Take a Baloon Ride to the Edge of Space

Yearning for that once in a lifetime ride, but just can't justify the 200k that would get you a seat on Virgin Galactic sub-orbital  flight, then a ride aboard World View's gondola for a measly 75k may just be your ticket.

World View conducted a 1/10 scale, June 18th, to test of the critical systems.  The craft rose to 120,000 feet then descended to  50,000 where it deployed a parafoil which allowed for an uneventful landing. 

Chief technology officer Taber MacCallum wrote in an email to Discovery News - after reviewing the data, engineers will make the necessary changes.  “We anticipate flying both sub-scale unmanned systems and full-mass simulator test articles,”

NASA is Seeking Ideas for use of the ISS and L.E.O. for commercial endevours

NASA is seriously trying to open low-Earth orbit to commercial space opportunities One of the things they are willing to put on the table is the International Space Station. NASA is looking for ideas, as this NASA article here reads

• on ways it can help create greater access to and use of the International Space Station for research and commercial activities. 

Yep, I read that as commercial use of the station....hummm

Of course further on, it becomes a bit clearer what the motivation are...

• NASA is soliciting ideas from companies interested in using the space station and the low-Earth orbit environment in innovative ways that will develop a strong commercial market and assist the agency in achieving its exploration goals.

I suspect the rent is going to be a bit pricey.

Check out the complete article HERE

US Backs EU's Space Conduct Code

I guess it should be no surprise that the US is one of the biggest holdout for recognizing any policy that would require some sort of sanity when it comes to controlling space trash. Well I guess someone in the upper echelons has become somewhat tired of crap falling out of the sky and potentially ruining their day because Dvice is reporting that U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton released a statement -

• supporting the European Union's existing space code of conduct

The basic concern from the State Department seems to be that -

• other countries keep track of all of their space junk 

It is clear that the US government is trying to distract everyone with their interest in a sane policy on space trash.  I think the phrase "irresponsible actors" is particularly ironic.  Mainly because the biggest and most prolific agency that has been leaving garbage in orbit for the last half century or so is, well, not to difficult to figure out that the U.S. is likely one of the most irresponsible actors out there.

Like the author of the original article said:

• runs the numbers

It's clear that we have had a long standing policy of chuck it and forget it. Rather than be called on it, the government wants to spread the blame around some.   Now, that is not a bad idea, because it DOES get something going here.  Space is for everyone and I have been saying all along that by the time the general public has "low cost" access to Earth orbit, there will be nothing left but a big ole junk heap, while people planet side start ducking and covering again.   It's clear something has to happen soon or one of the greatest resources the Earth has will be useless.

Dvice article

Abandon Ship!

According to an article in Dvice: NASA may be considering abandoning the International Space Station in November, due mostly to the crash of the Russian Progress M-12M resupply ship in August of 2011. If the malfunction that prevented the Progress from separating from the heavy lift second stage booster then the first half of the crew will have to return in October with the balance returning in January.

Even though the station is capable of maintaining the crew indefinitely, the Soyuz is only rated for 210 days life in which exceeding that limit is strongly not recommended. And neither is a January landing on the Russian Steppes.

ISS Crews NASA and Russian mission control are all holding their collective breathes as technicians try to uncover the cause of the malfunction.