Ocean Recons Readied – NRO readies sea surveillance flight, optical satellite procurement, Aviation Week and Space Technology“Secret National Reconnaissance Office dual satellite ocean surveillance mission to track potential terrorist movements at sea and Chinese and Iranian ship tactics is being readied for liftoff June 14 here on an Atlas V, say intelligence sources. The National Ocean Surveillance System (NOSS) flight is designated NRO L-30. “We’re on track for a mid-June […]

Hawking Experiences Microgravity: “Noted wheelchair-bound physicist Stephen Hawking proceeds to the Zero Gravity Corp. airplane for his first flight in microgravity. Zero-G founder Peter Diamondis, left, and a caregiver joined Hawking on the flight that took off from the same runway the space shuttles land on at Kennedy Space Center. Hawking suffers amyotrophic lateral sclerosis disease which has cost him also all of his neuromuscular control. He said he wanted […]

Star Trek’s Scotty, NASA’s Cooper in space, AP“The cremated remains of actor James Doohan, who portrayed “Scotty” of the Star Trek starship Enterprise, and Gemini astronaut Gordon Cooper sailed into suborbital space this morning aboard a rocket launched from the southern New Mexico desert. It marked the first successful launch from Spaceport America, a commercial spaceport being developed in Upham, N.M.”

Editor’s note: Over the past few days there has been a lot of heavy breathing and arm waving on various space discussion and space collectible websites about comments that former (and therefore out of the loop) astronaut John Young supposedly made that the Orion/Ares 1 projects were doomed and/or other rumors that Mike Griffin was going to be replaced. This is just pure Internet-hyped goofery with no basis whatsoever in […]

Editor’s note: ZeroGravity Corp. Has released some video highlights of Professor Hawking’s flight yesterday …. video below. If you look closely you will see that Hawking’s name badge is upside down while is he is floating. That is a ZeroG tradition. Only once you have experienced weightlessness do you get to have your badge turned right side up – which is usually done with some fanfare and applause. Click on […]

NASA Science Statement on Stephen Hawking’s Zero Gravity Flight“The following is a statement from Alan Stern, NASA associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at Headquarters in Washington, regarding renowned physicist Stephen Hawking’s flight aboard Zero Gravity Corporation’s Boeing 727. … “Space is as much a place for scientists, I believe, as the arctic, Antarctic, and the deep ocean. And Dr. Hawking is showing the way.”

Editor’s note: Professor Hawking’s flight yesterday has already spawned a cartoon spoof. Hawking is no stranger to making appearances with high comedic content either …. videos below. This animated depiction of Hawking’s Zero G flight appeared on 26 April 2007In case you missed it, Prof. Hawking made a cameo appeareance on “Star Trek the Next Generation”He also appeared on “The Simpsons”

NASA Chief Improperly Destroyed Tapes of Meeting, Lawmaker Says, Washington Post“NASA Administrator Michael D. Griffin held an unusual meeting with the staff of the inspector general who oversees his agency and then ordered that video recordings of the meeting be destroyed, a House panel said yesterday.”

NASA’s Centennial Challenge for Improved Astronaut Gloves Set“NASA is offering a total of $200,000 for the team that can design and manufacture the best astronaut glove that exceeds minimum requirements. An additional $50,000 goes to the team that best demonstrates Mechanical Counter Pressure gloves.”NASA Astronaut Tore Spacesuit During Mission, KUTV“Bob Curbeam was part of the Space Shuttle Discovery crew that flew to the space station in December. According to NASA, […]

NASA GRC Solicitation: Microgravity Aircraft Services – RFP Release“NASA/GRC plans to issue has issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the following Commercial item/services: Operation of an aircraft in support of microgravity research. Contractor will be required to manage and operate their own aircraft which performs microgravity flights that meet NASA performance requirements while carrying NASA operated experiments.”Making Commercialization More Difficult – Instead of Easier – at NASA, earlier post […]