Russia IC has a brief report about plans for the country’s new launch facility:
“This November RosCosmos sent the reconnaissance commission to the Amur Region in order to specify location of the construction site for new Russian launching site “Vostochny”….Engineers will study terms of construction for first stage objects of future spaceport, aimed at preparation and launch for space crafts of scientific, social and economic, double and commercial purpose.”
SPACEPORT AMERICA PRESS RELEASE
Following a successful bid process, the New Mexico Spaceport Authority
(NMSA) and the New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) broke ground on road improvements for Spaceport America on Thursday, September 18.
After a successful bid award on August 1, 2008, construction will begin by the Reiman Corporation, a construction company with over 15 years of experience in New Mexico. Once completed, the improved road will provide better access and allow the construction process at Spaceport America to continue on schedule.
Continue reading ‘Spaceport America Begins Infrastructure Work’
The South Australian Tourism Commission is “cautiously optimistic” about Virgin Galactic flying space tourism vehicles from Woomera. The London-based company is considering a spaceport in Australia at some point in the future.
The Wimmera Mail-Times reports that Mrs. Amanda Wilson of Horsham, South Australia wants to invite Virgin Galactic boss Richard Branson to her town as part of a bid to locate a spaceport there. The paper really doesn’t explain who Mrs. Wilson is, but she is truly excited about space travel. She may have to wait awhile; the paper quotes a Virgin official as saying Australia is not in the company’s immediate plans.
Speaking of Virgin Galactic, The Advertiser has a story about Englishman Richard Burr, who is number 205 on the list to fly into suborbital space aboard SpaceShipTwo. The 52-year-old North Norfolk man is a property developer and businessman. “Everybody has a dream,” Burr said, “mine happens to be expensive.”
The world’s next space tourist, Richard Garriott, will take custom photographs of Earth for 200 paying subscribers on his ISS flight in October. The “Earth Portraits” program is being co-sponsored by the Association of Space Explorers and the space memorabilia website collectSPACE.com.
AdelaideNow has a story about Virgin Galactic’s plans to establish a spaceport in Australia for suborbital tourism flights. The London-based company is considering launch sites in South Australia’s Outback and Victoria.
“We do have plans to launch from venues worldwide and Australia is in our long-term plans,” said Virgin Galactic’s Carolyn Wincer. “South Australia and Victoria would be good places to launch from.”
New Mexico officials were in Washington last week, seeking federal support for the establishment of a new commercial spaceport in their state.
Governor Bill Richardson and Spaceport America executive director Steve Landeene made the rounds, meeting with Congressional leaders and NASA Administrator Mike Griffin. Although federal officials offered no funding, they did express support for New Mexico’s efforts, which could payoff over time.
The Space Fellowship has a comprehensive story about various spaceports that are under development around the world in Virginia, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Texas, California, Dubai, Singapore and other locations. Some are already in the works, while others are awaiting full funding.
Todayonline.com reports that Virgin Galactic may be looking at Singapore as a possible base for its suborbital tourism business within the next five years.
This move could pose a challenge for Space Adventures, which announced plans to build a spaceport in Singapore back two years ago. However, the Virginia-based company has only raised about half the funding for the facility, according to CEO Eric Anderson. He said the company hopes to raise the remainder of the funding by year’s end.
The Virginia General Assembly is considering legislation to exempt companies involved in commercial space flight from paying corporate income tax. The idea, dubbed “Zero-G, Zero-Tax,” is designed to boost efforts to build a commercial spaceport on Wallops Island.
Despite a $2 million investment, Texas officials have had no success in attracting private space companies to any of three potential spaceport sites in the southern part of the state, The Brownsville Herald reports.
National Geographic Uses G-Force One to Film Station Identifications
National Geographic broadcasts ‘zero gravity’ idents
Design Week
“National Geographic is today broadcasting what it claims are the world’s first channel idents filmed in zero gravity, developed by Brothers & Sisters.The idents will be used as promos for National Geographic’s Space Week, launching in January.
“The advertising consultancy, which was commissioned in April on the strength of an [...]
XCOR Introduces First Space Tourist, Says Demand High
Their thunder stolen by a leak to The Daily Mail, XCOR introduced its first space tourist, London-based banker Per Wimmer, and said that it has 22 reservations for suborbital flights aboard its Lynx vehicle beginning in 2011.
Vanna Bonta - Space Sexologist
I’m sitting here watching an episode of “The Universe” on The History Channel and guess who pops up on the screen but novelist/poet/actress-turned-citizen-of-the-cosmos Vanna Bonta. She’s apparently working on a flight suit that will allow for easier sexual couplings in microgravity.
There’s a segment showing her and husband Allen Newcome testing their 2suit aboard Zero G’s [...]
NASA Extends Contract for Soyuz Transport to ISS
NASA PRESS RELEASE
NASA has signed a $141 million modification to the current International Space Station contract with the Russian Federal Space Agency for crew transportation services planned through the spring of 2012.
Progress Report: JP Inflates Ascender 100 Vehicle
JP Aerospace has posted updated photos of the inflation of its Ascender 100 airship. The company is working on creating lighter-than-air vehicles that can float into space.
Chiao: Deepen U.S., China Cooperation in Space
Former NASA Astronaut Leroy Chiao makes the case for space cooperation between the United States and China on his blog.
“It makes sense politically and programmatically to cooperate with China, in all areas. Space would be a good place to symbolically signal such a shift in policy. The United States did this with Russia in the [...]
