Commercialization: January 2012 Archives

NASA JSC Solicitation: Single Board Computer For Space

"NASA/JSC has a requirement for a Single Board Computer for Space with the ability to clear errors in 1mS to meet the time to first failure estimate of 3 thousand years. This fidelity in error correction is necessary to meet the expected level of redundancy for a human rated spacecraft. A market survey indicates that Maxwell has the only commercially available singe board computer that will meet the Government's requirements."

Keith's note: Wow. Only one company on Earth makes this device. 3,000 years without an error. Amazing.

NASA Announces Awards for 2012 Space Frontier Business Plan Competition

"NASA's Ames Research Center, in conjunction with NASA's Office of the Chief Technologists Emerging Space Office, is continuing its support for the Space Frontier Foundations annual Business Plan Competition by funding this years awards totaling $110,000. The Space Frontier Foundation Business Plan Competition will be held during a three-day event at NASA Ames in July. The NASA supported Emerging Space Grand Prize will include an award of $100,000 for the best business plan with the potential to contribute to space development. NASA also is supporting a second prize of $10,000."

National Research Council Report Identifies and Prioritizes Key Technologies for NASA

"In 2010 NASA created 14 draft technology roadmaps to help guide and prepare for the agency's future space exploration and mission needs. Using these draft roadmaps as a point of departure, a new National Research Council report, NASA SPACE TECHNOLOGY ROADMAPS AND PRIORITIES: RESTORING NASA'S TECHNOLOGICAL EDGE AND PAVING THE WAY FOR A NEW ERA IN SPACE, identifies and prioritizes key technologies needed for NASA to make advances in earth and space sciences. It also details how the effectiveness of the technology development program can be enhanced in the face of scarce resources."

Final Call to Register and Win Suborbital Research Flight at Next Generation Suborbital Researchers Conference, XCOR Aerospace

"XCOR Aerospace and the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) announce the final week to register and become eligible to win a suborbital research flight on XCOR's Lynx I vehicle at the Next Generation Suborbital Researchers Conference (NSRC-2012) in Palo Alto, CA on February 27-29. The deadline for early conference registration and for entering the drawing is the 10th of February at nsrc.swri.org."

NASA Solicitation Commercial Crew Integrated Capability

"NASA intends to begin a new initiative, the Commercial Crew integrated Capability (CCiCap), to facilitate industry's development of an integrated CTS. This activity is expected to result in significant maturation of commercial CTS . Facilitating development of this U.S. capability is expected to provide national economic benefit and support safe, reliable, and cost effective transportation to Low-Earth Orbit (LEO)."

Coalition for Space Exploration Introduces New Leadership for 2012

"The Coalition for Space Exploration (Coalition) today announced veteran aerospace communicators Lon Rains of Northrop Grumman and Mary Engola of Ball Aerospace will lead the Coalition in 2012. Rains and Engola will serve as the new chair and deputy chair, respectively. Each will serve a one-year term, effective January through December 2012."

SpaceX Safety VP Quit Late Last Year, Space.com

"Ken Bowersox left SpaceX at the end of last year," SpaceX spokeswoman Kirstin Grantham wrote in a Jan. 17 email to Space News. "His responsibilities were split up among a few different people. Hans Koenigsmann was named SpaceX vice president of mission assurance."

Keith's note: Last night I subscribed to NASA Tech Briefs magazine. Within a few minutes I got 5 spam emails asking me if I wanted to subscribe to NASA Tech Briefs magazine - which is what I just did.

This publication has always perplexed me since NASA pays little or no attention to it. The NASA Office of the Chief Technologist web page makes no mention of this magazine - and NASA TechBriefs makes no mention of NASA OCT on its website. This seems to be a wasted opportunity: an overtly NASA-branded magazine about new technology and spinoffs that is ignored by NASA.

NASA Tech Briefs also seems to have not totally gotten the social media thing down yet. They have a Twitter account @NASATechBriefs - but the last time it tweeted was on 23 June 2011 - in fact there were only 10 tweets during the entire year of 2011. Gee, I would think that with all of NASA's cool stuff that the magazine would have a little more than this to tweet about. Their Facebook page is inert.

- Why Does NASA Ignore NASA Tech Briefs?, earlier post
- Stealth "NASA" Future Technology Contest, earlier post
- Official NASA Publication Seeks Opinions On Gun Control, earlier post

NASA DFRC Soliciation: Aircraft Coffee Brewer

"NASA/DFRC has a requirement for qty 1, Aircraft Coffee Brewer, P/N 400-1794-02, model 1603-AC3P-F, Pour Over, Bottled Water, Fixed Mount, 115VAC 3Ph 300-700Hz, 1000 Watts, Dimensions: 13.0" x6.37" x 10.0". Unit must come with FAA 8130-3, comply with RTCA DO-160D and conform to NASA Quality assurance Document Q-1A (attached). The solicitation is due by 4:30pm local time on January 25, 2012."

Specs

Update on Next SpaceX Launch

"In preparation for the upcoming launch, SpaceX continues to conduct extensive testing and analysis. We believe that there are a few areas that will benefit from additional work and will optimize the safety and success of this mission. We are now working with NASA to establish a new target launch date, but note that we will continue to test and review data. We will launch when the vehicle is ready."

United Launch Alliance Names Mike Leinbach Director of Human Spaceflight Operations

"United Launch Alliance (ULA) announced today that Mike Leinbach has joined the company as the Director of Human Spaceflight Operations. "We are fortunate to have Mike with his wealth of human spaceflight experience join the ULA team," said George Sowers, ULA's vice president of Business Development. "His background in leading overall space shuttle launch activities for more than a decade, executing 37 space shuttle launches, will be invaluable as we develop human spaceflight capabilities for our Atlas and Delta systems."

LightSquared cries foul over GPS advisory board, Reuters

"Telecom startup LightSquared is asking for an investigation of a possible conflict of interest by a member of an advisory board that has already warned against its technology because of interference with the global positioning system. LightSquared, which needs government approval of its high-speed wireless technology by the end of the month to keep its major partner on board, lodged its probe request with NASA Inspector General Paul Martin late Wednesday. The petition charges that Bradford Parkinson, sometimes referred to as the father of GPS, serves as vice chairman of the National Space-Based Position, Navigation, and Timing Advisory Board while also a director for Trimble Navigation Ltd, which makes GPS equipment and has been a vocal opponent of LightSquared's network. Lightsquared said Parkinson may have violated a federal conflict of interest law and ethics regulations."

Space Florida Announces Sub-Orbital Flight Incentive Program

"The Space Florida Sub-Orbital Flight Incentive Program will provide a partial reimbursement for customers to fly research payloads from Florida, equal to one-third of the published list price of an approved flight provider, up to a maximum of $10,000. Space Florida will provide this incentive in order to increase the volume of commercial and academic research payloads that fly from Florida. All flight research considered for the program should have either a terrestrial or space application."

NASA Solicitation: Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (Space Launch System)

"NASA/MSFC is hereby seeking potential sources to provide an Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS) for the early Space Launch System (SLS) missions. Recently, NASA announced the architecture of the SLS with a manifested first flight in late 2017. The early flights of the SLS architecture will require the use of an ICPS to ensure the placement of the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) and/or Payload on the required trajectory. In order to support the flight schedule, the initial ICPS flight unit must be delivered to Kennedy Space Center (KSC) no later than late in the fourth quarter of the 2016 government fiscal year (GFY). The second flight unit must be delivered to KSC by the fourth quarter of the 2020 GFY. NASA is seeking in-space propulsion capabilities with performance data that can meet its schedule and funding constraints."

Space Florida Hires Jim Kuzma, Realigns Organization

"Today, Space Florida announces the hiring of Jim Kuzma as Senior Vice President and Chief Operations Officer (COO). Kuzma's hiring is one of several organizational changes being initiated to help Space Florida create capacity for improved client responsiveness, better face a dynamic marketplace and take advantage of increased business development opportunities in the aerospace industry."

Florida Space Industry to Visit Capitol on January 11 for Space Day

"Representatives from Florida's aerospace industry will visit Tallahassee on January 11, 2012, to participate in Florida Space Day and share with legislators the challenges facing this important business sector as the nation's space program evolves."

United Space Alliance Directed To Stop Pursuing New Business, Space News

"United Space Alliance (USA), the Boeing-Lockheed Martin joint venture created in 1995 to operate NASA's now-retired space shuttle, has been barred by its corporate parents from pursuing any new business, according to industry sources. The move raises new questions about the future of the Houston-based company, a major NASA contractor that has struggled to carve out a prominent new role for itself in the post-shuttle era. USA's current shuttle operations contract is set to expire in September."

Photo: Integration and Testing of Cygnus Service Modules

"Integration and testing of Cygnus spacecraft service modules continues at our Dulles, VA Satellite Manufacturing Facility (SMF). The service module on the left in the photo below will be used for the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) demonstration flight to the International Space Station (ISS) later this year. The service module on the right will carry out the first of eight cargo resupply missions under Orbital's Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract with NASA, also scheduled for later this year. A third Cygnus service module (not shown) is also undergoing integration in a separate clean room facility in the facility."