Archive for February, 2013

Its the Little Things : NASA Announces New CubeSat Winners

Its the Little Things : NASA Announces New CubeSat Winners

NASA Press Release: RELEASE : 13-064 NASA Announces Fourth Round of CubeSat Space Mission Candidates WASHINGTON — NASA has selected 24 small satellites to fly as auxiliary payloads aboard rockets planned to launch in 2014, 2015 and 2016. The proposed CubeSats come from universities across the country, a Florida high school, several non-profit organizations and […]

Inspiration Mars Foundation Introduced

Inspiration Mars Foundation Introduced

It may have lacked the drama and the exact setting of President Kennedy’s call for America to go to the Moon in 1961,  but the city, Washington D.C. a place now much better known for what doesn’t get done, than what does,  was the scene today for a new challenge issued to America to set out on bold […]

Posted in: Mars
SpaceX Completes Hotfire, Congress Set to Torch Commercial Crew

SpaceX Completes Hotfire, Congress Set to Torch Commercial Crew

SpaceX successfully completed a 2 second “hotfire” test of its Falcon 9 booster at Cape Canaveral yesterday, setting the stage for Friday’s launch to the International Space Station.   This mission, known as CRS-2 is the second under the $1.6  billion Commercial Resupply Services Contract which calls for a minimum of 12 flights to the orbiting outpost. Following […]

India Launches PSLV with Canadian Asteroid Searching Satellite

India Launches PSLV with Canadian Asteroid Searching Satellite

India successfully launched its PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) today, carrying into orbit the 410 kg Indo-French built SARAL satellite, intended for ocean monitoring, as well as six other small satellites. Among them was NEOSSat, a Canadian built, suitcase sized satellite which will function as the world’s first space based telescope specifically designed to search for Near Earth Asteroids. Talk […]

Antares Hotfire a Success

Antares Hotfire a Success

Orbital Sciences conducted a successful  hotfire test of its Antares first stage earlier this evening at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport.  The test took place using a structural test article, and was intended to fully verify ground, fueling and countdown and ignition procedures for the brand new launch pad.  According to OSC, an initial review indicates the 29 second test went […]

Orbital Hotfire Test Today, SpaceX on Monday

Orbital Hotfire Test Today, SpaceX on Monday

Source:  Washington Post, Spaceflightnow Orbital Sciences Corporation is expected to attempt another hotfire test of the Antares rocket first stage this evening. The test, which will not be broadcast live, should run for 29 seconds,  and will come after a full fuel loading and countdown,  will allow the company to verify the interaction with ground systems at the Mid-Atlantic […]

NASA Creates Space Technology Mission Directorate

NASA Creates Space Technology Mission Directorate

NASA announces the creation of a Space Technology Mission Directorate NASA Press Release: RELEASE : 13-058      Investing in Technology to Enable the Future: NASA Creates Space Technology Mission Directorate     WASHINGTON — As part of the Obama Administration’s recognition of the critical role that space technology and innovation will play in enabling […]

Posted in: NASA
Mars Mission Update  : Like Soylent Green : “It’s People!”

Mars Mission Update : Like Soylent Green : “It’s People!”

Jeff Foust has posted a very interesting bit of information in his blog NewSpaceJournal, which appears to close the case that next Wednesday’s National Press Club announcement by the Inspiration Mars Foundation  will indeed reveal feature a crewed mission to, or rather around Mars, scheduled to take place in 2018, taking advantage of a nearly ideal window for a […]

Time for Mars?

Time for Mars?

Late yesterday, NASAWatch published a press announcement on behalf of new organization,  Inspiration Mars Foundation,  which is scheduled to introduce  a privately funded Mars mission to be launched in January 2018.  The formal introduction will come at the National Press Club, 1:00 PM EST on February 27.  At the moment,  the nature of the mission is not at all clear, and drawing […]

Posted in: Mars
Smallsat Launch Industry Begins to Take Off

Smallsat Launch Industry Begins to Take Off

After riding on the coattails of larger satellite launches, the increasing demand for smaller satellites and cubesats are beginning to drive the introduction of a new generation of air launched commercial rockets.   Two new ventures, one in the U.S. and the other from Europe,  are planning to join Virgin Galactic and Stratolaunch in the rapidly expanding field of air launched rockets. The first, based out of […]

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