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Virgin Galactic has announced its partnership with NBC and ONE THREE MEDIA to produce a reality TV show called "Space Race" that will put contestants against each other for the ultimate prize of riding on a suborbital flight with Virgin Galactic. The producers of the show are also known for series such as CBS's "Survivor" and NBC's "The Voice". Press Release by NBC
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Following the successful launch and berth of the Cygnus spacecraft last month, Orbital Sciences Corporation has completed the month-long demonstration and cargo delivery mission to the International Space Station. The company is now preparing for its first official delivery under the Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract. This success also gives United States redundant commercial capabilities that it can rely on to deliver cargo to the orbiting laboratory. Press Release by Orbital
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Drop, Glide, Skid
Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) has drop tested its Dream Chaser spacecraft to verify its aerodynamic and handling characteristics, and the company has declared the test mostly a success. During the landing, the left rear landing gear failed to deploy, and the vehicle skidded on the runway. Despite this accident, the main objectives were reached, and the vehicle is reported to be in repairable condition. Video and Press Release by SNC | |
The Grasshopper test vehicle recorded the highest jump yet at 744m (2441 ft), and this marks the end of the development using this vehicle to move up to a Falcon 9R sized rocket. SpaceX has also completed the Commercial Crew Abort milestone review, bringing it another step closer to flying the human-rated Dragon capsule. They also announced that they will be testing Raptor Engine, their new methane-LOX engine, at the Stennis Space Center. Video by SpaceX, Press Release by NASA, and Article by Space News | |
The director of NASA's Commercial Crew Program Manager Ed Mango has stepped down from the position for personal reasons. His deputy Kathryn Lueders will be taking over his responsibilities on an acting basis. Article by Space News
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The Climate Corporation was bought by the agricultural giant Monsato for nearly $1 Billion. The company sells insurance to farmers in case bad weather reduces their expected yields. The premiums are calculated using a variety of data sources including satellite imagery. For Monsato, this acquisition adds data science and services into their portfolio of products, which it sees as a potential $20 billion revenue stream. Article by Forbes
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The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) has been busy awarding grants, developing partnerships, and issuing a new RFP. CASIS has awarded a total of over $2 million to seven researchers focused on non-embryonic stem cell biology as well as $30,000 to the winners of their "What Would You Fly to the ISS" crowdsource competition. They also selected eight proposals from the MassChallenge Startup Accelerator Program. CASIS has announced its partnership with Kentucky Space and Naval Research Laboratory for research on the ISS, and currently, there is a Request for Proposal ( RFP) out for remote sensing projects from the ISS. Press Releases by CASIS | |
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Dauria Aerospace has received $20 million in Series B investment from I2BF Global Ventures. Dauria Aerospace plans to develop in-space infrastructure to monitor and track assets on Earth. Press Release by Dauria
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| Skyboxing It Up
Skybox has shipped its first satellites to Russia for launch. Skybox 1 is a small satellite weighing about 100kg with a remote sensing payload, and the first of many to come. Eventually, the company will launch a constellation of 24 satellites to continuously monitor the Earth's surface. Article by Space News
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| Small Race to Orbit
Interorbital Systems has tested its main rocket engine for flight qualification, generating 7,500 lbs of thrust. This completes the series of tests needed for their low-altitude launch of their Common Propulsion Module Test Vehicle, which will fly several university and commercial payloads. Article by Parabolic Arc
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| Generation Orbit Wins First Prize
Space Frontier Foundation's NewSpace Business Plan was held last month at Stanford, and Georiga-based company Generation Orbit Launch Services has won the $100,000 first prize award. Eligos, Inc. and Raptor Space Services took home $25,000 and $10,000 for second and third prizes, respectively, and Prospect Dynamics won the $5,000 Market Sector prize in the field of on-orbit servicing. More details are available in SFF's Press Release. Press Release by SFF
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Halfway To Space
Paragon has announced the launch of the World View Corporation. The new company will offer customers a gentle ride to the upper atmosphere on a balloon to see the curvature of the Earth and thin layer of atmosphere. The tickets are priced at $75,000, and they plan to start selling them in the next few months. Press Release by World View and Article on Parabolic Arc | |
| There Can Only Be One
The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has awarded Novawurks, Inc. a contract for the second phase of the Phoenix program, which aims to create satellites that can reuse antennas and other hardware components from decommissioned satellites. The contract base is worth $31 million and has four options worth in total of an additional $12 million. Article by MilitaryAerospace.com
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| The Space Show
Adam K. Johnson, Frank White, and Dragos Bratasanu share their respective NewSpace initiatives with Dr. David Livingston on The Space Show.
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| SpaceVision 2013
SpaceVision is the largest student-organized space conference in the nation and is orchestrated by the Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS) as the SEDS-USA annual national conference. SpaceVision is dedicated to facilitating networking between college students, professionals, and the public, and furthering the development of the organizations goals. This year's Space Vision will be held at Arizona State University from November 7 to 10.
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