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WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THE WHITE SANDS TEST FACILITY?
Potentially hazardous materials, spacecraft materials, and rocket
propulsion systems are being tested and evaluated. These services are also
available to governmental and commercial customers.
If you're interested in working for NASA, check this
link with
current job openings.
White sands space harbor
The
White
Sands Space Harbor (WSSH) is operated by the White Sands Test
Facility. The Space Harbor is located on the U.S. Army White Sands Missile
Range.
WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THE WHITE SANDS SPACE
HARBOR?
WSSH is the training area for space shuttle pilots. Check out the
White Sands
runways.
This post by KOBTV.com from August 2005 describes WSSH as optional
harbor for space shuttle Discovery.
This graphic below was featured by USA Today in December 2006.
After much suspense about the landing site, Discovery finally came down in
Florida.
NASA AND
VIRGIN GALACTIC
February 21, 2007 -
NASA officials signed a memorandum of understanding Tuesday with a U.S.
company, Virgin Galactic, LLC, to explore the potential for collaborations
on the development of space suits, heat shields for spaceships, hybrid
rocket motors and hypersonic vehicles capable of traveling five or more
times the speed of sound.
Read press release.
More about Virgin Galactic's Spaceport at White
Sands.
NASA AND
CENTENNIAL CHALLENGES
Centennial Challenges is NASA's program of prize contests to stimulate innovation and competition in solar system exploration and ongoing NASA mission areas.
One of the upcoming competitions is the
Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge 2007,
which will be held at Holloman Air Force Base
October 26 - 28, 2007.
And here's a
list of upcoming NASA competitions.
NASA AND
THE ORION PROJECT
NASA thinks the moon was a good idea
after all and their website announces that "America will send a new
generation of explorers to the moon aboard NASA's Orion crew exploration
vehicle."
And this is a picture of the Orion crew
vehicle:
ORION LUNAR VEHICLE
Part of the Orion Project
is the Orion launch abort system, an escape rocket designed to ensure the
safety of the crew in the event of a launch vehicle malfunction while on
the launch pad or during ascent to orbit. The exiting part of this
news is that it will be tested at NASA's White Sands Test Facility.
NASA quoted, "The first of five planned
abort tests is scheduled from the new pad on Sept. 23, 2008. Two of the
tests will evaluate the performance of the launch abort system at ground
level. Three more tests will evaluate its performance at different
altitudes."
Here is NASA's
press release from October 1, 2007.
And here is the
press release from November 8, 2007.
November 14, 2007 - The Orion Project
is on its way. Today was the ground-breaking ceremony for the launch pad
at White Sands Missile Range.
November 26, 2007 - Here is the
Army Press Release.
SPACE SHUTTLE - NOVEMBER 2007
NASA announced on Monday, Nov 5,
2007, that "the backup landing sites at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.,
and White Sands Space Harbor, N.M., will not be considered Wednesday."
And here you can check the
mission update provided by NASA.
November 7, 2007 - White Sands missed
another landing. Discovery performed a smooth landing in Florida.
To the best of our knowledge all information is current. If you should discover any errors, however, please
let us know via mail[at]white-sands-new-mexico.com. Thanks!
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