Tag: Commercial
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ASAP insist on NASA certification amid praise for SpaceX success
NASA’s Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP) have written to Administrator Charles Bolden with their latest overview from their recent quarterly meeting, praising the success of SpaceX’s C2+ mission with Dragon, before noting “a few successes” should not detract from pushing commercial companies through NASA’s strict certification requirements for upcoming crewed missions. ASAP: Vice Admiral Joseph…
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NASA boss Bolden goes head to head with lawmakers over FY13 budget
Wednesday marked a busy day of political argument between lawmakers and NASA administrator Charlie Bolden, with a notable focus on the battleground of providing required funding for the Space Launch System (SLS), Orion and the Commercial Crew effort. Lawmakers stressed concerns about funding being taken away from SLS to boost the Commercial Crew account. Full…
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NASA outline FY13 Budget Proposal amid warnings of political battles to come
The US space agency announced a reduced FY13 budget proposal on Monday, with planetary science becoming this year’s major casualty. The Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion – as exploration – also received cuts, leading to Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison issuing a warning that NASA should not cut any money from the Agency’s exploration vehicles.…
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KSC renovation work continuing ahead of future 21st Century spaceport role
The Kennedy Space Center is undergoing improvements to its buildings and infrastructure, work which will continue at the spaceport through to 2013. Most of the work is taking place on the 50 year old waterway, which links the Turn Basin to the crawlerway through to both Pad 39A and 39B – the latter of which…
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Next Gen Shuttle-Capable vehicle interest as secret effort to save orbiters ends
For the past several months, a plan to restart shuttle operations – funded by billions of dollars of secured non-government investment – was under evaluation with NASA and shuttle contractors prior to the secret effort ending last week. However, the group behind the effort have now switched their focus to a “Next Generation, Shuttle Capable” vehicle…
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The Respected Rocket – Atlas V making the early strides of the transition
While fancy youtube videos and twitter-based cheer-leading continues to be the weapon of choice against the post-Shuttle era depression, one vehicle is quietly going about its business with tangible results, as opposed to backslapping tweets. The Atlas V launch vehicle – about to launch a mission to Mars – is on a winning streak, which includes strides towards…
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KSC encourage employees to apply for the latest astronaut class
Kennedy Space Center (KSC) employees have been encouraged to apply for NASA’s latest astronaut class, as the transition from purchased seats on Russian Soyuz vehicles to the International Space Station (ISS), to the fleet of commercial vehicle options in the middle of the decade, and eventually with Orion and the Space Launch System (SLS), picks…
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Boeing’s CST-100 leases OPF-3 following NASA agreement with Space Florida
One of NASA’s Commercial Crew Development (CCDev) suitors – Boeing and their CST-100 spacecraft – have signed a 15 year lease to utilize Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF-3) at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC). The deal was announced on Monday, following a NASA agreement with Space Florida – the State’s aerospace economic development agency. The Deal:…
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ASAP want NASA to avoid “going native” with CCP partners – SpaceX Latest
NASA’s Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP) have recommended that NASA personnel embedded at commercial companies should be rotated, in order to avoid them “going native”, which they fear threatens rule bending as the teams’ working relationship becomes closer over time. Meanwhile, SpaceX are waiting on decision to see if they can combine their next two…
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ATK breathe life into Liberty via unfunded NASA Space Act Agreement
The company made famous in the space flight industry for their giant Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) have put their hat into the ring for potentially carrying NASA astronauts to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) via their Liberty launch vehicle. Looking very much like the cancelled Ares I – Liberty will use a five segment booster with…