NASA Seeking Concept Proposals for Altair Lunar Lander January 28, 2009
Posted by Nick Azer in : Altair, NASA , 3comments
Today, NASA issued a release seeking concept proposals for their future lunar lander, the Altair.
Specifically, NASA is looking for “concept definition” and “requirements analysis support” for the lander that will carry four astronauts to the Moon “late in the next decade”.
The proposal process has a pretty basic website with the various documents and parts of the process there in bare-bones presentation, with the best general explanation of the process found here.
Check out this neat official NASA animation from Youtube of the Altair landing at the primary proposed site for a moon base, Shackleton Crater:
Obama Administration Space Report Coming in December?; Obama Seeking Space Weapons Ban January 26, 2009
Posted by Nick Azer in : NASA, Obama, space conflict , add a comment
There’s an analysis article from Reuters today highlighting the Obama policy statements on the official White House site regarding the seeking of a space weapons ban (“The Obama-Biden Administration will restore American leadership on space issues, seeking a worldwide ban on weapons that interfere with military and commercial satellites”), but something I found even more notable is a quote at the end of the article from a defense official:
“Another defense official, who asked not to be named, said the new administration would work through the complex military space issues during a defense review to be completed by September, and as part of a space report due in December.”- “Challenges loom as Obama seeks space weapons ban“, Andrea Shalal-Esa, Reuters
While Obama’s interest in a space weapons ban was noted in his detailed campaign space policy document, this ‘space report due in December’ gives some new insight into the Obama administration’s timeline as far as movement on the space front.
Considering how in-depth that campaign space plan was, and the extent of NASA’s Constellation program, this could be an extremely significant report–save the date!
As far as an international treaty banning space weapons, it’s an idea that sounds like a tough sell, but that has been supported by Russia and China as recently as February 2008.
Such a treaty theoretically could not only address satellite warfare, but intralunar relations and potential weapons systems on the Moon—a ban or limit on lunar weapons systems is probably critical to successful colonization, due to the expense and resources involved (the risk is high enough as it is). While colonial wars have been more than a little common in human history, and both Mars itself and NASA’s new Ares rockets are named after the god of war/bloodlust, lunar colonization could prove to be an opportunity to forge a new tradition…if at least out of convenience (mining helium-3 will be harder when being shot at), if nothing else.
A Close Look at NASA's Outsourcing of International Space Station Resupply to SpaceX and Orbital January 25, 2009
Posted by Nick Azer in : Int'l Space Station, NASA , 4comments
On December 23rd, NASA awarded two lucrative contracts ($1.6 billion and $1.9 billion, respectively) to private space companies SpaceX (recently the first company to launch a private rocket into orbit, a major milestone) and Orbital to take over resupply of the International Space Station. This represents a huge early step in what will be a defining trend of space policy in the next decade, and something that U.S. President-Elect Barack Obama has talked about: the “amplifying”" of ” NASA’s reach” via the private sector, spurring both NASA’s effectiveness and the (potentially explosive) private space industry’s growth (and its role in a recovering American economy).
To this point, cargo resupply of the ISS has been handled by the U.S. Space Shuttle, Russian Progress freighter spacecraft, and the unmanned European Space Agency Automated Transfer Vehicle resupply craft. With a lot of private space companies looking at the Moon (including, eventually, SpaceX itself), this contract is a Falcon 9-sized boost for both their profile and potential across the board, whether they have their sights set on low Earth orbit, the lunar surface, or elsewhere.
SpaceX’s Dragon craft (to be launched via the Falcon 9 rocket), pictured at top, is a versatile craft that can carry pressurized or unpressurized cargo (as this ISS contract is for), or be configured to carry up to seven crew members. Check out the official data sheet PDF for all the technical skinny (a spectacularly well-designed document, as is usual from SpaceX). SpaceX itself was founded back in 2002 by Paypal‘s co-founder, Elon Musk, and while currently focusing on low-earth-orbit services, has its eye on eventual lunar missions.
Eventually, SpaceX could also be given a contract/option for crewed missions to the ISS, which could prove a crucial detail in the wake of the 2010 retirement of the Space Shuttle and resulting ‘shuttle gap’ between it and the Orion, scheduled to be ready in 2015. Currently the plan is for the U.S. to buy Russian Soyuz craft or potentially extend the Shuttle, though back in September an Orlando Sentinel article notes Barack Obama noted having commerical flights help close the gap as an option. On a related (and intruiging) note, the SpaceX contract could actually create 1,000 jobs for the Space Coast, something the area will need in the wake of the Shuttle retirement.
The other company awarded a contract (which is actually initially larger than SpaceX’s) is Orbital Sciences Corp., an established veteran in the manufacture, management, and launch of small-to-medium payloads (namely, a wide variety of satellites, including both military and commercial) with a deep involvement in missile defense.
Since the announcement in December, there has been a delay as far as the official status of the contracts: as reported by Reuters, a third contender for the contracts has filed a complaint about the awards–Chicago-based PlanetSpace, a partnership between Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and Alliant (ATK) (the first two of which already supply launch rockets to the U.S. military space program, and the latter of which is doing work on NASA’s Ares I crew launch rocket). The complaint lodged to the Government Accountability Office states that PlanetSpace felt they had a better offer for the contract, and they should inseatd recieve one of the awards; the GAO stated that it will have a ruling on the complaint by April 29th.
Interesting side note about PlanetSpace: while their site and their background only notes low-earth-orbit projects, the Moon is featured distinctly in the opening intro animation…another major lunar player on the rise?
Gen. Scott Gration up for Obama's Pick as NASA Administrator? January 22, 2009
Posted by Nick Azer in : NASA, Obama , 3comments
Reports as of late have been indicating that General Scott Gration, a frequent adviser to Obama and retired Air Force Major General, could be Obama’s pick to replace Mike Griffin as NASA Administrator.
African-born and a native speaker of Swahili, Gration’s space resume so far is thin (he worked fo a year under then-Deputy NASA Administrator Hans Mark in the early 1980′s), so the reasoning behind appointing Gration remains vague. A Space.com article cites sources “close to the Obama transition” in noting that Gration helped craft Obama’s extremely detailed and landmark campaign space policy (which I did an analysis of here), and FerrisValyn at the Daily Kos offers up some quality analysis on the subject, particularly in regards to Gration’s relationship to President Obama and how that relates to NASA’s position at the moment.
To see Gen. Gration in action, here’s a speech he did at the Democratic National Convention (starting at 1:37 on the video):
Youtube Video up of Lunar Electric Rover in Obama Inaugural Parade January 21, 2009
Posted by Nick Azer in : NASA, Obama, Youtube , 4comments
There’s the first Youtubed video of the Lunar Electric Rover (a.k.a. Small Pressurized Rover Concept) posing and crabwalking for Obama at the inaugural parade today, video by way of collectspace.
Not sure what to make of Michelle Obama’s expression there around 1:00, haha.
Reminder: NASA's Small Pressurized/Lunar Electric Rover Prototype Part of Today's Obama Inaugural Parade January 20, 2009
Posted by Nick Azer in : NASA, Obama , add a comment
A quick reminder that the prototype of NASA’s new small pressurized rover, that will be used by NASA astronauts on their next lunar missions, will be a part of the Barack Obama Inaugural Parade today.
The parade begins at approximately 2:30pm Eastern Standard Time, and should be webcast and televised virtually everywhere (even MLB.com is carrying the actual inauguration). So, tune in or plug in and get a wonderful sneak peek at the future of NASA’s moon colonization :)
Interestingly, I see the rover noted on both the parade’s site and in that above news article as a “Lunar Electric Rover”–a term I hadn’t come across before, even in earlier posts and research on it. A new name?
Obama to Integrate U.S. Military Launch Craft into NASA to Boost Us Into China's Trajectory? January 18, 2009
Posted by Nick Azer in : NASA, Obama , 2comments
In the wake of China’s destruction of an aging satellite of their own and their rapidly advancing space capability in general, the Obama transition team (as reported by Bloomberg.com) is considering tapping the military space program (which spent $22 billion in 2008, about a third more than NASA, according to that report) to help accelerate NASA’s efforts.
The key benefit is that instead of having to develop the new Ares rockets to launch Orion craft (the Space Shuttle’s successor), NASA could utilize already-developed rockets used by the military: the Atlas V (pictured above, and already used by NASA on occasion) and Delta IV (pictured below), both built by a combined Boeing-Lockheed Martin effort called the United Launch Alliance.
The concern is that the U.S. is not moving fast enough to counter China’s space progress, which could potentially become hostile if they reach (or even surpass) our level of capability. By getting the military’s efforts in there with NASA’s, that gives NASA a lot more fuel and thrust, so to speak. going into the future.
A side effect of integrating the two programs’ arcs is that this could cause the cancellation of the Ares rockets, a point that was reportedly a significant part of apparent strife between the current (outoing) NASA administrator, Mike Griffin, and the Obama transition team.
Reminder: Killer 'Wolf Moon' Tonight, Biggest of 2009 January 10, 2009
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Just a quick reminder (by way of Yahoo) that tonight’s full moon (a wolf moon) will be the biggest and brightest of all of 2009.
For a guide on what’s what on the Moon’s surface, check out this image. Key points of interest for colonization include the Sea Of Tranquility (visible clearly with the naked eye, upper right center of the moon; being both the Apollo 11 landing site and a particularly helium-3-rich area) and the south pole.
Within most of our lifetimes, we’ll be able to look at a gorgeous bright moon and know that fellow humans are up there living on it, and that we’re looking at a city :)
A Private Space Setback: Bill Richardson Withdraws from Secretary of Commerce Nomination January 5, 2009
Posted by Nick Azer in : Uncategorized , add a commentToday, one of the most ideal candidates for Secretary of Commerce a space enthusiast could possibly concieve withdrew from his nomination to the position by the Obama transition team.
Richardson, an outspoken supporter of private space enterprise (as detailed in my now rather ironic previous post), was concerned over the delay of his Senate confirmation an ongoing pay-for-play probe in his state of New Mexico would have. As that Politico article notes, Richardson is confident that he will be cleared of any potential wrongdoing (and will remain as the Governor of New Mexico), but that the open-ended nature of the probe created an “untenable” delay (as Richardson’s statement put it).
“The Department of Commerce must play an important role in solving them by helping to grow the new jobs and businesses America so badly needs.
“It is also because of that sense of urgency about the work of the Commerce Department that I have asked the president-elect not to move forward with my nomination at this time. I do so with great sorrow. But a pending investigation of a company that has done business with New Mexico state government promises to extend for several weeks or, perhaps, even months.”- Bill Richardson’s official statement
While it is dissapointing to see such an active supporter of private space enterprise no longer to be the point man for growing new industries and jobs in America, it is possible that the Obama transition team could simply appoint another space enthusiast in his place–the Obama team’s interest in the potential of the private space industry does not end with Richardson. From the Obama campaign space plan:
“…In achieving this vision, Obama will reach out to include international partners and to engage the private sector to amplify NASA’s reach. Obama believes that a revitalized NASA can help America maintain its innovation edge and contribute to American economic growth…”
“Supporting Commercial Access to Space: Obama will stimulate the commercial use of space and private sector utilization of the International Space Station. He will establish new processes and procurement goals to promote the use of government facilities. We must unleash the genius of private enterprise to secure the United States’ leadership in space. ” -The Obama campaign Space plan
In addition to Obama’s overarching interest in a proactive role in both prviate and public space policy (which includes the resurrection of the National Aeronautics and Space Council to help coordinate the two, as detailed in that linked space plan), it’s entirely possible Richardson could return to the Administration in a different capacity, perhaps one even more directly related to space policy (potentially with the Council itself):
“Obama accepted the withdrawal with regret, saying in an accompanying statement that he looks forward to Richardson’s “future service to our country and in my administration.”
Richardson said he had told Obama that [he's] “eager to serve in the future in any way he deems useful.” – “Richardson exits Cabinet due to probe“, Politico.com
So while this is a dissapointing setback to not have Richardson himself at the helm building the private space boom, clearly the Obama administration is dedicated to the cause, and Richardson himself may be back before long in another capacity.
Gov./Secretary of Commerce Appointee Bill Richardson Announces New Mexico's Spaceport America Lease with Virgin Galactic January 4, 2009
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Bill Richardson, the outgoing Governor of New Mexico and incoming U.S. Secretary of Commerce under Barack Obama’s administration, announced on New Year’s Day that space tourism company Virgin Galactic has officially signed a 20-year lease to base its operations and launches at the under-development Spaceport America in New Mexico, a longtime project of Richardson’s.
This announcement comes soon before the Obama adminstration takes over, facing the challenge of spurring the American economy with new investment and industry.
“I want to thank Virgin Galactic for partnering with us to create a whole new industry that is going to transform the economy of Southern New Mexico–creating thousands of jobs, generating money for education, boosting tourism and attracting other companies and economic opportunities to the area.” -Bill Richardson
‘Transforming economy’, ‘creating thousands of jobs’, ‘a whole new industry’…sounds like the kind of thing America as a whole could use right now. And who will be the point man in the Obama adminstration for spurring industry nationwide?
Well, Mr. Richardson himself, of course.
“Here’s what I want to be sure of … that the Obama administration is pro-commercial space … that the administration is pro-space, pro-government space, pro-commercial space,” Richardson observed.” “Obama Vetting Bill Richardson, Space Enthusiast”, Space. com
“Richardson says he told his aides: “Go after the big one. Go after 5,000 jobs and something to be remembered for. Go after Branson and the spaceport. Politicians are known for talking about 9/11 and gloom and doom, and I like to infuse people with visions of the future and space. It’s bold and risky, but people turn on to that.” “New Mexico Goes a Little Pie in the Sky with Spaceport Idea”, USA Today, 2006.
From this new announcement, and those previous quotes from Richardson, it’s clear that the Obama administration’s Commerce department will be an extremely active supporter of the private space industry, and the potential it could hold for spurring the economy.