Obama seeks international cooperation in space, AP

"Saying the U.S. is no longer "racing against an adversary," President Barack Obama called Monday for greater international cooperation in exploring space. Obama said in a statement that the U.S. seeks peaceful collaboration with other countries that will ward off conflict and make it easier to expand exploration. The United States must do more to address debris and other hazards in space, he said, and called for a "burgeoning commercial space industry."

Obama Focuses Revised Space Policy on International Cooperation

"President Barack Obama called for greater international cooperation for space exploration and bolstering U.S. companies that build spacecraft. Obama vowed to maintain the U.S. competitive edge in space exploration and in systems that support national security operations. At the same time, the president said, U.S. policy must recognize that the world has changed since the end of the Cold War."

Obama calls for international cooperation in space, Orlando Sentinel

"President Barack Obama on Monday underscored his desire to turn space into a place for peace on Monday, releasing a policy paper that advocated international science missions and opened the door for future treaties that could limit space junk and weapons above Earth. But administration officials said the push for international cooperation does not mean the U.S. necessarily would ask its allies to join Obama's proposed mission to send NASA astronauts to an asteroid by 2025, which he outlined during a visit to Kennedy Space Center in April, or immediately seek a treaty that would ban space-based weapons."

NASA MSFC Internal Email: Procurement Sensitivity for Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) NNM10ZDA001K

"The BAA NNM10ZDA001K will be released to industry in the near future for the Heavy Lift and Propulsion Technology Systems Analysis and Trade Study acquisition at NASA/MSFC. Effective immediately, all MSFC employees will cease communications with industry concerning this procurement. This 'blackout' period of communication with industry will continue until proposals have been received and evaluated, the contract is awarded, and the BAA Evaluation Team is released from its responsibilities."

Keith's note: I (and other space media) just got this White House Press Secretary advisory one minute ago from NASA PAO. I had a total of 6 minutes advanced notice. I can't think of a better way to cut down on questions:

"Today: Senior Administration Officials to Hold A Conference Call Briefing on the New National Space Policy

WASHINGTON--Today at 1:30 PM EDT, Senior Administration Officials will hold a conference call with reporters to discuss the administration's new National Space Policy.

WHAT: Conference call briefing to discuss the administration's new National Space Policy
WHO: Barry Pavel, NSC Senior Director for Defense Policy and Strategy,
Jim Kohlenberger, Chief of Staff of the Office of Science and Technology Policy,
Peter Marquez, NSC Director of Space Policy
WHEN: Today, Monday, June 28 at 1:30 PM EDT
Dial-in: United States: (877) 941-8639
Call Title: "White House Conference Call"

I will live tweet the content of this briefing here.

-- National Space Poicy (full text)
-- Fact Sheet: The National Space Policy

This week marked the continued transition from Shuttle operations to future opportunities. This was highlighted by ground breaking on the new Exploration Park at the Kennedy Space Center. Like research parks at other NASA centers, KSC's Exploration Park is an initiative to attract businesses to KSC. This week also marked the anniversary of one very important past mission.

Shuttle Shakeup Continues

The final two missions of the shuttle program will both be pushed back due to a variety of different technical and logistics issues. The launch of STS-133 will slip about a month and a half from September 15 until October 29. STS-134 was supposed to launch this November will now launch no earlier than February of 2011.

The payload on one of the flights has had mechanical issues and cannot be delivered in time for launch and there are two communications blackout periods that fall within the period in which these launches would occur. Add to that the fact that both the European space Agency's ATV and the Japanese Space Agency's HTV are scheduled to fly missions in this period.

Given all these different factors it has been decided that it would be best if the launch dates would be pushed back so as to account for all the variables. There still has not been a final determination as to whether there will be an additional flight added to the shuttle's manifest. That determination is due by the end of this month.

NASA and Space Florida Break Ground on New Research Park

Florida Governor Charlie Crist announced the official groundbreaking of Exploration Park, KSC's next-generation technology and commerce park on June 25. To mark the groundbreaking Lieutenant. Governor Jeff Kottkamp, local officials and senior leadership from Space Florida and Kennedy Space Center (KSC) gathered on the grounds of NASA's Space Life Sciences Laboratory (SLSL) where ISS-bound payloads are prepped for flight.

The SLSL will be the first building of Exploration Park. Exploration Park will host a wide range of aerospace-related activities for commercial, civil and military tenants. The park will be close to existing launch and payload processing facilities, providing easy access to space launch facilities.

Phase 1 of Exploration Park is currently expected to include eight new buildings with some 315,000 square feet. Space Florida has signed a 60-year lease with NASA to develop 60 acres of usable space on KSC property for the park, which will also incorporate the adjacent SLSL and enable other new laboratory and high bay capabilities. To date, six Letters of Intent have been signed by potential tenants of Phase 1 facilities.

An artist's rendition of what the new Exploration Park building will look like when completed. The groundbreaking ceremonies to start construction took place on June 25, 2010 at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Image Credit: Space Florida/Pizzuti Solutions.

This Week in Cape History

June 27, 1995: NASA launched space shuttle Atlantis on mission (STS-71) on its way to dock with the Russian Mir Space Station. This mission was the first cooperative effort between the United States and Russia since the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project during the summer of 1975. The five-day docking between Mir and Atlantis marked the formation of the largest spacecraft ever put into orbit up until that point in history. It also marked the 100th manned space launch by the U.S.

--
The Cape Week in Review is compiled by Jason Rhian, the Cape Insider, and is a weekly
round-up of what's happening at Cape Canaveral. If you have information or suggestions for the Cape Week in Review please email us at capereview@spaceref.com.

Keith's 25 Jun update: According to NASA PAO, NASA issued the following statement this morning: "NASA has confirmed with the director of the Russian Federal Space Agency's human space flight program that Russia has not issued an invitation to China to join the International Space Station program."

More Details on Space Discussions during the International Economical Forum in St. Petersburg, Roscosmos

"International Space Station partners have not received any response from China on a proposal to join the ISS program, Roscosmos Head Anatoly Perminov stated during the International Economical Forum in St. Petersburg. Speaking about Russian role in the program, Perminov reminded that US shuttles are to be retired soon, leaving Soyuz to maintain crew transportation services solely for the ISS, Interfax informs. "This is rather dangerous, any expert recognizes that. There must a backup for the Soyuz. We wish some country would have it, and we contacted China with its human spaceflight program mature enough to maintain crew transportation in the program, asking to join the ISS partnership. However there was no response", Perminov said."

Keith's note: The Roscosmos website is designed a little weird - you can't directly link to some things. To see the original source for this article, go to this page and then go to "all news" and click on "More Details on Space Discussions during the International Economical Forum in St. Petersburg"

Keith's note: It has been 24 hours and virtually nothing has been released by NASA about the RockOn! rocket launch yesterday that carried a number of student experiments. When you go to the Wallops website it now says "A Terrier-Orion Sounding Rocket was successfully launched on 6/24/10. Stay tuned for information on the next launch from Wallops!". There is no (apparent) link to photos, press releases, videos, or any other information associated with the launch.

The last post on the Wallops Twitter (which is going into hibernation again) at 7:25 am EDT yesterday says "We will post a launch pic later this morning. Thanks for that suggestion." The Wallops YouTube page has one video - but it was posted a year ago. The Wallops Facebook page has a video but you have to go through the process of being approved as a Facebook friend before you can see it. Nothing is apparently posted on the Wallops website.

According to project documentation, the following universities had payloads on this mission: Temple University, University of West Virginia, University of Louisiana University of Minnesota, University of Wyoming, University of Puerto Rico, University of Colorado at Boulder, Virginia Tech, University of Northern Colorado, and Colorado State University. Yet there is no evidence that NASA Wallops PAO or the NASA Education Office have lifted a finger to make public notice of this mission.

Given all of the other Summer of Innovation events that NASA is promoting it is rather baffling that NASA's Education office continues to ignore this mission - one where students focused their ideas and imagination on something that actually went into space. I know that they are now aware of this mission. As such this continued omission of mention of the event is no longer an oversight. It is now deliberate.

- Yet Another Stealth Launch at Wallops (Update), earlier post
- Wallops Flight Facility, NASA's hidden launch shop, CNet

Shuttle Era Extended to early 2011, Ken Kremer

"The Era of NASA's Space Shuttle Program will be extended by a few more months into early 2011, slightly staving off the retirement that had long been scheduled to occur by the end of 2010. Space Shuttle Program managers have submitted a formal new "change request" to move the launch target dates of the final two shuttle flights, STS 133 and STS 134. These next, and so far last, shuttle flights had been scheduled to lift off on Sept. 16 with Discovery and in late November 2010 with Endeavour and will now be retargeted to late October 2010 and late February 2011 respectively."

Keith's note: The following was sent to all LaRC employees last night: "Most of NASA Langley lost power at approximately 3 p.m. today when a high voltage cable terminator failed in the Center's Stratton substation. Employees may have heard a loud noise associated with the failure. There were no injuries. The cable terminator is on a electrical feeder cable connected to the 22-kV (22 thousand volt) main power bus. A protective relay tripped the bus off line, and most of the damage was limited to the cable terminator. Power was restored by 3:33 p.m. The Center is open for normal operations."

Successful science communication: A case study, Ars Technica

"It is no secret that, in general, i.e. outside of dedicated science reporting venues and the occasional medical report on the evening news, the scientific community does a craptastic job of communicating with the general public. While I think we at Nobel Intent do it admirably, we are but an infinitesimal sliver in the pie of science. A report that appeared in a recent edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences highlights a case study of effective science communication and deconstructs it to show what parts may be generally applicable to other areas of science."

At Companies Tied to NASA, Casualties of a Changing Mission, NY Times

"The administration wants to turn to commercial companies for taking future astronauts to orbit while taking a hiatus from any ambitious missions to send astronauts beyond low-Earth orbit. Yet Congress has not agreed to the scuttling of Constellation and added a clause in this year's federal budget that prohibited NASA from canceling the program or starting a new one without Congressional assent. The skirmishing continued in earnest this week. Staff members on the House Committee on Science and Technology are reviewing documents that NASA sent over Friday evening to comply with the committee's demand for information used in formulating the president's proposal. In addition, on Tuesday, 62 House members signed a letter sent to President Obama "to express concern" over the direction of NASA."

ATK gets reprieve in NASA funding, AP

"ATK Space Systems says it has been cleared for a scheduled ground test of a new rocket motor in September. ATK says it received notice from NASA that the company will receive $160 million to prepare for the rocket test despite doubts about the future of the space program. The situation could change after October, when a new federal budget year starts."

ATK: NASA releases funds: Ares rocket work may continue through at least September, McClatchy-Tribune

"NASA in the last month threatened to withhold funding and enforce a contract clause that could force ATK to put up $500 million in termination costs for Ares, which is part of the Constellation space project. ATK officials would not confirm it, but NASA projected the termination clause would cost more than 2,000 jobs at the Top of Utah company."

Does moon plan have a pulse?, Houston Chronicle

"And the full 60-member House Appropriations Committee will be deciding whether to adopt Senate-passed restrictions designed to block an administration effort to have Constellation contractors set aside funds to pay potential contract termination costs - a move that critics contend bleeds the program before Congress has taken action. The language is part of the must-pass wartime defense supplemental bill. The panels' deliberations follow a letter to Obama by 62 House Democrats and Republicans from 18 states on Wednesday that urged the president to work with lawmakers on a compromise on the Constellation program."

More Details on Space Discussions during the International Economical Forum in St. Petersburg, Roscosmos

"International Space Station partners have not received any response from China on a proposal to join the ISS program, Roscosmos Head Anatoly Perminov stated during the International Economical Forum in St. Petersburg. Speaking about Russian role in the program, Perminov reminded that US shuttles are to be retired soon, leaving Soyuz to maintain crew transportation services solely for the ISS, Interfax informs. "This is rather dangerous, any expert recognizes that. There must a backup for the Soyuz. We wish some country would have it, and we contacted China with its human spaceflight program mature enough to maintain crew transportation in the program, asking to join the ISS partnership. However there was no response", Perminov said."

President Obama Proposes Additional Financing For Growth And Jobs

"The president submitted to Congress on Friday, June 18, a fiscal year 2011 budget amendment that targets up to $100 million toward spurring regional economic growth and job creation in the aerospace industry. The amendment would provide up to $40 million in aid for Florida's Space Coast and a maximum of about $60 million for other affected regions. These funds specifically would be made available from the Constellation Program transition element of the agency's exploration request. The amendment does not increase the total of the administration's fiscal year 2011 budget request."

Statement of Senator John Glenn (ret.) Regarding NASA Manned Space Flight

"These are critical days for the future of Manned Space Flight. Conflicting views and advice come to the President and Congress from every quarter in the aerospace and science communities. There is good reason for the concern.

The U.S. for the first time since the beginning of the Space Age will have no way to launch anyone into space - starting next January.

Our astronauts will have to be launched in Russian spacecraft, from a Russian base in Kazakhstan, to go to ~IJ International Space Station.

Starting at the end of this year, and probably for the next five to ten years, the launches of U.S. astronauts into space will be viewed in classrooms and homes in America only through the courtesy of Russian TV.

For the "world's greatest spacefaring nation," that is hard to accept."

United Launch Alliance, Operator of the Atlas and Delta Rockets, Joins the Commercial Spaceflight Federation

"The Commercial Spaceflight Federation is pleased to announce that United Launch Alliance of Denver, Colorado has joined the Federation as an Executive Member. United Launch Alliance operates the Atlas V, Delta II, and Delta IV launch vehicles. Michael C. Gass, President and CEO of United Launch Alliance, stated, "United Launch Alliance has close business relationships with many members of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, including Bigelow Aerospace, Sierra Nevada Corporation, Space Florida, and XCOR Aerospace. Additionally, ULA is a funded participant in NASA's Commercial Crew Development Program. So joining the Commercial Spaceflight Federation is a natural fit for us, and we are proud to do so."

The past week was a week of change at Cape Canaveral. Organizations within Brevard County united to assist workers the will be laid off when the shuttle era comes to an end sometime next year. At the same time the proposal for there to be one more flight added before the program is ended continued this week. Meanwhile the space shuttle Discovery was fitted with new engines and prepped for her final flight - STS-133. (With video)

Marc's note:
We also have an additional in depth story by Jason Rhian on help for workers on the Space Coast.

Space Coast and National Groups Align to Help Aerospace Workers, SpaceRef

"With some 8,000 space workers facing layoffs at the end of the shuttle program, groups in and around the Kennedy Space Center area are aligning to provide assistance and guidance to help those facing unemployment find new employment. Brevard Workforce Development was recently awarded a $15 million grant to help provide these highly-trained professionals find work in the post-shuttle era. Now the employment-assistance group is putting that money to work with the assistance of other organizations."

Groups Host Job Fairs for Displaced Aerospace Workers

The first of three planned job fairs for this month was held this week on June 17 by Brevard Workforce Development (more commonly known as Brevard Workforce) and the job-placement site Monster.com. On June 2, Brevard Workforce was awarded a $15 million National Emergency Grant (NEG). The grant was announced by Secretary of Labor, Hilda Solis during a visit to NASA's Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

Brevard Workforce has worked swiftly to align itself with groups that are focused on alleviating the problem of rampant unemployment that is looming along the Space Coast. With only two scheduled shuttle flights remaining before the shuttles are retired some 8,000 workers in the region will soon be laid off.

This week's event was held at the Radisson Resort in Port Canaveral. Named "Launch your Job Search" the fair were offered tips on interviewing, networking and how to improve one's resume. This week's event was only the start of Brevard Workforce's efforts to assist aerospace engineers.

Next week Brevard Workforce, will team up with Kennedy Space Center to host a workshop to aid laid off or soon-to-be laid off workers find new employment. The first day of the fair will take place at two separate facilities located at Kennedy Space Center and will have over 40 different business and government organizations attending. This half of the job fair will only be open to current KSC employees. For those already impacted by layoffs there will be a second job fair held for them off of KSC.

An Atlantis Encore? - It's a Possibility

The ongoing push for one more flight in the shuttle program progressed further this week with NASA pursuing a decision by the end of June. Shuttle mission managers are hoping for a final determination to get them of the holding pattern that they have been waiting in. If approved, the extra flight would be used to deliver more supplies to the International Space Station.

An extra shuttle flight would also serve to fill the gap between when NASA delivers cargo to the station and when cargo can be delivered via commercial means. Of more immediate concern it would keep many shuttle workers employed longer - allowing them more time to make the transition to a new career.

Thousands of employees have lost their jobs in the past year. This has been a big concern for NASA managers - and local lawmakers alike. U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson D-Orlando has been among those pushing for one more flight for the space shuttle. However, while there are many positive aspects to one more flight - the notion of Atlantis being sent into orbit again - is not without its downside.

Space shuttle Atlantis makes its slow trek from the Shuttle Landing Facility to Orbiter Processing Facility-1. STS-132 was the 34th shuttle mission to the station, the 132nd shuttle mission overall and the last planned flight for Atlantis. Photo credit: Jack Pfaller

In a time of financial struggle proposing to send up Atlantis on a flight that could cost as much as $1 billion - is likely to run into some opposition. There is also the risk involved. Ever since the loss of the space shuttle Columbia NASA has had a policy of keeping an additional shuttle on standby in case it was needed to fly a rescue mission.

Atlantis will already be prepped just in case Endeavour which will fly the current final mission of the shuttle program - STS-134. Since Atlantis would essentially be prepped and ready to go it would be fairly simple to modify it for a final flight. If approved, this mission would take place in June. Although not widely mentioned it is rumored that it may actually be Discovery that would fly this last mission as it has the ability to tap the station's energy and thus stay on-site about four days longer.

Outside of extending some high-tech jobs this additional flight would also serve to ensure that the International Space Station is in the best possible condition for when there will be no more shuttle flights to restock the station. In the end the ultimate say lies with Congress as whether or not to conduct a final mission.

Discovery Prepped for Final Flight

For what could be the last time, the space shuttle Discovery had her Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSME) swapped out this week in preparation for her scheduled fall flight to the International Space Station. Meanwhile the mission's External Tank (ET) and Solid Rocket Boosters (SRB) were mated together and readied for what could possibly an October liftoff.

At Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a space shuttle main engine is installed in space shuttle Discovery. Discovery and its STS-133 crew are targeted to deliver the Express Logistics Carrier-4 filled with external payloads and experiments, as well as critical spare components to the station later this year. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

This week in Cape History

June 17, 1985: NASA launched space shuttle Discovery on mission STS-51G from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The crew included the first person of Arabic descent, Sultan Al-Saud of Saudi Arabia, to fly in space. A total of three communications satellites were deployed during the mission and was the Discovery's fifth flight. The mission ended successfully with a landing at Edwards Air Force Base on June 25, 1985.

The crew of STS-51G pose in this photo in their dress uniforms. In the front row from left to right: Pilot, John O. Creighton, Commander Dan Brandenstein and Mission Specialist-1 John Fabian. In the back row from left to right are Mission Specialist-3 Steven Nagel, Mission Specialist-1 Shannon Lucid, Payload Specialist-1 Patrick Baudry and Payload Specialist-2 Sultan Salman Abdelazize Al-Saud

--
The Cape Week in Review is compiled by Jason Rhian, the Cape Insider, and is a weekly
round-up of what's happening at Cape Canaveral. If you have information or suggestions for the Cape Week in Review please email us at capereview@spaceref.com.

John Glenn to NASA: Keep shuttles flying, MSNBC

"Glenn fears that a failure involving Russia's Soyuz craft, the only ship besides the shuttle capable of bringing astronauts to the space station, would almost certainly result in the abandonment of the station."

John Glenn pushes to keep space shuttle flying. Florida Today

"The cost of continuing the shuttle is really very tiny compared to the $100 billion investment that we've made in the station," said Glenn, who became the first American to orbit Earth in 1962 and then returned to space aboard Discovery in 1998 at age 77."

Hutchison Strongly Supports John Glenn Statement on NASA

"We need time to assess the station's equipment needs from now until commercial cargo capabilities come on line to ensure the station's survivability and full utilization, both in the short run and until 2020," Senator Hutchison said. "I have proposed several options to extend the space shuttle, some of which do not require additional flights. Unfortunately, the Administration has given no indication that it understands how the President's proposal changes assumptions and plans regarding the space station, or that it is willing to discuss options to extend the availability of the space shuttle. I hope that Senator Glenn adding his voice to those of other space luminaries like Neil Armstrong, Eugene Cernan, and Jim Lovell will result in a new direction for our discussion and our nation's vaunted space program."

Making a Splash With a Hint of Mars Water, Science, 30 June 2000

"Opening the press conference, planetary geologist Michael Malin of Malin Space Science Systems Inc. (MSSS) in San Diego warned that "the actual science may pale before the science fiction that has been written." The fiction grew out of an accurate, if vague, item on the independent watchdog Web site, NASA Watch (www.nasawatch.com), late afternoon on 19 June. It reported, apparently from sources in the astrobiology community, that NASA had briefed the White House (presidential science adviser Neal Lane, as it turned out) on a major discovery involving water on Mars. Other Web sites added details through Tuesday, 20 June; USA Today put a Web-sourced story at the top of its front page Wednesday morning. The information gleaned anonymously from NASA headquarters personnel and researchers around the country ranged from on target--signs of recent spring activity--to unlikely: ponds and even the possibility of geysers. Although no reporters appeared to have seen the paper (by Malin and his MSSS colleague Kenneth Edgett), Science decided to stem the flow of misinformation by releasing it."

Open Letter To Congress On Commercial Space

"We, the undersigned space leaders, are strong supporters of human spaceflight. We are writing to urge you to both (1) fully fund the commercial crew to Space Station program proposed in the President's FY2011 budget request for NASA, and (2) accelerate the pace and funding of NASA's human space exploration projects beyond Earth orbit."

Letter: Commercial rockets are 'fundamental' to space exploration, Orlando Sentinel

"The war of words over President Barack Obama's new plan for NASA continued this week when more than 50 ex-astronauts, aerospace businessmen and scientists signed a letter supporting his proposal to replace the space shuttle with commercial rockets."