4-8 March (8 March 2010)
The long duration test firing of the 17 metre first core stage with 110 tons of propellants on India’s Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle GSLV Mk III was aborted at 150s of a planned 200s ground test at the Indian Space Research Organisations’ Mahendragiri Liquid Propulsion Systems Center.
Orbital Sciences Corporation will acquire the spacecraft development and manufacturing business of General Dynamics, strengthenimg the company's capabilities to design and manufacture Earth science, weather and climate monitoring and space-based astronomy satellite systems. By adding advanced medium-class spacecraft platforms to Orbital's existing small-satellite product line.
Senator Kay Hutchison – in conjunction with Representatives Suzanne Kosmas and Bill Posey – has produced a 37 page Bill that proposes major refinements to NASA’s FY2011 proposal, and NASA’s forward plan. The Bill is centered around a Shuttle extension to 2015, in support of fully utilizing the International Space Station (ISS), along with saving elements of Constellation – such as Orion and a Heavy Lift Launcher (HLV).
China launched a CZ-4C Chang Zheng from the Jiuquan Satellite launch base on 5 March carrying the YaoGan Weixing 9 “for remote sensing” but is more likely a reconnaissance. The launch was the second orbital launch by China this year, the 124th Chinese orbital launch, the 43rd orbital launch from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center and the first orbital launch from Jiuquan this year. This was the fifth use of a CZ-4C launcher. A Long March 5 is will begin launching around 2014.
A Delta 4 booster was launched from Cape Canaveral on 4 March carrying a Boeing-built Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) P. GOES N and O were launched in 2006 and 2009. The satellites are placed at 12deg inclination and in 21,860-4,100 miles orbits.
40 years ago
4 March 1970
The Soviet Union launched a Voskhod booster from Plesetsk carrying a Zenit 2 reconnaissance satellite, Cosmos 325 into a 65deg inclination orbit. The recoverable film capasule was recovered on 12 March.
The US Air force launched a Thorad Agena booster from Vandenberg AFB, California carrying a KH-4B surveillance satellite into an 88deg orbit, which returned a film capsule, with a secondary satellites SRV 819 and the OPS 3402 sigint spacecraft.
23 February-2 March (2 March 2010)
23-26 February-2 March
OverHorizon OHO-1 will be launched by Arianespace in mid-2012 aboard an Ariane booster. The 3,200kg OHO will be based on the Thales Alenia Space Star 2.3 platform equipped with a two-way Ku-broadband payload for cars, trucks, boats and aircraft. OverHorizon is Arianspace’s 32nd customer.
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden says that sending astronauts to Mars is still the ultimate goal for US human spaceflight but would be at least 10 years in the future - but probably much longer! Bolden says NASA will focus on developing futuristic new technologies before selecting a destination and that NASA astronauts could visit the moon or nearby asteroids before setting sail for Mars. Bolden says that it was impractical to continue with the $9 billion Constellation programme because financial problems.
A draft Congressional bill leaked to Flight International sets out the politicians' alternate plan. It involves possibly extending Shuttle life to 2015, running competitive commercial crew and cargo programmes and continuing development of Constellation's vehicles including a heavylift rocket designed to get astronauts to the Moon in the 2020s and then Mars.
Former NASA Johnson Space Centre chief, Aaron Cohen has died at 79, while famed space artist, Robert McCall has died aged 90.
Russia launched a Proton booster with three Information Satellite Systems Reshetev Company Glonass M navigation satellites on 1 March, each weighing 3,000lb.There are 18 operational satellites. Global service requires 24 healthy Glonass satellites, while complete coverage of Russian territory demands 18 operational spacecraft. The next Proton launch is scheduled for March 20 with the EchoStar 14 direct broadcasting satellite for the United States.
Boeing has completed its system-level Critica Design Review for the planned Data Relay Satellite K-L programme.
Astrium has completed the qualification testing of the dispenser for the second-generation Globalstar for Ariane 5 launches.
Thales Alenia Space has signed a contract with French Space Agency to build the Jason 3 oceanographic satellite based on a Proteus platform. The satellite will be equipped with a Doris precise orbit determination system, an Advance Microwave Radiometer, a GPS payload and a Laser Retro-reflector Array. Jason 3 will placed into a 1,336km, 66deg inclination orbit.
The 52nd and final Space Shuttle SRB was tested in Utah, marking another milestone of the end of the programme.
The University of Queensland will lead a $14 million international consortium to help develop scramjet-based access-to-space systems, flying an autonomous scramjet vehicle at eight times the speed of sound - Mach 8, or 8600 km/h. In parallel, scramjet concepts will be tested at even greater speeds, up to Mach 14, in UQ's world class hypersonic ground-test facilities. Scramjets are air-breathing engines capable of travelling at hypersonic speeds, greater than Mach 5.
NASA and the Italian Space Agency announced a new use for the Multi Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) "Leonardo, which will be transformed into a Permanent Multipurpose Module (PMM) for the International Space Station.
William E. Gordon, an electrical engineer who conceived, designed, built and operated the world’s largest radio telescope, which has been described as Earth’s ear to outer space died on February 16, aged 92. The telescope, a dish the size of 26 football fields, occupies a small valley in Puerto Rico. It is big enough to emit the strongest radio waves and receive the weakest ones.
NASA plans to launch a heavy-lift booster by 2020 using a hydrocarbon first stage, after technology demonstration missions starting in 2014 with costs of $400 million to $1 million. Robotic precursor missions throughout the solar system and studies of human health and endurance for potential deep space missions are planned. "A strong candidate would be a hydrocarbon (liquid oxygen/kerosene) engine, capable of generating high levels of thrust approximately equal to or exceeding the performance of the Russian-built RD-180 engine," the NASA budget estimate said. "Other key target characteristics for this new capability include improvements in overall engine robustness and efficiency, health monitoring, affordability, and operability." The 2011 budget request provides $3.1 billion over the next five years for propulsion development. NASA would also build and test new in-space engines burning methane and liquid hydrogen fuels. First missions will begin in 2012. NASA will pursue international, commercial and U.S. government partners for the largest demos. NASA is also committing to starting funding on two robotic precursor mission in 2011, likely including a lunar mission to be operated in real-time from Earth. Another precursor mission could target a landing on an asteroid or one of the moons of Mars.
NASA could procure commercial crew spacecraft for flights as early as 2014, in the same way of space agency’s Commercial Transportation Services (COTS), which will likely be SpaceX and Orbital Sciences. The NASA budget request for 2011 includes $6 billion over the next five years for commercial crew development. United Launch Alliance has several spacecraft developers who want to use the Atlas 5 rocket. Boeing and Bigelow Aerospace are working on a space capsule and Sierra Nevada's Dream Chaser lifting body design.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) plans to send two astronauts to space within six to seven years.
"A uniquely American vision of a bold space program can be supported by Democrats and Republicans, liberals and conservatives. It would inspire the public and provide numerous technological and engineering spin-offs, while demonstrating to the world that the U.S. remains an optimistic and courageous leader. Congress should firmly reject President Obama's belly-gazing approach to the future and the next frontier by reaffirming the U.S. commitment to manned spaceflight and colonization, set dates for a manned mission to Mars, and boost NASA's budget with these goals in mind." (The Hill).
50 years ago
26 February 1960
An Atlas Agena A was launched from Cape Canaveral carrying a 4,464lb Midas early warning satellite but the second stage failed to separate.
40 years ago
27 February 1970
The Soviet Union launched a Kosmos booster from Plesetsk carrying Cosmos 324, a 716lb military target into a 71deg inclination orbit.
