The College of Education at Texas Tech announced a NASA astronaut has been accepted to its doctoral program in education. Joseph Acaba launched May 14 for a four-month tour of duty aboard the Russian Soyuz TMA-04M spacecraft as part of the team for Mission 31/32 to the International Space Station.

He also has been accepted to Texas Tech’s new Blended Delivery Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with Specialization in Science Education for the cohort starting this fall.

Follow Acaba’s mission via Twitter and a blog. Texas Tech Provost Bob Smith was delighted to learn that the College of Education has successfully recruited a second U.S. astronaut to be a Red Raider.

“When we hired our first Red Raider astronaut, Dean Al Sacco Jr., we underestimated the benefits his appointment would bring to Texas Tech,” Smith said.

“We understand that Dean Sacco did play a role in recruiting astronaut Acaba to Texas Tech. Also, we know that both astronauts Acaba and Sacco have a passion for education of youth in science, engineering and technology.

“Our collective hope is that our Red Raider astronauts will be reaching greater numbers of young learners as astronaut Acaba joins us and progresses in his program.”

Acaba will take classes online in his own personal time after he returns from the mission, said Walter Smith, Helen DeVitt Jones Professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction and advisor for the doctoral program. The nature of the online classes allows for flexibility.

“Joe has outstanding experience as a science teacher and seasoned astronaut,” Walter Smith said. “He’s joining a cohort of exceptional educators who already possess exemplary science education credentials and will make a difference in the world as a result of their Texas Tech doctorate.”

Raised in Anaheim, Calif., Acaba earned a bachelor’s in geology from the University of California-Santa Barbara in 1990 and a master’s in geology from the University of Arizona in 1992. Acaba was selected as a mission specialist by NASA in 2004 and completed Astronaut Candidate Training in 2006.

Juan Munoz, Texas Tech’s vice provost for Undergraduate Education, vice president for Institutional Diversity, Equity, and Community Engagement has known Acaba for more than 25 years, as a schoolmate, a U.S. Marine, a teacher, and now NASA astronaut.

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Astronaut Launches into Texas Tech Doctorate Program

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The Learning Network Blog: Entrepreneurial Space Flight: The Latest Frontier

NOFBX Green Propulsion Demonstration Passes ISS Safety Review

Innovative Space Propulsion Systems (ISPS) has passed another critical milestone in their progress toward the launch of their NOFBX green propulsion demonstration to the International Space Station (ISS). ISPS is working toward demonstrating their high-performance, non-toxic and environmentally-benign propulsion technology on the ISS under an award from the NASA ISS National Laboratory program. In April, ISPS passed NASAs ISS Payload Safety Review Panel phase 1 review.

Satisfying the safety panel is an incredibly high bar for any new technology, said Greg Mungas, President of ISPS. Safety is obviously paramount for the space station and this review panel has been thorough and uncompromising in their scrutiny of every technical aspect of our demonstration.

The ISPS NOFBX Green Propellant Demonstration involves launching a deep-throttling 440 N (100-lbf) engine assembly and associated feed system to the ISS in mid-2013. It will be carried in the unpressurized cargo compartment of SpaceXs Dragon spacecraft on one of its cargo delivery missions. Once Dragon berths with the space station, the robotic arm will extract the NOFBX test pallet from Dragon and place it on the outside of the European Columbus module. It will remain in orbit for one year and undergo a suite of in-space performance validation tests including steady-state, pulses, throttling and long-term storage and re-start demonstrations.

NOFBX is an American, nitrous-oxide-based monopropellant spacecraft technology with performance rivaling state-of-the-art hypergolic propulsion systems, but without many of the hazards and overhead associated with toxic storable propellants. It has many diverse applications including spacecraft, launch vehicles and landers.

We appreciate the opportunity to work with the ISS PSRP, added Mungas. Their input provides benefits to all our customers – even those operating with less stringent safety requirements. Obtaining the go-ahead from this team is a huge step forward for NOFBX.

SOURCE: Innovative Space Propulsion Systems (ISPS)

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Innovative Space Propulsion Systems Clears Flight Demonstration Hurdle

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SpaceX Launching Student Experiments and Emblems on 1st Space Station Flight

Nasas space shuttle fleet may be landing in museums, but the next step in space exploration is already underway as private concerns work to get into the ground floor of commercial flight to near-Earth orbit and possibly beyond. On Saturday, May 19, the company Space X plans to reach a major milestone by launching the first commercial craft bound for the International Space Station. Nasas ISS programme manager Mike Suffredini has dubbed it one of those historic launches. But there is much that could go wrong in what amounts to a test flight, and the launch has already been delayed repeatedly to make sure everything comes together correctly. Space takes longer and is more expensive than people expect, notes Scott Pace, director of the Space Policy Institute at the George Washington University in Washington. Space Xs Dragon spacecraft is to embark upon a three-day flight to the ISS and undertake a series of complicated docking manoeuvres in order to establish that it can safely attach to the orbiting station. This will be only the third flight for Dragon. The flight carries significant risk, but Space X has vowed that if any part of the mission does not succeed it will learn and try again. The unmanned Dragon capsule will blast off atop a Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida and carry 521kg of cargo, mainly food for astronauts living on the station. If all goes as planned it will return to Earth with 660kg of discarded cargo. Nasa and Space X have said they were confident about the mission but stressed it was a test flight and that the docking to the station would be particularly difficult. The shift toward commercial spaceflight comes as part of an Obama administration review of space policy amid the retirement of the space shuttle fleet. Nasa will shift its focus to longer distance goals with the aim of eventually reaching an asteroid and later Mars while handing over routine space station flights to commercial providers. The US doesnt have its own government access to the space station, so it is reliant on private providers, and for cargo that is a reasonable bet, Pace said. But he expressed worries that the next step – commercial crew access – will be considerably more difficult. With the retirement of the shuttle, US astronauts can only reach the station via Russian Soyuz spacecraft, while cargo can be delivered on Russian, European and Japanese craft. The Space X advance would be good news not only for Nasa, but also for international partners. We wish Space X all the success in this matter because it is an important step to have access to space, Andreas Diekmann, who heads the European Space Agencys Washington office, said, noting the need for a US means to reach the station. Space X was awarded a possible $396mn contract, of which it has so-far received $381mn, to develop its capsule. It is under contract for 12 supply flights to the station. In 2010, Space X was the first private company to send a commercial craft into orbit. If all goes well, the company eventually plans to convert the Dragon capsule to allow it to also bring astronauts aloft – but it will likely be years before the first astronaut blasts off in a private rocket. The Dragon is to remain at the station for two weeks for the ISS crew to unload cargo, before the capsule re-enters the atmosphere and splashes down off the California coast. I think weve got a pretty good shot, but it is worth emphasizing that there is a lot that can go wrong in a mission like this, Space X chief Elon Musk said last month. The most complex part of the mission will be the docking to the station, and Nasa and Space X will take a series of steps to be sure the station and its resident astronauts are safe as the craft approaches. If any aspect of the approach looks to be compromised, the docking could be called off at the last minute. Finally, two astronauts aboard the ISS will use the stations robotic arm to grab the Dragon capsule and attach it to a port on the station. Nasa noted that the cargo aboard the craft is expendable, in case the Dragon fails to make it to the ISS or back home. Musk warned against placing too much value on the flight, saying that a failure should not be used as an argument to discredit commercial space flight. There should be doubt about our resolve, he said. We will get to the space station whether on this mission or a future one. Another company, Orbital Sciences Corporation, is set for its first flight to the ISS late this year.

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Space X set to launch first commercial flight to ISS

NASA declared on Tuesday that “everyone is `go”‘ for a Hawthorne rocket developer’s upcoming launch to the International Space Station.

The thumbs-up came after NASA completed an additional so-called Flight Readiness Review.

Space Exploration Technologies Corp., known as SpaceX, hopes to launch its Dragon spacecraft on Saturday to become the first commercial enterprise to dock with the space station.

The launch has been delayed several times, most recently because of software problems.

“The teams reported all remaining work had been completed and everyone is `go’ for launch,” NASA said in a statement.

The space agency’s review focused on SpaceX’s recent software changes as well as “the closeout of additional paperwork.”

SpaceX plans its own launch readiness review on Thursday.

The rocket company is scheduled to launch Dragon on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at 1:55 a.m PDT from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.

SpaceX has a great deal riding on the mission, which will demonstrate whether NASA can use private companies to supply the space station. SpaceX is operating under a $1.5 billion NASA contract.

SpaceX also is equipping another version of Dragon to accommodate humans in hopes of providing astronaut transport services to the space station.

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NASA approves SpaceX launch; space station flight set to start Saturday

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Refurbishment of NASA's Vehicle Assembly Building Begins

A Russian Soyuz spacecraft carrying one of the world’s most experienced space fliers, a rookie cosmonaut and a NASA shuttle veteran blasted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan late Monday U.S. time, climbing away through a cloudless blue sky to kick off a two-day voyage to the International Space Station.

The Russian Soyuz TMA-04M spacecraft rumbled to life on time at 11:01:23 p.m EDT (GMT-4; 09:01:23 a.m. local time Tuesday), roughly the moment Earth’s rotation carried the Site 1 launch pad into the plane of the space station’s orbit.

“Everything’s OK on board, we feel good,” commander Gennady Padalka radioed as the rocket arced away to the East.

Padalka, who logged 586 days in orbit during a long-duration flight aboard the Russian Mir lab complex and two aboard the International Space Station, monitored the automated ascent from the central seat of the Soyuz TMA-04M’s cramped command module. He was flanked on the left by Russian flight engineer Sergei Revin, a space rookie acting as co-pilot, and on the right by NASA educator-astronaut Joseph Acaba, veteran of a 2009 flight aboard the shuttle Discovery.

Acaba said before launch that he was looking forward to his first ride aboard a Soyuz spacecraft, adding that he was confident the Russian launcher would provide a safe ride following a string of recent problems with other Russian launchers and spacecraft.

“We should never fool ourselves that going into space is an easy thing and that it’s without risk,” he said in an interview. “(But) the Soyuz has been one of the most reliable vehicles we’ve had to take us into space. So I feel really good about riding on one, I feel comfortable with the analysis that was done. … And I’m also very fortunate to fly with one of the most experienced cosmonauts on the planet. (Padalka is) very well trained and if we do experience any kind of problem, I feel confident as a crew that we’ll be able to get back safely.”

As he expected, the eight-minute 45-second climb to space went smoothly and Acaba and his crewmates appeared relaxed and in good spirits in live television shots from inside the cramped command module. Moments after separation from the Soyuz rocket’s upper stage, the capsule’s solar panels and antennas unfolded and Russian flight controllers said the vehicle was in good shape as it set off after the space station.

“Congratulations on the successful launch,” a Russian flight controller radioed.

“Thank you very much,” Padalka replied.

“Everything looks OK here on the ground, telemetry looks good. The ascent was nominal, so enjoy your work. We’ll wish you best of luck.”

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Next manned space launch safely takes flight to orbit

NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., successfully completed wind tunnel testing for Sierra Nevada Corp. (SNC) Space Systems of Louisville, Colo. The test will provide aerodynamic data that will aid in the design of the new Dream Chaser Space System.

During tests at Marshalls wind tunnel facility, a scale model of SNC’s Dream Chaser orbital crew vehicle was mounted on a scale model of the United Launch Alliances Atlas V launch vehicle. Over 400 data runs were performed at subsonic, transonic and supersonic speeds to study the effects of how air moves past the model. Nine full-stack configurations were tested over a Mach range of .4, or 304 miles per hour at sea level, to Mach 5, or 3,800 miles per hour at sea level, at various launch vehicle roll angles.

The data generated from this test series, coupled with data from computational fluid dynamics studies, will define the aerodynamic characteristics of the Dream Chaser – Atlas V launch stack during the ascent phase of flight. Obtaining this data will enable higher-fidelity loads analysis, better definition of launch vehicle performance, and will aid in further refining Dream Chasers trajectory design for orbital vehicle launches.

Were glad Marshall could support SNC in completing these wind tunnel tests quickly and affordably and early in the design phase, said Teresa Vanhooser, manager of the Flight Programs and Partnerships Office at Marshall. Our trisonic wind tunnel and engineering staff helps partners understand the aerodynamic integrity and stability of spacecraft and launch vehicles, like the Dream Chaser, over a variety of wind speeds and phases of flight.

Mark Sirangelo, corporate vice president and head of SNC’s Space Systems, said: “The Dream Chaser Program is grateful for the opportunity to leverage the experience, expertise, and resources of Marshall, made possible by the unique government-commercial partnership created through NASA’s Commercial Crew Development Program. Sierra Nevada Corporation looks forward to expanding our successful relationship with Marshall, as well as creating new business opportunities in the Huntsville area.”

Marshall’s Aerodynamic Research Facilitys 14-inch trisonic wind tunnel is an intermittent, blow-down tunnel that operates from high-pressure storage to either vacuum or atmospheric exhaust. The facility is capable of conducting tests in the subsonic, transonic and supersonic mach ranges using its two interchangeable test sections. Subsonic Mach numbers are below Mach 1, the speed of sound, or 760 miles per hour at sea level, while transonic speeds approach and are slightly above Mach 1. The facility can achieve a maximum supersonic Mach number of 5, or five times the speed of sound.

SNC is currently one of the NASA Commercial Crew Development (CCDev) partners awarded funding under a Space Act Agreement to mature their Dream Chaser orbital crew transportation system. NASAs CCDev effort is being led by NASAs Kennedy Space Center and supported by NASA technical experts across the agency, including the Marshall Center for a variety of technical areas.

The effort to define the aerodynamic characteristics of the Dream Chaser Space System is being conducted under a reimbursable Space Act Agreement funded by SNC and executed with the support of aerodynamicists and wind tunnel experts from the Marshall Center and United Launch Alliance.

Provided by JPL/NASA (news : web)

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Testing for Dream Chaser Space System completed

Image: ATK

The Utah company that built the solid rocket boosters for the now retired space shuttle program announced plans to enter the next phase of American space flight with its own private launch system. Alliant Techsystems, or ATK as it is better known, says it plans to build a complete rocket and spacecraft package to transport astronauts and cargo to and from low earth orbit. The announcement adds another potential company aiming for NASA contracts as pressure from lawmakers and former astronauts is pushing to trim the selection to a single option.

The new launch system from ATK will use its Liberty rocket which was submitted as part of the NASAs current Commercial Crew Development (CCDev) program, but was not selected. Instead programs from SpaceX and Sierra Nevada Corporation are participating in this round of CCDev funding and testing.

Liberty will be the name of the new program, and this time it will include a capsule spacecraft, launch abort system and the rocket itself. ATK plans to begin flight testing in 2014 and is aiming for a crew flight in 2015.

The spacecraft for the Liberty launch system is a seven seat, composite capsule that originated as a research project to see if composites could serve as an alternative to the aluminum materials NASA was using to develop the Orion spacecraft. Orion is a capsule being built by Lockheed Martin for NASA missions beyond low earth orbit, namely asteroids and eventually Mars. ATK says the composite spacecraft will land in the water and will be reusable up to 10 times.

The composite capsule being developed for ATK’s Liberty rocket. Photo: ATK

The the first stage of the Liberty rocket is powered by a solid fuel motor similar to those ATK built as the solid rocket boosters for the space shuttle. The new solid rocket includes a five segment motor that was initially designed to serve to launch the now defunct, Constellation spacecraft to the moon. The new Liberty rocket will use the Ariane 5 liquid fueled rocket as the second stage to boost the composite capsule into orbit. The Ariane 5 is built by the European company Astrium, and is a workhorse of the European Space Agencys launch program.

The solid rocket first stage and liquid rocket second stage puts the Liberty at 300 feet tall. The towering height is more than 110 feet taller than both the space shuttle on the launch pad or SpaceXs Falcon 9.

Like the other companies developing new launch systems, contracts from NASA arent the only thing ATK is looking at with its new launch system. The company also wants to use its Liberty system for satellite launches as well as for space tourism in the future.

A diagram showing the combination of the solid rocket booster from the space shuttle and the European Ariane 5 used to make the very tall Liberty rocket. Image:ATK

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Space Industry Veteran (Re)Entering The Commercial Space Race

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SpaceX: Should we cheer private space flight?

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U.S., Russian crew blast off for space station

For the last half-century, space flight has been the domain of the world’s superpowers.

All that is set to change as soon as Saturday when SpaceX, the private rocket company in Hawthorne, will attempt to launch a spaceship with cargo into orbit and three days later dock it with the International Space Station.

If successful, the mission could mean a major shift in the way the U.S. government handles space exploration. Instead of keeping space travel a closely guarded government function, NASA has already begun hiring privately funded start-up companies for spacecraft development and is moving toward eventually outsourcing NASA space missions.

PHOTOS: A private spaceship launch

The upcoming launch is “the first step in the handoff” to private industry, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said. “Everybody realizes the importance of this mission,” he said. “Nobody will be rooting against SpaceX.”

But if the mission fails, it could trigger serious doubts about NASA’s decision to hand these responsibilities to a fledgling private space industry. Doubters have already begun to raise questions. Some former astronauts, members of Congress and space experts say the current plan to subcontract space missions is foolhardy. They say the plan is risky and that outer space is no place to roll the dice on unproven companies.

On launch day, it falls to SpaceX and its 40-year-old billionaire founder, Elon Musk, to prove they’re prepared.

With SpaceX engineers at the controls in Hawthorne, a towering rocket will blast off from a launch pad about 2,600 miles away in Cape Canaveral, Fla., and lift a gumdrop-shaped space capsule with a half-ton of food, water and other supplies up to the crew aboard the orbiting space station.

But delivering cargo isn’t the key mission the space station is well-provisioned. The main purpose is to demonstrate that the space capsule can rendezvous with the $100-billion orbiting outpost and link up with the space station’s onboard computers. If all goes well, the crew aboard the space station will snag the spacecraft with a robotic arm and lead it in for docking. Weeks later it will be released and sent back to Earth.

“We’re ready to take that next step,” Musk said. “It’s been a long road to this point.”

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A new frontier for space travel

NEW YORK, May 11, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — British Airways today announced a special four day sale for travel between New York and Paris this summer — including nonstop flights in the new OpenSkies ‘Eco’ cabin.

The sale starts today and runs until midnight PT time on Monday, May 14, 2012. The $1098 fare is for travel from New York (JFK or Newark) to Paris (CDG or Orly) in BA World Traveller economy class or OpenSkies’ new cabin, Eco.

Fares begin at $1098, including all taxes, fees and charges. The fare is valid for travel from May 22, 2012 to August 23, 2012.

Customers flying with British Airways in the World Traveller cabin will experience ergonomically designed seats with adjustable headrests and footrests. They will also enjoy an audio and video on demand (AVOD) system which offers over 200 entertainment choices, including 100 films and TV programs.

From June 19, OpenSkies, a wholly owned subsidiary by British Airways, will have seats in its completely new Eco economy class available for booking. The Eco cabin features 11 rows of leather seats in a 3X3 configuration to guarantee service intimacy. Customers will also receive individual digital tablets loaded with more than 70 hours of entertainment including movies, TV and games.

As well as the flight savings, customers can also pick up great package deals by booking hotels or car hire through ba.com, creating an extra special holiday in Paris.

Visit ba.com/nyc-paris to book.

The British Airways logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=1862

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British Airways Offers Flight Deals to Paris This Summer

Last Power-Up of the Flight Deck of Space Shuttle Endeavour in May 2012 The flight deck of Space Shuttle Endeavour was powered up for the final time in early May 2012 to complete decommissioning activities for museum display. Endeavour was powered down on May 11, 2012 and all power to the flight deck was terminated for the last time in history. Credit: Ken Kremer

At 9:58 a.m. this morning (Friday May 11), technicians unplugged Space Shuttle Endeavour marking the final power down of NASAs last powered orbiter and termination of all power flowing to the flight deck. Today, Endeavour was euthanized. The flight deck went dark for the last time as Endeavour is being prepped inside Orbiter Processing Facility-2 (OPF-2) for final departure from the Kennedy Space Center later this year and display at her final resting place in Los Angeles.

As Endeavour was powered back up this past week for one final time to carry out decommissioning and safing activities, a tiny media group was invited to crawl inside and photographically record the flight deck as a living spaceship for the last time in history. Ken Kremer and Mike Deep were honored to receive a NASA invitation and to represent Universe Today and we share our photos of Endeavours last flight deck power-up here.

Flight Deck of Space Shuttle Endeavour Powered up for the final time. Credit: Mike Deep

For me, standing on the astronauts flight deck was like being transported to the bridge of the Starship Enterprise but this was real, not science fiction. I was at last standing on the Starship Endeavour and this was the closest I ever felt to being in space. The only thing better is being in orbit.

The blue display screens used by the Shuttle Commander and Pilot were real, lit and vividly moving before my eyes, dials were active and shining and multitudes of critical gauges lined the cabin all over from front to back, left to right , top to bottom.

Flight Deck of Space Shuttle Endeavour Powered up for the final time. Shuttle Commander seat at left, Shuttle Pilot seat at right. Credit: Ken Kremer

Endeavour was the youngest in NASAs fleet of three surviving orbiters and designated as vehicle OV-105. She flew 25 missions over a spaceflight career that spanned 19 years from the inaugural flight in 1992 to the final flight in 2011 to deliver the dark matter hunting Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) to the International Space Station (ISS). Altogether, Endeavour spent 299 days in space, orbited the Earth 4671 times and traveled over 197 million kilometers (123 million mi).

Endeavours power termination on May 11, 2012 comes almost exactly one year since her final launch on the 16 day long STS-134 mission on May 16, 2011. Since then technicians have been removing hazardous materials and propellants from the orbiters hydraulic and fuel lines and thoroughly cleansing Endeavour to make it safe for museum display to the general public. The power must be on to drain and purge the toxic materials.

Flight Deck of Space Shuttle Endeavour. Pilot seat. Credit: Mike Deep

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Endeavour Unplugged – Last Picture Show from the Flight Deck of a Living Space Shuttle Orbiter

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.

SEE: Money Facts: The Space Shuttle Program

Build SatellitesYou 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 JunkAccording 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.

ToursRichard 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.

SEE: Save Money – Travel For A Living

Mining an AsteroidCertain 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 LabMaybe 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 LineUntil 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.

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5 Ways To Make Money In Space

Northrop Grumman has completed the flight composite components for the structure that connects the Optical Telescope Element to the spacecraft on NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. Northrop Grumman is under contract to NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. for the design and development of Webb’s sunshield, telescope and spacecraft.

The flight structure known as the Deployable Tower Assembly (DTA) is designed by Northrop Grumman’s business unit Astro Aerospace and is a telescoping tower primarily comprised of composite components fabricated by Webb teammate ATK.

The DTA deploys after launch, raising the cold telescope off the warm spacecraft bus, and is a key component of JWST’s passive cooling architecture.

Passively cooling the telescope to cryogenic temperatures avoids using limited-life cryogenic liquid coolants. Made of lightweight graphite composite material chosen for its ability to thermally insulate the cold telescope from the hot spacecraft, the tower assembly extends to nearly twice its stowed height, from 1.7 meters (5.6 feet) to 2.9 meters (9.6 feet) once it is deployed.

“ATK’s completion of the deployable tower assembly composite components marks another flight hardware milestone in the fabrication of one of the most significant structures that supports the telescope’s optical train,” said Scott Texter, Webb Optical Telescope Element manager, Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems.

“These parts were very difficult to fabricate, involving some complex geometries, and ATK did a commendable job.”

The tower includes deployable harness trays for the electronics and refrigerant cables that run to the cryocooler, which keeps the Mid-Infrared Instrument at ultra cold temperatures.

The 5.9 meters (19.6 feet) of electronics cables are attached to a Z-folded cable-tray structure that unfolds. The cryocooler line is a high-tech “slinky” that uncoils as the DTA extends, via a complex drive mechanism inside the tubes that pushes them apart.

Successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, the James Webb Space Telescope is the world’s next-generation space observatory. It will be the most powerful space telescope ever built. Webb will observe the most distant objects in the universe, provide images of the very first galaxies ever formed and study planets around distant stars.

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Flight Hardware Completed For Tower Supporting Space Telescope Mirrors, Science Instruments

REDONDO BEACH, Calif., May 8, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Northrop Grumman Corp. (NYSE:NOC – News) has completed the flight composite components for the structure that connects the Optical Telescope Element to the spacecraft on NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. Northrop Grumman is under contract to NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. for the design and development of Webb’s sunshield, telescope and spacecraft.

The flight structure known as the Deployable Tower Assembly (DTA) is designed by Northrop Grumman’s business unit Astro Aerospace and is a telescoping tower primarily comprised of composite components fabricated by Webb teammate ATK. The DTA deploys after launch, raising the cold telescope off the warm spacecraft bus, and is a key component of JWST’s passive cooling architecture. Passively cooling the telescope to cryogenic temperatures avoids using limited-life cryogenic liquid coolants. Made of lightweight graphite composite material chosen for its ability to thermally insulate the cold telescope from the hot spacecraft, the tower assembly extends to nearly twice its stowed height, from 1.7 meters (5.6 feet) to 2.9 meters (9.6 feet) once it is deployed.

“ATK’s completion of the deployable tower assembly composite components marks another flight hardware milestone in the fabrication of one of the most significant structures that supports the telescope’s optical train,” said Scott Texter, Webb Optical Telescope Element manager, Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems. “These parts were very difficult to fabricate, involving some complex geometries, and ATK did a commendable job.”

The tower includes deployable harness trays for the electronics and refrigerant cables that run to the cryocooler, which keeps the Mid-Infrared Instrument at ultra cold temperatures. The 5.9 meters (19.6 feet) of electronics cables are attached to a Z-folded cable-tray structure that unfolds. The cryocooler line is a high-tech “slinky” that uncoils as the DTA extends, via a complex drive mechanism inside the tubes that pushes them apart.

Successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, the James Webb Space Telescope is the world’s next-generation space observatory. It will be the most powerful space telescope ever built. Webb will observe the most distant objects in the universe, provide images of the very first galaxies ever formed and study planets around distant stars. The Webb Telescope is a joint project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency.

For more information about the Webb telescope, visit: www.jwst.nasa.gov

Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing innovative systems, products and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide. Please visit www.northropgrumman.com for more information.

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Northrop Grumman Completes Flight Hardware for Tower Supporting NASA's James Webb Space Telescope Mirrors, Science …

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Shuttle Rocket Booster Maker to Launch Private Space Taxi by 2015

(SPACE.com) Five would-be space tourists have been battling in Seattle this week for a free suborbital spaceflight, a grand prize that will be announced tomorrow (May 9) by famed moonwalker Buzz Aldrin.

The five contestants are finalists in Space Race 2012, a competition sponsored by Seattle’s Space Needle and the private spaceflight company Space Adventures. The contest officially opened on Aug. 1, 2011 and attracted more than 50,000 entrants from all over the country, according to Space Needle officials.

The final five met in Seattle Monday (May 7) to begin a series of mysterious challenges whose nature was kept a secret by contest organizers. Monday’s activities involved an indoor skydiving competition, during which finalists had to complete a number of tasks while floating in a wind tunnel.

Two contestants were eliminated after this event, leaving only Lauren Furgason of Seattle, Sara Cook of Washington, D.C., and Gregory Schneider of Tucson, Ariz.

“The field is down to three,” Space Needle officials wrote Tuesday in a Facebook post. “Challenge #2 for Space Race finalists is about to start at the Museum of Flight! Two will move on to tomorrow’s final round.”

Part of challenge number two involves building some type of solar panel, contest officials revealed via Twitter Tuesday.

The competition will conclude at the Space Needle Wednesday, when NASA astronaut Buzz Aldrin — who in 1969 became the second person to set foot on the moon– announces the winner.

That lucky person will receive a free suborbital spaceflight, up to an altitude of about 62 miles (100 kilometers), aboard a vehicle provided by Armadillo Aerospace. The Virgina-based Space Adventures is selling seats for the Armadillo spacecraft at $110,000 per person, so that’s the approximate value of the prize.

Like the other companies gearing up to launch people to suborbital space, Armadillo isn’t quite ready to do so yet, so the launch date has not been officially set. Space Race 2012 is also offering a variety of other prizes, such as a free trip aboard the microgravity-inducing aircraft G-Force One.

All of the finalists said getting to space is a long-standing dream. Schneider said that he also hopes to inspire his children to dream big.

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Space Needle to award free trip to space today