LONDON — The European Space Agency is emulating the emphasis on collaboration with the private sector adopted by the U.K. Space Agency that was stood up last year. Britain has long been a second-tier player to ESA relative to its economic strength in Europe. U.K. contributions to ESA programs lag far behind those of France, Germany and Italy. For a time it looked like Britain might fall behind Spain in funding European space.

The initial SLS configuration will use two five-segment solid rocket boosters derived from the space shuttle’s boosters.

To list an event, send information in calendar format to Donna Thomas at [email protected]. (Bold type indicates new calendar listing.) JULY 16 — 24th Annual Greater Washington Aviation Open, "the regions largest Aviation Golf Charity," Lansdown Golf Resort near Leesburg, Va. For more information contact [email protected] or go to www.gwao.org JULY 26 - 28 — NewSpace 2012, "The Space Frontier Foundation's Annual Conference," Moffett Field, Calif. For more information go to spacefrontier.org/ns12registration/

Excalibur Almaz, a human-spaceflight startup based on the Isle of Man that has purchased surplus Soviet-era hardware, plans to position one of its two Almaz 20-ton space stations at the Earth-Moon L2 lagrangian point for commercial operations. In a July 12 announcement, the company said it will refurbish the Almaz with up-to-date life support and other internal hardware, and use Hall thrusters to position it in a halo orbit at L2. The estimated 90-day trip could come as early as 2015, according to Art Dula, the company’s founder.

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NASA’s role in developing new technologies and proving them in space is vital to industrial advances for the public sector, industry executives say. A House Science subcommittee on July 12 heard from four industry executives and NASA’s chief technologist about spin-off success stories from NASA, and what can be done to keep successes in the pipeline.

Virgin Galactic has officially unveiled a low-cost, small satellite launch system that builds on elements of its space tourism development. The LauncherOne system will deliver payloads up to 500 lb. to low Earth orbit, and with a target price of under $10 million per launch, is aimed at dramatically cutting the cost of launching small satellites. Backed by Virgin Galactic’s partner Aabar Investments, the development of the “new vehicle will create a long-awaited shake-up of the satellite launch industry,” Virgin founder Richard Branson says.

LEAVING NASA: Arthur E. (Gene) Goldman, acting director of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, will leave the space agency to become head of Aerojet’s Southeast Space Operations, where he will oversee Aerojet’s partnerships with Teledyne Brown Engineering of Huntsville, Ala., and Florida Turbines Technology of Jupiter Beach, Fla., that could lead to a kerosene-powered strap-on booster for the planned NASA heavy-lift Space Launch System. Goldman, who has spent 22 years at the Alabama field center, will retire from NASA Aug. 3.