NG-19 Antares launches S.S. Laurel Clark Cygnus - Cargo Mission to the ISS - stated date is UTC (1 August 2023 EST) - NASA Wallops Flight Facility,Virginia

Northrop Grumman (NOC)*Astronaut Laurel Clark died in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster.May her memory be eternal.

Expedition 68 - Northrop Grumman CRS-18 Cygnus Cargo Craft Launch - November 7,2022 - night launch

Watch S.S. Piers Sellers Cygnus Capsule Launch to the Space Station – NASA Wallops Flight Facility,Virginia

Scouting an Orbit for Gateway:Rocket Lab Chosen to Launch NASA's CAPSTONE Mission

The launch services contract for the Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment (CAPSTONE) has been awarded to Rocket Lab USA Inc.Under the 9.95 million deal,the company will launch CAPSTONE on its Electron rocket from the NASA Wallops Flight Facility,Virginia.RL's Photon platform will then insert the CAPSTONE CubeSat into a trans-lunar injection,enabling it to venture to the Moon and achieve cislunar orbit on its own,a spaceflight that will take three months.
CAPSTONE will verify the characteristics of a near-rectilinear orbit for future missions and conduct a navigation demonstration with NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter.According to Marshall Smith,NASA's director of human exploration programs:
CAPSTONE is a rapid,risk-tolerant demonstration that sets out to learn about the unique,seven-day cislunar orbit we are also targeting for Gateway (the small space station that will serve as a platform for missions exploring the Moon and Mars).*
Advanced Space of Boulder,Colorado will develop and operate the CubeSat,and Tyvak Satellite Systems of Irvine,California will assist by building and testing CAPSTONE.*
CAPSTONE is scheduled for an early 2021 launch from the new Rocket Lab launch pad at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) within NASA Wallops.*

Hilton To Become REIT,Two Other Companies

Hilton Hotels has decided to split into three publicly traded companies.The hospitality industry titan will divide itself into:
1.A real estate investment trust;
2.A hotel management firm;and
3.A time share company,Hilton Grand Vacations.
Hilton actually owns only a small selection of its 4600 branded hotels.With this plan,it wants to lower taxes and increase shareholder value.
About seven years ago,the company moved from Beverly Hills,California to Maclean,Virginia near Washington,DC.*
Hilton Hotels (H)

Investment Ideas February 2015

American Express scored a double beat on its Q4 earnings report.The financial services titan reported earnings of 1.39 a share versus the estimate of 1.38;it had revenue of 9.11 billion versus the 8.53 billion estimate.CEO Ken Chenault attributed the company's success to the gain from the sale of AmEx's stake in Concur Inc;higher card member spending;increased loan balances;tighter control of expenses;and return of profit to shareholders.
There was an eight percent increase in spending by cardholders.*
We like dividend payers,said Doug Sandler,CFA of RiverFront Investment Group in Richmond,Virginia.They'll do fewer stupid things if they have to pay out.We like companies that cater to the middle class-retailers like drug stores,and homebuilders.*
The price of gold has increased this year,according to William Rhind,CEO of World Gold Trust Services.We've seen Russia going into the market buying more gold.I absolutely would agree investors should have 2-10% gold in a well-balanced portfolio.
We're seeing the paradigms of the last couple of years start to be questioned.Gold miners did well during the Great Depression.*
Biotech titan Amgen also reported a double beat.It reported earnings of 2.16 a share versus the estimate of 2.05;and revenue was 5.33 billion versus the estimate of 5.20 billion.The company reaffirmed its full year guidance.Its success was bolstered by drug price increases.*
Rite Aid Corp(RAD),iShares U.S. Home Construction ETF(ITB),Market Vectors Gold Miners ETF(GDX),Amgen(AMGN),American Express(AXP)

Professional and General Positions-September 2012

The Washington Post is holding a Mega Career Fair,including the Professional and General Positions Career Fair which is open to all levels and experience.It will be held on Tuesday,September 11,2012 from 10am to 3pm at
Dulles Expo and Conference Center
4368 Chantilly Shopping Center
Chantilly,VA 20153
Employers attending will include Cox Communications;Farmers Insurance;ING Financial Partners;LSG Sky Chefs;The Ross Companies;Total Wine&More;Transportation Security Administration;and others.Free seminars will be provided by Anointed Words.
Those unable to attend may submit resumes to resume@expoexpertsllc.com

Special Report:The Transfer of Discovery

For more than a generation,the space shuttle program helped define America's aerospace industry and national aspirations.Tomorrow,the workhorse of the Space Transportation System,space shuttle Discovery,is to be flown to Dulles International Airport in Virginia on back of a specially modified NASA Boeing 747 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.Once on the ground,the shuttle will be towed to its new home,the Smithsonian Air&Space Museum's Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly,Virginia,where it will be on permanent display.The remarkable feat of engineering and aviation involved in the transport mission will be repeated two more times after that to take the remaining shuttles to their respective museum homes in New York and Los Angeles.
There was quite a competition between cities to land one of the historic space planes in their museums.The prestige of such an acquisition and the potential for associated tourism dollars were impossible to resist. Now it has been determined where they will go,each 747 journey will be received with considerable excitement by the locals.Many D.C. area residents are pretty worked up about the prospect of viewing the shuttle/747 combination flying over their home.Few got to see the shuttles in person when they were in service,so this will be their only chance to see one airborne in some fashion.There could be clogged roads and parking lots-and perhaps some disappointment if they don't get quite the view they are hoping for.In the decades to come,however,they will get the chance to more fully appreciate this major chapter of history by viewing Discovery still charred and dinged from its thirty-ninth and final space mission,from February 24-March 9 of 2011,on display quite near to them.
In the link below this post,you can read a NASA article and view two NASA videos about the background and particulars of the singular transport process that will continue unfolding tomorrow.
The shuttle/747 piggyback ride is slated to begin in Florida tomorrow at 7 am Eastern,with estimated arrival time at Dulles International of between 10 and 11 am.On Thursday,a formal outdoor transfer ceremony will occur at the Udvar-Hazy Center nearby,beginning at 11 am.
Update:The Shuttle Carrier Aircraft carrying Discovery arrived in the D.C. area at around 9:45 am,quite a bit earlier than anticipated for unknown reasons.The views of the event were spectacular,both in person and on local television.WRC-TV,the local NBC affiliate,broadcast extensive uninterrupted coverage.Their camera work was exceptional,and the commentary was very good and fittingly enthusiastic.Overall,it seemed that the whole region became children again and no work whatsoever was accomplished on this memorable morning.
Update 2:A ceremony with music by the U.S. Marine Corps took place at 11 am Thursday.The shuttle Discovery was brought nose to nose with the prototype shuttle Enterprise to symnolize the exchange that is taking place.The Enterprise will be flown to New York on Monday,April 23 to Kennedy Airport for eventual installation on the Intrepid Sea Air&Space Museum there this summer.Discovery will be eased into the hanger at the Smithsonian's Udvar-Hazy Center near Dulles International Airport tonight for permanent display.Fourteen of Discovery's former commanders posed in their astronaut uniforms before the two spacecraft as hundreds of citizens snapped photos of the historic meeting.
This blog supports such inspiration for study of the STEM disciplines:Science,Technology,Engineering and Mathematics.

Community College Jobs

Northern Virginia Community College,a major institution in the D.C. suburbs,is currently hiring.The school enrolls over 75,000 on six campuses and its Extended Learning Institute.NOVA is Virginia's largest institution of higher learning and one of America's largest community colleges.
For more information and to complete the required online application,those interested should visit www.nvcc.edu and click on the jobs link.

Manassas City Seeks Teachers

Manassas City Public Schools in Northern Virginia needs a number of teachers.They have openings for the following:Elementary,Elementary Math Title I,English 9-12,ESOL(all grade levels),Math 7-12,Reading Specialist K-4,SpEd/LD(all grade levels),Speech Therapist,Substitute Teachers,plus Director of Transportation.Teacher candidates must be highly qualified and eligible for a VA teaching license with appropriate endorsement.A competitive salary and benefits package are offered.For more information and to apply,visit their website at www.manassas.k12.va.us

Jobs Alert:Furniture Retailer Hiring Now

Value City Furniture has multiple openings for their new Sterling,Virginia store.They need home furnishing sales consultants,managers and customer service associates.Value City says they are driven and ambitious,with a tradition of high standards and a future of real growth.Excellent pay,a competitive benefits package,flexible scheduling and a generous associate discount are on offer.Interviews will be held on Tuesday,June 29 from 11 am to 8 pm and Wednesday,June 30 from 9 am to 6 pm at
The Hampton Inn Dulles/Cascades
46331 McClellan Way
Sterling,VA 20165
(703)450-9595
www.vcf.com

Big Job Fair Saturday

The sixth annual Mega Job Fair and Entrepreneurship Expo "Envision Your Success" will be held in Fairfax,Virginia on Saturday March 27 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.The fair will be held at
Fairfax County Government Center
12000 Government Center Parkway
Fairfax,VA 22035
There is free admission and parking,and pre-registration is not required.Participating employers are from various industries.The event is sponsored by Fairfax County Government,the SkillsSource Group and the Business Development Assistance Group.For more information,visit www.fairfaxmegajobfair.com

Luxury Car Dealer Hiring

Penske Automotive is hiring for its new Chantilly,Virginia dealerships,which are to open in early April.Audi of Chantilly and Mercedes Benz of Chantilly need Salespeople,Service Advisors and Technicians(all skill levels domestic/import).A full benefit package is offered,including a 401K with a generous match and lots of incentives.Those interested should email resumes to Bert O'Neal boneal@penskeautomotive.com or Roger Kaiser rkaiser@penskeautomotive.com

Hotel Chain Relocates

A holding of private equity firm The Blackstone Group,L.P.,Hilton Hotels,is moving its headquarters from pricey Beverly Hills,California,to Washington,D.C. suburb Tysons Corner,Virginia.Hilton has signed a lease for 100,000 square feet of a 300,000 square foot office building called Park Place II.The property is owned by B.F.Saul and is 17% leased.The move from Beverly Hills was announced in January,and should be accomplished by autumn 2009.Stephen Schwarzman is Blackstone co-founder and CEO.

Focus on Defense:USS George H.W. Bush

If anyone has a question about the ingenuity of American workers,they should see this ship,said Virginia Governor Tim Kaine,who was recently appointed Chairman of the Democratic National Committee,at the commissioning of the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush(CVN 77) in Norfolk,Virginia on Saturday.Defense Secretary Robert Gates,who will be staying on in the Obama administration,added there is no one more deserving than President George H.W. Bush,who was the 41st president,to have an aircraft carrier named for him.Mr.Bush was the last of the World War II generation to serve as commander in chief.The carrier,which will be homeported in Norfolk and serve in the Atlantic Fleet,is a symbol of American strength and credibility,Mr.Gates observed.The ship is manned by more than 5500 sailors and Marines,who have been working on her for three years now,along with shipyard workers from Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding.

Shop Talk

A special greeting to Delaware,where I advertised this week.You are the domicile of many corporations,a business center for the region and the nation.Delaware is a logical place for a business publication to reach out.The motorists of the Washington metropolitan area are not reaching out to the Inauguration.They are bitterly critical of the extensive security measures being imposed,such as closing the major bridges from Virginia into the District of Columbia to private cars.These are the same voters who largely supported Mr.Obama in November.They chose this charismatic figure,a man who can draw millions from both home and abroad;now they regret the consequences.His entire presidency may be a special challenge for security agents and motorists wherever he travels.Not that it won't be worth it-that remains to be seen.

Shop Talk

A special greeting to Virginia,where I advertised this week.Virginians are getting ready to vote.They won't let the media and the pollsters decide for them.There are many who have already declared victory,but maybe Virginia will surprise them.Some of my ancestors were Virginians,so I'm right at home with them.The stock futures threw a fit this morning,so I wasn't at ease then.In Japan,the Nikkei lost almost 10%.Things have settled down a bit,but we still have to get through the dreaded three o'clock hour.That's when all the forced selling comes in.Hopefully we can stay above the intraday low of October 10.So far,that has been a sturdy bottom for the market.

Shop Talk

People are reading this in Sterling,Virginia and Plainview,New York.My readers are true workers.Even in July,they are busy checking into everything.That is appreciated.Have a relaxing weekend.