Posts Tagged ‘Rick Homans’

Article courtesy of the Las Cruces Sun-News

By Diana M. Alba

LAS CRUCES – Squeezing in a stop here while en route to London, Virgin Galactic’s president and CEO told spaceport officials Tuesday that the company remains committed to basing its suborbital flight operations in New Mexico.

George Whitesides addressed the new board of directors of Spaceport America for the first time since an abrupt change in spaceport leadership that was carried out by Gov. Susana Martinez. It was also the first session attended by Spaceport Authority Executive Director Christine Anderson, hired last week by the board.

“The primary message we wanted to share, and the reason I’m here is to express a desire to continue to be a strong partner with the spaceport for the taxpayers of New Mexico,” Whitesides said. “We are all making a very big investment together.”

While addressing the board, Whitesides noted the state is planning to spend about $200 million in constructing the spaceport and said Virgin Galactic is “investing somewhere on the order of $400 million to develop its spaceflight vehicles.” “These are nontrivial investments,” he said. “We take this project very seriously at all levels. And the relationship between our organization and the state and particularly the Spaceport Authority and staff is going to be of critical importance as we drive to successful commercial operations over the coming years.”

Whitesides, a former chief of staff for NASA, was hired last year as CEO for Virgin Galactic, considered the spaceport’s anchor tenant company. This year, he was named president, too.

Spaceport board Chairman Rick Holdridge of Deming said he invited Whitesides to the board’s meeting during a teleconference soon after Anderson was hired on Feb. 28, and, “to his credit, he made it happen.” Holdridge said he didn’t pick up any new message Tuesday. “I very much appreciated his commitment to this new board,” he said. “They’re reiterating the commitment Virgin Galactic has to New Mexico in the form of having operations out of New Mexico.”

Virgin Galactic has signed a 20-year agreement with the state, committing to launch suborbital spaceflights from Spaceport America in southeastern Sierra County. Whitesides said the company is “very encouraged with the progress of Spaceport America.”

Construction of the $209 million spaceport is about 70 to 80 percent complete, Chad Rabon, a spaceport staff member, told the board Tuesday.

Martinez didn’t waste time making spaceport leadership changes upon taking office Jan. 1. She called for the resignations of the previous board, appointed by Gov. Bill Richardson, and former Director Rick Homans. The board was reappointed in February, but the abruptness of the change and the fact the agency was without a director or deputy director had stirred concern among some spaceport advocates. Martinez confirmed that at one point, billionaire Richard Branson – who heads Virgin Group, the parent company of Virgin Galactic – called and asked her to retain Homans as director.

Holdridge said he met Whitesides once before, when he flew in for a visit with him and state Economic Development Secretary Jon Barela. That was not long after Holdridge was appointed to the chairman post.

Branson said during a visit to the spaceport last fall that the company was expecting to launch its first suborbital flights from Spaceport America between mid-summer of this year and spring of 2012.

Tuesday, Whitesides said the company’s flight test program is progressing, but “we still have a ways to go.” Virgin Galactic plans to use a two-vehicle system, comprised of a carrier plane and a rocket-powered spaceship, to carry passengers to suborbital space.

In all, the carrier plane, WhiteKnightTwo, has completed 49 flights, Whitesides told the spaceport board. The spaceship’s rocket motor is being developed, but glide testing, in which the vehicle is carried aloft and released, is continuing, he said. “We’ve got four glide tests of the spaceship successfully completed,” he said. “A fifth will be coming up soon.”

Holdridge said Whitesides flew to the Las Cruces airport Tuesday morning on a charter plane, and then left from El Paso on his way to London.

Anderson was present at Tuesday’s meeting but deferred most presentations to spaceport staff, saying she’s still catching up to speed on the spaceport project. All but one member of the spaceport board were present in person at the meeting, held at New Mexico State University’s main campus. Board member Scott Krahling, also a Dona Ana County commissioner, didn’t attend because a county commission meeting was held at the same time.

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

Article courtesy of Las Cruces Sun-News

Rick Homans

By Diana M. Alba

LAS CRUCES – Spaceport America Director Rick Homans announced his resignation Wednesday, saying he’d been ordered to do so by the Gov. Susana Martinez administration.

Some Spaceport America board members expressed concern about Martinez’s move and questioned whether Homans’ departure was good for the $209 million spaceport project as it goes through a key stage.

An emotional Homans read a lengthy resignation statement, saying he was committed to the project and hoped to stay longer.

“While I have embraced this project, it is clear that Gov. Martinez is not embracing me,” he said, during an emergency meeting of the Spaceport Authority board in Las Cruces. “I understand politics, and I also understand how critical it is for her to have absolute trust and confidence in the executive leadership of the New Mexico Spaceport Authority.”

Homans, 54, said he was informed last Thursday to resign or be fired. He said he told the Martinez administration that he’d take up the matter Wednesday with the board, which has official power over hiring and firing the executive director.

Jon Barela – Martinez’s economic development secretary nominee who’ll also chair the spaceport board – didn’t attend the meeting. But Barela’s spokeswoman, Angela Heisel, said later that Martinez has asked for the resignations of all political appointees from the Gov. Bill Richardson administration.

“This is no different than what was asked of other political appointees,” she said. “Homans’ resignation will not disrupt the construction of the spaceport; the construction team remains in place and is continuing its work.”

Heisel said a search for a replacement director is under way.

Two members of the seven-person board – Jerry Stagner and Gary Whitehead, both Truth or Consequences businessmen – voted against accepting Homans’ resignation, while other members voted in favor.

Whitehead said he realizes this is the first gubernatorial changeover in the spaceport’s existence, but “as a board member, I’d really envisioned a smoother transition as we move forward with the spaceport and our new administration.

“I know we’ll work through it, and we’re certainly in a gray area,” he said. “It would have been my wish we would have seen an extension of Mr. Homans’ contract or his job to allow a smoother transition.”

The first suborbital spaceflights are expected to launch later this year from Spaceport America.

Some officials pointed out the spaceport project is in a critical stage, attempting to transition from a big construction project to an active hub for commercial aerospace activities. Finishing construction and attracting industry are the next important steps, they said.

Homans said the first phase of construction, which includes the spaceport terminal-hangar and a 10,000-foot runway, is about 80 percent finished.

But a second construction phase that was added last year is only beginning.

Board member Casey Luna of Belen pointed out he’s been involved with planning for a New Mexico spaceport since 1991 and said he’s concerned that “we’re skipping a beat here.” But the project survived a previous “hiccup,” after the resignation last year of former director Steve Landeene, he said.

Luna said he believes that’s possible again.

“I’m hoping the governor is aware that continuity is very, very important,” he said. The spaceport “will be a good thing for the state in general and this country.”

Lt. Gov. John Sanchez, an eighth, non-voting member of the spaceport board, did attend Wednesday’s session by phone, though didn’t say much.

Board members thanked Homans and outgoing board member and chairman Ben Woods.

Spaceport board members also said they were unsure of whether Martinez will allow them to serve out their terms. And, they said they hadn’t been told how to move forward in hiring a new director.

Said Whitehead: “It’s a time like this where we’re really not sure where we stand as leaders. And it feels like we’ve been put on hold, so I remained concerned about that.”

Homans, in his statement, said for the spaceport to succeed, Martinez must “become its biggest champion and rally her administration to support this effort.”

“Nothing short of complete commitment from Gov. Martinez and her administration will allow this project to achieve its full potential, which is the promise we made to the citizens of New Mexico …,” he said. “My hope is that Gov. Martinez can quickly move beyond viewing Spaceport America as the legacy project of Bill Richardson.”

Homans said instead, the project should become “her own legacy” because she’ll be governor when it first opens.

Homans, who earned $170,000 annually, said the resignation is effective at the close of business Friday. He said he started a search for a new job Wednesday.

Homans was hired as executive director in June, after Landeene resigned because of a controversy involving a possible conflict of interest. Before that, Homans was chairman of the spaceport board from 2005 to 2007 because of his job as head of the state’s Economic Development Department. Also, he was briefly the executive director in 2007, before leaving for a job in private industry.

Spaceport America is located in southeastern Sierra County.

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

Article courtesy of Las Cruces Sun-News

Courtesy of Sierra Nevada Corp.

By Diana M. Alba

LAS CRUCES – Spaceport America’s anchor tenant company, Virgin Galactic, announced recently it’s partnering with two other companies that have their sights set on orbital spaceflight.

The other companies, Nevada-based Sierra Nevada Corp. and the Virginia-based Orbital Sciences Corp., have submitted competing bids to NASA for a chance at flying U.S. astronauts to space after the shuttle program retires.

But don’t expect orbital flights to launch from Spaceport America any time soon.

For starters, Virgin Galactic’s proposed role seems limited at this point. The commercial spaceflight company has said it would market seats aboard orbital flights to its existing suborbital-flight customer base, as well as to the larger public, according to a company news release. Virgin Galactic may also have some involvement in vehicle testing for the companies’ development programs.

Also, potential launch locations for orbital vehicles are limited by infrastructure and regulation. That’s the case with Sierra Nevada Corp.’s proposal, said Mark Sirangelo, corporate vice president and head of the company’s space systems division.

“It’s not possible for any of the companies’ orbital to fly out of New Mexico because of physics and logistics, so we all would be flying out of one of the coastal spaceports,” he said. “New Mexico doesn’t have a rocket port that can launch a vehicle of this size – we’re flying out of an Atlas V rocket.”

Continued Sirangelo: “And there still is a prohibition against doing this type of launch from an inland port.”

Both orbital companies would use expendable rockets to propel their spaceships upward. And the spaceships would return to Earth using conventional, runway landings.

That means Sierra Nevada Corp. could touch down its vehicle, called Dream Chaser, at Spaceport America, Sirangelo said.

“We could fly to Las Cruces as an entry point and land there, if we wanted to,” he said.

By comparison, Virgin Galactic launches its suborbital spaceship from a runway using a carrier plane, WhiteKnightTwo, and also lands on a runway.

Sirangelo acknowledged there’s nothing to restrict Dream Chaser’s landing to a spaceport. Because there will be no hazardous chemicals aboard, he said, “all we need is a normal, commercial runway to land, which is the same thing a 737 would use.”

Spaceport America executive director Rick Homans said the spaceport is communicating with Virgin Galactic “to understand better their relationship and role with these two proposals and also understanding the different technologies and companies they’re teaming with.” Spaceport America’s emphasis now, he said, is suborbital flights, though “we’re open to exploring ways to participate in this project.”

“All of this is relatively new, and I think everybody is sorting out the various relationships,” he said. “If there is a way to participate, we’d be eager to do so, but that requires some extensive discussions.”

Homans said that discussion would have to take place with the orbital spaceflight companies themselves.

Virgin Galactic, in a news release, said both companies’ vehicle designs could “revolutionize” orbital flight, the way its own vehicle, SpaceShipTwo, has “revolutionized suborbital spaceflight.”

Richard Branson, Virgin Galactic founder, said his company has focused on making suborbital space accessible to people.

“We know that many of those same people, including myself, would also love to take an orbital space trip in the future, so we are putting our weight behind new technologies that could deliver that safely,” while greatly reducing costs of manned, orbital flight, he said.

Other involvement

Sierra Nevada Corp. is the builder of the rocket motor Virgin Galactic is using in its suborbital system.

Virgin Galactic in a Dec. 16 announcement indicated the company may support Sierra Nevada Corp. and Orbital Sciences Corp. by using WhiteKnightTwo as a carrier plane during development.

“We would be doing our testing work, which means we’d take our vehicles up to a high altitude, drop it and learn how to fly it home, using the Virgin Galactic plane,” Sirangelo said. “And we’d likely being doing that work out of Spaceport America. It’s likely our testing program would be happening in both Mojave (Calif.) and New Mexico.”

Sirangelo said he couldn’t comment about whether Virgin Galactic is proposing to become an investor in his company, but he did say “the companies will likely explore other areas of mutual interest later.”

Representatives from Virgin Galactic and Orbital Sciences could not be reached for comment for this report.

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

Release courtesy of Spaceport America

Rick Homans

LAS CRUCES, NM — The New Mexico Spaceport Authority (NMSA) has issued Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for the day-to-day operations of Spaceport America, announced Rick Homans, Executive Director of the NMSA.

“Issuing these RFPs represents another major milestone on the path toward serving commercial spaceflight companies at Spaceport America,” Homans said. “The companies that win these awards will be on the front lines as we establish day-to-day operations for our launch customers.”

The RFPs cover three distinct areas of operations: General Services (including but not limited to operations and maintenance of facilities); Protective Services (including but not limited to site security and safety and environmental and health management); and Technical Services (including but not limited to airfield and launch support, IT management, airspace management and flight safety engineering).

Mandatory pre-proposal meetings and visits to Spaceport America have been scheduled on December 1 and 2 for each of the three RFPs. For complete details, the RFPs are available for download under the “Proposals” tab at www.spaceportamerica.com.

The New Mexico Spaceport Authority has also established an online business registry so local businesses can post contact information and the level and type of experience they offer. Through the registry, larger companies can identify potential sub-contractors and suppliers with the capability to provide specific goods and/or services.

Regional economic development groups, including the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce, Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance and Sierra County Economic Development Organization, have scheduled two regional industry events to bring registered companies together in one place so they can network face-to-face and explore partnership arrangements.

LAS CRUCES:

Industry Day Event

Wednesday, Dec. 1 – 5:30 pm – 8:30 pm

Las Cruces Convention Center

680 E. University Ave., Las Cruces

TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES:

Industry Day Event

Thursday, Dec. 2 – 9 a.m. – 12 noon

Sierra County Event Center

2953 S. Broadway, Truth or Consequences

“We want to do everything possible to ensure that local businesses participate in the opportunities created by Spaceport America,” said Homans. “We appreciate the support provided by the regional economic development organizations to ensure that we maximize local involvement.”

Spaceport America has been providing commercial launch services since 2006. The state-of-the-art launch facility is under construction near Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, and is expected to become fully operational in 2011. Officials at Spaceport America have been working closely with their anchor tenant Virgin Galactic and other leading aerospace firms such as Lockheed Martin, Moog-FTS, Armadillo Aerospace, and UP Aerospace to develop commercial spaceflight at the new facility. The economic impact of launches, tourism and new construction at Spaceport America are delivering on its promise to the people of New Mexico.

Release courtesy of the New Mexico Space Grant Consortium

LAS CRUCES, NM – The International Symposium for Personal and Commercial Spaceflight (ISPCS) is a ‘go’ at the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum from October 20 through 21 in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The symposium will feature industry experts and renowned speakers discussing the current state and future developments in the growing commercial space industry.

New Mexico Space Grant Consortium (NMSGC) Director Dr. Pat Hynes said, “We are excited about this year’s symposium since we are at a critical time in the growth of the commercial space industry. The purpose of ISPCS is to bring key industry stakeholders together in New Mexico. Throughout the world, New Mexico is becoming a well-respected leader for this growing industry.”

The ISPCS event is not only important for the commercial space industry, but also for the city of Las Cruces, New Mexico. Along with establishing the city as a hub for commercial space activity, the event will have tremendous economic impact and bring a greater level of international awareness to the community.

ISPCS has an extensive list of speakers scheduled for this year:

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 20

8:45 a.m.          Keynote Address – Neil Sheehan, Pulitzer Prize winner and Author of A Fiery

Peace in a Cold War

10:00 a.m.       Past is Prologue: The Future of the Space Industry From the Perspective of

Those Who Helped Get It Started

Jeff Greason, Guruswami Ravichandran, Neil Sheehan, Bill Campbell, Rick Sturdevant, Fredrick Bachtel

11:00 a.m.         Closing the Credibility Gap: The Role of Suborbital Testing as a Pathfinder to

Orbital Markets or as an End Market in Itself

Debra Facktor Lepore, Jeff Greason, Julia Tizard, Neil Milburn

1:30 p.m.          Establishing the Commercial Space Market: Matching Business Strategy

with Funding Sources

Lee Rand, Grant Anderson, Mark Sirangelo, Tim Pickens, Robert Bigelow

2:30 p.m.          FAA Center of Excellence for Commercial Space Transportation

Ken Davidian, Samuel Durrance, Farrukh Alvi , Pat Hynes, Van Romero, Jim Vanderploeg

3:30 p.m.          The Practical Impact of ITAR Reform on Commercial Space

Bob Dickman, Craig Weston, Sven Grahn, Franceska Schroeder

4:30 p.m.          The Path Forward from DC-X/XA

Bill Gaubatz, Jess Sponable, Tom Ingersoll, David Masten, Yoshifumi Inatani, Neil Milburn, James Ball, Fredrick Bachtel

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21

8:30 a.m.          Keynote Address – Lori Garver, Deputy Administrator, NASA

10:00 a.m.       The Microgravity Market

Dennis Stone, Cheryl Nickerson, Andrew Nelson

11:00 a.m.         Crew Transportation Systems: The Game Changer in Human Spaceflight

Brett Alexander, Keith Reiley, Kenneth Reightler, Robert Bigelow, Mark Sirangelo, Ken Bowersox

1:30 p.m.          Space Policy Evolution: Changes Portend Larger Commercial Markets to

Service Government Needs and Greater International Cooperation

Clay Mowry, Brendan Curry, Valerie Skarupa, Philip McAlister

2:30 p.m.          Creating the Demand: Free and Low Cost Flight Opportunities for Education

and Research in Space

David Masten, Doug Comstock, Susan Newsam, Brienna Henwood, Mark Severance, Jerry Larson, Charles Chafer

4:00 p.m.          Spaceports

Karin Nilsdotter, Rick Homans, Stu Witt

This year’s conference is expected to attract over 400 company executives, government officials and industry and university researchers. The event is scheduled to coincide with Space Week in New Mexico. Attendees can register online at www.ispcs.com for the two-day conference.

For additional information on ISPCS, please visit www.ispcs.com or contact Joylynn Watkins at jwatkins@nmsu.edu or 575-646-6414.