NewSpace News: Issue #108

June 2014

SpaceX has unveiled the new Dragon Version 2 capsule, which was created from a clean sheet design based on the experiences from the original design. The Dragon v2 will sport eight SuperDraco engines, which completed qualification testing earlier in the month. The prototype test project Dragonfly for the new capsule will soon commence out of their McGregor, Texas site. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has released the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for SpaceX's proposed commercial launch site in Brownsville, Texas. SpaceX also completed CRS 3 and returned experiments and cargo from the International Space Station. Press Release by SpaceX, Article by NBC, Document by FAA, and Press Release by NASA

Several new Earth imaging and remote sensing companies have been announced recently. Harris Corporation, Draper Laboratory, and Dynetics has partnered and formed OmniEarth to create a 18-satellite constellation to provide multispectral imagery and hosted payloads opportunities. Dauria Aerospace has announced its partnership with Elecnor Deimos to create a hybrid constellation of Perseus-O and Deimos satellites. Teledyne and the German Space Agency (DLR) have announced their partnership to install a hyperspectral camera on the International Space Station (ISS). Press Releases by OmniEarth, Dauria Space, and Teledyne

XCOR has announced that the U.S. Treasury Department's Committee on Foreign Investments has approved the $14.2 million Series B financing from Dutch investors. This will allow XCOR to accelerate its developments to bring Lynx to market. They have also unveiled the Lynx Cub Carrier which can hold multiple small experiments for microgravity flights. Press Releases and Tweet by XCOR

NASA's Commercial Crew Program and industry partners have completed the Certification Products Contracts (CPC). Under this milestone, Boeing, Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC), and SpaceX have completed their reviews with NASA to show how they plan to meet NASA's certification requirements for commercial crew transportation. SNC has announced that it completed its wind tunnel testing milestone. Press Releases by NASA and SNC, Image by NASA

The 2015 Commercial, Justice, Science (CJS) appropriations bill, which includes NASA's budget, has passed the U.S. House of Representatives. NASA was given a budget of $17.896 billion, which is $435 million more than the President's request. The Commercial Crew Program was given $785 million for FY2015, which is 13% more than the FY2014 appropriation. NASA has also released the list of awardees for the 2014 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technical Transfer (STTR) programs. Among the list of companies include NewSpace regulars including Astrobotic, Made In Space, Planetary Resources, Terminal Velocity, and Tethers Unlimited. Article by Space News, House Bill, Press Release by NASA

Virgin Galactic and Spaceport America have signed an agreement with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that outlines how spaceport operations will be integrated with the national airspace. Virgin has also announced a switch in the rocket motor fuel and released a rocket firing test video with the new motor. Press Release and Video by Virgin, Article by NBC

Aerojet Rocketdyne has received a contract from Stratolaunch Systems Corporation to build engines for the third stage of Stratolaunch's vehicle. Aerojet has also announced a strategic partnership with Dynetics for collaboration on aerospace technologies and systems. Press Releases Aerojet Rocketdyne

Zero Gravity Solutions, Inc. (ZGSI) has announced that it has completed the requirements to sell and distribute its agricultural product, BAM-FX, in California. The product is an ionic, micronutrient and mineral delivery system for plants. Press Release by ZGSI

Spaceflight Inc. has announced its first mission using the SHERPA hosted payload and transportation system. In the inaugural launch, SHERPA will ferry up to 1200 kg to sun synchronous orbit.Press Release by Spaceflight

MarsOne has announced that it has down selected its pool of candidates from 1058 to 705. The remaining candidates will go through an interview process, and several four-person groups will be created, each consisting of two men and two women. Press Release by MarsOne

WorldVu Satellites has secured the necessary spectrum allocation from the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) to operate a low-orbit satellite constellation to provide global broadband. The company is backed by Google and O3b Networks. The company has been given regulatory deadlines to enter service between late 2019 to mid-2020 timeframe. Article by Space News

Manager of NewSpace BPC Tom Olson, Odysseus Technologies Founder and President Bryan Laubscher, and NewSpace 2014 Conference's Sara Jennings and Aaron Oesterle share their respective NewSpace initiatives with Dr. David Livingston on The Space Show.

Space Frontier Foundation is excited to announce NewSpace 2014 Conference, which will be held from July 24-26 in Silicon Valley, CA. NewSpace 2014 shall usher in a broad spectrum of space related topics that will influence new ideas and innovation and serve as a stepping stone for the future of commercial space exploration and development. This year's conference will be host to an extensive range of topics including: orbital debris, space data, space policy discussions, newspace business models, launch companies and more. NewSpace 2014 will serve as the premier gathering for space industry leaders, providing an opportunity to learn about the latest issues in commercial space.