Posted by
mwallis on
4 March 2011, 10:30 am
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is requesting funding in the 2012 budget to offer a $5 million prize to encourage the development of projects designed to provide low-cost space transportation.
“I’m a big proponent of the value of prizes to stimulate innovation,” George Nield, FAA associate administrator for commercial space transportation, said Feb. 28 during a speech at the Next-Generation Suborbital Research Conference at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. “We plan to work with both NASA and the Department of Defense to discuss how best to implement this program.” Nield offered no further details on the prize but told conference participants to “stay tuned.”
Continue reading ‘FAA To Offer $5 Million Prize’ »
Posted by
mwallis on
18 November 2010, 4:20 pm
KLM Announces Suborbital Flight Relationship with Space Experience Curaçao
Using XCOR’s Lynx Suborbital Spacecraft
November 17, 2010, Mojave, CA: Today KLM Royal Dutch Airlines announced to the Netherlands press that they were embarking upon a new relationship with Space Experience Curaçao (SXC). KLM will be supporting future suborbital flights through purchases, inclusion in their frequent flyer program, inclusion in future KLM vacation packages to Curacao, and other yet-to-be-named support. The flights will be made on the XCOR Lynx suborbital spacecraft.
Last month SXC and XCOR Aerospace jointly announced the intent of SXC to lease a production version of the Lynx suborbital spacecraft, pending United States government approvals to station the vehicle on the island of Curaçao in the Netherlands Antilles. With a planned start date in January 2014 SXC and now KLM will market and sell flights. XCOR will provide operational support for the vehicle at Space Port Curaçao.
Continue reading ‘KLM To Offer Suborbital Flights Using XCOR Lynx’ »
Posted by
mwallis on
17 November 2010, 4:39 pm
Masten Space Systems has been chosen as one of the 10 “Best of What’s New” Innovations by Popular Science magazine.
“Vertical takeoff/vertical landing (VTVL) spacecraft made an important advance in May, when a demonstration spacecraft called Xombie, built by the Mojave, California–based firm Masten Space Systems, became the first of its kind to shut down its engine mid-flight, restart, and then land. The eventual goal is for unmanned VTVL rockets to rise to space and return several times a day, carrying zero-gravity experiments with each pass. The challenge is to carefully consume fuel throughout the trip so that the rocket has enough to land—hence the importance of Xombie’s success.”
Posted by
mwallis on
12 October 2010, 8:33 am
Alan Boyle writes: Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo rocket plane was set loose for its first gliding flight today, about 45,000 feet above California’s Mojave Desert — and landed to a chorus of cheers minutes later. That’s one small step for gliders, but one giant leap for SpaceShipTwo and the future of suborbital space tourism.
The free-flying test was chronicled as it happened by Popular Mechanics’ Joe Bargmann from the Mojave Air and Space Port, where the spaceship’s builder, Scaled Composites, has its headquarters. Scaled has been working on the craft for years as a commercial follow-up to the history-making, prize-winning spaceflights of SpaceShipOne in 2004. The $100 million-plus development effort is being bankrolled by Virgin’s billionaire founder, Richard Branson, who was among the crowd watching today’s flight.
Continue reading ‘SpaceShipTwo Free Flight’ »
Posted by
mwallis on
12 October 2010, 7:44 am
Space Manufacturing 14: Critical Technologies for Space Settlement will be held at NASA Ames Conference Center in Mountain View, CA, October 30 and 31, 2010.
Attendance will be limited to 200 participants. (Non-US Citizens, please allow 30 days for approvals to process. All permanent residents must bring their original I.N.S. green card. All foreign nationals must have their original passports and visas.)
Registration is $250 for the full two day conference Saturday October 30 & Sunday October 31, which includes a catered lunch for both days and a Friday night reception.