33rd Space Symposium
Commercial crew flight assignments could come this summer
One of the NASA astronauts training for commercial crew test flights said he expects the agency to make crew assignments for them as soon as this summer.
RD-180 provider seeks additional ULA engine order
The new chief executive of the U.S.-Russian joint venture that provides RD-180 engines to United Launch Alliance said April 6 he hopes to win an order for additional engines.
Declassification and partnerships needed for better space defense, Hyten says
The United States must get better at declassifying and sharing space information to maintain a safe environment in orbit, the head of U.S. Strategic Command advised.
Researchers bemoan limited space weather prediction capabilities
Despite current low levels of solar activity, space weather experts warned April 5 that the sun could still produce powerful and unpredictable storms that could disrupt activities in space and on the earth.
Blue Origin ready to support NASA lunar missions with Blue Moon
If NASA’s human spaceflight program is redirected back to the Moon, Blue Origin is ready to support it with its proposed “Blue Moon” lunar lander system, company president Robert Meyerson said April 5.
Award honors former astronaut Piers Sellers for climate change work
During the Space Foundation’s luncheon honoring Piers Sellers, speakers lauded the former astronaut for his tireless work to draw attention to Earth’s changing climate and to seek technological solutions to limit mankind’s impact on the planet.
Blue Origin still planning commercial suborbital flights in 2018
Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos said April 5 that his company was still hoping to start flying people on suborbital space tourism flights by the end of next year, while suggesting crewed test flights will not start this year as previously planned.
Bruno: Vulcan engine downselect is Blue’s to lose
United Launch Alliance is prepared to select Blue Origin’s BE-4 engine for its Vulcan launch vehicle this year if the engine passes an upcoming series of tests, the company’s chief executive said April 5.
Op-ed | U.S. satellite rules out of focus; time for new vision
It is time for fundamental rethinking about commercial remote sensing. Agencies continue to think about remote sensing as a cold-war space technology when, in fact, it is increasingly an information technology, requiring a different regulatory philosophy.
From the Alps to the Rockies: Ruag Space’s strategy to crack the U.S. market
Bern, Switzerland-based Ruag Space is an anchor supplier of spacecraft components and rocket parts for all manner of European government space programs. The European Space Agency is such a large customer for Ruag Space that the company often describes the agency and its 22 member states as a market in and of itself.
SpaceX gaining substantial cost savings from reused Falcon 9
SpaceX saw significant cost savings by reusing a Falcon 9 first stage in a launch last week, a key factor for the economic viability of reusable launch vehicles.
European Commission commits to annual minimums for Ariane 6, Vega C
The European Commission will commit to buying at least five Ariane 6 and two Vega C launches per year when both rockets are in operation, Elzbieta Bienkowska, the European Commission’s lead space commissioner, said Wednesday.
Op-ed | Assuring U.S. space competitiveness should be a national priority
At a time in which many countries aggressively promote their commercial space industries and are striving to leapfrog the U.S. technologically, we must think more boldly about helping our commercial space industry to thrive as the commercial uses of space expand.
Air Force reorg too timid for House milspace leaders
Following the U.S. Air Force announcement that the service will be creating a new three-star staff position focused on space, two key lawmakers said it doesn’t address the core problems.
Scientific advancement is going to require heavy lift, experts say
Heavy lift will enable science ranging from trips to Mars to bigger telescopes, speakers at Space Symposium said.
CNSA boss outlines China’s space exploration agenda
China is pushing forward on a number of space fronts, including milestone-making robotic missions to the moon, as well as scoping out an automated Mars sample--return mission by 2030.
Orbital ATK confident in prospects for large launch vehicle
Orbital ATK says it is well positioned to win a U.S. Air Force competition early next year to support continued development of a new large launch vehicle to serve government and commercial users.
Lockheed Martin sets 18-month goal for A2100 satellite builds
Lockheed Martin wants to cut in half the time it needs to build satellites that use its flagship A2100 spacecraft platform.
Space agency heads see the moon on the path to Mars
With NASA’s long-term strategy for human missions to Mars in flux, heads of several space agencies said they supported initial missions to the moon as a key step before going to Mars.
Want the NRO to go faster? Send money and stay out of the way
When members of Donald Trump’s transition team visited the National Reconnaissance Office, they were so impressed by the intelligence organization’s innovation that they asked NRO Director Betty Sapp, “What do you need to go faster?”
