Arianespace to Launch Satellites for
South Korea (Source: Arianespace)
The Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) has chosen Arianespace to
launch the two satellites in its GEO-KOMPSAT-2 program. Mr. Jacques
Breton, Senior Vice President, Sales & Customers of Arianespace and
Mr. CHO Gwangrae, President of KARI, have signed today the launch
contract for GEOKOMPSAT-2A & -2B. GEO-KOMPSAT-2A (GK2A) and
GEO-KOMPSAT-2B (GK2B) will be orbited by Ariane 5 launchers in May 2018
and March 2019 from the Guiana Space Center, Europe's Spaceport in
Kourou, French Guiana. (2/13)

Rising Sea Levels Having Effects at
Kennedy Space Center (Source: WKMG)
It's a coastline like no other. A pristine, untouched, Florida
landscape with the history of space exploration on its shores. Now
researchers say a section of beachfront just beyond the iconic
launchpads 39A and 39B is washing away at an alarming rate. University
of Florida researchers say climate change and rising sea levels are to
blame.

Associate professor of geological sciences, John Jaeger and assistant
professor Peter Adams have been monitoring the shores of KSC on a
monthly basis for 5 years. They say in that time, they've found the
area of primary concern to NASA is actually predisposed to erosion. The
project started when NASA partnered with the U.S. Geological Survey and
UF to figure out why chronic erosion was happening along a roughly
6-mile stretch between launch pads 39A and 39B.

The problem had been occurring for years but when Florida endured three
hurricanes within weeks of each other in 2004 a large portion of
coastline was lost. Using GPS monitors, Jaeger and Adams gathered
precise elevations of the beach and dunes along KSC property. "The area
that's eroding is one where it was very sensitive to little tipping
points," Jaeger says. "Gradually, the shoreline is moving closer and
closer and that's largely a function of sea level rise impacting this
little area." (2/13)

NASA's 5-Year Timelapse of the Sun is
Stunning (Source: Mashable)
Timelapses have the ability to make reality seem like it's
simultaneously sped up and slowed down. You might, ahem, say the result
is "out of this world." To commemorate the fifth anniversary of the
Solar Dynamics Observatory's (SDO) launch, NASA released a five-year
timelapse of the sun — and trust us: It ain't ugly.

The SDO is a mission designed to study where the sun's energy comes
from, and also help us understand its influence on Earth. The footage,
captured one frame every eight hours, is from June 2010 to Feb. 8,
2015, according to NASA. Click here.
(2/13)

Florida Space Industry to Visit
Capitol on March 25 (Source: Space Florida)
Representatives from Florida’s aerospace industry will visit
Tallahassee on March 25, 2015, to participate in Florida Space Day and
share with legislators the opportunities the industry brings to Florida
and the nation. Former NASA astronaut Mike McCulley, Space Shuttle
Pilot of STS-34, the mission that deployed the Galileo spacecraft to
explore Jupiter, will be making scheduled appearances throughout the
event. Space-related exhibits will be available on the third floor
rotunda of the Capitol. (2/10)

How to Get a Job in Space
(Source: Bloomberg)
The private space industry believes there's a booming future in space
tourism—and students at MIT's Sloan School of Management want to make
sure they, too, can get in on the action. A group of MBA students
launched an aeronautics and space industry club in the fall, saying
they hope it will help peers take advantage of growing career
opportunities for business-minded space enthusiasts. Click here.
(2/13)

SpaceX Has Come This Far. They’ll Go
the Last Mile (Source: National Post)
Dumping tens of millions of dollars of cutting-edge technology and
engineering into rough ocean waters is not normally considered a
success. But on Wednesday night, 370 miles off the coast of Florida,
private space company SpaceX did exactly that. And while the mission
may not have been a complete success, it was awfully darned close. The
implications for space exploration are enormous.

The high-priced hardware in question was the first stage of a Falcon 9
rocket. SpaceX, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, has been working to
develop rockets that can be fully and rapidly reused. The primary
obstacle to a dramatically expanded human presence in space is the
incredible expense of launching anything out of Earth’s gravity. Click here.
(2/12)

World View on Savoring Space Tourism
(Source: Engadget)
Jane Poynter wants you to take a trip to space that's as comfortable as
a luxury cruise. She's spent two years living in the sealed research
lab Biosphere 2, and serves as president of Paragon Space Development
Corporation, where she led development of the life-support systems for
the 2018 Inspiration Mars mission. Now, as CEO of World View, she's
been developing a solution for space tourism that relies on a huge
helium balloon, not rockets. That means no training necessary, no
dealing with the uncomfortable effects of heavy G-force acceleration
and a trip that lasts four to six hours. Click here.
(2/12)

Editorial: To Mars in 10 Years
Economically Viable (Source: Washburn Review)
The stated goal of NASA is to go to Mars by the mid 2030s. The first of
the vehicles that might take us there, the Space Launch System and
Orion, won’t fly people until at least 2021 with the current budget
realities. That is over seven years away, or nearly two presidential
terms. The political landscape will be totally different by that time,
so there is a risk of cancellation before hardware can even get to the
launch pad. What NASA needs is a 10-year timeframe for a goal of going
to Mars. Click here.
(2/13)

How Much Is the New Orbital ATK Worth?
(Source: Motley Fool)
The company, formed by the merger of twin space-tech titans, marries
Orbital Sciences' expertise in building rockets and satellites with
Alliant Techsystems' specialization in rocket boosters, and promises to
create a worthy rival to aerospace giants such as Boeing, Lockheed
Martin, and SpaceX.

Unfortunately, some financial data providers are still figuring out the
numbers on the merged company, days after the merger closed. That's not
uncommon in the immediate wake of an IPO, merger, or spinoff -- but it
can be frustrating for an investor wanting to know whether to buy
today. But never fear, dear investor. We've got you covered. Click here.
(2/12)

NASA Wants Voice in Gas, Oil Lease
Process Near Virginia Spaceport (Source: Daily Times)
NASA wants to weigh in on plans to sell offshore gas and oil drilling
leases, citing launch safety concerns. "Even the temporary presence of
support ships or aircraft within a mission's hazard areas can result in
mandatory range safety criteria not being met, leading to missed launch
opportunities," said the agency in a statement. (2/10)

Why We Need to Worry About Space
Weather (Source: Reuters)
Everyone complains about the weather, but NASA is doing something about
it. A Deep Space Climate Observatory satellite launched last night
aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will monitor solar wind, solar flares
and coronal mass ejections, all of which fit within the definition of
“space weather.” The concept sounds like, well, science fiction, but a
washingtonpost.com article titled “When space weather attacks”
describes the magnitude of the threat constituted by space weather:

"Today, electric utilities and the insurance industry are grappling
with a scary possibility. A solar storm on the scale of that in 1859
would wreak havoc on power grids, pipelines and satellites. In the
worst case, it could leave 20 million to 40 million people in the
Northeast without power — possibly for years — as utilities struggled
to replace thousands of fried transformers stretching from Washington
to Boston." (2/12)

Space Club Recognized for Student
Space Week Program (Source: NSCFL)
The National Space Club Florida Committee (NSC-FL) was recognized at
the Brevard Schools Foundation’s Applauding Brevard’s Champions (ABC)
Awards Gala on January 28, 2015. NSC-FL received the Foundation Award
of Distinction Group Champion for its active involvement and
sponsorship of Brevard Space Week.

Brevard Space Week, an annual event held in late November and early
December, exposes over 5000 Brevard County sixth grade students to a
daylong program filled with STEM-related activities, hands-on exhibits
and an astronaut space flight presentation. Its goal is to excite
students about the space industry, promote the study of STEM and
encourage space exploration as a potential career path. (2/12)

Talking Japanese space robot back on
Earth (Source: Space Daily)
A pint-sized Japanese robot that became the first android to converse
with an astronaut in space has returned to Earth after 18 months in
orbit, project organisers said Thursday. "Kirobo" -- roughly the size
of a chihuahua -- hitched a ride back from the International Space
Station (ISS) on a cargo supply spacecraft that splashed down in the
Pacific Ocean, sponsors including Toyota Motor and advertising firm
Dentsu said.

Kirobo, which left Earth in August 2013, was programmed to communicate
in Japanese and keep a record of its conversations with Koichi Wakata,
the first Japanese astronaut to command the ISS. The robot was part of
a study aimed at learning how a non-human companion can provide
emotional support for people isolated over long periods.

Millions of Japanese schoolchildren were captivated by the adventures
of a creation that showcased Japan's drive to combine cutting-edge
technology and its obsession with all things cute. (2/12)

Putin Is Knocking Ukraine's Space
Industry Out of Orbit (Source: Bloomberg)
The launch of a new European space plane on Feb. 11, is a rare instance
of good news for Ukraine's space industry, which has been increasingly
at risk from the grinding conflict with Russia. Ukraine's state-owned
Yuzhnoye Design Bureau helped develop the rocket that carried the
European Space Agency's new IXV experimental reentry vehicle from the
Kourou launch center in French Guiana.

Yuzhnoye, descended from a Soviet-era designer of ballistic missiles,
has developed a business supplying rocket technology to Western
partners. Its headquarters in the city of Dnepropetrovsk sits less than
150 miles from the fighting in eastern Ukraine. Still, says Oleg
Ventskovsky, the company's representative in Brussels, "it's more or
less business as usual."

The rest of Ukraine's space industry hasn't been so fortunate. Russia
was its biggest customer, and sales have cratered. That's partly
Ukraine's doing: In June, President Petro Poroshenko halted all
military sales to Russia, including some dual-use missile and rocket
technologies made by Ukrainian companies. A far bigger blow came
earlier this month with Russia's decision to stop buying the mostly
Ukrainian-made Zenit rocket. (2/12)

Spaceport America to Open Visitor
Center (Source: KQRE)
New Mexico’s Spaceport America is about to open its doors a little more
to space enthusiasts and the curious. A new spaceport visitor center
will open in May in the heart of T or C’s historic district. The
facility will be housed in a vintage, city-owned adobe building
constructed in 1935. “This location will also allow our visitors easy
access to many of the interesting shops in the downtown area,” said
Spaceport America Executive Director Christine Anderson.

Meanwhile, in March 2015, Spaceport America plans to open an expanded
Visitor Experience in the Gateway Gallery at the spaceport itself,
about 30 miles southeast of T or C. Both visitor facilities will
feature space travel displays and interactive exhibits for adults and
children. Public access to the Spaceport America launch complex
southeast of T or C is presently only via tour buses operated by Follow
The Sun, Inc. Tours cost between $29 and $59 per person. (2/12)

KSC Extends the SpaceX Dragon
Spacecraft Exhibit (Source: MyFox Orlando)
The SpaceX Dragon spacecraft that made history in May 2012 as the first
commercial spacecraft to deliver cargo to and from the International
Space Station (ISS) will be on display until Monday, Feb. 16 at Kennedy
Space Center Visitor Complex. The Dragon display was originally
scheduled to end Feb. 9.

The Dragon spacecraft is on display at NASA Central, just outside the
Visitor Complex's Space Shop. Guests are welcome to take photos with
the authentic space-flown spacecraft. The SpaceX Dragon display is
included with admission to Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex and is
free for annual pass holders. (2/11)

‘Disney-Style’ Space Park to Open in
Israel (Source: Times of Israel)
Israel isn’t known for its amusement parks, but that could change soon
as a new space-themed park is set to open in Ashdod. The International
Space Center will feature displays, movies and activities all connected
to space travel, with special shows and events featuring space industry
personnel and astronauts from Israel and abroad.

Among those activities will be the 3D space experience, in which
participants will have the opportunity to participate in a simulated
space flight, with interactive displays to help visitors learn about
the planets and the future of space travel. There will also be
space-themed rides, games, snack bars – and, of course, a gift shop –
to provide visitors with an “out of this world” experience.

Besides fun space stuff, the park will feature a more serious side,
hosting an incubator for early-stage start-ups working on space-related
technology. The site will also be home to the Israel Space Cadet
Training Center, designed to be Israel’s premier academy for
astronautics, aeronautics and space science. (2/12)

Virgin Galactic Opens LauncherOne
Facility in Long Beach (Source: Space News)
Virgin Galactic announced Feb. 12 that the company is opening a new
facility in Long Beach, California, devoted to development of its small
satellite launch vehicle. Virgin Galactic said that it is leasing a
13,900-square-meter building at the Long Beach Airport that it will use
for the design and manufacturing of LauncherOne. The company did not
disclose the terms of the lease. (2/12)

New NOAA Satellite Boss Shoots Down
Commercial Weather Pilot Program (Source: Space News)
The new head of NOAA’s satellite division said Feb. 12 the agency
should not cordon off any of its budget to help would-be commercial
weather satellite operators defray development expenses. “That’s a
higher-risk approach than I would prefer to take from the NOAA side,”
Steve Volz, the new assistant administrator for NOAA’s Satellite and
Information Service, said. (2/12)

Mars Is The Next Step For Humanity –
We Must Take It (Source: IFL Science)
Elon Musk has built a US$12 billion company in an endeavour to pave the
way to Mars for humanity. He insists that Mars is a “long-term
insurance policy” for “the light of consciousness” in the face of
climate change, extinction events, and our recklessness with technology.

On the other hand, astronaut Chris Hadfield is sceptical: “Humanity is
not going extinct,” he told me. He added: There’s no great compelling
reason to go, apart from curiosity, and that’s not going to be enough
to sustain the immense cost necessary with the technology that exists
right now.

But I question our future, stuck here on Earth. Our environment is a
highly balanced system and we are the destabilising element. Pursuing
“green” initiatives is no long-term solution to the wall we’re hurtling
towards, they’re speed bumps. If this is where humankind is destined to
remain, then we shall find ourselves fighting over whatever is left of
it. (2/9)