Res Communis

Call for Papers: Canadian Space Summit 2010

by P.J. Blount with the blog faculty

The Canadian Space Society has issued a call for papers for its Canadian Space Summit 2010. The summit is titled “2010: A New Canadian Space Odyssey” and will be held in the Lord Elgin Hotel, Ottawa, ON, Canada on 19-21 November 2010. The call includes a Law and Policy section:

Law and Policy, including legal issues surrounding exploration, exploitation, and habitation of space, national and international space policy and regulation, debris mitigation and liability, and fostering space enterprise and science and technology

Call for Papers: 15th ISU Annual International Symposium

by P.J. Blount with the blog faculty

The International Space University has announced the 15th ISU Annual International Symposium, which will be titled The International Space Station: Maximizing the Return From Extended Operations. It will be held in Strasbourg in February of 2011. The first announcement and call for papers is available and includes a session on “Legal, Policy and Ethical Issues.”

NASA Awards Space Grant Cooperative Agreement

by Sara M. Langston with the blog faculty

Source: SpaceRef.com

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The National Space Grant Foundation is the recipient of NASA’s Exploration Systems Mission Directorate (ESMD) Space Grant Cooperative Agreement.

The agreement began July 1, 2010 and runs until June 30, 2013. The $1.8 million award will be used for ESMD Space Grant internships, senior design projects, faculty fellowships, faculty workshops, course developments and student competitions…more

Letter from Former Columbia Accident Investigation Board Members Regarding Crew Safety

by Sara M. Langston with the blog faculty

Source: SpaceRef.com

July 12, 2010

The Honorable Barbara Mikulski
Chairwoman, Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies
Senate Committee on Appropriations
144 Dirksen Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senator Mikulski:

As former board members of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB), we agree with your view that assuring crew safety is an essential element in the discussion of future U.S. crew transportation systems. As members of the CAIB, we have also noted with interest recent space policy discussions where our report has been cited. In particular, we have been somewhat surprised to learn that some people, both within and outside of the Congress, have interpreted the new White House strategy for space which gives a greater role to the commercial sector in providing crew transportation services to the International Space Station, as being not in line with the findings and recommendations of the CAIB report.

Our view is that NASA’s new direction can be a) just as safe, if not more safe, than government-controlled alternatives b) will achieve higher safety than that of the Space Shuttle, and c) is directly in line with the recommendations of the CAIB…more

Commercial Spaceflight Federation Responds to Recent Misperceptions Related to U.S. Human Spaceflight

by Sara M. Langston with the blog faculty

Source: Commercial Spaceflight Federation

Washington, D.C., July 12, 2010 – As a strong supporter of a robust NASA human spaceflight program, the Commercial Spaceflight Federation is releasing the following statement to address topics related to human spaceflight, including commercial human spaceflight. Please see items below on the topics of capability, safety, and cost savings…more

Where Should We Go in Space? Tell Bill Nye During a Live Ustream Chat

by Sara M. Langston with the blog faculty

Source: The Planetary Society

Nye will join Louis Friedman, the Society’s current executive director, on July 14, 2010 to talk with the public about The New NASA Plan — Destinations, during a live interactive video event on Ustream.

“We want a lively debate!” said Friedman, urging people to join the discussion.

The Planetary Society has been actively encouraging discussion of the new plan proposed for NASA, a plan that would entail a major shift in NASA’s human spaceflight program. The Society leadership feels that it is vital that public interest be represented in discussing issues that will change the course of the US space program for decades to come.

The new NASA plan for human spaceflight focuses on technologies and milestones that will advance human space flight out of Earth orbit and into the solar system. Mars may be the ultimate goal, but the path for humans to set foot on the Red Planet is flexible, to be determined step-by-step…more

NASA Announces Three New Centennial Challenges

by Sara M. Langston with the blog faculty

Source: SpaceRef.com

WASHINGTON — NASA announced three new Centennial Challenges Tuesday, with an overall prize purse of $5 million. NASA’s Centennial Challenges are prize competitions for technological achievements by independent teams who work without government funding.

“NASA sponsors prize competitions because the agency believes student teams, private companies of all sizes and citizen-inventors can provide creative solutions to problems of interest to NASA and the nation,” said Bobby Braun, the agency’s chief technologist. “Prize competitions are a proven way to foster technological competitiveness, new industries and innovation across America.”

The Nano-Satellite Launch Challenge is to place a small satellite into Earth orbit, twice in one week, with a prize of $2 million. The goals of this challenge are to stimulate innovations in low-cost launch technology and encourage creation of commercial nano-satellite delivery services…more

NASA: Notice of Meeting for August 4-5, 2010

by Sara M. Langston with the blog faculty

Source: Federal Register

[Federal Register: July 13, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 133)]
[Notices]
[Page 39974]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr13jy10-108]

———————————————————————–

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

[Notice (10-075)]

NASA Advisory Council; Science Committee; Planetary Protection
Subcommittee; Meeting

AGENCY: National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

———————————————————————–

SUMMARY: In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, Public
Law 92-463, as amended, the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) announces a meeting of the Planetary Protection
Subcommittee of the NASA Advisory Council (NAC). This Subcommittee
reports to the Science Committee of the NAC. The Meeting will be held
for the purpose of soliciting from the scientific community and other
persons scientific and technical information relevant to program
planning.

DATES: Wednesday, August 4, 2010, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Thursday,
August 5, 2010, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. EDT.

ADDRESSES: NASA Headquarters, 300 E Street, SW., Rooms 5H45 and 9H40,
respectively, Washington, DC 20546.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Marian Norris, Science Mission
Directorate, NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC 20546, (202) 358-4452,
fax (202) 358-4118, or mnorris@nasa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The meeting will be open to the public up to
the capacity of the room. The agenda for the meeting includes the
following topics:

–Mars Mission: Status and Plans.
–Cassini Extended Mission Implementation Plan.
–Agency Planetary Protection Integration/Coordination Activities.

It is imperative that the meeting be held on these dates to
accommodate the scheduling priorities of the key participants.
Attendees will be requested to sign a register and to comply with NASA
security requirements, including the presentation of a valid picture
ID, before receiving an access badge. Foreign nationals attending this
meeting will be required to provide a copy of their passport, visa, or
green card in addition to providing the following information no less
than 10 working days prior to the meeting: Full name; gender; date/
place of birth; citizenship; visa/green card information (number, type,
expiration date); passport information (number, country, expiration
date); employer/affiliation information (name of institution, address,
country, telephone); title/position of attendee. To expedite
admittance, attendees with U.S. citizenship can provide identifying
information 3 working days in advance by contacting Marian Norris via
e-mail at mnorris@nasa.gov or by telephone at (202) 358-4452.

NASA: Notice of Meeting for August 5-6, 2010

by Sara M. Langston with the blog faculty

Source: Federal Register

[Federal Register: July 13, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 133)]
[Notices]
[Page 39973-39974]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr13jy10-106]

———————————————————————–

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

[Notice: (10-077)]

NASA Advisory Council; Meeting

AGENCY: National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

———————————————————————–

SUMMARY: In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, Public
Law 92-463, as amended, the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration announces a meeting of the NASA Advisory Council.

DATES: Thursday, August 5, 2010, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. (local time)
Friday, August 6, 2010, 8 a.m.-12 a.m. (local time).

ADDRESSES: NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Von Karman Auditorium, 4800
Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91009.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Marla King, NAC Administrative
Officer, National Aeronautics and Space Administration Headquarters,
Washington, DC 20546, 202/358-1148.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The agenda for the meeting will include
reports from the NAC Committees:

–Aeronautics
–Audit, Finance and Analysis
–Commercial Space
–Education and Public Outreach
–Exploration
–Information Technology Infrastructure
–Science
–Space Operations
–Technology and Innovation

The meeting will be open to the public up to the seating capacity
of the room. It is imperative that the meeting be held on this date to
accommodate the scheduling priorities of the key participants.