The 2011 Next-Generation Suborbital Researchers Conference will be held in Orlando, Florida 28 February through 2 March. That’s less than two weeks away!

If you or your colleagues and students have not registered on line yet, you still can, until the end of Friday February 18th; just go to: http://nsrc.swri.org/. (After that, you can register in-person in Orlando at a higher price.)

Following on the success of the inaugural Next-Gen Suborbital Researchers Conference in February 2010, the Commercial Spaceflight Federation is proud to again co-sponsor the 2011 sequel conference.

We can already see that the 2011 Next-Generation Suborbital Researchers Conference promises to be a watershed gathering for researchers, educators, and industry/government. The meeting will provide a forum for the exchange of ideas about the application of these new vehicles to research and education objectives. The meeting will also provide important networking opportunities for researchers and educators to meet with colleagues, government officials, and representatives from the suborbital industry. Vehicles are under development by companies including Armadillo Aerospace, Blue Origin, Masten Space Systems, Virgin Galactic, and XCOR Aerospace.

This year’s registrants include a significant number of international attendees from Canada, Europe, and Asia, in addition to many from the United States.

Over 120 presenters—a 40% increase over 2010—will discuss everything from flight test progress to planned experiments in 7 different research fields to training and roles for research and educator payload specialists. In total, the meeting will feature 20 sessions, 4 discussion panels, a press conference, presentations or booths by 20 sponsors, and a public night presentation by Virgin Galactic CEO George Whitesides.

The meeting will also include invited talks by experts in diverse fields that include microgravity sciences, atmospheric science, space life sciences, planetary science, education, and crew training.

The 2011 Next-Generation Suborbital Researchers Conference is the place to be to learn how to marry your research, education, or business interests to next-generation suborbital spaceflight.

For more information, and to register to reserve your seat, go to http://nsrc.swri.org/

See you there, soon—and don’t forget to register before the end of Friday February 18th when the website registration period ends! (After that you will have to register in person in Orlando, at a higher price).

Image above: the opening session from last year’s inaugural Next-Gen Suborbital Researchers Conference in Colorado.

The X PRIZE Foundation, a member of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, announced this week “the official roster of 29 registered teams competing for the $30 million Google Lunar X PRIZE, an unprecedented competition to send a robot to the Moon that travels at least 500 meters and transmit video, images, and data back to the Earth.”

The X PRIZE Foundation noted that, “Recently, NASA, the U.S. civil space agency, announced that it will purchase data related to innovative lunar missions from six Google Lunar X PRIZE teams, with contracts worth as much as $10 million each.” This is a demonstration of the power of public-private partnerships in space exploration and discovery.

X PRIZE Foundation chairman and CEO Peter Diamandis noted the progress made in the competition to date, stating, “Teams have purchased launch vehicles, they are well into their design process, and we have even seen NASA recognize the value of this competition by purchasing data from several competitors. I want to congratulate the teams that have registered. We are excited to see what they will accomplish in the coming years.”

Tiffany V.C. Montague, Manager of Google Space Initiatives, stated, “From the Wright brothers’ first flight to the Lewis and Clark expedition, the most successful and revolutionary discoveries often come from small, entrepreneurial teams. At Google, we share with this global group of innovators a passion for tackling tough technological and scientific challenges, and we wish them the best of luck as they begin the mission phase.”

For more information, visit the Google Lunar X PRIZE website at: http://www.googlelunarxprize.org/.

Commercial Crew Will Eliminate Reliance on Russia, Save Money for the US Taxpayer, and Tap Private-Sector Innovation to Create New Jobs

Washington, D.C., Monday, February 14, 2011 – The Commercial Spaceflight Federation today welcomed the strong support for commercial spaceflight in the new NASA FY2012 proposed budget.

CSF President Bretton Alexander stated, “In this constrained fiscal environment, commercial spaceflight is more important than ever. NASA’s Commercial Crew program will result in significant savings to the US taxpayer, and will cut the amount of money the nation has been sending to Russia every year. Leveraging private investment is the only way NASA can make its dollars go farther in these times of belt-tightening.”

Last year’s NASA Authorization Act identified commercial spaceflight as the primary means to access low Earth orbit and transport NASA astronauts to the International Space Station. The Commercial Crew program has been endorsed by a broad array of thought leaders, including over 25 former astronauts, members of the Columbia Accident Investigation board, over 14 Nobel Laureates, and leaders from across the political spectrum such as former Governor Bill Richardson and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich.

CSF Executive Director John Gedmark added, “NASA’s number one job is to safely keep America flying in space and eliminate our dependence on the Russians as quickly as possible. It’s because commercial spaceflight is the fastest way to end our reliance on Russia that robust funding for Commercial Crew is so critical. In addition, Commercial Crew will create thousands more private-sector jobs using a combination of government and private investment.”

Gedmark concluded, “It’s time to unleash the innovation of the American private sector in space, and NASA’s new budget does exactly that. It’s the only way to ensure America’s leadership in space.”

About the Commercial Spaceflight Federation

The mission of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation (CSF) is to promote the development of commercial human spaceflight, pursue ever-higher levels of safety, and share best practices and expertise throughout the industry. The Commercial Spaceflight Federation’s member companies, which include commercial spaceflight developers, operators, spaceports, suppliers, and service providers, are creating thousands of high-tech jobs nationwide, working to preserve American leadership in aerospace through technology innovation, and inspiring young people to pursue careers in science and engineering. For more information please visit http://www.commercialspaceflight.org or contact Executive Director John Gedmark at john@commercialspaceflight.org or at 202.349.1121.

# # #

[A brief public service announcement about the upcoming Next Generation Suborbital Researchers Conference in Orlando, February 28-March 2. I attended the inaugural conference last year in Boulder, Colorado, and found it very useful; this one promises to be just as good if not better. Advance registration for the conference closes today, although on-site registration will be available.]

The 2011 Next-Generation Suborbital Researchers Conference will be held in Orlando, Florida 28 February through 2 March. That’s less than two weeks away!

If you or your colleagues and students have not registered on line yet, you still can, until the end of Friday February 18th; just go to: http://nsrc.swri.org/. (After that, you can register in-person in Orlando at a higher price.)

Following on the success of the inaugural Next-Gen Suborbital Researchers Conference in February 2010, the Commercial Spaceflight Federation is proud to again co-sponsor the 2011 sequel conference.

We can already see that the 2011 Next-Generation Suborbital Researchers Conference promises to be a watershed gathering for researchers, educators, and industry/government. The meeting will provide a forum for the exchange of ideas about the application of these new vehicles to research and education objectives. The meeting will also provide important networking opportunities for researchers and educators to meet with colleagues, government officials, and representatives from the suborbital industry. Vehicles are under development by companies including Armadillo Aerospace, Blue Origin, Masten Space Systems, Virgin Galactic, and XCOR Aerospace.

This year’s registrants include a significant number of international attendees from Canada, Europe, and Asia, in addition to many from the United States.

Over 120 presenters—a 40% increase over 2010—will discuss everything from flight test progress to planned experiments in 7 different research fields to training and roles for research and educator payload specialists. In total, the meeting will feature 20 sessions, 4 discussion panels, a press conference, presentations or booths by 20 sponsors, and a public night presentation by Virgin Galactic CEO George Whitesides.

The meeting will also include invited talks by experts in diverse fields that include microgravity sciences, atmospheric science, space life sciences, planetary science, education, and crew training.

The 2011 Next-Generation Suborbital Researchers Conference is the place to be to learn how to marry your research, education, or business interests to next-generation suborbital spaceflight.

For more information, and to register to reserve your seat, go to http://nsrc.swri.org/

See you there, soon—and don’t forget to register before the end of Friday February 18th when the website registration period ends! (After that you will have to register in person in Orlando, at a higher price).

The Commercial Spaceflight Federation is pleased to announce that the scientist-astronaut training nonprofit organization, Astronauts for Hire, Inc. (”Astronauts4Hire”) has officially become a Research and Education Affiliate of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation. Astronauts4Hire joins research and education affiliates such as Purdue University, Johns Hopkins University, Princeton University, George Mason University, and the University of Central Florida that are interested in flying scientists and payload specialists onboard the new generation of commercial suborbital spacecraft.

“We are pleased to welcome the Astronauts4Hire nonprofit as an affiliate of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation,” stated John Gedmark, executive director of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation. “The Astronauts4Hire organization is a diverse group of enthusiastic future scientist-astronauts, and its members have backgrounds ranging from engineering and aviation to astronomy and physiology. They are training for prospective future spaceflights and have volunteered to raise public awareness of the exciting potential of commercial spaceflight. Hopefully, members of the Astronauts4Hire group will be among the thousands of people who will fly to space in the coming years onboard commercial suborbital spacecraft.”

Brian Shiro, a geophysicist and president of Astronauts4Hire, stated, “Astronauts4Hire is very excited to be joining the Commercial Spaceflight Federation and looks forward to productive mutual collaboration through projects like the Commercial Spaceflight Federation’s Suborbital Applications Researchers Group (SARG) that raise awareness of the potential of commercial human spaceflight and enable the new industry to flourish.”

The Commercial Spaceflight Federation and Astronauts4Hire are both proud co-sponsors of the upcoming Next-Generation Suborbital Researchers Conference, which will be held at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida from February 28 to March 2, 2011.

About the Commercial Spaceflight Federation
The mission of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation is to promote the development of commercial human spaceflight, pursue ever-higher levels of safety, and share best practices and expertise throughout the industry. The Commercial Spaceflight Federation’s member companies, which include commercial spaceflight developers, operators, spaceports, suppliers, and service providers, are creating thousands of high- tech jobs nationwide, working to preserve American leadership in aerospace through technology innovation, and inspiring young people to pursue careers in science and engineering. For more information please visit http://www.commercialspaceflight.org or contact Executive Director John Gedmark at john[at]commercialspaceflight.org or at (202) 349-1121.

About Astronauts4Hire
Astronauts for Hire, Inc. is a non-profit corporation poised to blaze new trails in the commercial spaceflight industry. Its members are available for hire by researchers to conduct experiments on suborbital flights. As the gateway to commercial human spaceflight, Astronauts4Hire serves as the matchmaker among the suborbital research community, training providers, and spaceflight operators. For more information, please visit http://www.Astronauts4Hire.org or contact Public Relations Officer Ben Corbin at ben.corbin[at]astronauts4hire.org or at (850) 685-2218.

Washington, D.C. – Space industry leaders, astronauts, and the Commercial Spaceflight Federation are issuing the following statements following the successful launch, orbital operation, and splashdown of the Dragon capsule, a milestone in commercial spaceflight:

Bretton Alexander, President of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation:

“It’s a milestone on the path to realizing the first commercial human spaceflight capability. It’s historic in that it’s the beginning of a paradigm shift from a government human spaceflight architecture to one that opens up human spaceflight to the private sector.”

Mark Sirangelo, Chairman of Sierra Nevada Corporation Space Systems and Chairman of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation:

“On behalf of all the members of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation I would like to send our congratulations to Elon, Gwynne Shotwell and everyone working at SpaceX. The spaceflight community has received a historic piece of great news today. Years of hard work, resources and risk went into this flight and have led to this terrific achievement that stands as a door-opener for a new era in space.”

Frank DiBello, President and CEO of Space Florida:

“This flight marks another giant leap forward on the path of commercial spaceflight. Florida’s aerospace workforce can take special pride that SpaceX’s launch happened right here at the Space Coast. This success means more jobs for Florida and Floridians, and promises a vibrant commercial space capability for the nation. Florida is proud to host SpaceX for launch operations, and we look forward to many more flights of the Falcon and Dragon spacecraft as SpaceX and other commercial companies continue to create new jobs for Florida’s aerospace workforce.”

Dr. Peter H. Diamandis, Chairman of the X PRIZE Foundation:

“In NASA’s new plans for space exploration a new player has taken center stage – American capitalism and entrepreneurship – and today’s SpaceX success strengthens my hope that entrepreneurial commercial space companies will at long last remove the cost barrier that slows our exploration of the solar system.”

Eric Anderson, Chairman of Space Adventures:

“What a tremendous accomplishment for SpaceX to succeed on the first Dragon spacecraft launch attempt. We see a bright future for the commercial spaceflight industry and today was another advancement.”

Byron Lichtenberg, former Space Shuttle astronaut:

“I expect that there will be a lot more astronauts in the future because of today’s success with Dragon. Lower cost launches means more flights, which means more astronauts. We’ve only had 500 astronauts in the history of the Space Age, but I hope to see thousands more in the decades to come thanks to new spacecraft like Dragon.”

Dr. Alan Stern, former NASA Associate Administrator for Science and now Associate Vice President at the Southwest Research Institute:

“Congratulations to SpaceX on this historic achievement and giant leap forward! Falcon 9, Dragon, and similar commercial rockets and spacecraft will open up commercial spaceflight in new ways, and make NASA’s Space Station program far stronger. They’ll also someday hopefully reduce or eliminate the need to depend on Russian launchers to get NASA astronauts to and from the Station, and that’s extremely important.”

Mike Lounge, former Space Shuttle astronaut:

“This is an exciting tipping point for commercial space. It goes a long way to validate a legitimate role for private enterprise in space exploration. Congratulations to SpaceX for their successful mission!”

About the Commercial Spaceflight Federation
The mission of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation (CSF) is to promote the development of commercial human spaceflight, pursue ever-higher levels of safety, and share best practices and expertise throughout the industry. The Commercial Spaceflight Federation’s member companies, which include commercial spaceflight developers, operators, spaceports, suppliers, and service providers, are creating thousands of high-tech jobs nationwide, working to preserve American leadership in aerospace through technology innovation, and inspiring young people to pursue careers in science and engineering. For more information please visit http://www.commercialspaceflight.org or contact Executive Director John Gedmark at john@commercialspaceflight.org or at 202.349.1121.

# # #

Washington, D.C. – The Commercial Spaceflight Federation, representing 37 companies employing thousands of Americans nationwide, has selected its next Chairman of the Board, Eric C. Anderson, who holds the position of chairman of Space Adventures, Ltd. Anderson was elected by a diverse cross-section of industry leaders at a recent board meeting. Anderson succeeds Mark Sirangelo of Sierra Nevada Space Systems, who has completed his appointed term as Federation Chairman. Mr. Sirangelo will continue on as an officer and board member of the Federation as Chairman Emeritus.

Anderson, who currently serves on the executive committee of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, is a leader in the commercial human spaceflight industry, having co-founded Space Adventures in 1998 and currently serving as the company’s chairman. In the course of the company’s history, Anderson has sold more than $250 million (USD) in spaceflights. Space Adventures has facilitated the missions of all the self-funded private space explorers, including Dennis Tito, Mark Shuttleworth, Gregory Olsen, Anousheh Ansari, Charles Simonyi, Richard Garriott and Guy Laliberté. Space Adventures has received worldwide media attention, including a recent front-page story in The New York Times on its future plans for orbital spaceflight.

Anderson has been honored by the World Economic Forum by being selected as a member of the Forum of Young Global Leaders. Anderson has also been honored as a recipient of Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur Of The Year award for the Washington D.C. region, the world’s most prestigious business award for entrepreneurs. Anderson serves as an active board member of the X PRIZE Foundation and graduated from the University of Virginia with a degree in aerospace engineering.

Mark Sirangelo of Sierra Nevada Corporation Space Systems, having completed his appointed term as Federation Chairman, welcomed his replacement, stating, “Eric is a terrific selection to lead this industry at this pivotal time. His experience as a business leader, his background in aerospace engineering, his knowledge of political and regulatory issues, and his ability to communicate the job-creating potential of commercial spaceflight will propel this industry forwards.”

The other Commercial Spaceflight Federation officers are: Jeff Greason, CEO of XCOR Aerospace; Gwynne Shotwell, President of SpaceX; George Whitesides, CEO of Virgin Galactic; and Stuart O. Witt, General Manager of the Mojave Spaceport.

Anderson commented, “I am incredibly honored to be selected as the new Chairman of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation. This industry is creating jobs, keeping America competitive, and hopefully is inspiring a new generation of young people who will pursue science and technology careers. It will be a privilege to lead this group as we progress into a new era of space exploration. I’m looking forward to working with the rest of the board and with the Commercial Spaceflight Federation staff as we continue expanding the commercial space industry.”

About Eric C. Anderson
Eric C. Anderson is one of the leading entrepreneurs in the space industry. He has led the development of commercial human spaceflight and the space tourism industry since its inception. Anderson’s vision is to open the space frontier to all private citizens which will then enable the procurement and development of space-based resources for the benefit of humanity. Anderson co-founded Space Adventures in 1998 and serves as the company’s Chairman. He also is the President of Intentional Software Corporation, a company founded by former Microsoft Chief Architect and two-time space tourist Charles Simonyi. Space Adventures is the only company that provides opportunities to the world’s marketplace to experience space. The company offers a spectrum of products, at various price points, ranging from weightless flights, to a proposed historic return to the Moon, flights to the edge of space and orbital flights to the International Space Station. For more information, please visit http://www.spaceadventures.com.

About the Commercial Spaceflight Federation
The mission of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation (CSF) is to promote the development of commercial human spaceflight, pursue ever-higher levels of safety, and share best practices and expertise throughout the industry. The Commercial Spaceflight Federation’s member companies, which include commercial spaceflight developers, operators, spaceports, suppliers, and service providers, are creating thousands of high-tech jobs nationwide, working to preserve American leadership in aerospace through technology innovation, and inspiring young people to pursue careers in science and engineering. For more information please visit http://www.commercialspaceflight.org or contact Executive Director John Gedmark at john@commercialspaceflight.org or at 202.349.1121.

# # #

The Commercial Spaceflight Federation wishes Representative Gabrielle Giffords a full recovery following today’s tragic shooting in Tucson, Arizona, and extends its thoughts and sympathies to Representative Giffords, her family, and the other victims of today’s events.

CSF President Bretton Alexander stated, “This is an unimaginable tragedy, and our hearts go out to the victims of this attack. Congresswoman Giffords is a passionate supporter of the space program and NASA, and we wish her the best for a speedy and full recovery.”

Representative Giffords has served as a leader on the House Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee since 2008, and is also a member of the full Science, Space, and Technology Committee in the House of Representatives.

The Washington Post reported today on the Commercial Spaceflight Federation and the commercial space industry in an article on American innovation in the 21st century. The Washington Post notes that “a new generation of wealthy entrepreneurs is providing a level of space innovation unmatched in the world.” The article quotes Federation executive director John Gedmark as stating, “We have private entrepreneurs now attempting and succeeding at space ventures that most nations can only dream about.” For the full article, please visit http://is.gd/2X4Vtw.

Washington, D.C. – The Commercial Spaceflight Federation is pleased to announce that seven companies providing support services to the commercial spaceflight industry have joined the Federation as Associate Members: ARES Corporation, Cimarron Software Services, Ecliptic Enterprises Corporation, Innovative Health Applications, MDA Corporation, RS&H, and SEAKR Engineering. With the addition of these new Associate Members – in locations ranging from Kennedy Space Center, Florida and Denver, Colorado to Houston, Texas and Pasadena, California – the Commercial Spaceflight Federation now includes over 40 leading aerospace companies contributing to the growth of commercial human spaceflight.

Bretton Alexander, President of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, stated, “We are thrilled to have these innovative companies joining the Commercial Spaceflight Federation. Each of these new members contributes unique skills and capabilities to the commercial space sector, and each company better enables our organization to accomplish its key mission of promoting commercial spaceflight.”

The new associate members of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation made the following statements:

• Robert Curbeam, President, Aerospace and Defense Division, ARES Corporation, stated, “As the safety and mission assurance and risk management supplier of choice to NASA’s commercial spaceflight partners, ARES is proud to partner with CSF and the rest of the commercial space industry to promote safe, innovative, and cost-effective transportation solutions.”

• Rob Campbell, Vice President of Business Development for Cimarron Software Services, stated, “As the commercial spaceflight industry continues its growth, the CSF is poised to continue its vital role in promoting this great mission and enabling the CSF members and the commercial spaceflight industry. Cimarron is proud to join this visionary association and looks forward to the collective achievements of the CSF and its membership towards the reality of commercial human spaceflight.”

• Rex Ridenoure, CEO of Ecliptic Enterprises Corporation, stated, “This is the decade that commercial human space travel transitions from the era of being envisioned, discussed and pioneered to the era of being commonplace. Ecliptic is eager to join the leaders of this rapidly growing market as the new technical systems and operational concepts are developed in parallel with the necessary financial and regulatory frameworks and customer relationships.”

• Dr. Leroy Gross, CEO of Innovative Health Applications (IHA) stated, “I am pleased that IHA is now a member of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation. IHA contributes health and environmental protection expertise to the commercial space mission.”

• Paul Cooper, Vice President of Strategic Development for MDA Corporation, stated, “MDA believes an agile commercial approach to space development is fundamental to the future of space, and looks forward to working with the CSF.”

• Wayne Finger, Vice President of Aerospace and Defense for Reynolds, Smith & Hills, Inc. (RS&H), stated, “For decades, RS&H has provided time tested designs of spaceports and equipment for human space launch. We are a strong and active participant in bringing commercial spaceflight to fruition and are honored to support the Commercial Spaceflight Federation.”

• Scott Anderson, president and co-founder of SEAKR Engineering, stated, “SEAKR Engineering is very pleased to be a part of CSF. We are looking forward to being a part of the emergence and growth of the commercial spaceflight industry and working with such a visionary, motivated, and energetic group of industry leaders.”

About the Commercial Spaceflight Federation
The mission of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation (CSF) is to promote the development of commercial human spaceflight, pursue ever-higher levels of safety, and share best practices and expertise throughout the industry. The Commercial Spaceflight Federation’s member companies, which include commercial spaceflight developers, operators, spaceports, suppliers, and service providers, are creating thousands of high- tech jobs nationwide, working to preserve American leadership in aerospace through technology innovation, and inspiring young people to pursue careers in science and engineering. For more information please visit http://www.commercialspaceflight.org or contact Executive Director John Gedmark at john@commercialspaceflight.org or at 202.349.1121.

About ARES Corporation
With a top-notch team of engineers, scientists, and other professionals, ARES focuses on solving industry’s most complex technical challenges in the key areas of energy, defense, aerospace, the environment and critical infrastructure. ARES provides or has provided expertise to some of our nation’s most important projects such as the International Space Station, Space Shuttle, the Hubble Space Telescope, the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) and the Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) programs. For more information please visit http://www.arescorporation.com/.

About Cimarron
Cimarron Software Services Inc. is a software engineering and systems integration team which has been continuously involved with Human Space Flight since 1988, devising software and control systems for the onboard Shuttle, Shuttle payloads, Ground Control and Training Systems at Johnson Space Center, and International Space Station avionics suite, along with work related to Commercial Orbital Transportation Systems (COTS). Cimarron is headquartered in Houston, Texas. For more information please visit http://www.cimarroninc.com/.

About Ecliptic Enterprises Corporation
Ecliptic is the world’s leading supplier of onboard video systems for use with rockets and spacecraft—its RocketCamTM product family—and enjoys a strong customer base in commercial, civil and defense markets. RocketCam fans should expect to see on average one launch per month for the next several years. The privately held firm’s core competencies include space systems engineering, aerospace avionics, instrument systems and aerospace test equipment. For several years, video and payload control systems on spacecraft in Earth orbit and at the Moon have been a solid and growing part of the firm’s business base. Ecliptic has offices in Pasadena and Moffett Field, California. For more information please visit http://www.eclipticenterprises.com/.

About IHA
Innovative Health Applications, LLC (IHA) is a professional services firm dedicated to providing state-of-the-art services in comprehensive health to the aerospace community. IHA’s work at Kennedy Space Center in Florida is critical to the support and maintenance of NASA and commercial aerospace initiatives at KSC and worldwide. It provides the turnkey support and sustainability for new ventures to come to KSC and other space complexes as it provides the critical services to maintain daily operations. For more information please visit http://www.ihamedical.com/.

About MDA
For more than two decades, human space flight has been supported by advanced robotics developed by the Space Missions unit of MDA. We have combined complex robotics with control software to develop the Space Shuttle’s Canadarm and the Mobile Servicing System for the International Space Station. MDA’s satellite solutions provide responsive and reliable access to space, and MDA is also a leading supplier of commercial satellite payloads, systems and subsystems including antennas, digital, microwave and power equipment for communications and remote sensing satellites. Our US operations specialize in the design and development of space qualified software and hardware systems for space and defence applications, as well as the provision of geospatial information services. For more information please visit http://www.mdacorporation.com/.

About RS&H
RS&H is a facilities and infrastructure consulting firm with more than 60 years of aerospace experience, as RS&H has completed hundreds of projects for the Saturn/Apollo program, Space Shuttle Program, NASA’s exploration initiatives, Private Spaceports in Florida, the Central US, Wallops Island, VA, Australia, and numerous military launch facilities. We provide a range of services including the design of launch support facilities, specialized structures, ground support equipment, oxidizer and propellant storage and transfer systems, and high and low pressure gas systems. Offices are located in California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Massachusetts and Washington DC. For more information please visit http://www.rsandh.com/.

About SEAKR Engineering
SEAKR Engineering is a world-leading provider of advanced state-of-the-art electronic avionics for space applications. Since its inception in 1982, SEAKR has delivered some of the most sophisticated solutions in the industry on-time and on-budget. More than eighty of these units have launched with all having met or exceeded mission objectives. SEAKR’s leading edge space avionics include IP routers as well as software-defined radios, high-performance payload processors, modular spacecraft avionics, and solid state recorders. For more information please visit http://www.seakr.com/.

# # #

In the 1993 NASA Authorization Act, Congress authorized a new program to support commercial space transportation facilities, known as the Space Transportation Matching Grants (STIM-Grants) Program. The STIM-Grants program enables spaceports to develop infrastructure to improve U.S. space competitiveness in the global marketplace. The grants are administered by Secretary of Transportation, under consultation with the Secretary of Defense and the NASA Administrator. To build infrastructure for a vital national capability and develop a source of high-tech, high-wage jobs, continued funding support for the STIM-Grants Program is crucial. For more details on this important program, please click here.

It was a year ago this week that NASA announced a set of Commercial Crew Development (CCDev) awards, using $50 million they agency got as part of a larger grant of stimulus funding. The CCDev awards to five companies—Blue Origin, Boeing, Paragon, Sierra Nevada, and United Launch Alliance—were announced at a Washington press conference also tied to the agency’s FY11 budget proposal, which included a new commercial crew initiative. While Congress, industry, and others debated that larger commercial crew program, the five CCDev awardees quietly worked on their various efforts. What have they done with that money? Here’s a summary of their work, based on reports the companies have submitted to the government and published on Recovery.gov, the web site that tracks stimulus fund spending:

Blue Origin reports it has completed work on its $3.66-million CCDev award with a second ground test of the engine it developed for the pusher escape system of its proposed vehicle. (According to the report, while the company has submitted its final report and completed its last project milestone, it has only received $1.125 million of its overall award.) In the previous quarter the company reported it completed work on the other aspect of its award, risk reduction work on a composite pressure vessel for its vehicle.

Boeing, which has received $16.5 million of its $18-million award, says it has now achieved 94% of its milestones, according to its latest quarterly summary. Boeing carried out a System Definition Review (SDR) for its CST-100 capsule in cooperation with NASA, the FAA, and independent experts, and “finalized re-plan of Abort System Hardware Demo resulting from the LAS down select decision.” It anticipates completing its final report in March, after finalizing review item discrepancies (RIDs) identified in the SDR and completing assembly of its abort system engine.

Paragon Space Development Corporation has completed its $1.44-million CCDev award work, according to its latest summary, with the completion of testing in mid-December of its Commercial Crew Transport Air Revitalization System, a life support system intended for use on commercial crew vehicles. During those final tests the unit demonstrated “as-specified carbon dioxide removal, moisture removal and thermal control for steady state and varying metabolic loads.”

Sierra Nevada Corporation, which got the largest CCDev award, $20 million, for work on its Dream Chaser vehicle design, indicated it has completed its work in its latest quarterly report. The company said it completed Milestone 4, structural testing of its engineering test article, of its CCDev award in December. Other work completed in the quarter included drop tests of a subscale Dream Chaser model at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center and testing of an igniter for the vehicle’s reaction control system thrusters.

United Launch Alliance (ULA), like Boeing, is still finishing up work on its $6.7-million award, according to its latest quarterly report. In December ULA carried out a demonstration of its Emergency Detection System it’s developing under its CCDev award; that system is part of ULA’s efforts to human-rate its launch vehicles. The company said it received an extension from NASA until April “to enable us to finish critical timing analyses tasks” for its fault coverage analysis work.

Space Adventures announced today that it has concluded an agreement with the Russian space agency Roskosmos and RSC Energia for additional Soyuz seats for future flights of space tourists, starting in 2013. Three seats will be made available as Energia increases production of Soyuz spacecraft from four to five a year; the additional Soyuz flight would be used for short (approximately ten-day) taxi flights to the station, and apparently not as part of regular crew rotation missions. Seats have not been available since Guy Laliberté’s flight over a year ago because all the seats on current and planned Soyuz missions are needed for ferrying long-term ISS crewmembers to and from the station.

“Since Guy Laliberté’s mission, there has been an increase of interest by private individuals, organizations and commercial entities seeking ways to access the space station,” Space Adventures chairman Eric Anderson said in the company’s statement. “We have been speaking with these parties about science, education and multi-media programs and hope to make some major announcements in the coming year.”

Left unstated in the release is how those three seats will be spread out over those additional missions: will it be one seat each on three flights, or could one mission carry two paying customers with a professional cosmonaut? A Space Adventures spokesperson said no decision has been made yet on how to apportion the seats.

EADS Astrium has proposed developing a suborbital spaceplane for several years, but has made little progress beyond some early-stage technology development work. (credit: EADS Astrium)

Yesterday Scaled Composites competed a fourth glide flight of SpaceShipTwo. According to the flight log all test objectives were achieved on the 11.5-minute test, the first glide flight of the suborbital spaceplane since November 17. The test log notes, among other things, that water ballast was dumped from the vehicle prior to landing, “which produced a visible contrail.” Burt Rutan had a succinct evaluation of the flight, according to SPACE.com: “Went great.”

Contrast that with comments by the head of EADS Astrium about its suborbital spaceplane project, as reported by the BBC. “We continue to mature the concept, maintaining the minimum team, in order that when we find the relevant partnership we are ready and have progressed sufficiently,” CEO François Auque told reporters. “We keep the investment going.” The emphasis in those comments should be on “maintaining the minimum team”, since there’s been little evidence of major progress in the vehicle’s development. Company officials have said in the past that despite the company’s large internal financial resources, it was seeking outside investment before going into full-scale development of the vehicle. For example, at a space tourism conference in London in mid-2009, Astrium’s Hugues Laporte-Weywada said the company had slowed down work on the project, awaiting financing from potential operators before proceeding with additional work. “For sure we will not be the first” company to field a suborbital vehicle, he admitted at the time.

But with such significant sources of funding hard to come by—the company has previously estimated the development cost of the vehicle at as much as €1 billion (US$1.33 billion)—it’s not clear when, or even if, the vehicle will move into full-fledged development.

The new year has not been a good one so far for Spaceport America, the commercial spaceport under construction in southern New Mexico. Early this month executive director Rick Homans resigned, apparently at the insistence of the administration of new governor Susana Martinez, who took office on New Year’s Day. On Thursday the governor announced the formation of a six-person “transition team” to examine the status of the spaceport and its finances. And late Friday Gov. Martinez dismissed the spaceport’s board, saying the spaceport needed “more robust private investment and new leadership to make necessary adjustments”, according to a statement obtained by the Las Cruces Sun-News.

An article in Sunday’ Albuquerque Journal suggests her concerns about management of the spaceport have some legitimacy. The article notes that the work on the spaceport was divvied up into 14 “bid packages” without a single prime contractor, which made it hard to manage the project; that may have led to the resignation last year of then-executive director Steve Landeene, according to the article. (Previous reports had suggested a conflict of interest over a land deal near the spaceport might have triggered the resignation.)

The article also raises questions about whether the spaceport will need to spend $10-20 million in the near future on a second runway at the spaceport to allow flight operations if there are crosswinds on the current runway. Homans said that there had been “some” research on the sensitive of SpaceShipTwo to crosswinds, but that most likely the problem would be addressed by flying in the morning when winds are at a minimum.

One issue with the article is that it suggests that delays in building the spaceport are the main reason flight operations haven’t begun there. “In early 2007, plans called for launches of small Virgin Galactic craft from the site to the edge of Earth’s atmosphere by the end of 2009, news report show,” the article states. However, even if the spaceport had been completed by 2009 or 2010, it still wouldn’t be hosting regular commercial spaceflights as development of SpaceShipTwo has also been delayed. (The spaceport actually has hosted some launches of sounding rockets by UP Aerospace, but these don’t require the expensive infrastructure being built for Virgin Galactic.) So the spaceport may indeed be running behind schedule, but it’s not the only thing taking longer than planned.

On Sunday afternoon Eric Anderson, chairman of Space Adventures, and George Whitesides, president and CEO of Virgin Galactic, appeared on a panel at the Digital – Life – Design (DLD) conference in Munich. The half-hour panel, with the rather clunky title “New Space Mission”, was designed to provide attendees of this rather eclectic conference with a brief overview of the state of space tourism? (How eclectic? The panel took place immediately after a hip hop performance and before a talk by one of the designers on the movie TRON: Legacy.) The two also managed to make a little news about their respective ventures.

The panel’s moderator, Spencer Reiss of Wired, introduced Anderson as the person would sell you a ticket for a trip around the Moon, “and there’s only one ticket left, and it’s $150 million.” When Space Adventures announced its circumlunar flight plans in 2005, they said they would sell two seats for $100 million each. Anderson indicated a short time later that the price apparently had gone up, but, “we have sold one of those.” Reiss asked Anderson who the purchaser was, but Anderson didn’t give a name: “When we tell you, you’ll know who it is. You’ll recognize the name.” Anderson said “we’ve got people we’re finalizing with right now” for the second seat on the flight, which he said would take place around 2015.

Whitesides, meanwhile, said that Virgin Galactic was planning to begin operations in 2012, with Branson and his family, along with Burt Rutan, on the first commercial flight (as Virgin has planned for some time.) “It’s safe to say we expect certainly to be cash flow positive very quickly” once operations begin, he said. Virgin will start with one flight a week, moving to three flights a week during its first year of operations, allowing it to fly up to 500 people during that first year of operations. He added the company would probably spend “about half a billion dollars” before commercial operations begin.

Whitesides said that once the company is ready to expand operations beyond Spaceport America, it will look first to the Middle East, and not Europe as the company had previously indicated. “If we’re able to export the system, we would first export it to Abu Dhabi if the US government permits it,” he said. Back in mid-2009 Will Whitehorn, then-president of Virgin Galactic, said he was “pretty certain” Sweden would be next after Virgin Galactic, followed by somewhere in the Middle East. Since then, though, Abu Dhabi-based Aabar Investments took a 32-percent stake in Virgin Galactic for $280 million.

Video from the panel is below, but for some reason the last several minutes of the session, including Whitesides’s comments above, are missing:

The turmoil surrounding the management of Spaceport America in New Mexico has been relatively quiet the last couple of weeks, after the resignation of executive director Rick Homans at the insistence of the new governor, followed by the dismissal of the spaceport’s board of directors early this month. That situation is still in flux, the Las Cruces Sun-News reports this weekend, based on an interview with new Governor Susana Martinez. She tells the paper that there will be a “sense of urgency” (in the newspaper’s words) in filling the board and executive director positions, which remain vacant.

One revelation in the article is that Sir Richard Branson personally appealed to Gov. Martinez in a phone call to keep Homans on as executive director. Martinez, though, said she went ahead with plans to ask Homans to leave because she needed to better understand the current situation with the spaceport, including its contract with Virgin Galactic, and was finding it difficult to get those details. “What we want to do is get a hold of the contract (with Virgin Galactic) and make sure we know what the long-term commitment is financially,” she told the Sun-News. “They have not been very willing to share the very hard data of what is the state’s commitment long-term.”

Virgin Galactic president Will Whitehorn speaks at the Spaceport America runway dedication in October 2010, with Sir Richard Branson looking on. (credit: J. Foust)

Virgin Galactic president Will Whitehorn will retire from the company next month and be replaced by current CEO George Whitesides, the company announced Thursday. Whitehorn, who has been working for the Virgin Group in various capacities since 1987, has been president of Virgin Galactic since 2004, when the company announced plans to license the SpaceShipOne technology and work with its developer, Scaled Composites, to build SpaceShipTwo. The release notes (although it was not widely reported at the time) that Whitehorn went into a part-time role in 2007 “to pursue other business interests”; he remained as president, though, even when George Whitesides, a former Virgin Galactic advisor who went on to serve as chief of staff to NASA administrator Charles Bolden, returned to Virgin in May to become CEO. Whitesides will take on the roles of CEO and president after Whitehorn’s retirement.

“I feel incredibly privileged to have played my part in developing the most exciting business plan and space technology anywhere in the world today,” Whitehorn said in the statement. “Of course I will miss this fantastic team of people, all of whom I have loved working with, but I know they are in great hands with George and I look forward to seeing them all up there in space in the next few years.”

The release notes that Whitehorn is retiring to pursue other business interests; he already sits on several company and organization boards. The release adds that Whitehorn is also being awarded this month the Royal Aeronautical Society Space Medal.

The full text of the release, not yet posted on the Virgin Galactic web site, is below:

WILL WHITEHORN TO RETIRE AS PRESIDENT OF VIRGIN GALACTIC.
GEORGE WHITESIDES TO TAKE ON COMBINED ROLE OF PRESIDENT AND CEO.

Will Whitehorn, President of Virgin Galactic since the formation of the company in 2004, is to retire from that role in January 2011. George Whitesides, who was appointed as the first full time CEO in May 2010, assumes the title of President and CEO.

Whitehorn has worked for Virgin Group since 1987 in corporate affairs, brand development and investment related roles. In 2007 he went part time to follow other business interests, but took on responsibility for leading Virgin Galactic through its design and investment phase. The investment round, fully funding the company through launch of commercial operations, was successfully concluded with Aabar Investments. Both the company’s SpaceShipTwo and WhiteKnightTwo vehicles are now undergoing flight test.

Commenting on Whitehorn’s departure, George Whitesides said, “I wish Will the very best for the future. We have known each other for six years now and have built both a warm friendship as well as a strong professional relationship. It was his and Sir Richard’s vision that brought Virgin Galactic to the exciting future it now has. I am honored to be taking this great company forward into the new decade to answer the growing markets for commercial, scientific and industrial space development. We now have a flying space flight system, testing on a regular basis above the Mojave desert; we have a beautiful home nearing completion at Spaceport America in New Mexico and most importantly we have over 400 potential astronauts signed up and monies on deposit in excess of $54 million. Will leaves us in strong shape and he will never be far from the project as we move toward commercial operations.”

Commenting on his departure, Whitehorn added, “I feel incredibly privileged to have played my part in developing the most exciting business plan and space technology anywhere in the world today. Galactic was the result of Sir Richard’s vision and I am delighted that the dream from several years ago is now becoming a reality. I am confident that people will look back on this project as the beginning of the second age of space. Of course I will miss this fantastic team of people, all of whom I have loved working with, but I know they are in great hands with George and I look forward to seeing them all up there in space in the next few years.”

Will is retiring from Virgin Galactic to concentrate on other business interests. He is currently Chairman of Next Fifteen Communications and Loewy Group Ltd. In addition he sits on the boards of the SECC in Glasgow and ILN Group in London. He is a member of the British Government’s Science and Technology Facilities Council and The Space Leadership Council. In December 2010 he is also being awarded the Royal Aeronautical Society Space Medal for his services to the industry.

ENDS

About Virgin Galactic

Virgin Galactic is on track to be the world’s first commercial spaceline. The new Spaceship (VSS Enterprise) and Mothership (VMS Eve) are both being developed for Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic by Mojave-based Scaled Composites. Founded by Burt Rutan, Scaled developed SpaceShipOne, which in 2004 claimed the $10m Ansari X prize as the world’s first privately developed manned spacecraft. Virgin Galactic’s new vehicles share much of the same basic design but are being built to carry six customers on sub-orbital space flights, allowing an out-of-the-seat zero gravity experience and offering astounding views of the planet from the black sky of space.

The VSS Enterprise test flight program will continue through 2011, prior to commercial operations which will be based at Virgin Galactic’s future headquarters at Spaceport America in New Mexico.

Left: An illustration from the early 2000s of an Orbital Sciences space taxi concept launching atop a Delta 4 Heavy. Right: Orbital's new concept for a commercial crew vehicle visiting the ISS.

Orbital Sciences got a lot of attention earlier this month when it announced it had submitted a proposal to NASA for its Commercial Crew Development 2 (CCDev-2) program, seeking funding to refine its proposed crew transportation system concept. That concept features a “blended lifting body” vehicle placed atop a launch vehicle such as an Atlas 5; the vehicle would glide back to a runway landing. The theme of much of the coverage was that Orbital was the latest company throwing its hat into the CCDev ring, following others such as Boeing, Sierra Nevada Corporation, SpaceX, and United Launch Alliance.

However, Orbital’s interest in commercial crew transportation predates this proposal by more than a decade. In the early 2000s Orbital worked on the Orbital Space Plane (OSP) program for NASA, fleshing out a design for a winged vehicle launched on an EELV. Before that, back in the late 1990s, Orbital studied a concept it called the “Space Taxi” that was similar to its current concept, at least in the concept of operations: a small winged vehicle launched on another rocket to transport cargo or crew to the ISS before returning to a runway landing. The Space Taxi work was also supported by NASA under the Space Transportation Architecture Studies (STAS) program.

Here’s how Orbital’s chief technology officer put it in testimony before the space subcommittee of the House Science Committee (.doc format) back in October 1999:

Orbital’s recommended architecture includes a small, multifunctional Crew and Cargo Transfer Vehicle (CCTV), referred to as a Space Taxi™, which would serve as: a two-way human space transportation system, a small cargo delivery and return vehicle, an emergency crew return vehicle (CRV) for the International Space Station (ISS), and a passenger module for a future Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV). The Space Taxi could initially be launched on a heavy-lift Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV), currently under development by U.S. industry and the U.S. Air Force. Together with a small cargo carrier located behind the Space Taxi, this system would be used to meet future ISS servicing requirements.

The Orbital testimony makes the case that, once the station is complete, a vehicle like the Space Taxi can meet NASA’s needs to service the station, rendering the Space Shuttle unnecessary. This is, in effect, what has happened: in 2004 the Bush Administration rolled out the Vision for Space Exploration, calling for completion of the ISS by 2010 followed by retirement of the shuttle (that deadline will be missed, though, with three more shuttle missions still on the books for 2011.)

Orbital’s CTO argues that, at that time, there’s no commercial demand for such a system: “Unfortunately, there are no near-term commercial requirements for transporting humans to and from space or for returning significant amounts of cargo.” However, he argues that the Space Taxi system should be commercially operated, allowing it to meet any emerging commercial markets on the ISS or elsewhere in LEO (emphasis in original):

We envision this Space Taxi to be industry owned and operated; however, the cost of development, production, and operation of the Space Taxi System would be paid for predominantly out of government funds because it satisfies unique NASA needs that are not currently aligned with those of commercial industry. The launching of this Space Taxi System, however, could be competed among commercial RLV or EELV suppliers that meet the cost and safety requirements. These future RLVs would be commercially developed with private capital and would be commercially owned and operated. Their development will be enabled by NASA’s current and planned future investments in RLV technologies and could be enhanced by government-backed financial incentives, such as tax credits, loan guarantees or advanced purchase agreements. Once a truly commercial Space Station becomes operational or the current Space Station becomes sufficiently commercialized, NASA and industry launch needs will be in almost complete alignment, and a completely commercial Space Taxi may become a viable business opportunity. We strongly believe that industry ownership of the Space Taxi from initial operation is critical to enable the eventual development of such a commercial Space Station.

Sound familiar? Orbital’s CTO goes on suggest that such a system could open up one market in particular, satellite servicing. He also argues that such a system is necessary from both a technical and budgetary standpoint to enable human space exploration beyond Earth orbit. “Orbital is currently defining propulsion modules that would be attached to the aft end of the Space Taxi to allow it to perform these potential future missions,” he states. “We believe that the savings in NASA’s budget generated by the introduction of Orbital’s Space Taxi-based architecture are critical to enable the funding of such a program in the current budgetary environment.” (emphasis in original)

By the way, who was the Orbital CTO who made those comments back in October 1999? A gentleman by the name of Michael Griffin.

By and large things are going well at Spaceport America: other than a delay with one of the spaceport buildings, construction of the commercial spaceport in the New Mexico desert is proceeding, with the runway dedicated in October and other buildings, including the main terminal, making progress. Yet there is some uncertainty about the future of the spaceport, including who will be running it.

That uncertainty stems from the change in government in the state, as Susana Martinez (R) succeeded term-limited Bill Richardson (D) as governor on January 1. The change in governors, and political parties, means that heads of many state agencies will be leaving. Rick Homans, executive director of the New Mexico Spaceport Authority, which runs the spaceport, told the Sante Fe New Mexican last week he hopes to retain his post but wants to have discussions with the Martinez administration about their plans. “I love the project. I am committed to it. I would love to see it through,” he said. “But I need to have further discussions with the new administration about what their goals are with the spaceport and what they want to do with the board and what they’d like to see with the executive director.”

When I spoke with Homans in October, prior to Martinez’s November general election victory, he said that he had briefed Martinez about the project about the past. (Martinez would likely have been familiar with the project from local news coverage, since prior to the election she was district attorney for Doña Ana County, where Las Cruces is located.) Homans has been playing up the spaceport’s successes in the last year, such as in this op-ed on NMPolitics.net. Last week the Las Cruces Sun-News, in an editorial, called on Martinez to retain Homans and his team: “With the spaceport on schedule to open in 2011, this would be a poor time to change leadership.”

What plans Gov. Martinez has for Spaceport America aren’t clear. A Los Angeles Times article claims that Martinez “is looking to privatize operations at Spaceport America” but gives no specifics. During the campaign, Martinez indicated that she didn’t want the state investing more money into the spaceport, saying such “additional large investments would be a misguided use of our taxpayer funds”, although there’s no indication any such “large investments” are planned for the spaceport for the foreseeable future after the completion of the facilities there already under construction. She said she wanted more private investment for any future development costs as well as “expanding the scope of the spaceport beyond personal space flights”.

Update: the Las Cruces Sun-News reported Tuesday that the Martinez administration plans to audit Virgin Galactic’s contract with the spaceport, as well as the spaceport’s finances. Martinez told the paper that she also wants to find out how “we bring private industry to be part of the spaceport, so that eventually state tax dollars aren’t necessary.” The article also notes that the spaceport’s board has called an emergency meeting for Wednesday that, according to the article, will feature a single item: a closed session “to discuss personnel matters”.