NASA Budget: Senate Appropriators Approve $19.3 Billion for NASA for FY2017 The Senate Appropriations Committee approved a NASA budget of $19.3 billion for 2017, a small increase over the 2016 level, according to the report. The measure supports work on the Space Launch System exploration rocket as well as an Enhanced Upper Stage, the Orion… [Continue Reading]
OneWeb: Florida factory to mass-produce satellites at record pace Satellite maker OneWeb forecasts the production of 15 internet service satellites per week under the roof of a new factory that will be located outside the gates of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Central Florida. The opening is planned for late 2017. VAB: NASA’s Rocket Garage… [Continue Reading]
Stay the Course on Exploration: Op-ed | Stay the Course: Continue America’s Progress in Space Current U.S. space policy, in which government investments are committed to human and planetary science deep space exploration objectives, serves a range of national interests, from national security to scientific discovery and a stronger economy. Commercial sector advances into Low… [Continue Reading]
I Will Launch Commercial Crew: http://www.nasa.gov/centers/marshall/news/news/releases/2016/i-will-launch-america-launch-vehicle-deputy-manager-dayna-ise.html Citizens for Space Exploration – a pro-space, taxpayer, grassroots advocacy group (http://www.bayareahouston.com/content/c_s_e/c_s_e) – has traveled to Washington, D.C. the past 24 years to meet face-to-face with Members/staff of Congress to discuss the value of America’s investment in space exploration. In order to sustain that dialogue on a regular basis, Citizens… [Continue Reading]
Orion Program Update (March): http://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/orion_monthly_newsletter_03-2016b.pdf Orion Acoustic Testing: Turn up the bass! Orion Service Module to begin acoustic testing at Plum Brook Station Monday will mark the start of a rigorous round of acoustic testing for the Orion capsule’s European Space Agency provided service module at NASA’s Glenn Research Center Plumbrook Station. The service module… [Continue Reading]
Expandable Crew Module: Expandable crew module attached to space station The Bigelow Expandable Activities Module delivered to the International Space Station last week on the most recent U.S. commercial re-supply mission was removed from the freighter early Saturday morning using Canadian robot arm operations and attached to the orbiting lab’s Tranquility module. The prototype module… [Continue Reading]
Launch Support Upgrades at KSC: NASA trumpets milestone in potential Mars travel: System reviews NASA announced new strides in the agency’s efforts with key contractors to develop the ground systems at the Kennedy Space Center to support future Space Launch System exploration vehicle launches of the Orion space capsule with astronauts on mission of deep… [Continue Reading]
China to Beat US Back to Moon: China’s first visit to the moon with its astronauts could come within a decade, according to the report that examines assessments from U.S. lunar expert Paul Spudis, author of a new book, The Value of the Moon: How to Explore, Live, and Prosper in Space Using the Moon’s Resources…. [Continue Reading]
Crewed Missions to ISS in 2017: Human space flight from Florida next year ‘realistic,’ experts say Boeing and SpaceX, partners in NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, appear ready to resume human launches from Central Florida by the end of next year. Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner and SpaceX’s Dragon crewed vehicle will transport international astronaut crews to the… [Continue Reading]
Orion Supports Deep Space Exploration: Moon or Mars? Lockheed preps Orion for deep space adventure Orion, the new human spacecraft NASA is developing with Lockheed Martin, will be capable of starting astronauts on deep space missions, whether their destination is the moon or Mars. Under NASA’s Journey to Mars plan, astronauts would first journey to… [Continue Reading]