Posts Tagged ‘International Symposium for Personal and Commercial Spaceflight’

Article courtesy of the Las Cruces Bulletin

By Todd G. Dickson

On the eve of a week of activities related to new space entrepreneurs, Spaceport America’s two primary customers – Virgin Galactic and UP Aerospace – have made major announcements.

UP Aerospace, the company that has conducted a number of traditional sounding rocket launches from the spaceport 45 miles north of Las Cruces, announced this week that it will conduct up to nine new missions from Spaceport America in 2012 and 2013.

The launches will be for NASA and the Department of Defense. If all the planning launches from contracts are conducted, they will be twice the number of missions UP Aerospace has flown from Spaceport America since 2006.

“Spaceport America has an established history with UP Aerospace, and we congratulate this forward-thinking company on its new launch contracts with NASA and the Department of Defense,” said New Mexico Spaceport Authority (NMSA) Executive Director Christine Anderson. “UP Aerospace has been launching here since 2006 and we are looking forward to hosting UP Aerospace and other commercial space launch providers as they continue to meet the needs of our nation.”

NASA’s Office of Chief Technologist Launch Opportunities Program awarded UP Aerospace a contract to integrate technology payloads and launch them into space on up to eight flights using its SpaceLoft rocket. This contract reserves two launches with options on purchasing up to six additional flights in 2012 and 2013.

The first launch for NASA is still in the planning phase, but is expected in the first quarter of 2012, according to a news release from NMSA. The second contract was issued by the Defense Department’s Operationally Responsive Space Office, and will be a suborbital flight also planned for the first quarter of 2012.

“We have a great relationship with Spaceport America,” said UP Aerospace President Jerry Larson. “We are excited to see business ramping up for our SpaceLoft launch vehicles, and look forward to meeting the needs of our customers.”

UP Aerospace has provided launch services for the Defense Department previously, although this will be the company’s first fully dedicated launch for the military. UP Aerospace has teamed with Schafer Corporation of Albuquerque to provide comprehensive launch and payload integration services for the NASA launches.

At Spaceport America, UP Aerospace has conducted launches test rocket vehicle or booster concepts for companies that do business with the Defense Department.

Virgin Galactic gets the keys

On Monday, Oct. 17, which is the start of Space Week in New Mexico, Virgin Galactic will host a hangar dedication ceremony at Spaceport America, where work on its Terminal Hangar Facility is nearly completed where Virgin will be housing its fleet of spaceliners. Virgin Galactic is calling the hangar dedication ceremony “Keys to a New Dawn.”

Meanwhile, Virgin Galactic has a new Vice President of Operations Michael Moses, a former NASA executive. Moses will oversee the planning and execution of all operations of the company’s commercial suborbital spaceflight program.

“Following a distinguished career in NASA’s recently retired Space Shuttle Program, Moses brings to Virgin Galactic a proven record of safe, successful and secure human spaceflight missions, spaceport operations, and human spaceflight program leadership,” Virgin Galactic stated in its announcement. “He served at the NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida as the Launch Integration Manager from 2008 until the landing of the final Shuttle mission in July 2011. He was responsible for supervising all Space Shuttle processing activities from landing through launch, and for reviewing major milestones including final readiness for flight.”

Moses also served as chair of the Mission Management Team, providing ultimate launch decision authority for the final 12 missions of the Space Shuttle Program, directly overseeing the safe and successful flights of 75 astronauts. According to Virgin Galactic, Moses will develop and lead the team responsible for its spaceship operations and logistics, flight crew operations, customer training and spaceport ground operations, with overall operational safety and risk management as the primary focus.

“Bringing Mike in to lead the team represents a significant investment in our commitment to operational safety and success as we prepare to launch commercial operations,” said Virgin Galactic President and CEO George Whitesides. “His experience and track record in all facets of spaceflight operations are truly unique. His forward-thinking perspective to bring the hard-won lessons of human spaceflight into our operations will benefit us tremendously.”

Prior to his most recent NASA role, Moses served as a flight director at the NASA Johnson Space Center, where he led teams of flight controllers in the planning, training and execution of all aspects of space shuttle missions. Moses also has more than 10 years experience as a flight controller in the Shuttle Propulsion and Electrical Systems Groups.

“I am extremely excited to be joining Virgin Galactic at this time, helping to forge the foundations that will enable routine commercial suborbital spaceflights,” Moses said. “Virgin Galactic will expand the legacy of human spaceflight beyond traditional government programs into the world’s first privately funded commercial spaceline.”

Moses holds a bachelor’s degree in physics from Purdue University, a master’s degree in space sciences from Florida Institute of Technology and a master’s degree in aerospace engineering from Purdue University. He is a two-time recipient of the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal as well as other NASA commendations and awards.

Carolyn Wincer, who is Virgin Galactic’s head of travel and tourism, recently said the company will soon be opening an office in Las Cruces. Wincer said more than 70 flight tests have made of Virgin’s system that launches a six passenger rocket from mid-air to reach 70miles above the Earth’s surface.

Some 500 experienced test pilots have applied to fly for Virgin Galactic, according to Wincer. Meanwhile, more than 500 potential passengers have made down payments for the $200,000 tickets, totaling close to $60 million in deposits. Virgin Galactic also will host the first-ever “Industry Day” for potential suppliers and partners at Spaceport America on Tuesday, Oct. 18. The invitation-only event is designed to educate potential companies on the type of goods and services that will be needed as commercial space travel becomes a reality at Spaceport America.

“Virgin Galactic and (its sister) The Spaceship Company are looking to create relationships with local, regional and global suppliers to support their operations at Spaceport America,” Anderson said. “The organizers of this event have stated their intention to hire locally as much as possible, which is good news for New Mexico companies.”

The daylong event will include presentations by Whitesides, Anderson and New Mexico Department of Economic Development Secretary Jon Barela. Attendees will have an opportunity to see the WhiteKnightTwo and SpaceShipTwo vehicles in their new home at the spaceport.

Space gathering an international event

After the Virgin Galactic event, the International Symposium for Personal and Commercial Spaceflight (ISPCS) begins at New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, 4100 Dripping Spring Road.

A Growing Community Partnership Luncheon will be held Tuesday, Oct. 18, at the Commercial Space Exhibit Hall inside the museum. The $50 luncheon includes a talk by Allan Lockheed, son of the aviation pioneer who created what is now Lockheed Martin. Lockheed will talk about how the space industry will coalesce around Spaceport America – an industry that is currently supported by $60 billion just in government spending.

More than 500 people – mostly key movers in the private space industry – are expected to attend ISPCS Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 19-20. Panel discussion will cover a host of topics, including creating the supply chain support.

Article courtesy of the Las Cruces Bulletin

By Todd G. Dickson

Part of the state’s spaceport deal with Virgin Galactic is that the company set up its headquarters in New Mexico, and Las Cruces appears to be that place.

Carolyn Wincer, Virgin Galactic’s head of travel and tourism, told the City Council Monday, Oct. 3, that the company will soon be opening an office in Las Cruces as the base of its operations in New Mexico.  A location has been picked, but Virgin isn’t releasing it yet.

Virgin is ramping up its preparations for when the company begins flying tourists into suborbital space 70 miles above Earth’s surface, perhaps even as soon as next year. The company is currently testing the carrier flyer and spaceship, which is launched in mid-air.

Wincer said more than 70 flight tests have made of Virgin’s first spaceliner, including 16 solo glide flights of SpaceShipTwo, a six-passenger version of the two-seater that was the first piloted rocket vehicle to reach suborbital space in 2004. The hybrid rocket engine that will be propelling the passengers and pilots is going through a series of tests, which Wincer said she wasn’t allowed to say much about for proprietary reasons.

Some 500 experienced test pilots have applied to fly for Virgin Galactic, she said. Meanwhile, more than 500 potential passengers have put down deposits for the $200,000 tickets, totaling close to $16 million, she said.

British business magnate Richard Branson is investing more than $200 million into development of the Virgin Galactic fleet, while the total start-up budget for Spaceport America is $209 million. Located 45 miles north of Las Cruces, Spaceport America has a two mile runway ready for the flights and work is near completion on the Hangar Terminal Facility that will house Virgin Galactic’s fleet of spaceliners.

Wincer said Virgin has already hired more than 100 people, many of them Americans, because large-scale rocketry falls under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations passed after the 9/11 attacks.

As work continues to make sure the spaceliner is safe for its passengers – with Branson and his family to take the first non-test flight – the company is now focusing on preparing the on-ground experiences, said Wincer, who has worked for Branson’s resorts in the past.

Virgin plans to fly at least twice a day with each passenger arriving two days before their flight. Those passengers also are expected to bring family, friends and others during their visit, she said.  Virgin is currently assessing what kind of “tourism infrastructure” is available, she said, and talking to its future passengers about what kind of experiences they would like to have during their stays.

Wayne Savage, who chairs the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce’s Commercial Space Committee, said his group is working on issues, such as supporting the tourism experience, but even more critical is trying to make the city a central location for providing supply chain services and other support of the spaceport operations and the companies like Virgin Galactic.

“The good news is that our spaceport is quickly becoming a functioning reality,” Savage said. Operational contracts have recently been awarded to companies that have done work with White Sands Missile Range, he said.

The next day, Pat Hynes, director of the New Mexico Space Grant Consortium, talked about the upcoming International Symposium for Personal and Commercial Spaceflight (ISPCS) to the Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance (MVEDA). More than 500 people – including those key players in developing the private space industry – are expected to attend ISPCS Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 19-20, at the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, 4100 Dripping Springs Road.

Hynes told those attending the MVEDA luncheon Tuesday, Oct. 4, at the Hotel Encanto de Las Cruces, that there are a number of opportunities for local businesses to make connections at ISPCS.

 Prior to the conference, there will be a Growing Community Partnership Luncheon Tuesday, Oct. 18, at the Commercial Space Exhibit Hall, which will be located inside the museum. The $50 luncheon includes a talk by Allan Lockheed, son of the aviation pioneer who created what is now Lockheed Martin. Hynes said Lockheed will talk about how the space industry will coalesce around Spaceport America – an industry that is currently supported by $60 billion just in government spending. Though a “heavy business conference” attracting attendees from all over the world, ISPCS also will hold panels on creating the supply chain support, Hynes said.

So important is the question of establishing reliable sources of materials, equipment and facilities near Spaceport America that Virgin Galactic also is holding a supply chain meeting the day before ISPCS, Hynes said. “The supply chain is an indicator of the growth of the industry,” she said.

Because ISPCS has become the main annual gathering for those trying to open up this new industry, Hynes said she makes a point to expose them to local and New Mexico products, from its chile to its wines.

One in-state resource that the conference will look at is a center for gliding at Moriarty. Many of the spaceport’s vehicles will glide in for landings, such as Virgin Galactic, she said. Also, research has been conducted at Spaceport America’s sounding rocket launch facilities on winged rocket boosters that glide back to the ground for potential reuse, instead of simply falling away.

The two-day ISPCS costs $649 with discounted rates for active military – $329 – and students – $150. Last year, ISPCS brought in more than $1 million of local economic activity, Hynes said. “That’s a lot of economic impact for this area and this year’s conference will be three times that,” she said.  The proceeds from the conference pay for launches from Spaceport America of student experiments, which Hynes said is very expensive.

The good news is that our spaceport is quickly becoming a functioning reality.

You are invited to attend the Commercial Space Exhibit Hall Grand Opening and Growing Partnership Luncheon on October 18th at the Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum, 11am – 2pm. This event is part of the International Symposium for Personal and Commercial Spaceflight (ISPCS) where leaders from the commercial space industry meet, listen, talk, and collaborate.

Growing the community partnerships is an essential activity as we continue on the path of leading the commercial spaceflight industry here in Southern New Mexico. At the luncheon you will:

•             Attend Grand Opening of Commercial Space Exhibit Hall

•             Meet commercial space entrepreneurs

•             Enjoy lunch and keynote speaker Allan Lockheed

•             Tour Commercial Space Exhibit Hall

The Grand Opening of the Commercial Space Exhibit Hall will be hosted by the Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce Conquistadors. (This event is free, 11:00-11:30)

Allan Lockheed Jr., son of aviation pioneer Allan Lockheed, will describe how the commercial space transportation industry parallels the development of the airline industry. This event is sponsored by Steinborn & Associates Real Estate and the Las Cruces Bulletin. Registration is required for luncheon.

Visit NASA’s Exploration Experience display. This is a visual journey through the past, present and future of space exploration, using the latest in 3-D imagery.

To register for the luncheon, please visit www.ispcs.com.

ISPCS 2011 will be held Oct. 19-20 during Space Week in New Mexico.

ISPCS is organized by the New Mexico Space Grant Consortium, a member of the National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program, administered by NASA.

The New Mexico Space Grant Consortium announced that the next Student Launch (SL5) will take place at 7:00 a.m. on Friday, April 1, 2011 from Spaceport America. The launch will achieve a 65 mile altitude and include 33 experiments from New Mexico middle schools, high schools and universities.

Registration by March 15, 2011 is mandatory for attending the launch. All guests will be required to be transported by bus – no personal cars will be allowed to enter into Spaceport America. Guests and students will meet at staging areas in Las Cruces (South) at 3:00 a.m. and in Truth or Consequences (North) at 4:00 a.m. to caravan to Spaceport America for this launch.

The sponsors of the 2011 Student Launch Program include:

• National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

• International Symposium for Personal and Commercial Spaceflight (ISPCS)

• Dona Ana County

• Sierra County

• Starbucks Coffee

Click here for more information and to register.

Article Courtesy of Las Cruces Sun-News

By Diana M. Alba

LAS CRUCES – Michael Blum’s conference name tag dubs him as an “astronaut-in-waiting.”He’s one of Virgin Galactic’s customers, and, if all goes well, he and five friends will launch into suborbital space about a year after the company begins its commercial space tourism operations at Spaceport America in southern Sierra County.

Personal interests are part of the reason Blum, an investor from Singapore, has traveled to Las Cruces annually to attend the International Symposium for Personal and Commercial Spaceflight. This year is his seventh conference. But business also drives his interest.

“Like a number of other early Virgin Galactic customers, we’re also interested in investing in Virgin’s business and what’s going to pop up around Virgin’s business,” he said. “We’re always looking at what it is and where it is that we can get involved.” Continued Blum: “This conference is a great way to connect with the local community here in southern New Mexico, with other like-minded individuals and with other companies that are bringing change to the industry.”

Blum said he believes it’s time for the government to focus more attention on space exploration, a role that can be filled by commercial aerospace companies, such as SpaceX, Bigelow Aerospace and Virgin Galactic.

Some 340 people are at the conference this year – the largest-ever attendance, said Patricia Hynes, director of the New Mexico Space Grant Consortium. The event was founded in 2005. “We have every single large player in the industry here,” she said.

The symposium began Tuesday, with a free, all-day public forum at the Pan American Center. People attending Wednesday had to pay a registration fee.

In a morning panel, representatives from three large companies spoke about the difficulty in gaining the public’s trust in their eventual spaceflights, while at the same time conducting vehicle development programs that not only allow for failures, but rely on them in order to solve as many problems as possible early on.

Jeff Greason, CEO of XCOR Aerospace, said part of that entails countering a myth that calls for everything to go right the first time.

Steven Brody, vice president of North American operations for International Space University, based in France, said this is the third year he’s attended the symposium. He said gaining exposure for the institution is one reason for the trip. Also, “I come partly to see people I know and others I’d like to meet,” he said. “The networking potential is great here.”

Author and Pulitzer winner Neil Sheehan did not speak Wednesday morning, as originally scheduled, because of an allergic reaction to a medication, Hynes said. Sheehan was slated to give the keynote address

The symposium, hosted at the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, wraps up today.

Diana M. Alba can be reached at (575) 541-5443