From the Vindicator: “Teachers in Space” becomes “Citizens in Space”
Space Center Houston (Feb. 2, 2012) - The United States Rocket Academy made a surprise announcement at the Space Exploration Educators Conference, which began here today.
"Teachers in Space is now Citizens in Space," said Edward Wright, chairman of the United States Rocket Academy and project manager of Teachers in Space. "The focus of our program is growing beyond the public school system. We are creating a more inclusive program that will enable teachers, students, museum educators, and others to become citizen scientists and space explorers."
"Teachers in Space was created to enable large numbers of teachers to fly in space and return to the classroom. Working with the companies that are now developing reusable suborbital vehicles, we have made significant progress toward that goal. We began training our first Pathfinder astronaut candidates and acquired a contract for 10 space flights with one of the new suborbital companies - XCOR Aerospace. This is, to the best of our knowledge, the largest single bulk purchase of suborbital flights to date. We expect that it will be only the first of many such contracts.
"As we developed our astronaut training course, we had many requests to open the program to a wider audience. Requests from university students, aerospace museum directors, science-center educators, as well as private, religious, and home-school teachers.
"At the same time, we noticed the growing awareness of and interest in citizen science and participatory exploration. New technological developments are making it possible for private citizens to become involved in the scientific process. More and more, the professional scientific community is recognizing the importance of contributions made by these amateur scientists. Citizen scientists are discovering exoplanets and dinosaurs, monitoring climate and endangered species, and helping to map the human genome.
"The development of low-cost reusable suborbital spacecraft will be the next great enabler, allowing citizens to participate in space exploration and space science.
"Citizens have told us that education is not just a process that occurs within the public schools. Science fairs, hackerspaces, museums; private, religious, and home schools - all have a role to play. Today, we are listening to those citizens.
"We want to put a thousand astronaut teachers into American schools . We want to engage America's students and reach out to the public through museums, science centers, and other venues. We want to make space research and space exploration part of the mainstream, not treasures locked away in the ivory tower.
"When Apollo 12 commander Pete Conrad was asked what it was like to fly in space, he said, ‘Everyone should go!' We agree.
"In the next few months, we will announce our first citizen-science projects and a new Pathfinder program. We have three Pathfinder astronaut candidates in training right now and are looking to add many more.
"Space is not just the final frontier. It's the citizen-science frontier."
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Thousands apply for astronaut program
From TGDaily: Thousands apply for astronaut program
NASA's received over 6,300 applications to join its astronaut corps - twice as many as usual.
It put out the call late last year for people who will live and work aboard the International Space Station, help build the Orion spacecraft for exploration beyond low earth orbit and work in partnership with the commercial companies scheduled to provide transport services to the ISS.
"Historically, we’ve received between 2,500 and 3,500 applications for each class," says Duane Ross, who leads NASA’s Astronaut Selection Office.
"We were a bit surprised, but very pleased by the overwhelming response to our recent Astronaut Candidate vacancy announcement. To me, this demonstrates the fact that the public remains genuinely interested in continuing the exploration of space. As for my office, we will be busy for a while."
Over the next couple of months, the applications will be filtered to weed out those that lack certain basic qualifications. Those that make it through will then be reviewed by a selection committee to identify 'highly qualified' applicants - the best of whom will be invited for an interview and medical evaluations.
Initial interviews will be held by the Astronaut Selection Board from August through October. Then, starting in November and running through January 2013, final interviews will be held along with medical evaluations of each applicant.
A final decision should come next spring, with the new astronaut candidates reporting for training that summer. They'll need two years of training before being eligible for mission assignments.
"The Flight Crew Operations Directorate is very happy with the large number of applicants for the astronaut program," says Janet Kavandi, director of flight crew operations.
"NASA feels strongly that an appropriate mix of skills, education, and background provide the office with "a greater ability to successfully work a wide array of operational situations."
NASA's received over 6,300 applications to join its astronaut corps - twice as many as usual.
It put out the call late last year for people who will live and work aboard the International Space Station, help build the Orion spacecraft for exploration beyond low earth orbit and work in partnership with the commercial companies scheduled to provide transport services to the ISS.
"Historically, we’ve received between 2,500 and 3,500 applications for each class," says Duane Ross, who leads NASA’s Astronaut Selection Office.
"We were a bit surprised, but very pleased by the overwhelming response to our recent Astronaut Candidate vacancy announcement. To me, this demonstrates the fact that the public remains genuinely interested in continuing the exploration of space. As for my office, we will be busy for a while."
Over the next couple of months, the applications will be filtered to weed out those that lack certain basic qualifications. Those that make it through will then be reviewed by a selection committee to identify 'highly qualified' applicants - the best of whom will be invited for an interview and medical evaluations.
Initial interviews will be held by the Astronaut Selection Board from August through October. Then, starting in November and running through January 2013, final interviews will be held along with medical evaluations of each applicant.
A final decision should come next spring, with the new astronaut candidates reporting for training that summer. They'll need two years of training before being eligible for mission assignments.
"The Flight Crew Operations Directorate is very happy with the large number of applicants for the astronaut program," says Janet Kavandi, director of flight crew operations.
"NASA feels strongly that an appropriate mix of skills, education, and background provide the office with "a greater ability to successfully work a wide array of operational situations."
Rebirth of Moon exploration
From Russia & India Report: Rebirth of Moon exploration
Russia is planning to put a man on the Moon, and anyone can apply to join the crew. The Russian Space Agency, Roscosmos, may have suffered some humiliating setbacks in recent months, but it’s hitting back by aiming even higher.
“Man should return to the Moon. And not just like in 1969, to leave a mark. We can do important work there – such as building astrology labs and observing the Sun,” Vladimir Popovkin, head of Roscosmos, told the Ekho Moskvy radio station.
Popovkin’s plans are nothing if not ambitious with the first landing scheduled for 2020. Regular flights planned within five years of that, culminating in a fully-functioning scientific base complete with giant telescopes by 2030.
Roscosmos has called for volunteers, hoping that an X-factor style search will rekindle the public’s interest in space exploration. Among the requirements: a scientific or medical degree, knowledge of English and shoes no bigger than a UK size 11.
Russia had its own Moon exploration program in the late 1960s, but once Neil Armstrong and the crew of the US ship Apollo 11 got there, there was little political prestige to be gained by coming second.
In fact, both space superpowers focused elsewhere, and Moon colonization was virtually abandoned until the end of the 20th Century when new players arrived on the scene. For the budding space programs of India, China and Japan, this was an important barrier to be conquered.
Four years ago the United States proposed the creation of an International Lunar Network – a set of interconnected bases dotting the surface of the moon.
Among its scientific aims would be an attempt to understand the composition and origin of the Moon. In its landmark report, NASA called this research a “cornerstone” in trying to understand how the Earth and other planets of the Solar System were formed. NASA also says that the Moon provides a “unique” platform for astrophysics.
For its part, since 1998 the Russian Space Agency has worked on Luna Glob – a series of robotic missions to the moon, which will culminate either in the construction of an orbital space station or a base on the Moon itself.
Popovkin has recently said that Russia may co-operate with NASA and the European Space Agency and join the International Lunar Network.
“We are not just coming back to the Moon. Now, we know much more about it than during the time of the first space launches” he told Vesti Radio.
And one such breakthrough may mean that manned as well as robotic missions are feasible. In 2008, significant amounts of water were discovered on the lunar surface.
“The areas that contain ice sheets could become suitable locations for permanent manned bases,” Lev Zeleniy, the Director of the Institute of Space Studies, told Interfax news agency.
Roscosmos has even said that any technologies tested on the Moon could serve asprototypes for future manned missions to Mars.
Overcoming past failure
But while space agencies around the world earn their bread by making big plans and capturing the public’s imagination, actually getting there is another matter entirely.
Although the Russian Space Agency is no longer surviving on a shoestring as in the 1990s – its budget has risen five-fold in five years – its record of success last year was less than stellar. There were five failed missions in 2011, including the much-touted Phobos-Grunt probe to Mars, which failed to get further than the Earth’s orbit before crashing back down.
In fact, it is that failure that may have sparked the current plans for space exploration. “We may need to think again about how to allocate our resources. Perhaps, we need a more specific, realistic Moon program, and do any Mars research as a part of a bigger international program,” Anatoliy Davydov, the deputy head of Roscosmos, said in the aftermath of the Phobos-Grunt failure.
Unfortunately, the two programs may be interconnected in another way – sharing the same vulnerabilities. “The design decisions used on Phobos-Grunt need to be reconsidered and significantly adjusted. Unfortunately, the same ones are used on the lunar missions. This is likely to push back the dates of any future launches, particularly of the Luna Glob modules” said Lev Zelenkin, who is closely involved with both projects
After Popovkin’s announcement, some praised the agency’s aspiration to return to its Soviet heyday, while others were openly skeptical of whether Roscosmos is able to deliver, especially at such short notice.
Valeriy Ryumin, a former cosmonaut who traveled to space on four different missions, dismissed the project altogether. “There is nothing particularly interesting on the Moon and it has been visited by both men and machines. The only reason such a project would be of interest is if a lot of money was allocated to it,” he told the Trud newspaper.
In any event, Roscosmos faces competition in its bid to reconquer the Moon.
Not only are there rival national programs, but Space Adventures, the company set up to send space tourists to the ISS, says that it intends to launch a modified Russian ship towards the moon, and is in the process of selling two tickets for the trip at $150 million apiece.
Whether this mission, the Roscosmos program or one of the other space agencies will get there first, or indeed, at all, remains the burning question. But there is no doubt that even more than 40 years after Neil Armstrong set foot on the Moon, any return there will be hailed as a major success.
Russia is planning to put a man on the Moon, and anyone can apply to join the crew. The Russian Space Agency, Roscosmos, may have suffered some humiliating setbacks in recent months, but it’s hitting back by aiming even higher.
“Man should return to the Moon. And not just like in 1969, to leave a mark. We can do important work there – such as building astrology labs and observing the Sun,” Vladimir Popovkin, head of Roscosmos, told the Ekho Moskvy radio station.
Popovkin’s plans are nothing if not ambitious with the first landing scheduled for 2020. Regular flights planned within five years of that, culminating in a fully-functioning scientific base complete with giant telescopes by 2030.
Roscosmos has called for volunteers, hoping that an X-factor style search will rekindle the public’s interest in space exploration. Among the requirements: a scientific or medical degree, knowledge of English and shoes no bigger than a UK size 11.
Russia had its own Moon exploration program in the late 1960s, but once Neil Armstrong and the crew of the US ship Apollo 11 got there, there was little political prestige to be gained by coming second.
In fact, both space superpowers focused elsewhere, and Moon colonization was virtually abandoned until the end of the 20th Century when new players arrived on the scene. For the budding space programs of India, China and Japan, this was an important barrier to be conquered.
Four years ago the United States proposed the creation of an International Lunar Network – a set of interconnected bases dotting the surface of the moon.
Among its scientific aims would be an attempt to understand the composition and origin of the Moon. In its landmark report, NASA called this research a “cornerstone” in trying to understand how the Earth and other planets of the Solar System were formed. NASA also says that the Moon provides a “unique” platform for astrophysics.
For its part, since 1998 the Russian Space Agency has worked on Luna Glob – a series of robotic missions to the moon, which will culminate either in the construction of an orbital space station or a base on the Moon itself.
Popovkin has recently said that Russia may co-operate with NASA and the European Space Agency and join the International Lunar Network.
“We are not just coming back to the Moon. Now, we know much more about it than during the time of the first space launches” he told Vesti Radio.
And one such breakthrough may mean that manned as well as robotic missions are feasible. In 2008, significant amounts of water were discovered on the lunar surface.
“The areas that contain ice sheets could become suitable locations for permanent manned bases,” Lev Zeleniy, the Director of the Institute of Space Studies, told Interfax news agency.
Roscosmos has even said that any technologies tested on the Moon could serve asprototypes for future manned missions to Mars.
Overcoming past failure
But while space agencies around the world earn their bread by making big plans and capturing the public’s imagination, actually getting there is another matter entirely.
Although the Russian Space Agency is no longer surviving on a shoestring as in the 1990s – its budget has risen five-fold in five years – its record of success last year was less than stellar. There were five failed missions in 2011, including the much-touted Phobos-Grunt probe to Mars, which failed to get further than the Earth’s orbit before crashing back down.
In fact, it is that failure that may have sparked the current plans for space exploration. “We may need to think again about how to allocate our resources. Perhaps, we need a more specific, realistic Moon program, and do any Mars research as a part of a bigger international program,” Anatoliy Davydov, the deputy head of Roscosmos, said in the aftermath of the Phobos-Grunt failure.
Unfortunately, the two programs may be interconnected in another way – sharing the same vulnerabilities. “The design decisions used on Phobos-Grunt need to be reconsidered and significantly adjusted. Unfortunately, the same ones are used on the lunar missions. This is likely to push back the dates of any future launches, particularly of the Luna Glob modules” said Lev Zelenkin, who is closely involved with both projects
After Popovkin’s announcement, some praised the agency’s aspiration to return to its Soviet heyday, while others were openly skeptical of whether Roscosmos is able to deliver, especially at such short notice.
Valeriy Ryumin, a former cosmonaut who traveled to space on four different missions, dismissed the project altogether. “There is nothing particularly interesting on the Moon and it has been visited by both men and machines. The only reason such a project would be of interest is if a lot of money was allocated to it,” he told the Trud newspaper.
In any event, Roscosmos faces competition in its bid to reconquer the Moon.
Not only are there rival national programs, but Space Adventures, the company set up to send space tourists to the ISS, says that it intends to launch a modified Russian ship towards the moon, and is in the process of selling two tickets for the trip at $150 million apiece.
Whether this mission, the Roscosmos program or one of the other space agencies will get there first, or indeed, at all, remains the burning question. But there is no doubt that even more than 40 years after Neil Armstrong set foot on the Moon, any return there will be hailed as a major success.
Space exploration is a must
From the Eastern Echo: Space exploration is a must
Several months ago, I used this space to make a case that the United States should commit to sending a man to Mars by the end of the decade. We need the Kennedy-esque goal for innovation, inspiration and morale.
Yet it seems with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich’s recent entrance into the space conversation, it is important to discuss some other reasons why space exploration is absolutely vital.
Gingrich took a lot of fire for the grandiose idea of a permanent moon colony by the end of the decade, but in this case, he is right.
There’s a list of reasons as long as “War and Peace” why he shouldn’t be president, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have good ideas from time to time.
It might seem like a moon colony by 2020 might be unnecessary and extraordinarily expensive in a time when we’re contemplating drastic budget cuts, but a moon colony,
or a similar project, is exactly what we need.
We need it for innovation, inspiration and morale. We also need it, because we’re a frontier nation. It’s who we are. It’s who we’ve always been. We have to go into space and be the ones who establish a base on the moon and plant our flag on the red planet.
If we let China or Russia dominate the space race of the 21st century, it will be one giant step toward becoming a follower nation, a second tier power that only looks inward. We tried that in the 1920s and got the Great Depression and World War II.
Will it cost us blood and treasure to go back into space with a strong purpose?
Absolutely. But some things are worth it. It’s worth it, because it’ll create new technology, a generation of new scientists inspired by the images and will improve sinking American confidence.
It’s also worth it because we don’t know what’s out there. We have always been a
nation that goes boldly into the frontier. If we give that up because it doesn’t seem worth it right now, we’re giving up who we are.
You don’t always have concrete goals and perfect plans, but you know exploration is something you have to do. It’s in our DNA. It’s why we ask questions and have libraries flooded with books. We need answers. We need to see for ourselves.
But mostly, we have to go into the heavens because we’ve explored the known world. We have work to do perfecting it, but while we’re doing that, we need to send others onward.
Sam Seaborn from “The West Wing” put it best, and I’ll defer to him, because he also once said, “Good writers borrow from other writers.”
We should go back to the moon or to Mars “Because it’s next. Because we came out of the cave, and we looked over the hill, and we saw fire, and we crossed the ocean, and we pioneered the West, and we took to the sky. The history of man is on a timeline of exploration, and this is what’s next.”
The day we stop looking over the hill is the day we start dying out as a people. We can’t have gone to the moon in 1969 and said, “This is good enough; we’ve gone as far as we need to.”
We must continue to push the boundaries of our existence or we’ve given up. We do need a moon colony, no matter how silly it sounds in a pandering stump speech in west Florida.
We must go back to the moon and on to Mars, because it’s next. It’s the frontier, and we’re a frontier people. As Seaborn also said, no one is hungrier, colder or dumber, because we went to the moon.
Imagine what might have been if Columbus had never sailed to the New World or Lewis and Clark had never set out across Louisiana. What if we never climbed Mount Everest?
Exploration is a key part of our existence, and we can’t turn our backs on it, or we’ll lose a fundamental piece of our humanity. All of the balanced budgets and full stomachs in the world can’t make up for that.
Several months ago, I used this space to make a case that the United States should commit to sending a man to Mars by the end of the decade. We need the Kennedy-esque goal for innovation, inspiration and morale.
Yet it seems with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich’s recent entrance into the space conversation, it is important to discuss some other reasons why space exploration is absolutely vital.
Gingrich took a lot of fire for the grandiose idea of a permanent moon colony by the end of the decade, but in this case, he is right.
There’s a list of reasons as long as “War and Peace” why he shouldn’t be president, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have good ideas from time to time.
It might seem like a moon colony by 2020 might be unnecessary and extraordinarily expensive in a time when we’re contemplating drastic budget cuts, but a moon colony,
or a similar project, is exactly what we need.
We need it for innovation, inspiration and morale. We also need it, because we’re a frontier nation. It’s who we are. It’s who we’ve always been. We have to go into space and be the ones who establish a base on the moon and plant our flag on the red planet.
If we let China or Russia dominate the space race of the 21st century, it will be one giant step toward becoming a follower nation, a second tier power that only looks inward. We tried that in the 1920s and got the Great Depression and World War II.
Will it cost us blood and treasure to go back into space with a strong purpose?
Absolutely. But some things are worth it. It’s worth it, because it’ll create new technology, a generation of new scientists inspired by the images and will improve sinking American confidence.
It’s also worth it because we don’t know what’s out there. We have always been a
nation that goes boldly into the frontier. If we give that up because it doesn’t seem worth it right now, we’re giving up who we are.
You don’t always have concrete goals and perfect plans, but you know exploration is something you have to do. It’s in our DNA. It’s why we ask questions and have libraries flooded with books. We need answers. We need to see for ourselves.
But mostly, we have to go into the heavens because we’ve explored the known world. We have work to do perfecting it, but while we’re doing that, we need to send others onward.
Sam Seaborn from “The West Wing” put it best, and I’ll defer to him, because he also once said, “Good writers borrow from other writers.”
We should go back to the moon or to Mars “Because it’s next. Because we came out of the cave, and we looked over the hill, and we saw fire, and we crossed the ocean, and we pioneered the West, and we took to the sky. The history of man is on a timeline of exploration, and this is what’s next.”
The day we stop looking over the hill is the day we start dying out as a people. We can’t have gone to the moon in 1969 and said, “This is good enough; we’ve gone as far as we need to.”
We must continue to push the boundaries of our existence or we’ve given up. We do need a moon colony, no matter how silly it sounds in a pandering stump speech in west Florida.
We must go back to the moon and on to Mars, because it’s next. It’s the frontier, and we’re a frontier people. As Seaborn also said, no one is hungrier, colder or dumber, because we went to the moon.
Imagine what might have been if Columbus had never sailed to the New World or Lewis and Clark had never set out across Louisiana. What if we never climbed Mount Everest?
Exploration is a key part of our existence, and we can’t turn our backs on it, or we’ll lose a fundamental piece of our humanity. All of the balanced budgets and full stomachs in the world can’t make up for that.
Monday, February 6, 2012
SpaceX hopes to launch to International Space Station on March 20Fr
From EarthSky: SpaceX hopes to launch to International Space Station on March 20
SpaceX wants to launch the first commercially built spacecraft to the International Space Station on March 20, 2012, but might push back the launch to April.
Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) is aiming to complete the first launch of a commercially built craft to the International Space Station (ISS) on March 20, 2012. But the launch might be pushed back to early April, 2012, ISS program manager Mike Suffredini announced in a press briefing on February 2. The original launch date was set for February 7, but the schedule proved to be too tight. These announcements come about a year after SpaceX’s historic first recovery of a commercial craft from orbit, after their Dragon spacecraft successfully orbited Earth two times in late 2010.
The first SpaceX flight to ISS will be a demonstration flight, launching out of Cape Canaveral in Florida. During the briefing, Suffredini said:
I don’t think they’re going to make March 20. I think it will be early April. We won’t fly until we’re ready . . . . There is not much margin in their schedule and on a new vehicle schedules without margins tend to move to the right.
SpaceX’s Dragon craft is capable of carrying cargo and, eventually, crew to the ISS, a pressing need for the United States now that the shuttle program has ended. The Dragon is designed to be reusable, as the shuttles were. The company is also aiming to to develop the first-ever reusable launch vehicle. Dragon will be launched on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. It was the Falcon 9 that launched SpaceX’s Dragon craft on December 8, 2010, for its successful two orbits of Earth and history-making first commercial recovery of a craft from orbit.
Though development of the ISS launch is behind schedule, Suffredini expressed confidence in the way things are proceeding. And on February 1, SpaceX successfully test fired its SuperDraco engine, an advanced version of the Draco engine currently used on Dragon. The SuperDraco is part of Dragon’s launch-escape system, and, because it is not jettisoned like other escape systems, allows astronauts to escape to safety at any point during a launch, not just the first few minutes.
Falcon 9 lifts off for its first flight. Credit: SpaceX/Chris Thompson
SpaceX currently has a $1.6 billion contract with NASA’s Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program, representing 12 flights to the ISS. More flights can be added and the contract can be increased to up to $3.1 billion. The company’s current launch manifest calls for two launches to resupply the ISS in 2012, two in 2013, three in 2014, and five in 2015. SpaceX is also planning to use Dragon to conduct in-orbit science independent of NASA, in a program called Dragon Lab.
Bottom line: Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) hopes to launch the first commercially built craft to the International Space Station (ISS) on March 20, 2012. But the launch might be pushed back to early April, 2012. These announcements come about a year after SpaceX’s historic first recovery of a commercial craft from orbit, after their Dragon spacecraft successfully orbited Earth two times in late 2010. Dragon will be launched to ISS on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. A new launch-escape system and SuperDraco engine are being developed for future missions
SpaceX wants to launch the first commercially built spacecraft to the International Space Station on March 20, 2012, but might push back the launch to April.
Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) is aiming to complete the first launch of a commercially built craft to the International Space Station (ISS) on March 20, 2012. But the launch might be pushed back to early April, 2012, ISS program manager Mike Suffredini announced in a press briefing on February 2. The original launch date was set for February 7, but the schedule proved to be too tight. These announcements come about a year after SpaceX’s historic first recovery of a commercial craft from orbit, after their Dragon spacecraft successfully orbited Earth two times in late 2010.
The first SpaceX flight to ISS will be a demonstration flight, launching out of Cape Canaveral in Florida. During the briefing, Suffredini said:
I don’t think they’re going to make March 20. I think it will be early April. We won’t fly until we’re ready . . . . There is not much margin in their schedule and on a new vehicle schedules without margins tend to move to the right.
SpaceX’s Dragon craft is capable of carrying cargo and, eventually, crew to the ISS, a pressing need for the United States now that the shuttle program has ended. The Dragon is designed to be reusable, as the shuttles were. The company is also aiming to to develop the first-ever reusable launch vehicle. Dragon will be launched on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. It was the Falcon 9 that launched SpaceX’s Dragon craft on December 8, 2010, for its successful two orbits of Earth and history-making first commercial recovery of a craft from orbit.
Though development of the ISS launch is behind schedule, Suffredini expressed confidence in the way things are proceeding. And on February 1, SpaceX successfully test fired its SuperDraco engine, an advanced version of the Draco engine currently used on Dragon. The SuperDraco is part of Dragon’s launch-escape system, and, because it is not jettisoned like other escape systems, allows astronauts to escape to safety at any point during a launch, not just the first few minutes.
Falcon 9 lifts off for its first flight. Credit: SpaceX/Chris Thompson
SpaceX currently has a $1.6 billion contract with NASA’s Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program, representing 12 flights to the ISS. More flights can be added and the contract can be increased to up to $3.1 billion. The company’s current launch manifest calls for two launches to resupply the ISS in 2012, two in 2013, three in 2014, and five in 2015. SpaceX is also planning to use Dragon to conduct in-orbit science independent of NASA, in a program called Dragon Lab.
Bottom line: Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) hopes to launch the first commercially built craft to the International Space Station (ISS) on March 20, 2012. But the launch might be pushed back to early April, 2012. These announcements come about a year after SpaceX’s historic first recovery of a commercial craft from orbit, after their Dragon spacecraft successfully orbited Earth two times in late 2010. Dragon will be launched to ISS on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. A new launch-escape system and SuperDraco engine are being developed for future missions
Friday, February 3, 2012
NASA says Russian space woes no worry
From Fox News: NASA says Russian space woes no worry
WASHINGTON – NASA says it still has confidence in the quality of Russia's manned rockets, despite an embarrassing series of glitches and failures in the Russian space program.
A leak developed recently during a test of the next Soyuz capsule scheduled to launch astronauts to the International Space Station, so Russian space officials have decided not to use it. That delays upcoming launches.
NASA relies solely on Russia to take crews to the space station.
NASA space station manager Michael Suffredini said he still considers the Soyuz rocket the world's most reliable space system.
"I have confidence in the focus and abilities of the managers who build the systems and fly those systems," Suffredini said Thursday during a NASA teleconference.
The Soyuz leak means that the six crew members at the space station will now spend a few extra weeks in space. American Dan Burbank, who is the station commander, and Russians Anton Shkaplerov and Anatoly Ivanishin will stay in orbit until the end of April. American Don Petit, Dutch astronaut Andre Kuipers and Russian Oleg Konenko, will stay in space through the end of June for about 193 days in space, pushing close to the limit of 200 days that NASA likes.
The latest problem comes after a series of failures in unmanned Russian rockets that raised questions about quality control in the nation that launched the first satellite and human into space. Last month, a spacecraft that was supposed to go to a Mars moon crashed back to Earth after a launch failure. And in the past six months, a Russian communications satellite and a cargo ship to the space station have crashed.
"They've had a pretty challenging year that's true," Suffredini said. But he said that doesn't really have anything to do with the workhorse manned Soyuz capsule.
A private U.S. rocket — the Dragon built and operated by Space Exploration Technologies — probably won't launch until early April on a first-ever commercial resupply of the space station, Suffredini said. It had been set for a launch this month, but was already delayed.
SpaceX spokeswoman Kirstin Brost Grantham said the company "will not launch before late March." A date should be set in about two weeks.
WASHINGTON – NASA says it still has confidence in the quality of Russia's manned rockets, despite an embarrassing series of glitches and failures in the Russian space program.
A leak developed recently during a test of the next Soyuz capsule scheduled to launch astronauts to the International Space Station, so Russian space officials have decided not to use it. That delays upcoming launches.
NASA relies solely on Russia to take crews to the space station.
NASA space station manager Michael Suffredini said he still considers the Soyuz rocket the world's most reliable space system.
"I have confidence in the focus and abilities of the managers who build the systems and fly those systems," Suffredini said Thursday during a NASA teleconference.
The Soyuz leak means that the six crew members at the space station will now spend a few extra weeks in space. American Dan Burbank, who is the station commander, and Russians Anton Shkaplerov and Anatoly Ivanishin will stay in orbit until the end of April. American Don Petit, Dutch astronaut Andre Kuipers and Russian Oleg Konenko, will stay in space through the end of June for about 193 days in space, pushing close to the limit of 200 days that NASA likes.
The latest problem comes after a series of failures in unmanned Russian rockets that raised questions about quality control in the nation that launched the first satellite and human into space. Last month, a spacecraft that was supposed to go to a Mars moon crashed back to Earth after a launch failure. And in the past six months, a Russian communications satellite and a cargo ship to the space station have crashed.
"They've had a pretty challenging year that's true," Suffredini said. But he said that doesn't really have anything to do with the workhorse manned Soyuz capsule.
A private U.S. rocket — the Dragon built and operated by Space Exploration Technologies — probably won't launch until early April on a first-ever commercial resupply of the space station, Suffredini said. It had been set for a launch this month, but was already delayed.
SpaceX spokeswoman Kirstin Brost Grantham said the company "will not launch before late March." A date should be set in about two weeks.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Europe Seeks Space Cooperation With China
From Der Spiegel: Europe Seeks Space Cooperation With China
Thomas Reiter is a man who isn't easily impressed. He is a former test pilot with the German Air Force, and he also flew into space twice for Germany. Since last April, the 53-year-old has been one of the directors of the European Space Agency (ESA). When it comes to the technology that transports people into space, Reiter has seen just about everything -- so he was all the more astonished by what he saw during a trip to China in late 2011.
In Beijing, government representatives took him through factory buildings where satellites and rocket engines are being built. He could see how the Chinese are building a moon-landing vehicle and capsules for manned space missions. At the end of his trip, Reiter was able to observe a rocket carrying the "Shenzhou-8" lifting off from the Jiuquan space center in the Gobi Desert, headed for China's Tiangong 1 space station. "It was a perfect lift-off," Reiter says enthusiastically.
There is hardly any other area in which China is as active today as in space technology. In late December, the government in Beijing unveiled a five-year plan that ranges from the increased exploration of the earth via satellite to the preparation of a manned mission to the moon.
China's foray into space presents a challenge to the West. The United States is determined not to allow anyone to usurp its dominant position in space. The Europeans and the German government, however, see the Chinese as less of a rival than a potential partner.
Merkel Trip to China
Chancellor Angela Merkel travels to China this week. German-Chinese cooperation in the field of space travel could be worthwhile for both nations. The rocket lift-off that ESA Director Reiter was allowed to witness brought the first bilateral research project into space.
The spacecraft contained a box containing plants, bacteria and cancer cells. The "Simbox," built by the German company Astrium, was used to examine the effects of two-and-a-half weeks of zero gravity on the contents. If Peter Hintze, a member of the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the chancellor's space travel advisor, has his way, this project will have been only the beginning of broader Chinese-German cooperation in space.
The Chinese space travel offensive is "an enrichment" when it comes to the scientific exploration of the moon and the solar system, says Hintze. In fact, he would like to convince the Chinese to become involved with the Galileo navigation system and become a user of the International Space Station (ISS). "The Chinese have great ambitions and have such enormous means at their disposal that we can hardly keep up in areas such as manned space travel," says Hintze. The consequence, he adds, must be "to seek cooperation."
Aim For Chinese Spaceship to Dock at ISS
Reiter, one of ESA's directors, recently chose the European Satellite Control Center in the western German city of Darmstadt as the venue to announce concrete plans. The center is directly behind the city's main train station. From there, ESA controls a large number of satellites, and from the control room, there is a direct connection to the European Space Center in Kourou, French Guyana.
According to Reiter, China is very interested in cooperation. Three workshops will take place soon, including one on rendezvous in space. "Our goal is that, within the current decade, a Chinese spaceship will dock at the International Space Station or a European spaceship will dock at the Chinese space station," says Reiter. He has already told some of his employees to start learning Chinese.
Europe's interest in cooperation with China is partly a result of the financial crisis. While the Asians are forging ahead, the European space program is threatened with budget cuts. Italy has already said it will reduce its contribution to the ESA as part of the country's austerity program. The ESA still has about €12 billion ($15.7 billion) at its disposal, but the agency's budget could shrink considerably between 2013 and 2015. Some have already suggested that Germany, already the ESA's most important financial contributor, should step in for Italy, since it would be difficult to finance an independent space program with a reduced budget.
The ESA insists that the Europeans have no intention of turning away from the Americans. The cooperation with China is "complements rather than competes with" projects being undertaken with the United States, say officials at the German Aerospace Center (DLR). "We should not fall victim to the dangerous rhetoric of a new Cold War in space," says DLR Director Johann-Dietrich Wörner.
Challenging US Dominance in Space
Nevertheless, tensions are growing. America's doctrine demands a dominant role in space. European companies are blacklisted if they supply sensitive technologies to China. Sooner or later, Europe will probably have to decide between the United States and China.
Influential US politicians are already voicing their opposition to the idea of granting the Chinese access to the ISS. Whoever controls space controls the world of high-tech. Satellites are used to handle communication and navigation tasks, and nowadays no warship can function correctly without reconnaissance from space. In the US, where memories are still alive of the Sputnik shock of the late 1950s, the tone is becoming aggressive. Republican presidential contender Newt Gingrich said last week that if he is elected president, he will install a permanent US base on the moon. According to Gingrich, it is in the US interest to boost the country's capacities in space and to make sure that the Chinese and the Russians will never come close to matching them.
China also presents a challenge to Europe. There is a risk "that important technological advances will occur elsewhere, and not here," says Klaus-Peter Willsch, the aerospace spokesman for the CDU/CSU parliamentary group. The carrier rocket industry is also threatened. The Europeans developed the "Ariane" rocket with substantial government support. China, for its part, could position itself as a low-cost supplier in the future, making the Ariane superfluous.
About 6,700 people work in the space industry in Germany, primarily for specialized companies in the area around Friedrichshafen and Bremen. "The price may be lower for a launch from China," says Dietmar Schrick, the managing director of the Federal Association of the German Aerospace Industry. But this isn't the only relevant factor, he adds, noting that "Europe's autonomous access to space" is also important.
CDU politician Willsch believes that more investment in the Ariane is needed. "It would be wrong to depend on China or Russia as a provider here," he says. One only has to "think of Russia's natural gas customers to see how dangerous one-sided dependence can be."
Translated from the German by Christopher Sultan
Thomas Reiter is a man who isn't easily impressed. He is a former test pilot with the German Air Force, and he also flew into space twice for Germany. Since last April, the 53-year-old has been one of the directors of the European Space Agency (ESA). When it comes to the technology that transports people into space, Reiter has seen just about everything -- so he was all the more astonished by what he saw during a trip to China in late 2011.
In Beijing, government representatives took him through factory buildings where satellites and rocket engines are being built. He could see how the Chinese are building a moon-landing vehicle and capsules for manned space missions. At the end of his trip, Reiter was able to observe a rocket carrying the "Shenzhou-8" lifting off from the Jiuquan space center in the Gobi Desert, headed for China's Tiangong 1 space station. "It was a perfect lift-off," Reiter says enthusiastically.
There is hardly any other area in which China is as active today as in space technology. In late December, the government in Beijing unveiled a five-year plan that ranges from the increased exploration of the earth via satellite to the preparation of a manned mission to the moon.
China's foray into space presents a challenge to the West. The United States is determined not to allow anyone to usurp its dominant position in space. The Europeans and the German government, however, see the Chinese as less of a rival than a potential partner.
Merkel Trip to China
Chancellor Angela Merkel travels to China this week. German-Chinese cooperation in the field of space travel could be worthwhile for both nations. The rocket lift-off that ESA Director Reiter was allowed to witness brought the first bilateral research project into space.
The spacecraft contained a box containing plants, bacteria and cancer cells. The "Simbox," built by the German company Astrium, was used to examine the effects of two-and-a-half weeks of zero gravity on the contents. If Peter Hintze, a member of the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the chancellor's space travel advisor, has his way, this project will have been only the beginning of broader Chinese-German cooperation in space.
The Chinese space travel offensive is "an enrichment" when it comes to the scientific exploration of the moon and the solar system, says Hintze. In fact, he would like to convince the Chinese to become involved with the Galileo navigation system and become a user of the International Space Station (ISS). "The Chinese have great ambitions and have such enormous means at their disposal that we can hardly keep up in areas such as manned space travel," says Hintze. The consequence, he adds, must be "to seek cooperation."
Aim For Chinese Spaceship to Dock at ISS
Reiter, one of ESA's directors, recently chose the European Satellite Control Center in the western German city of Darmstadt as the venue to announce concrete plans. The center is directly behind the city's main train station. From there, ESA controls a large number of satellites, and from the control room, there is a direct connection to the European Space Center in Kourou, French Guyana.
According to Reiter, China is very interested in cooperation. Three workshops will take place soon, including one on rendezvous in space. "Our goal is that, within the current decade, a Chinese spaceship will dock at the International Space Station or a European spaceship will dock at the Chinese space station," says Reiter. He has already told some of his employees to start learning Chinese.
Europe's interest in cooperation with China is partly a result of the financial crisis. While the Asians are forging ahead, the European space program is threatened with budget cuts. Italy has already said it will reduce its contribution to the ESA as part of the country's austerity program. The ESA still has about €12 billion ($15.7 billion) at its disposal, but the agency's budget could shrink considerably between 2013 and 2015. Some have already suggested that Germany, already the ESA's most important financial contributor, should step in for Italy, since it would be difficult to finance an independent space program with a reduced budget.
The ESA insists that the Europeans have no intention of turning away from the Americans. The cooperation with China is "complements rather than competes with" projects being undertaken with the United States, say officials at the German Aerospace Center (DLR). "We should not fall victim to the dangerous rhetoric of a new Cold War in space," says DLR Director Johann-Dietrich Wörner.
Challenging US Dominance in Space
Nevertheless, tensions are growing. America's doctrine demands a dominant role in space. European companies are blacklisted if they supply sensitive technologies to China. Sooner or later, Europe will probably have to decide between the United States and China.
Influential US politicians are already voicing their opposition to the idea of granting the Chinese access to the ISS. Whoever controls space controls the world of high-tech. Satellites are used to handle communication and navigation tasks, and nowadays no warship can function correctly without reconnaissance from space. In the US, where memories are still alive of the Sputnik shock of the late 1950s, the tone is becoming aggressive. Republican presidential contender Newt Gingrich said last week that if he is elected president, he will install a permanent US base on the moon. According to Gingrich, it is in the US interest to boost the country's capacities in space and to make sure that the Chinese and the Russians will never come close to matching them.
China also presents a challenge to Europe. There is a risk "that important technological advances will occur elsewhere, and not here," says Klaus-Peter Willsch, the aerospace spokesman for the CDU/CSU parliamentary group. The carrier rocket industry is also threatened. The Europeans developed the "Ariane" rocket with substantial government support. China, for its part, could position itself as a low-cost supplier in the future, making the Ariane superfluous.
About 6,700 people work in the space industry in Germany, primarily for specialized companies in the area around Friedrichshafen and Bremen. "The price may be lower for a launch from China," says Dietmar Schrick, the managing director of the Federal Association of the German Aerospace Industry. But this isn't the only relevant factor, he adds, noting that "Europe's autonomous access to space" is also important.
CDU politician Willsch believes that more investment in the Ariane is needed. "It would be wrong to depend on China or Russia as a provider here," he says. One only has to "think of Russia's natural gas customers to see how dangerous one-sided dependence can be."
Translated from the German by Christopher Sultan
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
