A growing number of military and U.S. Defense Dept. space officials are concerned about the lack of emphasis on space issues contained in the recently released Quadrennial Defense Review. A second Pentagon-designated panel, the National Defense Panel, was harshly critical of the QDR, saying “It is the panel’s view that use of space and vulnerability to space threats received insufficient attention” in the QDR. Look for proposals for major new space systems to be highlights of the upcoming NDP report, to be released December 1st in Washington.
Druyun Showdown with Industry Looms
The Commercial Space Industry will lay out its frustrations with the course of the Air Force’s Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program at a major meeting in the Pentagon next Thursday June 12th. The meeting with Darlene A. Druyun, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Management, will be limited to the top three or four heads of the largest U.S. satellite makers. Industry has been urging the U.S. Air Force to add a larger Intermediate-class launcher variant to the proposed rocket family, one capable of lifting 11,000 to 15,000 pounds (up to 9 tonnes) to geo-stationary orbit, citing a lack of emphasis by the military on the EELV’s commercial potential.
TiPS Still Going Strong in Orbit
U.S. Navy space officials report the Tether Physics and Survivability (TiPS) spacecraft remains intact and stable following nearly a year in space, a record for any kind of space tether, space officials said. No previous space tether lasted longer than five days. The TiPS was lofted June 20, 1996 from a classified military spacecraft launched by a Titan IV booster. The inert TiPS is being tracked by a ground-based Satellite Laser Ranging network based at the Starfire Optical Range in New Mexico.
X-33 Weight faces Diet
The proposed X-33 Reuseable Launch Vehicle technology demonstrator will need a major diet if it’s to make its planned MACH 15 flight speeds, NASA officials confirmed recently. SpaceCast has learned a “tiger team” appointed by the Lockheed Martin Skunkworks has identified over 400 potential options, from removing some subsystems and deferring others to another generation of test craft, or reducing the maximum cruising speed for the wedge-shaped craft. A final choice is expected at the Critical Design Review (CDR) meeting set for next month in Palmdale, Calif.
