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The uncertainty about the future of Rick Homans as executive director of Spaceport America, as discussed here earlier this week, appears to be over. The Las Cruces Sun-News reports Wednesday that Homans has tendered his resignation, effective Friday. Homans, speaking at an emergency meeting of the spaceport’s board, said that he had been informed last week by Susana Martinez, who became governor of New Mexico on Saturday, that he had to either resign or be fired. Homans had served in the administration of the previous governor, Bill Richardson, a Democrat; Martinez is a Republican. “I understand politics, and I also understand how critical it is for her to have absolute trust and confidence in the executive leadership of the New Mexico Spaceport Authority,” Homans said, according to the report.
It’s not clear what the board’s plans are for replacing Homans, on an interim or permanent basis. It’s also not clear what the current board’s own future is: while only the spaceport’s board has the power to hire or fire the executive director, the board itself could be replaced by the new governor. The uncertainty comes at a time when the spaceport is seeking to expand the roster of companies doing business there, a move endorsed in a recent Sun-News editorial, but questions about both the spaceport’s management and the commitment to it by the state government could cause some companies to think twice, at least for now.
Update: some more information from the Albuquerque Journal and the Las Cruces Sun-News Thursday morning:
- According to the Journal, at least five of the seven spaceport board members wanted Homans to stay on, at least until construction of the spaceport is completed later this year.
- Board members, who told the Sun-News they were uncertain whether they would be kept by the new governor, said they had not been given instruction on how to hire a new executive director. However, a spokesperson for the state’s Department of Economic Development told the Journal that the position would be advertised and a search committee created.
- The Journal also reported that the governor has a “Spaceport Review Team” that is examining the current status of the spaceport, including its contract with anchor tenant Virgin Galactic; that team has received input from former astronauts like Harrison Schmitt and Sid Gutierrez. “The governor believes astronauts have more insight into space travel than Bill Richardson’s deputy campaign manager,” said a spokesman for the governor, referring to Homans. (How much insight these former astronauts have on commercial space travel, though, may be very different.)
- Virgin Galactic president and CEO George Whitesides told the Journal that the company is looking “forward to working with the Martinez administration to continue to advance New Mexico’s leadership in commercial space,” but had no other comment.
By and large things are going well at Spaceport America: other than a delay with one of the spaceport buildings, construction of the commercial spaceport in the New Mexico desert is proceeding, with the runway dedicated in October and other buildings, including the main terminal, making progress. Yet there is some uncertainty about the future of the spaceport, including who will be running it.
That uncertainty stems from the change in government in the state, as Susana Martinez (R) succeeded term-limited Bill Richardson (D) as governor on January 1. The change in governors, and political parties, means that heads of many state agencies will be leaving. Rick Homans, executive director of the New Mexico Spaceport Authority, which runs the spaceport, told the Sante Fe New Mexican last week he hopes to retain his post but wants to have discussions with the Martinez administration about their plans. “I love the project. I am committed to it. I would love to see it through,” he said. “But I need to have further discussions with the new administration about what their goals are with the spaceport and what they want to do with the board and what they’d like to see with the executive director.”
When I spoke with Homans in October, prior to Martinez’s November general election victory, he said that he had briefed Martinez about the project about the past. (Martinez would likely have been familiar with the project from local news coverage, since prior to the election she was district attorney for Doña Ana County, where Las Cruces is located.) Homans has been playing up the spaceport’s successes in the last year, such as in this op-ed on NMPolitics.net. Last week the Las Cruces Sun-News, in an editorial, called on Martinez to retain Homans and his team: “With the spaceport on schedule to open in 2011, this would be a poor time to change leadership.”
What plans Gov. Martinez has for Spaceport America aren’t clear. A Los Angeles Times article claims that Martinez “is looking to privatize operations at Spaceport America” but gives no specifics. During the campaign, Martinez indicated that she didn’t want the state investing more money into the spaceport, saying such “additional large investments would be a misguided use of our taxpayer funds”, although there’s no indication any such “large investments” are planned for the spaceport for the foreseeable future after the completion of the facilities there already under construction. She said she wanted more private investment for any future development costs as well as “expanding the scope of the spaceport beyond personal space flights”.
Update: the Las Cruces Sun-News reported Tuesday that the Martinez administration plans to audit Virgin Galactic’s contract with the spaceport, as well as the spaceport’s finances. Martinez told the paper that she also wants to find out how “we bring private industry to be part of the spaceport, so that eventually state tax dollars aren’t necessary.” The article also notes that the spaceport’s board has called an emergency meeting for Wednesday that, according to the article, will feature a single item: a closed session “to discuss personnel matters”.
 Left: An illustration from the early 2000s of an Orbital Sciences space taxi concept launching atop a Delta 4 Heavy. Right: Orbital's new concept for a commercial crew vehicle visiting the ISS. Orbital Sciences got a lot of attention earlier this month when it announced it had submitted a proposal to NASA for its Commercial Crew Development 2 (CCDev-2) program, seeking funding to refine its proposed crew transportation system concept. That concept features a “blended lifting body” vehicle placed atop a launch vehicle such as an Atlas 5; the vehicle would glide back to a runway landing. The theme of much of the coverage was that Orbital was the latest company throwing its hat into the CCDev ring, following others such as Boeing, Sierra Nevada Corporation, SpaceX, and United Launch Alliance.
However, Orbital’s interest in commercial crew transportation predates this proposal by more than a decade. In the early 2000s Orbital worked on the Orbital Space Plane (OSP) program for NASA, fleshing out a design for a winged vehicle launched on an EELV. Before that, back in the late 1990s, Orbital studied a concept it called the “Space Taxi” that was similar to its current concept, at least in the concept of operations: a small winged vehicle launched on another rocket to transport cargo or crew to the ISS before returning to a runway landing. The Space Taxi work was also supported by NASA under the Space Transportation Architecture Studies (STAS) program.
Here’s how Orbital’s chief technology officer put it in testimony before the space subcommittee of the House Science Committee (.doc format) back in October 1999:
Orbital’s recommended architecture includes a small, multifunctional Crew and Cargo Transfer Vehicle (CCTV), referred to as a Space Taxi™, which would serve as: a two-way human space transportation system, a small cargo delivery and return vehicle, an emergency crew return vehicle (CRV) for the International Space Station (ISS), and a passenger module for a future Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV). The Space Taxi could initially be launched on a heavy-lift Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV), currently under development by U.S. industry and the U.S. Air Force. Together with a small cargo carrier located behind the Space Taxi, this system would be used to meet future ISS servicing requirements.
The Orbital testimony makes the case that, once the station is complete, a vehicle like the Space Taxi can meet NASA’s needs to service the station, rendering the Space Shuttle unnecessary. This is, in effect, what has happened: in 2004 the Bush Administration rolled out the Vision for Space Exploration, calling for completion of the ISS by 2010 followed by retirement of the shuttle (that deadline will be missed, though, with three more shuttle missions still on the books for 2011.)
Orbital’s CTO argues that, at that time, there’s no commercial demand for such a system: “Unfortunately, there are no near-term commercial requirements for transporting humans to and from space or for returning significant amounts of cargo.” However, he argues that the Space Taxi system should be commercially operated, allowing it to meet any emerging commercial markets on the ISS or elsewhere in LEO (emphasis in original):
We envision this Space Taxi to be industry owned and operated; however, the cost of development, production, and operation of the Space Taxi System would be paid for predominantly out of government funds because it satisfies unique NASA needs that are not currently aligned with those of commercial industry. The launching of this Space Taxi System, however, could be competed among commercial RLV or EELV suppliers that meet the cost and safety requirements. These future RLVs would be commercially developed with private capital and would be commercially owned and operated. Their development will be enabled by NASA’s current and planned future investments in RLV technologies and could be enhanced by government-backed financial incentives, such as tax credits, loan guarantees or advanced purchase agreements. Once a truly commercial Space Station becomes operational or the current Space Station becomes sufficiently commercialized, NASA and industry launch needs will be in almost complete alignment, and a completely commercial Space Taxi may become a viable business opportunity. We strongly believe that industry ownership of the Space Taxi from initial operation is critical to enable the eventual development of such a commercial Space Station.
Sound familiar? Orbital’s CTO goes on suggest that such a system could open up one market in particular, satellite servicing. He also argues that such a system is necessary from both a technical and budgetary standpoint to enable human space exploration beyond Earth orbit. “Orbital is currently defining propulsion modules that would be attached to the aft end of the Space Taxi to allow it to perform these potential future missions,” he states. “We believe that the savings in NASA’s budget generated by the introduction of Orbital’s Space Taxi-based architecture are critical to enable the funding of such a program in the current budgetary environment.” (emphasis in original)
By the way, who was the Orbital CTO who made those comments back in October 1999? A gentleman by the name of Michael Griffin.
 Virgin Galactic president Will Whitehorn speaks at the Spaceport America runway dedication in October 2010, with Sir Richard Branson looking on. (credit: J. Foust) Virgin Galactic president Will Whitehorn will retire from the company next month and be replaced by current CEO George Whitesides, the company announced Thursday. Whitehorn, who has been working for the Virgin Group in various capacities since 1987, has been president of Virgin Galactic since 2004, when the company announced plans to license the SpaceShipOne technology and work with its developer, Scaled Composites, to build SpaceShipTwo. The release notes (although it was not widely reported at the time) that Whitehorn went into a part-time role in 2007 “to pursue other business interests”; he remained as president, though, even when George Whitesides, a former Virgin Galactic advisor who went on to serve as chief of staff to NASA administrator Charles Bolden, returned to Virgin in May to become CEO. Whitesides will take on the roles of CEO and president after Whitehorn’s retirement.
“I feel incredibly privileged to have played my part in developing the most exciting business plan and space technology anywhere in the world today,” Whitehorn said in the statement. “Of course I will miss this fantastic team of people, all of whom I have loved working with, but I know they are in great hands with George and I look forward to seeing them all up there in space in the next few years.”
The release notes that Whitehorn is retiring to pursue other business interests; he already sits on several company and organization boards. The release adds that Whitehorn is also being awarded this month the Royal Aeronautical Society Space Medal.
The full text of the release, not yet posted on the Virgin Galactic web site, is below:
WILL WHITEHORN TO RETIRE AS PRESIDENT OF VIRGIN GALACTIC.
GEORGE WHITESIDES TO TAKE ON COMBINED ROLE OF PRESIDENT AND CEO.
Will Whitehorn, President of Virgin Galactic since the formation of the company in 2004, is to retire from that role in January 2011. George Whitesides, who was appointed as the first full time CEO in May 2010, assumes the title of President and CEO.
Whitehorn has worked for Virgin Group since 1987 in corporate affairs, brand development and investment related roles. In 2007 he went part time to follow other business interests, but took on responsibility for leading Virgin Galactic through its design and investment phase. The investment round, fully funding the company through launch of commercial operations, was successfully concluded with Aabar Investments. Both the company’s SpaceShipTwo and WhiteKnightTwo vehicles are now undergoing flight test.
Commenting on Whitehorn’s departure, George Whitesides said, “I wish Will the very best for the future. We have known each other for six years now and have built both a warm friendship as well as a strong professional relationship. It was his and Sir Richard’s vision that brought Virgin Galactic to the exciting future it now has. I am honored to be taking this great company forward into the new decade to answer the growing markets for commercial, scientific and industrial space development. We now have a flying space flight system, testing on a regular basis above the Mojave desert; we have a beautiful home nearing completion at Spaceport America in New Mexico and most importantly we have over 400 potential astronauts signed up and monies on deposit in excess of $54 million. Will leaves us in strong shape and he will never be far from the project as we move toward commercial operations.â€
Commenting on his departure, Whitehorn added, “I feel incredibly privileged to have played my part in developing the most exciting business plan and space technology anywhere in the world today. Galactic was the result of Sir Richard’s vision and I am delighted that the dream from several years ago is now becoming a reality. I am confident that people will look back on this project as the beginning of the second age of space. Of course I will miss this fantastic team of people, all of whom I have loved working with, but I know they are in great hands with George and I look forward to seeing them all up there in space in the next few years.â€
Will is retiring from Virgin Galactic to concentrate on other business interests. He is currently Chairman of Next Fifteen Communications and Loewy Group Ltd. In addition he sits on the boards of the SECC in Glasgow and ILN Group in London. He is a member of the British Government’s Science and Technology Facilities Council and The Space Leadership Council. In December 2010 he is also being awarded the Royal Aeronautical Society Space Medal for his services to the industry.
ENDS
About Virgin Galactic
Virgin Galactic is on track to be the world’s first commercial spaceline. The new Spaceship (VSS Enterprise) and Mothership (VMS Eve) are both being developed for Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic by Mojave-based Scaled Composites. Founded by Burt Rutan, Scaled developed SpaceShipOne, which in 2004 claimed the $10m Ansari X prize as the world’s first privately developed manned spacecraft. Virgin Galactic’s new vehicles share much of the same basic design but are being built to carry six customers on sub-orbital space flights, allowing an out-of-the-seat zero gravity experience and offering astounding views of the planet from the black sky of space.
The VSS Enterprise test flight program will continue through 2011, prior to commercial operations which will be based at Virgin Galactic’s future headquarters at Spaceport America in New Mexico.
At the Spaceport American runway dedication in October, Virgin Galactic’s Richard Branson surprised some people when he said that the company “is going to put forward proposals” for NASA’s Commercial Crew Development (CCDev) program and “plan to start work on an orbital program quite quickly”. Today, Virgin confirmed its interest in orbital spaceflight, but those expecting a SpaceShipThree will be disappointed.
In a press release Virgin Galactic announced that it is teaming with Orbital Sciences Corporation and Sierra Nevada Corporation on their second round CCDev (CCDev-2) proposals. Rather than develop its own vehicle, for now Virgin Galactic will be content offering to sell seats on the vehicles those two companies have proposed developing, both lifting bodies launched vertically atop expendable launchers that glide to runway landings. Virgin, according to its statement, “believes [those vehicles] could revolutionize orbital space flight in much the same way that SpaceShipTwo has revolutionized sub-orbital space flight.” Virgin Galactic will also consider making available its WhiteKnightTwo carrier aircraft to the companies during its testing phase.
Sierra Nevada is already developing its Dream Chaser vehicle, and is one of five companies with CCDev awards from NASA early this year. The company hasn’t yet separately announced its CCDev-2 proposal plans. Orbital Sciences announced earlier this week its proposal for a “blended lifting body” vehicle launched on an Atlas 5 or other rocket. Orbital did not name Virgin Galactic in its list of “major suppliers” in its release although Space News reported on the partnership earlier this week.
Sunday’s Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has an extended account of George French and his involvement with Rocketplane, the company that, for a time, was developing both suborbital and orbital vehicles (the latter under a NASA COTS agreement) before running into financial problems and eventually going bankrupt. French had long been interested in space, but it was a trip to Space Camp in 1990 that provided an “epiphany”, leading him to get more involved—in time and, later, money—with spaceflight, eventually with Rocketplane.
French, as the article describes, effectively went “all in” with Rocketplane, selling in 2006 the billboard division of the Wisconsin advertising company where he had made his money, and ultimately investing about $25 million into the company. As company officials previously noted, French said the company had lined up more than $300 million in outside investment, including a teachers’ pension fund in Canada, only to lose that in the opening waves of the subprime mortgage crisis. That, in effect, was the beginning of the end of Rocketplane, although the company didn’t file for Chapter 7 (liquidation) bankruptcy until this summer.
The article is based primarily on interviews with French and some friends, although John Herrington, the former NASA astronaut who worked for Rocketplane for a few years, offers a little different viewpoint on the company. Herrington recalls that “within a month” of joining Rocketplane in 2005 company executives were concerned the company (at the time focused solely on suborbital spaceflight) had enough cash to get through the year. Herrington added that he had to sue French to get the final $10,000 of his $200,000 signing bonus; French didn’t recall such a suit but the article found that, in fact, a judgment had been entered against French, who then paid.
 The first SpaceX Dragon spacecraft descends to a splashdown on Wednesday. (credit: SpaceX)
OK… First I’ll access the secret military spy satellite that is in geosynchronous orbit over the midwest. Then I’ll ID the limo by the vanity plate “MR. BIGGG” and get his approximate position. Then I’ll reposition the transmission dish on the remote truck to 17.32 degrees east, hit WESTAR 4 over the Atlantic, bounce the signal back into the aerosphere up to COMSAT 6, beam it back to SATCOM 2 transmitter number 137 and down on the dish on the back of Mr. Big’s limo… It’s almost too easy.
– Garth, in Wayne’s World
It’s hard to overstate the achievement that SpaceX made on Wednesday with the successful flight of its Dragon spacecraft. Launching the spacecraft into orbit, while hardly unprecedented, is no simple feat: national space agencies in places like Brazil and South Korea have failed to accomplish this. Maneuvering a spacecraft in orbit is also nothing new, but not anything to be taken for granted on a spacecraft’s first flight. Deorbiting that spacecraft, though, having it safely reenter the atmosphere, then splash down virtually right on target in such a manner that, had anyone been on board, they would have had a “nice ride”, in the words of Elon Musk, is an impressive accomplishment, especially on a first try and with virtually everything working as planned. Despite all the complexities, it looked “almost too easy”.
The launch is obviously a major milestone for SpaceX, clearing the way for future Dragon flights to service the ISS, as well as create momentum for its plans to develop crew transportation systems. It’s also a major accomplishment—or a source of relief—for NASA, which was putting so much emphasis on commercial providers for supporting the ISS. It will also likely buoy other commercial space providers, demonstrating that you don’t have to be a government agency to do things like launch and recover spacecraft. And it may, at least for the time being, quiet critics of commercial space and NASA’s new emphasis on it.
One thing that should be kept in mind during all these congratulations and celebrations: while it may look easy, it is not. It’s quite possible there will be future setbacks—launch delays, failures, other malfunctions—for SpaceX or other companies entering this field in the months and years to come. Celebrate yesterday’s achievement, but keep in mind it’s just one step of many more to come.
If all had gone well, the Falcon 9 would be launching this morning to test the Dragon spacecraft. However, SpaceX announced Monday afternoon that the launch would be postponed because of cracks in the nozzle of the rocket’s second-stage engine. Specifically, SpaceX is examining two small cracks in the aft end of the nozzle expansion of the engine, made of a niobium alloy; that extension, not used in the first-stage engines, improves engine performance in vacuum. At Monday afternoon’s press conference SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell said the analysis of the problem would delay the launch to Thursday, with a further delay to Friday or Saturday if the nozzle needs to be replaced. Later, though, the company said there would be a chance the launch could be performed on Wednesday. A decision is not expected until later today.
The reaction to the upcoming launch varies considerably. At one extreme is an editorial in the Orange County Register, which is excited about the prospects of commercializing spaceflight (beyond, presumably, the commercial launch activity that exists today for communications and other satellites, not mentioned in the editorial.) Even if the launch fails, the editorial argues, “another launch will succeed, and the transition of space travel from a strictly government endeavor to one dominated by private companies will have advanced an important step.”
At another extreme is an op-ed by Examiner.com reported Jason Rhian, who was less than impressed with Shotwell’s performance at Monday’s press conference. He criticized as “flippant and haughty” her response to a reporter’s question about cost: “We don’t really talk about cost at SpaceX.” Rhian: “Given the status that Obama has given to SpaceX above all others, including NASA itself; Shotwell should be required to talk about cost.” Besides confusing the difference between “price” and “cost” (which was the point of Shotwell’s comments; as she noted, SpaceX publishes launch prices on its web site, which other major commercial launch providers do not), it’s worth noting that both the COTS development award and the CRS cargo contract are not traditional cost-plus contracts, where understanding a company’s costs is important. For this week’s launch NASA is not paying SpaceX specifically for a launch but instead has been providing SpaceX with funding as the company met milestones for development of the Falcon 9 and Dragon under its COTS award. (The launch is one of the milestones in the award, but only a token amount of funding is associated with it, as most of the money—$253 million of the $287 million, NASA’s Alan Lindenmoyer said Monday—has already been awarded to SpaceX for achieving earlier milestones.)
 Falcon 9 on the pad at Cape Canaveral for a static test firing earlier this year. SpaceX is scheduled to make the first of three launches as part of its Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) agreement with NASA next week. NASA announced this week that SpaceX is planning to carry out its “COTS 1″ Falcon 9 launch on December 7, with a launch window stretching from 9:03 am to 12:22 pm EST (1403 to 1722 GMT); the company also has reserved launch windows on Wednesday and Thursday. Prelaunch activities, though, begin Friday with a static fire test on the pad scheduled for 9 am EST (1400 GMT) [now scheduled for 12 pm EST (1700 GMT)] that will be webcast on the SpaceX web site. A prelaunch press conference is planned for Monday at KSC.
The launch will be the second for the Falcon 9, and the first for the Dragon spacecraft (the inaugural Falcon 9 launch in June carried a boilerplate Dragon capsule). The Dragon will remain in space for three orbits before splashing down off the California coast. This flight is the first of three SpaceX is to carry out under their $278-million COTS agreement with NASA; the second, scheduled for next year, would send the Dragon to the vicinity of the ISS for rendezvous testing maneuvers, while on the third the Dragon would berth with the station.
SpaceX, though, is careful not to raise expectations too high despite the success of their June launch. Elon Musk told Aviation Week that he gives next week’s mission “maybe a 60% chance of success” overall, counting the launch as well as the successful reentry and recovery of the Dragon capsule. “The reason we’re doing this mission is to learn,” he said, saying there are “graduations of success” even if the mission doesn’t accomplish everything.
Update: the static firing took place at about 1 pm EST (1800 GMT) but was aborted 1.1 seconds into the 2-second test due to high engine chamber pressure, according to a SpaceX statement. A second static fire test is planned for some time Saturday. No word yet if this will affect the scheduled Tuesday launch of the Falcon 9.
Update: After an abort on an earlier test Saturday morning, SpaceX declared success with a second test around 11 am EST (1600 GMT) Saturday. Additional details about the test, and the schedule for the COTS 1 launch, are still forthcoming.
 The Air Rescue Fire Facility (ARFF) at Spaceport America, seen earlier this month. (credit: Spaceport America) Spaceport America officials have stopped work on one of the facility’s buildings until as late as next spring in order to reevaulate the design of its interior, the Albuquerque Journal reported Tuesday. The Air Rescue Fire Facility (ARFF), a building that will be the spaceport’s fire station as well as host the spaceport’s administrative offices, was 70-percent complete last week when officials ordered work on it halted. Rick Homans, executive director of the New Mexico Spaceport Authority, said the work stoppage was designed to allow them reevaulate the interior of the dome-shaped ARFF. “We want to make sure the interior design and functionality works for us and that it is also in sync with the overall look and design of the other components of Spaceport America,” Homans told the Journal. He said that reevaulation would be complete by the end of the first quarter of 2011, at which point work on the building would resume. Any additional costs incurred by the redesign would be “minimal”, he said.
Work on the rest of the spaceport, including its signature terminal building, continues. The runway itself is complete, and officials with the state and its anchor tenant, Virgin America, formally dedicated it last month. It’s unclear if the delay on the ARFF would also delay the overall completion of the spaceport, planned for the middle of 2011.
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“It’s almost too easy”
The first SpaceX Dragon spacecraft descends to a splashdown on Wednesday. (credit: SpaceX)
It’s hard to overstate the achievement that SpaceX made on Wednesday with the successful flight of its Dragon spacecraft. Launching the spacecraft into orbit, while hardly unprecedented, is no simple feat: national space agencies in places like Brazil and South Korea have failed to accomplish this. Maneuvering a spacecraft in orbit is also nothing new, but not anything to be taken for granted on a spacecraft’s first flight. Deorbiting that spacecraft, though, having it safely reenter the atmosphere, then splash down virtually right on target in such a manner that, had anyone been on board, they would have had a “nice ride”, in the words of Elon Musk, is an impressive accomplishment, especially on a first try and with virtually everything working as planned. Despite all the complexities, it looked “almost too easy”.
The launch is obviously a major milestone for SpaceX, clearing the way for future Dragon flights to service the ISS, as well as create momentum for its plans to develop crew transportation systems. It’s also a major accomplishment—or a source of relief—for NASA, which was putting so much emphasis on commercial providers for supporting the ISS. It will also likely buoy other commercial space providers, demonstrating that you don’t have to be a government agency to do things like launch and recover spacecraft. And it may, at least for the time being, quiet critics of commercial space and NASA’s new emphasis on it.
One thing that should be kept in mind during all these congratulations and celebrations: while it may look easy, it is not. It’s quite possible there will be future setbacks—launch delays, failures, other malfunctions—for SpaceX or other companies entering this field in the months and years to come. Celebrate yesterday’s achievement, but keep in mind it’s just one step of many more to come.