Wed, Dec 31, 2008

2008 In Review: The Year In Aerospace

The past year saw the rise of two new commercial space launch ventures, and new achievements for a pair of established companies.... most notably SpaceX, which finally accomplished its first wholly-successful Falcon 1 rocket launch ahead of winning a lucrative NASA contract.

Speaking of the space agency, NASA sent four shuttle missions into orbit, significantly expanding the International Space Station... and its Mars Phoenix lander sent valuable new data from the surface of the Red Planet. Alas, the year ends on some discordant notes, as the viability and future of the troubled Constellation program remains in limbo, while the technical merits of the Ares I booster rocket remain in question.

January

The year in aerospace begins with NASA announcing the odds that Mars will be hit by an asteroid by the end of the month have decreased slightly, to 1-in-28.
NASA selects Zero Gravity Corporation to manage and operate an aircraft to perform parabolic flights for NASA-operated experiments and personnel... the first time the space agency has chosen a commercial operator for that task
Three long-duration scientific balloon flights over a single Antarctic summer set a new record for NASA and the National Science Foundation
Calling a planned White House investigation into the backgrounds of NASA scientists and engineers a "broad inquisition," the Ninth US Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, CA rules the Bush Administration has no right to conduct such checks
Several dozen people around the small north Texas town of Stephenville say they saw something VERY unusual in the skies... and they want to know what it was
NASA admits the Ares 1 rocket suffers a propulsion vibration problem known as "thrust oscillation"
The global aerospace industry suffers a looming dearth of qualified workers, according to the Aerospace Industries Association
Virgin Galactic unveils the design of its new space launch system based on SpaceShipOne
NASA finds itself in the uncomfortable position of disputing a report the agency itself commissioned, saying a report released last year accusing astronauts of flying into orbit while intoxicated had no merit whatsoever

February

Family members, friends and NASA officials gather at Kennedy Space Center to commemorate the seven Columbia astronauts on the fifth anniversary of their deaths

Iran launches its first rocket from the country's new space center
After three months of delays, the space shuttle Atlantis lifts off from Cape Canaveral on the STS-122 mission
Concerned a defective surveillance satellite might fall into the wrong hands when it deorbits in early March, the Pentagon says it will blast the errant satellite from the sky
The X Prize Foundation and Google announce the first 10 teams to register for the Google Lunar X Prize, a robotic race to the Moon to win $30 million in prizes
Japan launches its experimental "Kizuna" satellite, designed to enable super high-speed data transmissions over Southeast Asia
NASA names space shuttle program manager N. Wayne Hale, Jr. as NASA's deputy associate administrator for strategic partnerships
Space Exploration Technologies Corp. completes its qualification testing program of the Merlin 1C next generation liquid fueled rocket booster engine for use in the Falcon 1 rocket

March

Presidential contenders offer their views on the future of the space program ahead of the Texas primary
A new, innovative, and very cool (and, somewhat ominous) "micro-air vehicle" makes its first flight. The RoboSwift -- developed by aerospace engineering students at Delft University of Technology, in cooperation with the Experimental Zoology Group of Wageningen University, Netherlands -- later attempted to imitate its feathered namesake, with less-than stellar results
"Konichiwa, domo arigato and banzai!" Those were the words of STS-123 Commander Dominic Gorie, after NASA mission controllers announced everything was ready for the nighttime launch of the shuttle Endeavour. The shuttle blasted off March 11, carrying the first of three components of Japan's new massive "Kibo" laboratory

In remarks that irk the scientific communities, NASA Administrator Michael Griffin says the Apollo lunar program "did more damage than good" -- not exactly what "The Right Stuff" was made of, over 45 years ago
More than "just" a writer of science fiction tales, author and space visionary Arthur C. Clarke passes away in his adopted home of Sri Lanka at the age of 90, following a decades-long battle with post-polio syndrome
The verdict is still out on whether a new shuttle heat-shield tile repair method will prove to be the kind of solution NASA has been looking for... but early results are very promising, following on-orbit testing by the STS-123 crew
XCOR Aerospace unveils its new, self-contained, suborbital spaceship, designed to provide affordable front-seat rides to the edge of space for the millions of people who want to buy a ticket

Planetary scientist Alan Stern announces his sudden resignation, after just one year as NASA's associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate

April

NASA reluctantly confirms there will be far more layoffs at Kennedy Space Center and other major manned space flight centers across the country, when the space shuttle program reaches its end in September 2010, than the public had previously been led to believe

The first European Space Agency Automated Transfer Vehicle, the Jules Verne, successfully docks to the aft port of the International Space Station's Zvezda Service Module, using its automated, laser guided rendezvous system
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency celebrates its 50th anniversary. The agency is better known by its acronym, DARPA.
Investor's Business Daily reports the new era of commercial spaceflight has yet to attract meaningful participation by venture capital firms.
XCOR Aerospace, which built and tested the first rocket-powered racing aircraft for Rocket Racing, "welcomes" the addition of Armadillo Aerospace as an additional rocket propulsion supplier to the League.
Expedition 16 crewmembers Commander Peggy Whitson and cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko, along with South Korean 'tourinaut' So-yeon Yi, survive a harrowing reentry in their Soyuz TMA-11 capsule. The Russian spacecraft reentered the atmosphere in a ballistic trajectory, landing hard 300 miles away from the target zone.
NASA awards Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, a NASA Launch Services contract for the Falcon 1 and Falcon 9 launch vehicles

NASA says a small motor in the robotic arm of the Mars Rover Opportunity, that began stalling occasionally more than two years ago, has become more troublesome recently

May

A report issued by NASA's Inspector General reveals the board established to review development and construction of the agency's upcoming Orion manned spacecraft includes six employees of companies tasked with building the capsule... a violation of both federal law, and common-sense ethics
Delays in production to the last several, redesigned external fuel tanks slated to fly in the space shuttle program force NASA to move off a mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope
In more bad PR news for NASA, the agency draws fire for letting employees use government-issued purchase cards to buy personal items and disregard competitive bidding rules
AIAA Executive Director Robert Dickman testifies before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation that, with a funding level of only a fraction of a percent of the annual federal budget, NASA is unable to adequately fund all of its necessary programs, and that this is putting America’s overall technical strength and long-term economic growth at risk
Scientific data is successfully recovered from a hard drive that barely survived the February 2003 loss of the shuttle Columbia
A bill under consideration in the House of Representatives would put three additional shuttle missions on the space agency's schedule, and would remove the hard deadline for all flights to be completed. Despite strong congressional support, the bill fails to pass muster with the White House
296 days after its launch aboard a Delta II launch vehicle, the Phoenix Mars Lander successfully lands on the Martian surface

Engaging in political activity while on duty in a federal building leads to suspension for a NASA employee at Houston's Johnson Space Center
NASA's most erstwhile orbiter, the space shuttle Discovery, lifts off from Cape Canaveral on its latest mission to the International Space Station

June

Douglas B. Shane is appointed President of Scaled Composites, assuming responsibility for day-to-day operations from Company founder Burt Rutan
Claims brought against NASA regarding suppression of information tied to global warming appear to have been right on target, according to a 48-page report released by the agency's inspector general's office
Reason for cheers for scientists at NASA, JPL and the University of Arizona in Tucson... as the Phoenix Mars Lander fills its first oven with Martian soil, after a brief technical snag
The crew members of space shuttle Discovery spend their last full day in orbit getting ready for their return home, and the end of the STS-124 mission... but not without a bit of drama
The US House of Representatives approves a $20.2 billion NASA spending bill for fiscal year 2009 that includes funds for one more shuttle flight before the fleet's retirement, as well as more money for development of the Constellation program
Dice-size crumbs of bright material vanish from inside a Martian trench, four days after they were photographed by NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander... convincing scientists that the material was frozen water that vaporized after digging exposed it
NASA won't talk about it, and did their best to keep others from doing so as well... but a proposed launch vehicle originally devised after the Challenger disaster attracts more ears to listen to its possible benefits on the heels of reported problems with the Ares I rocket

Following a nine-month design review of the rocket that will one day return US astronauts to the moon -- and, eventually, transport them to Mars -- NASA unveils a bulked-up version of its proposed Ares V rocket

July

NASA develops a Web site to promote the Ares rockets and Orion crew capsule
DOT Secretary Mary Peters announces the FAA has selected the X Prize Foundation to develop a strategy to create monetary incentives for developing renewable aviation fuels and technologies to stem the effect of pollutants from air travel
Cosmonauts Sergei Volkov and Oleg Kononenko successfully remove one of 10 explosive bolts used to separate the service section of their Soyuz TMA-11 space capsule, from the re-entry module. Malfunctioning separation bolts were suspected to have been behind problems with the last two Soyuz re-entries
A NASA memo calling for a few good men and women to make an important donation to its Constellation space program -- urine -- is leaked to an agency watchdog site, and picked up with some measurable glee by the Associated Press
NASA admits it "very likely" will not be able to meet its ambitious goal of starting manned spaceflights with its Orion spacecraft in five years
Incumbent US Congressman John Culberson successfully campaigns for re-election by suggesting a total overhaul of NASA, getting rid of bureaucracy and putting the scientists and engineers back in charge of the overall vision for the space program
Apollo 14 crewmember Dr. Edgar Mitchell claims extraterrestrials have visited Earth for decades, and the truth will soon come to light
The Rocket Racing League debuts its inaugural aircraft at AirVenture 2008
In a heavily-attended forum at AirVenture 2008, NASA Administrator Michael Griffin defends the space exploration process. "This IS rocket science -- if we knew how to do it, it wouldn't be exploration"

August

Three attempts... three failures. No matter the reasons, that's the tally after the third unsuccessful launch of a Falcon 1 rocket by Hawthorne, CA-based SpaceX

Despite reports by a noted aerospace trade journal, suggesting NASA was very close to revealing that findings from the Phoenix Mars Lander indicated ideal conditions to support carbon-based life, the agency said while the final verdict is still out, no one should hold their breath for such an announcement
NASA's Constellation program is besieged by a lack of morale, money and direction, according to the space agency's safety panel
Saying the decision provides mutual benefits to the space agency and the Air Force, NASA delays the launch of its Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter until February 2009 at the earliest
In what might strike some as an inelegant solution, NASA announces it will employ 17 large, and heavy, dampeners to quell vibrations in its upcoming Ares I booster rocket
NASA reveals a preliminary test of the parachute system designed to softly return NASA's upcoming Crew Exploration Vehicle to Earth failed in spectacular fashion, resulting in an Orion-sized dent in the Arizona desert landscape

Crewmembers onboard the International Space Station take the unusual step of firing booster rockets to lower the station's orbit, in order to avoid a chunk of Russian space debris
NASA closes its Stennis Space Center and Michoud Assembly Facility due to the approach of Hurricane Gustav

September

NASA says it's studying the possibility of extending the space shuttle program until 2015, in order to avoid relying on seats onboard Russia Soyuz capsules

Confirming what may NASA-watchers saw as a likelihood, the space agency announces the adjustment of the target launch dates for the two remaining space shuttle missions in 2008
Leaked to the Orlando Sentinel, an internal email written by NASA Administrator Mike Griffin raised serious eyebrows all over the world. Griffin notes in the missive "events have unfolded in a way that makes it clear how unwise it was for he US to adopt a policy of deliberate dependance upon another power for access to ISS"
NASA announces a major step toward building the nation's next generation launch vehicle, with the successful completion of the Ares I rocket preliminary design review
Johnson Space Center in Houston is closed for more than a week following the passage of Hurricane Ike, which devasted the Texas Gulf Coast
China successfully launches its third manned spaceflight, sending three taikonauts onboard the Shenzhou 7 into orbit in a dramatic nighttime launch from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the desert of northwest China's Gansu province
After three losses, it's all smiles for the gang at SpaceX... as the company's fourth Falcon I rocket performs flawlessly in a 10-minute ride to the heavens, becoming the first privately-developed liquid fueled launch vehicle to reach orbit

NASA delays its mission to the Hubble Space Telescope until 2009, after the orbiting observatory suffered a failure of its command and data-handling system days before the scheduled launch

October

NASA announces that William Parsons, director of the John F. Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is leaving the agency in mid-October to pursue opportunities in the private sector. Parsons will be succeeded by former astronaut Robert Cabana, currently director of NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center in Mississippi
Pages from a diary belonging to Space Shuttle Columbia astronaut Ilan Ramon are shown for the first time as part of an exhibit of famous documents from Israel's history on display at the Israel Museum

NASA revises its estimate of job losses following the retirement of its shuttle fleet to 4,500 positions by 2011, not the earlier estimate of 6,400 by 2012. While 4,500 still sounds bad, the number doesn't account for a thousand new jobs involved in the Constellation program which will follow the shuttle
Commander Edward Michael "Mike" Fincke and Flight Engineer Yury Valentinovich Lonchakov of the 18th International Space Station crew dock their Soyuz TMA-13 to the Earth-facing port of the International Space Station's Zarya module. The crew is accompanied by 'tourinaut' Richard Garriott
Noted space historian John Logsdon writes in a Washington Post op-ed the benefits of retiring the shuttle fleet on-time in 2010 outweigh the distasteful aspects of relying on Russia for space access over the next five years
The Asian Space Race gets a little tighter, as India reports the successful launch of its first lunar mission
NASA is cautiously optimistic the Hubble Space Telescope is finally on its way back to almost-normal operations, following a three-week hiatus
Space takes a giant leap closer to Earth, with the launch of a new joint commercial spaceflight venture between Rocket Racing, Inc. (RRI), Armadillo Aerospace and the government of New Mexico
The Rocket Racing League was granted an Experimental Exhibition Certificate from the FAA for the first of its next-generation Rocket Racer that has been selected as the baseline design for the fleet moving forward. This exhibition type certification marks the first time in the FAA's history that a production level rocket powered aircraft has been cleared to perform exhibition flight demonstrations at over 20 venues across the US
Speaking of Armadillo Aerospace, the company finally claims $350,000 in prize money during the Lunar Lander Challenge
Hoping to divert the public's attention from scathing media reports, suggesting the Ares I rocket is a multi-billion dollar boondoggle, officials at NASA reiterate their confidence in the design of the next-generation launch vehicle... and also suggest NASA could fly Ares sooner than the current target date of 2015