Archive for September, 2015

SpaceX Falcon 9 Booked for First Ever Dedicated Rideshare Flight

SpaceX Falcon 9 Booked for First Ever Dedicated Rideshare Flight

The widening of access to space for small to micro payloads took a giant leap ahead today with the announcement that Spaceflight Industries has purchased a dedicated rideshare launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9. The launch, which will be to Sun Synchronous Orbit in late 2017, marks the first time an EELV class booster has […]

Posted in: CubeSats, SpaceX
Virgin Galactic Announces Significant Progress with LauncherOne Propulsion Development

Virgin Galactic Announces Significant Progress with LauncherOne Propulsion Development

Virgin Galactic Press Release, Comments Follow VIRGIN GALACTIC ANNOUNCES SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS WITH LAUNCHERONE ROCKET PROPULSION IN-HOUSE TEAM ACHIEVES KEY MILESTONES IN STEADY-STATE TESTING OF MAIN STAGE AND UPPER STAGE LIQUID ENGINES MOJAVE, California – September 28, 2015 – Successful test firings of key propulsion components marked the latest sign of progress for Virgin Galactic’s dedicated small […]

30 In a Row: India’s PSLV Launches Space Observatory, Spire Cubesats

30 In a Row: India’s PSLV Launches Space Observatory, Spire Cubesats

India conducted the 31st flight of its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) earlier today in a mission which boosted that nation’s first space observatory, ASTROSAT, as well as four uniquely named cubesats for U.S. based Spire. The PSLV flew in its heavy configuration, the XL version which includes six solid strap-on boosters and lifted off […]

Posted in: CubeSats, India Space
NASA Confirms Liquid Water Flowing on Mars “Under Certain Conditions”

NASA Confirms Liquid Water Flowing on Mars “Under Certain Conditions”

NASA held a press conference this morning to announce a major discovery regarding the presence of liquid water flowing on the surface of Mars “under certain conditions.” Here is the complete press release from NASA.gov: “New findings from NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) provide the strongest evidence yet that liquid water flows intermittently on present-day […]

Posted in: Mars
Aerojet Not Giving Up on Bid For ULA Just Yet

Aerojet Not Giving Up on Bid For ULA Just Yet

Reflecting what appears to be a state of increasing desperation, Aerojet Rocketdyne is not giving up on its bid for United Launch Alliance just yet. Reuters reports that after having seen its $2 billion offer rejected in a 2 sentence e-mail, Aerojet has hired outside consultants who may suggest upping the offer, or in the […]

SpaceX Falcon 9 Test Fire Video

SpaceX Falcon 9 Test Fire Video

Last night, Elon Musk posted this YouTube video of a 15 second test fire of the upgraded Falcon 9 first stage which took place on September 21st. While no return to flight date has been set, Space News reporter Peter B. de Selding posted via Twitter that speaking in Berlin, Elon Musk said “We hope […]

Posted in: SpaceX
India Celebrates One Year At Mars With Downloadable Atlas

India Celebrates One Year At Mars With Downloadable Atlas

India is celebrating the one year anniversary of the arrival of its Mars Orbiter Mission, MOM, in orbit at the Red Planet today. To mark the event, the Indian Space Research Organization has released an extensive Mars Atlas (pdf) available for download. From ISRO: “The images from MCC have provided unique information about Mars at […]

Posted in: India Space, Mars
Aerojet’s Really Bad Week

Aerojet’s Really Bad Week

Two weeks ago, for a moment it looked as if Aerojet Rocketdyne stood a fair shot at walking away with United Launch Alliance for something close to its $2 billion dollar unsolicited offer. Had the deal gone through, Aerojet would have presumably been in a much stronger position to secure government funding for its AR-1 […]

Planning for the End of ISS

Planning for the End of ISS

On Tuesday, the Secure World Foundation and  the Alliance for Space Development (ASD) held a luncheon panel discussion in Washington, D.C. entitled “Commercial Space Stations in LEO: Preparing for the Future.” Marcia Smith has good breakdown of the event at Spacepolicyonline. Two of the panelists were Charles Miller, President of NexGen Space LLC, and Mike Gold, […]

Enterprise D As Never Experienced Before

Enterprise D As Never Experienced Before

Over the weekend, an NPR story on technology ended with the assertion that in the very near future, denying people access to virtual worlds would soon come to be viewed as repressing a fundamental human right. Absurd yes? Fresh air, sunshine, the sea; who could possibly become some enraptured in virtual creations that losing them would […]

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