Spotlight
Space Foundation Updates Appropriations Information
The Senate Appropriations Committee has passed its Fiscal Year (FY) 2012 Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies (CJS) bill, S. 1572, which includes funds for NASA and NOAA. The CJS bill would appropriate $17.9 billion in funding for NASA, which is $800 million less than the president requested for FY 2012. Still, that’s $1.1 billion…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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 Co-Sponsors ITAR Training
Conducting business in the space arena overseas can be daunting, especially with the many regulations that govern whether products or technology can be imported or exported. Primary is the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), which control export and import of defense articles, technical data and services, including certain aerospace technology and products. Understanding the…
This is World Space Week
Billed as the largest public space event on Earth and celebrated in more than 55 nations, World Space Week is held every October 4-10, dates chosen to recognize the launch of Sputnik 1 on October 4, 1957, and the signing of the Outer Space Treaty on October 10, 1967. World Space Week was established by…
Honeywell Continues to Support Robotics
Honeywell has provided additional funding for the Honeywell Mars Robotic Experience at the Space Foundation Discovery Institute (SFDI) in Colorado Springs, Colo. The donation provides robots and support funds for the SFDI Mars Yard laboratory, a simulated Martian terrain where students learn a wide variety of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) principles. Honeywell provided…
Space Foundation Promotes STEM at AMOS
The Space Foundation inspired new generations of potential space leaders at the 12th Annual Advanced Maui Optical and Space Surveillance Technologies (AMOS) Conference in Maui, Hawai’i, by hosting a reception for young space professionals and education programs for teachers and students. In addition, Space Foundation Vice President – Washington Operations Brendan Curry was a featured…