Space.com reports that Scaled Composites is getting bought out by aerospace giant Northrop Grumman.

On one hand, it seems like big aerospace sees a future in the more nimble approaches and radical garage-based attempts to claim space for private industry.

On the other hand, one can easily point out that big aerospace has not been focused on nimble projects, but trying to find the most complex payouts and contracts.

Is this a chill over the nascent small private space access group? Or a chance for private space access to get access to larger research money and support?

update: Jeff Foust digs up more details about the relationship here.

The ESA’s three-armed robot is supposed to help astronauts and move around the outside of the station by itself is apparently doing well.

I for one welcome our new space robot overlord…

The US Air Force is trying to figure out how to mix regular jet fuel with alternative fuels to try and reduce the military dependence on outside oil. Even more dynamic, they’re using a contest between companies and fuel refinery companies to create the new jet fuel, which would be a 50% regular fuel 50% alternative fuel mixture, and the Air Force wants this in place by 2010.

Try and call the US military a bunch of freaky left wing activists, I dare you!

The Air Force uses over half of the US government’s fossil fuels, so anything they do will have an interesting impact on the US government’s direct consumption of fuel.

The cost of going into space is inflating, from the $10 and $20 million that was being previously reported for private individuals to use the Russian Space Agency’s Soyuz to stay Hotel ISS is now going to be as much as $30-$40 million.

Some of this is due to the pressure on the US dollar against other currencies. Some if it may be due to increased cost of materials for the actual craft.

Virgin Galactic is looking like more and more of a bargain. As is staying at the Bigelow inflatable space station.

If you’ve got a few million laying around, and you’re not satisfied with a megayacht for your own conspicuous display of wealth? Then you’ll want a megayacht that submerges at $15-200 million.

US Submarines has a number of submersible luxury vehicles that are eyecatching but that seemed more like vaporware due to the fact that the site features computer drawings of them, not actual units in operation. But apparently civilian submarines in general are becoming enough of a problem that the US Navy is cautioning its fleet to be careful around coastal areas where they might bump into civilian subs.