Wed, Jan 26, 2011
NASA Explores Potential New Users For Some Kennedy
Facilities
NASA has released a formal Notice of Availability (NOA) and
Request for Information (RFI) to identify interest from industry
for space processing and support facilities at NASA's Kennedy Space
Center in Florida. The facilities may become available for
space-related commercial use following the end of the Space Shuttle
Program.
The facilities that may become available are well-suited for
entities operating or directly supporting government or commercial
launches or space user services.
"Kennedy has been working for some time to enable commercial
space activities at the center that are in line with NASA's
mission," Kennedy Center Director Bob Cabana said. "Partnering with
the commercial space industry will help NASA meet its goals and
help sustain facility assets to support our nation's space
objectives."
The announcement groups facilities into four classes: space
vehicle processing and launch facilities; off-line processing
facilities; payload processing facilities; and miscellaneous
facilities. Facilities listed in the announcement include: Launch
Pads 39A and B, the Vehicle Assembly Building, Orbiter Processing
Facilities and the Shuttle Landing Facility.
NASA reserves the right to subsequently remove facilities from
this list if the agency determines it needs them for its own
requirements. NASA also may pursue other options for disposition of
the listed facilities if in the government's best interests.
NASA has received previous commercial interest in some of the
facilities at the center. This notice is another step in efforts to
build awareness with industry about potentially available center
assets. It was issued to provide the widest notice about facilities
and to ensure fairness to interested parties.
More News
Improvements Stack as Brand Readies for Mass Production Samson Sky updated followers on its flying car progress, describing some of the travails of the wind tunnel as they get clos>[...]
LAHSO An acronym for “Land and Hold Short Operation.” These operations include landing and holding short of an intersecting runway, a taxiway, a predetermined point, or>[...]
Dave Juwel's Aviation Marketing Stories ITBOA BNITBOB ... what does that mean? It's not gibberish, it's a lengthy acronym for "In The Business Of Aviation ... But Not In The Busine>[...]
Aero Linx: Space Medicine Association (SMA) The Space Medicine Branch was founded in 1951 as the first constituent organization of the Aerospace Medical Association (AsMA). In 2006>[...]
Back-Taxi A term used by air traffic controllers to taxi an aircraft on the runway opposite to the traffic flow. The aircraft may be instructed to back-taxi to the beginning of the>[...]