My Space Blog

The New York times is reporting a collision between an Iridium satellite and an unnamed Russian satellite.

For decades, space experts have warned of orbits around the planet growing so crowded that two satellites might one day slam into one another, producing swarms of treacherous debris.

It happened Tuesday. And the whirling fragments could pose a threat to the International Space Station, orbiting 215 miles up with three astronauts on board, though officials said the risk was now small.

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WALLOPS ISLAND — Infrastructure improvements are underway at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport in preparation for Orbital Sciences Corp.’s planned demonstration flight in late 2010 of a new rocket system designed to supply cargo to the International Space Station.

“We’re beginning the process of developing the infrastructure at the launch site,” Orbital Sciences Vice President of Public Relations Barron Beneski said Tuesday. Beneski said the project is still in its early stages, but with a launch set for late 2010, it is anticipated all improvements should be in place by early fall that year.

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The Space Station Video tour from astronaut Mike Fincke. Four parts in order:
Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

Part 4:

This is fun, especially the part about the lunar rover.  Maybe the guy with the jet-pack was busy!

WASHINGTON — NASA astronauts who recently returned from a trip to the International Space Station will join representatives from across the country and the nation’s armed forces in the 56th Inaugural Parade.

The NASA contingent will include a next-generation lunar rover that astronauts will use for future exploration of the moon. The parade will travel down Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington on Jan. 20 following swearing-in ceremonies for President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joseph Biden. Many of the participating astronauts — Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Eric Boe, mission specialists Donald Pettit, Steve Bowen, Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper, Shane Kimbrough and Greg Chamitoff — flew on space shuttle Endeavour in November 2008 on the STS-126 mission.

Astronaut Mike Gernhardt will drive the rover. Astronaut Rex Walheim, wearing a spacesuit, will ride with him. The Lunar Electric Rover is a concept vehicle about the size of a pickup truck that NASA is evaluating for use when humans return to the moon. The rover can house two astronauts for as long as 14 days. The vehicle has many unique features, including the ability to move its six pairs of wheels in any combination of forward and sideways motions, enabling it to scramble over rough terrain.

NASA will record video during the parade from a camera mounted on the lunar rover. A member of the lunar rover team will provide live updates to the NASA News Twitter feed throughout the event.

NASA photographers and videographers will document the agency’s participation in the inaugural activities. Images will be posted online at the agency’s Web site when they become available.

For photos and more information about NASA and inaugural activities, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov

and

http://www.pic2009.org

NASA Television will air a video file of the parade footage and the video recorded on the rover as soon as possible following the parade’s conclusion. For NASA TV downlink information, schedules and links to streaming video, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

To access the NASA News Twitter feed and other agency Twitter feeds, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/collaborate

For more information about NASA’s Lunar Electric Rover, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/home/LER.html

For information about STS-126 and the next space shuttle mission in February, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/shuttle

Reuters is reporting that NASA has halted work on the COTS contracts with SpaceX and Orbital Sciences, pending the results of a protest by the third and unsuccessful bidder. PlanetSpace, a partnership between established space-business players Lockheed Martin Corp, Boeing Co, and Alliant Techsystems Inc, claims that its proposal represents better value to the government.

NASA says that the protest, made through the General Accountability Office (GAO) requires it to stop work in response to the complaint. NASA has 30 days to respond to the protest and the GAO will issue a ruling by April 29.

The whole issue revolves around the need to maintain US access to the International Space Station (ISS) between 2010, when the Shuttle program is scheduled for retirement, and 2015 when the proposed Shuttle replacement is ready. NASA is relying on the Russian Soyuz program to transport astronauts. However, NASA has decided to use commercial contractors for US cargo deliveries to the space station rather than relying on the Russian Progress cargo vehicles, which already carry cargo to the ISS.

NASASpaceWatch is reporting on today’s protest of the COTS awards.  There’s some nice commentary comparing the the different proposals.

PlanetSpace Inc – which lost out on NASA’s 3.5 billion dollar Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract – have filed an official protest. Last month, SpaceX (Space Exploration Technologies Corp) and Orbital were awarded the contract to resupply the International Space Station (ISS) during the transition between Shuttle and Orion.

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From Flight International:

NASA’s nascent commercial orbital transport system (COTS) is expected to go live late next year under a $3.5 billion programme. The programme’s aim is to provide more than half of the cargo needed to run the International Space Station in the post-Space Shuttle era.

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I’ve actually stood in the now-famous warehouse in Samara, Russia and seen the 100 or so leftover NK-33 engines all covered in plastic. It will be thrilling to see one of these engines launched into space on a US vehicle.

The vehicle, under a new designation, is slated for use on Taurus II.

Orbital will employ its Taurus II medium-lift launch vehicle and the Cygnus spacecraft in order to service the International Space Station (ISS) under the Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract.

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