Sierra Nevada and the Houston Airport System announced a new follow-on agreement to utilize Ellington Airport’s Spaceport as a future landing site for SNC’s Uncrewed Dream Chaser spacecraft - SNC’s solution for NASA’s Cargo Resupply needs and other critical space operations.
“Entering into this new agreement with HAS will lead to enabling all variants of the Dream Chaser spacecraft to land in Houston, offering the ability to return cargo and science to Houston directly from space,” said Mark Sirangelo. (3/24)
Will Ellington Field Get Its Spaceport? (Source: Houstonia)
Earlier today, Houston Airport System Director Mario Diaz addressed industry representatives, city leaders, and members of the media at the organization's annual "State of the Airports" address. Much of Diaz's talk, which was live-tweeted. One tweet was of special interest to all: Houston's further progress in the space race:
"Houston Airport System has filed its application to become nation’s 10th licensed commercial spaceport," he tweeted. "We’ll have our answer no later than June 28, but we are extremely optimistic."
License approval is just one piece to the puzzle. Further studies, designs, and business will all be required before any construction (a la New Mexico's Spaceport America, spearheaded by Virgin Galactic) can occur. Still, it would be a personal victory for Diaz, who first presented an early plan to convert Ellington Field into a burgeoning spaceport in 2013. (3/23)
USAF, SpaceX Focus on Second Stage Engine to Wrap Up Certification (Source: Reuters)
The U.S. Air Force said on Monday it was on track to certify privately held SpaceX to launch U.S. military and spy satellites by June, with the final efforts focused on qualifying the second stage engine and structure of its Falcon 9 rocket. (3/23)
Hawaiian Debut Flight of Rail-Guided Space Launcher Slips to October (Source: SpaceFlight Now)
The first flight of a new rail-guided satellite launch system from a military missile range in Hawaii has been delayed until late October due to problems with the rocket’s first stage motor, according to a U.S. Air Force official. The rail-launched Super Strypi launcher is awaiting an opening in the range schedule at the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Missile Range Facility in Kauai, Hawaii.
[Ironically,] the mission aims to demonstrate a concept to accelerate launch preparations, cutting processing time from months to weeks and slashing the cost of launching small satellites into orbit. The launch was originally set for October 2013, but Anttonen said in the mission appears on track for liftoff in late October 2015 from a new launch pad on Kauai. (3/23)
Russia to Resume Space Tourism in 2018 (Source: ABC)
Russia officials say they will resume space tourism in 2018 after years of sending into space only professional cosmonauts and astronauts. Russia had sent seven paying guests to the International Space Station since 2001 before curtailing the program in 2009. Sending a tourist has been all but impossible since 2011 when the United States shut down its Space Shuttle program and had to rely on Russian Soyuz rockets in order to get into orbit.
Russia, however, has made an exception for British soprano Sarah Brightman who is due to blast off on Sept. 1. RKK Energia, a state-controlled rocket manufacturer, said in a quarterly report released on Tuesday that it plans to make up for an expected drop in demand for manned flights by resuming space tourism in 2018. (3/24)
No Word From the Philae Lander Until April at the Earliest (Source: Washington Post)
It's been months now since the European Space Agency's Rosetta spacecraft, currently orbiting Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, dropped its little lander Philae onto the surface and made history. Just days after its bumpy landing -- the first controlled landing of any manmade object on a comet -- Philae disappeared.
It didn't have enough sun exposure to keep itself operational, and Rosetta wasn't able to spot it on camera during its passes over the presumed resting place. So after several days of furiously acquiring data and running tests, Philae went to sleep.
On March 12, scientists at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) Lander Control Center began sending signals out to Philae. They kept trying for eight days. But on March 20, they announced they would have to try again sometime in April. They're in the process of calculating when Rosetta will next be in a good position to reach out to Philae. (3/23)
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