NASA has released the first edition of its new bi-monthy newsletter that focuses on "happenings" in the agency's commercial spaceflight development program. The first newsletter is devoted to the progress made in the commercial crew development program, which recently awarded four companies money to develop spacecraft that can carry astronauts to space. The progress made by these companies--SpaceX, Boeing, Blue Origin, and Sierra Nevada Corporation--is small. But with the space shuttle's final mission scheduled for July 8, the pressure is on for these companies to work quickly and efficiently to meet their goals.

"The space shuttle's retirement gives commercial companies more incentive to push the development of their systems," says Craig Steidle, the president of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation. "They are excited about what's coming up, but the pressure is getting financial support, to make sure we have the money to allow them to do spaceflight demonstrations."

Steidle is optimistic that the commercial companies working on human spaceflight will meet their goals, and we will see the first astronaut launch to space on a commercial spacecraft in 2017.

Here's a round up of what these companies are up to:

Boeing is developing the CST-100 spacecraft, and perhaps achieved the greatest milestone for its spacecraft thus far by completing its delta Systems Definition Review--an analysis of the design and requirements of the spacecraft and its subsystems, including structures, thermal, electrical, propulsion, life support, software and avionics. According to the company's press release,

The Delta SDR enables a common understanding of the design baseline as the team progresses toward a system-level Preliminary Design Review (PDR), which will further mature the system design and ensure it meets all requirements. Under the second round of NASA's Commercial Crew Development Space Act Agreement, Boeing expects to complete its System PDR no later than early spring 2012.

Boeing is preparing to gather performance data on the spacecraft's launch abort system and service module fuel tank; evaluate vehicle ascent performance in wind tunnel testing; and build on earlier landing air bag and parachute demonstrations with more in-depth investigations.

In June Boeing will present a plan for identifying and mitigating potential spaceflight safety hazards for the spacecraft.

SpaceX meanwhile is developing the Falcon 9 rocket and the Dragon spacecraft, which are both test flight proven. With the new funding the company is focusing on the development of a launch abort system and improving the design of the crew systems. SpaceX completed its initial milestone, a kickoff meeting with NASA officials to review requirements and present design status updates. In July, the company will have to present data, documentation, and risk assessments to show that the launch abort system concept is technically sound.

Sierra Nevada Corporation is building the Dream Chaser, a reusable piloted spacecraft that will be launched on an Atlas V rocket. It also had initial kickoff meeting and Systems Requirement Review and will present test results on the aerodynamic and thermal performance of the airfoil for the Dream Chaser's tip fins.

Blue Origin's crew transportation system will be a reusable biconic space vehicle that has been launched on an Atlas V rocket and then on the company's own reusable booster system. After initial meetings the company improved the overall space vehicle design. The next step will be ground and flight tests of its pusher escape system for astronauts, and accelerating the engine design for the reusable booster system.

ESA Spacecraft

ESA's Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle. Credit: ESA

The European Space Agency announced that its re-entry spacecraft, called Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle (IXV), will be ready to fly in 2013. The agency first announced the vehicle concept in 2009. Now the detailed design and technologies are ready and the agency has partnered with Thales Alenia Space Italia to manufacture the vehicle. Its first flight will be in 2013.

According to the press release,

Europe's ambition for a spacecraft to return autonomously from low orbit is a cornerstone for a wide range of space applications, including space transportation, exploration and robotic servicing of space infrastructure.

This goal will be achieved with IXV, which is the next step from the Atmospheric Reentry Demonstrator flight of 1998. More maneuverable and able to make precise landings, IXV is the 'intermediate' element of Europe's path to future developments with limited risks.

The new spacecraft, which resembles a wing-less space shuttle and it s test vehicle, will launch aboard a small ESA rocket, reaching an altitude of 450 kilometers. It will test technologies like advanced thermal protection systems, new guidance, navigation and control systems, and will collect lots of data. It will operate autonomously. It could be proving ground for ESA to develop a vehicle that can travel to the space station or other destinations.

Moon Images

Credit: NASA

Data from seven instruments onboard NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), a spacecraft orbiting the moon since 2009, have provided amazing detailed images and maps of the moon's surface, showing craters and topography that have never before been seen.

According to the NASA press release,

The most precise and complete topographic maps to date of the moon's complex, heavily cratered landscape have been created from the more than 4 billion measurements -- and still counting -- taken by LRO's Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA). These maps are more accurate and sample more places on the lunar surface than any available before. In fact, LOLA has taken more than 100 times more measurements than all previous lunar instruments of its kind combined, opening up a world of possibilities for future exploration and for science.

Already, researchers have used LOLA data to put together the first comprehensive set of maps of the roughness of the moon's surface. Like wrinkles on skin, the roughness of craters and other fetures on the moon's surface can reveal their age. By looking at where and how the roughness changes -- and by combining that information with contour maps that show where the high and low points are -- researchers can get important clues about the processes that shaped the moon.

Solar Electric Propulsion

To reach destinations beyond low Earth orbit spacecraft needs propulsion systems that are efficient and powerful. Chemical propulsion systems are most commonly used for spacecraft, but they require large amounts of fuel and are inefficient for deep space missions. Now NASA is seeking proposals for mission concepts of solar electric propulsion systems. The systems use solar panels to generate electricity that gives a positive charge to atoms inside a chamber, which are pulled by magnetism towards the back of the spacecraft and pushed out. The stream of atoms going out of the spacecraft gives it the thrust it needs to move through space. (The agency tested an ion-propulsion system it developed in 2009 and expects it to launch in 2013.)

According to the release,

Science missions could use solar electric propulsion to reach distant regions of the solar system, and commercial missions could use solar electric propulsion tugs to place, service, resupply, reposition and salvage space assets. NASA's strategic roadmaps for exploration, science and advanced technology all consider solar electric propulsion a vital and necessary future capability.

NASA is examining potential mission concepts for a high-power solar electric propulsion system demonstration. Flying a demonstration mission on a representative trajectory through the Van Allen radiation belts and operating in actual space environments could reveal unknown systems-level and operational issues. Mission data will lower the technical and cost risk associated with future solar electric propulsion spacecraft. The flight demonstration mission would test and validate key capabilities and technologies required for future exploration elements such as a 300 kilowatt solar electric transfer vehicle.

A view from above Spirit on Mars. This mosaic image was taken by the navigation camera on the rover and is an overhead view of the rover on the surface. The front of the rover is up, and retracted airbags are visible underneath the spacecraft.Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Cornell

Today, NASA is ending its attempts to contact the Mars exploration rover Spirit, which last communicated with the agency on March 22, 2010. The cause of its silence: the Martian winter.

Spirit relies on solar energy to run heaters that keep its internal components warm. This past Martian winter was particularly sunless, and the rover most likely endured colder internal temperatures than any of its prior six years on Mars, leaving many critical components and connections susceptible to damage from the cold, according to NASA.

Spirit landed on Mars in January 2004 (its sister rover Opportunity landed a few weeks later on the opposite side of the planet) for what was supposed to be a six-month visit. It ultimately had a successful and turbulent life lasting six years. It was loaded with tools, science instruments, and systems to investigate the composition of soil and rocks, study tiny wobbles in the rotation of Mars to gain insight about the planet's core, and monitor the atmosphere. Most notably, it discovered deposits of salts and minerals such as sulfur and silica that only form in the presence of water.

Spirit survived dust storms, sand traps, and three freezing winters (each Mars years is about two Earth years). Its days as a mobile explorer ended in January 2010, when, after several months of trying to free the rover from a sand trap, NASA decided the rover would remain a stationary science platform.

But now engineers have concluded that even this final stage of Spirit's mission is over. But a new, more capable rover is already waiting in the wings: Curiosity, scheduled to launch in November, is designed to help determine whether there was—or is—life on Mars.

"However, while we no longer believe there is a realistic probability of hearing from Spirit, the Deep Space Network may occasionally listen for any faint signals when the schedule permits," said Dave Lavery, NASA's program executive for solar system exploration, in the press release.

Two panoramas of the Martian surface from Spirit captured in 2005. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Cornell

Spirit moves its robotic arm. The image was taken by a camera on the rover. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Cornell

A mosaic of images shows the soil in front of Spirit after a series of short backward drives during attempts to extricate the rover from a sand trap in January and February 2010. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Cornell University