Posts Tagged ‘Steve Landeene’

Sir Richard Branson Unveils SpaceShipTwo

Release Courtesy of Spaceport America and Virgin Galactic

LAS CRUCES – The world’s first manned commercial spaceship will be unveiled today in Mojave, California, and is projected to be flying from New Mexico’s Spaceport America, the world’s first purpose-built commercial spaceport, in 2011.

Today’s debut of Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo (SS2) spaceship is to be attended by New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson as well as New Mexico Spaceport Authority Executive Director Steve Landeene and other representatives of Spaceport America, the world headquarters of Virgin Galactic’s operations.

After a rigorous testing schedule, SS2 and its mothership, WhiteKnightTwo (WK2) will begin regular flying operations out of Spaceport America by some time in 2011. Spaceport America is currently under construction in New Mexico and is expected to be completed by early 2011.

For the complete press release from Virgin Galactic and accompanying photos, please visit the Virgin Galactic website.

Article Courtesy of Spaceport America

UPHAM, NM – New Mexico Spaceport Authority (NMSA) officials announced a successful launch of a test flight vehicle for Lockheed Martin by UP Aerospace from Spaceport America on Saturday, October 10. The brief test flight was a non-public, unpublished event at the request of Lockheed Martin, who is testing proprietary advanced launch technologies. “Saturday’s launch successfully lifted off at 9:45 a.m. during our four-hour launch window,” said UP Aerospace President Jerry Larson.  “This is our third launch for Lockheed Martin from Spaceport America, which is proving to be an ideal location for supplying low-cost, fast-turnaround launch operations.” UP Aerospace plans to double its number of customer launches from Spaceport America to six or more in 2010 as demand for the company’s services increases.

The latest launch represents yet another successful launch from Spaceport America, the world’s first purpose-built commercial spaceport. NMSA Executive Director Steve Landeene said, “We are extremely pleased to host another launch by UP Aerospace, the third this year, which continues to set the precedent for safe, practical commercial spaceflight at Spaceport America.” Earlier this year, UP Aerospace provided services for the New Mexico Education Launch on May 2, an event sponsored by the NMSA and the New Mexico Space Grant Consortium. On August 4, UP Aerospace had a successful launch for Moog-FTS, and Saturday’s launch was the third. UP Aerospace first launched from Spaceport America in September 2006.

Currently under construction, Spaceport America is the world’s first purpose-built commercial space facility. Spaceport America has been working closely with leading aerospace firms such as Virgin Galactic, Lockheed Martin, Moog-FTS, UP Aerospace, and Armadillo Aerospace to develop commercial spaceflight. Spaceport America’s 10,000-foot long runway is now under construction and is expected to be complete by late summer 2010 with the Terminal Hangar Facility projected to be complete by early 2011.

“Space Week in Southern New Mexico” is held each year in conjunction with the International Symposium for Personal and Commercial Spaceflight, organized by the New Mexico Space Grant Consortium.

This year’s events begin with the PSL Leonard R. Sugerman Public Forum, on Tuesday, October 20^th beginning at 9:00 a.m. The theme for this year’s event is “Building a Spaceport Community” and will focus on the roles that various private and public sector organizations will have in building a spaceport community. The event will be held at the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum and is free and open to the public.

As a prelude to this year’s symposium, a workshop and tour of the NASA White Sands Test Facility is scheduled for Tuesday, October 20th.  It will include a panel of experts who will speak to assets in the local community that are capable of supporting the commercial space industry.

The ISPC S symposium begins at 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, October 21^st and continues through Thursday, October 22^nd.  Topics to be covered include:

• Flight Safety: Lessons Learned and Opportunities for Innovation
• Space Operations: Lessons Learned and Opportunities for Innovation
• Personal Spaceflight – What to Expect
• Survey Results on Commercial Human Spaceflight
• Augustine Committee Review of Manned Space Flight at NASA
• University Aerospace Research Programs as Enablers of Growth of Commercial Space
• The Suborbital Future Beyond Tourism: The Research and Education Market
• Small Satellites for Orbital and Sub-Orbital Applications
• Launch Vehicle Options for Future Operators in the Sub-Orbital Environment
• Unique Capabilities in New Mexico for RLV and Payload Processing
• Spaceports Investments to Enable Commercial Spaceflight

All ISPCS sessions are plenary, allowing everyone to receive the same information simultaneously. Responding to feedback, ISPCS has created multiple means of engaging the audience in discussions with speakers during the sessions. Additional networking opportunities are scheduled throughout the two days.

To conclude the week’s activities, there will be a tour of Spaceport America led by Steve Landeene and Dr. Jerry Brown on Friday, October 23^rd.  The tour will include the construction site (World HQ for Virgin Galactic); the runway and terminal hanger; the existing site- mission control; and launch pad.

Registration is required for the tours and the symposium. Early bird registration closes October 1^st and on-line registration closes October 16^th.

The Leonard R. Sugerman Public Forum is an annual event to help inform the public about the progress of the commercial space business in Southern New Mexico.  This year’s event, “Building a Spaceport Community” is free and open to the public.  It will be held on Tuesday, October 20 at the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum beginning at 8:30 a.m. and ending at 1:00 p.m.

This year’s forum will focus on the roles that various private and public sector organizations will have in building a spaceport community.

• The role of Government will include speakers from local, state and federal governmental offices.
• The role of Business will include speakers from Spaceport America, Virgin Galactic, economic development agencies, the banking community and the construction industry.
• The role of Education will include speakers from New Mexico State University, Dona Ana Community College, and Southern New Mexico public school systems.

Following the panel presentations, Steve Landeene, Executive Director of Spaceport America, will provide an update on Spaceport America.  There will be time allotted for the public to network with the panelists prior to adjournment. The complete agenda, including panelists, is available on the Sugerman Forum website.

The event is hosted by the New Mexico Space Grant Consortium and sponsored by New Mexico State University, the Physical Science Laboratory and the Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce.  The forum is held each year in conjunction with the International Symposium for Personal and Commercial Spaceflight.

The 5^th Annual International Symposium for Personal and Commercial Spaceflight (ISPCS) will held in Las Cruces, New Mexico on October 21 and 22 at the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum. This annual conference brings together the current space community, academics, the innovators and entrepreneurs, and the civil and military government communities to discuss the current and future growth of global space commercialization.

Keynote speakers and panel chairs for the event include:

• Gary Payton, Deputy Under-Secretary of the Air Force, Space Systems
• Lori Garver, Deputy Administrator, NASA
• Yngve Bergqvist, CEO and Founder, Ice Hotel
• Wayne Hale, Deputy Associate Administrator for Strategic Partnerships, NASA
• James Van Laak, Deputy Associate Administrator for Space Transportation, FAA
• Bill Klanke, Vice President and Publisher, Space News
• Jeff Greason, CEO, XCOR Aerospace
• Tom Burton, Department Head, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering , New Mexico State University
• Alan Stern, former NASA Associate Administrator for Space and Earth Science
• Clay Mowry, President, Arianespace, Inc.
• Marshall Kaplan, Ph.D., Space Department – Applied Physics Laboratory, Johns Hopkins University
• Keith Beck, General Manager, Jacobs Technology

As a prelude to this year’s conference, a workshop and tour of the NASA White Sands Test Facility is scheduled for Tuesday, October 20^th.  It will include a panel of experts who will speak to assets in the local community that are capable of supporting the commercial space industry.  On Friday, October 23^rd, there will be a tour of Spaceport America led by Steve Landeene and Dr. Jerry Brown.  Both tours require separate registration and seating is limited.

All ISPCS sessions are plenary, allowing everyone to receive the same information simultaneously. Responding to feedback, ISPCS has created multiple means of engaging the audience in discussions with speakers during the sessions. Additional networking opportunities are scheduled throughout the two days.

A video from the 2008 International Symposium for Personal and Commercial Spaceflight is available on YouTube.

A complete agenda of session topics and panelists is available on the ISPCS website. Early bird conference registration ends October 1^st and online registration closes October 16^th.