Spotlight
NASA Unveils Space Launch System Design
In mid-September, NASA revealed the design of its next-generation heavy-lift launch vehicle that will carry astronauts beyond low Earth orbit (LEO), called the Space Launch System (SLS). The SLS rocket’s core will be a larger derivative of the Space Shuttle external tank, which will include five Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSMEs) and initially two five-segment…
Space Across the Curriculum Schedule Set
The Space Foundation has set the schedule of the 2012 summer session of Space Across the Curriculum courses for preK-12 teachers. The courses, some of which will be held at the Space Foundation Discovery Institute (SFDI) in Colorado Springs, Colo., and some which will be held at Colorado State University – Pueblo (CSU-P), are week-long intensive graduate-level…
Senate Bill Reduces DoD Appropriations
The Senate Appropriations Committee passed its Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 Defense Appropriations bill, which includes $513 billion in spending – $25.9 billion less than the president requested and $13 billion less than the amount passed by the House of Representatives. The Senate Appropriations Committee stated the cuts were made as a result of “program terminations…
Nominate Now for Three Awards
Who has made a lasting impact in the space industry? The Space Foundation annually recognizes outstanding accomplishments in three categories: space exploration; creating a positive public environment for space; and space achievement – and is seeking nominations from the general public. The Space Foundation will award these honors at the 28th National Space Symposium, to…
LightSquared Hearings Reveal Concerns
Significant concerns about LightSquared’s proposed open wireless broadband network that would operate near the frequency band used by the Air Force’s Global Positioning System (GPS) were discussed at a House Science, Space and Technology Committee hearing on Sept. 8. GPS users and manufacturers have voiced concern that LightSquared’s network would harmfully interfere with the GPS…
Fascinating Images from the Internet
The Internet offers great opportunities to learn about space. See these sites: Watch a Space Foundation interview on space technology to learn more about how space benefits you every day! (The video plays on the home page) Kepler finds a real-life Tatooine; click here. What’s the Sun up to? Click here. Travel around the Earth on…
NASA Hearing Calls for Vision
Saying that the U.S. space program “needs leadership with a compelling vision, and the strength of commitment,” or “bright young engineers about to enter [the U.S.] workforce will likely look to disciplines other than aerospace if faced with such a protracted development cycle,” Rep. Ralph Hall (R-TX) spoke at a House Science, Space, and Technology…
Kelly Shelton Joins the Space Foundation
Kelly Shelton has joined the Space Foundation in the new position of development assistant, responsible for grant screening and research, donor relations, reporting and other development issues. Shelton most recently worked for the Girl Scouts of Colorado where she was responsible for fundraising events and a variety of administrative duties. She is a Texas native…
Joint Hearing Looks at JPSS
The House Science, Space, and Technology Committee held a joint hearing with the Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight, Subcommittee on Energy and Environment on Sept. 23 to examine the polar weather satellite program. Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA), chairman of the Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight, said “every American is impacted by this [Joint Polar Satellite…
Space Foundation Welcomes New Corporate Member
New Space Foundation Patron Member Thuraya Telecommunications Company is a world-leading mobile satellite service provider of voice, data, maritime, rural telephony, fleet management and other telecommunication solutions in remote areas. With a home office in Abu Dhabi, Thuraya is providing mobile satellite communications to over 140 countries around the world and offers a congestion-free network,…