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NASA picks for 'tipping point' space tech include Blue Origin and ULA
NASA's current administrator is rather fond of private spaceflight, and that's reflected in the agency's latest round of technology funding. The organization has forged ten partnerships that will develop "tipping point" tech promising to help both NASA's own missions as well as the "commercial space economy," including interplanetary exploration and satellites. Some of the names on the list are very familiar, and you'll find a couple of clear favorites.
Lockheed Martin's technology hub brings startups closer to government needs
Wondering who would be the first to concoct a Kickstarter for governmental wishes? We suppose it's Lockheed Martin. Today, the aforementioned outfit has launched an initiative "aimed at expanding its collaboration with Silicon Valley companies to meet the diverse technology needs of the federal government." Called the Lockheed Martin Silicon Valley Alliance, the hub will reportedly "provide the federal government with greater visibility into innovative technology solutions developed locally," even going so far as to suggest that a game developer could use their resources in order to improve the realism of a military simulation system. It sounds as if Lockheed will end up being the middleman between aspiring companies and entities like the Department of Defense and NASA, essentially ensuring that whatever is built meets federal requirements. Those interested in venturing down such a rabbit hole can give the source link a look, but as always, we'd caution you to register at your own risk.
ViaSat-1 sends its first words through the stratosphere to cooing stateside relatives
The ViaSat-1 story seems to be orbiting its way toward a happy ending in time for Christmas. The world's highest capacity telecommunications satellite sent down its first words on December 2nd: sadly it didn't chime a romantic "Mommy!" but a somber collection of high-bandwidth video streams, emails and websites. It'll continue back-and-forth testing, probably sending back pictures of red firetrucks until mid-December, which is when the company will assume "full control" (handed over from Space Systems / Loral) of the orbiting router and begin prepping commercial service before the end of the year. At which point, it'll be available to cover the US, Canada and Hawaii with KA-Band broadband service with partners WildBlue, Xplornet and JetBlue domestic flights.
Infrared sensors hit 16 megapixels, can now spy on an entire hemisphere
Aerospace and defense manufacturer Raytheon wants everyone to know it has developed the world's first 16 megapixel infrared sensor, which is set for a life of orbiting the Earth and generally being a lot more useful than lesser models. With its higher resolution, the unit is able to cover an entire half of the planet without "blinking" to relocate its focus, and should be warmly received by meteorologists, astronomists and military types, all craving for a bit more real-time reconnaissance. We advise wide-brimmed tin foil hats to shield your body heat from these Sauron-like satellites while working on those plans for a global uprising of the proletariat. [Via TG Daily]
DISH Network's EchoStar XI heads to Sea Launch for summer liftoff
While we patiently wait for EchoStar XV to lift off in 2010, it seems the countdown for EchoStar XI is much, much closer. Space Systems/Loral has just announced delivery of said satellite to Sea Launch's home port in Long Beach, California. The 20-kW bird will be used to "expand capacity for DISH Network," and while a definitive launch date isn't mentioned, we are told that it should blast off sometime this summer. According to Rohan Zaveri, Vice President of Space Programs for DISH Network, there is "a good deal of anticipation as it gears up for the EchoStar XI launch," and considering the fate of the AMC-14, we'd surmise a good deal of nail-biting, too.[Image courtesy of Sea Launch]
DISH Network's EchoStar XV satellite gets set for launch... in 2010
It wasn't too long ago that we sat in awe as EchoStar X lifted off into outer space, and in around two years, we can all relive that moment as EchoStar XV does the same. Announced today, Space Systems/Loral was chosen to "provide a new direct broadcast satellite (DBS) for DISH Network," and the bird will be based on the outfit's "space-proven" 1300 platform. As it stands, this becomes the eighth SS/L satellite built for EchoStar, and while we're not told exactly what it's heading up to handle, we are informed that it will "support the expansion of DISH Network's programming and services." Hopefully it'll have a few less issues than the AMC-14 when it lifts off in 2010, eh?
