News About Other Opinions 09-NOV-09 en-us Washington DC (SPX) Sep 16, 2009 - Today, Norman Augustine, the Chair of the U.S. Human Space Flight Plans Committee, testifies to the U.S. Congress to present the summary of their final report to the Obama Administration. The Committee made a number of important conclusions and suggestions for changes in Constellation, the currently planned U.S. human spaceflight program.]]> Washington DC (SPX) Sep 16, 2009 - An industry survey has revealed that over 5,000 direct jobs, including 1,700 jobs in Florida, would be created over the next five years if the $2.5 billion Commercial Crew Program proposed by the White House Review of U.S. Human Space Flight Plans Committee (also known as the Augustine Committee) moves forward.]]> Bethesda MD (SPX) Aug 31, 2009 - There is no doubt that the topic of "space debris" is hot! It is a hot subject at NASA, DARPA, Air Force Space Command, ESA and in the board rooms of all commercial satellite operators. High anxiety is running rampant among these groups. Every debris mitigation technique has been reviewed and pursued. New satellites must have the ability to either de-orbit or move out of the way at end-of-mission.]]> Greenbelt MD (SPX) Aug 11, 2009 - The U.S. space program needs a figurative "shot-in-the-arm," or maybe it is a "kick-in-the-butt." Whatever it is, it is time to wake up and smell the urgency of the situation. Last week Launchspace pointed out that America is building another Apollo-type capsule in order to return to the moon as part of a "ho-hum" and troubled Constellation Program.]]> Tempe AZ (SPX) Aug 11, 2009 - It's time to find out if humans can permanently live and work in space according to Mark Sykes. "This has never been a part of U.S. space policy, despite a long history of public relations implying the opposite," Sykes says.]]> Gerroa, Australia (SPX) Jul 16, 2009 - With today's successful launch of Space Shuttle Endeavour, NASA and Friends are set to host the largest party ever in space as seven astronauts join the six permanent members of the International Space Station to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the first moon landing on July 20, 1969.]]> Bethesda, MD (SPX) May 11. 2009 - Just last week the Obama Administration announced an independent review of NASA's human space flight plans. The stated goal is to ensure a "safe, innovative, affordable, and sustainable" path to achieving the nation's vision of human space exploration, a vision that was first articulated by President Bush in 2004. This review is to be conducted by an elite panel of space experts and chaired by Norman Augustine, former CEO of Lockheed Martin.]]> Bethesda MD (SPX) Apr 07, 2009 - Just last week, at the 25th National Space Symposium, the theme was "The Next Space Age." This raises the question: What happened to the first Space Age? We know the first one started on October 4, 1957, when the USSR launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite.]]> Greenbelt MD (SPX) Mar 24, 2009 - NASA has been awaiting a new Administrator for several months, but the Obama Administration has not made any announcement as yet. Names of several likely candidates have circulated in the media but one-by-one they faded from the scene.]]> Bethesda MD (SPX) Mar 10, 2009 - Just last week it was reported that China would soon start construction of a new space launch center in the southernmost Hainan Province. Apparently, the State Council and Central Military Commission approved the new spaceport in late 2008.]]>