Keith’s note: In case you have not noticed – the “other” A’ in NASA was in the news this morning – Aeronautics – specifically FAA’s NOTAM system which broke. Every plane was grounded for a while. Things are getting back to normal albeit slowly. I was on Alhurra TV to talk about this – and managed to get a mention in about space traffic and how the complexity of the terrestrial air travel system should be a precautionary lesson as we look to set up a system to monitor the ever-growing amount of space traffic. Audio

Boeing X-51A WaveRider Sets Record with Successful 4th Flight “A Boeing X-51A WaveRider unmanned hypersonic vehicle achieved the longest air-breathing, scramjet-powered hypersonic flight in history May 1, flying for three and a half minutes on scramjet power at a top speed of Mach 5.1. The vehicle flew for a total time of more than six minutes. The flight was the fourth X-51A test flight completed for the U.S. Air Force […]

Congresswoman Eshoo Announces Plan for Hangar One and Moffett Federal Airfield “Following a meeting with Congresswoman Anna G. Eshoo (D-Palo Alto), GSA, NASA, and the White House at the Capitol on Tuesday, February 26, the General Services Administration will issue a Notice of Intent regarding Hangar One and Moffett Federal Airfield, which reflects the following: 1. Moffett Federal Airfield will NOT be excessed. It will remain a restricted Federal Airfield […]

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

NASA Flights Seek To Improve View Of Air Pollution From Space “Initial test flights are planned for the week of June 27, with up to 14 science flights starting as early as July 1. The P-3B, a four-engine turboprop, will carry nine instruments. The two-engine UC-12 will carry two instruments. Sampling will focus on an area extending from Beltsville, Md., to the northeastern corner of Maryland in a pattern that […]

Conflict of interest? Congresswoman staunchly backs Constellation — and is wed to astronaut, Orlando Sentinel “On Memorial Day weekend in 2007, Kelly flew to Indiana to watch the Indy 500 with Giffords, his then-fiance. Kelly listed the purpose of the trip as “Space Flight Readiness Training.” NASA later said the flight may have violated the agency rules requiring astronauts “to avoid any appearance of inappropriate use of NASA T-38’s” when […]

Ex-NASA chief was flying high on tax dollars, report says, Orlando Sentinel “Former NASA chief Sean O’Keefe wasted about $1,800 of taxpayer money using NASA planes to fly to Syracuse, N.Y., to play golf and to New York for an awards ceremony, according to a watchdog report released Thursday. … But NASA has declined to demand repayment of the money, asserting that O’Keefe did not knowingly break the rules. The […]

House Committee on Science and TechnologyMembers Urge NASA to Speed Release of Air Safety Survey Data“Committee Members called NASA’s refusal “troubling” and “unconvincing.” Administrator Griffin announced at the October 31 hearing that NASA would release the NOAMS data, reversing NASA’s earlier stance. Now however, NASA is claiming that the data may not be fully released for up to a year from now. In their letter today to Dr. Griffin, Committee […]

17 May 2007 Final Memorandum on the Audit of the Management of Aircraft Operations. 17 May 2007 NASA Mission Management and Program Support Aircraft A-76 Studies.

NASA GRC: Microgravity Aircraft Services: Draft Solicitation“The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) currently provides reduced gravity flight services using NASA owned and operated aircraft. NASA will begin acquiring Reduced Gravity Aircraft services through outside sources.” Editor’s note: The more I read the documents associated with this draft solicitation, the more convinced I am that the NASA civil servants who wrote this procurement are going out of their way to […]

NASA Seeks Undergrads to Experiment in Lunar and Zero Gravity, NASA JSC Editor’s update: Well, the folks at JSC clearly do not like the idea of private sector competitors encroaching upon their turf and the Aircraft Operations folks (and someone at JSC OIG) are actively blocking companies from using NASA facilities such as the SLF at KSC. Stay tuned. Editor’s note: Too bad NASA can’t find a way to open […]