Podcasts about Wallops Island

PREVIEW: HYPERSONIC: Conversation with colleague Jerry Hendrix of the Sagamore Institute re the "test to failure" trials now underway on Wallops Island to build a glide vehicle weapon that can maneuver on target and deliver a non-nuke punch to the adversary. More later. 1940

Firefly added launch sites in Virginia and Sweden for its Alpha vehicle. NASA has selected SpaceX to build the ISS US Deorbit Vehicle, closed out their task orders to Collins for ISS spacesuits, and decided to keep Starliner at the ISS for a few more weeks.This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 33 executive producers—Joel, The Astrogators at SEE, Warren, Russell, Joonas, Stealth Julian, Pat from KC, Will and Lars from Agile Space, Benjamin, Tyler, Harrison, Lee, Steve, Theo and Violet, Jan, Matt, David, Bob, Ryan, Donald, Pat, Kris, Josh from Impulse Space, Better Every Day Studios, Fred, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Frank, SmallSpark Space Systems, and four anonymous—and 818 other supporters.TopicsFirefly Aerospace Adds Alpha Launch Capability on Wallops Island, VirginiaSSC and Firefly Aerospace to Launch Satellites from Esrange in SwedenNASA Selects International Space Station US Deorbit Vehicle - NASAEric Berger on X: “Bill Spetch, operations integration manager for NASA's International Space Station Program, confirms that the US Deorbit Vehicle will be based on "Dragon heritage" hardware. It will involve modifications of the trunk.”NASA's International Space Station Deorbit Analysis Summary White PaperNASA's commercial spacesuit program just hit a major snag | Ars TechnicaNASA Collins xEVAS Update  – Space StationStarliner to remain on ISS for more thruster tests - SpaceNewsThe ShowLike the show? Support the show!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by SpaceXWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

China's Chang'e 6 mission capsule containing 2 kilograms of lunar far side soil samples has returned to Earth. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully conducted the third Reusable Launch Vehicle Landing Experiment. Airbus predicts a €900 million hit in the first half 2024 in its Space Division, and more. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Miss an episode? Sign-up for our weekly intelligence roundup, Signals and Space, and you'll never miss a beat. And be sure to follow T-Minus on LinkedIn and Instagram. T-Minus Guest Our guest today is Ryan Westerdahl, CEO and Founder of Turion Space.  You can learn more about AWS Aerospace and Satellite on their website.  Selected Reading China has just returned the first-ever samples from the far side of the moon Hat-trick for Pushpak: India's Reusable Launch Vehicle aces third landing Engine maker's Boeing dilemma helped to stall Airbus's output plans- Reuters Firefly Aerospace Adds Alpha Launch Capability on Wallops Island, Virginia Maritime Launch Services Receives Infrastructure Reimbursement Program Approval from the Province of Nova Scotia for the Construction of a $30M Satellite Processing Facility at Spaceport Nova Scotia The Egyptian Space Agency Announces 2024 Launch Plans Sidus Space and NamaSys Bahrain Sign MOU to Establish “Sidus Arabia” JV Headquartered in Saudi Arabia to Develop a State-of-the-Art 3D Printing Satellite Manufacturing Facility | Business Wire Malaysian Space Agency (MYSA) partners with SpaceIn for Ground Station and IoT Development ispace-U.S. to use Swedish Space Corporation's Lunar Ground Station Network for its M3 Lunar Mission NASA Sets Launch Coverage for NOAA Weather Satellite  Pooping on the Moon Is a Messy Business- WIRED AST SpaceMobile Announces Executive Leadership Team for Next Phase of Accelerated Growth | Business Wire ReOrbit selects Mynaric's CONDOR Mk3 for Space-to-Space and Space-to-Ground Laser Communications Demonstration Texas man with less than $1 in account offers $200M to bail out space company: SEC T-Minus Crew Survey We want to hear from you! Please complete our 4 question survey. It'll help us get better and deliver you the most mission-critical space intel every day. Want to hear your company in the show? You too can reach the most influential leaders and operators in the industry. Here's our media kit. Contact us at space@n2k.com to request more info. Want to join us for an interview? Please send your pitch to space-editor@n2k.com and include your name, affiliation, and topic proposal. T-Minus is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © N2K Networks, Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's launch day for Boeing's Starliner and its two crew. NASA is reportedly assessing its facilities on Wallops Island, Virginia, to increase the number of authorized rocket launches by 200%. Two NASA veterans will be receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and more. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Miss an episode? Sign-up for our weekly intelligence roundup, Signals and Space, and you'll never miss a beat. And be sure to follow T-Minus on LinkedIn and Instagram. T-Minus Guest Our guest today is Dr Sharon Lemac-Vincere, Academic at the University Of Strathclyde. You can connect with Sharon on LinkedIn and learn more about the Space Cyber Executive Course and Conference on their website. Selected Reading Boeing prepares for Starliner's first crewed launch into space after several setbacks NASA is expanding its Wallops Island facility to support three times as many launches- TechCrunch Former NASA Center Director, Scientist to Receive Presidential Medals RTX's advanced ground system for space-based missile warning now operational RTX's new generation of commercial satellite imagers launches with Maxar's WorldView Legion Muon Space and Earth Fire Alliance Unveil FireSat Constellation, a Revolutionary Space Mission to Transform Global Wildfire Response China-France space cooperation benefits global scientific research - CGTN Samples from China's Shenzhou-17 mission delivered to scientists - CGTN ‘China's Cape Canaveral' is booming, fueled by moon mission and space program- CNN ARMD Solicitations VC-backed start-ups aren't getting rocket fuel from the government, says Gilmour Space founder Universities Space Research Association Elects Three Universities to the Association NASA Is Helping Protect Tigers, Jaguars, and Elephants. Here's How. T-Minus Crew Survey We want to hear from you! Please complete our 4 question survey. It'll help us get better and deliver you the most mission-critical space intel every day. Want to hear your company in the show? You too can reach the most influential leaders and operators in the industry. Here's our media kit. Contact us at space@n2k.com to request more info. Want to join us for an interview? Please send your pitch to space-editor@n2k.com and include your name, affiliation, and topic proposal. T-Minus is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © N2K Networks, Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

NASA is kicking off a formal environmental assessment of its facilities on Wallops Island, Virginia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Instagram now lets you post a secret Story; NASA is expanding its Wallops Island facility; Fisker stiffed the engineering firm developing its low-cost EV and pickup truck, lawsuit claims Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Show Notes: After graduation, Chris Ball spent his summer working in Cambridge before returning to Columbus, Ohio, where he began graduate school in physics at The Ohio State University. He worked with Professor Frank DeLuca, a world-renowned researcher in microwave spectroscopy. Chris' research focused on the microwave absorption of sulfur dioxide and its relationship to NASA's Microwave Limb Sounder instrument. Studying Interstellar Bands During his time at OSU, Chris collaborated with Professor Patrick Thaddeus from the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, who was looking to hire for a postdoc position. Chris moved back to Cambridge and worked in a lab in Somerville. He continued to do spectroscopy, but this time focused on long chains of carbon that don't occur naturally on Earth. These chains are unstable and are routinely observed in radio telescopes and optical telescopes. Chris and Thaddeus attempted to study the diffuse interstellar bands, which were optical features observed in telescope measurements that had never been explained over many years. They used laser spectroscopy to measure these bands and try to determine if any exotic carbon chains were responsible for them. Unfortunately, none of the exotic carbon chains were found, but the experience was rewarding. The Intersection of Science and Engineering After their first child was born, Chris and his family decided to move back to Columbus, Ohio, where he was offered a position at Battelle where his career began to focus on the intersection of science and engineering, specifically on developing sensor technologies and communications technologies. He worked on defense and security applications, such as detecting chemical and biological weapons, explosives, and narcotics. He also worked on pollution monitoring systems and handheld sensor technologies. Around  2015, Chris became disenchanted with Batel's strategic direction and started looking for alternatives. He found a similar job at Ohio State University's ElectroScience Laboratory, which focused on radar and communication systems. He left Batel, which coincided with his marriage falling apart. He moved offices, moved to an apartment, and started a consulting business. Working on the CubeSat Satellite at NASA Chris continued to focus on sensor and communication systems development. He was involved in a NASA program that built a CubeSat satellite, which was launched in 2018 from Wallops Island, Virginia, on a resupply mission to the International Space Station. The satellite went into orbit in July 2018. Chris discusses his exciting work in space, including developing sensors to detect toxic gasses and developing handheld infrared sensors for food and agricultural products. He is also working on an x-ray communication system, which uses X-rays as a carrier for wireless communications in space. In parallel with his work, he has a consulting company and has also discovered the joy of improv comedy, which he has been practicing for several months and now is part of an improv group called The Bunsen Burnouts. Interstellar Clouds and Molecules The discussion turns to interstellar clouds, and Chris explains what they are. There are many fundamental studies about the dynamics of molecules inside interstellar clouds and how they exist and might turn into stars in some regions. He also touches on the rotation of molecules, which is a fundamental discovery of quantum mechanics, and explains that, the transitions between rotational states in molecules are typically in the infrared part of the spectrum, while electronic transitions occur in the visible and ultraviolet part. However, molecules can also have bound atoms rotating, with quantized angular momentum and transitions corresponding to microwave frequencies. X ray Communications Research Chris talks about one of the projects he is proud of, X rays and the concept of wireless communications, which involve modulating a carrier frequency to transmit information. He explains that the idea of using X rays as a carrier and modulating them in some way came from discussions with NASA. NASA had a problem communicating with spacecraft during blackout periods when they enter the Earth's atmosphere. They developed a small X ray source that can be switched on and off quickly, allowing for about a gigahertz of bandwidth. This is better than current spaceborne optical systems, which can only transmit about a gigabyte of information per second. The team licensed this technology from NASA and applied its principles to X rays. X rays have significantly smaller wavelengths than optical systems, so they can propagate them much farther than optical systems. This could be advantageous for high data rate systems that can talk to Mars, as it would allow for interplanetary communication. Chris goes on to explain their process of research, feasibility of concepts, and demonstrating applicability.  Detecting Drugs and Toxic Chemicals  Chris has developed detectors for detecting drugs and toxic chemicals at extremely low concentrations and explains how these work. These detectors use microwave spectroscopy principles to measure gasses like formaldehyde in a low-pressure environment. The spectroscopic lines, which are sharp Gaussian distributions, are used to distinguish different gasses from each other and uniquely identify them. They achieve high sensitivity by making the lines taller and larger, and can be used in multipass configurations where the microwave beam passes through multiple times. This allows you to discriminate different gasses from each other and uniquely identify them like a fingerprint. Chris talks about a collaboration with his PhD advisor at Ohio State that led to the development of a mission adaptable chemical sensor funded by the Department of Defense. This sensor sucked in air and measured hundreds of different chemicals apart in a relatively short time. However, the technology is expensive due to the millimeter wave frequencies used in the microwave part of the system. The best available technologies cost around $60,000 for a transmitter and $50,000 for a receiver. This means that a $100,000 instrument is needed to buy the transmitter and receiver, along with all the electronics and pumps. Influential Harvard Professors and Courses Chris discusses their experiences at Harvard, focusing on the core curriculum courses and expository writing as the most valuable course he took. His advisor encouraged him to write a NASA fellowship proposal, which was well-written due to their expository writing skills. This experience has made him more valuable in various jobs, including red team reviews and proposal reviews for NASA and other funding agencies.  He also shares their experiences with math 22 and physics courses, and he mentions working at the high energy physics lab during their junior year and senior year, which was a valuable experience as they helped build a prototype muon detector system and perform measurements. Chris took advantage of opportunities to get involved with research while at Harvard, working at the high energy physics lab during the summer before his junior year and after his senior year. This experience allowed him to learn a lot about the science of expository writing and how to write effectively in academic settings. Timestamps:   01:03 Career path after Harvard graduation with a focus on physics research 06:04 Career progression from postdoc to industry to academia 10:39 Career changes, space research, and improv comedy 18:58 Interstellar clouds and molecular rotation 22:57 Wireless communication technologies and innovations 27:02 Using X-rays for high-speed communication in space 33:39 Developing infrared detectors for space applications with a focus on sensitivity and accuracy 39:16 Chemical sensing technology and its applications 45:36 Writing tips and research experiences at Harvard   Links: ElectroScience Laboratory: https://electroscience.osu.edu/ Page at OSU: https://electroscience.osu.edu/people/ball.51 Email address: ballc92@gmail.com

The 59-foot-tall rocket will carry two satellites designed to capture high-resolution images of Earth.

The latest private company to venture into space has launched a rocket from Virginia’s Wallops Island for the first time. And the Commonwealth is considering a new series of roadside historical markers to commemorate the iconic Green Book. Those have been among the most read stories over the past week at the Virginia Public Access Project’s […]

Rocket Lab has made it to U.S. soil, successfully launching three Hawkeye 360 satellites from NASA's Wallops Island. A first-of-its-kind mission for the startup, Morgan speaks with Rocket Lab CEO about the launch business, the latest in the space stock downturn and, of course, Venus.

Rocket Lab has made it to U.S. soil, successfully launching three Hawkeye 360 satellites from NASA's Wallops Island. A first-of-its-kind mission for the startup, Morgan speaks with Rocket Lab CEO about the launch business, the latest in the space stock downturn and, of course, Venus.

Caleb Henry of Quilty Analytics and I took a trip down to Wallops Island to watch Rocket Lab's first Electron launch from the US. Listen to our conversation on the drive down to Virginia, a bit of me at the press site before launch, and the launch itself in wonderful stereo audio.This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 43 executive producers—Simon, Kris, Pat, Matt, Jorge, Ryan, Donald, Lee, Chris, Warren, Bob, Russell, Moritz, Joel, Jan, David, Joonas, Robb, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Frank, Julian, Lars from Agile Space, Matt, The Astrogators at SEE, Chris, Fred, Hemant, Dawn Aerospace, Andrew, Harrison, Benjamin, SmallSpark Space Systems, Tyler, Steve, Theo and Violet, and seven anonymous—and 826 other supporters.TopicsTwitter thread of our tripMain Engine Cut Off, Spacey Space: “Pretty great day trip down to Wallops to see the Rocket Lab flight! Electron really has a kick, I was impressed. Beautiful and delicate second stage plume, too. A+++++ would do again.”Caleb Henry (@CHenry_QA) / TwitterQuilty Analytics (@QuiltyAnalytics) / TwitterQuilty AnalyticsRocket Lab Debut Launch from LC-2 - 'Virginia Is For Launch Lovers' - YouTubeRocket Lab Successfully Launches First Electron Mission from U.S. Soil | Rocket LabRocket Lab launches first Electron from Virginia - SpaceNewsThe ShowLike the show? Support the show!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterMusic by Max JustusArtwork photo by SpaceX

Photo: No known restrictions on publication. @Batchelorshow #RocketLab: Heading to Wallops Island. Bob Zimmerman BehindtheBlack.com https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/rocket-lab-sets-date-for-1st-launch-from-wallops/

October 28, 2014, in what would be the first of two spacecraft incidents to end October, an Antares rocket explodes seconds after launching.  Was this an unforeseeable accident or the consequence of a mistake that could have happened more than 40 years earlier? Photo Credit NASA Paypal  https://paypal.me/rondafjefferson?country.x=US&locale.x=en_US   Buy Me a Coffee https://www.buymeacoffee.com/rondajeffe9 DangerinDelaware@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/DangeronDelmarva  or search for @dangerondelmarva on Facebook https://twitter.com/DangeronD?s=09 Danger on Delmarva - YouTube   Podcast: Mystifyingly Missing, True Crime & Thought-provoking Events Link: https://anchor.fm/frani-jefferson  MystifyinglyMissing@gmail.com Mystifyingly Missing - YouTube     Sources:   Unmanned U.S. Rocket Explodes During Liftoff - The Atlantic Videos taken by spectator and photographer in helicopter   NASA shares new photos of Antares rocket explosion during Wallops Island launch Video and Photo   Barrier Islands - Map and storm surge chart.    Dramatic Photos Show Antares Rocket Explosion Like You've Never Seen It Before - ABC News   Photos   Who Responds When a Rocket Explodes? - The Antares Incident at Wallops Flight Facility Facility Layout, History of Wallop's Flight Facility Fire Department   Intense Antares Rocket Explosion Shown in Newly Released NASA Photos | Space   Comparison of orbital launch systems - Wikipedia   Antares (rocket) - Wikipedia   Launch failed: Antares rocket explodes just seconds after liftoff, investigation underway - The Washington Post   Antares Rocket Explosion Leaves Questions and Dead Mosquito Eggs - The New York Times   Wallops Flight Facility | NASA   Orbital Sciences Corp. investigates rocket-launch failure at Wallops Island, Va. - The Washington Post   Wallops Island takes stock of damage after rocket explosion – Baltimore Sun Cygnus Orb-3 - Wikipedia   Wallops Island - Wikipedia   Wallops Island National Wildlife Refuge - Wikipedia   Launch Schedule – Spaceflight Now   NK-33 - Wikipedia   Cygnus NG-18 - Wikipedia   Aerojet Rocketdyne Takes Loss on AJ-26 Engine Problems - SpaceNews Why Do Rockets Need Stages? The Quest to Build a Single Stage to Orbit (SSTO) - Universe Today Doomed Antares Rocket Powered by Refurbished Soviet Engines Aerojet's AJ26 Engines Ignite Successful Antares(TM) Stage Test Hot Fire

A Virginia congressman is hoping that NASA might be able to raise some extra money to help fund infrastructure on Wallops Island. Michael Pope reports.

NASA history file film about its Wallops Island launch facility. Show notes available in the post at https://coyote.works/2021/Wallops.html.

NASA and Northrop Grumman are targeting 5:56 pm EDT, Tuesday, Aug 10 for the company's 16th commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station. Live coverage of the launch from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Wallops Island, Virginia, will air on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agency's website beginning at 5:30 pm. Loaded with more than 8,200 pounds of research, crew supplies, and hardware, Northrop Grumman's Cygnus cargo spacecraft will launch on the company's Antares rocket from Virginia Space's Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport. The Cygnus spacecraft, dubbed the SS Ellison Onizuka in honor of the first Asian American... For the written story, read here >> https://www.signalsaz.com/articles/nasa-tv-coverage-set-for-next-international-space-station-cargo-launch/

Rocket Lab is due to launch a US Space Force satellite from the Mahia Peninsula today. The mission to send an experimental research and development satellite into low Earth orbit is in partnership with the US's Department of Defence. The launch was originally slated for lift-off from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport on NASA's Wallops Island in Virginia. It has been moved to near Gisborne while NASA adjusts its launch software at the spaceport. New Zealand Space Agency head Peter Crabtree spoke to Susie Ferguson.

Rocket Lab is due to launch a US Space Force satellite from the Mahia Peninsula today. The mission to send an experimental research and development satellite into low Earth orbit is in partnership with the US's Department of Defence. The launch was originally slated for lift-off from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport on NASA's Wallops Island in Virginia. It has been moved to near Gisborne while NASA adjusts its launch software at the spaceport. New Zealand Space Agency head Peter Crabtree spoke to Susie Ferguson.

 Click to listen to episode (4:11) Sections below are the following:Transcript of AudioAudio Notes and AcknowledgmentsImagesExtra InformationSourcesRelated Water Radio EpisodesFor Virginia Teachers (Relevant SOLs, etc.) Unless otherwise noted, all Web addresses mentioned were functional as of 1-8-21. TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO From the Cumberland Gap to the Atlantic Ocean, this is Virginia Water Radio for the week of January 11, 2021. SOUND - ~6 sec This week, rain and thunder open an episode about the recurrence in 2020 of a record-breaking rainy year in parts of Virginia.  We set the stage with some music using rain imagery and metaphors.  Have a listen for about 30 seconds. MUSIC  - ~30 sec – Lyrics: “Buy for me the rain, my darlin’, buy for me the rain.  Buy for me the crystal pools that fall upon the plain.  And I’ll buy for you a rainbow and a million pots of gold.  Buy it for me now, babe, before I am too old.” You’ve been listening to part of “Buy For Me The Rain,” performed by the Andrew and Noah VanNorstrand Band.  For much of 2020 throughout Virginia, there was no need to “buy” any rain, because it fell in amounts well above normal.  2020 was the second year in the past three that annual total precipitation—that is, rainfall plus the water equivalent of frozen precipitation—far exceeded normal values across Virginia.  The current normal values are based on observations from 1981 to 2010. This past year was a rapid follow-up to the extraordinarily wet year of 2018, when five National Weather Service observation locations in Virginia set all-time annual precipitation records.  2020 didn’t quite equal that soaker year, but still in the past 12 months, two Weather Service locations—Lynchburg and Roanoke—set records, as they both also did in 2018.  At 12 Weather Service locations across the Commonwealth, 2020 amounts were at least about 8 inches above the normal values, which range across the state from around 40 inches in southwest Virginia to over 46 inches in Norfolk.  The Lynchburg site in 2020 was more than 28 inches above its normal, and the Roanoke site was more than 21 inches above. When it comes to what Virginia gained this past year in rainfall, and the resulting additions to surface water and groundwater supplies, the Commonwealth definitely got its money’s worth. Thanks to Andrew VanNorstrand for permission to use part of his band’s version of “Buy For Me The Rain.”  We close with some more music, with a title that’s just right for Virginia’s rapid repeat of a rainy year.  Here’s about 15 seconds of “Rain Refrain,” by Torrin Hallett, a graduate student at Lamont School of Music in Denver. MUSIC  - ~17 sec – instrumental SHIP’S BELL Virginia Water Radio is produced by the Virginia Water Resources Research Center, part of Virginia Tech’s College of Natural Resources and Environment.  For more Virginia water sounds, music, or information, visit us online at virginiawaterradio.org, or call the Water Center at (540) 231-5624.  Thanks to Ben Cosgrove for his version of “Shenandoah” to open and close the show.  In Blacksburg, I’m Alan Raflo, thanking you for listening, and wishing you health, wisdom, and good water. AUDIO NOTES AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The rain and thunder sounds were recorded by Virginia Water Radio in Blacksburg, Va., on September 28, 2016. The version of “Buy For Me The Rain” from the 2012 album “Andrew and Noah Band” on Great Bear Records is copyright by Andrew and Noah VanNorstrand, used with permission of Andrew VanNorstrand.  The song was written by Steve Noonan and Greg Copeland (Warner-Tamerlane, BMI); more information about releases of this song is available online at https://secondhandsongs.com/work/119556/all.  More information about Andrew and Noah VanNorstrand is available online at https://andrewandnoah.bandcamp.com/.  This music was used previously by Virginia Water Radio in Episode 532, 7-6-20. “Rain Refrain” is copyright 2016 by Torrin Hallett, used with permission.  Click here if you’d like to hear the full piece (43 seconds).  Torrin is a 2018 graduate of Oberlin College and Conservatory in Oberlin, Ohio, and a 2020 graduate in Horn Performance from Manhattan School of Music in New York.  As of 2020-21, he is a performance certificate candidate at the Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver.  More information about Torrin is available online at https://www.facebook.com/torrin.hallett.  Thanks to Torrin for composing the piece especially for Virginia Water Radio.  This music was used previously by Virginia Water Radio most recently in Episode 480, 7-8-19, on water cycle diagrams.  Following are other music pieces composed by Torrin for Virginia Water Radio, with episodes featuring the music. “A Little Fright Music” – used in Episode 548, 10-26-20, on water-related passages in fiction and non-fiction, for Halloween.“Beetle Ballet” – used in Episode 525, 5-18-20, on aquatic beetles.“Chesapeake Bay Ballad” – used in Episode 537, 8-10-20, on conditions in the Chesapeake Bay.“Corona Cue” – used in Episode 517, 3-23-20, on the coronavirus pandemic. “Geese Piece” – used most recently in Episode 440, 10-1-18, on E-bird. “Ice Dance” – used in Episode 556, 12-21-20, on how organisms survive freezing temperatures.“Lizard Lied” – used in Episode 514, 3-2-20, on lizards. “New Year’s Water” – used in Episode 349, 1-2-17, on the New Year. “Spider Strike” – used in Episode 523, 5-4-20, on fishing spiders.“Tropical Tantrum” – used most recently in Episode 489, 9-9-19, on storm surge and Hurricane Dorian.“Tundra Swan Song – used in Episode 554, 12-7-20, on Tundra Swans.“Turkey Tune” – used in Episode 343, 11-21-16, on the Wild Turkey. Click here if you’d like to hear the full version (2 min./22 sec.) of the “Shenandoah” arrangement/performance by Ben Cosgrove that opens and closes this episode.  More information about Mr. Cosgrove is available online at http://www.bencosgrove.com. IMAGESShown below are the preliminary maps of Virginia precipitation approximately for 2020 (actually January 5, 2020, through January 4, 2021) from the High Plains Regional Climate Center, online at https://hprcc.unl.edu/maps.php?map=ACISClimateMaps.  The maps show total precipitation (in inches), departure from normal precipitation (also in inches), and percent of normal precipitation for the 12-month period ending January 4, 2021. EXTRA INFORMATION ABOUT VIRGINIA PRECIPITATION IN 2020 The table below has details on precipitation in 2020 at 10 National Weather Service (NWS) observation locations in or adjacent to Virginia.  The information in the table is from the following sources: “Observed Weather/Annual Climate Report” from the Blacksburg, Va., National Weather Service Forecast Offices, online at https://w2.weather.gov/climate/index.php?wfo=rnk, for Blacksburg, Bluefield, Danville, Lynchburg, and Roanoke; “Observed Weather/Annual Climate Report” from the Morristown, Tenn., National Weather Service Forecast Office, online at https://w2.weather.gov/climate/index.php?wfo=mrx, for Bristol; “Local Data/Records/Top 10 List Precipitation” from the Wakefield, Va., National Weather Service Forecast Office, online at https://w2.weather.gov/climate/local_data.php?wfo=akq, for Norfolk and Richmond; “Local Data/Records/Washington Monthly Precipitation (since 1871)” and “Dulles Monthly Precipitation (since 1960)” online at https://w2.weather.gov/climate/local_data.php?wfo=lwx, for Reagan National Airport and Washington Dulles Airport. [Information not found for Charlottesville and Wallops Island.] According to the NWS, as of January 2021 precipitation values from 2020 are still preliminary; that is, they haven’t undergone final quality control by the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC, now called the National Centers for Environmental Information) and therefore are subject to revision.  Final, certified climate data are available from online at http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov.  Normal values currently used by the NWS are based on the period from 1981 to 2010.  The NCDC released these normal values in July 2011.  For information on the normal values, see the “Climate Normals” Web page at http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/data-access/land-based-station-data/land-based-datasets/climate-normals. 2020 Precipitation Compared to Normal Values at 12 Virginia Locations R = record annual high for the given location. Location notes1 - The Bluefield location is the Mercer County, W. Va., airport, near the Va.-W.Va. state line.2 - The Bristol location is the Tri-Cities Airport in Tennessee, about 20 miles from Bristol, Va./Tenn.3 - The current Washington, D.C., location is Reagan National Airport is in Arlington County, Va.4 - Wallops Island is in Accomack County, Va.5 - Washington-Dulles Airport is in Loudoun County, Va. SOURCES Used for Audio Ian Livingston, Dozens of sites in the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest have already logged their wettest year on record, Washington Post, 11/28/18. National Weather Service, “Snow Water Equivalent and Depth Information,” online at https://www.weather.gov/marfc/Snow. National Weather Service Forecast Office Web sites: *Baltimore-Washington, online at https://w2.weather.gov/climate/index.php?wfo=lwx), for Charlottesville, Washington-Dulles Airport in Loudoun County, and Washington-Reagan National Airport in Arlington County;*Blacksburg, Va., online at https://w2.weather.gov/climate/index.php?wfo=rnk, for Blacksburg, Bluefield, Danville, Lynchburg, and Roanoke;*Morristown, Tenn., online at https://w2.weather.gov/climate/index.php?wfo=mrx, for the Tri-Cities Airport, about 20 miles from Bristol, Va.-Tenn.;*Wakefield, Va., online at https://w2.weather.gov/climate/index.php?wfo=akq, for Norfolk, Richmond, and Wallops Island (Accomack County). Jason Samenow and Ian Livingston, Drenched city: 2018 is now Washington’s wettest year ever recorded, Washington Post, 12/15/18. U.S. Drought Monitor, “Tabular Data Archive/Virginia,” online at https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/Data/DataTables.aspx?state,VA. U.S. Geological Survey, “Virginia Active Water Level Network,” online at https://groundwaterwatch.usgs.gov/statemap.asp?sc=51&sa=VA. U.S. Geological Survey, “Water Watch/Virginia/Streamflow Time Series Plot,” online at https://waterwatch.usgs.gov/index.php?id=real&sid=w__plot&r=va. For More Information about Precipitation in Virginia and Elsewhere Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network (CoCoRaHaS), “Virginia Daily Precipitation Reports,” online at http://www.cocorahs.org/state.aspx?state=va. High Plains Regional Climate Center, online at https://hprcc.unl.edu/maps.php?map=ACISClimateMaps).  This site provides maps of total precipitation and percent of normal precipitation for various periods of time going back five years.  Virginia is in the Southeast region.National Weather Service/Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service, online at http://water.weather.gov/precip/.  This site offers maps of precipitation nationwide or by state, with capability to show county boundaries, and archives available for specific days, months, or years. National Weather Service/Hydrometeorological Design Studies Center, “NOAA Atlas 14 Point Precipitation Frequency Estimates: Va.,” online at http://hdsc.nws.noaa.gov/hdsc/pfds/pfds_map_cont.html?bkmrk=va. National Weather Service/Storm Prediction Center, online at http://www.spc.noaa.gov/climo/online/.  This site provides daily maps and text for preliminary reports of severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, and hail. U.S. Climate Data, “Climate Virginia,” online at https://www.usclimatedata.com/climate/virginia/united-states/3216. Virginia Water Central News Grouper, “Virginia Water Status Report” monthly posts on precipitation and other water status aspects in Virginia, online at https://vawatercentralnewsgrouper.wordpress.com/?s=Virginia+Water+Status. RELATED VIRGINIA WATER RADIO EPISODES All Water Radio episodes are listed by category at the Index link above (http://www.virginiawaterradio.org/p/index.html).  See particularly the “Weather/Climate/Natural Disasters” subject category.

In this episode of How We Got Here – the history of one of Richmond’s most glamorous and ritzy places to stay, the Jefferson Hotel. And, what you didn’t learn about Bacon’s rebellion in high school history class. We’ll take you inside a catastrophic disaster at NASA’s Wallops Island facility as a rocket headed for the International Space Station explodes just seconds after liftoff. Finally, the day British General Charles Cornwallis is suddenly paroled and allowed to sail back to Britain after his surrender at Yorktown.

Dale Nash is CEO and executive director of Virginia Space, owner and operator of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport at Wallops Island on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. VEDP President and CEO Stephen Moret spoke with Nash about the mission and history of Virginia Space and the opportunities for commercial space flight at Wallops.

Peter Beck is CEO, CTO, and founder of Rocket Lab, a private space company with commercial launch sites in New Zealand and at Wallops Island on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. VEDP Executive Vice President Jason El Koubi spoke with Beck about Rocket Lab’s evolution, its decision to locate in Virginia, and the future of commercial space flight.

Northrop Grumman is preparing for lift off from Wallops Island in Virginia.

Well, here we come, waltzing down the street, getting hot and sweaty, with all this humidity. Hey hey we’re the Nerds yeah, and people say we look kind of funny, particularly Buck the big Boomer. Haha, admit it, you started to sing that in to the Monkey’s theme tune didn’t you, if not you just went back and tried it. We this week we bring you another awesome episode to listen to while you rest in the shade and enjoy a breeze on the long weekend.First up we are taking flight with Buck, Toyota, and Joby. No, Joby is not a new host, it is an aviation company that Toyota is investing in to increase its presence in the transport arena. Also this is the next step to having vehicles like in the Jetsons. Check out the drawings in the link, a tilt-engine vehicle that looks like a cross between a drone and a helicopter. This is seriously cool. Also while looking around at all the different transport tech news Buck also found some artists renderings of potential vehicles for space travel from Lexus. Wait till you hear what Buck and Professor think one of them looks like. Which is your favorite option?Next up DJ has a story about the Producers Guild Awards, in particular 1917. Want to know what movies won which awards, listen in. Also you can hear about the movie 1917, with some of the various story plot points to look out for. For those unfamiliar with it 1917 is a movie set in World War One. It is the story of a soldier and his friend trying to save the lives of 1600 British troops. There are some funny parts, but it is a moving drama based on stories told by the Grand Father of the Director Sam Mendes. DJ has also asked for your predictions for the Oscars and who you think should be nominated and win, so let us know on either: Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.Next up we have Professor bringing us an update on the saga of Crytek and CIG (Star Citizen). Would you believe that so far CIG have spent over $900,000 on this legal matter? Yep, for the company started on kickstarter and now sells space fleets for $27000 they are really going hard. Want to know what has happened then listen in. As usual we have all the shout outs, remembrances, birthdays, and events of interest. Until next week, please remember to take care of yourselves, look out for each other, and stay hydrated.Toyota joins Joby Aviation - https://www.technology.org/2020/01/17/toyota-is-joining-forces-with-the-leader-of-commercial-evtol-technology-electric-air-taxis-are-coming/Lexus brings us drawing of Moon/space vehicles - https://www.engadget.com/2020/01/18/lexus-moon-space-vehicles/‘1917’ Becomes Oscar Front-Runner After Producers Guild Win - https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/19/movies/1917-producers-guild-america-award.htmlCrytek vs Star Citizen an update - https://www.reddit.com/r/Games/comments/eqedb8/crytek_vs_star_citizens42_update_cigs_response_to/Does Google Stadia Stink like old socks? - https://www.businessinsider.com.au/google-stadia-early-adopters-giving-up-2020-1?utm_source=reddit.com&r=US&IR=TGames PlayedProfessor– Steamworld - http://imageform.se/game/steamworld-dig/Rating: 4/5Buck– Thunder Run: War of Clans - https://www.facebook.com/ThunderRunWarOfClans/?epa=SEARCH_BOXRating: 3/5DJ– Darwin Project - https://store.steampowered.com/app/544920/Darwin_Project/?fbclid=IwAR0Sp5FnKYv9vrxu9FdrXRH5PLWk4rooNt8vIqMEPAnx3GvOjU-Ob8cGZxcRating: 4/5Other topics discussedJoby Aviation (American venture-backed aerospace company and developer of VTOL personal air vehicles designed for air taxi services)- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joby_AviationNine News Australia - Mates go fishing from drone towed deck chair- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LLx8JKCrhMFederal Aviation Administration (FAA) (governmental body of the United States with powers to regulate all aspects of civil aviation in that nation as well as over its surrounding international waters.)- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Aviation_AdministrationCivil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) (Australian national authority for the regulation of civil aviation.)- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_Aviation_Safety_AuthorityThe Verge: Uber’s air taxis will resemble nice helicopters on the inside-https://www.theverge.com/2019/6/11/18661129/uber-air-taxi-cabin-interior-elevate-helicopterWant to escape Sao Paulo's traffic? Take a flying taxi- https://phys.org/news/2017-07-sao-paulo-traffic-taxi.htmlChina Daily: Market for air taxis set to take off-https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201910/15/WS5da5c483a310cf3e35570a5a.htmlBig Yellow Taxi (song written, composed, and originally recorded by Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell in 1970, and originally released on her album Ladies of the Canyon.)- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Yellow_TaxiMore details on Lexus’s concept drawings on space vehicles- https://pressroom.lexus.com/lexus-creates-moon-mobility-concept-sketch-for-lunar-design-portfolio/James May contemplating retirement- https://www.ladbible.com/entertainment/celebrity-james-may-talks-about-quitting-the-grand-tour-as-hes-falling-apart-2019123131st Producers Guild of America Awards (honoring the best film and television producers of 2019)- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/31st_Producers_Guild_of_America_AwardsWar Horse (2011 American war drama film directed and co-produced by Steven Spielberg from a screenplay written by Lee Hall and Richard Curtis, based on Michael Morpurgo's 1982 novel of the same name and its 2007 play adaptation.)- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_Horse_(film)World War I (also known as the First World War or the Great War, contemporaneously described as "the war to end all wars".)- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_IDad’s Army (BBC sitcom about the British militia called the Home Guard during the Second World War.)- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dad%27s_ArmyDoomsday Clock: 100 seconds before midnight.- https://edition.cnn.com/2020/01/24/opinions/doomsday-clock-emergency-moon-robinson-brown-perry/index.html1917 (2019 British-American epic war film directed, co-written, and produced by Sam Mendes. Filming took place in England and Scotland, with cinematographer Roger Deakins and editor Lee Smith using long takes to have the entire film appear as two continuous shots.) (CONTAINS SPOILERS)- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1917_(2019_film)Dunkirk (2017 war film written, directed, and produced by Christopher Nolan that depicts the Dunkirk evacuation of World War II.)- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunkirk_(2017_film)92nd Academy Awards (presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), will honour the best films of 2019)- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/92nd_Academy_AwardsJeff Bezos (American internet and aerospace entrepreneur, media proprietor, and investor. Best known as the founder, chief executive officer, and president of Amazon.)- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_BezosJeff Bezos’ divorce worth $35 billion- https://www.forbes.com/sites/noahkirsch/2019/04/04/bezos-by-far-the-5-largest-billionaire-divorces-in-history/#69fadb806870CryEngine (game engine designed by the German game developer Crytek.)- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CryEngineAmazon Lumberyard (free cross-platform game engine developed by Amazon and based on CryEngine, which was licensed from Crytek in 2015.)- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_Lumberyardjacksepticeye & Google Stadia- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iW-hfrqmMlwGoogle Glass (simply Glass, is a brand of smart glasses—an optical head-mounted display designed in the shape of a pair of eyeglasses.)- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_GlassKilled by Google (Killed by Google is the Google Graveyard. A full list of dead products killed by Google in the Google Cemetery.)- https://killedbygoogle.com/PlayStation will not be in E3 2020- https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-01-11-playstation-will-not-participate-in-e3-2020Steam controller (game controller developed by Valve for use with personal computers running Steam on Windows,macOS,Linux,smartphones or SteamOS.)- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_ControllerSnow overtakes Canadian home- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bub7FY8UYh0Floof & Pupper (TNC Podcast)- https://thatsnotcanon.com/floofandpupperpodcastEverybody Wants To Be A Cat (TNC Podcast)- https://thatsnotcanon.com/everybodywantstobeacatShout Outs- 21 January 2020 – Terry Jones - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_JonesTerry Jones died on 21 January 2020 from complications of dementia at his home in Highgate, north London. Jones was a Welsh actor, writer, comedian, screenwriter, film director and historian. He was a member of the Monty Python comedy team.After graduating from Oxford University with a degree in English, Jones and writing partner Michael Palin (whom he met at Oxford) wrote and performed for several high-profile British comedy programmes, including Do Not Adjust Your Set and The Frost Report, before creating Monty Python's Flying Circus with Cambridge graduates Eric Idle, John Cleese, Graham Chapman, and American animator/filmmaker Terry Gilliam. Jones was largely responsible for the programme's innovative, surreal structure, in which sketches flowed from one to the next without the use of punchlines. He made his directorial debut with the team's film, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, which he co-directed with Gilliam, and also directed the subsequent Python films Life of Brian and The Meaning of Life.Jones co-created and co-wrote with Palin the anthology series Ripping Yarns. He also wrote an early draft of Jim Henson's 1986 film Labyrinth, though little of his work remained in the final cut. Jones was a well-respected medieval historian, having written several books and presented television documentaries about the period, as well as a prolific children's book author. In 2016, Jones received a Lifetime Achievement award at the BAFTA Cymru Awards for his outstanding contribution to television and film. After living for several years with a degenerative aphasia, he gradually lost the ability to speak and died on 21 January 2020 from frontotemporal dementia.- 19 January 2020 – SNOWMAGEDDON - https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/19/snowmageddon-cleanup-begins-after-record-newfoundland-stormMassive snow fall during epic blizzard swallows entire towns in Canada in a record breaking event- 19 January 2020 – SpaceX successful mission abort test - https://www.space.com/spacex-crew-dragon-launch-abort-test-success.htmlSpaceX just took a giant leap forward in its quest to launch astronauts. The private spaceflight company intentionally destroyed one of its rockets on Sunday (Jan. 19) as part of a crucial test of its new Crew Dragon capsule's launch escape system.- 21 January 2020 – Cyclist saves Doggo - https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/world/heart-warming-moment-a-cyclist-carries-a-dog-to-safety-on-his-back-after-finding-the-abandoned-pooch-dehydrated-in-the-middle-of-a-road/ar-BBZa7c3This is the moment a cyclist in racing gear carries a dog on his back after finding the animal abandoned and severely dehydrated in the middle of the road. The incident was filmed in the southern Argentine province of Rio Negro and the footage was shared on Facebook by 'Marican Team' where it has been viewed over 600,000 times. In the footage, a man in cycling gear is seen carrying the large black and white dog slung across his back as he pedals along the road.Remembrances- 21 January 1793 – Execution of Louis XVI - https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/king-louis-xvi-executedOne day after being convicted of conspiracy with foreign powers and sentenced to death by the French National Convention, King Louis XVI is executed by guillotine in the Place de la Revolution in Paris.- 21 January 1950 – George Orwell - https://www.onthisday.com/people/george-orwellDied: January 21, 1950 (aged 46) Cause of Death: Burst pulmonary arteryEric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950), better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English novelist and essayist, journalist and critic. His work is characterised by lucid prose, awareness of social injustice, opposition to totalitarianism, and outspoken support of democratic socialism.As a writer, Orwell produced literary criticism and poetry, fiction and polemical journalism; and is best known for the allegorical novella Animal Farm (1945) and the dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949). His non-fiction works, including The Road to Wigan Pier (1937), documenting his experience of working-class life in the north of England, and Homage to Catalonia (1938), an account of his experiences soldiering for the Republican faction of the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939), are as critically respected as his essays on politics and literature, language and culture. In 2008, The Times ranked George Orwell second among "The 50 greatest British writers since 1945".Orwell's work remains influential in popular culture and in political culture, and the adjective "Orwellian" – describing totalitarian and authoritarian social practices – is part of the English language, like many of his neologisms, such as "Big Brother", "Thought Police", and "Hate week", "Room 101", the "memory hole", and "Newspeak", "doublethink" and "proles", "unperson" and "thoughtcrime".- 21 January 1926 – Camillo Golgi - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camillo_GolgiGolgi and the Spanish biologist Santiago Ramón y Cajal were jointly given the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1906 "in recognition of their work on the structure of the nervous system". Camillo Golgi was an Italian biologist and pathologist known for his works on the central nervous system. He studied medicine at the University of Pavia between 1860 and 1868 under the tutelage of Cesare Lombroso. Inspired by pathologist Giulio Bizzozero, he pursued research in the nervous system. Italian physician and pathologist who won the Nobel Prize in Medicine with Santiago Ramón y Cajal in recognition of their work on the structure of the nervous system.Famous Birthdays- 21 January 1953 – Paul Allen was born in Seattle Washington https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_AllenPaul Gardner Allen (January 21, 1953 – October 15, 2018) was an American business magnate, researcher, investor, and philanthropist. He is best known for co-founding Microsoft Corporation with childhood friend Bill Gates in 1975, which helped spark the microcomputer revolution of the 1970s and 1980s and became the world's largest personal computer software company. Allen was ranked as the 44th-wealthiest person in the world by Forbes in 2018, with an estimated net worth of $20.3 billion at the time of his death.- 21 January 1869 – Grigori Rasputin - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grigori_RasputinGrigori Yefimovich Rasputin (/ræˈspjuːtɪn/;[1] Russian: Григорий Ефимович Распутин [ɡrʲɪˈɡorʲɪj jɪˈfʲiməvʲɪtɕ rɐˈsputʲɪn]; 21 January [O.S. 9 January] 1869 – 30 December [O.S. 17 December] 1916) was a Russian mystic and self-proclaimed holy man who befriended the family of Emperor Nicholas II, the last monarch of Russia, and gained considerable influence in late imperial Russia.Born to a peasant family in the Siberian village of Pokrovskoye in the Tyumensky Uyezd of Tobolsk Governorate (now Yarkovsky District of Tyumen Oblast), Rasputin had a religious conversion experience after taking a pilgrimage to a monastery in 1897. He has been described as a monk or as a "strannik" (wanderer, or pilgrim), though he held no official position in the Russian Orthodox Church. After traveling to St. Petersburg, either in 1903 or the winter of 1904–05, Rasputin captivated some church and social leaders. He became a society figure, and met the Tsar in November 1905.- 20 January 1934 – Tom Baker – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_BakerThomas Stewart Baker is an English actor and writer. He is well known for his portrayal of the fourth incarnation of the Doctor in the science fiction series Doctor Who from 1974 to 1981, a longer tenure than any other actor in the title role, and provided narration in the television comedy series Little Britain. WikipediaBorn: 20 January 1934 (age 86 years), Liverpool, United KingdomHeight: 1.91 mEvents of Interest- 21 January 1981 - Rocket Labs launch successfully reaches orbit - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocket_LabOn 21 January 2018 at 01:43 UTC, their second rocket on a flight named "Still Testing" launched, reached orbit and deployed three CubeSats for customers Planet Labs and Spire Global. The rocket also carried an additional satellite payload called Humanity Star, a 1-meter-wide (3 ft) carbon fiber geodesic sphere made up of 65 panels that reflect the Sun's light. Humanity Star re-entered Earth's atmosphere and burned up in March 2018. On 11 November 2018, the first commercial launch (third launch in total) of Electron occurred from Mahia Peninsula carrying satellites for Spire Global, GeoOptics, a CubeSat built by high school students, and a prototype of a dragsail.- 21 January 1981 - DeLorean 25 anniversary - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DMC_DeLoreanThroughout production the car was generally unchanged, although minor modifications were made to such parts as the hood and wheels. The first production car was completed on January 21, 1981. About 9,000 DeLoreans were made before production halted in late December 1982.In 2007, about 6,500 DeLorean cars were thought to still exist.- 21 January 1960 - Little Joe 1B - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Joe_1BThe Little Joe 1B was a launch escape system test of the Mercury spacecraft, conducted as part of the U.S. Mercury program. The mission also carried a female rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta) named Miss Sam in the Mercury spacecraft. The mission was launched January 21, 1960, from Wallops Island, Virginia. The Little Joe 1B flew to an apogee of 9.3 statute miles (15.0 km) and a range of 11.7 miles (18.9 km) out to sea. Miss Sam survived the 8 minute 35 second flight in good condition. The spacecraft was recovered by a Marine helicopter and returned to Wallops Island within about 45 minutes. Miss Sam was one of many monkeys used in space travel research.IntroArtist – Goblins from MarsSong Title – Super Mario - Overworld Theme (GFM Trap Remix)Song Link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GNMe6kF0j0&index=4&list=PLHmTsVREU3Ar1AJWkimkl6Pux3R5PB-QJFollow Us OnFacebook- Page - https://www.facebook.com/NerdsAmalgamated/- Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/440485136816406/Twitter - https://twitter.com/NAmalgamatedSpotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/6Nux69rftdBeeEXwD8GXrSiTunes - https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/top-shelf-nerds/id1347661094RSS - http://www.thatsnotcanonproductions.com/topshelfnerdspodcast?format=rssInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/nerds_amalgamated/General EnquiriesEmail - Nerds.Amalgamated@gmail.comRate & Review us on Podchaser - https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/nerds-amalgamated-623195

Launch provider Rocket Lab has opened the doors on LC-2, its first launch facility in the U.S., adding capacity and versatility for providing trips to orbit. And LC-2 already has its first customer: the U.S. Air Force's Space Test Program. The company had a little shindig today at the facility, located on Wallops Island in Virginia — home to NASA's Wallops Flight Facility as well.

EPISODE 2 – In this episode we interview Peter Beck, the founder and chief executive of Rocket Lab. Since founding the business in 2006, Peter has grown Rocket Lab to become a globally recognized industry leader in space and a billion-dollar company employing world-class engineers and technicians. Peter established Rocket Lab’s Electron orbital launch program...

Join hosts Erik Kuna and John Kraus for a discussion of our travels to Wallops Island, Virginia for the Northrop Grumman Antares launch of a resupply mission to the International Space Station on November 2nd, 2019. Learn why we chose to shoot the launch from an off-site location, go in-depth regarding our remote camera coverage, review our successes and failures, and more.Support the show (http://www.patreon.com/johnkrausphotos)

An International Space Station Resupply Mission is scheduled to launch from Wallops Island, Virginia, at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS). It will transport 8,200 lbs of research, crew supplies, and hardware to the six-person crew on the ISS. The craft arrives at ISS at 4:30 am on Monday. We bid adieu to Daylight Saving Time when we shift our clocks back one hour at 2:00 am on Sunday, November 3rd. Next – we mark the earliest sunset in early December. Take advantage of the earlier nightfall: Jupiter and Saturn are still available to be seen in the southwest after sunset, Venus rising out of the west as well. Mars has the pre-dawn sky now.

Welcome to Observing With Webb, where a high school astronomy teacher tells you what you’re looking at, why it’s so cool, and what you should check out later this month…at night.  Don’t forget to check out my Podbean page, YouTube Channel, and Twitter feed, or get my podcast feed on Stitcher, or iTunes. April is fairly non-eventful, except for the annual Lyrid meteor shower and some good close encounters between the Moon and Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, and at least one rocket launch.   Naked-eye PLANETS... Around Sunset – Mars (W) until 10:30pm Throughout the night – None Morning –Venus (E), Saturn (S), Jupiter (SSW)   Mercury Not easily visible this month. Venus Venus is getting harder and harder to see, as it gets closer to the Sun from our perspective. You’ll have to look low on the Eastern horizon about an hour before sunrise up until sunrise. It will be the only or brightest point of light in that direction. Mars Mars is already in the W around sunset and setting a little after 10:30 each night, which gives you less time, given the later and later sunset. Moves through Taurus. Dimmer, but still brighter and redder than its surroundings. Jupiter Rising between 1am and 11:30pm, Jupiter will be very bright in the morning, off to the SSW, only about 20˚ high. Saturn Rising between 3:30am and 1:30am, Saturn will be about 25˚ to the left of Jupiter all month, hanging out in the top left of Sagittarius.   EVENTS... New Moon – 5th (darkest skies) First Quarter Moon – 14th (Visible until midnight) Full Moon – 19th (Visible all night) Last Quarter Moon – 26th (Visible from midnight into the morning) 8th & 9th – Close Encounter – Moon, Mars – Get out after dinner, find the crescent Moon in the West, and Mars will be about 6˚ up and to the right of the Moon on the 8th, and 9˚ down and to the right of the Moon on the 9th. Also note Taurus, Taurus’ brightest star Aldebaran, and the Pleiades hanging out in the mix there. 17th - Rocket Launch – NASA will be sending another cargo resupply to the International Space Station on an Antares rocket from Wallops Island in V 22nd – LYRID METEOR SHOWER – Not the best year for not the strongest shower, at only 10-20 meteors per hour, and the Moon will be a waning gibbous (very bright), so look North in general in the morning before dawn.  Some advice for watching: Find a dark location and lie down in a reclining chair or something that insulates you from the ground. Check the weather to see if the skies will be clear Adapt your eyes to the dark by staying away from light sources or using a red light if you need to look at a star chart or not trip over something.  If you’re feeling extra nerdy, do a scientific meteor count (S&T and IMO) Or find out if your local astronomy club or museum is holding a viewing party. 23rd – 24th – Close Encounter – Moon, Jupiter – Get out after 11pm on the 23rd and into the morning on the 24th to find the Moon only 2˚ up and to the right of Jupiter. 25th – Close Encounter – Moon, Saturn – Get out after 2am and into the morning on the 25th to find the Moon only 3˚ to the right of Saturn. If you live in Eastern Australia, New Zealand, and western South America, you can actually witness the Moon passing in front of Saturn.   CONSTELLATIONS... Use a sky map from www.skymaps.com to help you out. After Dinner: Leo, Orion & his winter companions – Leo will be high in the South, almost straight above you. It has a backward question mark with a right triangle to the left of the question mark. Also, take a moment to get your last glimpse Orion, Taurus, the Pleiades, Gemini, Auriga, and Canis Major off in the West. Before Bed: Big Dipper, Bootes – If you look above Leo, behind you and high in the sky, you should find the Big Dipper: seven very bright stars that form a spoon shape. Now if you take the handle of the Dipper, follow its curve to the next bright star you see, about 30˚ away, which is Arcturus. “Follow the arc to Arcturus.” That’s the brightest star in Bootes, which looks like a kite. Take that same curve, and follow it about another 20˚ to “speed on to Spica”, the brightest star in Virgo, one of my favorite constellations, since it reminds me of the Dickinson Mermaid. Before Work: Lyra, Hercules, Hercules Cluster – Look pretty much straight above you, and find the brightest star up there. You’ll notice a parallelogram attached to it. This is the brightest star Vega, part of the constellation Lyra, the harp. Next to that is a keystone shaped constellation called Hercules. On the right side of the keystone is a small cluster of stars known at the Hercules Cluster, which is a collection of hundreds of stars on the outskirts of our galaxy. Given how high it is in the sky right now, you might catch its faint fuzziness with your naked eye, but a set of binoculars or a small telescope will really help you see it.  

The Brew Daddies travel to Sterling, VA to sit down with owner Richard Hartogs and head brewer Russell Carpenter of Rocket Frog Brewing Company. In the short nine months since opening, Rocket Frog has had some amazing success, including a bronze medal at The Great American Beer Festival for their brown ale, Wallops Island. The Brew Daddies learn how Rocket Frog came together and what drove Richard and his twin brother to open it. Russel shares the details of their three vessel, 10-barrel system brewhouse.  The Brew Daddies probe the origins of the brewery's unusual name and why the frog in the logo is blue rather than green. It's a wonderful story that informs not just the name of the brewery but the names of their beers as well.Rocket Frog appeals to the community with trivia contests, yoga days and game nights, along with food trucks on the weekend. If you want to taste some award-winning beers be sure to pay them a visit!Find Rocket Frog:Twitter: @rocketfrogbeerFacebook: Facebook.com/rocketfrogbrewing

Rocket Lab announced that they’re in the final selection stage of their search for a US launch site. I break down the options they have, and discuss why I think they’ll pick Wallops Island. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 37 executive producers—Kris, Pat, Matt, Jorge, Brad, Ryan, Jamison, Nadim, Peter, Donald, Lee, Jasper, Chris, Warren, Bob, Brian, Russell, John, Moritz, Tyler, Joel, Jan, David, Grant, Barbara, Stan, Mike, David, Mints, Joonas, and seven anonymous—and 173 other supporters on Patreon. Rocket Lab to expand launch capability with US launch site | Rocket Lab Rocket Lab selects four finalists for U.S. launch site - SpaceNews.com Space Access from MARS Next space station resupply launch scheduled May 20 at Wallops Island | Virginia | roanoke.com Email your thoughts and comments to anthony@mainenginecutoff.com Follow @WeHaveMECO Listen to MECO Headlines Join the Off-Nominal Discord Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhere Subscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off Newsletter Buy shirts and Rocket Socks from the Main Engine Cut Off Shop Support Main Engine Cut Off on Patreon

*Monster planet discovery rewrites the text books Astronomers have discovered a large Jupiter sized planet orbiting around a small red dwarf star. It’s the first time such a large planet has been seen orbiting such a low mass host star. *Possible ancient ocean remnants found on Ceres Scientists have detected widespread reserves of minerals containing water on the dwarf planet Ceres. The discovery by NASA’s Dawn spacecraft suggests that the 945 kilometre wide world may have once had a global ocean and may still have liquid today. *The Rochechouart Astrobleme Geologists have begun an intense core drilling campaign at Rochechouart in central France to study an astrobleme. The Rochechouart Astrobleme is thought to be the remains of a 20 to 30 kilometre wide 207 million year old impact crater. *New clues to the origin of life on Earth Chemists at The Scripps Research Institute have found a compound that may have been a crucial factor in the origins of life on Earth. Origins-of-life researchers have hypothesized that a chemical reaction called phosphorylation may have been crucial for the assembly of three key ingredients in early life forms: *Antares launches Cygnus bound for the International Space Station A Cygnus cargo ship has successfully launched aboard an Antares rocket bound for the International Space Station. The Cygnus OA-8 blasted off from Orbital’s Wallops Island launch pad on the Virginian mid-Atlantic coast on a two-day journey to the orbiting outpost. *Orbital launches Minotaur-C rocket Orbital has launched a Minotaur-C rocket from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California carrying ten new satellites into orbit. The launch system was renamed Minotaur from its original name of Taurus following a series of spectacular launch failures which darkened the Taurus name. The Taurus XL became the Minotaur C, while the Taurus II was renamed the Antares. *The Science Report Eating at night associated with higher risk of heart disease and diabetes. The oldest ocean water dated to over a thousand years of age. Rare stromatolites discovered living in a remote valley deep in the Tasmanian wilderness. Alvarezsaurid dinosaur fossils discovered in Uzbekistan. Sheep found to recognize human faces. Australian skeptics take a scientific look at acupuncture. The video for the Cygnus rocket launch is at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCZ28hyGvK0 The video for the Minotaur rocket launch is at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWsxNGD3fPE For enhanced Show Notes including photos to accompany this episode, visit: http://www.bitesz.com/spacetimeshownotes Subscribe, rate and review SpaceTime at all good podcasting apps…including iTunes, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Pocketcasts, Podbean, Radio Public, Tunein Radio, google play, etc Help support SpaceTime : The SpaceTime with Stuart Gary merchandise shop. Get your T-Shirts, Coffee Cups, badges, tote bag + more and help support the show. Check out the range: http://www.cafepress.com/spacetime Thank you. Plus: As a part of the SpaceTime family, you can get a free audio book of your choice, plus 30 days free access from audible.com. Just visit www.audibletrial.com/spacetime or click on the banner link at www.spacetimewithstuartgary.com Email: SpaceTime@bitesz.com Join our mailing list at http://www.bitesz.com/join-our-mailing-list  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/spacetime. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

“The designers made the Little Joe booster assembly to approximate the same performance that the Army’s Redstone booster would have with the capsule payload. But in addition to being flexible enough to perform a variety of missions, Little Joe could be made for about one-fifth the basic cost of the Redstone, would have much lower operating costs, and could be developed and delivered with much less time and effort. And, unlike the larger launch vehicles, Little Joe could be shot from the existing facilities at Wallops Island.”

On this episode of Talking Space, we discuss a "double header" launch weekend for SpaceX, although we learn not to  use that phrase around a certain panel member. We discuss the effort it took for an east and west coast Falcon 9 launch with two barge landings over one weekend and what it means for the company and the entire industry. We then discuss an Indian launch carrying along an impressive array of CubeSats, and look at what vehicles are taking up these smaller payloads and if there's a market for them. We then look at some sounding rocket launches out of New Mexico and one particularly stubborn one out of Wallops Island, Virginia. We then move onto a recent failure of a Chinese Long March 3B upper stage and look into what the cause might be and if we'll ever find out. We then take a mid-year look at NASA and their latest plans for future exploration. We begin with the cutting of the Asteroid Recovery Mission (ARM) and whether this was a smart idea or if science is being missed out on as a result. We also look at claims that NASA may not be as focused on Mars as a priority destination, and discuss the competition from private companies also aiming to get to Mars and sooner. Lastly we discuss a major milestone in NASA's attempt to create a quieter Supersonic Transporter, called QueSST  To see images of the "rocket landing" from the Spaceport America Cup, visit https://twitter.com/JRNationFan388/status/878652184765837312  To help friend of the show Miles O'Brien fight cancer, visit https://www.classy.org/team/120130 Show recorded 6-26-2017 Host: Sawyer Rosenstein Panelists: Gene Mikulka, Mark Ratterman, and Kat Robison

Rocket launches to the International Space Station from Virginia are back!

I took a trip down to Wallops Island, Virginia this week for the launch of OA-5—the return to flight for Antares, sending Cygnus up to the ISS on a resupply mission. I recorded this episode on the long drive home afterwards, and talked about what Antares’ return means for Orbital ATK and what their future may hold—both good and bad. My video of the launch of OA-5, complete with incredible audio My photos of the launch of OA-5 Antares launches Cygnus on return-to-flight mission - SpaceNews.com Talking Space Gene J. Mikulka Aerojet Rocketdyne Makes Case for AR1 - Main Engine Cut Off Aerojet Rocketdyne Announces Expansion at NASA’s Stennis Space Center in Mississippi - Main Engine Cut Off T+19: SpaceX’s Manifest, Flight-Proven Hardware, Blue Origin Updates, and Antares’ Engines - Main Engine Cut Off T+6: Orbital ATK’s Next-Gen Vehicle, Falcon 9 Proving Its Reusability, and ULA’s Tough Future - Main Engine Cut Off Video from Orbital ATK Featuring Cygnus-Derived Habitats - Main Engine Cut Off NASA Releases RFI for EM-2 Payload - Main Engine Cut Off Email feedback to anthony@mainenginecutoff.com Follow @WeHaveMECO Subscribe on iTunes, Overcast, or elsewhere Subcribe to Main Engine Cut Off Weekly Support Main Engine Cut Off on Patreon

Come along with the Talking Space Team  to NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) as we bring to you the sights and sounds leading up to the return to flight of Orbital ATK's Cygnus Cargo spacecraft (named after pioneering Astronaut  Donald K. Slayton) and the resumption of ISS logistics delivery missions from US Soil.  In this special expanded show, we discuss the mission , designated OA4, the  Cygnus itself and just why we are launching from Florida and not the usual home port for Cygnus of Wallops Island, Virginia. Also why we are flying on United Launch Alliance's AtlasV and not OrbitalATK's Antares booster. With wind measurements playing a huge factor in this launch (wind delayed in the launch three times) Mark Ratterman takes us on a tour of a key instrument, NASA's Doppler Radar Wind Profiler. Once fully commissioned the system will  make sure the “highway to space” is safe for launch vehicles leaving KSC.  We spend some time with Mr. Frank DeMauro, OrbitalATK's Vice President of Human Spaceflight Systems to discuss his career, his role in supporting this return to flight mission, and what the future holds for the Cygnus spacecraft. There was a bit of controversy surrounding Space Exploration Technologies (Space X) and their future return to flight plans, we discuss. We also look at the company's progress with reimagining historic Launch Complex 39-A.  We also make commentary as to why we think their message last week surrounding their future launch plans became somewhat muddled. In a future show, we will profile progress being made by United Launch Alliance at LaunchComplex 41 to support human missions. We'll also examine Boeing's efforts to get the former Orbiter Processing Facility 3 now known as the Commercial Crew and Cargo Processing Facility ready to fabricate the CST-100 Starliner , and NASA's Launch Equipment Testing Facility , making sure that connections on the new Mobile Launcher will support the Space Launch System and Orion. Talking Space wishes to thank NASA's George Diller and OrbitalATK's Frank DeMauro for their time with us. For additional photographs/images go to our Team Blog page Show recorded 12-07-2015 Host this week: Sawyer Rosenstein Commentators: Mark Ratterman & Gene Mikulka

Industry reacts to FAA missing the UAS integration deadline, lasers on drones, UAS testing at Wallops Island, a million drones for the holidays, and interviews from UAS Industry Days 2015. News Drones Armed With High-Energy Lasers May Arrive In 2017 Predator and Reaper manufacturer General Atomics Aeronautical Systems is looking at mounting a 150-kilowatt solid-state laser onto its Avenger drone, also known as the Predator-C. This could be ready in 2017. NASA Wallops looks to bump up drone traffic NASA and the state of Virginia are working together on a plan to build a 3,000 foot runway for drones on Wallops Island. This UAS test range is envisioned to support commercial, government, and academic users. FAA Fears That 1 Million Drones Could Be Sold This Holiday Season According to Aviation Week, the FAA's Rich Swayze says the Agency expects as many as one million UAVs to be sold during this year's holiday season. That's a lot of opportunity for misuse of unmanned aircraft. AUVSI and 28 Organizations Mark Missed FAA Deadline for UAS Integration The congressionally mandated deadline for the FAA to integrate UAS into the National Airspace System was Sept. 30, 2015. The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) and 28 others sent a letter [PDF] to the FAA, stating in part: “While the FAA has hit some milestones in the integration process, it has yet to finalize small UAS rules, let alone facilitate the full integration of UAS that Congress contemplated in 2012. The increasing number of businesses applying for Section 333 exemptions demonstrates the pent-up demand for commercial UAS operations and the immediate need for a regulatory framework.” “In the absence of regulations, American businesses and innovators are left sitting on the sidelines or operating under a restrictive exemption process.” “On behalf of businesses across a wide range of industry sectors in the United States, we urge the FAA to use all available means to finalize the small UAS rules immediately without any further delays and move ahead with the next regulatory steps on the path for integrating all UAS into the NAS. Once this happens, we will have an established framework for UAS operations that will do away with the case-by-case system of approvals, reducing the barriers to commercial UAS operations. And importantly, having more trained commercial operators will create a culture of safety that helps deter careless and reckless behavior.” Interviews from UAS Industry Days We recorded a number of interviews at the NUAIR Alliance UAS Test Site, including these two about testing done at Griffiss International Airport in Rome, New York: Thomas Washington Manager of Flight Test Operations, Aurora Flight Sciences. The Centaur (DA 42) optionally piloted aircraft was tested previously at Griffiss for their unmanned flight test campaign. John Reade A computer scientist at Quanterion working with AFRL (Air Force Research Laboratory) and two Desert Hawk III UAVs from Lockheed Martin doing collision avoidance testing in the “triangle” at Griffiss. Quanterion has also developed simulation software that evaluates the interactions of manned and unmanned aircraft in shared airspace. Videos of the Week Fire Fighting Drone | Flite Test The Firecopter is a custom-made Y-6 multi-rotor equipped with a fire extinguisher for fighting fires from the air. From Flite Test. Esperance whale encounter captures hearts across Australia Beautiful footage of amazing marine mammals, but before you try this, review Approaching whales and dolphins in NSW and the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Amendment (Marine Mammals) Regulation 2006.

EXPLICIT MATERIAL Possible Welcome to a special bonus episode of Today in Space! In this episode, Alex talks more about himself and his experiences with college. This episode features the first "Lightning Round", a little experimental piece that could make it's way to being a regular segment. Let me know what you think, email the show at todayinspace.net/contact Topics: UPCOMING: Jan 26, 2015 - Asteroid 2004 BL86 Flyby-Stargazing Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech The Mars 'Opportunity' rover - new real-color panorama of Mt. Tribulation & 'robotic amnesia' Opportunity’s view from Cape Tribulation Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Cornell Univ./Arizona State University UPDATE: Ceres Approach by Dawn - March 6, 2015. More info on Ceres Ceres Interior: Cutaway view of Ceres showing the differentiated layers of the asteroid. Last Update: 29 Mar 2011 Credit: NASA/ESA/STScI Last edited UPDATE: Orbital Sciences new Rocket Engines (RD-181's) for Antares and an overview of the manufacturing deal Energia (Russia). Image of an Antares rocket rolling out to the launch pad at Wallops Island, Virginia. The rocket’s two AJ26 engines will be replaced by RD-181 engines. Credit: NASA/Joel Kowsky At the end, Alex talks about his theory of perspective and reference frame and why it is so important after he couldn't find Comet Lovejoy...even with a star map. Enjoy & Thanks for listening! CORRECTION: Ceres is being approached by the Dawn Mission, while Charon & Pluto are being approached by the New Horizons mission. If I mentioned that after Ceres, it will see Pluto...I was wrong. Space Links: Ceres: Overview https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/profile.cfm?Object=Dwa_Ceres Giant Asteroid Is Headed Our Way, But NASA Says No Worries  http://ht.ly/HHc7Q Orbital Sciences Contract for New Antares Engines http://spaceflightnow.com/2015/01/22/orbital-sciences-signs-contract-for-new-antares-engines/ NASA to hack Mars rover Opportunity to fix 'amnesia' fault http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-30642548 Star Map and Info on Comet Lovejoy http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/observing-news/spot-comet-lovejoy-tonight-122920141/

PUMA AE beach launch. Courtesy AeroVironment, Inc. This Episode: The Reaper is turned into a Jammer, drones are spying on chickens in Australia, FAA rules for small UAS's delayed again, UAV privacy questions remain, a new UAS Test Center in the UK, monitoring wildlife with a PUMA and the weather with a Global Hawk, FEMA shuts down Colorado UAV flights, and more multi-rotor's come down in crowds. The News: Jamming Pod Demonstrated on MQ-9 Reaper UAV General Atomics has fitted a Northrop Grumman jamming pod to an MQ-9 Reaper. The test flight occurred back in April during a U.S. Marine Corps weapons and tactics instructor (WTI) course, but has only recently been made public. Planned for the October WTI course is a demonstration with EA-6B Prowler electronic warfare (EW) jets and smaller unmanned aircraft. Animal Liberation activists launch spy drone to test free-range claims Australian activists are concerned that some large free-range chicken farms are not in fact free-range. So for $17,000 they purchased a hexacopter, fitted it with an HD video camera, and flew it over the farms to document their claims. The group says this does not violate trespass laws. First Commercial UAS Flight Due; Small UAS Rule Delayed An Insitu ScanEagle was expected to make the first commercial flight of an unmanned aircraft on September 11, under a restricted category type certification the FAA awarded in July. ConocoPhillips was to launch the ScanEagle from a research vessel in the Arctic Ocean west of Alaska to monitor whale migrations and ice flows. The FAA's release of a Notice of Proposed RuleMaking (NPRM) which would govern the operation of small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) weighing up to 55 pounds has been delayed until early in 2014. UAV Operations in National Air Space Advance as Privacy Fight Heats Up The standards being developed for sUAS over: UAV design, including command and control systems, batteries, production, quality assurance, maintenance, and continued airworthiness, the aircraft flight manual, and operations over populated areas. ASTM International developed the initial standards for the FAA Aviation Rulemaking Committee that was chartered in 2008. That feeds the NPRM process which includes a mechanism for public comment. The ASTM standards committee for large UAS was unable to make enough progress, so it's mission was changed to minimum operational performance standards (or MOPS) for detect-and-avoid equipment. Unlike the slow rule-making progress for commercial UAS, Government agencies (like law enforcement and public safety) can move quickly as a result of the March MOU between the FAA and the Department of Justice. UK Inaugurates National UAS Test Center Two UK airports (West Wales Airport and Newquay Cornwall Airport) have launched a “National Aeronautical Center” (NAC) to develop, test and demonstrate unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), both commercial and military. More drones coming Saturday in NOAA tests NOAA's Office of Marine and Aviation Operations is testing the PUMA UAS in the Florida Keys to monitor wildlife without disturbing them.   A NASA Global Hawk undergoes systems testing while parked on the ramp at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center on the edge of Rogers Dry Lake at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., in preparation for participation in NASA's Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes, or GRIP, hurricane mission. Spy Drones Turning Up New Data About Hurricanes And Weather and NASA to Investigate Tropical Storm Humberto: Atlantic's Second “Zombie Tropical Storm” NASA is flying two Global Hawks from Wallops Island over Hurricanes under the five-year HS3 (Hurricane and Severe Storm Sentinel) Mission. Falcon UAV Supports Colorado Flooding Until Grounded by FEMA The Falcon UAV was providing valuable aerial imagery of the recent tragic Colorado floods. However, FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) has arrived with conventional manned a...

On this special episode of Talking Space, we discuss the maiden voyage of Orbital Science's Antares rocket. Our very own Gene was in Wallops Island, VA and recounts his experience. We discuss the pre-launch festivities, the launch scrubs prior to Sunday's successful launch at 5pm EDT, as well as the way Orbital handled their media relations. We also discuss the future of Orbital as well as their fellow COTS member, SpaceX. We also compare the two companies and rockets and look at their potential for the future. Lastly, we discuss SpaceX's grasshopper as well as a fun story of seeing the launch from New York State. Tune in to hear exclusive stories and press conferences as well as launch audio direct from the launch site on this exciting episode! [THREE IMAGES WERE INSERTED HERE. TO VIEW THEM, PLEASE VISIT HTTP://TALKINGSPACEONLINE.COM] Host this week: Sawyer Rosenstein. Panel Members: Gene Mikulka, Mark Ratterman Show Recorded 04/22/2013 Listen now:

On this episode of Talking Space, we discuss the deorbit of the Russian Progress vehicle. We then go into an in-depth discussion into the reason why Gene was unable to join us tonight-the demo launch of Orbital Science's Antares rocket from Wallops Island. We discuss the flight, the COTS program, and our thoughts on it. We then discuss a cool little camera doing some big science. On our second trip around the table, we discuss the proposed 2014 NASA budget. We look at where it's going, a possible asteroid capture mission getting funding, how sequestration will affect the budget, Russia's increase in spending to its space program, and some other space-related programs worried about their budgets. On our final trip around the table, we discuss the progress of the new Atlantis exhibit at the Kennedy Space Center Visitors Complex. Next, we talk about a supercomputer named Endeavour. Lastly, we discuss the space anniversaries: April 12th and April 13th. [TWO IMAGES WERE INSERTED HERE. TO VIEW THEM, PLEASE VISIT HTTP://TALKINGSPACEONLINE.COM] Host this week: Sawyer Rosenstein. Panel Member: Mark Ratterman Show Recorded 04/15/2013 Listen now:

On this episode of Talking Space, we discuss the arrival of Endeavour in Los Angeles as well as her arrival and some of her celebrity onlookers. We then discuss the upcoming SpaceX launch to the ISS, their first operational flight, and talk about our thoughts on if it'll fly on it's first attempt. We then also talk about Orbital's Cygnus capsule and their rocket rolling out to the pad at Wallops Island. To finish off trip one of two around the table, we discuss a high-altitude jump being taken from the edges of space, what's involved, and some of the details behind the Red Bull Stratos world record jump attempt. On our second trip around the table, Mark has a very special interview with space.com's Clara Moskowitz about the 100 Year Starship Symposium and some of the challenges associated with a long duration flight into the depths of space. For more on the 100 Year Starship Symposium, visit http://symposium.100yss.org/about-100yss For some of Clara's stories on the convention as well as other topics, search http://space.com Be sure to also follow Clara on Twitter: @ClaraMoskowitz Host this week: Sawyer Rosenstein. Panel Member: Mark Ratterman with special guest space.com writer Clara Moskowitz Show Recorded - 10/1/2012