HOUSTON — A NASA-funded biomedical institute is helping small Maryland and Florida companies develop better methods of wound healing and rehydration for astronauts. The non-profit National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) is making the $100,000 matching awards to assist the companies in moving specialized health care products between the Earth and space under its Space Medicine and Related Technologies Commercialization Assistance Program, or Smartcap, competition.

Oceaneering Space Systems drew positive reviews from NASA chief technologist Mason Peck this week

Students will be given the opportunity to send up small payloads, as well as fly up themselves, when suborbital commercial space flight becomes available as early as late 2013, according to some of the leading companies in the field. At an Aug. 1 hearing of the House Science subcommittee on space and aeronautics, Virgin Galactic, Blue Origin, and XCOR Aerospace all said they are counting researchers and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) students among the projected clients for their vehicles.

A classified National Reconnaissance Office mission due for launch from Vandenberg AFB, Calif., just after midnight Aug. 2 has been scrubbed until at least Aug. 4 because of a downrange calibration issue. NROL-36 is to be lifted into orbit by a United Launch Alliance Atlas V flying in its simplest configuration, with a 4-meter payload fairing, a single-motor Centaur upper stage and no boosters. That suggests a relatively small payload. Launch officials said there are no issues with either the rocket or the payload.

HOUSTON — A sprint to the International Space Station (ISS) may not suit everyone. On Aug. 1, Russia’s Progress 48 resupply mission lifted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 3:35 p.m. EDT on an ISS first: a four-orbit, 6-hr. trajectory that was to end with an automated docking of the unpiloted capsule at 9:24 p.m. EDT.

ATLANTA — With NASA wrapping up a decision on its next round of seed-money grants to help private companies develop vehicles to take its astronauts to the International Space Station, several of the bidders provided progress reports at the AIAA Joint Propulsion Conference here this week. NASA plans to announce its selections for Commercial Crew Integrated Capability (CCiCap) Space Act Agreements at 9 a.m. EDT Aug. 3.

LOS ANGELES and WASHINGTON — The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa) has awarded an array of contracts for the Phoenix program, which aims to demonstrate the salvage and reuse of components, such as antennas, from dead satellites. The cost-saving concept is based on creating new space resources by repurposing equipment already in geosynchronous orbit. To demonstrate the scheme, Darpa plans to piggyback payload orbital delivery system (PODS) devices on a sample commercial communications satellite in 2015-16.

Time is ripe for the privately funded development of an all-new, liquid-fueled engine in the 500,000-lb.-thrust class