Marshall Space Flight Center Director Robert Lightfoot. (Credit NASA)

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden announced Tuesday changes to his senior leadership team. Associate Administrator Chris Scolese was named director of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in
Greenbelt, Md., and Robert Lightfoot, director of the agency's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., will serve as acting associate administrator. Both will assume their new responsibilities on March 5.

Scolese, who has been with NASA since 1987, succeeds Robert Strain, who announced his decision to return to private industry in January.  Lightfoot joined NASA in 1989 as a test engineer and program manager at Marshall. Lightfoot's deputy, Gene Goldman, will serve as Marshall's acting center director.

"Both Chris and Robert are dedicated public servants who have a passion for NASA and exploration," Bolden said. "We are fortunate to have such talented and experienced leaders who are capable of assuming these critical responsibilities during this important time."

As associate administrator, Lightfoot will be the agency's highest-ranking civil servant, responsible for oversight and integration of NASA's broad efforts in human space flight, science and aeronautics. At Goddard, Scolese will lead a major U.S. laboratory for developing and operating unmanned scientific spacecraft. Goddard manages many of NASA's Earth observation, astronomy and space physics missions. It was established in 1959 as NASA's first space flight facility.

• Read full article.

13 February 2012. Time:  1:00 ET

Artist's concept of the ExoMars 2016 spacecraft, which consists of the Trace Gas Orbiter and the Entry, descent and landing Demonstrator Module (EDM). CREDIT: ESA-AOES Medialab View full size image

The proposed 2013 federal budget unveiled by President Barack Obama today (Feb. 13) keeps NASA funding relatively flat next year, but bites deep into the agency's robotic Mars mission coffers while shifting new funds to human exploration and space technology.

According to the White House's 2013 budget request, NASA would receive about $17.7 billion for next year — $59 million less than the space agency received for 2012.

However, NASA's planetary science efforts would suffer a 20 percent cut next year, with the president allocating just $1.2 billion for unmanned missions to Mars and other solar system bodies. Meanwhile, funding for human exploration and commercial spaceflight would rise nearly 6 percent, to $3.93 billion, and space technology would get a 22 percent bump, to $699 million.

Experts say the reduction in planetary science funding will probably compel NASA to drop out of the European Space Agency-led ExoMars missions, which aim to launch an orbiter and a drill-toting rover to the Red Planet in 2016 and 2018, respectively. NASA was due to provide rockets for both missions, as well as various instrumentation.

Read Full Article:  http://www.space.com/14551-nasa-budget-2013-request-obama-mars.html

13 February 2012 Time: 12:18 PM ET

The President answers a tweeted question on space policy CREDIT: whitehouse.gov View full size image

President Barack Obama unveiled his 2013 budget proposal today (Feb. 13) that, if approved as is by Congress, would decrease NASA's overall budget by $59 million, but slash deep into some space science and planetary exploration missions.

The proposed 2013 budget for NASA does include some increases for space technology development and human space exploration.

According to White House officials and Office of Management of Budget, the proposed NASA budget for 2013 would do the following:

• Provides $17.7 billion, a decrease of 0.3 percent, or $59 million, below the 2012 enacted level. While making difficult choices, the Budget builds on our existing space infrastructure, continues efforts to streamline agency operations, and preserves innovative capabilities and technologies to sustain American leadership in space.
   
• Implements a lower cost program of robotic exploration of Mars that will advance science and will also help lay the foundation for future human exploration.
   
• Invests in new space technologies, such as laser communications and zero-gravity propellant transfer, which can improve America’s ability to access and operate in space and enhance the competitiveness of the U.S. space industry.
   
• Leverages a Federal investment of $830 million and private sector investment and ingenuity to develop a U.S. capability to transport crews into space, thereby eliminating our dependence on foreign capabilities in this area.
   
• Provides continued robust funding for the development of a new heavy-lift rocket and crew capsule that will take America deeper into space than ever before, create American jobs, ensure continued U.S. leadership in space exploration, and inspire people around the world.
   
• Provides $1.8 billion for research and a robust fleet of Earth observation spacecraft to strengthen U.S. leadership in the field, better understand climate change, improve future disaster predictions, and provide vital environmental data to Federal, State, and local policymakers.
   
• Funds the highest priority astronomical observatories and robotic solar system explorers, including a successor to the Hubble telescope and a mission to return samples from an asteroid, while delaying unaffordable new missions.
   
• Continues the effort to turn NASA’s former space shuttle launch facilities at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida into a 21st Century launch complex so that they can efficiently support programs like the Space Launch System and commercial operators.
   
• Streamlines agency operations, resulting in over $200 million in savings.

You can see detailed NASA documents, presentations and images for its 2013 budget proposal here: http://www.nasa.gov/news/budget/index.html

Read Full Article:  http://www.space.com/14553-2013-nasa-budget-proposal-highlights.html

HUNTSVILLE, AL (WAFF) - Google Lunar X Prize Official Team's Lunar Lander (courtesy of Rocket City Space Pioneers).

65,000 fourth graders across the state and in Huntsville will be a part of space exploration history.

School leaders, space professionals and students gathered at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center to unveil the new Lunar Lander.

It's headed to the moon but not before students give it a name. It's a contest for the state but engineers say it's more about inspiring a younger generation.

"We've got to let the world know that Huntsville and the state, we are about high technology, we are about jobs and we are about developing the next generation of kids who are inspired to be great thinkers and leaders and that is important to us," Tim Pickens, Rocket City Space Pioneers Team Leader.

• Read full article.

SpaceX tweeted on Jan. 4, 2012: "First look: Dragon Spacecraft in final processing, getting ready to head to the ISS." CREDIT: SpaceX

The first test flight of a privately built robot space capsule to the International Space Station has been delayed to allow more time to prepare the vehicle, the spacecraft's builder announced today (Jan. 16).

The unmanned Dragon space capsule, built by the California-based Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), was scheduled to launch toward the space station on Feb. 7, but the company has decided to postpone the flight to accommodate more engineering tests.

"In preparation for the upcoming launch, SpaceX continues to conduct extensive testing and analysis," SpaceX spokesperson Kirstin Grantham said in an email statement. "We believe that there are a few areas that will benefit from additional work and will optimize the safety and success of this mission."

A new launch date for the mission has not yet been announced, but SpaceX officials said the company is working with NASA to determine the best time for the test flight.

• Read full article.

Nishant Arora (l) and Sourabh Kaushal (r) have proposed next generation technology concepts to not only help mitigate space debris, but also to create renewable energy.

In an effort to preserve human kind's attempt to explore beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO), two individuals from India have reviewed current literature and proposed new cutting-edge space debris mitigation technology--one of which has the potential to harness energy from the left over junk.

Comparable to the pollution of Earth's oceans, there is a dust cloud of space debris thats swirling the globe at cruising at orbit speed. Hazards such as bolts, empty fuel tanks, upper stages of thousands of rockets can pose a catastrophic threat to future space missions.

Sourabh Kaushal and Nishant Arora co-authored a review historical review about individuals who have recognized the dangers space debris poses to spacecraft. Hailing from two neighboring communities in northern India, Kaushal and Arora are two research associates on the Google Lunar XPrize Team Indus. Kaushal and Arora have spoken at several conferences including the widely popular TED.

Huntsville Space Professionals is also actively helping to increase exposure to their work here in the United States as both represent promising new talent in the aerospace industry.

Their work on space debris mitigation has most recently been featured on a blog radio website. Click play below to listen to K. Leslie Graves' report.

To read the Boston Herald article about the presidential candidates blind to space exploration, click here.

• To download this flier, click here.

What: NASA will host an industry day at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. to share information on an upcoming NASA Research Announcement for the Space Launch System's (SLS) advanced booster. Marshall is leading the design and development of the SLS on behalf of the agency. The new heavy-lift launch vehicle will expand human presence beyond low-Earth orbit and enable new missions of exploration across the solar system.

The 130-metric ton, evolved SLS vehicle will require an advanced booster with a significant increase in thrust over existing U.S. liquid or solid boosters. Its first full-scale test flight is set for 2017.

When: The industry day will be held Dec. 15, at 9 a.m. CST in the Morris Auditorium in Marshall's building 4200. Media representatives are invited to cover the event and interview NASA management beginning at 9:45 a.m. CST.

Who: Speakers will include Dan Dumbacher, NASA's Exploration Systems Development deputy associate administrator at agency headquarters in Washington, and Todd May, SLS program manager at Marshall.

To attend: Journalists interested in attending should contact Jennifer Stanfield in Marshall's Public and Employee Communications Office at 256-544-0034 no later than 4 p.m. CST, Wednesday, Dec. 14. To ensure adequate security processing time on the day of the event, media should report to the Redstone Arsenal Joint Visitor Control Center at Gate 9 by 8 a.m., with two photo IDs, vehicle registration and proof of car insurance. Visitor parking is available in front of Building 4200 on the south side.

• To find out more information, click here

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A private California company will attempt the first-ever commercial cargo run to the International Space Station in February.

NASA announced the news Friday, one year and one day after Space Exploration Technologies Corp., or SpaceX, became the first private business to launch a capsule into orbit and return it safely to Earth.

Falcon 9 rocket-Space X 2010 file photo. Space X Dragon capsule docking with the International Space Station. Image Credit: NASA.

On Feb. 7, SpaceX will attempt another orbital flight from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. This time, the unmanned Dragon capsule will fly to the space station and dock with a load of supplies.