Commercial Space Transportation Update
Feb 15-19, 2016 Cygnus Resupply Mission Completed: Cygnus ending OA-4 mission at ISS with high praise and success Launched Dec. 6, Orbital ATK’s latest commercial resupply mission docked to the six-person International Space Station three days later, delivering more than 7,000 pounds of food, clothes and research equipment. The capsule departs the station early Friday,… [Continue Reading]
Orion and Space Launch System Update
Feb 15-19, 2016 SLS Exploration Upper Stage: NASA moves to enforce early switch to EUS for SLS Despite a reduction in spending for the Space Launch System in NASA’s proposed 2017 budget, space agency engineers are looking at an upgrade of the exploration rocket’s second stage for Exploration Mission-2, the first piloted test flight of… [Continue Reading]
International Space Station Update
Feb 15-19, 2016 Space Farming: Space farmer Scott Kelly harvests first “space zinnia” grown aboard Space Station After cultivating romaine lettuce and zinnia flowers aboard the International Space Station with the help of NASA’s marathon astronaut Scott Kelly, NASA intends to grow tomatoes in the veggie greenhouse. Fresh fruit and vegetables could be an important… [Continue Reading]
Governmental Affairs Update – February 2016
The committee decided that they would like to have a speaker invited every other month. Some of the people they were interested in hearing from are Kathryn Rudloff, Executive Director of Business Voice, John Murry, CEO of Canaveral Port Authority (our April luncheon speaker) and Leigh Holt of TPO. We will reach out to Tom… [Continue Reading]
Education Committee Update – February 2016
The Education Committee held it’s monthly meeting on February 12, 2016. Topics for discussion were: PITBOE: The PITBOE luncheon was held at LaCita on February 10, 2016, and was a huge success. There were 48 businesses nominated by our local schools. These businesses have each contributed to the schools in various ways throughout the year… [Continue Reading]
Florida Space Update
Feb 1-12, 2016 NASA’s FY2017 Budget Good for KSC: Cabana: Proposed NASA budget ‘great’ for KSC Robert Cabana, director of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, sizes up the proposed NASA budget for 2017. The spending plan should permit the space agency to continue the development of exploration systems that will send humans on future missions of… [Continue Reading]
Space Budgets, Policy, Missions, Benefits, International Update
Feb 1-12, 2016 Marshall Center Director: NASA names inside favorite new director of Marshall Space Flight Center NASA Administrator Charles Bolden named Todd May as director of the Marshall Space Flight Center on Monday. May has been the acting director of the NASA installation that oversees development of the Space Launch System exploration rocket since… [Continue Reading]
Commercial Space Transportation Update
Feb 1-12, 2016 Commercial Cargo Contract: NASA offers more details on cargo contract decision NASA offered new details on the selection criteria it used in January to award contracts for continued commercial resupply of the International Space Station between late 2019 and 2014. The contracts were awarded to incumbents Orbital ATK and SpaceX and newcomer… [Continue Reading]
Orion and Space Launch System Update
Feb 1-12, 2016 Orion Pressure Vessel at KSC: NASA prepares Orion spacecraft for its first big mission The NASA/Lockheed Martin weight reduced Orion crew exploration capsule assigned to Exploration Mission-1 is now at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center where it will undergo testing and final assembly. The first uncrewed test launch of Orion paired with the… [Continue Reading]
International Space Station Update
Feb 1-12, 2016 Space Marathon: Into the homestretch: Kelly and Kornienko to pass 300 days in space, heading for 2 March return to Earth Closing in on the early March finale of a near yearlong stay aboard the International Space Station, NASA’s Scott Kelly and Russia’s Mikhail Kornienko passed the 300-day-mark on Thursday. New Space… [Continue Reading]