NASA and ATK to Launch Suborbital Hypersonic Experiments “Two NASA hypersonic experiment payloads are scheduled for launch no earlier than Aug. 21 from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia atop a two-stage suborbital rocket developed by Alliant Techsystems, also known as ATK, of Salt Lake City.” Wallops Island rocket launch rescheduled for tomorrow, PIlotOnline “A launch planned for this morning from Wallops Island has been delayed by one day. The […]

Fay Delays NASA Kennedy Space Center Partial Reopening “Managers at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, Fla., are delaying reopening the center for mission essential personnel Thursday morning because of slow-moving Tropical Storm Fay. Personnel should not report for work at 10 a.m. EDT as previously directed, but instead should check the center’s status through the hurricane phone lines and emergency operations center Web site at noon. Plans still call for the […]

“The eleventh Luna Philosophie will feature Steve Durst from the Board of Directors of the International Lunar Observatory Association and Dr. William Marshal of NASA Ames. The two will share various views on Space Property Rights from industry, United Nations, and the US Government.” LIVE STREAMING VIDEO 6:30 – 7:00 PM PDT Presentation by Steve Durst and William Marshal 7:00 – 7:30 PM PDT Discussion

Going to Space? First Stop: Eight Months of Grueling Training in Russia’s Star City, WIred “… Then you have to fork over $30 million to Space Adventures, a company that serves as go-between with the Russian space program. Just don’t call its clients space tourists. “That term implies you are there to take photos and hang out,” Garriott says. “I’m trying to prove you can actually be a valuable contributor […]

NASA Tests Orion Parachute (Result: Spectacular Failure), Gizmodo Orion Test Set-Up Parachute Fails, Mockup Crashes, Wired Spacecraft crash due to test setup, not design flaw, New Scientist NASA releases Orion crash photos, Scientific American “Budding astronauts, avert your eyes. NASA has posted photos of a failed test landing (read: crash) of a mock-up of the Orion crew exploration vehicle, part of the Constellation program to replace the shuttle in 2015.”

Reader note: “I’m currently at ISU SSP in Barcelona working as a TA with the team project focused on the Google Lunar X-prize. In this project, the intent is not to design yet another competitive team, but to take all of the work from the various teams and build a cohesive program with wider ranging impacts and influence across the globe. One the the activities that the student team is […]

NASA Tests Launch Abort Parachute System – Releases Crash Photos “NASA tested the parachutes for the recovery system on its Orion crew exploration vehicle above the U.S. Army’s Yuma Proving Grounds in Arizona on July 31. The test proved unsuccessful when a test set-up parachute failed…” Editor’s 19 Aug 3:00 pm note: … And the test vehicle crashed into the desert floor. Nowhere does NASA mention that the vehicle slammed […]

Editor’s note: According to the National Research Council, a new report will be released at 11 am EDT, 21 August 2008. Titled: “A Constrained Space Exploration Technology Program: A Review of NASA’s Exploration Technology Development Program”, this report “looks at the quality of technological research conducted at NASA and determines how well-aligned it is with President Bush’s Vision for Space Exploration. Specifically, the report examines the degree to which technology […]

AIAA Inside Aerospace Report and Recommendations Now Available Online “AIAA’s Report and Recommendations resulting from the sessions and discussions held at Inside Aerospace–An International Forum for Aviation and Space Leaders, held 13-14 May 2008 at the Doubletree Hotel Crystal City in Arlington, Virginia, is now available online.”

McCain, Obama compete to be seen as friend of NASA, Houston Chronicle Obama Suggests $2 Billion In New Funding for NASA, Washington post “Sen. Barack Obama has detailed a comprehensive space plan that includes $2 billion in new funding to reinvigorate NASA and a promise to make space exploration and science a significantly higher priority if he is elected president. Campaigning in Florida yesterday, Sen. John McCain responded by telling […]