NASA Destroys Rocket Shortly After Launch at Wallops Island
Hampton Roads Virginia Pilot
“An experimental rocket carrying $17 million worth of NASA experiments was destroyed early Friday morning after it veered off course soon after launch from the Wallops Flight Facility on the Eastern Shore.
“Explosive charges on the nose of the rocket were detonated by NASA about 27 seconds after the 5:10 a.m. launch.”
NASA and ATK Investigate Failed Launch Of Hypersonic Experiment
NASA Press Release
WALLOPS ISLAND, Va. — An Alliant Techsystems suborbital rocket carrying two NASA hypersonic experiments was destroyed by range safety officials shortly after liftoff from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia Friday. No injuries or property damage were reported.
Most debris from the rocket is thought to have fallen in the Atlantic Ocean. However, there are conflicting reports of debris being sighted on land. This debris could be hazardous. People who think they may have encountered rocket debris are advised not to touch it and to report it to the Wallops Emergency Operations Center at 757-824-1300.
NASA is very disappointed in this failure but has directed its focus on protecting public safety and conducting a routine confirmation of the effectiveness of its range safety operations. NASA has a response team in the field. Alliant Techsystems, also known as ATK, of Salt Lake City, is conducting the investigation of the rocket malfunction. NASA will consult with ATK and support the investigation.
NASA nixes Oceaneering’s suit contract; reopens bidding
Houston Chronicle
“NASA has terminated Houston-based Oceaneering International’s contract to develop a new generation of spacesuits and is reopening the bidding for the $184 million contract.
“Responding to a complaint filed by rival bidder Exploration Systems & Technology of Houston, the space agency has asked the two companies to make “limited” revisions and then resubmit their proposals.”
NASA contractors locked in legal battle
Orlando Sentinel
“A potentially damaging legal dustup has broken out between the contractor running NASA’s space shuttle and the company in charge of the next rocket program.
“The heart of the complaint is that Alliant Techsystems Inc., or ATK, which is designing the Ares rockets that will take astronauts back to the moon by 2020, is poaching skilled engineers from United Space Alliance, or USA, NASA’s prime shuttle contractor.”
The Canadian government has reaffirmed its rejection of MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates plans to sell its space division to American defense contractor Alliant Technosystems (ATK).
Ottawa rejected the $1.3 billion sale last month as not being of net benefit to Canada. MDA had 30 days to convince Industry Minister Jim Prentice to reverse the decision. That period expired on Thursday.
Prentice did announce a four-year, $109-million contract between the Canadian Space Agency and MDA. However, company officials said this was merely a renewal of a long-standing contract that did nothing to provide direction to a drifting Canadian space program, the Vancouver Sun reported.
“The space file in Canada has been neglected for quite a while,” said Mag Iskander, MDA’s executive vice-president for information systems. “In real terms, government expenditures in this space have been declining. We are hoping with this new resurgence of interest by the minister and the government they will engage in a serious long-term space plan, similar to what we had in the past.
“I am not talking about handouts. I’m talking about contracts that meet the needs of Canadians,” Iskander said.
MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates has warned that the Canadian government’s decision to block the sale of its space division to an American defense contractor Alliant Technosystems could backfire, resulting in the loss of jobs and key technologies, the Financial Post reports.
MDA wants to sell its space division to ATK for $1.3 billion in order to focus on its fast growing real-estate information business. If the sale does not go through, company officials say they would have three options:
- purchase an American-based company to gain access to the U.S. market, draining funds from its information business;
- hire hundreds of American workers so it can gain access to U.S. contracts, thus sending jobs south of the border;
- collaborate with a U.S. company, with the risk of having its technologies stolen.
Last month, Industry Minister Jim Prentice rejected the sale on the grounds that it would have no net benefit for Canada. He sided with critics who say that the sale would damage the nation’s space program, sell off taxpayer-funded technology to the United States, and possibly block Canadian access to data from the Radarsat 2 satellite.
Continue reading ‘MDA Warns of Job and Technology Losses; Critics Decry Lack of Space Vision’
A key parliamentary committee issued a report on Thursday supporting the Canadian government’s decision to reject the sale of MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates’ space assets to American defense Contract Alliant Technosystems, the Globe and Mail reports.
“The report, tabled yesterday by the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology and the result of hearings held last month to scrutinize the sale, comes as another blow to a deal already widely seen as on death’s door. Nonetheless, Richmond-based MDA is lobbying Ottawa for a chance to plead its case for the $1.3-billion transaction.”
The report is expected to bolster the decision by Industry Minister Jim Prentice to reject the proposed sale on the grounds that it did not provide “net benefits” to Canada. MDA wants to use profits from the $1.3 billion sale to continue expanding its rapidly-expanding information products business.
Shares of MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates fell sharply on the Toronto Stock Exchange on Thursday after the Canadian government signaled that it would block the company’s sale of its space division to an American defense contractor.
Shares of the Richmond, BC-based company, which had been trading at a high of $47 Canadian on Wednesday, fell to $42.85 Canadian on Thursday after Industry Minister Jim Prentice indicated that the”investment is not likely to be of net benefit to Canada.” The stock recovered slight to finish the week at $43.03 Canadian.
MDA had planned to sell its space division to U.S.-based Alliant Techsystems (ATK) for $1.325 billion in order to focus on its information systems business. Stockholders overwhelmingly approved the sale last month.
However, opponents said the sale would devastate the Canadian space industry, give Americans access to taxpayer-subsidized technology, and compromise the nation’s sovereignty. MDA built the Canadarms and the Dextre robot for the space shuttle and International Space Station, both funded by the Canadian government.
Continue reading ‘MDA Stock Falls Sharply as Canadian Government Rejects Sale’
CAW AND RIDEAU INSTITUTE PRESS RELEASE
TORONTO/OTTAWA, March 30 /CNW/ - The Canadian Auto Workers union and the Rideau Institute publicly released a letter written by their legal counsel calling upon Industry Minister Jim Prentice to release information regarding the purchase of MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates’ (MDA) important Canadian space information systems, including RADARSAT-2 and the maker of the Canadarm by U.S.-based Alliant Techsystems (ATK).
Citing procedures regarding “Third Party Representations” which are set out under the Department’s Guidelines - Administrative Procedures issued pursuant to section 38 of the Investment Canada Act, the letter calls upon the Minister:
- to seek permission from ATK to release any undertakings the U.S firm made to the government in support of its application;
- to describe steps taken by the department in evaluating the compatibility of ATK’s application with other Canadian government policies; and
- which departments, provinces and territories have been consulted about the application, as required by the Investment Canada Act.
Continue reading ‘Rideau Institute, Auto Workers Seek Release of Information on MDA Sale’
The shareholders of Canada’s MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. have overwhelming approved the controversial sale of its space and satellite business to American defense contractor Alliant Techsystems (ATK), The Canadian Press reports.
The proposed sale, which sent shock waves through the Canadian space industry, was approved by 99.9 percent of shareholders. MDA makes Canadarm, the robotic arm used aboard the space shuttle and the international space station. It also built Dextre, an ISS robot that was just launched aboard the space shuttle Endeavour.
ATK will pay $1.325 billion in cash for MDA’s space and satellite business. MDA said the sale would provide an infusion of cash and allow it to focus on its information products business.
Canandian opponents of the sale, who say it would cripple Canada’s space program, have vowed to try to block the sale. The transaction must be approved by Canadian and American regulators.
Alliant Techsystems reports progress on the first stage of NASA’s new Ares I vehicle, according to a story at Flight Global.
ATK has fabricated segments for ground vibration tests and expects to ship hardware to the Kennedy Space Center in July. The five-segment stage, based on the solid rocket boosters used for the space shuttle, will help launch NASA’s new Orion spacecraft.