NASA + PRIVATE SECTOR = MOONBASE

NASA looks to private sector to help it go lunar...

By Ed Stoddard
DALLAS (Reuters) - NASA is in the market for commercial relationships and private capital as it gears up for its next manned missions to the moon.

"That would make our life a lot easier," said Neil Woodward, acting director of NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate.
The U.S. space agency is hoping to return to the moon in 2019 or 2020 and has longer range plans to send humans to Mars after that.
"If somebody says 'I have this really great way to be able to extract water ice from lunar regolith (lunar rocks) that I've developed on my own dime' we would be interested," Woodward said.
"If we could be in a commercial relationship with somebody who has the capability that's fine because in many cases they can do it for less money than we can," he told Reuters on the sidelines of a space development conference in Dallas.
Venture capital in space exploration was a key theme at the conference.
NASA's lunar plans envision the building of an outpost on the moon which would be continuously manned like the International Space Station is now.
"Maybe at that point there will be commercial exploitation and we won't be sending missions there but some of the commercial companies here will start sending people there," Woodward said. 
Other commercial ventures in space include the possibility of fuel suppliers.
"One thing that keeps getting batted around is a fuel dump in orbit, in low Earth orbit. If someone was to build one of those and said do you want NASA to be a customer we would say yes because if you do the math it turns out that it would be an advantage to us," Woodward said.
"We're trying to help some commercial entities demonstrate that they can do low Earth orbit resupply to say the space station and once they can do that we can contract with them and then we don't have to do it ourselves anymore."
He said such ventures could be applied to other links in the supply chain from Earth to space.
"The space station needs a tremendous amount of food and water and scientific experiments to go up and down -- we're having to pay the Russians to do that after the shuttle retires," Woodward said, referring to the space shuttle fleet which is scheduled to be retired by 2010.
"It would be much better if there was an American company who had that capability and presumably being a private entity they may be able to do it for less expense," he said, adding that such initiatives would also be welcome for the moon missions.
"I could think of a dozen ways just off the top of my head that that would help us for supplying the moon outposts," he said.
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THESE ARE VARIOUS RENDITIONS OF POSSIBLE MOONBASE LAYOUTS:

FINDING THE DAWNSTAR : [HE 1523-0901]

Astronomers date star's birth back to nearly the dawn of time...

Astronomers have used a unique process to determine that a star in our galaxy is nearly as old as the universe itself.
The star is 13.2 billion years old, while the universe dates back 13.7 billion years, according to the European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere (ESO).
A group of international astronomers used the ESO's powerful VLT telescope to measure radioactive elements thorium and uranium to determine the star's age.
The technique is similar to carbon dating methods used in archaeology to measure time spans of up to a few tens of thousands of years, the ESO said. Astronomers, however, must work with much longer timescales, it said.
"Surprisingly, it is very hard to pin down the age of a star," Anna Frebel, the lead author of a paper on the results, said in a statement.
"This requires measuring very precisely the abundance of the radioactive elements thorium or uranium, a feat only the largest telescopes such as ESO's VLT can achieve," she said.
Age dating of these elements took place along with dating of three other elements: europium, osmium, and iridium.
"Until now, it has not been possible to measure more than a single cosmic clock for a star. Now, however, we have managed to make six measurements in this one star," Dr Frebel added.
The organisation said "this star very clearly formed very early in the life of our own galaxy," which is believed to itself have formed soon after the Big Bang. The star's name is HE 1523-0901.

The group's research was published in the May 10 issue of Astrophysical Journal.

INDEFINITE PROBLEMS WITH CHINA'S ROGUE SPACE PROGRAM

THE FOLLOWING IS A CULMINATION OF SEVERAL RESOURCES (click title link above) AND DETAILS THE MANY PROBLEMS IN DEALING WITH CHINA IN SPACE. IF IT IS A RACE, THEY ARE THE DETERMINED OPPOSING TEAM. HOWEVER, THE RACE IS A HUMAN ONE AND IT APPEARS THAT CHINA DOES NOT WANT TO COMPLY WITH UNIFIED GLOBAL INTENTION.
THIS BECOMES A PROBLEM WHEN A PLANET IS FRACTURED WHILE TRYING TO EXPLORE OUTSIDE TERRITORIES AT THE SAME TIME. COMPETITION CAN BE GOOD IN CERTAIN MARKETS, BUT THE SPACE INDUSTRY NEEDS UNIFICATION AND RULES WITH PENALTIES AND NON-INCLUSION AS A DETERRENCE. THIS IS THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF THE U.S.R.C. - TO CREATE A SYSTEM OF COHESION AMONGST MANKIND SO WE CAN PROLIFERATE EXPLORATION AND STRAY FROM WAR GAMES.
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"PENTAGON WORRIES ABOUT CHINA SPACE TEST"

WASHINGTON (AP) - China's recent success at destroying a satellite in low-Earth orbit threatens the interests of all space-faring nations and posed dangers to human space flight, the Pentagon said Friday.
In its annual report on Chinese military developments, the Pentagon also said the People's Liberation Army is building a greater capacity to launch preemptive strikes. It cited as examples China's acquisition of long-endurance submarines, unmanned combat aircraft and additional precision-guided air-to-ground missiles.
Chinese military training that focuses on no-notice, long-range air strikes "could also indicate planning for preemptive military options in advance of regional crises," the report said.
The Pentagon highlighted its concern about Beijing's anti-satellite test in which a missile was used to destroy one of China's old weather satellites in low-Earth polar orbit; the January test was China's first.
"The test put at risk the assets of all space-faring nations and posed dangers to human space flight due to the creation of an unprecedented amount of debris," the report said, adding that this is an important expansion of China's pursuit of weaponry and strategies that are designed to deny U.S. forces access to areas in Asia.


The Pentagon's forthcoming annual report on Chinese military power will reveal a growing threat from Beijing's new forms of power projection, including anti-satellite weapons and computer network attack forces.
Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said yesterday that the report, scheduled for release today, shows how China "has steadily devoted increasing resources to their military."
According to defense officials familiar with the report, it also highlights new strategic missile developments, including China's five new Jin-class submarines, and states that Beijing continues to hide the true level of its military spending.
The officials also said that the report will detail how China is developing two new types of strategic forces that go beyond what nations have done traditionally using air, sea and land forces by aiming to knock out modern communications methods on which the U.S. military relies for advanced warfighting techniques.
First, U.S. intelligence officials estimate that by 2010 China's ASAT missiles will be capable of delivering a knockout blow to many U.S. military satellites. Second, China also is training large numbers of military computer hackers to deliver crippling electronic attacks on U.S. military and civilian computer networks.
Mr. Gates described this year's report as an honest assessment devoid of "arm-waving" and said, "I don't think it does any exaggeration of the threat."
 "But it paints a picture of a country that is devoting substantial resources to the military and developing ... some very sophisticated capabilities."
Still, the Pentagon chief said keeping threats in perspective is made harder by China's lack of openness and Beijing's communist leaders refusing to talk enough about "what their intentions are, what their strategies are."
"It would be nice to hear firsthand from the Chinese how they view some of these things," he said.
Asked about China's double-digit percent increases in defense spending for more than a decade and advancing weapon technology, Mr. Gates said: "I think some of the capabilities that are being developed are of concern, sure."


CHINA'S ANTI-SATELLITE WEAPONS TEST
Shirley Kan
Specialist in National Security Policy
Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division

Summary
On January 11, 2007, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) conducted its first
successful direct-ascent anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons test in destroying one of its own
satellites in space. The test raised international concerns about more space debris.
Longer-term, the test raised questions about China’s capability and intention to attack
U.S. satellites. The purpose of this CRS Report, based on open sources and interviews,
is to discuss that ASAT test by China’s military, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA),
and issues about U.S. assessments and policies. This report will not be updated.

China’s Destruction of its Satellite in Space
On January 11, 2007, at 5:28 pm EST, the PRC conducted its first successful directascent
anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons test, launching a ballistic missile armed with a
kinetic kill vehicle (not an exploding conventional or nuclear warhead) to destroy the
PRC’s Fengyun-1C weather satellite at about 530 miles up in low earth orbit (LEO) in
space. The PLA conducted the test near China’s Xichang Space Center in Sichuan
province. The weapon under development was fired from a mobile transporter-erectorlauncher
(TEL). China reportedly used a two-stage, solid-fuel medium-range ballistic
missile that was launched from a TEL. A U.S. intelligence official testified to Congress
that the U.S. designation of this ASAT weapon is SC-19. A National Security Council
spokesman issued the White House’s public response on January 18, stating that “China’s
development and testing of such weapons is inconsistent with the spirit of cooperation
that both countries aspire to in the civil space area.” He stated that the PRC used a landbased,
medium-range ballistic missile. He also noted that the United States and other
countries responded with formal protests to China. Australia, Canada, United Kingdom,
South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and the European Union reportedly also issued concerns.
Russia downplayed the test. China did not give advance warnings and its Foreign
Ministry did not issue a public statement until January 23, saying that China calls for the
peaceful use of space and that the test was not aimed at any country.

Issues for Congress
What Are the Security Implications of This ASAT Test?
The critical challenge in the short term is posed by the space debris resulting from
the PRC’s intentional destruction of a satellite. It was the first such destruction of a
satellite since the ASAT tests conducted during the Cold War by the United States and
the Soviet Union in the 1980s. Since then, neither the United States nor Russia has
destroyed satellites in space, while many more civilian and military satellites have been
used by countries and companies. In LEO (up to 2,000 km, or 1,242 miles altitude),
reconnaissance and weather satellites, and manned space missions (including the
International Space Station, Space Shuttle, and China’s manned flights) are vulnerable to
the increase in space debris resulting from China’s satellite destruction. This debris cloud
(estimated at 950 pieces 4 inches or bigger plus thousands of smaller pieces) threatens
space assets in LEO, according to the Johnson Space Center. The Director of Space
Operations at the Air Force said that his staff tracked about 14,000 particles before
January 11, and that number increased to about 15,000. The Commander of the Strategic
Command (STRATCOM) testified that the last U.S. kinetic ASAT test occurred in 1985
and at the lower altitude of LEO, and even so, the debris took over 20 years to come down
out of space and burn up in the atmosphere. China’s test was in the upper altitude of LEO
and the resulting debris is seen as a threat to space assets for more than 20 years.
According to the Air Force Space Command, the space debris increased the collision risk
for about 700 spacecraft. China has known about international concerns about space
debris.
Various comments by PLA officers and PRC civilian analysts have justified the ASAT
test as needed to counter perceived U.S. “hegemony” in space and target the vulnerability
of U.S. dependence on satellites. A PLA Air Force colonel wrote in late 2006 that U.S.
military power, including long-range strikes, have relied on superiority in space and that
leveraging space technology can allow a rising power to close the gap with advanced
countries more rapidly than trying to catch up.

Did China’s ASAT Test Surprise U.S. Assessments?
Some news reports speculated that this ASAT test surprised U.S. intelligence.
Although China’s test confirmed long-standing Defense Department reporting about
China’s counter-space program, some warnings seemed inconsistent with China’s January
2007 kinetic kill ASAT test. In the three annual reports on the PLA from 2004 to 2006
(required by the FY2000 National Defense Authorization Act), the Secretary of Defense
reported to Congress that China could destroy or disable satellites in space “only” by
launching a ballistic missile or space launch vehicle “armed with a nuclear weapon.”
However, the Pentagon’s 2003 report warned that China was developing a “direct-ascent
ASAT system” that could be fielded between 2005 and 2010.

Why the Delay in China’s Official Statement About the Test?
Despite foreign protests, China did not issue an official statement until January 23,
12 days after the ASAT test. China’s Foreign Ministry simply stated that its “experiment”
did not target or threaten any country and that China opposes the weaponization of space
or an arms race in space. Beijing’s lack of a prepared explanation and delay in issuing a
statement raised questions about whether the top leaders approved the PLA’s ASAT tests,
coordinated between the Foreign Ministry and the PLA, miscalculated foreign responses,
or approved the ASAT program and anticipated criticisms but decided anyway to test.
Adding to concerns about China’s intentions, the ASAT test did not come at a time of
bilateral tensions. After the U.S.-China summit in April 2006, NASA and the
STRATCOM proposed civilian and military space contacts with China, and NASA’s
Administrator visited China in September 2006. In this debate, National Security Advisor
Stephen Hadley questioned whether China’s leaders knew about the PLA’s ASAT test in
advance, suggesting that U.S. protests sought to compel top ruler Hu Jintao to become
directly involved or responsible. However, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense Richard
Lawless called the speculation “farfetched,” since Hu is the Central Military Commission
Chairman (as well as Communist Party General-Secretary and PRC President).

Was China Responding to U.S. National Space Policy of 2006?
Some in China argued that the new U.S. National Space Policy prompted China’s
test, while U.S. officials have contended that, regardless, China has developed a range of
counter-space weapons to challenge U.S. space dominance. News reports stressed a
hardline tone of the policy (signed by President Bush in August 2006, with a public
version issued in October 2006), which stated opposition to new space arms control and
denial of the use of space to adversaries “hostile” to U.S. interests. Under Secretary of
State for Arms Control and International Security Robert Joseph contended that the
United States does not monopolize space or deny access to space for peaceful purposes.
He characterized the space policy as responding to “growing threats” from a number of
countries that “are exploring and acquiring capabilities to counter, attack, and defeat U.S.
space systems,” when the United States is more dependent on space than other nations.
Even before issuance of the U.S. space policy, China conducted three previous tests of
this direct-ascent ASAT weapon and, by September 2006, China had used a ground-based
laser to illuminate a U.S. satellite in several tests of a system to “blind” satellites.
Before and after this latest ASAT test, PRC military and civilian analysts have voiced
concerns about China’s perceived vulnerability against U.S. dominance in military and
space power. After the test, a Senior Colonel of the PLA’s Academy of Military Sciences
said that “outer space is going to be weaponized in our lifetime” and that “if there is a
space superpower, it’s not going to be alone, and China is not going to be the only one.”

Was China Trying to Prod the United States in Arms Control?
In wake of the ASAT weapon test, the PRC’s military and civilian analysts argued
that the PRC’s “peaceful” motive for the test was to prompt the United States to engage
in space arms control. At the United Nations in October and December 2006, the United
States was the only country to vote against a resolution on the “Prevention of an Arms
Race in Outer Space” (PAROS), adopted by the General Assembly. However, PAROS
seeks to prevent the weaponization of outer space, and even if there were such an
agreement, it would not ban the type of land-based ASAT weapon (not space-based
weapon) that China tested.
Indeed, China had already subtly shifted its stance on space arms control at the United
Nations, dropping an original call for not testing, deploying, or using on land, at sea, or
in the atmosphere any weapons for warfighting in outer space.

What are Some Policy Options?
The PRC’s ASAT test raised an issue of whether there are benefits in talking with
China and other countries about an arms control agreement (such as PAROS), a code of
conduct, or other security-building measures. China’s ASAT test did not violate any
existing arms control treaty, although it broke a voluntary moratorium since the 1980s on
such destruction of a satellite. A middle-ground view between seeking and rejecting
sweeping arms control suggested that there could be a narrowly-targeted ban on kinetic
ASAT weapons that create space debris. In contrast, the Bush Administration objected
to the implication that China’s ASAT test was another reason to pursue outer space arms
control, noting that PAROS would not ban China’s ground-launched ASAT activities. There also is an issue about whether to continue or suspend bilateral space cooperation proposed in 2006 by STRATCOM, which could include talks on collision avoidance, signals interference, and station keeping (maneuvering satellites).
For other responses, at a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic
Forces on March 28, 2007, the STRATCOM Commander urged support for programs for
space situational awareness and Prompt Global Strike.

HUMAN DEGRADATION & MORTALITY IN SPACE EXPLORATION

On Trip to Mars, NASA Must Rethink Death
By Mike Schneider
Associated Press Writer

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) - How do you get rid of the body of a dead astronaut on a three-year mission to Mars and back?
 
When should the plug be pulled on a critically ill astronaut who is using up precious oxygen and endangering the rest of the crew? Should NASA employ DNA testing to weed out astronauts who might get a disease on a long flight?
 
With NASA planning to land on Mars 30 years from now, and with the recent discovery of the most ''Earth-like'' planet ever seen outside the solar system, the space agency has begun to ponder some of the thorny practical and ethical questions posed by deep space exploration.
 
Some of these who-gets-thrown-from-the-lifeboat questions are outlined in a NASA document on crew health obtained by The Associated Press through a Freedom of Information Act request.
 
NASA doctors and scientists, with help from outside bioethicists and medical experts, hope to answer many of these questions over the next several years.
 
''As you can imagine, it's a thing that people aren't really comfortable talking about,'' said Dr. Richard Williams, NASA's chief health and medical officer. ''We're trying to develop the ethical framework to equip commanders and mission managers to make some of those difficult decisions should they arrive in the future.''
 
One topic that is evidently too hot to handle: How do you cope with sexual desire among healthy young men and women during a mission years long?
 
Sex is not mentioned in the document and has long been almost a taboo topic at NASA. Williams said the question of sex in space is not a matter of crew health but a behavioral issue that will have to be taken up by others at NASA.
 
The agency will have to address the matter sooner or later, said Paul Root Wolpe, a bioethicist at the University of Pennsylvania who has advised NASA since 2001.
 
''There is a decision that is going to have to be made about mixed-sex crews, and there is going to be a lot of debate about it,'' he said.
 
The document does spell out some health policies in detail, such as how much radiation astronauts can be exposed to from space travel (No more radiation than the amount that would increase the risk of cancer by 3 percent over the astronaut's career) and the number of hours crew members should work each week (No more than 48 hours).
 
But on other topics - such as steps for disposing of the dead and cutting off an astronaut's medical care if he or she cannot survive - the document merely says these are issues for which NASA needs a policy.
 
''There may come a time in which a significant risk of death has to be weighed against mission success,'' Wolpe said. ''The idea that we will always choose a person's well-being over mission success, it sounds good, but it doesn't really turn out to be necessarily the way decisions always will be made.''
 
For now, astronauts and cosmonauts who become critically sick or injured at the international space station - something that has never happened - can leave the orbiting outpost 220 miles above Earth and return home within hours aboard a Russian Soyuz space vehicle.
 
That wouldn't be possible if a life-and-death situation were to arise on a voyage to Mars, where the nearest hospital is millions of mile away.
 
Moreover, Mars-bound astronauts will not always be able to rely on instructions from Mission Control, since it would take nearly a half-hour for a question to be asked and an answer to come back via radio.
 
Astronauts going to the moon and Mars for long periods of time must contend with the basic health risks from space travel, multiplied many times over: radiation, the loss of muscle and bone, and the psychological challenges of isolation.
 
NASA will consider whether astronauts must undergo preventive surgery, such as an appendectomy, to head off medical emergencies during a mission, and whether astronauts should be required to sign living wills with end-of-life instructions.
 
The space agency also must decide whether to set age restrictions on the crew, and whether astronauts of reproductive age should be required to bank sperm or eggs because of the risk of genetic mutations from radiation exposure during long trips.
 
Already, NASA is considering genetic screening in choosing crews on the long-duration missions. That is now prohibited.
 
''Genetic screening must be approached with caution ... because of limiting employment and career opportunities based on use of genetic information,'' Williams said.
 
NASA's three major tragedies resulting in 17 deaths - Apollo 1, Challenger and Columbia - were caused by technical rather than medical problems. NASA never has had to abort a mission because of health problems, though the Soviet Union had three such episodes.
 
Some believe the U.S. space agency has not adequately prepared for the possibility of death during a mission.
 
''I don't think they've been great at dealing with this type of thing in the past,'' said former astronaut Story Musgrave, a six-time space shuttle flier who has a medical degree. ''But it's very nice that they're considering it now.'

METHANE ENGINE TECHNOLOGY

On January 16, 2007, a dazzling blue flame blasted across the sands of the Mojave desert. In many respects, it looked like an ordinary rocket engine test, but this was different. While most NASA rockets are powered by liquid oxygen and hydrogen or solid chemicals, "we were testing a methane engine," says project manager Terri Tramel of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC).




IMAGE: Test firing of a 7,500 pound-thrust LOX/methane engine. Image credit: Mike Massee/XCOR Aerospace.

The main engine, built and fired by the NASA contractor team Alliant Techsystems/XCOR Aerospace, is still in an early stage of development and isn't ready for space. But if the technology proves itself, methane engines like this one could eventually be key to deep space exploration.

Methane (CH4), the principal component of natural gas, is abundant in the outer solar system. It can be harvested from Mars, Titan, Jupiter, and many other planets and moons. With fuel waiting at the destination, a rocket leaving Earth wouldn't have to carry so much propellant, reducing the cost of a mission.

Perhaps surprisingly, this flammable gas has never powered a spacecraft before. But now scientists and engineers at Marshall, the Glenn Research Center and the Johnson Space Center are developing LOX/methane engines as an option for the future. "Several efforts are underway, including a rival LOX/methane main engine design by KT Engineering," notes Tramel.


"This work is funded by NASA's Exploration Technology Development Program and shows how technologies being developed for exploration may one day assist in future science missions," says Mark D. Klem, manager of the Propulsion and Cryogenics Advanced Development Project at the Glenn Research Center.



"Methane has so many advantages," continues Tramel. "The question is, why haven't we done this before?"

Consider the following: Liquid hydrogen fuel used by the space shuttle must be stored at a temperature of -252.9°C—only about 20 degrees above absolute zero! Liquid methane, on the other hand, can be stored at the much warmer and more convenient temperature of -161.6°C. That means methane fuel tanks wouldn't need as much insulation, making them lighter and thus cheaper to launch. The tanks could also be smaller, because liquid methane is denser than liquid hydrogen, again saving money and weight.

Methane also gets high marks for human safety. While some rocket fuels are potentially toxic, "methane is what we call a green propellant," Tramel says. "You don't have to put on a HAZMAT suit to handle it like fuels used on many space vehicles."

But the key attraction for methane is that it exists or can be made on many worlds that NASA might want to visit someday, including Mars.

Although Mars is not rich in methane, methane can be manufactured there via the Sabatier process: Mix some carbon dioxide (CO2) with hydrogen (H), then heat the mixture to produce CH4 and H20--methane and water. The Martian atmosphere is an abundant source of carbon dioxide, and the relatively small amount of hydrogen required for the process may be brought along from Earth or gathered in situ from Martian ice.

Traveling further out in the solar system, methane becomes even easier to come by. On Saturn's moon Titan, it is literally raining liquid methane. Titan is dotted with lakes and rivers of methane and other hydrocarbons that could one day serve as fuel depots. Imagine, a methane-powered rocket could allow a robotic probe to land on the surface of Titan, gather geological samples, refill its tanks, and blast off to return those samples to Earth. Such a sample-return mission from the outer solar system has never been attempted.

Above: This false-color radar image shows what researchers believe are lakes of liquid methane on Titan. Credit: NASA/ESA/Cassini. [More]

The atmospheres of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune all contain methane, and Pluto has frozen methane ice on its surface. New kinds of missions to these worlds may become possible with methane rockets.

This first series of desert test firings of the 7,500 pound-thrust main engine was a success, but challenges remain before methane rockets will be ready for use in a real mission. "One of the big questions with methane is its ability to ignite," Tramel says. Some rocket fuels ignite spontaneously when mixed with the oxidizer, but methane requires an ignition source. Ignition sources can be hard to make in the outer solar system where planetary temperatures drop to hundreds of degrees below zero. Tramel and her colleagues at Marshall and Glenn are currently working to assure that the rocket will ignite reliably in all conditions.

Such challenges will be surmountable through NASA's continued efforts, Tramel says, and she believes LOX-methane engines will be used in rockets of the future. The blue flame in the desert was a beautiful first step.


Author: Patrick Barry | Production Editor: Dr. Tony Phillips | Credit: Science@NASA

NASA & JAXA TEAM TO SUPPLY I.S.S.

U.S., Japanese Firms Team Up on ISS Supply Plan
By Tariq Malik

NEW YORK – Two commercial firms in the U.S. and Japan are teaming up with hopes of ferrying experiments and other cargo to a planned Japanese laboratory at the International Space Station (ISS).

The Oklahoma-based Rocketplane Kistler, Inc. and Tokyo’s Japan Manned Space Systems Corp. (JAMSS) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to develop commercial launch support for Japanese users of the space station’s Kibo laboratory. The firms announced the deal Tuesday during a Space Investment Summit held here near Wall Street.

Rocketplane Kistler is developing its K-1 reusable rocket and cargo module as part of NASA’s Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program to spur the development of private cargo and crew delivery systems for the ISS. The firm is sharing a $500 million NASA award with fellow COTS contender Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), which is developing its own Falcon rocket family and Dragon crew capsules.  

Charles Lauer, vice president of business development for Rocketplane Kistler, told SPACE.com that the deal will hopefully lead to ISS-bound launches in 2009 once all components of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s (JAXA) Kibo laboratory have been installed at the space station.

“Having readily available commercial transportation services to the ISS for both upmass and downmass is critical to attracting users for Japanese investment in ISS facilities and resources,” Kazuhide Todome, JAMSS managing director, said in a statement. “The K-1 launch vehicle shall provide key services to JAMSS and the ISS user community.”

Lauer said that about 30 percent of Japan’s Kibo laboratory assets are expected to be available for commercial users, though JAXA officials said Wednesday that they could not comment on the future plans of private firms with an interest in supplying their orbital laboratory. Any commercial supplies are envisioned to be launched inside K-1 cargo compartments that will resemble those found on the middeck of NASA’s space shuttles, he added.

JAXA’s Kibo laboratory consists of several components, but at its heart is the 37-foot (11.2 meter) long Japan Experiment Module (JEM) Pressurized Module. Slated for launch in April 2008 aboard a NASA shuttle, the pressurized laboratory will be the largest science module to be installed at the ISS.

Adding to Kibo’s pressurized laboratory is the Experiment Logistics Module, a pressurized compartment that will serve as an orbital storage area for tools, supplies and other equipment to be used inside Kibo. A dedicated robotic arm and external science platform, designed to expose samples to the space environment, round out the Kibo laboratory.

Kibo’s Experiment Logistics Module is slated to launch in February 2008, and was welcomed into NASA’s Space Station Processing Facility at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center on Tuesday.

NIN BACKING A HYPER-JOURNEY TO MARS