Florida – Human Space Exploration Update

• 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 is Huge and So Are Its Tools At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Central Florida, the mammoth Vehicle Assembly Building is being reworked to accommodate preparations for the final assembly and launch of the agency’s Space Launch System exploration rocket. SLS is under development to start U.S. human explorers on missions of deep space exploration. Construction of the VAB, which served as the prelaunch assembly facility for the Saturn V moon rocket and the space shuttle, began in 1963. (See also: http://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/preparing-the-vehicle-assembly-building-for-nasas-next-rocket)
• Orbital ATK Rocket: Orbital ATK Picked to use NASA’s Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center NASA announced on Thursday it will negotiate with Orbital ATK for use of space in the Kennedy Space Center’s Vehicle Assembly Building in Florida. Use of the VAB is part of a development plan with the Air Force for a new large to medium class launch vehicle.

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 distributes “Space Exploration Update” to Congressional offices on a weekly basis. The intent is to provide an easy, quick way to stay abreast of key human space exploration program and policy developments.