Northrop Grumman Corporation has signed a sponsored research agreement with the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) for the development of the Space Solar Power Initiative (SSPI). Under the terms of the agreement, Northrop Grumman will provide up to $17.5 million to the initiative over three years. The team will develop the scientific and technological innovations necessary to enable a space-based solar power system capable of generating electric power at cost parity with grid-connected fossil fuel power.. Read More
Deep Space Smackdown — Dragon 2 vs. Orion
There’s a race between the future and the past boiling between a space upstart and an aerospace giant—Elon Musk’s 13-year-old SpaceX and Lockheed Martin, a company whose roots go back 103 years. At the heart of the matter is a potential competition for a future in deep space between two spacecraft, SpaceX’s Dragon 2 versus Lockheed Martin’s Orion. The Dragon 2 has been contracted by NASA for short runs only—to take.. Read More
Need For a New Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle Strategy
by Gerald Black Gerald Black is a retired aerospace engineer with more than 40 years experience in the industry. After graduating from college, he first worked for Bell Aerosystems Co. in the Buffalo, New York area from 1967 to 1968 as a Rocket Test Engineer. One of the engines he helped test was the engine for the ascent stage of the Apollo Lunar module. Later he worked for more than 39 years for.. Read More