Building anything can be a complicated task. Building big doesn’t always make it easier. Building big in space definitely makes it more complex. USAToday has a dandy flash presentation on the 10+ year construction effort to build the International Space
Jet-A From Biomass
A team of University of Wisconsin-Madison engineers has developed a highly efficient, environmentally friendly process that selectively converts gamma-valerolactone, a biomass derivative, into the chemical equivalent of jet fuel. The simple process preserves about 95 percent of the energy from
Last Shuttle Patch Selected
The final patch design for the Space Shuttle Program has been selected by a NASA committee from a pool of entries by NASA employees and contractors. It beat out 84 other prospective patches to be the final commemorative token of
AvWeek Person Of The Year
Person Of The Year: The Space Entrepreneur … features Dave Masten and Xoie! Aviation Week’s article starts out: The quiet work of space entrepreneurs is becoming reality, and metal and fire are streaking through the upper atmosphere into low Earth
Water Confirmed At Lunar South Pole
Playa Vista, Calif. (November 13, 2009) – A team of scientists from NASA announced today that significant amounts of water ice have been found at the Moon’s South Pole. This landmark finding, achieved through analysis of the material blasted from
NASA LLC Ceremony
From left to right: George Nield (FAA); Charlie Bolden (NASA); Doug Comstock(NASA); David Masten (Masten Space Systems); Phil Eaton (Armadillo Aerospace); Rep. Ralph Hall (R-TX 4th); Peter Diamandis (X PRIZE); Mitch Waldman (Northrop Grumman) NASA’s Centennial Challenges program awarded $1.65
NASA and X Prize Announce Lunar Lander Winners
WASHINGTON – NASA will award $1.65 million in prize money Thursday to a pair of innovative aerospace companies that successfully simulated landing a spacecraft on the moon and lifting off again. NASA’s Centennial Challenges program will give a $1 million
SpaceX Tests Falcon 9 First Stage
Falcon 9 First Stage Headed to Cape Canaveral for Vehicle Integration McGregor, Texas – October 21, 2009 – Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) successfully conducted two static firings of the first stage, nine engine cluster for its Falcon 9 launch vehicle.
Masten Space Systems Qualifies for $1 Million Prize
Mojave, California – October 30, 2009 – Masten Space Systems successfully qualified for first place in Level Two of the Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge Wednesday. Flying a brand new vehicle named XA-0.1E (nicknamed Xoie), Masten demonstrated their ability to
Masten Qualifies for NGLLC Level 1
Masten Space Systems successfully flew their Xombie vehicle today, completing two flights and meeting the Level 1 requirements of the Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge. This qualifies them for the $150,000 prize.