Curated by John Schmit

Monday, February 25, 2013

Moon Express

http://www.moonexpress.com/

Moon Express is a private lunar transportation and data services company. With plans to send robotic craft to the moon, they have partnership agreements to develop a lunar landing system. The website has a series of slides that dominate the home page. These lead you to explanations of how the company plans to achieve its goals and some of the progress they have made so far. The company has partnered with several others in an attempt to win the Google Lunar X Prize. Moon Express was selected by NASA for its $30 million Innovative Lunar Demonstration Data program and is a member of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation. The website provides access to information about the company and its founders, news of its activities and access to a blog. A tab for missions gives an overall look at plans, technologies and customer payload opportunities. With all of the activity, Moon Express is looking for qualified applicants to work with them. Contact information is available in a menu bar at the bottom of the screen. Moon Express is on the major social media and there is a mailing list available.


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Friday, February 22, 2013

NASASpaceflight.com

http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/

NASASpaceflight.com is a commercial space news aggregate. What sets this site apart is the quality and timeliness of the news items. The management team is well respected in the space and news communities. The website itself is easy to follow with stories sorted by country, commercial, unmanned and other categories. A unique feature of the website is a news subscription service called "L2" that provides a database of information that gives complete background documentation of practically any space related event. This paid service allows the free part of the website to provide even better coverage. The Forum section breaks down news and event items into various categories and lets users post comments. This interaction expands the knowledge base of all visitors. Many of the readers are industry specialists and participate in the Forum. Advertising on the site is minimal and doesn't seem to impede the flow of information. You can follow NASASpaceflight.com on Twitter and a RSS feed is also available. Add this one to your bookmarks.


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Monday, February 18, 2013

Universities Space Research Association

http://www.usra.edu/

Universities Space Research Association (USRA) advances space science and technology. Over 300 universities contribute to USRA activities and is thus an educational website. The website provides information about the organizations capabilities including operations and management, engineering and technology, research, and workforce. USRA news items, publications and a multimedia gallery are available to expand your knowledge of its scientific and outreach endeavors. The website provides a login for members and employees and includes a career site for those interested in working for USRA. The social media and RSS page provides access to 35 different connections through all of the major social networks. There is a FAQ page that focuses on contact info for the various sciences and technologies. This is an excellent starting point for those interested in participating in science and technology development. It is easy to use and has lots of interesting information.


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Friday, February 15, 2013

Spaceport America

http://spaceportamerica.com/

Spaceport America is located near Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. The website is easy to navigate with the home page presenting duplicate menu's to show off aspects of the spaceport. The top menu bar stays with you as you navigate the site, making it easy to jump from one part of the site to another. The "Plan A Visit" pages give local information. Arranging a bus tour is easy and encourages young people to participate by charging less for those inquiring minds. Under the "Happenings" you'll find meeting info, activity on the social networks, access to the newsletter, and an opportunity to explore the "International Symposium For Personal And Commercial Spaceflight". The "Explore" tab leads you to an interactive facility map, image gallery, and a discussion on sustainability at the facility. Click "Do Business" and you'll find supplier info, Contractor listings and employment opportunities. "About Us" is an extensive section with a complete history of the spaceport and its operations. Keep up with activities at Spaceport America on the major social media.

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Monday, February 11, 2013

TrekMovie.com

http://trekmovie.com/

A team of eight editors, eight reviewers, and nine contributors make up the staff at TrekMovie.com. It claims to be the highest ranking Star Trek news site and as such is "the source for everything new in Trek". The home page or news page presents a main column of news items with the most recent on top. The right hand column has a search bar on top and ads for trailers, games, latest articles, polls, a Twitter feed, shopping, and a list of categories. Articles include images and videos as appropriate. An opportunity is given to Tweet or Like each article and a comment section is listed below. Tabs across the top of the home page take you to information about the latest film, Star Trek Into Darkness, Star Trek (2009), TNG Remastered, TOS Remastered, an About page and a Chat section set up like the comments at the ends of each article. TrekMovie uses email validation to reduce "comment spam" using Akismet to verify addresses.


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Friday, February 8, 2013

Deep Space Industries

http://deepspaceindustries.com/

Deep Space industries (DSi) greets you with a four page slide show exalting who they are. Click on the logo and you are back to the first slide. The site menu is located in the lower left and is a mouse over popup. Eleven links are presented in the menu. The list includes the standard "Mission", "Team", "Principles", "Business", and "Technology" pages. Each detailing an aspect of the company. Additionally, DSi has taken the position to educate and has added information links that explain more about the nature of asteroids and how the mining process will work. The "Learn More" tab is to be expanded as the company gains more experience in its work in space. The "Media" link takes you to the only page that has a secondary sub-menu. Here you can go directly to DSi stories as they were presented on major networks and publications. Across the top of this page you'll find the internal media links to promotional videos and concept images. Take the 4 minutes to watch the DSi promotional video. It's very well made. The "Social" tab will bring up the DSi Twitter feed allowing you to Tweet to DSi or follow them. Links to their You Tube and Facebook accounts are here also. The website credits Spacehabs.com for its design.


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Monday, February 4, 2013

Russian Federal Space Agency

http://www.federalspace.ru/

The Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos) website can be a challenge to navigate. First, the language choice for English did not work with my systems. Google Chrome handled the translations and I was able to visit most of the site. The home page presents launch information right at the top. Links to a site map and contact information are at the very top along with a search bar. There is a group of six menu links mid-page that take you to in-depth descriptions of: Activities of Roscosmos, Space Programs, International Cooperation, Legislation, Space Activities, and Information resources. These links and all above stay in place as you navigate the website. News, ISS activities, Blogs and a photo gallery are easy to access on the home page. The "Calendar Space Anniversaries" celebrates those who have been part of Roscosmos and some major events. Check out the "Glossary Of Terms Of Space" for interesting reading. Near the bottom of the home page you'll find access to other Federal Government sites. It appears that launches and other space activities are covered by Roskosmos TV Studio (http://www.tvroscosmos.ru/).

Friday, February 1, 2013

Space Toys

http://www.spacetoys.com/

Space Toys has about everything you could want in space items and memorabilia. From Astronaut Ice Cream for $3.75 to a custom made 1 to 1 Space Shuttle Orbiter for $3.5 million (interior not included but available), you'll find it here. Of course, space suits and clothing, patches and models are available. Easily browse through the categories on the left and prices are given for each item. There is a menu across the top but the Blog and News tabs indicate the website has changed servers and is still under reconstruction. Be sure to read the 'Policies' tab if you decide to purchase. The company, based in East Windsor, Connecticut, is proud of their work and provides examples of what they have done for others under the 'About Us' tab. Also check the 'Shipping' tab for item arrival times. The company takes PayPal, MasterCard, and Visa. There is a newsletter available for subscription.