NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver addresses the Planetary Defense Conference in Flagstaff on April, 15, 2013. (Credit: Eric Dahlstrom)
By Douglas Messier Parabolic Arc Managing Editor
NASA will partner with private organizations seeking to catalog and mine asteroids as the space agency undertakes an ambitious effort to retrieve one of these bodies and send astronauts to explore it, Deputy Administrator Lori Garver told planetary scientists on Monday.
“When Planetary Resources was founded a few month ago and following on that Deep Space Industries, I could not have been happier,” Garver said, referring to two asteroid mining companies announced last year. “It’s proving our focus of attention on areas where there is not just U.S. government interest.”
Some very sad news to report: Sally Ride, who became the first American woman in space aboard the shuttle Challenger on June 18, 1983, has passed away after a long battle with cancer. Ride was the first to break through into the all-male astronaut corps and inspired women everywhere. She will be sadly missed.
Below is a statement published on the Sally Ride Science website, followed by tributes from President Barack Obama and NASA.
“Sally Ride died peacefully on July 23rd, 2012 after a courageous 17-month battle with pancreatic cancer. Sally lived her life to the fullest, with boundless energy, curiosity, intelligence, passion, joy, and love. Her integrity was absolute; her spirit was immeasurable; her approach to life was fearless.
WASHINGTON D.C.(CSF PR) – The Commercial Spaceflight Federation will hold a press conference call on Thursday May 17th, at 2:00 PM EDT with CSF President Michael Lopez-Alegria, NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver, and XCOR Aerospace CEO Jeff Greason to discuss the state of the emerging commercial spaceflight industry. With the next COTS cargo demonstration flight coming up this weekend, this is a great moment to take stock of the commercial spaceflight industry, and the ways NASA and the industry are cooperating to expand our presence in space and bring space closer to all Americans.
NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver is given a tour of the Bigelow Aerospace facilities by the company's President Robert Bigelow on Friday, Feb. 4, 2011, in Las Vegas. (NASA/Bill Ingalls)
NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver visited Bigelow Aerospace and Sierra Nevada Corporation this week to see commercial human spaceflight hardware that to two companies are developing. The following report is based on NASA press releases.
Inflatable Space Stations
In Las Vegas, Garver toured the facilities of Bigelow Aerospace, a company that has been developing expandable space habitats. NASA is evaluating Bigelow’s concept for an expandable module for the International Space Station. If approved, the Bigelow Expandable Activity Module, or BEAM, could be launched to the station using a commercial cargo flight and robotically attached to the orbiting laboratory.
NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver will travel to Las Vegas and Boulder, Colo., this week to meet with leaders of two commercial space companies, Bigelow Aerospace and Sierra Nevada Corp., and tour their facilities. NASA is partnering with the commercial sector to develop innovative technologies to ensure that the U.S. remains competitive in future space endeavors.
On Friday, Feb. 4, Garver will tour Bigelow Aerospace facilities at 1899 W. Brooks Ave. in North Las Vegas. NASA has been discussing potential partnership opportunities with Bigelow for its inflatable habitat technologies. Garver and the company’s President Robert Bigelow will hold a news conference at 1 p.m. PST. To attend, media representatives must contact Mike Gold at mgold@bigelowaerospace.com.
On Saturday, Feb. 5, Garver will meet with Mark Sirangello, chairman of Sierra Nevada Space Systems. Afterward, she will tour the company’s facility responsible for spacecraft mechanical subsystems, components and satellite manufacturing in Louisville, Colo.
NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver and Colorado Governor Bill Ritter Jr., participated Monday in a Space Act Agreement signing ceremony at the Colorado State Capitol Building in Denver to promote the commercialization of technology developed for the space program.
NASA’s agreement with the Colorado Association for Manufacturing and Technology (CAMT) created a Technology Acceleration Program and Regional Innovation Cluster for Aerospace and Clean Energy. A manufacturing park focused on rapid new product development and production will be developed to assist growing Colorado businesses.
Four current NASA leaders and one retiree were recognized for their work by Women in Aerospace at the organization’s annual awards ceremony and banquet on Tuesday, Oct. 26. The event celebrates women’s professional excellence in aerospace and honors those who have made outstanding contributions to the aerospace community.
NASA leaders who were honored at the 2010 awards are: Deputy Administrator Lori Garver, Director of NASA’s Langley Research Center Lesa Roe, Program Planning Specialist Beth Beck, Aerospace Engineer Jill Lynette Hanna Prince and Nancy Grace Roman, who retired from NASA in 1979 as chief astronomer.
Sir Richard Branson, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, Apollo astronaut Buzz Aldrin and other officials arrive at Spaceport America for the runway dedication on Oct. 22.
If you want a demonstration of the tectonic shifts occurring in the U.S. space program, note that NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver is part of the “Welcoming Committee” that is walking out to greet a British billionaire and a governor who teamed to create a private commercial spaceport in a state largely known for its military space efforts. NASA is going to the private sector — and the nexus of space is shifting away from Washington toward previously obscure places like Upham, Mojave and Rockwall. If the trend continues, the space program will change almost beyond recognition within 10 years.
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