13th Annual FAA Commercial Space Transportation Conference

Jeff Foust @jeff_foust

Somehow LaHood has gone off on tangent about drivers ed and distracted driving. Don't drive and text, kids! #astconf

Jeff Foust @jeff_foust

LaHood said he would be happy to talk with spaceports about getting funding for spaceport infrastructure grants. #astconf

Jeff Foust @jeff_foust

DOT Sec LaHood ends speech with these words: "Good luck getting home!" #astconf #snoverkill

Jeff Foust @jeff_foust

Quick quiz: what's wrong with this NASA display at #astconf? http://twitpic.com/12fpox

拡大

Jeff Foust @jeff_foust

At the spaceports panel at #astconf; one topic will be this essay I wrote last month: http://is.gd/86q4P

Jeff Foust @jeff_foust

Aaron Prescott, Spaceport America: "constantly singing praises of the spaceport" at local level to maintain support for project. #astconf

Jeff Foust @jeff_foust

Prescott: noticed after SS2 christening that Gov. Richardson dented the vehicle's nose with his champagne bottle. #astconf

Jeff Foust @jeff_foust

Prescott: state legislators' favorite slide is one showing jobs created by Spaceport America construction (467 and growing). #astconf

Jeff Foust @jeff_foust

Prescott: Spaceport Am. runway ahead of schedule. Asphalt layer 50% complete, just starting concrete layer now. #astconf

Jeff Foust @jeff_foust

Mark Bontrager, Space Florida: interest in potential for doing commercial launches at KSC's LC-39 in post-Shuttle/Ares era #astconf

Jeff Foust @jeff_foust

Bontrager: planning a meeting in late spring/early summer to discuss ideas for KSC infrastructure upgrades funded in FY11 budget #astconf

Jeff Foust @jeff_foust

Todd Lindner of newly-licensed Cecil Field spaceport: next step is to identify operator. "That's a very tall order." #astconf

Jeff Foust @jeff_foust

Panel consensus is that no, there are not too many spaceports; each has niche and competition among them helps customers. #astconf

Jeff Foust @jeff_foust

One speaker cited "network effects" of multiple spaceports, but that doesn't kick in until point-to-point spaceflight starts. #astconf

Jeff Foust @jeff_foust

Jess Sponable: when we did DC-X in early 90s we were radical and revolutionary and we were branded as heretics. #astconf

Jeff Foust @jeff_foust

Sponable talking about Fast Access Spacecraft Technologies project: high-power low-mass solar power systems. #astconf

Jeff Foust @jeff_foust

Combine that system with electric propulsion for efficient in-space propulsion, key for getting out of LEO. #astconf

Jeff Foust @jeff_foust

Dave Huntsman, NASA: my interest in suborbital vehicles is need for high flight rates. Without that we're not going anywhere. #astconf

Jeff Foust @jeff_foust

Key vehicle tech, Huntsman believes, are engines that can fly at least 20-50 times without servicing. #astconf

Jeff Foust @jeff_foust

Huntsman says technologists focused on cryo in-space refueling, especially LH2; real demand is for storables, though. #astconf

Jeff Foust @jeff_foust

Huntsman: a robotic storable refueling demo planned to fly to ISS on last shuttle mission. #astconf

Jeff Foust @jeff_foust

Huntsman talks about interesting possibilty of using electric propulsion to move HST to ISS orbit to extend its life. #astconf

Jeff Foust @jeff_foust

Alan Stern identifies 3 key techs needed: airline-like RLV ops, higher performance propulsion, autonomous interplanetary flight. #astconf

Jeff Foust @jeff_foust

Stern says he's very happy about many aspects of NASA HSF plan, but concerned about lack of explicit goal; needs to be addressed. #astconf

Jeff Foust @jeff_foust

We're done with day 1 of #astconf. Tomorrow starts at 8am EST with NASA deputy admin Lori Garver.