Posted on May 16, 2013, at 11:20 am .
Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center
Kennedy Space Center Director Bob Cabana gave a spirited defense of NASA’s turn toward commercial space operations earlier this week, saying the space agency would not block a proposed commercial launch complex on land it controls at the Shiloh site:
“If it works out that that’s the right thing to do, we’ll make sure that the land is available for them to do that,” he said.
Asked if NASA was an advocate for the proposed Shiloh launch complex, Cabana said it was a state initiative.
Continue reading ‘KSC Director Supports Shiloh Launch Site as Environmental Battle Looms’
Posted on May 8, 2013, at 9:45 am .
Artist’s conception of the proposed SpaceX commercial launch facility near Brownsville, Texas.
The Brownsville Herald reports that more than 500 people attended a public hearing last night to hear the results of the FAA’s preliminary environmental impact statement on SpaceX’s proposed launch facility:
Of those gathered at the International Technology, Education and Commerce Center Tuesday night, dozens shared their views on the project, which showed a general consensus of cautious optimism that the project — which aims to construct a vertical rocket launch site at the eastern end of State Highway 4 — will bring jobs while making a minimal impact on the environment.
Continue reading ‘Hearing on SpaceX’s Proposed Texas Launch Site Draws 500 People’
Posted on April 26, 2013, at 10:02 am .
Credit: David Wilson, Spaceport America
The Las Cruces Sun-News has a report on the New Mexico Spaceport Authority’s meeting earlier this week where the following actions and updates occurred.
- Bruce Jackson, Virgin Galactic vice president for Trade Controls & Export Strategy, told the board that the company is expected to submit an application to the Federal Aviation Administration to license WhiteKnightTwo and SpaceShipTwo. He said the FAA’s review period could take six months or longer.
- The board awarded a six-month, $669,500 contract to R Con Construction of Las Cruces for the interior fit-out of Spaceport America’s dome-shaped operations center.
- NMSA has initiated a separate bid process for a developer to construct and finance a visitor center off I-25 exit 79 and the spaceport visitor complex at the spaceport.
- Sierra and Doña Ana counties remain in discussions with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management over exactly how to pave 23.7 miles of dirt road that provides a direct route to the spaceport from the south. The paving project will cost $15 million.
Read the full story.
Posted on April 17, 2013, at 7:59 am .
Artist’s conception of the proposed SpaceX commercial launch facility near Brownsville, Texas.
The FAA’s draft environmental impact statement (EIS) on SpaceX proposed commercial launch facility near Brownsville, Texas, has found no significant impacts on health, safety or the environment, paving the way for the project to proceed.
Continue reading ‘FAA Draft Environmental Impact Statement Supports SpaceX Texas Launch Site’
Posted on March 30, 2013, at 7:28 pm .
Oviedo, FL (Black Sky Training PR) – Today the FAA awarded Black Sky Training the first ever safety approval for space training. This signals that the FAA/AST continues the commitment to safety for the flying public that began in 1958.
“The flying public has come to expect the highest level of safety for its passengers, and training for the men and women whose job it is to transport passengers to and from their destinations. By establishing a standard protocol for training of the flying public and flight crews, they [the FAA/AST] have signaled the burgeoning space flight industry that nothing but the highest safety standards are to be provided to the passengers.”
Continue reading ‘FAA Approves Black Sky Training Program’
Posted on March 15, 2013, at 10:12 am .
Nor-Tech Case Study
Nor-Tech portable data center (Credit: Nor-Tech)
The Challenge
As commercial aviation companies prepare to usher in an age of space tourism, regulatory bodies such as the Federal Aviation Administration are tasked with the challenge of conducting research and collecting data to establish safeguards for the emerging industry. One area of concern is the amount of cosmic radiation passengers and crew of suborbital commercial space flights will be subjected to as they reach altitudes up to 100 km above the Earth.
Continue reading ‘FAA Taps Nor-Tech for Help on Suborbital Radiation Exposure Studies’
Posted on March 14, 2013, at 8:39 pm .
Alabama State Sen. Gerald Dial, R-Lineville, missed a key vote on the state’s budget on Tuesday because he was in Washington talking to Federal Aviation Administration officials about getting a spaceport.
“If we can get out ahead of this, we can lock it up,” he said.
Dial said that in the next few weeks he’ll introduce a bill that would create an Alabama Spaceport Authority, within the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs. A draft of the bill states that the spaceport authority would “identify public lands for space launch” and “encourage the leveraging of venture capital and seed public-private partnerships to promote private enterprise.”
Continue reading ‘Alabama Wants a Spaceport’
Posted on March 6, 2013, at 1:22 pm .
By Douglas Messier
Parabolic Arc Managing Editor
The Mojave Air and Space Port has decided not to bid to become a prime site for the testing of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), but it will likely become a team member on separate proposals being submitted by two other California groups.
On Tuesday, the spaceport’s Board of Directors approved moving forward with plans to join proposals that Ventura County and Inyokern Airport will submit to the Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA will designate six sites around the country for UAS testing later this year.
Continue reading ‘Mojave Spaceport Opts Not to Become Prime Site for UAS Testing’
Posted on February 19, 2013, at 5:00 pm .
In a move that could have a major impact on the Mojave Air and Space Port, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has solicited proposals from interested parties for the establishment of six unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) research and test sites around the country.
Mojave spaceport officials have said they are seriously considering submitting a proposal for this designation. They have also brought in a NASA Dryden executive, John W. Kelly, to serve a one-year executive internship. One of Kelly’s main focuses will be on the research potential for UAS activity.
Continue reading ‘Will Mojave Become an UAS Research and Test Site?’
Posted on February 14, 2013, at 5:22 am .
“To fully develop the network of organizations from academia and industry (including for-profit and non-profit organizations) with similar and complementary interests in the research conducted under the COE CST, the FAA is releasing this solicitation for organizations who wish to join the COE CST to conduct research as an Affiliate University Member or an Affiliate Industry Member.”
Continue reading ‘FAA Commercial Space Center of Excellence Looking for Affiliate Members’
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