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Thursday, May 10, 2012
Space news 5/10/12
Thursday, May 10, 2012
JSC TODAY HEADLINES
1. Joint Leadership Team Web Poll
2. Watch the Expedition 31 Crew Expand to Six on NASA TV
3. Hollywood and NASA Collide to Create a Big Bang
4. Striving for Excellence in Leadership, Diversity and Inclusion
5. Reassignments and Rotations Available to JSC Civil Servants
6. Today: The Good Ol' Days of Crew and Thermal Systems Division
7. AIAA Houston Section Annual Technical Symposium for 2012
8. Stress and Burnout Screenings
9. NASA Night at the Paint Pub
10. Personal Training -- Buy Three Sessions, Get One Free
11. Agencywide Nutrition ViTS - Monday, May 14
12. System Safety Fundamentals Class: July 16 to 20 - Building 226N, Room 174
________________________________________ QUOTE OF THE DAY
“ The man with insight enough to admit his limitations comes nearest to perfection. ”
-- Johann von Goethe
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1. Joint Leadership Team Web Poll
The votes are in from our quick poll on Innovation Day, and it was about what you expected or a little better. Not bad, I really enjoyed it. You think that Ryan Tannehill has the most potential to be an NFL draft bust, but just by a hair. Our own draft pick, Whitney Mercilus, came in a close second.
This week we have some big news. We are moving the high-fidelity shuttle mockup from Kennedy Space Center to Space Center Houston the first of June. I've included a few HFSM facts and want you to pick out the false statement. It's also almost Mother's Day. What if you had to pick a brand new mom from the list I'm giving you? Would it be Snookie? Octomom? Morticia?
Chocolate your flowers on over to get this week's poll.
Joel Walker x30541 http://jlt.jsc.nasa.gov/
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2. Watch the Expedition 31 Crew Expand to Six on NASA TV
Expedition 31 NASA astronaut Joseph Acaba, flight engineer, and his two Russian crewmates, Soyuz Commander Gennady Padalka and Flight Engineer Sergei Revin, are scheduled to launch at 10:01 p.m. CDT on Monday, May 14 (May 15, Baikonur time) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan in their Soyuz TMA-04M spacecraft to begin a two-day trip to the space station. They are set to dock to the station's Rassvet module at 11:38 p.m. on Wednesday, May 16.
The trio will join Expedition 31 Commander Oleg Kononenko of the Russian Federal Space Agency, Flight Engineer Don Pettit of NASA and Flight Engineer Andre Kuipers of the European Space Agency, who have been aboard since December.
NASA TV's scheduled coverage is as follows (all times CDT):
Thursday, May 10
11:30 a.m. -- Video file of the Soyuz TMA-04M crew activities in Baikonur.
Friday, May 11
11 a.m. -- Video file of Soyuz TMA-04M crew activities in Baikonur.
Sunday, May 13
11 a.m. -- Video file of Soyuz TMA-04M rocket mating and rollout to the Baikonur launch pad.
Monday, May 14
11 a.m. -- Video file of the Soyuz TMA-04M final pre-launch crew news conference and Russian State Commission meeting in Baikonur.
9 p.m. -- Soyuz TMA-04M launch coverage (launch scheduled at 10:01 p.m.), including video of the crew's pre-launch activities and launch replays.
Tuesday, May 15
12 a.m. -- Video file of Soyuz TMA-04M pre-launch, launch video and post-launch interviews.
Wednesday, May 16
11 p.m. -- Soyuz TMA-04M docking coverage (docking scheduled at 11:38p.m.), followed by a post-docking news conference from Mission Control in Korolev, Russia.
Thursday, May 17
2 a.m. -- Soyuz TMA-04M hatch-opening and welcoming ceremony (hatch opening-scheduled at 2:20 a.m.).
4 a.m. -- Video file of Soyuz TMA-04M docking, hatch opening and welcoming ceremony.
JSC employees with wired computer network connections can view NASA TV using onsite IPTV on channels 404 (standard definition) or 4541 (HD) at: http://iptv.jsc.nasa.gov/eztv/
If you are having problems viewing the video using these systems, contact the Information Resources Directorate Customer Support Center at x46367.
For NASA TV downlink, schedule updates and streaming video information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv
JSC External Relations, Communications and Public Affairs x35111 http://www.nasa.gov/station
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3. Hollywood and NASA Collide to Create a Big Bang
This evening, astronaut Dr. Mike Massimino will make a special guest appearance as himself on "The Big Bang Theory," CBS' hit comedy show, which airs locally at 7 p.m. Astro_Mike, as he's known on Twitter, and one of the show's characters will blast off on a Soyuz on the show's season finale.
Office of Communications and Public Affairs, JSC External Relations x35111
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4. Striving for Excellence in Leadership, Diversity and Inclusion
Please join JSC's Asians Succeeding in Innovation and Aerospace (ASIA) Employee Resource Group on Thursday, May 17, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Building 30 Auditorium for a special Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month event.
Doors open at 11 a.m. with a Kung Fu master performance. Our two distinguished speakers, Dr. Aya Kameda and Mr. Thuy Mai, will bring a wealth of experience and knowledge in their discussions on "Turning Diversity into Strength and Success" and "Adapting your Career." Light refreshments will be served outside the Building 30 Auditorium in the hallway following the program.
All JSC team members are encouraged to attend this event. There will be a drawing for prizes.
Janejit Gensler x41024
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5. Reassignments and Rotations Available to JSC Civil Servants
The Workforce Transition Tool, previously known as "The JOB Tool," is still one of the best ways to learn about the latest lateral reassignment and rotational opportunities available to civil servants at JSC. In fact, there are several reassignment or rotational positions in International Space Station and other organizations currently available for eligible employees! You can access the Workforce Transition Tool by visiting https://hr.nasa.gov and viewing the second tab in the middle of the page. Click on "Workforce Transition," and then click on "Workforce Transition Tool."
As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact your Human Resources representative.
Find Your Human Resources Representative http://jscpeople.jsc.nasa.gov/contacts.html
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6. Today: The Good Ol' Days of Crew and Thermal Systems Division
Tom Sanzone's 43-year career with NASA included serving as the Hamilton Sundstrand Houston Engineering Manager for the shuttle Extravehicular Mobility Unit and then General Manager of the Hamilton Sundstrand Houston office for 22 years before retiring in 2011. Sanzone will share his personal experiences of working in the Crew and Thermal Systems Division, starting in 1968 and focusing on the Apollo era, with some shuttle and station discussion. Some technical and operations topics will be covered, but the majority will be anecdotal, virtually story-telling, from four decades ago. Questions are highly encouraged throughout the talk, which should be lighthearted and fun for everyone.
Time: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Location: Building 5 South, Room 3102 (corner of Gamma Link/5th Street/third floor).
SATERN registration is available at: https://satern.nasa.gov/plateau/user/deeplink.do?linkId=SCHEDULED_OFFERING_DE...
For additional information, contact any EC5 Spacesuit Knowledge Capture point of contact: Cinda Chullen (x38384), Juniper Jairala (281-461-5794) or Rose Bitterly (281-461-5795).
Juniper Jairala 281-461-5794
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7. AIAA Houston Section Annual Technical Symposium for 2012
The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Houston Section will hold its Annual Technical Symposium (ATS) on Friday, May 18, at the Gilruth Center.
Civil servants must register through SATERN. All others may register through the AIAA Houston Section website.
The ATS will be an all-day activity featuring multiple parallel technical sessions, morning and luncheon programs, etc. The ATS is designed to serve the local JSC civil servant and contractor community, as well as academia, allowing the professionals to present the technical knowledge from their current or past work and facilitate collaborative learning.
Symposium
- Presentations will be limited to 30 minutes.
- Only abstracts will be published. All materials must be cleared through the appropriate export compliance processes prior to the symposium.
- Submit any technical information with posters for review and approval.
Satya Pilla 832-858-3982 http://aiaa-houston.org/
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8. Stress and Burnout Screenings
May is National Mental Health Month. The JSC Employee Assistance Program will offer free screenings for stress, burnout, worrying and other topics, as well as resources. We will be in Building 11 café today, May 10, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Stop by and get information for yourself or a loved one.
Lorrie Bennett x36130
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9. NASA Night at the Paint Pub
Let your inner artist shine with NASA Night at the Paint Pub! Get ready to paint, drink and be merry as an artist is provided to guide you and the group to create your own piece of art.
Each artist will paint a specially designed NASA-themed portrait and get to take their masterpiece home. No experience necessary. All art supplies will be provided. Beverages are available for purchase for your enjoyment.
- May 22 at 6:30 p.m.
- $30/person
Reserve your spot by May 21 at: 281-333-2200 or http://www.thepaintpub.com
Visit http://starport.jsc.nasa.gov/Events/ for more information.
Shelly Harlason x39168 http://starport.jsc.nasa.gov/
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10. Personal Training -- Buy Three Sessions, Get One Free
It's Health and Fitness Month at JSC. In honor of this, Starport Fitness has a special promotion for individual personal training. If you purchase three personal training sessions, your fourth session is free! This is a $50 value. You must present the promotional flier at the time of purchase, which can be obtained at our website, along with any additional information: http://starport.jsc.nasa.gov/Fitness/FitnessAndNutrition/PersonalTraining/ptm...
Richard Wooten x35010 http://starport.jsc.nasa.gov/
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11. Agencywide Nutrition ViTS - Monday, May 14
Mark your calendars! You won't want to miss Glenda Blaskey's Nutrition ViTS presentation titled, "If it Ain't Whole, It Ain't Fiber" at noon CST in Building 17, Room 2026. Attend in person and earn a ticket for the JSC Health and Fitness Month (HFM) random prize drawing. If you can't attend in person, telecom and Webex are also available:
Telecom info: 1-888-370-7263, PC: 8811760#
Webex info: https://nasa.webex.com/nasa/j.php?ED=188044027&UID=0&PW=NZWVhN2UxYmE4&RT=MiMx...
Meeting Password = FiberMay14*
Also, don't forget about the various ways you can earn extra tickets for the HFM random drawing all month long, including biking to work, taking Starport GroupX classes and attending any educational wellness class. If you haven't yet completed the Online Scavenger Hunt Challenge yet, you have until 5 p.m. Friday, May 11, to do so. Be sure to check out the official interactive online HFM calendar for details and more ways to win: http://starport.jsc.nasa.gov/documents/MAY2012-NEW.pdf
Jessica Vos x41383 http://starport.jsc.nasa.gov/documents/MAY2012-NEW.pdf
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12. System Safety Fundamentals Class: July 16 to 20 - Building 226N, Room 174
This course instructs students in fundamentals of system safety management and the hazard analysis of hardware, software and operations. Basic concepts and principles of the analytical process are stressed. Students are introduced to NASA publications that require and guide safety analysis, as well as general reference texts on subject areas covered. Types and techniques of hazard analysis are addressed in enough detail to give the student a working knowledge of their uses and how they're accomplished. Skills in analytical techniques are developed through the use of practical exercises worked by students in class. This course establishes a foundation for the student to pursue more advanced studies of system safety and hazard analysis techniques while allowing students to effectively apply their skills to straightforward analytical assignments. This is a combination of System Safety Workshop and System Safety Special Subjects. Students who've taken those classes shouldn't take this class. SATERN Registration Required. https://satern.nasa.gov/plateau/user/deeplink.do?linkId=SCHEDULED_OFFERING_DE...
Polly Caison x41279
NASA TV:
· 11:30 am Central (12:30 EDT) – Video File of Expedition 31/32 Crew Activities in Baikonur
· 1 pm Central (2 EDT) – NASA Science Update - Dawn Asteroid Global View
Human Spaceflight News
Thursday, May 10, 2012
HEADLINES AND LEADS
Space-Taxi Race Gets a New Player
Andy Pasztor - Wall Street Journal
A team led by Alliant Techsystems Inc. ATK on Wednesday revved up the race to develop commercial spacecraft, proposing a new space-taxi project it contends could blast U.S. astronauts into orbit two years earlier than competing plans. The Alliant Techsystems-led project, dubbed Liberty, takes advantage of existing technology, including an entire capsule devised several years ago. The team, which includes Lockheed Martin Corp. and European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co., announced the project at an industry conference here. The group said using existing technology will accelerate the schedule and lower costs. In addition to the capsule, the team will also assemble off-the-shelf hardware for boosters, the engines that propel the vehicle out of the Earth's orbit, to facilitate development.
Space veterans offer NASA their Liberty launch system
ATK, Lockheed Martin and Astrium join forces to propose space taxi for astronauts
Jay Barbree - NBC News
At a time when NASA’s human-spaceflight budget is frozen and likely facing cutbacks, the company that built the space shuttle’s solid rocket boosters says it has developed a complete astronaut transportation system using America’s existing launch facilities. If NASA lends its support to the system, known as Liberty, the project could end America’s dependence on the Russians to fly its astronauts in as little as three years. Virginia-based Alliant Techsystems, also known as ATK, says Liberty would be a complete commercial crew transportation system, including the spacecraft as well as ground and mission operations. All of its elements would meet NASA’s requirements for carrying humans, ATK says.
ATK lobbies for Liberty
Company details space plan - if NASA picks them
Todd Halvorson - Florida Today
ATK unveiled a rocket-and-spacecraft system Wednesday that could be ready to launch U.S. astronauts on round trips to the International Space Station by 2016 while bringing 150 to 200 jobs to Kennedy Space Center — if the company wins NASA seed money. A first flight test of the U.S.-European Liberty system is targeted for launch from KSC in 2014, and an initial piloted flight with company test pilots is aimed at 2015. Commercial transportation services for U.S. astronauts and other customers would follow the next year. Lockheed Martin, which manufactures NASA’s Orion crew exploration vehicle, is joining the effort and is eyeing its new KSC production facility for assembly of a new ATK composite crew module.
Shuttle rocket-builder vying for NASA space taxi work
Irene Klotz - Reuters
Two of NASA's prime contractors are teaming with Europe's Astrium to develop a commercial space taxi built from shuttle heritage booster rockets and a prototype NASA spaceship originally designed as an alternative to the deep-space Orion capsule, the companies announced on Wednesday. The system, known as Liberty, is among at least four contenders for the next phase of NASA's so-called Commercial Crew program, scheduled to be awarded this summer.
Dream Chaser test plan outlined by Sierra Nevada
Stephen Clark - SpaceflightNow.com
Sierra Nevada Corp., one of the firms vying to build a commercial space taxi for NASA, plans a series of automated and piloted atmospheric flight tests of its lifting body Dream Chaser spacecraft beginning this summer, ultimately leading to an orbital demonstration mission in 2016, according to company managers. The flight tests will initially prove the Dream Chaser's aerodynamic qualities using an engineering article being outfitted at Sierra Nevada's space campus in Louisville, Colo. Using a combination of public and private funding, Sierra Nevada is developing the Dream Chaser to carry up to seven astronauts to the International Space Station and back to Earth. NASA has promised the company $125 million so far, with the bulk of the money already awarded to Sierra Nevada upon completion of predetermined development milestones.
SpaceX Shows Off Manned Dragon Capsule at Space Expo
Denise Chow - Space.com
As private spaceflight company SpaceX puts the finishing touches on the interior of its prototype crewed capsule, the firm brought a life-size model of the vehicle to display here at the first annual Spacecraft Technology Expo. The design of SpaceX's Dragon capsule recently passed a series of key reviews, during which a group of NASA engineers and former space shuttle astronauts tested how well they could maneuver inside the spacecraft. The NASA team practiced entering and exiting Dragon under normal and emergency scenarios, and they also evaluated the layout of the vehicle's controls and instruments. "This milestone demonstrated the layout of the crew cabin supports critical tasks," SpaceX Commercial Crew Development Manager Garrett Reisman said.
Shuttle Rocket Booster Maker to Launch Private Space Taxi by 2015
Denise Chow - Space.com
The aerospace company that built the solid rocket boosters for NASA's space shuttle fleet announced plans today (May 9) to develop its own private launch system — a spaceship and rocket — to fly astronauts to and from low-Earth orbit. The first manned flight could launch in about three years, company officials said. Utah-based Alliant Techsystems, or ATK, announced the new project here at the first Spacecraft Technology Expo, where thousands of government and industry officials have gathered to discuss innovative new technologies and the future of human spaceflight. ATK had already been working on a new private rocket, called Liberty, which it submitted as a contender in the second round of NASA's Commercial Crew Development program last year.
ATK announces complete Liberty space flight system
Cathy McKitrick - Salt Lake Tribune
While it may be some time before tourists can book space travel, an announcement Wednesday from Alliant Techsystems Inc. (ATK) puts that dream within reach. During a late afternoon webcast, ATK representatives revealed completion of the Liberty commercial crew transportation system, which includes the spacecraft, abort system, launch vehicle and ground and mission operations. Initial test flights are slated for 2014, with a test flight carrying a crew in late 2015. ATK is teaming with Europe-based Astrium, which has a record of 47 consecutive safe space flights with its Ariane 5 rocket. Liberty also receives support from Lockheed Martin.
Billionaires back ambitious space projects
The Right Stuff for space exploration? It may be a few billions bucks
Dan Vergano - USA Today
A new era in space exploration, the billionaire age, seems to have dawned. "We're now seeing a new generation of (hundred)-millionaires and billionaires who are interested in space," says space entrepreneur Peter Diamandis. "This is smart money investing in one of the largest commercial opportunities ever: going to space to gain resources for the benefit of humanity." Each venture still faces hurdles. For example, economists and natural resources experts are skeptical that rail cars full of space platinum make sense as a business. "The required loads of space shipping would be unprecedented if asteroid mining is going to operate commercially," says Chi-Jen Yang of Duke University's Center on Global Change.
Investor astronaut says NASA was right to scrap Constellation and support commercial space
Lee Roop - Huntsville Times
A top NASA official is praising an essay published online today by a former astronaut about the end of the space shuttle era and NASA's support of the commercial space industry. NASA Associate Administrator Lori Garver, a strong proponent of NASA's new direction, called the essay by Richard Garriot de Cayeux "wonderful" in a tweet today linking to the work posted on the Huffington Post website.
Students talk to space station astronauts live
Joanne Foote - Oak Hill Gazette (Austin)
You could hear a pin drop at a recent assembly at O.Henry Middle School where both students and staff, waited, anticipating the moment when they would hear a few, very precise instructions on how to proceed. After being prepped on what to expect, at last, after a 15-minute wait, they heard the magic words. With rare government precision and little other formalities, students were already lined up at the microphone, ready to fire off their questions. Topics ran the gamut, from asking about how one becomes an astronaut, to what it’s like to sleep in space. Seventeen students were able to ask their questions in the 20-minute time allotment. More than 100 other students were on hand to listen to the conversation and see the astronauts projected on the 30-foot screen set up in the gymnasium.
High-fidelity space shuttle mockup to make Houston landing June 1
Robert Pearlman - collectSPACE.com
A space shuttle will launch later this month from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, but rather than soar into the sky, it will set sail on the water. The full-scale, high-fidelity space shuttle mockup, which was formerly known as "Explorer" for the 18 years it was displayed at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, will be loaded on a barge and leave the spaceport on May 20. Ten days later, it will arrive in Clear Lake near NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, starting a three day festival welcoming the winged display to Texas. Beginning June 1, "Shuttlebration Weekend" will celebrate the past and future of NASA's crewed space exploration programs, culminating in a parade to deliver the replica to Space Center Houston, the official visitor center for JSC.
Thank You, Space! How NASA Tech Makes Life Better on Earth
Alessondra Springmann - PCWorld
Last month, residents of Washington, DC and New York City watched as two Space Shuttles were ferried to their final homes. Even though these orbiters are no longer in service, humans now have a permanent home in space via the International Space Station, and over 500 people from almost 40 countries can say they have flown in space. But for the 6.8 billion residents of Earth who’ve yet to reach orbit, what benefits of space exploration do we see on a daily basis? What do US citizens get from our space agency, NASA? The short answer is: quite a lot. Let’s take a look at where NASA funding--at present, less than 0.5% of the US federal budget--shows up in our daily lives, and beyond.
5 Ways To Make Money In Space
Tim Parker - Investopedia.com
Would you like to invest in something a little different from just your standard stocks and bonds? You could join the ranks of some of the modern day space pioneers hoping to cash in on what is rapidly becoming a popular place to invest your entrepreneurial dollars: space. Here are some space-related investment opportunities to consider.
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COMPLETE STORIES
Space-Taxi Race Gets a New Player
Andy Pasztor - Wall Street Journal
A team led by Alliant Techsystems Inc. ATK on Wednesday revved up the race to develop commercial spacecraft, proposing a new space-taxi project it contends could blast U.S. astronauts into orbit two years earlier than competing plans.
The Alliant Techsystems-led project, dubbed Liberty, takes advantage of existing technology, including an entire capsule devised several years ago. The team, which includes Lockheed Martin Corp. and European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co., announced the project at an industry conference here.
The group said using existing technology will accelerate the schedule and lower costs. In addition to the capsule, the team will also assemble off-the-shelf hardware for boosters, the engines that propel the vehicle out of the Earth's orbit, to facilitate development.
The trans-Atlantic partnership underscores the growing interest of mainstream aerospace contractors in joining the U.S. drive for commercially-developed cargo carriers and manned spacecraft. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is pushing for the development of space taxis and cargo vehicles, which it sees replacing the space-shuttle fleet that was retired last year.
The space taxis are needed to transport astronauts to the international space station. NASA, which is expected to pick two or more of the teams vying for the job, could spend about $1.6 billion developing space taxis over the next four years. It anticipates the vehicles will come into service during the second half of the decade.
The Alliant Techsystems team will need to convince NASA that its international partners will be able to integrate disparate elements. Last year, Arlington, Va.,-based Alliant Techsystems and EADS lost a preliminary NASA funding competition, in which they submitted the same 300-foot rocket that incorporated U.S. and European designs.
The team also faces major challenges because it is competing against closely-held Space Exploration Technologies Corp., Boeing Co. and other companies that have benefited from NASA development dollars. Those companies, however, are working on new technologies that carry larger price tags and longer anticipated timetables. Industry experts have said building and testing a manned space-transportation system will likely cost a minimum of $1 billion and take at least three years from the time NASA commits to a specific design.
Kent Rominger, Alliant Techsystem's program manager, said lower initial engineering costs and the rocket's extensive commercial heritage are big reasons test flights for NASA could start as soon as 2014, or about two years earlier than dates often projected by other teams and agency officials."The advantage is that every major component or ours is well under development," Mr. Rominger said.
He declined to disclose the overall price tag or how much each partner plans to invest.
The latest project is built around an all-composite capsule that Alliant and other firms developed and tested three years ago, with financial support from NASA. Lockheed will provide guidance systems, capsule propulsion and other essential technologies to protect astronauts, based on work it previously did for the agency.
The rocket is partly derived from Europe's Ariane 5 booster, the world's leading commercial launcher.
The partnership is strategically important for Alliant because it builds on the company's investments in fabricating composite materials and structures for use in space, airliners and jet fighters. Lighter, stronger and more durable than traditional metals, composites account for one of the company's fastest-growing businesses.
Space veterans offer NASA their Liberty launch system
ATK, Lockheed Martin and Astrium join forces to propose space taxi for astronauts
Jay Barbree - NBC News
At a time when NASA’s human-spaceflight budget is frozen and likely facing cutbacks, the company that built the space shuttle’s solid rocket boosters says it has developed a complete astronaut transportation system using America’s existing launch facilities.
If NASA lends its support to the system, known as Liberty, the project could end America’s dependence on the Russians to fly its astronauts in as little as three years.
Virginia-based Alliant Techsystems, also known as ATK, says Liberty would be a complete commercial crew transportation system, including the spacecraft as well as ground and mission operations. All of its elements would meet NASA’s requirements for carrying humans, ATK says.
The Liberty rocket would build on the work that ATK did on the Ares 1-X, a launch vehicle that was being developed for NASA and went through a suborbital test launch in 2009. The Ares 1-X project was canceled a year after that launch, due to NASA’s shift to commercial options for resupplying the International Space Station, but Liberty would take advantage of some of the same elements.
The Liberty rocket’s first stage is a five-segment version of the solid boosters that lifted NASA’s space shuttles safely into space 110 times following the Challenger accident. Its second stage is from France’s successful commercial rocket, the Ariane 5.
Liberty’s lightweight composite spacecraft is from the future: Little-noticed engineering experiments at NASA’s Langley Research Center suggest that the space agency could adjust to tight-money times by using weight-saving composite spacecraft rather than the traditional aluminum structures. ATK built such a test spacecraft for NASA, and has struck a deal with Lockheed Martin to outfit the craft with its spaceflight systems.
ATK signed an unfunded Space Act Agreement with NASA last September, which opened the way for the company to work with the space agency to refine the design. Now ATK says it’s ready to proceed with Liberty, using existing facilities. The company and its partners plan to seek NASA funding in an upcoming competition that will result in the selection of one or two integrated space transportation systems for further development
Several other companies are expected to join in the bidding for NASA’s commercial crew launches. Boeing, for instance, has a group of aerospace engineers with mountains of experience building its CST-100 crew spacecraft. The CST-100 is to be launched by United Launch Alliance’s Atlas 5. Two other companies – Blue Origin and Sierra Nevada Corp. – are working on their own spaceships that could be launched on an Atlas 5.
Meanwhile, SpaceX is offering its Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft for NASA’s use as a crew transport. SpaceX is currently preparing to send a different version of the Dragon on a Falcon 9 on what could be its first unmanned cargo run to the space station, with launch set for as early as May 19.
SpaceX and United Launch Alliance use a type of fuel combination – liquid oxygen plus kerosene – which is different from the liquid oxygen/liquid hydrogen system that NASA’s shuttle orbiters used at Kennedy Space Center. SpaceX and ULA currently operate from their own launch facilities down the road from Kennedy Space Center, at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
For NASA to launch the Falcon 9 and Atlas 5 from its pads, the space agency and commercial companies would have to make costly modifications to the fuel facilities at Kennedy Space Center. This would require installing new fuel storage and management systems, akin to the systems that NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia have been putting into place to handle Orbital Sciences Corp.’s Antares launch vehicle. Those efforts have encountered cost overruns and schedule delays because the task of building a new launch site is proving to be more difficult than expected.
SpaceX and United Launch Alliance should have the freedom to develop their promising systems at their own facilities, while Liberty launches from the same pads that sent Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin to the moon; Tom Stafford, Deke Slayton and Vance Brand to meet the Russians in orbit; and Charles Bolden, Hoot Gibson, Charlie Precourt, Bob Cabana Sally Ride, Eileen Collins, Rick Hauck and Bob Crippin to add to the space shuttle’s legacy.
Liberty’s mission is clear: Save taxpayer bucks and return Americans to their own spaceship for less cost per seat than it’s costing for astronauts to thumb a ride on Russia’s Soyuz.
Quick facts about the Liberty launch system:
· Capable of sending seven crew members and cargo to International Space Station
· Composite crew module would land over water, and would be reusable for 10 flights
· Crew module would be equipped with the Max Launch Abort System that was developed at NASA's Langley Research Center and tested at Wallops Flight Facility
· Test flights to begin in 2014, first crewed flight in 2015, available for NASA by 2016
· Liberty could be used for space tourist flights as well as flights to private-sector space stations. Price per seat projected to be lower than the $60 million that the Russians are charging NASA
· Development would proceed even if NASA provides no support, but without NASA funding, there's "no way I can meet a schedule" for the first crewed flight in 2015, Liberty program manager Kent Rominger says
ATK lobbies for Liberty
Company details space plan - if NASA picks them
Todd Halvorson - Florida Today
ATK unveiled a rocket-and-spacecraft system Wednesday that could be ready to launch U.S. astronauts on round trips to the International Space Station by 2016 while bringing 150 to 200 jobs to Kennedy Space Center — if the company wins NASA seed money.
A first flight test of the U.S.-European Liberty system is targeted for launch from KSC in 2014, and an initial piloted flight with company test pilots is aimed at 2015. Commercial transportation services for U.S. astronauts and other customers would follow the next year.
Lockheed Martin, which manufactures NASA’s Orion crew exploration vehicle, is joining the effort and is eyeing its new KSC production facility for assembly of a new ATK composite crew module.
Astrium, which builds the upper stage for the European Ariane V rocket, will provide the second stage of the Liberty rocket and ultimately wants to open a factory in Florida.
ATK officials say the Liberty system would be able to fly astronauts at a cost significantly lower than the $63 million per-seat price NASA now pays Russia.
“Our nation’s space program, and our nation’s reputation, is on the line,” said former NASA Chief Astronaut Kent Rominger, ATK vice president and Liberty program manager. “And what we’re bringing into Florida is a whole new system, a whole new capability.”
ATK is one of several companies competing for all or part of the next round of NASA seed money for firms developing commercial crew transportation services for astronauts.
Congress last year cut NASA’s commercial crew development budget to $406 million. For the fiscal year 2013, which begins Oct. 1, the agency requested $830 million. However, House and Senate spending plans would cut that to $500 million to $525 million.
Rominger said the upcoming NASA award, which is expected this summer, “is very important to us because it puts us on a schedule to fly (ATK) crew in 2015.”
“Without that, yes, we continue on with discretionary funding but the pace is much slower,” Rominger said. “By no means would we be flying in this decade. And so, it delays us years.”
The Liberty rocket employs a more-powerful, five-segment version of the ATK shuttle solid rocket booster as its first stage. Astrium, which builds the upper stage of the European Ariane rocket, will build the Liberty second stage.
Both the first and second stages are based on systems already proven in flight and both already are rated for astronaut transportation.
ATK and Astrium in February 2011 announced plans for the Liberty rocket. The new details:
· ATK will build a crew module made of lightweight composite materials for the Liberty system in Iuka, Miss. The module could ferry up to seven people and remain docked at the station, as an emergency lifeboat, for up to seven months. It also is capable of returning scientific research samples and other cargo to Earth. NASA and the company worked on the composite crew module under a Langley Research Center contract between 2007 and 2010.
· The Liberty system will employ a launch-abort system developed at Langley and tested at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in coastal Virginia. The system of small rockets would push a crew module away from a failing or exploding rocket so the spacecraft and its astronauts could parachute to Earth.
· Lockheed Martin is joining the effort and likely will assemble and integrate the Liberty spacecraft at its Orion production factory at KSC. The company also will provide guidance and navigation, onboard propulsion, docking and other systems.
· Astrium initially will ship Liberty second stages and their Vulcain 2 engines to KSC for integration. But ultimately, the firm intends to establish manufacturing facilities in Florida.
Rominger said the launch-abort system would significantly increase astronaut crew safety. It would enable astronauts to survive an emergency any time in flight. The probability of losing a shuttle crew was about 1 in 100. Rominger said the probability of losing a crew on Liberty would be about 1 in 1,000, a tenfold increase in safety.
Total work force across the nation would be 360 people in states that also include Alabama, California, Colorado, Maryland, New York, Ohio, Texas, Utah and Virginia.
Shuttle rocket-builder vying for NASA space taxi work
Irene Klotz - Reuters
Two of NASA's prime contractors are teaming with Europe's Astrium to develop a commercial space taxi built from shuttle heritage booster rockets and a prototype NASA spaceship originally designed as an alternative to the deep-space Orion capsule, the companies announced on Wednesday.
The system, known as Liberty, is among at least four contenders for the next phase of NASA's so-called Commercial Crew program, scheduled to be awarded this summer.
Since the retirement of the space shuttles last year, the United States is dependent on Russia to fly astronauts to the International Space Station, a $100 billion laboratory that circles about 240 miles above Earth. The fare is more than $60 million per person.
NASA hopes to buy rides instead from U.S. companies beginning in 2017.
The U.S. space agency currently is funding space taxi design work at four firms - Boeing, Space Exploration Technologies, Sierra Nevada Corp, and Blue Origin, a startup owned by Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos.
NASA is reviewing bids for at least two, 21-month integrated design contracts, valued at $300 million to $500 million apiece.
ATK, which built the space shuttle booster rockets, teamed with Astrium, an EADS company that is one of the manufacturers of Europe's Ariane 5 rockets, to bid for NASA space taxi development funds last year but was not selected. The company continued to work on the project with its own funding, said Kent Rominger, a five-time shuttle astronaut who now serves as an ATK vice president and Liberty program manager.
ATK's new proposal adds a composite seven-person capsule, a launch escape system, propulsion module, avionics, an operations plan and other components for a complete space launch system.
Rominger said Liberty could be ready to fly crew to the station in 2015 for less than what Russia charges for rides in its Soyuz capsules.
The Liberty rocket's first stage would be an extended space shuttle booster rocket, a design originally developed under NASA's now-canceled Ares 1 rocket program.
Liberty's second-stage engine would be provided by Astrium. The newly announced capsule, also named Liberty, is a composite spaceship developed by NASA as a potential alternative to the Orion deep-space capsule.
Lockheed Martin, NASA's prime contractor for Orion, is a partner in the Liberty program. ATK was on NASA's design team for the composite alternative.
?"As a taxpayer, I want to get the best value out of what I've invested into our government. For example, Ares 1 (rocket program) was canceled, so to now pick up where the government left off is a very smart thing to do. It brings us the best value as a nation," Rominger told Reuters.
Liberty would fly from one of the space shuttle launch pads at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Depending on funding, test flights could begin in 2014.
Rominger said the capsules, which would parachute to a water landing, are designed to fly up to 10 times.
In addition to carrying seven astronauts, the rocket and capsule could carry cargo to and from the space station, as well as be used for satellite launches and other missions.
Rominger declined to say how much ATK and its partners have spent developing the Liberty system so far.
Dream Chaser test plan outlined by Sierra Nevada
Stephen Clark - SpaceflightNow.com
Sierra Nevada Corp., one of the firms vying to build a commercial space taxi for NASA, plans a series of automated and piloted atmospheric flight tests of its lifting body Dream Chaser spacecraft beginning this summer, ultimately leading to an orbital demonstration mission in 2016, according to company managers.
The flight tests will initially prove the Dream Chaser's aerodynamic qualities using an engineering article being outfitted at Sierra Nevada's space campus in Louisville, Colo.
Using a combination of public and private funding, Sierra Nevada is developing the Dream Chaser to carry up to seven astronauts to the International Space Station and back to Earth. NASA has promised the company $125 million so far, with the bulk of the money already awarded to Sierra Nevada upon completion of predetermined development milestones.
"Our mission is very specific: to take crew and cargo to the International Space Station and to low Earth orbit," said Mark Sirangelo, Sierra Nevada's executive vice president and chairman of its space systems division.
Sierra Nevada has provided the Dream Chaser program with "tens of millions" of dollars in internal funding, but less than NASA's total investment, according to Sirangelo.
The remaining NASA funds will be released after the Dream Chaser's preliminary design review, scheduled for late May, and captive and free flight tests over Colorado and California.
"We've made amazing progress without a lot of money," Sirangelo said.
The Dream Chaser is based on the HL-20 lifting body concept studied by NASA's Langley Research Center from the late 1980s to the early 1990s. Launching into orbit on top of a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket, the spaceship will dock with the International Space Station and can stay there for more than six months. At the end of its mission, the craft will enter the atmosphere and make a piloted touchdown at the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
A preparatory step leading to the first free flight could come as soon as the end of May, officials said, when an engineering test article will be lifted aloft over suburban Denver underneath a Sikorsky S-64 Sky Crane helicopter.
"You want to work backwards in the space industry and make sure you can land before you take off," Sirangelo said.
Steve Lindsey, Sierra Nevada's director of flight operations, said the captive carry test would verify the Dream Chaser's stability hanging underneath a helicopter, check its hang angle, drogue parachutes, and test the Sky Crane's lift capability.
Lindsey, a former space shuttle commander, said the test vehicle will be returned to Sierra Nevada's factory to receive flight control systems and a main landing gear modified from the U.S. Air Force's F-5E Tiger fighter jet. Dream Chaser's nose gear is a custom-designed skid.
Dream Chaser's space missions will use a new landing gear with electric actuators, Lindsey said.
Sierra Nevada will ship the engineering article to Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., this summer for another series of captive carry tests before ultimately releasing the craft for an automated landing. According to Lindsey, the drop tests will be performed from a CH-53 Sea Stallion or CH-47 Chinook helicopter provided by the U.S. military.
"The drops will be a straight in approach from as high as we can get," Lindsey said. "I'm hoping about 17,000 feet or so, straight into the main runway at Edwards for approach and landing."
Lindsey said the plan is to land the Dream Chaser on Runway 22 at Edwards, the base's primary concrete landing strip used by the space shuttle.
"Part of the reason we're doing this testing is because we have so many aerodynamic uncertainties with the vehicle," Lindsey said. "The shuttle had a nominal 20-degree glideslope. We're about a 23-degree glideslope, so a little bit steeper. We'll fly 300 knots down on final [approach], just like the shuttle did, and do a preflare at 2,000 feet, just like the shuttle did, drop the gear at 200 or 300 feet, just like the shuttle, and touch it down roughly at 190 knots on the runway, just like the shuttle did."
Sierra Nevada delivered the structure of the engineering test article in January, followed by a deployment test of the modified F-5E landing gear.
Sierra Nevada has also constructed avionics and flight control laboratories, plus a Dream Chaser flight simulator to practice landing the spacecraft on a runway.
The free flight test, expected in late summer, is the last milestone Sierra Nevada must complete under its ongoing agreement with NASA. The firm proposed continuing Dream Chaser's development through at least May 2014 in NASA's next round of funding.
Beyond the free flight test this summer, Sierra Nevada says further flights are contingent upon winning a monetary award from NASA.
NASA expects to award multiple companies between $300 million and $500 million in August. The agreements will run for approximately 21 months, followed by an optional period in which the space agency could select a single provider to continue with flight testing and crew transportation services.
Sierra Nevada says it can build three to five Dream Chaser spacecraft to be based at the Kennedy Space Center. The company is seeking state incentives and agreements with NASA to acquire former shuttle infrastructure at the space center, officials announced last week.
Lindsey hopes to fly the Dream Chaser for manual landing tests as soon as 2014. The former shuttle astronaut could also pilot the spacecraft on its first test flight to orbit.
"The second vehicle we build, which will be in 2014, is called our suborbital vehicle," Lindsey said. "That will have the primary flight control system in it, and it will be much closer to our orbital vehicle. All of its flights will be piloted. We'll do free flight drop tests similar to what we're doing now, except we won't be using a helicopter. We'll be flying under a wing and release or doing a tow and release [behind an airplane]."
Testing of the Dream Chaser's suborbital vehicle will include firings of the ship's hybrid rocket motors. Two of the non-toxic motors, derived from Sierra Nevada designs used on the SpaceShipOne and SpaceShipTwo space tourism vehicles, will adjust the craft's orbit in space, return it to Earth, and propel the Dream Chaser away from danger during a launch mishap.
"We're going to have our hybrid motors on the [suborbital vehicle], and we're going to use the motors to accelerate us up into the supersonic regime to get data there," Lindsey said. "The last thing we do with that vehicle, when we're done with all the pilot-in-the-loop testing, is we're actually going to put it on a simulated Atlas 5 and do a pad abort to a runway landing autonomously."
An unmanned orbital test flight and a crewed mission into orbit will follow in 2015 and 2016, according to Sierra Nevada.
SpaceX Shows Off Manned Dragon Capsule at Space Expo
Denise Chow - Space.com
As private spaceflight company SpaceX puts the finishing touches on the interior of its prototype crewed capsule, the firm brought a life-size model of the vehicle to display here at the first annual Spacecraft Technology Expo.
The design of SpaceX's Dragon capsule recently passed a series of key reviews, during which a group of NASA engineers and former space shuttle astronauts tested how well they could maneuver inside the spacecraft. The NASA team practiced entering and exiting Dragon under normal and emergency scenarios, and they also evaluated the layout of the vehicle's controls and instruments.
"This milestone demonstrated the layout of the crew cabin supports critical tasks," SpaceX Commercial Crew Development Manager Garrett Reisman said in a statement. "It also demonstrated the Dragon interior has been designed to maximize the ability of the seven-member crew to do their job as effectively as possible."
SpaceX let attendees of the expo — which runs from May 8-10 at the Los Angeles Convention Center — see what the NASA evaluators saw. The company displayed the test version of Dragon at a special exhibit called the "Human Spaceflight Park," which includes full-size and scaled models of various other rockets and spacecraft, including XCOR Aerospace's suborbital Lynx space plane.
Unmanned Dragon set to fly
SpaceX is preparing to launch an unmanned version of the Dragon capsule to the International Space Station on May 19. The spacecraft will ride into orbit atop the company's own Falcon 9 rocket from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
The test flight is designed to assess the spacecraft's ability to carry cargo to the orbiting outpost. If successful, the mission will mark the first time that a privately built spacecraft has docked with the space station.
But SpaceX has ambitions beyond ferrying cargo and supplies to the orbiting complex. The company is aiming to use Dragon as the basis for a crewed capsule to take astronauts to the space station, and one day on to Mars.
"From the beginning, we intended it to carry people," Reisman said Tuesday (May 8) in a panel discussion about commercial human spaceflight.
Reisman is a former NASA astronaut who flew twice on the space shuttle and spent roughly three months living at the International Space Station. He left the agency in 2011 to join SpaceX, after the company successfully launched and returned the Dragon capsule from orbit, becoming the first commercial company to accomplish the feat in December 2010.
"I saw that the game was changing," Reisman said. "Something really remarkable was happening. We were entering a new golden age, and I was very excited about what I saw."
Hawthorne, Calif.-based SpaceX has submitted a proposal for the third and final funded phase of NASA's commercial crew program, which requires companies to present a complete launch system — a rocket and vehicle — for consideration.
Seven-astronaut crew
In the crewed version, the Dragon capsule is designed to fit seven passengers. The full-size mockup on display here was used to test the vehicle's design and cabin layout.
"We're looking forward to proceeding in the next phase, and hopefully in the next several years, we'll have people flying on Dragon," Reisman said.
But for now, all eyes are on the unmanned Dragon, which is currently sitting atop a Falcon 9 rocket on its Florida launch pad. After being delayed several times, the Dragon capsule's test flight to the space station is slated to occur in just 10 days.
"Stay tuned," Reisman said. "I'm feeling pretty good about this one."
Shuttle Rocket Booster Maker to Launch Private Space Taxi by 2015
Denise Chow - Space.com
The aerospace company that built the solid rocket boosters for NASA's space shuttle fleet announced plans today (May 9) to develop its own private launch system — a spaceship and rocket — to fly astronauts to and from low-Earth orbit. The first manned flight could launch in about three years, company officials said.
Utah-based Alliant Techsystems, or ATK, announced the new project here at the first Spacecraft Technology Expo, where thousands of government and industry officials have gathered to discuss innovative new technologies and the future of human spaceflight.
ATK had already been working on a new private rocket, called Liberty, which it submitted as a contender in the second round of NASA's Commercial Crew Development program last year.
Ultimately, the Liberty rocket was not selected to receive funding, but ATK continued development of the booster under an unfunded Space Act Agreement with NASA. As part of this arrangement, NASA shares its expertise in designing and testing the rocket but does not provide money for the project.
Now, ATK has unveiled plans for a complete launch system centered around the Liberty rocket. The design includes a space capsule to carry passengers to destinations in low-Earth orbit, such as the International Space Station, said Kent Rominger, vice president and program manager for Liberty.
"The goal is to provide a new launch capability for the nation," Rominger told SPACE.com. "The vehicle is designed to be very, very simple, and inherently more safe and reliable. We really believe the whole system is designed for success."
Introducing the Liberty system
The spacecraft will be able to carry seven passengers, or various combinations of crew and cargo. ATK also hopes to provide launch services for U.S. government satellites eventually, Rominger said.
The composite crew module was built by ATK at its Iuka, Miss., facility as part of an earlier NASA program headed by the agency's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va. from 2007 to 2010. The program aimed to assess whether composite materials were a viable alternative to aluminum lithium on NASA's Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle, which is being built for future manned exploration flights to deep space.
"For Liberty, it made a huge amount of sense since composites were one of our competencies," Rominger said. "We wanted to pull in all the supplies and leverage all the work that has already gone into the system."
The look of the capsule will be similar to the Orion capsule, except it will only perform flights to and from low-Earth orbit. The capsule, which will land over water, will be reusable up to 10 times, Rominger said.
But ATK is hoping to use Liberty for more than just taxi rides to the space station.
"We are looking at space tourism," Rominger said. "Also other [space] stations, such as Bigelow — we can help build the station. We're also looking at other nations that aren't partners on the space station that would like to have stand-alone missions."
ATK is aiming to begin test flights of the Liberty system in 2014, with the first manned mission expected to occur in late 2015, ATK officials said. This schedule means that Liberty could be available to NASA and other potential customers by 2016.
Testing already underway
In September, ATK completed a full-scale test of Liberty's five-segment solid motor — the world's largest solid rocket motor, which was originally designed to be the first stage of the Ares 1 rocket that NASA planned to use to launch the Orion capsule on trips to the moon. The rocket was shelved after the agency's moon-bound Constellation program was scrapped.
Liberty will use the original Ares 1 engine as a first stage and European aerospace firm Astrium's workhorse Ariane 5 rocket as the second stage. The massive Liberty rocket will tower at 300 feet (91 meters) tall, company officials have said. [The World's Tallest Rockets: How They Stack Up]
"Liberty can lift more than any other system," Rominger said. "Our capabilities can carry seven crew and significant cargo, which I think is unique. We really are a launch system designed for the 21st century to bring better reliability and safety."
With NASA's space shuttle fleet retired (the last shuttle missions flew in 2011), the space agency now relies on Russian Soyuz rockets and spacecraft to ferry astronauts to and from the space station until commercial alternatives in the U.S. become available. NASA hopes that happens by 2017.
The agency pays approximately $63 million per seat on Soyuz flights. But the Liberty system is designed to be more cost-effective, Rominger said. He did not disclose the projected price per seat, but did say it will be "significantly less than what we're paying the Russians today."
Partnerships in commercial space
The Liberty system is being built in partnership with Astrium, whose Ariane 5 rocket has served as Europe's primary booster for launching satellites and spacecraft into orbit.
"One of the very exciting aspects of this program is having proven teams that have really worked on complex programs in various ways together," said John Schumacher, CEO of Astrium in North America. "This is the commercial industry coming together to provide a capability built on previous test work and investment in a very lean, commercial way."
Lockheed Martin will also provide support as a major subcontractor for the Liberty System, ATK officials announced today. This work includes designing various components for the spacecraft, such as avionics, propulsion systems, navigation and control, and the vehicle's docking system.
“The infrastructure we put in place that's already there to support testing and production is going to shorten the timeline," said Scott Norris, leader of the Liberty program at Lockheed Martin. "All three of our companies have worked together in the past, integrating things and working together. I think we're well poised to meet our schedule, as aggressive as it is, with things we've already paid for in the past."
The Liberty rocket and spacecraft have been submitted for consideration for the third and final round of funding under NASA's commercial crew program, Rominger said. The agency's selections are expected to be announced in August. In the meantime, ATK is eager to continue development of the Liberty system.
"For us as a nation, we need commercial crew and heavy lift to maintain our leadership in space," Rominger said. "To me, it looks like this is a team that we, as a nation, should be very comfortable with. Let's do this so we can get U.S. astronauts launching from the U.S. by 2015."
ATK announces complete Liberty space flight system
Cathy McKitrick - Salt Lake Tribune
While it may be some time before tourists can book space travel, an announcement Wednesday from Alliant Techsystems Inc. (ATK) puts that dream within reach.
During a late afternoon webcast, ATK representatives revealed completion of the Liberty commercial crew transportation system, which includes the spacecraft, abort system, launch vehicle and ground and mission operations. Initial test flights are slated for 2014, with a test flight carrying a crew in late 2015.
ATK is teaming with Europe-based Astrium, which has a record of 47 consecutive safe space flights with its Ariane 5 rocket. Liberty also receives support from Lockheed Martin.
“Our goal in providing Liberty is to build the safest and most robust system that provides the shortest time to operation using tested and proven human-rated components,” Kent Rominger, Liberty’s vice-president and program manager, said in a statement.
Liberty will provide the United States with new launch capability, Rominger added, “and a schedule that we expect will have us flying crews in just three years, ending our dependence on Russia.”
The system knits together established infrastructure and flight-proven elements in its aim to produce a simplified, safe and relatively low-cost commercial product — although no prices were cited Wednesday since the company is competing in a NASA bidding contest that concluded in August.
According to John Schumacher, chief executive officer of Astrium in North America, the Liberty system will be capable of transporting both crew and cargo — with payloads that could well include U.S. Department of Defense satellites. Space tourism is also in the offing, Schumacher added.
Liberty’s business model is expected to generate thousands of jobs across the United States and in Utah where ATK operates three facilities and employs more than 3,000 workers.
“The biggest thing for Utah is the five-segment solid rocket booster for the system’s first stage,” said George Torres, vice-president for ATK communications. Those boosters are produced at ATK’s Promontory facility and have been successfully ground-tested horizontally three times so far, Torres said.
ATK’s Mississippi facility manufactures Liberty’s composite crew module but those composite-manufacturing skills exist in Utah and throughout ATK’s many facilities, Torres said.
ATK serves as Liberty’s prime contractor, producing all aspects except for the second stage, which is powered by Astrium’s Vulcain 2 engine. Lockheed Martin contributes the crew interface systems design, along with other subsystems.
Billionaires back ambitious space projects
The Right Stuff for space exploration? It may be a few billions bucks
Dan Vergano - USA Today
A new era in space exploration, the billionaire age, seems to have dawned.
Consider:
· The SpaceX ship scheduled to launch May 19 from Cape Canaveral as the first privately financed cargo delivery vehicle to the International Space Station is powered not only by liquid fuel but by millions from PayPal mogul Elon Musk.
· Paul Allen, billionaire Microsoft co-founder, announced last year that his Stratolaunch Systems firm would build a jet with a 385-foot wingspan — longer than a football field — to launch light rockets from high altitudes into space. Allen funded aerospace designer Burt Rutan's SpaceShipOne, which won the $10 million Ansari X Prize in 2004.
· Last month, X Prize foundation chief Peter Diamandis announced that Bellevue, Wash., start-up Planetary Resources plans to put vehicles into space to capture and mine minerals from near-Earth asteroids in about a decade. Its financiers hail from the ranks of America's superwealthy, including Google tycoons Larry Page and Eric Schmidt, film director James Cameron (Titanic, Avatar) and Ross Perot Jr., the real-estate-developer son of the onetime presidential candidate.
"We're now seeing a new generation of (hundred)-millionaires and billionaires who are interested in space," says space entrepreneur Diamandis. "This is smart money investing in one of the largest commercial opportunities ever: going to space to gain resources for the benefit of humanity."
Each venture still faces hurdles. For example, economists and natural resources experts are skeptical that rail cars full of space platinum make sense as a business. "The required loads of space shipping would be unprecedented if asteroid mining is going to operate commercially," says Chi-Jen Yang of Duke University's Center on Global Change.
Historian Roger Launius of the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., notes that wealthy adventurers such as Howard Hughes helped pioneer the airline industry in the last century, and longer ago, tycoons such as John Rockefeller and Henry Ford created the oil and auto industry, respectively. Diamandis compares today's space tycoons to New World explorers such as Magellan.
Is this a return of conquistador capitalism? Or have this era's ultra-rich just found the highest-altitude way to lose their shirts since Icarus had his wings clipped?
"There have always been visionaries and dreamers attracted to space, but never deep-pocketed ones, until now," says space policy expert John Logsdon of George Washington University. "Clearly, there is a fascination with space and some calculations about how this could all work that makes this attractive to some very smart and wealthy people."
NASA also is supporting exploration of asteroids and private rockets, spurs to the eventual commercialization of space. The space agency has paid SpaceX $381 million as it developed its Dragon cargo vehicle.
"I don't think it is fair to lump SpaceX in with the more aspirational efforts," Logsdon says. "SpaceX is doing real things and has launched a number of rockets, taken a very practical approach."
The SpaceX test launch "will be a symbolic milestone," Logsdon says.
Musk is cautious about the test berthing of his team's cargo capsule to the space station. "There is a lot that can go wrong," Musk says. After a successful launch, several "tricky" check-out days will follow in space before the space station's robot arm will get the go-ahead to latch onto the cargo capsule.
Twice delayed, a successful mission would bolster hopes that SpaceX could send astronauts to the space station sooner rather than later. "We're optimistic that Dragon will be carrying astronauts," Musk says, perhaps within three years.
"It's exciting, the enthusiasm for private ventures in space is amazing," says Lou Friedman, head of the Planetary Society, a space exploration advocacy group. "At the same time, there has to be real plans … that provide a viable business plan," he cautions.
Along with its billionaire backing, Planetary Resources' chief engineer Chris Lewicki last year received a $124,960 development contract from NASA, aimed at developing a small telescope spacecraft to map asteroids worth mining.
Diamandis says the start-up's backers have outsize patience and tolerance for risk.
"I do admire the entrepreneurs who are trying to do it," Yang says, but he cautions that the history of technological innovations shows "costs are typically underestimated in (the) early stage of development. In most cases, the greater the technological advance involved, the larger the extent of underestimation."
Investor astronaut says NASA was right to scrap Constellation and support commercial space
Lee Roop - Huntsville Times
A top NASA official is praising an essay published online today by a former astronaut about the end of the space shuttle era and NASA's support of the commercial space industry. NASA Associate Administrator Lori Garver, a strong proponent of NASA's new direction, called the essay by Richard Garriot de Cayeux "wonderful" in a tweet today linking to the work posted on the Huffington Post website.
"NASA had a plan, called Constellation, to take us back to the Moon and then on to Mars," Garriott de Cayeux writes. "However, this plan was far too expensive and would have taken far too long. Thus, no president or congress ever called for it to be funded, and it was eventually canceled. In the face of great adversity though, NASA has figured out a great solution."
The new plan allows NASA to focus on deep space, Garriott de Cayeux writes, and it is working despite the early upheaval. "Understandably, this plan is incredibly disruptive to the status quo, causing job losses in many of the NASA facilities and with traditional prime contractors, along with the divisive politics that come along with such huge changes," he said. "But it is also saving NASA huge amounts of money, while dramatically expanding its capabilities and letting it shop for varying solutions as its needs change."
Garriott de Cayeux paid for his own flight aboard a Soyuz spacecraft to the International Space Station in October 2008, returning 12 days later. His father, Owen Garriott, is a NASA astronaut who has flown twice into space.
Students talk to space station astronauts live
Joanne Foote - Oak Hill Gazette (Austin)
You could hear a pin drop at a recent assembly at O.Henry Middle School where both students and staff, waited, anticipating the moment when they would hear a few, very precise instructions on how to proceed. After being prepped on what to expect, at last, after a 15-minute wait, they heard the magic words.
“O. Henry Middle School, this is Mission Control in Houston. Please call station for a voice check.” U.S. Congressman Lamar Smith replied, “Station, this is Congressman Lamar Smith at O.Henry Middle School in Austin, Texas. How do you hear me?”
“Congressman Smith, we’ve got you loud and clear. Welcome aboard the International Space Station (ISS),” confirmed the astronauts aboard the Space Station.
With rare government precision and little other formalities, students were already lined up at the microphone, ready to fire off their questions. Topics ran the gamut, from asking about how one becomes an astronaut, to what it’s like to sleep in space. Seventeen students were able to ask their questions in the 20-minute time allotment. More than 100 other students were on hand to listen to the conversation and see the astronauts projected on the 30-foot screen set up in the gymnasium.
Expedition 30 Commander Dan Burbank and Flight Engineers Don Pettit, both of the United States, and Andre Kuipers, of the Netherlands, appeared on the big screen. The live question-and-answer session took place while it was simultaneously broadcast live on NASA Television.
“Today’s event supports what you learn in school. Math and science really are the future of our country, and you will be better prepared in the future if you push yourself in these areas. This is my first time to ever do this and I don’t know if I will ever have the opportunity to do it again. You are among a very elite group,” said Smith.
While waiting for the countdown to connect to the ISS, O. Henry Principal Pete Price shared his first experience with space flight to the third period science students in attendance. “When I was your age, in the early 1960s, President Kennedy talked about putting a man on the moon and in 1969, we watch that happen. When man first walked on the moon, my family and I watched that exciting event on television. Now here we are today and I am thrilled to have the kind of technology that we can chat with the Space Station through a downlink. They are 230 miles up in the sky and this is quite an exciting event,” said Price.
The first question was directed to Commander Dan Burbank: “How long does it take to get in your space suit?” inquired student Levon Midwood.
“It depends on what type of space suite you are asking about. The one we wear for launches takes about 20-30 minutes to put on and then make sure it is leak tight and communications work. The space suite we use for space walks outside are more complicated and take more than an hour to get in, checked out and ready to go,” replied Burbank.
Ireland Tendler asked Burbank how much room there is to move around. “We have a lots of volume in the Space Station. It’s like a big house, divided into modules, or rooms, that you can float between,” he said.
The question many wanted to know the answer to came from Jack Norman, “How do you use the bathroom in space?” Chuckles from the students rippled across the gym, and a smile by the astronauts was seen on the big screen. “That is a very essential question, a lot of people think about it. Weightless can make it challenging, but we use airflow and something like a vacuum cleaner to help with the process. It is an endeavor, but works just fine,” responded Andre Kuipers, of the Netherlands, and one of the flight engineers aboard the space station.
Another student asked what is the process to become an astronaut. Burbank replied, “First and most important you have to send an application to NASA. Nowadays, there are scientists, physicians, pilots, and teachers. Most who get picked did very well at the things they did before applying to NASA. It is important when you decide what you want to do to choose wisely, so that becoming good at it not like work, it is more like play.”
Nick Berndt addressed his question to Flight Engineer Don Petit, of the United States: “What’s your favorite activity to do in space?”
“My favorite thing is working on science and engineering experiments. We are working on a new kind of toilet. We have one up here we call Regenerative Life Support, where we recycle urine and purify it and pump it back in to make coffee,” he said, amid sounds of disgust from the audience.
In response to a question about weightlessness, Kuipers responded, “Weightlessness is a fantastic feeling, it’s a bit like being underwater, floating in a pool, a bit comparable, but you have to adjust and learn how to move around properly.”
“When you look out of space station what do you see?” asked Avery Turner. “The first thing you see in foreground is ISS itself, it is huge, nearly 1 million pounds. Then you see the sun, the moon, planets, and stars, thousands and thousands, of steady piercing points of light. Our planet Earth is spectacular. You can see islands, mountains, oceans, clouds, and earth’s atmosphere. It’s a view I never get tired of, one of the neatest things about being in space,” expressed Burbank.
Student Joe Ibarra asked a question that brought everyone back to earth, “Can you send a Text in space?”
“No, we don’t have cell phones, but we do get to communicate with our family and work regularly, through downlinks similar to this one, which go through the satellite system. We can also send emails,” said Petit.
Practical questions were also on the minds of students: “How do you get enough water and electricity to the Space Station?”
“Water and oxygen are initially brought through cargo vehicles. We preserve as much as water as possible by trying our best to close as much of the water cycle as possible. It is very difficult and expensive to bring cargo/supplies here. Previously, the space shuttles would bring in supplies, and we preserve as much as possible. Electricity is easy since there is almost one acre of solar panels on the outside of the Station, which we direct towards the sun and convert those to photons into electrons,” said Petit.
“How do you sleep in space and do you have your own bed?” asked another student. “We sleep very well. We float, sleep on the ceiling, it is a bit strange,” explained Kuipers. “There is no pillow or mattress. We do miss those aspects, but we have sleeping cabin, which are private, and very pleasant,” he added.
Gyselle Barrera posed the final question. “Do you miss your home and families?
“What we miss the most is being physically close, to hug our kids and kiss our spouses. We can be close in a virtual sense through something similar to video phone calls at least once a week most anytime we are free, but I really look forwards to that time when we get home. We have reminders, photos and small mementos of our families with us. We also maintain a journal to bring back and share our experiences. It is precious time that we have here, and we are really fortunate to be able to do this. There are a lot of people in line to come here,” Petit answered.
With that timely question, the 20 minutes had disappeared in to thin air. “Thank you for your time, your expertise, and sharing the love of your job. We wish you the best in your endeavors and appreciate all you do for us and your future,” stated Price, O.Henry Principal. “Thanks to Lamar Smith and his office, or we wouldn’t be doing this,” he added. “This type of program is important to our STEM subjects: science, technology, engineering, and math.”
The office of U.S. Congressman Lamar Smith organized the ISS Space Chat, which took place on April 3. In order to participate, the request must come from a member of Congress’s office and the member must be present at the event. It took several months to organize schedules. Smith, who is on the Science/Space/Technology committee in Congress, was very excited about this opportunity. “I have a 4×4 foot poster taken from the Hubble Telescope on the wall in my office,” said Smith.
O. Henry is the only middle school in Texas to host a downlink with the ISS. The once in a lifetime event was arranged with Science Department Chair Camie Fillpot with assistance from Technology Specialist Iris Szachacz and Assistant Principal Matthew Nelson.
“We love that our principal embraced this opportunity. It’s not all about bubble sheets. We want to create lifelong learning opportunities through this type of extension activity,” said Camie Fillpot, Science chair and Instructional Specialist at O.Henry. Students in all the science classes had an opportunity to submit questions. “I wanted to pick a variety of questions, for the astronauts, some serious, and others just general curiosity questions, but there was only time for a limited amount.”
From NASA media release: This in-flight education downlink is one in a series with educational organizations in the United States and abroad to improve STEM teaching and learning. It is an integral component of NASA’s Teaching from Space Program, which promotes learning opportunities and builds partnerships with the education community using the unique environment of space and NASA’s human spaceflight program.
High-fidelity space shuttle mockup to make Houston landing June 1
Robert Pearlman - collectSPACE.com
A space shuttle will launch later this month from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, but rather than soar into the sky, it will set sail on the water.
The full-scale, high-fidelity space shuttle mockup, which was formerly known as "Explorer" for the 18 years it was displayed at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, will be loaded on a barge and leave the spaceport on May 20. Ten days later, it will arrive in Clear Lake near NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, starting a three day festival welcoming the winged display to Texas.
Beginning June 1, "Shuttlebration Weekend" will celebrate the past and future of NASA's crewed space exploration programs, culminating in a parade to deliver the replica to Space Center Houston, the official visitor center for JSC.
"NASA's space shuttle changed the way we all think about space, making it more accessible, understandable and useful," Richard Allen, Space Center Houston's president, said in a statement issued Tuesday (May 8) to announce the Shuttlebration. "It is our intent to continue that legacy with this exciting new attraction, which will offer a one-of-a-kind visitor experience that will engage, educate and inspire the next generation of explorers."
Shuttlebration schedule
Shuttlebration Weekend begins on the afternoon of Friday, June 1, when the replica will arrive at the Johnson Space Center NASA Road 1 dock on Clear Lake near the Nassau Bay Hilton hotel.
At 122.7 feet (37.4 meters) long and 54 feet (16.5 meters) tall, the shuttle mockup will be the largest item to arrive at the dock since a Saturn V rocket's three stages arrived for display in 1977.
The public is invited to a free street party between the dock and the hotel to witness the replica shuttle's arrival. The party will include NASA exhibits and static displays of vehicles and technologies being developed for the future, as well as local marching bands, food and entertainment.
The next day on Saturday (June 2), the shuttle mockup will be loaded onto a mobile transfer vehicle for its trip to Space Center Houston. The lakeside load-out will take a full day to complete.
Early on Sunday, the replica will make the three-hour trek down NASA Road 1 from the Hilton to its permanent home at Space Center Houston. Although logistics are still being worked out, it is likely that some trees and power fixtures will need to be temporarily moved or hedged to allow the shuttle to pass.
Along the route, the shuttle will be escorted by prototype planetary rovers being built at JSC for future solar system exploration.
Upon the replica's arrival, Space Center Houston, along with Johnson Space Center, will host a free celebration in its parking lot from 9 a.m. to noon CDT (1400 to 1700 GMT). The family-friendly event will include more chances to see the shuttle attraction up close, and to get a look at NASA's latest developments in space exploration.
"The arrival of the space shuttle attraction is the result of a great community-wide effort," Michael Coats, a former space shuttle astronaut and director of the Johnson Space Center, said. "Once open, the attraction will carry on the spirit of the space shuttle program by inspiring tomorrow's space pioneers."
Shuttle experience
Following Shuttlebration Weekend, the replica will remain in Space Center Houston's parking lot while its permanent display venue is being completed.
The center's long-term plan is to build an education facility around the orbiter that will provide both historical context and a hands-on educational experience.
Space Center Houston also plans to upgrade the replica itself. The mockup already allows visitors to go inside and tour the crew compartment — both its mid- and flight deck levels — as well as have a look down the length of the 60 foot payload bay.
"We're going to replace the cockpit with an all new cockpit like was flying on Atlantis on [the space shuttle program's] last flight," Allen said at a meeting held Tuesday, referring to the "glass cockpit" upgrade that Atlantis and the other orbiters received in the early 2000s.
The mockup, which was built by Florida-based aerospace replica manufacturer Guard-Lee, Inc., is considered to be the highest fidelity model of the shuttle ever created. Built using schematics, blueprints and archived documents lent by NASA and its shuttle contractors, some of the replica's core parts, including the tires used on its landing gear, are authentic to the shuttle program.
The replica was removed from the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in December 2011 to make way for the Florida visitor attraction to exhibit space shuttle Atlantis. It has since been parked near Kennedy's Vehicle Assembly Building awaiting its barge to Houston.
Thank You, Space! How NASA Tech Makes Life Better on Earth
Alessondra Springmann - PCWorld
Last month, residents of Washington, DC and New York City watched as two Space Shuttles were ferried to their final homes. Even though these orbiters are no longer in service, humans now have a permanent home in space via the International Space Station, and over 500 people from almost 40 countries can say they have flown in space. But for the 6.8 billion residents of Earth who’ve yet to reach orbit, what benefits of space exploration do we see on a daily basis? What do US citizens get from our space agency, NASA?
The short answer is: quite a lot. Let’s take a look at where NASA funding--at present, less than 0.5% of the US federal budget--shows up in our daily lives, and beyond.
Where Does NASA Tech Wind Up?
Even more fun than a NASA database enumerating technologies, NASA City is an interactive site where you can explore spinoffs of space exploration, and see how they trace back to our homes and cities. As the site's slogan puts it, “Space is everywhere you look.”
Do you own a flash storage drive? NASA helped develop an alloy that shows up in thumb drive casings used by SanDisk for their Cruzer Titanium drives. Called “liquidmetal”, this alloy is a mix of several different metals that form a glass at room temperature and is incredibly resilient against corrosion and scratching. Liquidmetal shows up in baseball bats, skis, and medical equipment.
In your home, NASA technology has led to advances in food safety (including hyperspectral imaging of chickens to scan for diseases) and methods for removing carbon monoxide from buildings. Insulated paint helps reduce your heating bill, thanks to research toward finding ways to protect the Space Shuttle. Even athletic shoes and your memory foam mattress owe thanks to NASA tech.
When it comes to safety and health, NASA has improved heart monitoring devices as well as equipment for firefighters and first responders. Self-illuminating paint makes it easier to navigate out of darkened buildings in emergencies, again, because of NASA innovations. Advances in robotic surgery spring from NASA research.
The next time you go for a drive, thank a NASA engineer and a crash test dummy from space! The auto industry uses NASA tracking devices to better understand how dummies respond in crash tests. Brake and air conditioning systems are made more efficient by NASA-designed software.
If reading a big ole’ PDF is more your style, NASA has a 224-page booklet on its spinoff technology from 2011 alone. Perhaps you’ll read it while commuting as a passenger in a safer car or a more efficient airplane sporting tech from space.
Spinoffs From Your State
If you’re curious as to what NASA technologies in your life have origins close to home, NASA has a website that details spinoff tech in your area based on location, NASA center, and field of research. Since the NASA Ames Research Center is closest to San Francisco-based PCWorld, I checked to see what the latest and most local spunoff tech is: “Advisory Systems [that] Save Time, Fuel for Airlines,” which “can save tens of thousands of flight minutes and millions in fuel costs and thousands of tons of carbon emissions for commercial airlines”.
Other Space Agency Spinoffs and Successes
Sure, we all know NASA is the global lead when it comes to exploring the planets and launching robotic missions, but what about other countries’ space programs and their successes? The European Space Agency, ESA, has a website dedicated to its “technology transfer programme” that includes such projects as saving antique books and building safer cars.
The Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency--known as JAXA for short--takes its spinoff technology very seriously, focusing on uninterrupted power supply capacitors, underwear that “cuts the smell of perspiration by 92% and aging odor by 82%,” and my favorite, a satellite for observing tea plantations. From space, it’s easy to identify tea plants with the correct nitrogen and fiber content to ensure the tea leaves harvested are high in the theanine molecule, resulting in a sweeter tea brew. As a Japanese green tea lover, I cannot disagree with using technology from space for quality assurance of my favorite beverage. (NASA does something similar, monitoring grapes from space with satellites to improve the quality of wine.)
Economic Benefits of NASA
How do you measure the NASA stimulus? How much return does NASA get for every dollar it spends? Economists may argue and quibble on the exact numbers, but it appears that the US economy gets at least $2 back for every $1 spent by NASA; in some instances, the ratio is up to $14 back for every dollar spent.
It’s still difficult to place a precise number on the exact monetary benefits of NASA, but consider that NASA spending benefits not just the folks working at Kennedy Space Center or in Houston: It benefits the companies supplying rocket engines and computers, all the way down to suppliers that provide individual bolts.
NASA Inspires... Everyone
The dream of space is very real in inspiring countless youngsters to aim for the stars in their studies. Who wasn’t inspired by NASA imagery at an early age? Who didn’t see a rocket blasting off into space and aspire to new heights as a result? October Sky tells the story of Homer Hickam, the boy from the coal mining town who was inspired built rockets in high school. Homer eventually went on to train astronauts for Space Shuttle missions.
Not everyone becomes an astronaut (or goes on to train them for space missions!), but everyone can study math and science, and contribute to one of the numerous “citizen space” missions. CosmoQuest organizes IceHunters.org where contributors found the final target for NASA’s New Horizons mission. Meanwhile, GalaxyZoo.org allows users to classify galaxies for research projects. With Stardust @ Home you can identify comet particles, and setiQuest harnesses humans to search for intelligent life elsewhere.
The International Space Apps Challenge has participants from every continent and even the International Space Station working on a variety of global problems. These crowdsourcing projects allow anyone with computer access to be a part of a scientific research project, which encourages more people to continue in science and engineering fields. In short, you can help NASA contribute to anyone’s daily life with these projects.
The coolness factor alone for some is worth it for funding NASA and exploration of space. We get stunning photos from a host of space missions funded by NASA (my favorite: the Cassini/Huygens mission at Saturn), some of the best which wind up at the Astronomy Picture of the Day site. And who can forget the iconic Hubble images?
“I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream,” wrote Vincent Van Gogh. Through the photographs brought back from Hubble, Cassini, and other missions, we’re able to see the stars and planets in ways unimaginable only a few decades ago. Young students are able to see direct applications of sticking with math.
Advances in space technology improve our lives, whether in terms of health, growing the economy, or making our travel more direct and quick. Citizen science efforts connect people from all over the globe in collaborative research projects. Having space be accessible, exciting, and inspiring brings us all closer together, which is something for us all to celebrate.
5 Ways To Make Money In Space
Tim Parker - Investopedia.com
Would you like to invest in something a little different from just your standard stocks and bonds? You could join the ranks of some of the modern day space pioneers hoping to cash in on what is rapidly becoming a popular place to invest your entrepreneurial dollars: space. Here are some space-related investment opportunities to consider.
Build Satellites
You might be surprised at how much of your life is affected by satellites. GPS units work by receiving signals from satellites. Weather reports are accurate (sometimes) because of satellite data, and satellite television is a growing trend. If you're the kind of person who likes to visit places far off the technology grid, then you probably have a satellite phone. Most importantly, our national security relies heavily on military satellites.
Satellites can cost hundreds of millions of dollars and at least $50 million to launch, and as we've seen in the past, there's no guarantee that the rocket to launch your satellite will actually make it to space.
Clean up the Junk
According to the Space Surveillance Network (a government agency tasked with tracking all objects in space larger than a baseball), there are at least 8,000 identified objects from earth currently in orbit. These include active satellites, spent rocket parts and other debris. Of those 8,000 orbiting objects, only 7% are operational satellites. Space agencies are becoming increasingly concerned about the growing amount of space debris, which could damage working satellites if they collide. Since space debris travels at speeds of up to 17,000 miles per hour, a collision with even the smallest piece of space junk may destroy a half-billion-dollar satellite.
Tours
Richard Branson's Virgin Atlantic Airlines is offering commercial flights into space. A ticket will only set you back $200,000 and there's already more than 500 takers, including actor Ashton Kutcher. The company took its first test flight in 2010 and is inching ever closer to its maiden commercial voyage. However, Virgin isn't the only company offering space travel to the public, as competitors like Space Adventures are selling trips to the Moon. If more companies enter the commercial "space race" and spaceflight becomes commonplace, the price of tickets is sure to drop.
Mining an Asteroid
Certain natural resources are becoming harder to find here on Earth, so a new company, backed by filmmaker James Cameron and Google exec Larry Page, wants to go to space to find them. It's simple, really. Launch a satellite, find an asteroid, tow it back to the moon or into Earth's orbit and strip it of anything valuable. Sure, it's never been done, but how hard could it be? It's likely to take hundreds of billions of dollars to do it and if it did work, it may drive down the price of the valuable materials that are believed to be contained on these asteroids.
Set up a Lab
Maybe you're more the scientist-type than the engineer. Not only do Space Shuttles serve as cargo vessels to space, but it's also where many astronauts have made innovations and discoveries in medicine, biology and manufacturing, largely due to the zero-gravity environment. In the future, commercial laboratories and manufacturing facilities may be constructed in space in order to capitalize on the unique features of a zero gravity environment.
The Bottom Line
Until recent years, space travel was reserved for governments that had massive amounts of funds to develop the technology to put man safely into orbit. Now, as private companies see the potential for big profits, spaceflight technology is rapidly evolving, which could push the cost down for private citizens to travel into space. However, for the time being, you can still invest in companies that offer or develop these technologies.
END
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