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Google Lunar X PRIZE Roundup #10 February 12, 2010

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The pace continues after last week’s action-packed roundup, with plenty of Google Lunar X PRIZE goodies  to go around this week—great videos galore!:

A Look at NASA's New CCDev (Commercial Crew Development) Funding Awards February 11, 2010

Posted by Nick Azer in : Bigelow Aerospace, Blue Origin, Boeing, Commercial Crew Development [CCDev], Sierra Nevada Corp. and SpaceDev, Uncategorized, United Launch Alliance , 2comments

In the wake of all the hububb over NASA’s new direction, an important step in that direction landed a little quietly—the awarding of $50 million in stimulus funds to five commercial firms.

“The president has asked NASA to partner with the aerospace industry in a fundamentally new way, making commercially provided services the primary mode of astronaut transportation to the International Space Station. We are pleased to be able to quickly move forward to advance this exciting plan for NASA.” -NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, NASA Press Release

The press release calls this a ‘first step’ in the new direction for NASA. Technically speaking, though, this actually builds off of a step taken just days into the Obama administration—the big Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) contracts given to SpaceX and Orbital for the resupply of the ISS (previously done by the Space Shuttle).

So now, in addition to SpaceX and Orbital, NASA has doled out funds to additional companies for develop solutions for crew transportation to low-earth orbit (and thereby, help ‘catalyze‘ the private space industry—and by association. the economy). Here’s a look at the five winners, and the projects they’re working on (in order of totals awarded):

Sierra Nevada Corporation (SpaceDev)

The Sierra Nevada Corporation, which acquired private space company SpaceDev in 2008, was awarded $20 million of the $50 million total. While the NASA release doesn’t specify projects, this appears to be towards the development of SpaceDev’s lifting-body spaceplane called the Dream Chaser (pictured above).

The Dream Chaser is based off the the old NASA HL-20 concept, designed as an affordable backup plan to the Shuttle. Here’s a quick Youtube video (with some hip music :D ) that gives an idea:

Boeing

A longtime stalwart of space efforts, Boeing received $18 million towards the development of an unspecified crew module concept. Alongside Boeing with this CCDev project is Bigelow Aerospace, an established leader in the development of commercial crewed space stations:

“We’re excited about this program and the Boeing partnership in general. Boeing brings with it unparalleled experience and expertise in human spaceflight systems, which will be combined with Bigelow Aerospace’s entrepreneurial spirit and cost-conscious practices.” -Robert T. Bigelow, president and founder of Bigelow Aerospace, Boeing press release

The United Launch Alliance

Already operators of the oft-used Atlas V and Delta IV rockets, this partnership between Boeing and Lockheed was awarded $6.7 million to develop an Emergency Detection System to help make the Atlas and Delta rockets become human-rated launch vehicles.

Blue Origin

Blue Origin, the slightly mysterious private space firm started by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, received $3.7 million, apparently (as Jeff Foust of the NewSpace Journal and Space Politics tweeted) for the development of a “concept for bi-conic crew vehicle that could be launched on Atlas 5“, the Atlas V of course being the United Space Alliance’s vehicle.

Blue Origin’s known craft under development is the New Shepard, a vertical take-off and landing craft inspired by the old NASA DC-X concept. With a very 1950′s sci-fi style, it simply launches straight up (to orbit) and reenters the same way, all the way down to landing on struts. A video of their Goddard prototype’s 2006 test flight gives an idea:

Paragon Space Development Corporation

And last, but not least, Paragon, a company that develops life support and thermal control systems, was awarded $1.7 million towards a “revitalization system for use in crewed spacecraft“. Here’s a neat NASA video about Paragon, their background, and the work they do:

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With these major selections—and NASA’s new direction being pointed directly at them—these companies will become, alongside other partners like SpaceX and Orbital, leaders in American space going forward. Expect to be hearing about those featured technologies a lot, particularly as the competition heats up for a preferred method :) It’s quite a wide variety of designs, too, so it should be fun to see the pros and cons of each play out.

The First Luna C/I Film is Complete! "The Base Race: An Introduction to Moon Colonization, 2004-2030" February 16, 2009

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That is the first ever Luna C/I Film, a new project I’m embarking on as an effort to bring knowledge and discussion of lunar colonization and integration to Youtube.

This first film is “The Base Race: An Introduction to Moon Colonization, 2004-2030.” I plan on creating numerous films, on everything from broader subjects like lunar architecture and the commercialization of the lunar surface, down to looks at more abstract topics like historical perspectives (how this lunar colonial era compares to past colonial eras, e.g. the American frontier) and whether or not the lunar surface is an environment to be conserved.

I’ll keep all the films together on the “Luna C/I Films” page here on the site, as well as in a Luna C/I Films playlist on Youtube.

I created this film using simply Picasa 3–a program from Google that’s a free and quick download.

If you have any comments, suggestions, ideas, or films of your own, feel free to share them in the comments here, on the Films page, and/or on the Youtube video itself’s comments :)

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

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Today, 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.

Picture of the Week: Mass Transit January 1, 2009

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That, by way of Phil Plait’s neat ‘Top Ten Astrononomy Photos of 2008‘  at DiscoverMagazine.com‘s Bad Astronomy blog, is a NASA image from the Deep Impact mission of the Moon transiting the Earth.

This shot was taken from 30 million miles away, as part of the second mission of the Deep Impact craft (it completed its original mission, impacting part of itself into a comet in order to study the comet’s composition, before returning past Earth in 2007 to do the EPOXI mission, studying extrasolar planets and possibly Comet Hartley 2).

What’s really amazing is there is actually video to go along, embedded below:

Full Moon, I April 22, 2008

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Always with us
Mare Tranquillitatis
with the naked eye
when the tide is high

Moon Globe: Coolest Thing Ever April 16, 2008

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That there, is a globe of the Moon. Talk about a selenologist’s wildest dream; and I had though nothing of the sort had quite existed yet. You can own one of these nifty little things for $55 or so, through various outlets.

*Starts saving up pennies in the piggy bank*…

Perhaps sometime in the near future, I’ll set up a ‘video tour’ of a location (probably Shackleton or Malapert, or both) for you all, to take our touring of the future of the moon into a new dimension…

Magnificent Desolation April 3, 2008

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One small post for a blog…one giant leap for this blogger.

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In my brief research for this post, I came across an interesting fact about Neil Armstrong’s original quote: turns out, he actually flubbed it. It was supposed to be “One small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind”, but in the excitement of the moment (or in the static of the broadcast, depending on who you ask) it came out as just “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”. Whoops.

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Expect daily updates here, full of golden nuggets like that, as well as everything you ever wanted to know about the colonization and related integration of our Mistress of Many Names (including Selene; Luna; The Moon; and… ‘Cacklogallinia‘?) that will be occuring within the next twenty to forty years, and beyond :)

-Nick, your magnificent guide for our tours of the Moon (and of what Earth is planning to do to it)