23 September 2009

Rocket boosters to stop at Indian Island during transport for space program


News from Peninsula Daily News
By Jeff Chew

INDIAN ISLAND -- Three rocket boosters that will be used in a 2010 launch from Kodiak Island will stop off at Naval Magazine Indian Island late this month.

The Navy base in Port Townsend Bay will assist the Air Force Space Command's Space Development and Test Wing at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico in transporting the rocket boosters.

The three motors, which will use rocket fuel, will be shipped from Hill Air Force Base, Utah, to Naval Magazine Indian Island, said Tonya Racasner, Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center media relations representative, based in El Segundo, Calif., who did not specify which day the motors are expected to arrive at the base.

The three rocket motors -- which range in weight from 107,000 pounds for the first stage motor to 17,500 pounds for the third stage motor -- will be transported to Indian Island over the road on commercial heavy haulers.

They will then be loaded at the Naval Magazine pier onto a commercial shipping barge with a deck of about 27,000 square feet for transportation to Kodiak Island, a trip that will take between eight and 14 days, depending upon the weather.

The rocket motors will be installed at the Kodiak Launch Complex starting in early 2010 for the launch planned for May 2010.

The rocket motors are retired Peacekeeper Intercontinental Ballistic Missile stages that will be used as the first three stages of a Minotaur IV space launch vehicle for the Department of Defense Space Test Program S26, Racasner said.

"The solid rocket motors will be stored and transported in containers specifically designed for motor transportation in accordance with Department of Transportation and Defense Transportation Regulations and will be under the supervision of the Air Force and the U.S. Army's Surface Deployment and Distribution Command," the Air Force said in a prepared statement.

Naval Magazine Indian Island "is involved because they are the only Northwestern port with the infrastructure and expertise to support such a large ordnance shipment," Racasner said.

No fuel will be transported with the rocket motors.

Space Test Program

The Department of Defense Space Test Program S26 will launch seven experimental satellites investigating the space environment, space effects on satellite components and satellite guidance and control.

"The U.S. Department of Defense Space Test Program has a 41-year history and is charged with providing access to space to the U.S. space community for scientific and experimental projects that demonstrate a potential military" use, Racasner said.

It will be the 26th small launch vehicle mission for the program.

The Minotaur family of space launch vehicles is built for the Space Development and Test Wing's Launch Test Squadron by Orbital Sciences Corporation, using a combination of commercial and retired Peacekeeper and Minuteman II ICBM hardware.

More information on the Minotaur IV can be found at the Orbital Sciences Corporations' Web site at tinyurl.com/orbitalminotaur.

Besides Naval Magazine Indian Island, several government and commercial operations are participating in the transport of the rocket motors, including the Air Force Ogden Air Logistics Center's 309th Missile Maintenance Wing and the Army's Surface Deployment and Distribution Command.

15 September 2009

Where's AADC?


One wonders why AADC is not listed as exhibiting at this summit - if you really want to attract commercial launches, don't you want to take every opportunity to promote and publicize your facility? Or has the KLC truly become a strictly military-use site as was predicted by many Kodiak citizens as early as 1995?

The 2009 Governor's Aerospace Summit is coming to Spokane on October 6 and 7.


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRLog (Press Release) – Sep 11, 2009 – (SPOKANE, Wash.) - Make sure to register for the Governor's Aerospace Summit in Spokane, Washington, as registration will increase starting September 21, 2009. Visit www.greaterspokane.org for registration information or visit here to learn more.


Important dates for summit attendees:


Registration Increases September 21
Davenport Group Rate Expires September 15
Exhibitor Tables are Limited - Book By September 30
The Aerospace Summit is co-sponsored by The Aerospace Futures Alliance (AFA), Inland Northwest Aerospace Consortium (INWAC) and Greater Spokane Incorporated.


This year's summit event will include a reception and trade show event beginning at 6:00 PM on Tuesday, October 6. The official program will continue on Wednesday morning, starting at 8:00 AM, and will include keynote and general sessions, along with industry-specific sessions in the afternoon. The event will conclude at 3:30 PM on October 7.


Summit speakers:

Governor Christine Gregoire
Senator Lisa Brown
Senator Chris Marr
Mayor Mary Verner
Gen. Eugene Tattini, Ret. - Deputy Director, Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Scott Hamilton - President and CEO, Leeham Co LLC
Addison Pemberton - President, Scanivalve
Aviation High School

Summit sponsors:

Apex Industries
Boeing
Hobart Machining
Snohomish County EDC

Registered exhibitors:

Absolute Aviation
Altek, Inc.
Apex Industries
Haskins Steel
Jet Seal
Rand North America
Samuelson and Associates
Triumph Composite Systems
Xpedx


Registration for the event is $125 before September 21, 2009. The price will increase to $150 until October 6. Registration at the door will be $200.

Companies interested in sponsorship opportunities may contact Linda Lanham at lindal@afa.wa.com, or via phone at 253.277.1844.

Companies interested in exhibitor opportunities may contact Robin Toth of Greater Spokane Incorporated at rtoth@greaterspokane.org or via phone at 509.321.3636. Space is limited.

To register for the event, please visit the events link at www.greaterspokane.org or register for the event here.

Discounted fares on Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air are provided by Alaska Airlines Groups and Meetings. More information is available on the website.

About Aerospace Futures Alliance
The Aerospace Futures Alliance of Washington (AFA) is one of the nation's leading aerospace industry associations and the premier aerospace association in Washington State. AFA is committed to making it easier for Washington State aerospace companies to do business in the state by working to:

Lower the regulatory and tax burden on aerospace companies
Lower the cost of doing business through transportation infrastructure improvement and reform of the health care system
Ensure that the state has a strong pool of highly-skilled, well-educated employees for the future.

The 650 aerospace companies in Washington employ more than 209,000 people and account for $36 billion in revenue - 15% of the gross domestic product of the state. AFA provides a strong voice for the aerospace industry throughout the state, working closely with a multitude of organizations including labor, educational institutions, airports, seaports and other partners.


For more information about the AFA, visit www.afa-wa.com or contact us at 253-277-1844.


About Inland Northwest Aerospace Consortium
The Inland Northwest Aerospace Consortium (INWAC) is an association of aerospace organizations located in Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho, comprising an area from the Cascades to the Rockies. The INWAC group works to position aerospace as the region's premier industry, providing leadership, resources, networking opportunities and advocacy to grow aerospace companies. For more information about INWAC, please visit www.inwac.com

09 September 2009

What's New for AADC?

A recent Kodiak Daily Mirror article quoted AADC officials saying that two orbital launches were scheduled for 2010; nothing on their web site about these launches. Meanwhile, the area of Narrow Cape where my friend shot a nice buck last year is being paved as the new rocket motor storage building site is prepped. One more chunk of Narrow Cape to be fenced in and off-limits to hikers, berry-pickers, hunters, etc.

On another note, a long-time KRLIG member wrote us this email: "I was intrigued to see the supporter of the KLC who insisted on remaining anonymous; used to be it was the opposition who tried to be anonymous. Clearly, community sentiment has changed toward the KLC as Kodiak has realized that the feds and state have continually bailed AADC out from the beginning."