Historic September on the Mid-Atlantic Space Coast

The Antares rocket on its test launch to orbit on April 21, 2013. Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

September along the Mid-Atlantic shore usually means smaller crowds and lower lodging rates even as the air and water temperatures still hold on to summer warmth. This September, however, history will be made on the Delmarva Peninsula as two historic launches take place at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) at Wallops Island, VA. Wallops Island is situated within easy driving distance of millions of residents of Washington, DC, Baltimore and other east coast cities. The spaceport is located close to popular vacation destinations including Chincoteague, VA, known for its wild pony population, and Ocean City, MD, the popular family beach resort.

The Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) is scheduled to be launched on a Minotaur V rocket on Friday September 6 at 11:27 PM. The night launch will be visible for hundreds of miles from several states around the launch site (weather permitting).

LADEE will be the first spacecraft to be launched to the Moon (or anywhere else beyond Earth orbit) from Wallops Island. NASA describes LADEE as “a robotic mission that will orbit the moon to gather detailed information about the lunar atmosphere, conditions near the surface and environmental influences on lunar dust. A thorough understanding of these characteristics will address long-standing unknowns, and help scientists understand other planetary bodies as well.”

The LADEE liftoff may not be the last deep space launch from Wallops. A number of commercial ventures have plans to prospect and eventually mine resources of the Moon and the asteroids and might chose the Virginia launch site for some of their missions.

Around September 17, late morning, Orbital Sciences Corporation is scheduled to launch its first Cygnus spacecraft on its demonstration mission to carry cargo to the International Space Station (ISS). If this mission is successful, Orbital will proceed to launch at least eight cargo missions to the ISS over the next several years (joining SpaceX, another company that launches its ISS cargo runs from Florida). The Cygnus cargo ship will be launched on Orbital’s new Antares rocket, which was successfully launched on its test launch in April. NASA has been seeking American companies to launch cargo, and eventually crewmembers, to the ISS to fill the role provided by the Space Shuttle program, which was retired two years ago.

These missions being launched from Wallops Island in September may be a harbinger of more activity to come. The Cygnus cargo launches are part of NASA’s strategy of acting more as a customer for commercial launch services to Earth orbit while it focuses on exploring more distant destinations.

However, these launches to the ISS are by no means dull. Some of the cargo going to the ISS includes experiments that will test new technologies in communications, propulsion, in-space refueling and servicing, etc. that will allow more bold future activities in space. Other experiments will have benefits here on Earth including observation of the Earth and its environment and groundbreaking research for the biotechnology industry that could improve peoples’ health and well-being. Also, small satellites called “CubeSats” built by students, researchers and industry frequently piggyback on these launches for a much lower cost than that of launching traditional larger satellites.

No launches of people are currently planned for Wallops, but as commercial space activity grows, that could change. The spaceport’s launch pads and runways could someday see crewmembers, researchers and tourists departing for and returning from space.

In the mean time, the growing space activity will benefit the Delmarva coast and the whole Mid-Atlantic region. High tech industry and jobs are growing around the launch site and tourism at the spaceport converges with that at the traditional nearby beach resorts. The spaceport will also provide nearby access to space for the government, industry and academic research institutions in the DC/Baltimore area and the rest of the Mid-Atlantic region.

It is possible to participate in the excitement happening on the Mid-Atlantic Space Coast by including a visit to the Wallops spaceport as part of your shore vacation any time of year. Launches will be visible for hundreds of miles away under favorable conditions, but to really see, hear and feel the power of a launch into space, the best option is to come to the Mid-Atlantic Space Coast and witness it close up.

For more information on these upcoming launches, please check these links:

NASA Wallops Flight Facility
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/wallops/home/index.html

Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS)
http://www.marsspaceport.com/

Orbital Sciences Corporation
http://www.orbital.com/

Lodging is available in Chincoteague, VA, Pocomoke, MD, Ocean City, MD and other nearby towns in Virginia and Maryland.

The NewSpace conference, where cutting edge developments in the space industry will be discussed, is underway in San Jose, CA. For those of us who can't be there in person, the sessions are being streamed live. (Here is the agenda.)

World Youth Day 2013

Up to a million pilgrims are expected to join Pope Francis in Rio de Janeiro for World Youth Day 2013 now occurring to energize the world's young people for Christ. (Despite the title, it is actually a several day event.)

Here is the official web site. WYD is also being covered by EWTN.

Anniversaries: One Great, One More Modest

NASA

Today is the 44th anniversary of the Apollo 11 pioneering expedition to the lunar surface, the day human beings first made landfall on another world. Check out Rand Simberg's ceremonial commemoration of that epic voyage. Here is a brief video capturing highlights of the first two explorers on the Moon.



Here is a tribute to Neil Armstrong, who took the first human steps on the Moon.


Today is also the tenth anniversary ('blogiversary') of the launch of this humble blog. Here is the inaugural post (Note that I was too inexperienced to think of giving it a title.) on Life at the Frontier.

As It Happened, the Apollo 11 Launch

Forty four years ago today, Apollo 11 lifted off on the voyage to land the first men on the Moon. Here's a replay of what it looked like on TV from ~6 min before 'til ~4 min after launch. (The video quality is somewhat degraded from that of the live TV broadcast.) The terse, crisp voice of Jack King as Apollo Launch Control added to the drama of the historic countdown. Relive the moment or experience what it was like.

Happy Independence Day!

As we join in the festivities of the Fourth, let's strive to keep to the values proclaimed in the Declaration that make it worth celebrating.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

This is a time to be mindful and protective of the full range of personal, religious and economic liberties. Some additional thoughts from around the web remind us of the significance of some words from the second stanza of America the Beautiful and thoughts on the Stars and Stripes from a famous Catholic English writer.

Wow. Think about that line: "by whose stars we are illumined, and by whose stripes we are healed." Have you ever thought about your flag that way - so Christ-like? G. K. Chesterton did. It’s a stirring interpretation of America and its mission.

Provide Your Input On Human Spaceflight

NASA, Artist concept by Denise Watt

The National Research Council has appointed an ad hoc committee to study the future of human spaceflight. The committee is looking for input from the public. For more information and links to instructions on how to submit a paper (no more than 4 pages of text) by the July 9 deadline, click here.

I have already submitted my paper, which can also be found with the papers submitted by other interested persons at this public viewing site.

Here is the abstract for my submitted paper.

The ultimate goal of a human spaceflight program should be to enable the development of human migration into and settlement of space. A government program can’t make settlement happen. However, by spurring the development of spacefaring capabilities that serve near term needs, the human spaceflight program will help to develop the knowledge and capabilities that explorers, developers and settlers will use to expand humanity into space.

The Future Getting Nearer

Following on the heels of the Antares launch from the Mid-Atlantic Space Coast, several other new developments point to an accelerating pace toward a new space age where space travel becomes more common and more a part of the everyday economy.

The most prominent was Monday's successful first powered flight test of SpaceShipTwo by Virgin Galactic. The test integrated the performance of the spacecraft with its hybrid rocket engine and paves the way to succeeding flights where the engine will burn longer, taking the spacecraft higher. Virgin Galactic expects the flights will reach the altitude defined internationally as the edge of space (100km/62.5mi) by the end of the year. Once the test program is complete, the company plans to begin commercial flights of tourists and researchers early next year. Here is a video of highlights of the flight with commentary by Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson.



In a couple of other developments, there was a recent flight extending the performance of SpaceX's Grasshopper test vehicle, which is an experimental rocket being tested to develop the capability for a reusable booster for carrying payloads into orbit. Finally, on Wednesday, the U.S. Air Force performed the final test of the X51A hypersonic vehicle succesfully. This type of propulsion could have some interesting military, civil and commercial applications including possibly faster intercontinental travel and another way to reach orbit.

The Antares Launch, The Mid-Atlantic Space Coast And The 21st Century Space Age

The Antares rocket clears the launch pad on its way to orbit. Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

Sunday's launch of the Antares rocket, developed by Orbital Sciences Corporation, was a significant step toward achieving NASA's goal of acquiring a second American provider of commercial delivery of supplies to the International Space Station (ISS).  It was also a significant step for the Mid-Atlantic region, in particular the Eastern Shore of Virginia and Maryland, in participating in the the growing 21st Century Space Age which is based on increased partnership among commercial, government and international players.

Orbital will now proceed to a demonstration of its Cygnus spacecraft delivering cargo to the ISS, tentatively scheduled for late June. The Cygnus demonstration will complete NASA's  Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program and Orbital will then join another company, SpaceX, in providing this service over the next several years under the Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contract. NASA is also partnering with several companies, including SpaceX, to develop commercial crew transportation to ISS, however Orbital has no plans to compete to provide that service.

This launch was a significant step not only for the Antares rocket and the commercial supply of cargo to ISS. It opens a wider future to the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS), colocated at the NASA facility at Wallops Island, VA. Located on the Eastern Shore shared by Virginia, Maryland and Delaware, the NASA Wallops Flight Facility has hosted suborbital and small orbital launches for decades, but Antares is the largest rocket ever to launch from this site and is comparable to the medium lift rockets that have frequently launched from  Cape Canaveral, FL.

Along with providing cargo resupply to the ISS, Orbital hopes to market the Antares to other government and commercial customers, launching out of Wallops and other sites. Meanwhile, the company will use its Minotaur V rocket to launch NASA's LADEE spacecraft to orbit the Moon. This mission is scheduled to launch from Wallops in August.

With a growing list of private ventures to explore the Moon, asteroids and even Mars, the MARS at Wallops Island is in a position to participate in these ventures. The runway at Wallops could also eventually host suborbital companies such as Virgin Galactic and XCOR carrying researchers and tourists into space for brief flights.

The area around Wallops includes Chincoteague, a laid back resort town most famous for the wild ponies residing on the nearby wildlife refuge. The surrounding area is largely rural and is facing trying economic times. The communities are excited about the new business and jobs the spaceport is bringing to the area. Other nearby Virginia and Maryland communities, including Ocean City, MD, a major family vacation resort, stand to benefit from the high tech jobs and additional tourism the spaceport will generate.

This area could become known as the Mid-Atlantic Space Coast as the activity and excitement at Wallops Island grow in the new and dynamic 21st Century Space Age.

NOTE: I observed the launch on Sunday from a site ~ 3 miles from the launch pad. Here is the amateur video I took of this historic launch. The first noise you hear is the wind, but the rocket's roar can be heard after launch.

FY2014 Budget And Asteroid Retrieval

Asteroid retrieval mission concept: Image Credit: NASA/Advanced Concepts Lab

More than two months overdue, the Obama Administration released its FY2014 budget proposal yesterday. The proposed budget is already being picked over from left and right over its priorities and levels of spending and taxes.

The proposed budget for NASA is $17.7 billion, covering a range of programs including human and robotic exploration International Space Station (ISS) and associated commercial crew and cargo resupply, Earth science, aeronautics, technology development, etc. The most intriguing item is a new program to go and retrieve a small asteroid and park it in a stable orbit near or around the Moon, where it could be more easily accessed by astronauts to investigate the object hands-on. This proposal has the support of the two major asteroid mining ventures, Planetary Resources and Deep Space Industries, provided NASA engages the commercial sector in a major way in carrying out this mission.

Some lawmakers are skeptical about the asteroid retrieval proposal, saying they'd prefer more emphasis on a return to the Moon. Achievement of either of these goals would probably depend on NASA engaging the private sector in a large way, as it has done for ISS cargo resupply and crew transfer, in order to accomplish missions at lower costs in what may be a long term tight fiscal environment.

Sine Die: The Circus on the Severn Folds Its Tent

The Maryland General Assembly adjourned last night after its ninety-day rampage. Governor Martin O'Malley was eager to start signing the torrent of legislation. Higher taxes and gun control are two of the high - err, mostly low-lights of this year's ninety-day session.

The repeal of the death penalty is one move I tend to support because its deterrent effect is doubtful while the risk of executing the innocent is real. While the death penalty may not be essential to defending members of society, allowing them to defend themselves and others through exercising their Second Amendment rights is essential. The Second Amendment v. gun control question will remain among the most contentious issues in the state and in the nation.

Have a Blessed and Happy Easter!

At daybreak on the first day of the week
the women who had come from Galilee with Jesus
took the spices they had prepared
and went to the tomb.
They found the stone rolled away from the tomb;
but when they entered,
they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
While they were puzzling over this, behold,
two men in dazzling garments appeared to them.
They were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground.
They said to them,
"Why do you seek the living one among the dead?
He is not here, but he has been raised.
Remember what he said to you while he was still in Galilee,
that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners
and be crucified, and rise on the third day."
And they remembered his words.
Then they returned from the tomb
and announced all these things to the eleven
and to all the others.
The women were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James;
the others who accompanied them also told this to the apostles,
but their story seemed like nonsense
and they did not believe them.
But Peter got up and ran to the tomb,
bent down, and saw the burial cloths alone;
then he went home amazed at what had happened.

Lk 24:1-12

Holy Week 2013

This week is the one considered Holy by many with a strong Faith in God. For Christians, it is the observance of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the most pivotal events of human history. The Easter Triduum as observed in the Catholic Church is described here. Today, Pope Francis began Holy Week observances with Palm Sunday Mass in St. Peter's Square

This year, it also happens that tomorrow (Monday) night is the start of the Jewish observance of Passover, the celebration of the Jews' passing over to freedom from the bondage of slavery they suffered in Egypt. This event was a historical manifestation of God's power recognized by Jews and Christians alike.

May this week of Holy Days bring blessings and peace to all.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

,

Artist unknown, Link by Saints.SQPN.com

Today is March 17, St. Patrick's Day. Be blessed, safe, and happy however you are celebrating Ireland's patron saint.

Catholic Forum provides links to descriptions of St. Patrick here and here.

Saint Patrick's Breastplate

Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort me and restore me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

In the spirit of the holiday, check out LiveIreland.com for webcasts of Irish music and other media direct from Ireland.

Habemus Papam! Pope Francis

After the historic retirement of Pope Benedict XVI, the election of Jorge Cardinal Bergoglio of Argentina as Pope Francis was announced on Wednesday. He is the first non-European pope in centuries, the first from the Western Hemisphere and the first from the Society of Jesus (Jesuits).

As Archbishop of Buenos Aires, he was known for his pastoral approach of living simply, serving the poor, and strongly and faithfully speaking out for the Church's teachings on the moral issues of the day, including protection of human life, the definition of marriage, etc. Perhaps most of all, his election confirms the emergence of a proactive approach of Catholic evangelism to spread the Gospel of Christ globally in the face of increasing secularism.

Thanks be to God and may His blessings be on our new Holy Father!

This short video captures the highlights and excitement of the election of Pope Francis.

Inspiration Mars: A Most Audacious (But Perhaps Doable) Venture

Image: Inspiration Mars Foundation

In the last year or so, announcements of audacious space ventures by private business ventures and non-profit foundations have almost become common. However, today's announcement by space tourism pioneer Dennis Tito of the Inspiration Mars Foundation and its goal of sending an American man and woman (likely a married couple) on a nearly year-and-a-half mission to fly by Mars and return to Earth in 2018 may be the most breath-taking venture yet announced.

Using existing or nearly ready capabilities enables Inspiration Mars to target the exceptionally favorable Mars launch window that will open in January 2018. The simple "free return" fly-by mission trajectory is a major reason this audacious plan may just be doable in five years.

Asteroids Getting Attention After Friday Encounters

P. Chodas (NASA/JPL) (Click on image for enlarged view.)

The topic of asteroids encountering the Earth have suddenly received plenty of media and public attention following Friday's explosion of a large meteor over Russia, injuring over a thousand people and causing significant property damage, and the previously expected close flyby of the larger asteroid 2012 DA14, later that afternoon. The two objects approached Earth from different directions so they are not directly related. However, both objects were rocks moving in space, so the Russian meteor was the size of a small asteroid before it entered the Earth's atmosphere.

The two events have brought increased attention and urgency to detection of potentially threatening asteroids and how they might be diverted from colliding with Earth. NASA does have an asteroid detection program underway, although asteroid 2012 DA14 was detected by a serious amateur telescope. Thousands of Near Earth Objects (NEOs) have been detected already, particularly the largest ones that would be most devastating, but the Russian incident shows that many objects capable of causing casualties and damage remain undetected. The situation is getting attention in Congress. Meanwhile, the private B612 Foundation is raising money to fund a spacecraft capable of detecting many more of these objects and two business ventures, Planetary Resources and Deep Space industries are planning to prospect and eventually mine asteroids for their resources that could immensely benefit the future human economy.

Ash Wednesday Starts the Season of Lent

Today is Ash Wednesday, the start of the Lenten season of preparation for the glorious celebration of Easter. Pope Benedict XVI calls people to return to God in the homily of his Ash Wednesday Mass, which will be his last public Mass as Pope.

"May the invitation to conversion, to 'return to God with all our heart,' resonate strongly in us," Pope Benedict said at St. Peter's Basilica on Ash Wednesday Feb. 13.

"Accepting his grace that makes us new men and women, with the surprising news that is participating in the very life of Jesus," he said during the Mass held at 5 p.m. local time.

The Holy Father also expressed gratitude during the emotional occasion as shown in this video.



One recent activity that has become aligned with Lent is the 40 Days for Life campaign, which organizes prayer vigils at local abortion facilities. I'll be participating in the event here in Silver Spring, MD.

Pope Benedict Retires

For the first time in about 600 years, a Pope has left the Chair of St. Peter by resignation rather than death. Pope Benedict startled the world this morning by announcing that he will be retiring from the papacy at the end of the month. This move was likely taken with much prayer and discernment by the Holy Father, as discussed in this article by William Fahey.

As can be expected, there is much speculation on who the papal successor would be. I have no clue as to who that may be, but I believe the Holy Spirit will guide the selection toward  someone able to lead the Church with vigor and moral clarity in proclaiming Jesus Christ in the face of hostility from much of our contemporary culture.

Woman Dies From Late-Term Abortion in Germantown, MD

It has been revealed that a young woman has died, along with her child, as a result of a late-term performed by LeRoy Carhart in Germantown, MD last week. Background on this terrible event, media links and an update on the Memorial Service held this morning are provided at Pray For Germantown. More details are provided by Jill Stanek.

Prolife leaders urge action to prevent Carhart from causing more deaths of women and their children.