Governor Appoints Aerospace Advisory Council on Policy

Virginia Governor Tim Kaine has appointed 11-members to the 15-member Aerospace Advisory Council to advise the Governor on policy and funding priorities to promote the aerospace and space exploration industry in Virginia.

Gubernatorial appointments include: Jack Kennedy, Esq., a member of the board of directors of the V-PRIZE Foundation; Dr. Robert Ash of Norfolk, director of the Wind Tunnel Enterprise Center at Old Dominion University; Michelle Frank of Loudoun County, manager of government relations at Orbital Sciences Corporation; Dr. Christopher Hall of Blacksburg, professor of aerospace and ocean engineering at Virginia Tech; Bruce Hoogstraten of Hampton, president of Geo-San, Inc.; Dr. Billie Reed of Norfolk, executive director of the Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority; Alotta Taylor of Falls Church, director of mission support and communications at NASA Headquarters; and, Dr. Alan Wagner of Virginia Beach, president of Wagner, Mandell Retina Center.

The General Assemby appointed four additional members: State Senator Mark Herring (D-Leesburg); Del. John A. Cosgrove (R-Cheasapeake); Del. Mark L. Cole (R-Fredericksburg); and Del. Lynwood W. Lewis, Jr. (D-Accomac).

The Rockets Next Door

The Washingtonian's September edition features an article entitiled "The Rockets Next Door" by William Thompson. The article places emphasis on the role of the NASA Wallops Flight Facility and the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport in the hopes and aspirations for the commercial spaceport.

TacSat-3 Launch Delayed to June 2008 from Va Spaceport

The TacSat-3 satellite launch aboard a Minotaur I booster vehicle has been delayed until June 25, 2008 from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport on Wallops Island, Virginia after slipping from the original December 2007 target.

The U.S. Air Force's experimental TacSat-3 satellite spacecraft is designed to bring information to the battlefield rapidly from low earth orbit (LEO). The TacSat-3 spacecraft is a pioneer of the emerging operationally responsive space (ORS) program, and designed to meet the needs of U.S. forces for flexible, affordable and responsive satellite systems.

The delay is reportedly due to thermal issues with the optical link between the spacecraft's sensor processor and communications system, and the need to upgrade mirror mounts on TacSat-3's Artemis hyperspectral imaging payload to better handle launch vibration.

Alliant Techsystems [ATK] delivered the Department of Defense's Tactical Satellite 3 Spacecraft Bus (TacSat-3) to the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) for final integration and test Wednesday, September 19.

E'Prime Aerospace Selects Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport

E'Prime Aerospace Corporation has selected the Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority's Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) as E'Prime's Launch site for the Canister Launch Program using unique and proprietary technology derived from the Peacekeeper Missile System.

E’Prime Aerospace will use “cold launch” and “canister” technologies which enable light to medium lift single core vehicles launching from a launch tube that propels the rocket approximately 200 feet into the air before the first stage is ignited. This method, according to the company, increases the payload capacity by about 10 percent. It also prevents costly refurbishment to the launch facility itself.

"We look forward to working with E'Prime Aerospace during the development and demonstration of your (E'Prime's) space launch vehicle and support systems. We will provide our technical expertise and technologies in the areas of launch site facilities and operations and launch range operations to E'Prime's development effort...," says Dr. Billie Reed, Executive Director of the Virginia spaceport authority.

The launch vehicles themselves use technology derived from the Peacekeeper (MX missile) program through a commercialization agreement the company has with the U.S. Air Force within which E’Prime developed a modular, commercial launch program using that technology for satellite insertion. Their Eagle-S Series Launch Vehicles will operate with high-launch reliability as experienced by the Peacekeeper Program (51 vehicle launches with no failures!) E’Prime also secured the only rapidly deployable launch systems worldwide with the exclusive rights to use steam gas generator technology from the Peacekeeper Program.

"The MARS launch site is conveniently situated to our corporate office now located in [Falls Church, Virginia]. The selection of a launch site is a major step forward and application for a launch license establishes E'Prime's intentions with the FAA and our customers, both commercial and government," stated E'Prime President, James D Oldham.

At a height of 61 meters (200 feet), the vehicle’s engines would ignite. The smallest vehicle, the Eaglet, would launch 580 kilograms (1,280 pounds) into LEO, while a somewhat larger version, the Eagle, would put
1,360 kilograms (3,000 pounds) into LEO. Both would use solid-propellant lower stages and a liquid-propellant upper stage. E’Prime has also proposed larger vehicles, designated S-1 through S-7, that would be able to place considerably larger payloads into LEO and add a geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO) capability.

In July 2003, E’Prime Aerospace announced the Eagle Flier, to be developed by its affiliate SpacePlane Systems.

JCOTS Hears from t/Space, SpaceX and Orbital Sciences

The Virginia Joint Commission on Technology and Science (JCOTS) aerospace advisory panel recently met in Crystal City, Virginia to hear from commercial space launch firms t/Space, SpaceX, and Orbital Sciences regarding potential future plans to utilize the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport and what improvements that may be necessary.

David Gump of t/Space told the JCOTS Aerospace panel that expanding the NASA Wallops Flight Facility runway would better enable t/Space to utilize the facility for horizontal launch of its spacecraft. No cost estimate was readily avaiable on the cost of runway pavement expansion.

Virginia-based Orbital Sciences' Darcy Durham told the areopsace advisory panel that the launch gantry needed to be extended in height by several feet so as to enable the launch of the larger Minotaur IV booster. Orbital Sciences has successfully launched two orbital spacecraft using the Minotaur 1 in the past few months. The gantery expansion was estimated to be less than $500,000.

Larence Williams of SpaceX discussed the potential of using the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport by the Falcon 9 booster rocket to service the International Space Station. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk recently responded to JCOTS aerospace advisory panel member Jack Kennedy about possible utilization of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport.

The JCOTS Aerospace Advisory Panel examined draft legislation for tax incentives [see page 9] to lure commercial space launch providers to the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport. The legislation first surfaced as a part of the recently enacted Virginia Spaceflight Liability and Immunity Act in January 2007.

The JCOTS Advisory Panel met in conjunction with the Space Frontier Foundation conference as the host for the public meeting. Several conference attendees participated in the public discussion of the spaceport improvements including SFF Executive Director Jeff Krukin, Debra Facktor Lepore President, AirLaunch LLC, Dr. Burton Lee of Innovarium Ventures, and Megan Seals of The V-PRIZE Foundation.

Maximum Probable Loss Set for ATK's ALV-X1 w/Launch in 2008

ATK's new suborbital ALV-X1 launch vehicle set to be launched from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport sometime in early 2008 has been assigned Maximum Probable Loss (MPL) to property by NASA in the event of a launch failure. the Administrator has determined the maximum probable loss to be $15.4 million for Government property, $180,000 for 3rd party property, and $9 million for 3rd party personnel. As a condition for indemnification, analogous to that required by the Commercial Space Launch Act, ATK is required to carry insurance to cover the MPL. For details see the published NOTICE.

New Article on Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport Released

A new research paper on the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport has been released entitled "Analysis of the Readiness of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport for Suborbital Tourist or Orbital Flights."

The new article is in PDF format.

There is also information on the formal organization of the V PRIZE to boost hypersonic suborbital point-to-point travel from Wallops Island, Virginia to Europe in about 30-minutes.

Virginia Legislative Branch Aerospace Studies Start

The Virginia Joint Commission on Technology and Science Aerospace study is now underway with a newly launched BLOG to further the discussion of its lofty work through November.

The study is chaired by Delegate John A. Cosgrove with vice-chair Delegate Ken Plum, the study patron.

In conducting its study, the Joint Commission on Technology and Science shall (i) identify any federal or state regulatory impediments, including taxation, to the development of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport; (ii) identify threats to the spaceport’s viability, such as encroachment, zoning, mineral exploration and exploitation, and noncompatible uses of the spaceport; (iii) identify potential economic development opportunities and marketing strategies to attract launch companies to Virginia; (iv) identify potential state legal barriers to human spaceflight, including liability and assumption of risk issues; (v) identify specific areas where the Commonwealth needs to invest in infrastructure and marketing to enable the achievement of the spaceport's full potential; and (vi) develop a long-term strategic plan to make the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport the premiere commercial hub for space travel in the United States.

Delegate Cosgrove also patroned a bill to create a gubernatorial aerospace council to advise the governor through mid-2010 on the same issues stated in the JCOTS legislative resolution.

ATK Buys Swales Aerospace

Swales Aerospace, Inc., a provider of satellite components and subsystems, and engineering services to the government, is being acquired by Alliant Techsystems Inc. (ATK).

Privately held Swales has a 28-year history of engineering services to NASA. It also sells to the Defense Department satellite customers, its president, Elmer Travis, serves on the Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority overseeing the commercial Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at Wallops Island. The new ATK space division is to be led by Mike Cerneck, chief executive officer of Swales Aerospace.

Swales Areospace headquarters in Beltsville, Md., will become the headquarters of ATK’s new Space Division. ATK plans the next launch from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport in the fall of 2007. The firm (ATK) controls the lion's share of the US solid-rocket market.

MARS To Launch Hy-BoLT Hypersonic in Early 2008

Hy-BoLT Hypersonic is the next two stage ATK ALV-X1 launch being scheduled for the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport in early 2008.

The Hypersonic Boundary Layer Transition experiment is a payload to advance the Vision for Space Exploration sponsored by NASA's Hypersonics Project within the Fundamental Aeronautics Program.

The ATK ALV X-1 booster is a low-cost launch vehicle for the operational responsive space (ORS) market. Possible ORS programs include the delivery of small payloads to low-earth orbit in support of DOD missions, NASA scientific missions, and commercial and university satellite programs.

Spectacular Black Sky Launch Punctuates Spaceport Readiness

The night stars stood out in the black but clear skies over the Wallops Island's Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport this past Tuesday night-morning hour as men and women awaited the dash.

The Minotaur-1 rocket stood tall in pointed light pointed skyward ready to blaze a red trail through the opaque backdrop sounding its arrival with a thunderous vibration and loud roar. The Minotaur-1 count went to zero hailing a new era for the fledgling orbital spaceport punctuated by readiness.

The classical mythological Minotaur abruptly sprang to life devouring the bull headed human doubt of an Atlantic spaceport of rapid response. The rocket spewed a blinding flash as it streaked upwardly into the dark oblivion as the stage seperation ended the human sighting advancing onward to orbit.

The Minotaur had once again dazzled in darkess as well as dawn's light.

High Winds Delay Spaceport Orbital Launch of NFIRE

High winds along the Eastern Shore this week has delayed testing procedures leading to the launch previously planned in the pre-dawn hours of Saturday now changed to 3:11 AM EST Monday, April 23rd.

The 70' tall and 5' wide Minotaur-1 sits at the launch pad with the gantry wrapped about the spacecraft. The NFIRE payload sponsored by the Missile Defense Agency follows the TacSat-2 launch December 16, 2006. The TacSat-3 is expected to be boosted to orbit in Decmeber 2007 with yet another Minotaur-1.

The FAA-liecnsed commercial spaceport is co-located on the NASA Wallops Flight Facility. The Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport is operated by the Virginia Commercial Space Flight Authority first created in 1995 by the Virginia legislature.