NASA Opens New Era in Measuring Western US Snowpack

A new NASA airborne mission has created the first maps of the entire snowpack of two major mountain watersheds in California and Colorado, producing the most accurate measurements to date of how much water they hold. The data from NASA’s Airborne Snow Observatory mission will be used to estimate how much water will flow out of the basins when the snow melts Continue reading

NASA Agrees to Pay Russians $70 Million Per Astronaut

By Rich Smith | More Articles May 4, 2013 | NASA will be hitching rides on Russian rockets for at least three more years. Last week, NASA announced the signing of a $424 million extension of its contract with the Russian Federal Space Agency, also known as Roscosmos, hiring the latter to transport U.S., Canadian, European, and Japanese astronauts to the International Space Station through 2016 Continue reading

NASA would take a hit with sequestration

NASA / Kim Shiflett The Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, Dragon spacecraft with solar array fairings attached, stands inside a processing hangar at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. Sequestration could put SpaceX launches at risk. Continue reading

SpaceX Fires Up Private Rocket Friday Launch to Space Station

A private rocket has flexed its muscles in a key pre-launch test, firing up in preparation for lofting the next commercial cargo mission toward the International Space Station this Friday (March 1). SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocketsuccessfully executed a “static fire test” at around 1:30 p.m Continue reading

Next Dragon space station launch: March 1

NASA TV The private Dragon capsule built by SpaceX is seen at the end of the International Space Station’s robotic arm during its undocking on Oct. 28, 2012, in this camera view. The Dragon made the first commercial cargo delivery to the space. Continue reading

Next Private Spacecraft Launch to Space Station Set for March 1

The next private cargo mission to the International Space Station is slated to blast off March 1, NASA announced today (Feb. 14). The unmanned Dragon capsule, built by California-based firm SpaceX, will launch from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Air Force Station at 10:10 a.m. Continue reading

NASA kicks off commercial crew certification process

NASA has awarded contracts to Boeing Co., SpaceX and Sierra Nevada Corp. to begin the process of ensuring commercial crew spacecraft meet the space agency's stringent safety standards for human spaceflight. Continue reading

NASA adds $30 million for space taxi work

REUTERS – NASA is adding $30 million to its investment in three companies’ efforts to develop spaceships that can fly astronauts to the International Space Station, officials said on Monday. The U.S. Continue reading

NASA and United Launch Alliance Complete Space Act Agreement

NASA partner United Launch Alliance (ULA) has completed the fifth and final milestone for its Commercial Crew Development Round 2 (CCDev2) agreement with the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Full text of Space Act Agreement The Hazard, System Safety and Probabilistic Risk Assessment detailed how ULA’s Atlas V rocket launch system hardware would ensure crew safety during launch and ascent. “The ULA team did an outstanding job outlining how it plans to integrate its launch vehicle with completely different spacecraft designs,” said Ed Mango, NASA’s Commercial Crew Program manager. Continue reading

Private Space Taxi Builders Pass Key Milestones for NASA

Two commercial spaceflight companies have checked off vital milestones on the path toward flights to the International Space Station for NASA, the space agency announced today (Aug. 23). The Hawthorne, Calif.-based SpaceX has completed its Space Act Agreement under NASA’s Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program, or COTS Continue reading

Sierra Nevada Corporation Supports Communications Experiment on International Space Station

SPARKS, Nev.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Over a month ago, Japans HTV3 cargo carrier launched atop a Japanese H-II rocket delivering an innovative software-defined radio experiment to the International Space Station (ISS). This new ISS facility, known as the Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Testbed, utilizes Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) Space Systems developed antenna pointing system. Initial reports indicate the system is operating as designed. Continue reading

A new space race: Companies vie to haul cargo, passengers

Private companies developing spacecraft More than a dozen private companies are developing spacecraft to transport cargo or people to space. Here are few of them: SpaceX: Its seven-seat Dragon capsule in May became the first commercial spacecraft to fly to the International Space Station and return to Earth intact Continue reading

NASA picks companies to build space taxis

WASHINGTON – NASA picked three aerospace companies Friday to build small rocketships to take astronauts to the International Space Station. This is the third phase of NASA’s efforts to get private space companies to take over the job of the now-retired space shuttle. The companies will share more than $1.1 billion Continue reading

NASA contract goes to firm with Poway office

A space flight development company with facilities in Poway has been awarded a $215.5 million NASA contract to continue development of private sector version of the space shuttle. The Dream Chaser undergoing testing in May. Sierra Nevada Corp. Continue reading

NASA Chooses Next-Gen Companies for Human Spaceflight – Video




03-08-2012 12:47 At a briefing from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden announces new agreements with three American commercial companies, Sierra Nevada, SpaceX and Boeing, to design and develop the next generation of US human spaceflight capabilities, enabling a launch of astronauts from US soil in the next five years. Continue reading