This page provides a compilation of links to articles,
blog postings, videos, and other resources for significant
events and developments during 2012 in the New
Space area. Unless otherwise indicated, the links
are to the Space
Transport News blog.
Note: I exclude most of the posts related to
the NASA budget and policy fights in Congress. This
would overwhelm the log here and is not directly related
to New Space except for areas such as the commercial
crew transport services. See Space
Transport News and the Space
Policy category for posts about the NASA budget
controversy and battles.
The following Highlights section describes particular
NewSpace events of interest during the 2010 and points
to sets of links with additional information and resources
about those events.
In June:
SpaceX wraps up COTS23 mission. Videos were released
of a test firinig of the SuperDraco at full thrust
and of a full duration firing of the new Merlin
1D engine
In
June: Scaled/Virgin Galactic resumed testing
of the SpaceShipTwo, carrying out two glide flights.
There were also three testing firings announce
of the RocketMotorTwo.
June
28: The B612 Foundation announces a plan to
develop, launch and operate with private funding
an infrared space telescope operating in an orbit
near that of Venus. The goal is to do a high resolution
counting of near earth objects.
June
16: X-37B (OTV-2) lands successfully at Vandenberg.
June
7: XCOR and Space Expeditions Curacao (SXC)
announced that SXC will become the official space
tourism agent for XCOR Lynx flights. Previously,
RocketshipTours was the agent but its owner passed
away last year.
June 6:
Sierra Nevada announces that the Dream Chaser
had passed its preliminary design review.
May 31:
Blue Origin announced that their orbital crew
module had passed its system requirements review.
May 30:
The FAA grants Virgin Galactic/Scaled Composites
an experimental permit to do rocket test flights
with SpaceShipTwo.
May
30: Moon Express acquires the Google Lunar
X PRIZE team Next Giant Leap.
May.30:
The USAF announced that the X-37B spaceplane,
in orbit for more than a year, would return sometime
in June for a landing at Vanderberg AFB in California.
May 29:
Full scale prototype of the Sierra Nevada Dream
Chaser crew vehicle was lifted by helicopter on
a successful captive carry test in Colorado.
May
29: Intelsat announces that it has reserved
a launch on the SpaceX Falcon Heavy vehicle. No
date is set. This is the first payload publicly
announced for the FH.
May 22-31:
SpaceX Falcon 9 successfully launches the Dragon
C2+. It deploys its solar panels for the first
time and over the next two days flies to the ISS
while carrying out a long series of tests. On
the morning of May 25th, Dragon is captured by
the ISS crewmembers using their robotic arm and
berthed to the station. On May 26th the hatch
was opened and during the next few days the several
hundred kilograms of supplies were unloaded and
then loaded with experimental materials, unneeded
equipment, and garbage. On May 31st the Dragon
was detached from the station and several hours
later it de-orbited and successfully splashed
down off the coast of California. This mission
fulfills all the SpaceX COTS program requirements
and they can now begin regular cargo deliveries
to the station.
May
10: Bigelow Aerospace and SpaceX announced
a partnership to jointly market trips to Bigelow's
commercial space stations. They will visit Japan
after the Dragon mission to the ISS.
May 7:
Spaceflight Services announces development of
the SHERPA in-space tug for placing secondary
payloads into orbits other than that of the primary
payload.
May
2: Boeing carries out a drop test of a prototype
CST-100 capsule
April
30: SpaceX successfully carried out a two
second hot fire test of the Falcon 9/Dragon on
the pad.
April
24: NASA and SpaceX decide to delay the Falcon
9/Dragon mission to the ISS by one week to finish
software and hardware-in-the-loop testing.
April
24: The company Planetary
Resources, backed by Charles Simonyi, James
Cameron, and other moguls, unveils its plan for
asteroid mining. They will work incrementally,
starting with LEO space telescopes to search for
NEOs of interest and then send probes to investigate
promising objects. The third stage will attempt
extraction techniques.
April
21: this month the Florida governor signed
legislation backing a spaceport at Cecil Field
in Jacksonville. In Colorado the governor signed
a bill backing a commecial spaceport at Front
Range Airport near Denver.
April
16: NASA and SpaceX hold a flight readiness
review and determine that the Falcon 9/Dragon
mission to the ISS can launch on April 30, assuming
some final software tests are completed satisfactorily.
April
6: FAA document is posted about an environmental
impact statement for a possible spaceport for
SpaceX near Brownsville, Texas.
Mar
9: NASA, Canadian Space Agency and MDA carried
out 3 days of testing with the Robotic
Refueling Mission outside the ISS. With the
Dextre external remote controled robot, they tested
techniques for refueling a spacecraft that was
not designed for in-space refueling.
Mar. 1:
SpaceX carried out a successful wet dress rehearsal
for the Falcon 9/Dragon that will carryout the
COTS 2/3 launch to the ISS later in the spring.
Vehicle fueled as for the launch and all procedures
up to just before engine firing were carried out.
Feb.17
- Masten
Space
Systems Xaero vertical takeoff and landing
vehicle does a free flight to 61 m and then comes
back down for a powered landing.
Feb.16-17
- The FAA held its annual Commercial Space Transportation
conference in Washington, D.C. The sessions covered
a wide array of topics such as NASA's commercial
crew & cargo program, spaceports, private
space transport company progress, etc.
Feb.7
- NASA held a forum on the Commercial Crew Program
and laid out the agency's plan for the next phase
of the funding and team selection.
Feb.2
- Draper Lab team flew Masten Space's Xombie vehicle
on a up-over-down lunar lander challenge type
of flight using their own autonomous GN&C
system.
Jan.28:
Armadillo flies the STIG-A tube rocket to an estimated
altitude of 82 km. Ballute deployment failed but
"the vehicle was successfully recovered within
the predicted operating area and the nose cone
and ballute were separately recovered intact on
the Spaceport property".
Jan.13:
MDA and Intelsat announced they had terminated
the agreement in which Intelsat would pay MDA
up to $280M for refueling/servicing of its satellites
in GEO orbit.
July.11:
Virgin Galactic announces plans to develop the LaunchOne
booster to launch small satellites. The booster will
be air launched from the WhiteKnightTwo carrier aircraft.
July.9:
XCOR announces plans to put its HQ and test facilities
in Midland, Texas.
In June:
SpaceX wraps up COTS23 mission. Videos were released
of a test firinig of the SuperDraco at full thrust
and of a full duration firing of the new Merlin 1D
engine
In June:
Scaled/Virgin Galactic resumed testing of the SpaceShipTwo,
carrying out two glide flights. There were also three
testing firings announce of the RocketMotorTwo.
June
28: The B612 Foundation announces a plan to develop,
launch and operate with private funding an infrared
space telescope operating in an orbit near that of
Venus. The goal is to do a high resolution counting
of near earth objects.
June 16:
X-37B (OTV-2) lands successfully at Vandenberg.
June
7: XCOR and Space Expeditions Curacao (SXC) announced
that SXC will become the official space tourism agent
for XCOR Lynx flights. Previously, RocketshipTours
was the agent but its owner passed away last year.
June 6:
Sierra Nevada announces that the Dream Chaser had
passed its preliminary design review.
..
The SpaceX Falcon 9 launches from Cape Canaveral on
May 22nd with
the Dragon spacecraft. On May 25th, the Dragon was berthed
to the ISS
after extensive testing and demonstrations of its capabilities.
Highlights:
May 31:
Blue Origin announced that their orbital crew module
had passed its system requirements review.
May 30:
The FAA grants Virgin Galactic/Scaled Composites an
experimental permit to do rocket test flights with
SpaceShipTwo.
May
30: Moon Express acquires the Google Lunar X PRIZE
team Next Giant Leap.
May.30:
The USAF announced that the X-37B spaceplane, in orbit
for more than a year, would return sometime in June
for a landing at Vanderberg AFB in California.
May 29:
Full scale prototype of the Sierra Nevada Dream Chaser
crew vehicle was lifted by helicopter on a successful
captive carry test in Colorado.
May
29: Intelsat announces that it has reserved a
launch on the SpaceX Falcon Heavy vehicle. No date
is set. This is the first payload publicly announced
for the FH.
May 22-31:
SpaceX Falcon 9 successfully launches the Dragon C2+.
It deploys its solar panels for the first time and
over the next two days flies to the ISS while carrying
out a long series of tests. On the morning of May
25th, Dragon is captured by the ISS crewmembers using
their robotic arm and berthed to the station. On May
26th the hatch was opened and during the next few
days the several hundred kilograms of supplies were
unloaded and then loaded with experimental materials,
unneeded equipment, and garbage. On May 31st the Dragon
was detached from the station and several hours later
it de-orbited and successfully splashed down off the
coast of California. This mission fulfills all the
SpaceX COTS program requirements and they can now
begin regular cargo deliveries to the station.
May 10:
Bigelow Aerospace and SpaceX announced a partnership
to jointly market trips to Bigelow's commercial space
stations. They will visit Japan after the Dragon mission
to the ISS.
May 7:
Spaceflight Services announces development of the
SHERPA in-space tug for placing secondary payloads
into orbits other than that of the primary payload.
May 2:
Boeing carries out a drop test of a prototype CST-100
capsule
Flights & Flight Test
Activity:
Boeing CST-100:
May
2: Boeing carries out a drop test of a prototype
CST-100 capsule
May
3: XCOR announces that it tested bearings
for its rocket engine piston pump by installing
a pump on a motorcycle and driving it for a long
distance on the road.
..
On April 30th SpaceX carried out a 2 second hot fire
test on the pad
at Cape Canaveral in prepration for the first Dragon
mission to the ISS>
Highlights:
April
30: SpaceX successfully carried out a two second
hot fire test of the Falcon 9/Dragon on the pad.
April 24:
NASA and SpaceX decide to delay the Falcon 9/Dragon
mission to the ISS by one week to finish software
and hardware-in-the-loop testing.
April
24: The company Planetary
Resources, backed by Charles Simonyi, James Cameron,
and other moguls, unveils its plan for asteroid mining.
They will work incrementally, starting with LEO space
telescopes to search for NEOs of interest and then
send probes to investigte promising objects. The third
stage will attempt extraction technques.
April
21: this month the Florida governor signed legislation
backing a spaceport at Cecil Field in Jacksonville.
In Colorado the governor signed a bill backing a commecial
spaceport at Front Range Airport near Denver.
April 16:
NASA and SpaceX hold a flight readiness review and
determine that the Falcon 9/Dragon mission to the
ISS can launch on April 30, assuming some final software
tests are completed satisfactorily.
April
6: FAA document is posted about an environmental
impact statement for a possible spaceport for SpaceX
near Brownsville, Texas.
Mar 9:
NASA, Canadian Space Agency and MDA carried out 3
days of testing with the Robotic
Refueling Mission module outside the ISS. With
the Dextre external remote controled robot, they tested
techniques for refueling a spacecraft that was not
designed for in-space refueling.
Mar. 1: SpaceX
carried out a successful wet dress rehearsal for the
Falcon 9/Dragon that will carryout the COTS 2/3 launch
to the ISS later in the spring. Vehicle fueled as
for the launch and all procedures up to just before
engine firing were carried out.
Feb.17
- Masten
Space
Systems Xaero vertical takeoff and landing vehicle
does a free flight to 61 m and then comes back down
for a powered landing.
Feb.16-17
- The FAA held its annual Commercial Space Transportation
conference in Washington, D.C. The sessions covered
a wide array of topics such as NASA's commercial crew
& cargo program, spaceports, private space transport
company progress, etc.
Feb.7
- NASA held a forum on the Commercial Crew Program
and laid out the agency's plan for the next phase
of the funding and team selection.
Feb.2
- Draper Lab team flew Masten Space's Xombie vehicle
on a up-over-down lunar lander challenge type of flight
using their own autonomous GN&C system.
..
Armadillo
Aerospace flies their STIG-A tube rocket to an estimated
altitude of 95 km.
Highlights:
Jan.28:
Armadillo flies the STIG-A tube rocket to an estimated
altitude of 95 km. Ballute deployment failed but "the
vehicle was successfully recovered within the predicted
operating area and the nose cone and ballute were
separately recovered intact on the Spaceport property".
Jan.13:
MDA and Intelsat announced they had terminated the
agreement in which Intelsat would pay MDA up to $280M
for refueling/servicing of its satellites in GEO orbit.
Flight on Jan. 28:
Armadillo flew the STIG-A tube rocket to an estimated
altitude of 82 km. Ballute deployment failed but
"the vehicle was successfully recovered within
the predicted operating area and the nose cone
and ballute were separately recovered intact on
the Spaceport property".
