The Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (or IRIS) is a space probe, planned by NASA, to observe the Sun.

It is a NASA Small Explorer program mission to investigate the physical conditions of the solar limb, particularly the chromosphere of the Sun.

IRIS will observe how solar material moves, gathers energy, and heats up as it travels through a little-understood region in the sun's lower atmosphere. Tracking how material and energy move through this region is a crucial part of understanding the dynamics of the sun.

NASA announced on June 19, 2009 that IRIS was selected from six small explorer mission candidates^.

Nautilus-X is a multi-mission space exploration vehicle imagined by the Technology Applications Assessment Team of NASA.

The spacecraft was designed for long duration (one to twenty-four months) exo-atmospheric space journeys for a six-person crew. In order to limit the effects of microgravity on human health, the spacecraft would be equipped with a centrifuge.

Nautilus-X stands for Non-Atmospheric Universal Transport Intended for Lengthy United States Exploration.

The Space Launch System, or SLS, is a Space Shuttle-derived heavy launch vehicle being designed by NASA.

It follows the cancellation of the Constellation Program, and is to replace the retired Space Shuttle.

SpaceDev was founded in 1997.
It was merged into Sierra Nevada Corporation  in Dec. 2008.

SpaceDev acquired Integrated Space Systems (USA). For a while, SpaceDev also owned UK-based Space Innovations Limited.In August 1998 SpaceDev acquired all patents, intellectual property, test results, and documents that had been produced by the out of business American Rocket Company (AMROC).

On December 2008 Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) acquired the company SpaceDev.

see SNC.

The Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) is an international industry consortium of more than 400 companies, government agencies and universities participating in a consensus process to develop publicly available interface standards for geospatial data and services, GIS data processing and data sharing.

OGC® Standards support interoperable solutions that "geo-enable" the Web, wireless and location-based services and mainstream IT. The standards empower technology developers to make complex spatial information and services accessible and useful with all kinds of applications.

OGC standards are developed in a unique consensus process supported by the OGC's industry, government and academic members to enable geoprocessing technologies to interoperate, or "plug and play". You will also find the OGC trademark associated with products that implement our standards and that have obtained the Certified OGC Compliant brand. Make sure that your geoprocessing and location services procurement and technology development programs demand OGC standards!

OGC® and OpenGIS® are registered trademarks of the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC). OGC is the brand name associated with the standards and documents produced by the OGC. 

Rovsing is a supplier of space solutions: fixed-price systems and software solutions for space related disciplines such as on-board, check-out, ground station, earth observation data processing, ground networks, independent software verification and validation, simulation and evaluation application. 

By co-locating our experienced engineers at leading space contractors and institutions, we provide on-site engineering support in areas like software development, software validation, systems and software maintenance and exploitation, network solutions, configuration management and quality assurance.

The following summarizes Rovsing’s space activities:

• Satellite Check-Out Systems (EGSE)
• Power and Launch SCOE Products
• On-board and Ground Support Software
• Software Verification and Validation
• Ground Segment Solutions
• Science Reference Facilities
• On-site Engineering Support

The Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) is is a small space observatory that will study the moon's thin atmosphere and dust above the lunar surface. 

NASA's LADEE spacecraft is scheduled for launch in early 2013.

To carry out the mission, NASA will send a robotic spacecraft into orbit around the Moon, and use instruments aboard the spacecraft to study the Moon's atmosphere and dust in the Moon's vicinity. Instruments will include a dust detector, a neutral mass spectrometer, an ultraviolet-visible spectrometer, and recently announced, a laser communications (lasercomm) terminal.

LADEE was announced during the presentation of NASA's FY09 budget in February 2008. It will be launched aboard a Minotaur V from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport.

The Space Shuttle was a partially reusable launch system and orbital spacecraft operated by the NASA for human spaceflight missions.

The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons. The first of four orbital test flights occurred in 1981 leading to operational flights beginning in 1982. It was used on a total of 135 missions from 1981 to 2011 all launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida.

The Space Shuttle at launch consisted of the Orbiter Vehicle (OV), one external tank (ET), and two Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs). The orbiter decelerated in the atmosphere before flying like a glider but with reaction control system thrusters before landing on a long runway.

The final Space Shuttle mission was in July 2011 to deliver parts to the International Space Station (ISS).

Langley Research Center (LaRC) is the oldest of NASA's field centers, located in Hampton, USA.

It directly borders the Langley Air Force Base. LaRC focuses primarily on aeronautical research, though the Apollo lunar lander was flight-tested at the facility and a number of high-profile space missions have been planned and designed on-site.