Latest news with #JimBridenstine

RNZ News
13-06-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
NZ-Dutch company Dawn Aerospace sells its first spaceplane
From left: Dr. George Nield (Chairman, Global Spaceport Alliance), Jim Bridenstine (Managing Partner of the Artemis Group and Former NASA Administrator), Stefan Powell (CEO, Dawn Aerospace), and Khaki Rodway (Spaceplane Sales & Operations Director, USA, Dawn Aerospace) Photo: Supplied/Dawn Aerospace New Zealand-Dutch company Dawn Aerospace has reached a major milestone by selling its first spaceplane. The company has signed a US$17 million ($28m NZD) agreement to supply its Mk-II Aurora rocket-powered aircraft to the US state of Oklahoma. Under the deal, Dawn would provide the vehicle and everything needed to operate it, like ground support equipment, licensing, creating a support team, and parts and servicing. The aircraft would be based at the Oklahoma Air and Space Port, with delivery scheduled for 2027 and manufacturing to take place in Christchurch. Dawn chief executive Stefan Powell said it was "huge" for the company and the industry. "This is really the first time anyone has been able to buy a spacefaring capability," he said. "Normally you can buy a service, someone will take your thing to space or suborbital." Powell said it marked a significant moment for the global space industry. "It's really about transitioning the industry away from a single-use service, to more like an airline model, which we believe is far more scalable," Powell said. The Aurora is a remote-piloted aircraft and can carry small payloads of up to 5kg to altitudes of 100 kilometres (330,000 feet), and has a turnaround time of four hours. Dawn Mk-II Aurora in flight at 82,500 feet Photo: Supplied/Dawn Aerospace Dawn said it would be the first aircraft to reach the Karman line - the boundary between Earth's atmosphere and outer space - twice in one day. The company has been in the process of testing and developing the aircraft, which can take off from a runway. In 2024, the Mk-II Aurora broke the sound barrier, reaching Mach 1.12 at 82,500 ft (25,146m), and setting a record for the fastest climb to 20 kilometres (65,600 ft). Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Opinion - NASA's asteroid mission to Apophis: Key for Earth's defense
On Friday the 13th (yes, really) of April 2029, Earth will avoid an apocalyptic event by an astronomical hair's breadth as the asteroid Apophis, streaks by. It will come closer to Earth than the Moon — much closer in fact. It will come between us and the satellites that bring us radio, television and military intelligence. Apophis is named after an Egyptian god of chaos and evil. If it were to hit Earth, chaos would be the least of our trouble. It's 1,000 feet across, the size of a football stadium, and it's going 69,000 miles an hour. Apophis won't hit us — at least, we're pretty certain it won't. But it does offer us an historic opportunity to closely observe it and improve our ability to defend against future asteroid threats. Unfortunately, our government is blowing the chance. OSIRIS-REx (Origins Spectral Interpretation Resource Identification Regolith Explorer) has been in space almost 10 years, and it has already returned bits of another asteroid named Bennu. With clever rocket science, NASA redirected OSIRIS-Rex so that it will catch up with Apophis just days after its closest encounter to Earth. Using the same billion-dollar instrument suite designed for its original asteroid, the spacecraft will be able to closely study the surface, shape and gravity of Apophis. It's a fantastic deal for the taxpayer: two missions for the price of one, and we already paid for the first one. Now rechristened OSIRIS-APEX (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification and Security — Apophis Explorer), the project needs only some annual funds to pay its science and engineering team. Led by the University of Arizona, this team will prep the spacecraft for its new encounter. The money needed to support the team is far less than the cost of one of the fighter jets that Jim Bridenstine used to fly or that Bill Nye worked on as young engineer. But recently, due to overall budget cuts, much of that modest funding was taken away. If those cuts remain in place, the science team of OSIRIS-APEX will have to stand down. Crucial years of planning and coordination will be lost. We won't learn as much and will be less prepared for future asteroid encounters. There are a bevy of commercial and private sector options that could help, too. Instead of reaching Apophis after its close flyby of Earth, they could get there months beforehand. This would allow us to map Apophis in its pristine state, before Earth's gravity potentially alters the asteroid. Comparing the before and after maps would provide clues to how asteroids like Apophis are assembled — vital information if we ever need to deflect one. NASA also has perfectly good asteroid spacecraft sitting on the shelf. The twin JANUS spacecraft, originally designed for another asteroid mission, were put in storage, their mission cancelled, when their parent spacecraft was delayed. These could be easily repurposed and launched toward Apophis within the next few years. Engaging our private space sector in a dress rehearsal for saving the world, at little cost to NASA, is a no brainer. But budget cuts may prevent these crucial investments. This is our chance to demonstrate American leadership in the defense of our planet. While we wait for the confirmation of the next NASA administrator, Congress can take action to ensure that NASA has the funding to, at a minimum, support the OSIRIS-APEX mission. When we have new NASA leadership, we urge them to act decisively on this opportunity to leverage small dollars into big meaningful outcomes for the nation. There are few clearer justifications for public spending than our common defense, perhaps especially from asteroids. Even in our current divided political environment, we are confident this is a topic that unites us all. In fact, as we were writing this piece, astronomers discovered another heretofore unknown asteroid, '2024 YR4.' Right now, it's estimated to have a 1 in 71 (1.4 percent) chance of striking Earth in 2032. That might seem like a small probability, but it's not zero. Further observations will likely confirm that 2024 YR4 will miss us. But how will the world react, if it is indeed on a collision course? It's a vivid reminder of what's at stake for our species. Kids of all ages love two things: space and dinosaurs. It turns out these two areas of study are intimately connected, or at least, one impacted the other. You know the history: 66 million years ago, a massive asteroid struck Earth, leading to the extinction of the ancient dinosaurs. The ancient dinosaurs did not have a space program. But we do; let's use it wisely. Jim Bridenstine served as NASA administrator from 2018-2021. He is the managing partner of The Artemis Group, a strategic consulting firm. The University of Arizona is a client of the company. Bill Nye is a science educator and a New York Times bestselling author. He is Chief Executive Officer of The Planetary Society. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


The Hill
14-02-2025
- Science
- The Hill
NASA's asteroid mission to Apophis: Key for Earth's defense
On Friday the 13th (yes, really) of April 2029, Earth will avoid an apocalyptic event by an astronomical hair's breadth as the asteroid Apophis, streaks by. It will come closer to Earth than the Moon — much closer in fact. It will come between us and the satellites that bring us radio, television and military intelligence. Apophis is named after an Egyptian god of chaos and evil. If it were to hit Earth, chaos would be the least of our trouble. It's 1,000 feet across, the size of a football stadium, and it's going 69,000 miles an hour. Apophis won't hit us — at least, we're pretty certain it won't. But it does offer us an historic opportunity to closely observe it and improve our ability to defend against future asteroid threats. Unfortunately, our government is blowing the chance. OSIRIS-REx (Origins Spectral Interpretation Resource Identification Regolith Explorer) has been in space almost 10 years, and it has already returned bits of another asteroid named Bennu. With clever rocket science, NASA redirected OSIRIS-Rex so that it will catch up with Apophis just days after its closest encounter to Earth. Using the same billion-dollar instrument suite designed for its original asteroid, the spacecraft will be able to closely study the surface, shape and gravity of Apophis. It's a fantastic deal for the taxpayer: two missions for the price of one, and we already paid for the first one. Now rechristened OSIRIS-APEX (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification and Security — Apophis Explorer), the project needs only some annual funds to pay its science and engineering team. Led by the University of Arizona, this team will prep the spacecraft for its new encounter. The money needed to support the team is far less than the cost of one of the fighter jets that Jim Bridenstine used to fly or that Bill Nye worked on as young engineer. But recently, due to overall budget cuts, much of that modest funding was taken away. If those cuts remain in place, the science team of OSIRIS-APEX will have to stand down. Crucial years of planning and coordination will be lost. We won't learn as much and will be less prepared for future asteroid encounters. There are a bevy of commercial and private sector options that could help, too. Instead of reaching Apophis after its close flyby of Earth, they could get there months beforehand. This would allow us to map Apophis in its pristine state, before Earth's gravity potentially alters the asteroid. Comparing the before and after maps would provide clues to how asteroids like Apophis are assembled — vital information if we ever need to deflect one. NASA also has perfectly good asteroid spacecraft sitting on the shelf. The twin JANUS spacecraft, originally designed for another asteroid mission, were put in storage, their mission cancelled, when their parent spacecraft was delayed. These could be easily repurposed and launched toward Apophis within the next few years. Engaging our private space sector in a dress rehearsal for saving the world, at little cost to NASA, is a no brainer. But budget cuts may prevent these crucial investments. This is our chance to demonstrate American leadership in the defense of our planet. While we wait for the confirmation of the next NASA administrator, Congress can take action to ensure that NASA has the funding to, at a minimum, support the OSIRIS-APEX mission. When we have new NASA leadership, we urge them to act decisively on this opportunity to leverage small dollars into big meaningful outcomes for the nation. There are few clearer justifications for public spending than our common defense, perhaps especially from asteroids. Even in our current divided political environment, we are confident this is a topic that unites us all. In fact, as we were writing this piece, astronomers discovered another heretofore unknown asteroid, '2024 YR4.' Right now, it's estimated to have a 1 in 71 (1.4 percent) chance of striking Earth in 2032. That might seem like a small probability, but it's not zero. Further observations will likely confirm that 2024 YR4 will miss us. But how will the world react, if it is indeed on a collision course? It's a vivid reminder of what's at stake for our species. Kids of all ages love two things: space and dinosaurs. It turns out these two areas of study are intimately connected, or at least, one impacted the other. You know the history: 66 million years ago, a massive asteroid struck Earth, leading to the extinction of the ancient dinosaurs. The ancient dinosaurs did not have a space program. But we do; let's use it wisely. Jim Bridenstine served as NASA administrator from 2018-2021. He is the managing partner of The Artemis Group, a strategic consulting firm. The University of Arizona is a client of the company. Bill Nye is a science educator and a New York Times bestselling author. He is .
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Boeing Expects to Lay Off 400 Workers from Moon Project
When the first Trump administration announced a pledge to reestablish America's human presence on the Moon, the goal was to create a permanent base on the lunar surface, which could be used to help facilitate missions to Mars. In 2019, the cost estimate for the program – dubbed Project Artemis – was suggested by NASA to be between $20 and $30 billion. And while that's a big number, it actually pales in comparison to the revised figure that came two years later when the agency's Office of Inspector General suggested the true cost would be $93 billion – and that was just through 2025. Most Read on IEN: Wrecks 'Frankensteined' Into Working F-35 This Small Part Could Save the Air Force Millions Honeywell Splits Into Three Companies PODCAST: Master Lock Leaves; GM's Quick Caddy; Bridgestone Plant Closes Speaking of 2025, here we are – and the updates taking place over the past few weeks don't seem to bode well for Project Artemis. A new report from Bloomberg says the program may be 'poised for a shakeup' and they are looking at recent comments from Boeing to support that theory. Boeing revealed that it was looking to reduce staffing on its Space Launch System (or, SLS) team by 400 in the next few months, which amounts to more than a third of the staff assigned to this effort. They say it's 'to align with revisions to the Artemis program and cost expectations.' And there's a lot to unpack there. From a cost perspective, the SLS rocket alone is expected to cost nearly $24 billion through year-end and test and development delays mean that the original timeline has been blown. In 2022, the SLS Artemis I sent an uncrewed flight around the Moon, and a crewed launch of Artemis II is expected for April 2026 and a lunar landing for 2027 – a far cry from the pledge ex-NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine made in 2019 that Artemis was going to the Moon in 2024, 'whatever that takes." The other major factor is SpaceX founder – and Boeing space race competitor – Elon Musk and his influence on the Trump administration. Late last year, Musk called the Artemis architecture 'extremely inefficient,' adding that 'something entirely new is needed.' Will President Trump defend Boeing's role in helping Americans reach the lunar surface, or has he moved on? Skeptics point to the commander-in-chief's comments during his inauguration speech, where he mentioned planting 'the stars and stripes on the planet Mars' – leaving the Moon out of it entirely. Click here to subscribe to our daily newsletter featuring breaking manufacturing industry news.

Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Despite DEI demise, NASA still touts goal to land 1st woman, 1st person of color on moon
NASA's plans to return to the moon continue to highlight goals of landing the first woman and first person of color on the lunar surface even amid the agency's recent shutdown of diversity, equity and inclusion programs known as DEI under executive orders from President Trump. 'With NASA's Artemis campaign, we are exploring the moon for scientific discovery, technology advancement, and to learn how to live and work on another world as we prepare for human missions to Mars,' reads the Artemis mission statement on NASA's website. 'We will collaborate with commercial and international partners and establish the first long-term presence on the moon. NASA will land the first woman, first person of color, and first international partner astronaut on the moon using innovative technologies to explore more of the lunar surface than ever before.' The announcement NASA would send the first woman to the moon was made under Trump's first presidency. That plan called for the Artemis III mission to send down two astronauts to walk on the moon for the first time since the end of the Apollo program in 1972. At one point, Trump's NASA Administrator during his first administration, Jim Bridenstine, said he would not be surprised if that mission's landing party were to feature an all-female crew. The declaration that the first person of color would also be among future Artemis landing missions was highlighted after President Biden's election, although NASA has not committed to say whether or not they would be part of Artemis III or later moon landing missions. Of the 24 astronauts who have ever traveled to the moon including the 12 who actually walked on its surface, all have been white men. Already the crew for Artemis II aims to break ground when it flies around the moon without landing on its mission slated for as early as April 2026. As the first crewed mission of Artemis, it will add to the list of moon travelers the first woman (NASA astronaut Christina Koch), first person of color (NASA astronaut Victor Glover) and first international partner (Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen) riding alongside commander NASA's Reid Wiseman. Glover touched on diversity as a driving force during a 2023 interview at Kennedy Space Center. 'You may hear people say anyone can go to the moon. Dream big. But to see people that look like you do it, there's a kid out there that has a greater sense of connection because of what somebody on this group may look like or what someone on the next group may look like,' he said. 'And I think that that's important. Inspiration is more than an emotion. It drives decisions and priorities. And so it's an important factor of this mission.' Nelson pens letter to next NASA head as KSC's Petro becomes interim leader The crew for Artemis III has yet to be announced, but it's currently on NASA's calendar to launch by summer 2027, although plans for Artemis could shift once Trump's new administrator is confirmed. The diversity drive, for now, remains part of the Artemis mission even though Trump's first day in office of his second administration last week dismantled DEI programs across the federal government. The Orlando Sentinel reached out to NASA for comment on the Artemis mission statement despite Trump's stance on DEI programs, but has not received a reply. In the meantime. links to NASA's Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity on its website initially last week went to a 404 error page reading, 'The cosmic object you are looking for has disappeared beyond the event horizon,' but by the weekend, those links had been removed as well, such as one found on its careers page. Acting NASA Administrator Janet Petro sent out an agencywide memo to employees last Wednesday addressing the removal of the programs as part of two Trump executive orders titled 'Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs' and 'Preferencing and Initial Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions.' The memo signed by Petro, but using language from the White House read, 'The programs divided Americans by race, wasted taxpayer dollars, and results in shameful discrimination.' It continued with a warning to employees to report DEI-related programs and actions or else face consequences noting, 'we are aware of efforts by some in government to disguise these programs by using coded or imprecise language.' It provided an email and call to report any change on contract description or personnel position description since Nov. 5, 2024, the day Trump won the election, 'to obscure the connection' between it and DEI or similar ideologies. 'There will be no adverse consequences for timely reporting this information. However, failure to report this information within 10 days may result in adverse consequences,' it continued. While the link to its DEI-related program is removed, NASA still has a statement about 'Innovation and Inclusion' on its careers page: 'At our core, we are a united team driven by a shared mission to explore the extraordinary. To achieve success in our ambitious goals, we are committed to recruiting brilliant minds from all backgrounds and experiences to shape the future,' it reads. 'Innovation thrives in a culture of inclusion, where different perspectives converge to tackle complex challenges. By creating an environment where every voice is heard and respected, we empower our employees to contribute their fullest potential. We foster collaboration, embracing new perspectives and constructive dialogue to drive informed decision-making.'