SPACEWATCH - September 2005 | Vol. 4

September 2005 | Vol. 4 | No. 8

The View from Here

Air Force space – no miracles required

Elliot G. Pulham
President & Chief Executive Officer

A lot of people have been talking about whether national security space acquisition is “broken.” Two rhetorical traps obfuscate the issue.

First is the trap of wrongly characterizing all programs based on failures among a few. This creates a demoralizing, destabilizing and inaccurate impression that "everything" is broken. In fact, the vast majority of our military space apparatus delivers breath-taking capability and result. In most cases, performance far exceeds expectation.
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Report from Washington

As Congress comes back into session after the August recess three issues loom large: NASA appropriations, a long-awaited NASA authorization bill, and a crucial Iran Nonproliferation Act (INA) fix that will allow NASA to purchase Soyuz technology for the International Space Station starting in 2006. In September, we also expect to see the rollout of NASA's Space Transportation Architecture Studies, and we anticipate the release of the Administration's comprehensive space policy.
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Headquarters Report

XRF technology turns cleaning into rocket science

Used by NASA to analyze and track materials for the Space Shuttle program, The Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) now incorporates enhanced x-ray fluorescence (XRF) technology in a new testing protocol to certify the best performing vacuum cleaners and extractors.

This CRI test protocol is officially recognized by the Space Foundation as a Certified Space Technology and sets the new standard of excellence for cleaning performance, including soil removal, water removal, and dust containment and appearance retention for all types of carpets. The new certification program will be unveiled Sept. 12 at the John F. Kennedy Space Center.

The Carpet and Rug Institute, headquartered in Dalton, Ga., is the national trade association for the carpet and rug industry. Its members are manufacturers, suppliers, and service providers and represent more than 90 percent of all carpet produced in the United States. For more information about the Space Certification program, visit www.SpaceConnection.org.

Space Foundation’s Integrated Science/Literacy Model implemented

The first school whose entire 45-member staff has been trained in the Space Foundation’s Integrated Science/Literary Model opened its door on Aug. 31 to 300 students in the fifth and sixth grades. Discovery Canyon Campus in Colorado Springs, Colo., focuses on science and mathematics study, including space and aviation sciences, and incorporates those themes into all areas of instruction. In coming years, the school will expand to include pre-kindergarten through 12th grades.

To ensure the staff members received the highest-level professional development training, Discovery Canyon assembled an expert panel more than a year before the school opened. This panel reviewed, evaluated, and broadened the teacher-developed science curriculum.

The Space Foundation’s Vice President of Education and Workforce Development, Dr. Patricia Arnold, served on this panel. She met with administrators who incorporated the Integrated Science/Literacy Model into the school’s teaching strategies. Since February, the Space Foundation provided multiple training sessions to Discovery Canyon teachers. The expert panel has been invited back this fall to work with teachers on their math curriculum. The Space Foundation will use the training for Discovery Canyon Campus as a prototype for integrating the model into schools throughout the nation.

You can find more information about the Integrated Science/Literacy Model and the Space Foundation’s education programs here.

Strategic Space 2005 rapidly approaching

Don’t miss this important conference, scheduled 4-6 October at the Qwest Center Omaha. Featured speakers include The Honorable Dr. Ronald M. Sega, under secretary of the Air Force; Gen James E. Cartwright, USMC, commander, U.S. Strategic Command; Lt Gen James R. Clapper, Jr., USAF (Retired), director, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency; Dr. William F. Ballhaus, Jr., president and chief executive officer, The Aerospace Corporation and Board Member, Space Foundation; Lt Gen Michael A. Hamel, USAF, commander, Space & Missile Systems Center, Air Force Space Command; The Honorable David Heineman, governor, State of Nebraska; Lt Gen Robert Kehler, USAF, deputy commander, U.S. Strategic Command; Dr. Alexis C. Livanos, corporate vice president and president, Space Technology Sector, Northrop Grumman and board member, Space Foundation; Mr. William V. Parker, political advisor, U.S. Strategic Command; and Lt Gen Victor E. Renuart, Jr., USAF, director, Strategic Plans and Policy, J-5, Joint Staff.

Strategic Space 2005 will expand and continue the dialogue begun in 2003 between the senior leadership of the Command, component and supported commands, the aerospace contractor community, federal officials and other leaders. Strategic Space is presented by the Space Foundation and Space News, in support of the U.S. Strategic Command.

Plan now for other upcoming Foundation events

Colorado Space Rendezvous - February 1, 2006, at the Hyatt Regency Tech Center in Denver, Colo.

22nd National Space Symposium - April 3-6, 2006, at The Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, Colo.