Florida Spacegram 24 October 2000
DATE: OCTOBER 23, 2000
TO: FLORIDA SPACE INDUSTRY LEADERS
FROM: EDWARD ELLEGOOD ( 321-730-5301; edward@spaceportflorida.com;
http://www.spaceportflorida.com )
NASA Budget Includes $250 Million Beyond Original Request — NASA
Administrator Dan Goldin has thanked the Congress for approving an
FY-2001 budget that includes $14.285 million for the space agency,
including $250 million more than originally requested by NASA, and $633
million more than was appropriated in FY-2000.
University of Miami Gets $1 Million in NASA’s Budget — The University of
Miami’s Rosentiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science will receive
$1 million in NASA’s FY-2001 budget for their Advanced Tropical Remote
Sensing Center. Rosentiel is part of a “GemStone” project supported by
the Florida Space Research Institute to expand the state’s academic
programs in remote sensing and earth resource monitoring.
SATOP Project Gets $6 Million in NASA’s Budget — The multi-state Space
Alliance Technology Outreach Program (SATOP), administered by Florida’s
Technological Research & Development Authority (TRDA), will receive $6
million in NASA’s FY-2001 budget to expand capabilities to transfer space
technologies to the private sector. SATOP finds expertise within NASA to
help solve technical challenges for small businesses.
UCF Wins NASA Research Grant — The University of Central Florida will
conduct research for NASA on Antenna-Coupled Infrared Sensors under a
grant award from NASA’s Cross-Enterprise Technology Development Program
(CETDP). The CETDP program is designed to support basic research within
the agency to enable planned missions, stimulate new concepts for
missions not yet conceived, and to confront directly the grand challenges
that face the agency in the year 2000 and beyond.
Beal Aerospace Ceases Operations — Texas-based Beal Aerospace, which had
planned to use the Cape Canaveral Spaceport to launch its BA-2 heavy-lift
rocket, will cease business operations, effective today. The closure
follows a recent layoff of 80 of the company’s 150 person workforce. The
Spaceport Authority and other organizations had been working with Beal to
establish Florida-based operations for the company.
Launch Indemnification Extension Requires Review — According to
SpaceRef.com, the bill supported by Congress to provide a four-year
extension of federal third-party liability protection for the launch
industry includes a study of the issue. The bill requires USDOT to
establish a commission to conduct a “Review of the Liability Regime for
Commercial Space Transportation.” The review will include an analysis of
the need for risk-sharing by the government, how other countries deal
with such liabilities, international treaty implications, and
applicability to future reusable launch vehicles (including an evolution
toward the approach used for commercial aviation).
Spaceport Symposium Planned — The 6th annual Cape Canaveral Spaceport
Symposium, sponsored by the Air Force 45th Space Wing, NASA Kennedy Space
Center and the Spaceport Authority, will be held on Nov. 14-15 at Cape
Canaveral. The event will focus on improving spaceport operations;
alternative spaceport management models; financing and legal issues; and
visions and technologies for range improvements. Visit the Spaceport
Authority’s website or go to
http://www.patrick.af.mil/spaceport/symposium.htm for info about the
symposium and its agenda.
United Space Alliance Joins FSRI Board — United Space Alliance has named
Shelly Cooper, an attorney in USA’s Cape Canaveral office, to serve on
the industry-led board of the Florida Space Research Institute.
NASA Buys Florida Range System for Evaluation — NASA’s Wallops Island
spaceport in Virginia has acquired commercial launch range software from
Titusville-based Command & Control Technologies. NASA will install the
new software in a range testbed facility to test its capabilities and
reliability under simulated operational conditions.
Cape Canaveral Spaceport Plans Open House — The public is invited for a
day of open access to the Cape Canaveral Spaceport on Nov. 4 for tours of
major facilities. Car passes will be available on a first-come,
first-served basis and are available at Brevard County libraries. The
Spaceport Authority will participate by providing public access to Launch
Complex 20, drive-by opportunities for the RLV Support Complex, and by
participating with other organizations with exhibits in one of the
spaceport’s many hangar facilities. Call 321-867-5522 for information
about the Open House.
Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Win Navy Trident Contracts — Lockheed
Martin will modify the Navy’s Trident-2 missiles and study re-entry
systems under two contracts worth $33.5 million. Lockheed supports the
Trident program with the Navy at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport.
Meanwhile, Raytheon Systems will work on Trident-2 guidance systems under
a $17.4 million Navy contract.
Honeywell to be Acquired by General Electric — GE will buy Honeywell for
$45 billion. Honeywell was in previous negotiations with United
Technologies (parent of Pratt & Whitney, which is merging with Aerojet)
for a $40 billion buyout. The impact on Honeywell’s Florida operations
(including its large Clearwater operations) is unknown.
SeaLaunch Zenit Launches Heaviest Payload — The Boeing-led SeaLaunch
consortium scored another success last week with the 5th launch of a
Ukrainian-built Zenit 3SL aboard a floating platform in the Pacific
Ocean. The rocket lifted a satellite weighing over 5 metric tons to
geostationary orbit. This capability will not be available aboard a
U.S.-built launch vehicle until Boeing and Lockheed Martin complete the
heavy-lift versions of their Delta IV and Atlas V rockets, expected
sometime in 2002/2003, according to Orbital Report.
ESA Adopts Vega — According to Orbital Report, the European Space Agency
has decided to allow Italy to proceed with the $280 million development
of its Vega small launch vehicle under the auspices of ESA. Florida’s
Coleman Aerospace is under contract to Italy’s Fiat Avio to support the
Vega design initiative. The revised Vega plan calls for the development
of a new solid rocket motor which would serve as the small rocket’s first
stage, while also serving as a strap-on booster for the Arianespace
Ariane-5 heavy-lift rocket. Italy had previously considered using a
U.S.-manufactured Castor-120 Thiokol first stage motor.
Russia Decides to Remove Mir from Orbit — According to CNN.com, Russia’s
14-year-old Mir space station will be de-orbited at the end of February,
based on statements by Deputy Prime Minister Ilya Klebanov, a Cabinet
member responsible for space policy. A formal Cabinet vote is expected
within two weeks. De-orbiting Mir will allow Russia to focus its
resources on development and operation of the new International Space
Station.
Mir Demise Poses Opportunities for International Space Station —
According to Space News, with the near-inevitable de-orbiting of Mir, the
MirCorp group planning to use the Russian station for tourism and
entertainment ventures (including a $30 million NBC television program
deal and a $20 million tourism visit) has been approached by Spacehab and
Russia’s Energia (which are partnering on a commercial module for the
International Space Station) to shift MirCorp’s business to the
International Space Station. Based on comments from Energia, the MirCorp
opportunities may be pursued without Spacehab’s involvement.
Space Executives On-The-Go Get Regular Spacegram Updates Online — The
Spacegram is available on the Spaceport Authority’s website at
www.spaceportflorida.com and can be downloaded regularly on Palm and
other handheld devices using free AvantGo software. If you use AvantGo
(visit AvantGo.com) and would like to access Florida space news via your
handheld device, contact me at edward@spaceportflorida.com or
321-730-5301, extension 1105. Spacegrams are updated semi-regularly,
based on the volume of relevant news that crosses my desk during any
given week. The Spaceport Authority’s website version often includes
more up-to-date information.
Edward Ellegood
Spaceport Florida Authority
100 Spaceport Way
Cape Canaveral, Florida 32920-4003
321-730-5301, ext. 1105 (phone); 321-730-5307 (fax)
