A Year Of Successes And Challenges In The Aerospace Industry

This past year saw several spectacular successes in the field of aerospace and space exploration, including the launch of NASA's first new spacecraft intended for human spaceflight in 40 years. But there were some challenges as well, particularly in the private sector. Orbital lost a resupply spacecraft bound for the International Space Station, and the space tourism industry was dealt a setback with the accident involving SpaceShipTwo. Here are many of the stories that made headlines in the aerospace industry over the past year.

January

Spacex Successfully Launches THAICOM 6 Satellite To Geostationary Transfer Orbit

Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) has successfully launched the THAICOM 6 satellite for leading Asian satellite operator THAICOM. Falcon 9 delivered THAICOM 6 to its targeted 295 x 90,000 km geosynchronous transfer orbit at 22.5 degrees inclination. The Falcon 9 launch vehicle performed as expected, meeting 100% of mission objectives.

US Commitment To ISS Extended Until At Least 2024

As more than 30 heads of space agencies from around the world prepare to gather in Washington January 9-10 for an unprecedented summit on the future of space exploration, the White House issued a news release saying that the Obama Administration has approved an extension of the International Space Station (ISS) until at least 2024. "We are hopeful and optimistic that our ISS partners will join this extension effort and thus enable continuation of the groundbreaking research being conducted in this unique orbiting laboratory for at least another decade," the release stated.

Cygnus Heads To Space For First Station Resupply Mission

NASA commercial partner Orbital Sciences Corporation launched its Cygnus cargo spacecraft aboard the Antares rocket at 1307 EST Thursday from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Pad 0A at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia for the Orbital-1 cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station. At the time of launch the station was flying about 260 miles over the Atlantic Ocean just off the coast of Brazil

Virgin Galactic Reaches New Heights In Third Supersonic Test Flight

Virgin Galactic successfully completed the third rocket-powered supersonic flight of its passenger carrying reusable space vehicle, SpaceShipTwo (SS2) Friday. In command on the flight deck of SS2 for the first time under rocket power was Virgin Galactic’s Chief Pilot Dave Mackay. Mackay, along with Scaled Composites’ (Scaled) Test Pilot Mark Stucky, tested the spaceship’s Reaction Control System (RCS) and the newly installed thermal protection coating on the vehicle’s tail booms. All of the test objectives were successfully completed.

SNC Announces International Expansion Of Dream Chaser Space System 

Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) announced the global expansion of the Dream Chaser Space System through recently finalized cooperative understandings with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the German Aerospace Center (DLR). SNC will work with each agency on the potential application of European technologies to both the current Dream Chaser design, and advanced derivative versions of the vehicle. This international collaboration will also help define missions outside the Dream Chaser’s primary mission of ferrying U.S. and partner nation astronauts to low-Earth orbit, thereby helping to maintain the global space partnerships established between these agencies and the United States space program.

NASA's Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel Releases 2013 Annual Report

The Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP), an advisory committee that reports to NASA and Congress, has released its 2013 annual report examining NASA's safety performance over the past year and highlighting issues and concerns to agency and government officials. The report released Wednesday is based on the panel's 2013 fact-finding and quarterly public meetings; "insight" visits and meetings; direct observations of NASA operations and decision-making processes; discussions with NASA management, employees, and contractors; and the panel members' own experience.

NASA Announces Partnership Opportunities For U.S. Commercial Lunar Landers

Building on the progress of NASA's partnerships with the U.S. commercial space industry to develop new spacecraft and rockets capable of delivering cargo, and soon, astronauts to low Earth orbit, the agency is now looking for opportunities to spur commercial cargo transportation capabilities to the surface of the moon.

NASA Tests Orion Spacecraft Parachute Jettison Over Arizona 

Engineers testing the parachute system for NASA's Orion spacecraft increased the complexity of their tests Thursday, Jan. 16, adding the jettison of hardware designed to keep the capsule safe during flight.

February

Sierra Nevada Corporation Enters Dream Chaser Critical Design Review

Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) recently announced the completion of the Dream Chaser Incremental Critical Design Review (CDR) with the completion of Milestone 10a under its Commercial Crew Integrated Capability (CCiCap) agreement with NASA.

NASA Evolves Student Rocketry Challenge

Student teams from 26 colleges and universities in 16 states and Puerto Rico will design and launch innovative rockets and payloads as part of the 2013-2014 NASA Student Launch rocketry competition.

XPRIZE 10th Anniversary Photo-Book: No One Was Closer To So Much Of The Action…. And This Amazing Book Allows YOU The Same Access!

To Aviation Journalist and experienced Test Pilot, Jim Campbell, a bird’s eye view to adventure was a major part of his life… but little did he know that a chance meeting with revolutionary innovator, XPRIZE Founder Dr. Peter H Diamandis, would not only offer him some extraordinary sights, sounds and vistas, but challenge him personally and professionally to share the inspiring story of the extraordinary people and events that surrounded him.

U.S. Cargo Spacecraft Wraps Up Its First Station Resupply Mission

Orbital Sciences Corporation’s Cygnus spacecraft, which delivered  nearly one-and-a-half tons of supplies and scientific equipment to the International Space Station in January, completed its first commercial cargo mission to the orbiting laboratory.

Orion Underway Recovery Testing Begins Off The Coast Of California

About a hundred miles off the coast of San Diego, in the Pacific Ocean, a U.S. Navy ship’s well deck filled with water as underway recovery operations began on a test version of NASA's Orion crew module to prepare for its first mission, Exploration Flight Test-1, in September. Orion was undocked from its cradle and allowed to float out to sea.

March

Last Shuttle Commander Virtually Flies Boeing CST-100 To Space Station

Chris Ferguson, Boeing's director of Crew and Mission Operations and commander of the final Space Shuttle flight, virtually returned to space recently in the Boeing Crew Space Transportation (CST)-100 simulator to satisfy a NASA testing requirement for the spacecraft.

Touchy-Feely Joystick Heading To Space Station

Stowed inside ESA’s next supply ship to the International Space Station will be one of the most advanced joysticks ever built, designed to test the remote control of robots on the ground from up in orbit.

Shape-Changing Flap Arrives For Adaptive Compliant Trailing Edge Flight Tests

A milestone for the Adaptive Compliant Trailing Edge (ACTE) project at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center occurred in mid-February with the delivery of two revolutionary experimental flaps designed and built by FlexSys of Ann Arbor, MI, for installation on Dryden’s Gulfstream G-III Aerodynamics Research Test Bed aircraft.

NASA Honors Astronaut Neil Armstrong With Center Renaming

Two generations of aerospace engineering excellence came together Saturday, March 1 when NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in Edwards, CA was redesignated NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center.

House Science Committee Examines Mars Flyby Mission

The Science, Space, and Technology Committee held a hearing to explore the potential for a human mission in 2021 to fly by the planets Mars and Venus.

Bolden Says Obama Budget Has 'Good News' For NASA

NASA administrator Charles Bolden said Tuesday that President Obama's proposed budget for FY2015 continues funding for America’s space program, "reaffirms the path we are on, and will keep us moving forward -- pushing farther in the solar system and leading the world in a new era of exploration."

NASA Awards Contract to Modify Kennedy's Vehicle Assembly Building High Bay 3

NASA has selected Hensel Phelps Construction Co., of Orlando, FL, to modify High Bay 3 in the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the processing of the agency's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket.

Sierra Nevada Corporation Expands Work In Huntsville

Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) is expanding its Dream Chaser program team and scope of work in Huntsville, AL with the signing of a Space Act Agreement (SAA) Annex with NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and a Teaming Agreement with Teledyne Brown Engineering (TBE).

Moon Express Names Andy Aldrin As President

Moon Express has named Dr. Andrew Aldrin as President, bringing his 20+ years of business leadership and policy experience in high-profile, aerospace companies to MoonEx as it undergoes accelerating growth on the back of rapid technological progress and business expansion. The announcement was made at the 45th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in The Woodlands, Texas.

April

NASA Cuts (Most) Ties With Roscosmos

NASA has reacted to Russia's annexation of sovereign territory in Ukraine by severing most of its ties to Roscosmos. The notable exception is collaboration on the ISS.

Chairman Smith Responds To NASA's Bolden About Mars Flyby Mission

In a speech to the National Academy of Sciences, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said that the Mars Flyby 2021 mission is not germane to the goal of landing astronauts on Mars. In a statement, House Science Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX) blasted the NASA Administrator for taking that position.

Orion Avionics System Ready For First Test Flight

Testing of the Orion spacecraft's avionics system concluded at the Lockheed Martin Operations & Checkout facility at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. After powering on and sending commands to more than 20 different critical systems installed on the spacecraft's crew module, NASA and Lockheed Martin engineers have verified the avionics for Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1) are ready to support a successful flight and re-entry of the spacecraft.

Space Subcommittee Approves Bipartisan NASA Authorization Act

The Space Subcommittee of the U.S. House Science Committee approved the NASA Authorization Act of 2014 (H.R. 4412) with unanimous bipartisan support. The bill updates the previously committee-approved bill to reflect the funding agreement reached in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2014. The Subcommittee also approved a bipartisan Palazzo-Edwards amendment that ensures sustainability of purpose and budget for high-priority NASA programs. The amendment reaffirms Congress’s commitment to space exploration, both human and robotic, and makes clear that a human mission to Mars is the goal for NASA’s human spaceflight program with biennial reports for what progress has been made toward that goal.

Construction To Begin On NASA Spacecraft Set To Visit Asteroid In 2018

NASA's team that will conduct the first U.S. mission to collect samples from an asteroid has been given the go-ahead to begin building the spacecraft, flight instruments and ground system, and launch support facilities.

XCOR Aerospace, Actor John Corbett Auction Flight For Charity

Actor John Corbett ... better known for his roles in movies and popular TV shows such as Northern Exposure, Sex in The City and My Big Fat Greek Wedding ... was shooting for the stars last Saturday to help knock out Parkinson's disease by auctioning off a space flight with XCOR Aerospace to benefit Muhammad Ali's Parkinson's Research Center.

May

Kazakhstan's First Earth Observation Satellite Delivered To Orbit

Arianespace is on track for a record launch performance in 2014 following a Vega mission from the Spaceport in French Guiana, which successfully orbited a pioneering Earth observation satellite for the Republic of Kazakhstan.

House Science Committee Approves Bipartisan NASA Authorization Act

The Committee on Science, Space, and Technology approved the NASA Authorization Act of 2014 (H.R. 4412) with unanimous bipartisan support. The bipartisan bill reaffirms Congress’s commitment to space exploration, both human and robotic, and makes clear that human spaceflight to Mars is NASA’s primary goal.

Orbital, ATK’s Aerospace And Defense Groups To Combine

Orbital Sciences Corporation has announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement with Alliant Techsystems (ATK) which will combine Orbital and ATK’s Aerospace and Defense (A&D) Groups to create a $4.5 billion (combined calendar year 2013 annual revenue), 13,000-person space, defense and aviation systems developer and manufacturer.

Boeing Showcases Future Commercial Spacecraft Interior

A new commercial interior of Boeing's Crew Space Transportation (CST-100) next-generation manned space capsule was unveiled, showing how people other than NASA astronauts may one day travel to space.

Preliminary Injunction Lifted, Russian Rocket Engine Purchase OKed

The U.S. Court of Federal Claims has lifted the preliminary injunction imposed against United Launch Alliance’s (ULA’s) purchase of RD-180 engines from its suppliers and partners, RD AMROSS and NPO Energomash in Russia, the company said Thursday in a news release.

GA Students Take First Place In TARC Finals

Students from Creekview High School of Canton, GA outperformed hundreds of their peers from across the country Saturday to earn first place at the twelfth annual Team America Rocketry Challenge (TARC). Champions Amanda Semler, 18; Andrew White, 16; Nick Dimos, 16; Austin Bralick, 16; and Bailey Robertson, 15; bested more than 700 other teams representing 48 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands to earn the national title.

Space Station Crew Returns To Earth, Lands Safely In Kazakhstan

Three crew members from the International Space Station (ISS) returned to Earth after 188 days in space, during which they orbited Earth more than 3,000 times and traveled almost 79.8 million miles.

House Science Committee Questions Stability Of U.S.-Russia Space Partnership

Science, Space, and Technology Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX), Space Subcommittee Chairman Steven Palazzo (R-MS) and Space Subcommittee Vice Chairman Mo Brooks (R-AL) have sent a letter to NASA Administrator Charles Bolden requesting additional information after press reports highlighted comments by Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister, Dmitry Rogozin, in which he announced a series of measures in response to U.S. sanctions.

Splashdown! SpaceX Dragon Spacecraft Returns

SpaceX's Dragon cargo spacecraft splashed down in the Pacific Ocean, approximately 300 miles west of Baja California, returning more than 3,500 pounds of NASA cargo and science samples from the International Space Station.

SNC Completes Critical Dream Chaser Wind Tunnel Tests

Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) says it has hit the latest milestone in its NASA Commercial Crew Integrated Capability (CCiCap) agreement. NASA awarded SNC full value of $20 million for the passage of CCiCap Milestone 8, Wind Tunnel Testing. To date, SNC has received over 80 percent of the total award value under the CCiCap agreement and is on track to complete the program later this year.

June

Florida Gov. Scott Signs Budget Supporting Investment In Cecil Spaceport

The budget signed Monday by Florida Gov. Rick Scott includes $2 million to build infrastructure necessary for the development of Cecil Spaceport just west of Jacksonville, FL.

NASA Releases COTS Final Report

With two companies now providing commercial cargo launch services for the International Space Station, NASA is issuing its final report on the now-complete Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program that laid the groundwork for those flights.

Senate Appropriations Subcommittee Tops House For NASA Funding

Funding for NASA's Commercial Crew program passed by a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee this week tops the amount approved by the House appropriations committee ... but still falls short of NASA's request for the program.

NASA, Virgin Galactic Select First Research Flight Payloads

NASA and Virgin Galactic have identified twelve innovative research payloads that will fly to space onboard SpaceShipTwo, Virgin Galactic’s reusable spacecraft. Each of these payloads was selected by NASA through its Flight Opportunities Program to conduct research during the prolonged microgravity environment experienced on board SpaceShipTwo.

Tests Completed For Airbus Defense And Space SpacePlane Demonstrator

Airbus Defense and Space says it has completed testing of its spaceplane demonstrator. Held on May 1-4, the tests of the aircraft validated the dynamic flight conditions encountered in the end-of-flight phase following a return from space.

National Research Council Releases Report On Human Spaceflight

In its recently-released report "Pathways to Exploration: Rationales and Approaches for a U.S. Program of Human Space Exploration", The National Research Council says that the long-term future of the manned space program is unclear beyond participation in the International Space Station.

The Other Side Of SpaceX: From Here, Where Might We NOT Go

On May 29th, 2014 Elon Musk, the founder of Space Exploration Technologies Corporation, or SpaceX called the attention of the spaceflight community to the stage where he was to unveil the Dragon Version 2 spacecraft. It was a show that could hardly be matched by the best James Bond movie-maker; dramatically lit, smoke effects and a dazzling  spacecraft, revealed as the curtain seemed to vanish magically! There was also a computer-animated video depicting a typical mission of Dv2 with special emphasis placed on its propulsive landing system.

Google Said To Be In Talks With Virgin Galactic

Google is reportedly talking with Sir Richard Branson and Virgin Galactic about purchasing a share of the space tourism company ... a move which observers say could give the Internet behemoth a way to easily and quickly launch satellites.

Sierra Nevada Corporation To Acquire Orbital Technologies Corporation

Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC), headquartered in Sparks, Nevada, has signed a definitive purchase agreement to acquire the Orbital Technologies Corporation (ORBITEC) as a wholly-owned subsidiary of SNC. ORBITEC is a leading subsystems integrator and high technology development company based in Madison, Wisconsin. ORBITEC's strong liquid rocket propulsion, life science and support, and fire suppression technology portfolio will enhance both SNC Space Systems' Propulsion and Spacecraft Systems' product lines.

July

XCOR Aerospace Acquires Space Expedition Corporation

XCOR Aerospace has closed the acquisition of all operational subsidiaries of Space Expedition Corporation, the previously independent Dutch company also known as SXC. SXC served as XCOR's general sales agent for XCOR Lynx flight sales and as their lead wet lease customer. The new sales entity, XCOR Space Expeditions, will continue to focus on sales, commercial partnerships and participant (customer) training on a global level, and will serve as an open sales channel available for all future XCOR Lynx wet lease clients.

Visually Guided Precision Landing Demonstrated By Xombie

In a test conducted June 20 in Mojave, CA, the Astrobotic Autolanding System (AAS) successfully directed the Xombie vertical-takeoff vertical-landing suborbital rocket in a closed-loop test. In this technology demonstration, a computer vision system scanned the landscape, selected a landing spot, and directed a rocket-powered lander to a safe touchdown point, all without a human operator. The flight test was funded by the Flight Opportunities Program of NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate and conducted at the Mojave Air and Space Port in Mojave, CA.

OCO-2 Lifts Off On Carbon-Counting Mission

A Delta II rocket blazed off the launch pad at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California  to begin a landmark mission to survey carbon dioxide gas in Earth's atmosphere.

NASA, Boeing Sign Space Launch System Contract

NASA has finalized a contract with Boeing to develop the core stage of the Space Launch System (SLS), the most powerful rocket ever built and destined to propel America’s return to human exploration of deep space.

What's The Buzz? Buzz Aldrin's #Apollo45

Apollo 11 astronaut Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin turned to social media to get people involved in the 45th anniversary of man's first landing on the Moon.

SNC Matures Dream Chaser Main Propulsion, Reaction Control System Design

Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) announces it has completed a major Main Propulsion System (MPS) and Reaction Control System (RCS) risk reduction milestone for the Dream Chaser Space System, maturing the design of each system close to Critical Design Review (CDR). The milestone positions SNC one step closer to restoring U.S. crew transportation to low-Earth orbit (LEO).

NASA Names Winners Of Hurricane-Tracking UAS Competition

NASA has selected three winning designs solicited to address the technological limitations of the uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) currently used to track and collect data on hurricanes.

WhiteKnightTwo Back To Flying Status

WhiteKnightTwo ... the launch vehicle for Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo, is back to flying status after being taken out of service for its annual at the Mojave Air and Space Port in California.

FAA Approves Texas Launch Site For SpaceX

The FAA released a document indicating it had approved a SpaceX spaceport on the south Texas coast.

Dream Chaser Passes Major NASA CCiCap Milestone

The Dream Chaser space system successfully passed Milestone 9, the Risk Reduction and Technology Readiness Level (TRL) Advancement Testing milestone, for several critical systems under NASA’s Commercial Crew Integrated Capability (CCiCap) agreement. Milestone 9 culminated in a major comprehensive review of various hardware systems. To date, SNC has received 92 percent of the total award value of the CCiCap agreement.

August

NASA's Long-Lived Mars Opportunity Rover Sets Off-World Driving Record

NASA's Opportunity Mars rover, which landed on the Red Planet in 2004, now holds the off-Earth roving distance record after accruing 25 miles  of driving. The previous record was held by the Soviet Union's Lunokhod 2 rover.

SpaceX To Build Launch Site At Boca Chica Beach

City leaders in Brownsville, TX are crowing about landing SpaceX's new launch facility, which will be built at Boca Chica Beach on the Gulf of Mexico.

First Dream Chaser Orbital Spacecraft Composite Structure Unveiled

The first Dream Chaser orbital spacecraft composite airframe has been unveiled by Sierra Nevada Corporation and Lockheed Martin. This structure will be used to conduct the first orbital flight of the Dream Chaser spacecraft due to launch in November, 2016 atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket.

Sierra Nevada Corporation Expands Dream Chaser Program

Sierra Nevada Corporation's (SNC) Dream Chaser Space System progressed through its flight test program and critical design review. As SNC’s Dream Chaser program enters its next phase, SNC is pleased to announce its expanded Dream Chaser - Dream Team - which includes prominent heritage aerospace industry members, small and disadvantaged businesses, as well as university and international space agency partners. Between these additional organizations and its long-term members, SNC continues to build one of the most competent and capable space industry program teams in the world. The growing employment scope and economic impact of the Dream Chaser program now involves 32 states and over 50 congressional districts and is expected to continue to expand as the program matures.

ATK Passes Critical Design Review For NASA's SLS Booster

ATK has successfully completed its Critical Design Review (CDR) with NASA to verify that the five-segment solid rocket booster is on track for an unmanned, first flight of NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) in 2017. The SLS vehicle is planned to launch humans deeper into space than ever before.

NASA Announces Next Opportunity For CubeSat Space Missions

NASA is opening the next round of its CubeSat Launch Initiative, part of the White House Maker Initiative, in an effort to engage the growing community of space enthusiasts that can contribute to NASA's space exploration goals.

XCOR Breaking Down Walls With Midland

Midland (TX) Development Corporation and XCOR Aerospace invited local officials, contractors, Midland residents and local press to attend the kickoff of new renovations on the XCOR hangar with a ceremonial wall breaking inside of XCOR's Commercial Spaceflight Research and Development Center Headquarters at Midland (TX) International Airport (KMAF).

September

Rep. Smith: Administration Requests Causing Space Exploration Delays

Science, Space, and Technology Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX) and Space Subcommittee Chairman Steven Palazzo (R-MS), recently sent a letter to NASA Administrator Charles F. Bolden, Jr. about reported delays to NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) and Orion crew vehicle. The news comes despite congressional support above the Administration’s full budget requests and repeated Administration assurances that the exploration priorities are on schedule.

First Orion Crew Module Completed

NASA’s first completed Orion crew module sat atop its service module at the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Facility at Kennedy Space Center in Florida after being completed over the weekend.

Space Station Expedition 40 Crew Returns To Earth

Three crew members from the International Space Station (ISS) returned to Earth after 169 days of science and technology research in space, including a record 82 hours of research in a single week, which happened in July.

Space Subcommittee Considers ASTEROIDS Act, Planetary Exploration Priorities

The Space Subcommittee if the U.S. House Science Committee on held a hearing to review issues facing planetary exploration of our solar system, including NASA’s proposed budget for planetary science, and potential commercial interests. Witnesses also testified on the American Space Technology for Exploring Resource Opportunities In Deep Space (ASTEROIDS) Act, H.R. 5063.

NASA’s Orion Spacecraft Nears Completion, Ready For Fueling

NASA made steady progress on its Orion spacecraft, completing several milestones at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida in preparation for the capsule's first trip to space in December.

Boeing, SpaceX Tapped For Commercial Crew Transport

NASA announced what administrator Charles Bolden called "the most ambitious and exciting chapter in human spaceflight."

FAA Grants Spaceport License To Midland International Airport

The FAA issued a Commercial Space Launch Site License (Spaceport) for the Midland International Airport (KMAF) in Texas. The award was announced jointly Wednesday by XCOR Aerospace, the airport, and the  Midland Development Corporation.

Aero-Analysis: The Choice Has Been Made

NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden announced the agency’s choice of vehicle designs for the Commercial Crew Transportation Capability (CCtCap) program. This is the effort to once again get US astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) by using US boosters and spacecraft launched from US soil. The choices were Boeing’s CST-100 and SpaceX’s Dragon.

October

SNC Develops Design For Stratolaunch Air Launch System

Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) today announced a design for an integrated system for human spaceflight that can be launched to low Earth orbit (LEO) using Stratolaunch System’s air launch architecture and a scale version of SNC’s Dream Chaser spacecraft.

Aerojet Rocketdyne Responds To Air Force RFI

Aerojet Rocketdyne submitted a formal response to the U.S. Air Force's Request for Information on options for future booster propulsion and launch systems that could be used as alternatives to foreign-supplied RD-180 engines.

Independent Inquiry Board Closes Soyuz Flight VS09 Investigation

The Independent Inquiry Board formed to analyze the causes of the anomaly occurring during the orbital injection of satellites in the Galileo constellation by a Soyuz rocket launched from the Guiana Space Center on August 22 announced its definitive conclusions on Tuesday, October 7, 2014 following a meeting at Arianespace headquarters in Evry, near Paris.

XPRIZE 2004: A Ten Year Remembrance By A Member of the ANN/XP News Team

Ten years ago this month, SpaceShipOne made its final flight and won the coveted X-Prize; the date was October 4th, 2004. I was there, as a part of a three-man primary news team on the “inside” covering the event for the Aero-News Network.

Google Exec Out-Jumps Baumgartner's Freefall Record

When it comes to setting a record in anything that has to do with aerospace, some records last a long time but most don’t, and such is the case with the most-recent record for the highest freefall parachute jump (which, before Baumgartner, had stood for decades).

 

SpaceShipTwo Suffers An 'In Flight Anomaly'

Virgin Galactic says that SpaceShipTwo suffered a serious 'in flight anomaly' during a test flight Friday.

Antares ISS Resupply Mission Suffers Launch Failure

At approximately 18:22:38.651 Eastern time, the two AJ-26 first stage engines on the Antares booster ignited at NASA's Wallops Island launch facility on the southern Virginia coast.

November

ULA Successfully Launches 50th Atlas V Rocket

A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket successfully launched the eighth Global Positioning System (GPS) IIF-8 satellite for the U.S. Air Force from Space Launch Complex-41. This is ULA's 12th launch in 2014, and the 89th successful launch since the company was formed in December 2006.

Scaled Composites IDs Crew of SpaceShipTwo

The Scaled Composites organization has officially released the names of the crew that flew SpaceShipTwo, N339SS, on its final flight.

SpaceShipTwo Crash Investigation Underway

A late Sunday evening press conference hosted by Acting NTSB Boss, Christopher Hart has revealed some notable details in this early investigation period. While it is WAY too early to name a specific probable cause for the accident that befell SpaceShipTwo, evidence has revealed a series of worrisome clues that seem to indicate that SpaceShipTwo may have undergone an uncommanded wing feathering sequence at a speed in excess of Mach One. In a statement posted on the Virgin Galactic website Sunday, the company says that the public will need to be patient in learning what caused Friday's catastrophic anomaly that caused SpaceShipTwo to break up over the Mojave Desert during a powered test flight.

Mike Alsbury Memorial Fund Established

A memorial fund established in memory of Mike Alsbury, who was fatally injured when SpaceShipTwo apparently broke up during a test flight over the Mojave Desert Friday raised over $38,000 in the first day it was posted online.

Virgin Galactic: We Are Moving Forward

As the NTSB prepares to wrap up the initial onsite investigation of the accident involving SpaceShipTwo last Friday, Virgin Galactic released a statement thanking those who have shown support over the past several days, and that has a hint of the company's future.

Hart Gives Final Scheduled Daily Media Briefing On SS2 Accident From Mojave

Acting NTSB Chair Christopher Hart gave his final daily media briefing on the accident involving SpaceShipTwo Monday night.

Orbital Announces Go-Forward Plan For Commercial Resupply Program

Following the loss of an Antares rocket and Cygnus cargo vessel last week, Orbital Sciences Corporation has announced comprehensive plans to fulfill its contract commitments under NASA’s Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) program as well as to accelerate an upgrade of the Antares medium-class launcher’s main propulsion system.

ESA Confirms Touchdown On Comet 67P

ESA's Philae lander has touched down on Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. The European Space Agency confirmed the touchdown at around 11 a.m. EST Wednesday.

Orion: A Determined Vehicle

In the wake of the loss of the Space Shuttle COLUMBIA as well as subsequent studies and commissions, the Bush administration decided that the United States needed to replace the Shuttle system with a new architecture that would take crews to the Moon and Mars and would also have the capability to safely abort during all phases of boosted flight. A key in that architecture was a spacecraft that NASA named “Orion.”

December

Boeing Completes First Milestone For NASA's CCtCap 

NASA approved the completion of Boeing's first milestone in the company's path toward launching crews to the International Space Station from the United States under a groundbreaking Commercial Crew Transportation Capability (CCtCap) contract.

Orion’s First Launch Attempt Beset By Multiple, Annoying Issues 

With crowds resembling those that gathered at the Kennedy Space Center for high-profile Shuttle Launches lining the roads and shoreline, the first Orion EFT launch attempt was scrubbed – but not without a lot of drama.

Orion Launches For EFT-1

NASA's Orion spacecraft lifted of from NASA's Kennedy Space Center at 0705 EST Friday morning in a flawless l

Orbital Announces Additional Details Concerning CRS Program

Orbital Sciences Corporation announced new details in its plans to resume cargo flights to the International Space Station (ISS) and to accelerate the introduction of an upgraded Antares launch vehicle.

Subcommittee Reviews Progress Of Nation’s Human Spaceflight Program

The Space Subcommittee held a hearing on the progress of the nation’s next generation deep space exploration vehicle and heavy lift rocket.

Deadline For $30 Million Google Lunar XPRIZE Extended To End Of 2016

XPRIZE announced that the deadline for the $30 million Google Lunar XPRIZE has been officially extended until December 31, 2016. As part of this revised timeline, at least one team must provide documentation of a scheduled launch by December 31, 2015 for all teams to move forward in the competition.

SpaceX Completes First Commercial Crew Transportation Milestone

NASA approved the completion of SpaceX’s first milestone in the company’s path toward launching crews to the International Space Station (ISS) from U.S. soil under a Commercial Crew Transportation Capability (CCtCap) contract with the agency.

FMI: www.aero-news.net