine; Apollo 9 lunar module insulation flown in space; and more! Visit http://astronautscholarship.org/auction.plto bid and for information. (3/19)

John E. Blaha, Robert D. Cabana, Bryan D. O’Connor and Loren J. Shriver will join an elite group of American space heroes as they are inducted into the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame during a public ceremony at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex on May 3. They will be welcomed to the ranks of legendary space pioneers like Neil Armstrong, John Glenn, Alan Shepard, Jim Lovell, Sally Ride and John Young|–|distinguished members of this unique Hall of Fame. They will bring the number of space explorers enshrined in the Astronaut Hall of Fame to 70. (3/20)

As the Challenger Learning Center celebrates its five-year anniversary, the community is taking time to consider its impact, which starts with the students it has served. Since it opened its doors in 2003, the center has served 307,710 students of all ages from 68 school districts in Florida, Alabama and Georgia. Leon High School junior Keith Leslie was among 30 high-schoolers who participated this week in the center's High School Science Stars Day. The students had lunch with Norman Thagard, a veteran of five NASA missions, and notable scientists. (3/22)

Annesly Wood admits she was never really interested in astronauts or space, but when a job opportunity came up at NASA, she knew better than to pass it by. Wood, a graduate of South Florida Community College, was working on her bachelor's degree in math education at the University of Central Florida when a professor told her about an internship teaching through NASA's Digital Learning Network. "It was a freak accident that I happened to find out about it and actually get it," Wood, 21, said. "But it has definitely been a blessing." (3/17)

Through video conferencing technology, Wood connects to schools throughout the country and teaches lessons ranging from touring the Kennedy Space Center to experiments with liquid nitrogen. She teaches to a camera, and the picture is transmitted through the Internet to a screen in the classroom. The Web cam in the classroom captures a picture of the student that Wood can see. Damon Talley, coordinator of Digital Learning Network for NASA, said lessons can be tailored for any grade level and any subject. "It's not our job to teach the curriculum; you do an excellent job of that, " Talley told teachers who gathered for a demonstration Thursday afternoon. "We are here to enrich the curriculum and allow students to have some exciting experiences with math and science." (3/17)

The Universities Space Research Association (USRA), an association of 101 Ph.D. granting institutions, will hold its annual National meeting in Washington March 28th. Highlight of the meeting is a public symposium on The Space Workforce: A Shared Dependency. The symposium is free and open to the public, but seating is limited. For more information about the symposium, please contact USRA at 410-730-2656.(3/20)

Globalstar, a provider of mobile voice and data communications services via satellite, may periodically sell up to $700 million in debt securities, common and preferred stock, warrants and depositary shares. The company said it intends to use a part of the net proceeds to meet capital expenditures relating to procuring and deploying second-generation satellite constellation and related ground facilities.(3/19)

Satellite-radio service provider WorldSpace is focusing its attention on Italy and Switzerland in hopes of introducing a hybrid satellite-terrestrial service in 2009 and generating revenue before it runs out of money. But they admitted that WorldSpace's survival is now at stake if the company does not find fresh sources of cash and strategic partners needed to finance the European service rollout. The Silver Spring, Md.-based company had $10.9 million cash and marketable securities as of Dec. 31. WorldSpace spent $19 million in the three months ending Dec. 31. (3/22)

The Russian Satellite Communications Company (RSCC) has selected a team of Khrunichev Space Center and Astrium to build the Express AM4 communications satellite. Express AM4, to be delivered late 2010, is by far the largest Express satellite ever ordered. RSCC is focused primarily on the development of satellite communications and the broadcasting network in the Russian Federation to secure the common information space across the country. RSCC currently operates 11 satellites in geostationary orbit, and is currently looking for high power satellites to complement the existing fleet and fulfill growing needs for satellite capacity. (3/17)

Spacehab has completed development and testing activities for its new AirWard Container Systems. Planned for unveiling at the Dallas Aviation Industry Expo in Dallas, AirWard Containers are the first product to go to market from the Company’s new Spacetech, Inc. subsidiary. Spacetech is a technology transfer, product development, and sales-focused Spacehab business created to transform space-based technologies and products into commercial applications.

AirWard Containers were created as a solution to a Department of Transportation regulation regarding the air transport of hazardous materials such as oxygen cylinders. The revised regulation places much more stringent heat and flame resistance requirements on these containers. In 2007, through a Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program (SATOP) initiative (enabled by Florida's Technological Research & Development Authority) Spacehab lent its support to Texas Calibration, a woman-owned small business, to identify materials for the development of a DOT-compliant oxygen bottle transportation container. Spacehab applied over 20 years of space engineering expertise to this terrestrial problem and developed the AirWard Containers which fully meet, and exceed, all of the applicable requirements. Upon completion of the SATOP partnership, Spacetech formally joined the project for full-scale development and marketing of the container. (3/17)