April 18, 2024

Astronomers Spot a Massive ‘Sleeping Giant’ Black Hole Less Than 2,000 Light-Years From Earth (Source: CNN)
Astronomers have spotted the most massive known stellar black hole in the Milky Way galaxy after detecting an unusual wobble in space. The so-called “sleeping giant,” named Gaia BH3, has a mass that is nearly 33 times that of our sun, and it’s located 1,926 light-years away in the Aquila constellation, making it the second-closest known black hole to Earth. The closest black hole is Gaia BH1, which is located about 1,500 light-years away and has a mass that is nearly 10 times that of our sun. (4/17)

Debt Ceiling to Blame for Shortfalls in NASA's FY35 Budget (Source: Space News)
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson defended proposed cuts to programs in NASA's fiscal year 2025 budget request, putting much of the blame on Congress. At a House appropriations hearing Wednesday, Nelson said the debt-ceiling deal last year that placed spending caps on non-defense discretionary programs, like NASA, forced "very tough choices" on the agency, including the cancellation of the OSAM-1 satellite servicing mission and cuts in the Chandra X-Ray Observatory. He added that he was "quite sanguine" about the future of the Mars Sample Return program given plans announced this week to seek alternative architectures amid concerns that proposed budgets could lead to further layoffs at JPL. (4/18)

CSIS Study Finds Evidence of Counterspace Activities (Source: Space News)
A new report found growing evidence of counterspace activities against satellites. The report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) released Wednesday highlights the expanding anti-satellite capabilities of foreign adversaries, notably China and Russia, alongside the world's growing reliance on space-based systems for critical services. While the report noted there have been no destructive ASAT weapons tests since one by Russia in 2021, there is growing non-destructive counterspace activities like jamming and GPS spoofing as well as "unfriendly behaviors" of Chinese and Russian spacecraft. (4/18)

Taking the Next Steps for Satellite-to-Smartphone Services (Source: Space News)
Regulators are offering mixed messages about the use of satellites for direct-to-device connectivity. The FCC approved last month a new regulatory framework called Supplemental Coverage from Space to permit satellites to use radio waves from terrestrial partners to keep their mobile subscribers connected outside cell tower coverage. While that framework was hailed by the industry as a major step forward, the FCC later last month rejected a request from SpaceX to use some mobile satellite service bands to expand the capacity it is getting from U.S. terrestrial partner T-Mobile. The FCC concluded that the potential for interference warranted a new rule-making process that is subject to a lengthy public comment period. (4/18)

Astrobotic Focuses on Defense Business (Source: Space News)
Astrobotic is seeking defense business for a reusable suborbital rocket. Astrobotic is developing Xogdor, obtained when Astrobotic acquired the former Masten Space Systems, with a first flight planned in 2025. Astrobotic plans to offer Xogdor to the U.S. Air Force, the Missile Defense Agency and other defense organizations for use as a testing and research platform, and potentially for "rocket cargo" initiatives. Xogdor will be capable of flying at supersonic speeds and suborbital altitudes, with a range of several hundred kilometers. (4/18)

Space ISAC LEO Group Focuses on Information Sharing (Source: Space News)
A group of low Earth orbit satellite operators are working together to discuss potential threats to their satellites. Space ISAC announced last week the creation of the LEO Owner Operators Affinity Group, allowing companies to share information on topics ranging from space weather to threats from adversaries. Frank Backes, CEO of Capella Space and co-chair of the group, said the creation of the group was prompted by the desire to bring together companies that are facing similar challenges to operations specific to LEO. (4/18)

HASC Chairman Supports Transfer of Space-Focused Guard Units to Active Duty (Source: Breaking Defense)
The chairman of the House Armed Services Committee says he supports a proposal to transfer space-related National Guard units into the active-duty Space Force. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL) said after a hearing on the Department of the Air Force's budget request that he is "fully supportive" of the legislative proposal from the Defense Department that would allow it to move nearly 600 Guardsman in several states to the Space Force. He rejected criticism from the National Guard Association that the move, while involving only a small number of guardsmen, was an "existential threat" to the National Guard. (4/18)

Canada Creates National Space Council (Source: CBC)
Canada is creating its own National Space Council. The Canadian government announced plans this week to establish a National Space Council as part of the rollout of its 2024-2025 budget. The council will provide "a new whole-of-government approach to space exploration, technology development, and research," the government stated. Space Canada, an industry group, welcomed the announcement. (4/18)

TESS Returns to Operations (Source: NASA)
NASA's TESS spacecraft has returned to operations. NASA said Wednesday that the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite has restarted normal scientific operations after going into a safe mode last week. The agency said engineers are still studying what triggered the safe mode on the six-year-old spacecraft, which maps the sky looking for exoplanets. (4/18)

NASA Bids Farewell to Mars Helicopter (Source: Space.com)
NASA has given its sendoff to the Ingenuity Mars helicopter. Controllers this week transmitted a final command to the helicopter, turning it into a stationary testbed. Ingenuity will continue to collect telemetry about its systems and take images even after its loses its radio link to the Perseverance rover. Ingenuity's memory could hold up to 20 years of data that might be retrieved by some future mission. Ingenuity ended its flight operations in January after a hard landing damaged its rotor blades. (4/18)

L3Harris Plans to 'Streamline' Operations with Staffing Cuts After Recent Acquisitions (Source: Florida Today)
Melbourne-based L3Harris Technologies is laying off workers in a cost-cutting move designed "to streamline our operations," the defense and aerospace company said in a statement. The layoffs follow two major acquisitions by L3Harris last year that were valued at a total of $6.66 billion, plus more recent announcements by the company of moves to get rid of non-core businesses. L3Harris in January reported that its 2023 profits were $1.20 billion, up 12.9% from the previous year.

L3Harris is a defense and technology company formed by the 2019 merger of L3 Technologies and Harris Corp. It is headquartered in Melbourne. L3Harris is among the largest U.S. defense contractors, currently in the No. 6 position, behind Lockheed Martin, RTX (formerly Raytheon), Northrop Grumman, Boeing and General Dynamics. L3Harris employs about 50,000 people worldwide. It is one of the largest employers in Brevard County, with more the 7,200 employees on the Space Coast.

L3Harris in July completed its $4.7 billion acquisition of rocket-engine maker Aerojet Rocketdyne, which serves both the space and missile markets. L3Harris in January 2023 completed a $1.96 billion acquisition of Viasat Inc.’s Tactical Data Links product line. (4/12)

How to Keep Earth From Being Cooked by the Ever-Hotter Sun (Source: Ars Technica)
The warming Sun will increase the Earth’s surface temperature. With higher temperatures, the oceans will evaporate. Since water vapor is an excellent greenhouse gas, more of it in the atmosphere will lead to even greater surface temperatures. Higher temperatures will force the oceans to evaporate even more, setting off a runaway cycle that will quickly see all of the Earth’s abundant surface water floating in our atmosphere.

In raw human-scale numbers, the amount of mass the Sun loses through the solar wind is incredible, roughly 1–2 million metric tons per second. All that fury adds up to one single Earth-mass every 150 million years. We’re gonna need to bump that up a bit.

One way to do this is to simply heat up the Sun's surface, through lasers, particle beams, strong magnetic fields, or whatever mechanism our descendants choose. Heating up the surface would increase the amount of solar wind production, which would increase the rate of solar mass loss. But high-energy particles whizzing out of the Sun is generally counterproductive when it comes to keeping the Earth habitable, so the next challenge is to funnel those particles somewhere safe. Click here. (4/16)

Russian Space Chief Says New Rocket Will Put Falcon 9 Reuse to Shame (Source: Ars Technica)
Russia's once-vaunted launch industry has been much in decline due to a combination of factors, including an aging fleet of rockets, a reduction in government investment, and the country's war in Ukraine driving away Western customers. However, it is has been difficult for the country's leaders to explain these difficult facts to the Russian people. Russians are justifiably proud of their country's heritage of space firsts and dominant position in spaceflight. So typically, officials bluster.

This is what Roscosmos chief Yuri Borisov did recently during a lecture at the Tsiolkovsky State Museum of the History of Cosmonautics. Located south of Moscow, this is the world's first museum devoted solely to spaceflight. Borisov heads the country's main space corporation, and thus is the leader of the country's space activities. (4/16)

SpaceX Starlink Mission Sails Wednesday at Cape Canaveral Spaceport (Source: Florida Today)
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket delivered another 23 Starlink broadband satellites into low-Earth orbit, adding to the company's ever-expanding global constellation. Wednesday's Starlink 6-51 mission bolted into orbit from pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The mission marked the 12th flight for the Falcon 9 first-stage booster, SpaceX reported. The booster landed atop the drone ship Just Read the Instructions out on the Atlantic Ocean. (4/17)

Space Startups are Licking Their Lips After NASA Converts $11B Mars Mission Into a Free-For-All (Source: Tech Crunch)
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson has pronounced the agency’s $11 billion, 15-year mission to collect and return samples from Mars insufficient. But the strategy shift could be a huge boon to space startups, to which much of that planned funding will almost certainly be redirected. “The bottom line is, an $11 billion budget is too expensive, and a 2040 return date is too far away,” Nelson said at a press conference. “We need to look outside the box to find a way ahead that is both affordable and returns samples in a reasonable timeframe.”

In other words, clear the decks and start over — with commercial providers on board from the get-go. The Mars Sample Return mission was still in the planning stages, but an independent review of the project last year found that, given budget, technology and other constraints, the mission was unlikely to complete before 2040, and at a cost of $8 billion to $11 billion. Even if NASA wants to assign only half or even a quarter of the original budget to an endeavor led by a commercial space company, private industry has already shown that it can do more with less when compared to legacy outfits.

It’s also catnip for launch companies, since the time horizon is far enough out that heavy launch vehicles like Blue Origin’s New Glenn, Rocket Lab’s Neutron and, of course, SpaceX’s Starship may be cleared to fly when the mission is ready to progress. That was undoubtedly also the plan with the 2040 timeline, but the notional new one is a lot closer to the present. (4/16)

India Makes Big Breakthrough in Boosting Rocket’s Capacity (Source: India Today)
The Indian Space Research Organization has developed a lightweight Carbon-Carbon (C-C) nozzle for rocket engines, which it described as a breakthrough in rocket engine technology. "This innovation accomplished by Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) promises to enhance the vital parameters of rocket engines, including thrust levels, specific impulse, and thrust-to-weight ratios, thereby boosting the payload capacity of launch vehicles," it said in a statement. The VSSC has used advanced materials like Carbon-Carbon (C-C) Composites to create a nozzle divergent that offers exceptional properties, ISRO said. (4/17)

Spaceport Status OK’d for South Florida's Homestead Air Reserve Base (Source: Miami Today)
After both houses of the state legislature unanimously passed a bill in March expanding Florida’s spaceport territory to include Homestead Air Reserve Base, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the bill into law this month. It takes effect July 1. The law also covers a new spaceport at Tyndale Air Force Base in Bay County on the Gulf of Mexico in the Florida Panhandle, 12 miles east of Panama City.

Both fledgling spaceports will be under the jurisdiction of Space Florida, the state’s aerospace finance and development authority. A spaceport coming to Miami-Dade County breaks the state’s northeast monopoly on such facilities. Currently there are three spaceports in the state: Cape Canaveral and the adjacent Space Florida Launch Complex, and the Kennedy Space Center near Orlando. (4/16)

California Coastal Commission Hesitant to Support Increase on SpaceX Launches (Source: Santa Barbara Independent)
On April 10, the California Coastal Commission postponed a decision on SpaceX’s proposal to increase launches at Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB) from six to 36, and landings to 12 annually. Concerns were raised about distinguishing federal and private activities, as well as impacts on residents and the environment.

After a series of public complaints about impacts to wildlife, noise disturbances, marine debris, and public notifications, the commission requested more time to understand the complexities of the situation. The most pressing question in the room was whether all commercial space launches at VSFB can be considered federal activity. (4/16)

What’s the Cheapest Way to the Edge of Space? Ride a Balloon (Source: CNN)
Last week in London, HALO Space CEO Carlos Mira unveiled the interior design for its Aurora space capsule, which his team hopes will transport 10,000 passengers to near-space by 2030. The pressurized capsule – designed by the legendary Frank Stephenson, the automobile designer for Ferrari, Alpha Romeo and more – measures 5 meters wide and 3.5 meters tall and will be suspended from a huge helium balloon.

Eight passengers will be seated inside for journeys lasting up to six hours. The drier and less windy the better, as strong winds and cloudy skies are a big no-no when it comes to offering passengers their once-in-a-lifetime experience. Flights will launch pre-dawn, so that guests can experience a “white” sunrise at the edge of the stratosphere with the deep black of space beyond. Is it worth the multithousand-dollar price tag? That’s up for debate. But it’ll definitely be a morning like no other. (4/16)

NASA Mars Helicopter Sends Last Message to Earth (Source: Space Daily)
NASA's Ingenuity Mars helicopter has transmitted its final message to Earth and will now serve as an immobile data-gathering unit on the red planet's surface, the space agency said on Tuesday. The tissue box-sized aircraft made history by achieving the first powered flight on another planet after hitching a ride under the belly of the Perseverance rover, which first lifted off the surface on April 19, 2021. (4/17)

ARKA Invests $85 million in Connecticut Facility Expansion (Source: Space Daily)
ARKA Group, L.P. has completed an important expansion of its 550,000 square-foot facility located in Danbury, Connecticut, which also serves as its headquarters. This expansion is focused on enhancing the production capacity for small satellite systems, payloads, and optical coating capabilities. The expansion, encompassing 14,000 additional square feet, includes state-of-the-art cleanrooms designed for the rapid alignment, integration, and testing of sub-meter aperture EO/IR telescopes and payloads.

The new layout maximizes the use of advanced digital engineering and manufacturing tools, boosting ARKA's ability to handle multi-shift payload production efficiently. The facility now includes a specially designed section for applying space-qualified, thin film coatings on optical components, essential for all mission types. (4/17)

AI-Driven Hyperspectral Imaging Breakthrough by Intuition-1 Satellite (Source: Space Daily)
KP Labs has achieved a critical milestone with the successful acquisition and AI processing of hyperspectral images on its Intuition-1 satellite. This new capability offers unprecedented detail in Earth observation, particularly across the equatorial regions, significantly enhancing the potential for scientific and commercial data analysis.

The Intuition-1 satellite, launched via a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in November 2023, embodies a significant leap in space technology with its integration of advanced hyperspectral imaging and onboard AI. This fusion facilitates immediate data processing in orbit, setting a new benchmark for efficiency and functionality in satellite operations. (4/17)

Astronaut Fitness Regimes Critical in Tiangong Space Station (Source: Space Daily)
With China's ambitious plans to expand its space missions, the health of astronauts during prolonged spaceflights has become a vital concern. The state-of-the-art equipment aboard the Tiangong Space Station plays a crucial role in ensuring astronaut safety and health in the absence of gravity.
The China Manned Space Agency recently shared new footage showcasing crew members participating in intense exercise routines aimed at reducing the adverse effects of long-term microgravity exposure.

Astronauts are required to spend one to two hours daily on physical activities to mitigate issues such as muscle atrophy, irregular heart rhythms, and immune system complications. The station's three modules include areas equipped with rowing machines, treadmills, and resistance devices to support these exercises. Innovative wearable uniforms fitted with elastic resistance bands help maintain muscle tension and offset the negative impact of microgravity on the body. (4/17)

Aegis Aerospace Completes Acquisition of ProXopS Assets (Source: Space Daily)
Aegis Aerospace has reported its acquisition of significant assets from ProXopS LLC, a Houston-based engineering services company. Included in the acquisition are subcontracts with Jacobs associated with NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida under the Consolidated Operations, Management, Engineering and Test (COMET) contract, and at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, Texas under the JSC Engineering, Technology, and Science (JETS) II contract. (4/16)

April 17, 2024

Pentagon Looks to Standardize its Relationship with Space Companies (Source: FNN)
A new strategy from the Defense Department outlines how the agency plans to sync up its interests with the commercial space companies, with which it works. The first of its kind 2024 Commercial Space Integration Strategy, looks to integrate commercial solutions into DoD’s national security space architecture. To learn more about it, Federal News Network’s Eric White spoke with one of the authors of the strategy, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy John Plumb. Click here. (4/12)

Sidus Space Partners with Orbital Transports to Expand Market Reach (Source: Sidus Space)
Sidus Space has joined the Orbital Transports Partner Program, a community of companies, suppliers, and subcontractors working together to solve space mission challenges for Customer and Partner companies. The Orbital Transports SmallSat Catalog is an Internet web portal that provides partner companies with a new distribution channel and access to new markets by aggregating space products and services into a comprehensive marketplace. Sidus Space is offering payload hosting services on its 100kg LizzieSat satellite bus platform on its confirmed launches. (4/17)

Iceye Raises $93 Million for SAR (Source: Space News)
Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite company Iceye has raised $93 million. Iceye announced the round Wednesday, led by Finnish sovereign wealth fund Solidium Oy and with participation from Move Capital Fund I, Blackwells Capital, Christo Georgiev and existing investors. The Finnish company has raised $438 million to date and has launched 34 SAR satellites, with plans to launch up to 15 more this year. Iceye said it will use the funds to expand its business and develop new products and services. (4/17)

Air Force Sponsors "Quick Start" Space Projects (Source: Space News)
The Department of the Air Force has selected its first "quick start" programs intended to accelerate work on key capabilities. Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall announced the selection of the first two programs for the initiative during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing Tuesday. One is a program to develop space and airborne sensors to track moving targets, while the other is for "GPS light" navigation satellites using smaller, less expensive commercial spacecraft. The Air Force did not specify how much funding will be allocated to get these projects kick-started, but said that funding will need to be taken out of other projects for those early-stage activities. (4/17)

ABS Hires Rigolle as CEO (Source: Space News)
Satellite operator ABS has hired industry veteran Mark Rigolle as its new CEO. Rigolle, most recently chief operating officer for the proposed Rivada Space Networks constellation, will join ABS as CEO April 29. He succeeds Amit Somani, who left abruptly in January after less than two years at the company. ABS, originally known as Asia Broadcast Satellite but which changed its name to Agility Beyond Space last year after moving its headquarters from Hong Kong to Dubai, currently operates five GEO communications satellites. (4/17)

Maxar Seeks to Expand Analytics Offerings (Source: Space News)
Maxar Intelligence is looking for ways to strengthen its position in the competitive geospatial intelligence market. The company's CEO, Dan Smoot, said in a recent interview that the company will look to diversify its offerings beyond its traditional high-resolution imagery to provide more sophisticated analytics and novel data products like 3D mapping. Maxar also is forging partnerships with other remote sensing operators to create a "virtual constellation" for geospatial intelligence. The company's near-term priority is the deployment of its WorldView Legion constellation, with the first two satellites scheduled to launch as soon as this month. (4/17)

NASA May Restructure Mars Sample Return to Reduce Sample Mass (Source: Space News)
NASA is willing to consider options for restructuring its Mars Sample Return program that would sharply reduce the number of samples returned. NASA released a call for proposals Tuesday for MSR architecture studies as part of efforts to lower the cost and shorten the schedule of the program. NASA said it would consider proposals for architectures that would return as few as 10 samples collected by the Perseverance rover, a third of the number current plans call for bringing back. That has raised concerns among scientists that this approach would harm the scientific value of the mission. NASA expects to make multiple awards this summer for architecture studies that would be due to the agency by October. (4/17)

CST-100 Starliner Stacked at Florida Launch Pad (Source: Space News)
Boeing's CST-100 Starliner commercial crew vehicle has arrived at the launch pad for its crewed test flight. The spacecraft rolled out early Tuesday from a processing facility at the Kennedy Space Center to Space Launch Complex 41, where it was attached to the Atlas 5 rocket that will launch it next month. The Crew Flight Test mission will carry two NASA astronauts to the International Space Station on a test flight lasting a little more than a week. NASA has scheduled a flight test readiness review for the mission for next Thursday. (4/17)

DoD Picks 5N Plus to Develop Solar Cell Tech (Source: Space News)
The Defense Department has awarded a contract or the production of space-qualified materials for solar cells. The award announced Tuesday to semiconductor manufacturer 5N Plus is part of a Defense Production Act investment program to sustain and expand the capability to produce germanium substrates used in solar cells for defense, civil and commercial satellites. By supporting companies that produce essential materials, the DoD aims to reduce reliance on foreign sources and bolster the domestic industrial base. (4/17)

Sweden Joins Artemis Accords (Source: Space News)
Another day means another signatory for the Artemis Accords. Sweden formally joined the Artemis Accords Tuesday, signing the accords at an event in Stockholm. The signing comes a day after Switzerland joined the accords in a ceremony at NASA Headquarters. Sweden is the 38th country to sign the Artemis Accords, which outline best practices for space exploration. (4/17)

SpaceX Moving to Address Starlink Black Market (Source: Wall Street Journal)
Starlink is taking steps to close a growing black market for its broadband satellite services. SpaceX notified customers using Starlink in South Africa, Sudan and Zimbabwe that access to the service will be cut off by the end of the month. Starlink is not authorized to operate in those countries but users, going through unauthorized resellers, have found ways to use Starlink in those and other places. SpaceX has come under scrutiny for allowing use of Starlink by the Russian military in occupied regions of Ukraine as well as by militia groups in Sudan. (4/17)

Former SpaceXers Open Venture Capital Fund (Source: Tech Crunch)
A former SpaceX executive is reportedly starting a venture capital fund. Incorporation and trademark filings revealed the existence of Interlagos Capital, a new company with plans to pursue venture capital services. Among its founders is Tom Ochinero, a SpaceX senior vice president who left the company earlier this year, along with another former SpaceX employee, Achal Upadhyaya, who most recently had been at investment firm Cantos. (4/17)

Unforgiving Failures: the Challenges of Upper Stages (Source: Space News)
About 12 hours after its December 2023 failed launch, Firefly confirmed that the second stage malfunctioned. “Alpha’s scheduled stage 2 engine relight did not deliver the payload to its precise target orbit,” the company said. It did not elaborate on the malfunction but said it would work with Lockheed and the government to investigate the problem.

That failure capped a rough year for upper stages. Among Western launch vehicles alone there were five partial or complete failures on orbital launches in 2023 (six when counting the second, suborbital test flight of SpaceX’s Starship in November.) While there is no common technical cause for the failures, they illustrate the often-overlooked complexity and challenges of upper stages that can, in some respects, be greater than those of lower stages. Click here. (4/16)

Rolls-Royce Develops Nuclear Tech for Space Applications (Source: Aviation Week)
Rolls-Royce has received a $1.49 million award from the UK Space Agency to collaborate with the US on developing nuclear technologies for space power applications, as part of Phase 2 of the International Bilateral Fund. This funding aims to advance a fission nuclear system tailored for space exploration. (4/8)

Vertical Future Selected by the UK Space Agency to Install its Systems to Grow Crops in Low Earth Orbit (Source: Vertical Future)
Vertical Future, a UK-based vertical farming technology and manufacturing specialist, has been awarded a new grant of £1.5 million to deliver the second phase of the “Autonomous Agriculture for Space Exploration” project. The initiative will adapt  VF controlled-environment-agriculture (CEA) systems to prototype Low Earth Orbit growing systems for use in the first commercial space station being constructed by Axiom Space, due in orbit in 2026. (4/8)

Could Kennedy Space Center Host 300 Launches a Year? (Source: Florida Politics)
Tom Engler, KSC’s director of Center Planning and Development spoke last week in Winter Park at the Florida TaxWatch spring meeting. He discussed how the federal government and a host of private companies with interstellar ambitions are shooting beyond the horizon. “We have created an environment together, between us and the Space Force, that has enabled commercial space business to come to Florida,” Engler said.

KSC is focused on expansion in the future. The Center developed a Spaceport Growth Boundaries effort looking at ways to expand the physical space, on earth, to accommodate the port. There’s only around 7,500 acres of space available for future development available at the center right now. But Engler said KSC is working on options with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission. Visitors to the center know much of the land around KSC remains a natural preserve.

KSC has worked with Space Florida to facilitate growth and welcomes more partnerships with the state. Officials at the center worked with Florida Department of Transportation for a redesign of the aging Union Bridge with the transport of rocket payloads in mind and are nearly at budget for a rebuild. Engler hopes to see 120 launches this year, and perhaps as many as 300 annually within a few years. Partnerships, including with the state, are a big reason the potential for growth exists, Engler said. “The State of Florida played a huge part in making this a reality,” he said. Click here. (4/14)

Aerospacelab Satellites Operational After Transporter Launch (Source: Aerospacelab)
Aerospacelab successfully commissioned its recently launched satellites and is processing data from its’ deployed Very High Resolution (VHR) satellite. The Aerospacelab VHR satellite is designed to capture imagery of the Earth's surface at the submeter-to-pixel scale and combines data from the visible spectrum. (4/8)

US Astronomers Slam Cuts to the Chandra X-Ray Observatory (Source: Physics World)
X-ray astronomers in the US have begun a campaign to save the Chandra X-ray Observatory from budget cuts that would effectively end the mission. They assert that the craft, which was launched in 1999, has plenty of life left in it. Canceling support could, they say, damage scientific efforts to understand the universe and the careers of an emerging generation of X-ray astronomers.

Mark Clampin, NASA’s director of astrophysics, says that it is currently a “challenging budget environment”, which means making “difficult decisions”. But he insists the budget request is “not a cancellation of Chandra” and that NASA will hold a “mini-senior review” to seek community guidance options. (4/13)

Asteroid (Very) Close Encounter Due in 2029 (Source: Cosmos)
In 2029 the asteroid once considered the most probable to strike the Earth will fly uncomfortably close to the planet’s surface. Spanning 335-375m, asteroid 99942 – dubbed ‘Apophis’ after the Egyptian god of chaos – was discovered in 2004 by astronomers from the Kitt Peak National Observatory in Tucson, Arizona. Initially, it was assessed as being a 2.7% chance of impacting Earth in 2029, 2036 or 2068.

In the years since, though, observations of Apophis’ orbit around the Sun have led astronomers to reassess those changes: no impact is expected to occur within the next 100 years. Still, Near Earth Asteroids like Apophis pass, by definition, close to our planet. None (at least on record) have passed as close as Apophis will in April 2029. How close? With the tug of Earth’s gravity working on it, Apophis will duck inside the orbits of certain geostationary satellites at about 32,000km. (4/15)

Elon Musk, SpaceX and Benevolent Megalomania (Source: The Hill)
SpaceX, the instrument Musk has built to save humanity, has become a profitable company, a space line built around the Falcon rockets and a telecommunications enterprise consisting of the Starlink satellites. The test campaign for the Starship is the next phase of Musk’s vision. As for Mars, Musk envisions thousands of Starships taking a million people and millions of tons of stuff needed to survive on the Red Planet.

The colonial fleet will not return, but will be dismantled for materials on Mars. The first Martian colonists will be pledged to live or die to create Musk’s envisioned new home for humankind. Musk thinks he can send the first uncrewed Starship to Mars in five years. At Ars Technica, Eric Berger said that “many people will dismiss Musk’s Mars comments as those of a megalomaniac,” but added that “at least in regard to spaceflight, however, that would be wrong.”

“Musk’s multiplanetary ambitions today are more credible because SpaceX has taken steps toward doing what he said the company would do,” Berger continued. History has given megalomania a bad name. Too many who were seemingly afflicted with it — Alexander The Great, Caesar, Napoleon, not to mention the tyrants of the 20th century — have filled mass graves with millions in pursuit of world conquest. If Elon Musk is a megalomaniac, it has driven him to pursue a far more beautiful dream than the subjugation of nations. (4/14)

How to Destroy a Black Hole (Source: New Scientist)
Black holes are expected to evaporate on their own thanks to Hawking radiation, a process by which they emit a slow leak of particles, but this would take much longer than the age of the universe to happen naturally. Just waiting isn’t really an option, so our hosts are joined by black hole astronomer Allison Kirkpatrick at the University of Kansas in an attempt to find a faster way.

Throwing anything at the black hole won’t really help either, whether it is a planet made of TNT or clumps of antimatter – the black hole will just swallow it up and get even more massive. That doesn’t mean it is impossible to dream up something that would destroy a black hole by falling in. The escape velocity of a black hole – the speed at which one would have to fly away from its centre to escape its gravitational influence – is faster than the speed of light, so a ship that could travel beyond that physical limitation might be able to escape, or a bomb that could explode faster than the speed of light might be able to make a dent.

That is only the beginning of the outlandish ways to potentially wreck a black hole. Theoretical objects called white holes might work, but that could mean sending the black holes back in time, which wouldn’t be great for the past or the future. A black hole could perhaps be stretched out, but whether that works depends on the question of how quantum mechanics and general relativity mesh together, which may be the biggest unsolved question in physics. Our hosts find that giant magnets could help, with potentially horrifying results. (4/16)

China Moving at 'Breathtaking Speed' in Final Frontier, Space Force Says (Source: Space.com)
China is ratcheting up its space capabilities at an impressive clip, with an eye toward challenging the United States' long-held supremacy in the final frontier, U.S. officials say. That supremacy was established in dramatic fashion in 1969, when NASA's Apollo 11 touched down on the moon and ended the Cold War space race with the Soviet Union.

This lunar achievement has had real and lasting consequences: The United States' unparalleled space assets have given the nation's military a powerful edge over the decades, providing information-gathering and communications capabilities that other countries couldn't match. The rest of the world isn't necessarily content with this situation, however. In particular, China seems intent on rising up the space-power ladder.

"Frankly, China is moving at a breathtaking speed. Since 2018, China has more than tripled their on-orbit intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance satellites," said Gen. Stephen Whiting, commander of U.S. Space Command. "And with these systems, they've built a kill web over the Pacific Ocean to find, fix, track and, yes, target United States and allied military capabilities," he added. (4/10)

SpaceX Could Finally Face Competition. It May Be Too Late (Source: Washington Post)
Several space ventures, including Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin, Rocket Lab and the United Launch Alliance — the joint venture of Lockheed Martin and Boeing — are poised to debut new heavy-lift rockets this year to compete with SpaceX’s Falcon 9 workhorse. The Pentagon is looking for another provider for the lucrative business of launching national security payloads. Boeing is set to finally launch a crew of astronauts for NASA to the ISS, giving NASA, which has relied on SpaceX for the past four years, another way for its astronauts to orbit.

And while SpaceX has dominated the internet satellite industry by launching some 6,000 Starlink satellites, Amazon, backed by a $10 billion investment, is gearing up to fly its own constellation as well. Those developments, however, may be too late to pose a serious challenge, analysts say, as SpaceX continues to press ahead with reserves of money, momentum and a wartime-like urgency that Musk has infused into the company.

Its deep ties to NASA and the Pentagon, which have awarded it billions of dollars in contracts and elevated it to prime contractor status, have also given it a lead that will be difficult to erode. And SpaceX continues to operate at a blistering pace, expanding the frontiers of what is possible. Morgan Stanley estimated that SpaceX’s revenue for fiscal year 2024 should reach $13 billion, a 54 percent increase over last year. By 2035, as SpaceX’s Starlink internet satellite constellation grows, revenue could reach $100 billion, the firm reported. (4/15)

SpaceX Adds 500,000 New Starlink Users in 4 Months (Source: PC Magazine)
User growth for SpaceX's satellite internet system, Starlink, is climbing quickly, with the service attracting 500,000 new users over the past four months. In a new video posted on Saturday, Elon Musk reported that Starlink's global user base has reached 2.7 million users—up from 2.2 million in December. (4/8)

Through Astronaut Eyes, Virtual Reality Propels Gateway Forward (Source: Phys.org)
NASA astronauts are using virtual reality to explore Gateway. When they slip on their headsets, they're not just seeing the station—they're in it, meticulously surveying every detail and offering crucial insights on design and functionality. Astronauts living aboard the Gateway lunar space station will be the first humans to make their home in deep space. To fine-tune the design of the next-generation science lab, solar-powered spaceship, and home-away-from home for international teams of astronauts, NASA calls on the likes of Raja Chari and Nicole Mann, experienced astronauts who know a thing or two about living and working on a space station. Click here. (4/10)

1st Female ISS Program Manager Looks Ahead to New Spaceships, Space Stations (Source: Space.com)
Dana Weigel, the first woman to helm the International Space Station program manager, says she's excited to oversee so much commercial space activity on the orbiting complex. Weigel officially took helm of the International Space Station (ISS) program manager position on Sunday, succeeding Joel Montalbano. She was previously deputy ISS program manager and has 20 years of experience in numerous high-profile NASA roles. Click here. (4/14)

Japan to Build NASA a Pressurized Moon Campervan for 30-Day Trips (Source: New Atlas)
When NASA returns to the Moon, its astronauts will enjoy tooling around in a pressurized camper van courtesy of JAXA and Toyota. The two-person vehicle is part of a US/Japan agreement that includes putting the first Japanese astronauts on the Moon.

The new camper van, for want of a better term, measures 6.0 x 5.2 x 3.8 m and will be powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, supplemented by solar panels that may recycle waste water by converting it back into hydrogen and oxygen for power. It's estimated to have a range of 10,000 km and will be used to explore the south polar region. (4/15)

The Space Force Is About to Play Space Wars in Earth Orbit (Source: Gizmodo)
As part of its Victus Haze mission, the Space Force awarded a $32 million contract to Rocket Lab and another worth $30 million to True Anomaly to “exercise a realistic threat response scenario in an on-orbit space domain awareness,” according to a statement issued Thursday. Rocket Lab will build and launch its own spacecraft using the company’s Electron rocket, while True Anomaly will build a rendezvous and proximity operation-capable spacecraft, as well as provide a command and control center.

The mission is scheduled for launch in 2025, and each company will be given its own launch and mission profiles at the time. Once in orbit, the Space Force will use the two spacecraft to run through scenarios that could be perceived as threatening in space, whether that be a satellite aiming to destroy a U.S. spacecraft or spying on a U.S. military satellite in an attempt to gather intel. “VICTUS HAZE will demonstrate, under operationally realistic conditions, our ability to respond to irresponsible behavior in orbit.” (4/12)

April 16, 2024

Where Is Planet Nine? Its Hiding Places Are Running Out (Source: Scientific American)
Over time, more indirect evidence for P9’s existence came to light, notably a slight tilt of the sun’s spin axis, none of which was conclusive, but all curious enough to keep astronomers searching for a culprit. Still, all the indirect evidence in the world (or worlds) doesn’t add up to a single direct observation of the planet. So the game was afoot.

Unfortunately no planet unveiled itself in the data. Taken together with the DES and ZTF surveys (and accounting for overlaps in coverage), the astronomers have now eliminated 78 percent of P9’s hiding places. This does lengthen the odds that the purported planet exists. But while down, it’s not out. The 22 percent of the sky where it still could hide includes a big chunk that looks out into the plane of our Milky Way Galaxy, where stars are far more crowded together, making the search more difficult. (4/15)

China's 130-Ton Reusable Rocket Engine Breaks Records During Tests (Source: Interesting Engineering)
China’s main space contractor, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp (CASC), completed key engine tests on its reusable rocket engine. The 130-ton reusable liquid oxygen kerosene engine, developed by CASC’s Sixth Academy, will power CASC’s reusable rockets, such as the Long March 10. CASC’s engineers completed the two ground ignition tests on Saturday, April 13, according to reports from Chinese state media.

CASC has reportedly completed 15 repeated tests and 30 ignition starts on its new engine, with the total test duration exceeding 3,900 seconds. According to a press release, the 15 repeated tests broke the previous record for liquid rocket main engine testing in China. (4/15)

EarthCARE Satellite to Launch with Advanced Climate Instruments (Source: Space Daily)
Scheduled for a May launch, the EarthCARE satellite is equipped with four advanced instruments aimed at studying Earth's clouds and their impact on climate. This joint effort by Airbus, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) seeks to deepen our understanding of climate dynamics and temperature regulation via cloud behavior.

Maximilian Sauer, EarthCARE's project leader at Airbus Defence and Space, emphasized the necessity of this mission for improving climate models. "To grasp the complexity of cloud systems, mere imaging is insufficient. Our approach involves multiple analytical methods through sophisticated instruments," Sauer noted. (4/12)

Precision in Space: L3Harris Boosts Avionics for Next-Gen Launch Vehicles (Source: Space Daily)
Rising mission demands necessitate high-performance, cost-effective, and technologically sophisticated solutions with a track record of reliability. L3Harris's comprehensive avionics suite includes communication systems, range safety receivers, power distribution, data acquisition, flight computers, and navigation capabilities. Click here. (4/12)

Aerojet Rocketdyne Advances Space Maneuver with New Propulsion Tech (Source: Space Daily)
"Dynamic Space Operations, or DSO, are fundamentally about enabling on-orbit maneuverability," said Tom Wehr, director of business development for launch and space exploration at Aerojet Rocketdyne, an L3Harris Technologies company. Wehr emphasized that the ability to change orbits on demand disrupts adversarial targeting and complicates their military planning. For instance, satellites in fixed, predictable orbits allow adversaries to anticipate surveillance times and alter their activities to evade detection. (4/12)

NASA Looking for Fresh Ideas to Reduce Cost, Shorten Schedule for Mars Sample Return (Source: Space News)
NASA announced Monday that it will seek proposals for studies on ways to bring back samples collected by the Perseverance rover faster and less expensively than the agency's current approach. That came after an internal study confirmed the current MSR architecture would cost between $8 billion and $11 billion and, to fit it within projected budgets without cutting other programs, would delay the return of the samples to 2040.

NASA plans to have studies on alternative approaches done by this fall to allow it to determine the best way forward on MSR. NASA will spend $310 million on MSR in the current fiscal year, near the low end of the range included in a 2024 appropriations bill, and will request $200 million in 2025. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said he has briefed key members of Congress about those plans and they were "quite understanding" of the situation, but in a statement late Monday California's two senators said the proposed funding levels for MSR "are woefully short" and called on NASA to work with Congress to balance the cuts to the program. (4/16)

Budgetary Pressure Stressing Several NASA Programs (Source: Space News)
Budgetary pressures are forcing NASA to make hard decisions on how to change or even cancel some missions. That includes restructuring a series of Earth science missions and canceling the Geospace Dynamics Constellation heliophysics missions, as well as proposed cuts to the Chandra and Hubble telescopes. Observers note that with budget caps in place for fiscal year 2025, NASA has little room to maneuver, and even after the caps expire in 2026 the agency faces a "slow bleed" of resources for science missions given projected slow growth in spending. (4/16)

Lockheed Wins US Missile Defense Contract Worth $17 Billion (Source: Reuters)
Lockheed Martin has won a $17 billion contract to develop the next generation of interceptors to defend the US against an intercontinental ballistic missile attack, the Missile Defense Agency said. The win represents a shot in the arm for Lockheed after the United States said it wanted to reduce F-35 orders, and the Army in February abandoned development of a Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft, a next-generation helicopter for which Lockheed had submitted a design. (4/15)

Aerospacelab Acquiring a Belgium's AMOS (Source: Space News)
Smallsat manufacturer Aerospacelab is acquiring a Belgian company that produces optical systems for satellites. Aerospacelab said Monday it is buying AMOS, or Advanced Mechanical and Optical Systems, for an undisclosed sum. Space projects AMOS has worked on include polishing mirrors for ESA's dark matter hunting space observatory Euclid and providing multispectral instruments for the agency's Sentinel Earth observation satellite program. Aerospacelab says the acquisition will give the company critical capabilities across space and ground systems. (4/16)

NASA Confirms ISS Debris Hit Florida Home (Source: NASA)
NASA confirmed Monday than an object that hit a Florida home was debris from the International Space Station. NASA said it analyzed the object that fell through the roof of a home in Naples, Florida, in March and concluded it was part of a battery cargo pallet that was discarded from the station in 2021. That pallet reentered in March, and the path and timing of the debris corresponded with the debris that hit the Florida home. The debris was made of the metal alloy Inconel and weighted about three-quarters of a kilogram. (4/16)

Biggest Stellar-Class Black Hole Discovered (Source: The Guardian)
Astronomers have discovered the biggest stellar-class black hole in our galaxy. The black hole, designated BH3 and in a star systems 2,000 light-years away, has a mass 33 times that of the sun. Astronomers detected the black hole by noticing a wobble in the motions of another star, which it turns out is orbiting the black hole. The mass of the black hole suggests to astronomers it may have formed by the same processes that, in other galaxies, created gravitational wave events. (4/16)

Do Black Holes Hide the Secrets of Their Ancestors? (Source: Space.com)
Some are created by the death and collapse of a massive star — yet no single star can birth the most tremendously large black holes. Those are the supermassive black holes that lurk at the hearts of galaxies with masses equivalent to millions, or even billions, of suns. Giant black holes such as these are believed to have been created when two smaller black holes collided and merged once upon a time. And now, scientists wonder whether we can learn about the family tree of a black hole by working backward through the generations. (4/15)

I Flew Boeing's Starliner Spacecraft in 4 Different Simulators. Here's What I Learned (Source: Space.
The commander of my spacecraft prepared for a steep spin next to the space station. "This is an alarming rotation rate. If we saw this in real life, there would be problems," Ray Bigonesse, lead rendezvous officer for Boeing's new Starliner astronaut taxi, told my crew as he twisted the joystick. Luckily for us, we were not in space but in a simulator at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC). Click here. (4/15)

Geometers Engineer New Tools to Wrangle Spacecraft Orbits (Source: Quanta)
In October, a Falcon Heavy rocket is scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral in Florida, carrying NASA’s Europa Clipper mission. Because Europa is constantly bombarded by intense radiation created by Jupiter’s magnetic field, the Clipper spacecraft can’t orbit the moon itself. Instead, it will slide into an eccentric orbit around Jupiter and gather data by repeatedly swinging by Europa — 53 times in total — before retreating from the worst of the radiation.

To plan convoluted tours like this one, trajectory planners use computer models that meticulously calculate the trajectory one step at a time. The planning takes hundreds of mission requirements into account, and it’s bolstered by decades of mathematical research into orbits and how to join them into complicated tours. Mathematicians are now developing tools which they hope can be used to create a more systematic understanding of how orbits relate to one another. Click here. (4/15)

Incredibly Rare Cosmic Object Detected in Gravitational Waves For The First Time (Source: Science Alert)
A gravitational wave detected in May of last year has given us a type of cosmic collision we've never seen before. One of the masses involved was a neutron star. So far, so normal. But we don't know what the other object was. That's because it sits firmly in a niche known as the lower mass gap – the seemingly rare bodies with masses somewhere between the chonkiest neutron stars and the titchiest black holes.

It's the first time we've seen a gravitational wave event involving a neutron star and a mass gap object, and although we aren't much closer to knowing what the latter actually is, the discovery excitingly suggests that these elusive mystery blobs could be common in the galaxy. (4/12)

Neutron Stars Could Be Heating Up From Dark Matter Annihilation (Source: Phys.org)
One of the big mysteries about dark matter particles is whether they interact with each other. We still don't know the exact nature of what dark matter is. Some models argue that dark matter only interacts gravitationally, but many more posit that dark matter particles can collide with each other, clump together, and even decay into particles we can see. If that's the case, then objects with particularly strong gravitational fields such as black holes, neutron stars, and white dwarfs might capture and concentrate dark matter. This could in turn affect how these objects appear.

For this study, the team looked at how much dark matter a neutron star could capture, and how the decay of interacting dark matter particles would affect its temperature. The details depend on which specific dark matter model you use. The team focused on how dark matter and baryons (protons and neutrons) might interact, and whether that would cause dark matter to be trapped. Sure enough, for the range of possible baryon-dark matter interactions, neutron stars can capture dark matter. (4/15)

Switzerland Signs Artemis Space Agreement (Source: SwissInfo)
Swiss Economics Minister Guy Parmelin signed the Artemis Accords at NASA's headquarters in the US capital of Washington D.C. on Monday. As a result, Switzerland has agreed to promote the peaceful exploration of outer space with the US and 35 other signatories. (4/16)

UAE Announces Crew Member to Take Part in Next Phase of Mars Simulation Mission (Source: The National)
The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center (MBRSC) has revealed the identity of the Emirati who will take part in the next phase of a Nasa simulation to replicate the conditions of a mission to Mars. Shareef Al Romaithi will participate in the next phase of the project, which is due to start on May 10, the MBRSC announced on Monday evening. The project involves analogue astronauts – crew members who take part in simulated missions on Earth – to test the effects of space flight on the human mind and body.

Mr. Al Romaithi will spend 45 days living with other crew members in a specially designed facility in Houston, Texas, as part of the Human Exploration Research Analogue (HERA) project. (4/15)

India Achieves Breakthrough with Lightweight Carbon-Carbon Rocket Engine Nozzle (Source: Times of India)
ISRO Tuesday said it has successfully developed a lightweight Carbon-Carbon nozzle for rocket engines, marking a breakthrough in rocket engine technology. The innovation promises to enhance the vital parameters of rocket engines, including thrust levels, specific impulse, and thrust-to-weight ratios, thereby boosting the payload capacity of launch vehicles. (4/16)

Lockheed Martin Pitching Nuclear Propulsion Portfolio for Defense Space Mobility, Logistics (Source: Defense Scoop)
The U.S. government has begun funding the development of different nuclear-powered spacecraft for civil and commercial use cases, and Lockheed Martin believes that the technology could play a key role in military space operations once it has matured. The company is on contract for three key nuclear-powered spacecraft programs with various government agencies as the U.S. looks to return to the moon and eventually begin exploration of Mars. Each effort tackles a different type of space-based nuclear power for different mission areas.

And while the government is focused on how space nuclear propulsion can support civil and commercial applications, there is also some appetite to use the technology in the defense sector — particularly for space servicing, mobility and logistics (SAML) missions, according to Jeff Schrader, vice president of global situation awareness at Lockheed Martin. (4/15)

Space Florida: Bolstering the New Space Economy in the State (Source: Journal of Space Commerce)
Tom Patton talks with Rob Long, president and CEO of Space Florida. He was named to the position last year following the retirement of Frank DiBello. Rob has over 25 years of leadership experience in the aerospace industry. His expertise spans launch operations, logistics, and spaceport management. His strategic vision aims to position Florida as a global hub for aerospace commerce. Click here. (4/11)

Since Peregrine, Astrobotic Has Been Busy Building a Future in Space (Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
In the months since its first spacecraft burned up over the Pacific Ocean following a dramatic 10-day mission intended for the moon, Astrobotic Technology has been busy planning its return. The startup has added talent from NASA and international partners who will help pilot its miniature rover on the next lunar mission, Griffin, planned for later this year. An outside review of the failed Peregrine mission is still underway and could impact NASA’s plans for the pending trip.

Last week, Astrobotic announced that its modular, shoebox-sized CubeRover will traverse the moon’s south pole on the upcoming mission with a software assist from a Canadian startup called Mission Control. Last month, the startup announced that four space industry veterans, all with experience at NASA, are joining the team to help with Griffin and other missions either as staff or advisers. (4/15)

Mercury: The Solar System's Smallest Planet May Once Have Been as Large as Earth (Source: BBC)
The ratio of chemicals on Mercury's surface is highly unusual. By using a technique known as "spectrometry" to analyse the chemical composition of the planet at a distance, scientists know that Mercury has a much high concentration of thorium than its nearest neighbours. Thorium should have evaporated in the extreme heat of the early Solar System. Instead, its thorium content is closer to that of Mars – three planets away – which would have formed at cooler temperatures due to its distance from the Sun.

Such anomalies have led some planetary scientists to hypothesise that Mercury originally formed at a more distant point from the Sun, near to Mars – and that it started out with a much bigger mass, around the size of the Earth, that would befit its large core. At some point in its history, however, it is hypothesised that Mercury collided with another planetary body that sent it spinning towards the Sun. Such a collision could have blown away its crust and much of its mantle but left behind the huge liquid core. (4/14)

Can Information Escape a Black Hole? (Source: Quanta)
Nothing escapes a black hole … or does it? In the 1970s, the physicist Stephen Hawking described a subtle process by which black holes can “evaporate,” with some particles evading gravitational oblivion. That phenomenon, now dubbed Hawking radiation, seems at odds with general relativity, and it raises an even weirder question: If particles can escape, do they preserve any information about the matter that was obliterated?

Leonard Susskind, a physicist at Stanford University, found himself at odds with Hawking over the answer. In this episode, co-host Janna Levin speaks with Susskind about the “black hole war” that ensued and the powerful scientific lessons to be drawn from one of the most famous paradoxes in physics. Click here. (4/15)

Space Junk Hunters Close in on Spent Rocket Stage From 2009 Mission (Source: Gizmodo)
Astroscale’s ADRAS-J mission successfully rendezvoused with a second-stage H-2A rocket, coming to within several hundred kilometers of the wayward object, the Tokyo-based company announced last week. The spacecraft is gearing up to get a closer look at the old rocket, circling its target and snapping photos of it.

Astroscale’s satellite is designed to creep up on the defunct spacecraft and, after inspecting it, match its tumble rate in order to align and dock with it. Once it’s docked, Astroscale will lower the spacecraft’s orbit using its thrusters before releasing it on a trajectory toward Earth’s atmosphere. The decommissioned spacecraft will then burn up in Earth’s atmosphere, putting an end to its stint in orbit. (4/15)

Radical NASA Study Says This Spacecraft Formation Could Reveal New Physics (Source: Science Alert)
A team of NASA researchers proposed how spacecraft could search for evidence of additional physics within our Solar System. This search, they argue, would be assisted by the spacecraft flying in a tetrahedral formation and using interferometers. Such a mission could help resolve a cosmological mystery that has eluded scientists for over half a century. Slava Turyshev's experience includes being a Gravity Recovery And Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission science team member. In previous work, he investigated how a mission to the Sun's solar gravitational lens (SGL) could revolutionize astronomy.

The concept paper was awarded a Phase III grant in 2020 by NASA's Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) program. In a previous study, he and SETI astronomer Claudio Maccone also considered how advanced civilizations could use SGLs to transmit power from one solar system to the next. To summarize, gravitational lensing is a phenomenon where gravitational fields alter the curvature of spacetime in their vicinity. This effect was originally predicted by Einstein in 1916 and was used by Arthur Eddington in 1919 to confirm his General Relativity (GR). (4/15)

Polaris Dawn is Getting Closer and Closer to Being Launch Ready (Source: Space Explored)
Polaris Dawn, a private mission being paid for by Shift4 CEO Jared Issacman, who also paid for and flew on Inspiration4 in 2021. The goal of the mission is to fly higher than any human spaceflight since Apollo, perform the first private spacewalk, and conduct numerous science experiments in orbit. Like Inspiration4, Polaris is partnering with SpaceX to complete this. Currently, SpaceX is the only company capable of this sort of feat. To do so, the company has modified its Dragon spacecraft to support spacewalk operations and develop an upgraded spacesuit to be used in the vacuum of space.

That spacecraft was sent to vacuum chamber testing earlier this month. Teams will recreate expected conditions in space by lowering and raising the vehicle’s pressures to ensure Dragon performs as expected both during and after the first commercial spacewalk,” SpaceX stated on social media. This will be able to close out the vast majority of concerns with bringing a vacuum into the Dragon’s main cabin, although no test is as good as doing it in the real world. (4/14)

Top Astronomers Gather to Confront Possibility They Were Very Wrong About the Universe (Source: Futurism)
A number of high-profile astronomers are set to convene at London's Royal Society to question some of the most fundamental aspects of our understanding of the universe. The luminaries of cosmology will be re-examining some basic assumptions about the universe — right down to the over-a-century-old theory that it's expanding at a constant rate.

A number of researchers have found evidence that the universe may be expanding more quickly in some areas compared to others, raising the tantalizing possibility that megastructures could be influencing the universe's growth in significant ways. Sarkar and his colleagues, for instance, are suggesting that the universe is "lopsided" after studying over a million quasars, which are the active nuclei of galaxies where gas and dust are being gobbled up by a supermassive black hole. (4/14)

Lunar Rover Racing (Source: Space Review)
Astronauts on the first Artemis landing missions will be on foot, but later on could have their choice of vehicles to roam across the lunar terrain. Jeff Foust reports on the latest milestones in the development of lunar rovers with commercial and international partners. Click here. (4/15)
 
FARRAH, the Superstar Satellite (Source: Space Review)
Decades ago, FARRAH was not just the name of a famous actress but also of a classified satellite program. Dwayne Day examines what is known about FARRAH (the satellite) after a model of it appeared at a museum. Click here. (4/15)
 
Zero-Gravity Regulations (Source: Space Review)
A “learning period” that has restricted regulation of commercial human spaceflight in the US for nearly two decades could soon be ending. David Gillette and Emma Rohrbach argue that the learning period supported innovation in ways that could be extended to other fields. Click here. (4/15)
 
Nukes in Space: a Bad Idea in the 1960s and an Even Worse One Now (Source: Space Review)
In the early 1960s, the United States and Soviet Union tested nuclear weapons in space, with disastrous results for many satellites in orbit at the time. Michael Mulvihill discusses those tests and why they show the perils of a potential Russian nuclear ASAT weapon. Click here. (4/15)

Space Coast's Third Largest Employer, L3Harris, Announces 'Difficult Decision' for Layoffs (Source: Space Coast Daily)
Brevard County’s third-largest employer, L3Harris, announced that it is planning layoffs to “streamline” their operations. The company didn’t specify an exact number of layoffs that would be coming soon. The company is known as an aerospace and defense powerhouse with over 7,000 jobs in Brevard County. (4/15)

Google Reportedly Prepping for Satellite-Supported Pixel Phones (Source: Ars Technica)
Google has been doing a lot of work in Android to support satellite-based messaging, and it sure would be nice if someone actually shipped some hardware it could use. Despite the feature launching with the iPhone 14 in 2022, Android manufacturers haven't been super receptive to copying the idea of satellite messaging.

Qualcomm and satellite company Iridium built a working solution and incorporated it into Qualcomm's Snapdragon chips, only for zero Android manufacturers to support the feature, leading to the dissolution of the partnership. If Google wants an Android satellite SMS phone to play with, it seems like it will need to build the device itself. (4/15)

ESA Accelerates the Race Toward Clean Energy From Space (Source: ESA)
ESA is laying the groundwork for the development of satellite technology designed to harvest the Sun's energy in space before transmitting it wirelessly to receiving stations on Earth. The initiative, named SOLARIS, raises the tantalising prospect of clean, scalable energy beamed down continuously from orbit to back up weather-dependent renewables and eliminate reliance on fossil fuels.

Through SOLARIS, ESA is bringing together policymakers, energy suppliers and space companies to investigate the feasibility of developing and implementing space-based solar power. (4/15)

Rocket Lab to Launch NASA's New Solar Sail Technology No Earlier Than April 24 (Source: Space.com)
A NASA solar sail mission meant to test new space travel materials in Earth's orbit is scheduled to lift off no sooner than April 24, the space agency announced. Named the Advanced Composite Solar Sail System, or ACS3, the mission's primary goal is to test the deployment of solar sails using new composite booms, which are tube-shaped materials meant to unfurl and hold four very thin triangular sheets tautly. These sheets, together, form a kite-like solar sail. (4/15)

Scammers Plan to Use SpaceX Starlink Satellites in Transnational Scam Network Targeting Thailand with Deception (Source: Thai Examiner)
Thai police, on Friday, revealed that they have disrupted a call scammer gang that planned to use Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite network to link it with telecommunications networks across the world including the European Union, the United Kingdom and Asia.

Police are still studying the find of hardware and data destined for the Golden Triangle area in Laos via Chiang Rai. However, they believe it was Chinese-controlled and in transit from war-torn Myanmar. (4/14)

Starbase Rising: Rapid Expansion, Growing Pains at SpaceX's South Texas Rocket City (Source: San Antonio Express-News)
For decades, Boca Chica Beach was the destination at this end of Texas 4. Now, SpaceX’s so-called “Gateway to Mars” is the main attraction. SpaceX has converted this previously untouched stretch of land into a rocket factory, launch site and company town. And the pace of growth is quickening. The growth was foretold in March 2021, when SpaceX CEO Elon Musk said he aimed to rename “an area much larger than Boca Chica” as “Starbase.”

In the unincorporated community of Boca Chica Village a few miles inland from the launch site, some residents weren’t thrilled with his proclamation. Rosemarie Workman, whose house is across the street from Musk’s own Starbase residence, wanted her billionaire neighbor to know: “This is not SpaceX property — this is my property. Not everything out here is owned by SpaceX.” Click here. (4/15)

SWOT Satellite Helps Gauge the Depth of Death Valley’s Temporary Laked (Source: NASA)
California’s Death Valley, the driest place in North America, has hosted an ephemeral lake since late 2023. A NASA-led analysis recently calculated water depths in the temporary lake over several weeks in February and March 2024, demonstrating the capabilities of the U.S.-French Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite, which launched in December 2022.

The analysis found that water depths in the lake ranged from about 3 feet (1 meter) to less than 1.5 feet (0.5 meters) over the course of about 6 weeks. This period included a series of storms that swept across California, bringing record amounts of rainfall. (4/15)

We Live in a Cosmic Void So Empty That it Breaks the Laws of Cosmology (Source: New Scientist)
Astronomers call it the “local hole”, but that is quite the understatement. It is a vast, gigantic, enormously huge cosmic void, spanning 2 billion light years. Our galaxy happens to be near its center, but the trouble with this hole is not that it presents a proximate danger – more that it shouldn’t exist at all. One of our most firmly held beliefs about the cosmos is the assumption--known as the cosmological principle--that the universe’s matter should be evenly distributed on the largest scales.

It is the cornerstone on which much of modern cosmology is built. If the void is real, then that stone might be crumbling. For this reason, few dared to believe the void could be genuine. But evidence has mounted in recent years, and astronomers have moved from doubt to begrudging acceptance. They have also discovered other similarly vast structures. So now the question is being asked with increasing urgency: if we really are living in a void, do we need to drastically modify our models of the cosmos? (4/15)

So Long Polaris: The Earth Will Get A New North Star (Source: IFL Science)
If you look up into the clear night sky in the Northern Hemisphere, you will see the star Polaris, more commonly known as the North Star. Sitting around 1 degree away from the geographic North Pole, Polaris has been used in navigation (of the Northern hemisphere) for centuries. But it hasn't always been our North Star.

That title has previously been held by binary star system Thuban, which was closer to the geographic North Pole between 3942 and 1793 BCE. Thuban, named in Ancient Egypt and meaning “head of the serpent”, consists of a white giant star 2.8 times as massive as the Sun, with a secondary star thought to be an A-type main-sequence star around 2.6 solar masses. (4/11)

April 15, 2024

The Economics of Falling Satellite Costs and Their Global Impact (Source: Space Daily)
The space industry has witnessed a transformational decline in satellite launch costs over the past few decades. This trend represents a pivotal shift in the accessibility and frequency of space missions, fundamentally altering the economic landscape of the global space economy. Click here. (4/12)

Emerging Markets in the Space Economy: Opportunities Beyond the West (Source: Space Daily)
The space industry, once dominated by Western nations, is witnessing a significant shift as emerging markets invest heavily in developing their space capabilities. This expansion is not only redefining the geopolitical landscape of space exploration but also opening up new avenues for economic and technological growth in these nations. Click here. (4/12)

Private Sector Innovation and Its Impact on the Space Industry (Source: Space Daily)
The private sector's involvement in space exploration has dramatically transformed the landscape of the industry. Companies like SpaceX, Blue Origin, and others have introduced new technologies and business models that have reduced costs, increased accessibility, and accelerated innovation in space travel and infrastructure. Click here. (4/12)

Space Technology's Role in Disaster Management and Climate Monitoring (Source: Space Daily)
Space technology has become an indispensable tool in disaster management and climate monitoring, providing critical data that helps mitigate the effects of natural disasters and environmental changes. As the frequency and intensity of such events increase due to climate change, the role of space-based assets has become more crucial in safeguarding populations and ecosystems. Click here. (4/12)

The Integration of Space and Everyday Technologies (Source: Space Daily)
The integration of space technology into everyday life is transforming how we communicate, navigate, and interact with our environment. Satellite technology, once the domain of specialized applications, is now a foundational component of everyday devices and services, enhancing connectivity and providing critical data across various sectors. Click here. (4/12)

Space Chiefs From 18 Nations Convene at Forum Hosted by Space Force (Source: Space Daily)
On April 11, military space leaders from 18 countries convened at the invitation of U.S. Space Force Chief of Space Operations, Gen. Chance Saltzman, for the fourth annual Space Chiefs Forum in Colorado Springs. Participants included representatives from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Republic of Korea, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. (4/12)

Intelsat Seeks Government Backing for MEO Constellation (Source: Space News)
Intelsat says the U.S. government could help fund development of a medium Earth orbit constellation. Intelsat CEO David Wajsgras said in an interview that his company expects to select companies by the end of June to build a network of 17 MEO satellites that would augment its existing fleet of GEO satellites. He said there is strong interest in the system from U.S. government agencies, who could help finance the constellation as part of contracts to secure capacity on it. That constellation is intended to enter service in three and a half to four years. Intelsat is also proposing to invest in an unidentified company with technology for direct-to-device services. (4/15)

Space Force Acquisition Command Prioritizing Speed and Commercial Partnerships (Source: Space News)
The new head of the Space Force's Space Systems Command wants to prioritize speed and commercial partnerships. Lt. Gen. Philip Garrant said in an interview that he is focusing on building a skilled workforce, embracing commercial technologies and accelerating the delivery of mission-critical systems. He said the pressure to accelerate is driven by the new realities of the space environment as adversaries develop advanced capabilities. He added that the Space Force's new commercial space strategy will support efforts to make greater use of commercial capabilities, along with a new funding line in the Space Force's budget for buying commercial services. (4/15)

European Space Law On Hold (Source: Space News)
A European space law is on hold, along with a contract for a connectivity constellation. The European Commission had expected to release a draft space law this month after delaying it from March, but at a European Parliament committee meeting last week, commissioner Theirry Breton said that the law will likely be delayed until after European elections in June. He gave little explanation for the delay, and the contents of the bill itself remain under wraps. The award of a contract to an industry consortium for the IRIS² secure connectivity constellation also appears to be on hold, with Breton saying that an independent committee was still evaluating the proposed contract, which had been expected to be finalized last month. (4/15)

Astroscale Inspection Satellite Moving to Next Phase of Mission (Source: Space News)
An Astroscale inspection satellite has entered the next phase of its mission. The company said last week that its ADRAS-J spacecraft, launched in February, had completed the rendezvous phase of its approach to a derelict Japanese upper stage in low Earth orbit and was now moving into the proximity operations phase. In that phase, the spacecraft will rely on its own sensors to maneuver relative to the stage, ultimately approaching within dozens of meters before the mission ends around the end of May. ADRAS-J is a precursor to a second mission backed by the Japanese space agency JAXA that will grapple and deorbit the upper stage. (4/15)

China Launches Commercial Remote Sensing Satellite (Source: Space News)
China launched a commercial remote sensing satellite early Monday. A Long March 2D rocket lifted off at 12:12 a.m. Eastern from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, putting the Gaojing-3 (01), or SuperView-3 (01), satellite into its planned orbit. The satellite will provide commercial imagery for agricultural, urban planning and other applications. The spacecraft is designed to provide imagery with a resolution of 0.5 meters and swath width of 130 kilometers. (4/15)

Lockheed’s Mid-Size Bus Set to Fly This Year (Source: Payload)
Lockheed Martin is preparing to launch its medium-sized LM 400 bus before the end of the year in preparation for a few classified opportunities coming down the pipeline, said Lockheed Space President Robert Lightfoot. The company has a number of tech demos waiting for their time to fly, Lightfoot said. LM 400 is up next to allow the company to test and prove the bus in orbit ahead of at least three classified opportunities for which the bus could be a good fit, he said. (4/10)

Scientists Race to Protect Future Lunar Telescopes (Source: IEEE Spectrum)
Astronomers could, in just the next few years, put radio telescopes on the far side of the moon, where the moon’s mass would block out all that electronic noise. For radio signals, it is probably the quietest place in the inner solar system. That’s in part because the moon is tidally locked, meaning that the far side always faces away from Earth. It’s also because as the universe expands, many distant signals are shifted toward longer wavelengths that are impossible for earthly telescopes to detect.

But this solution has a looming problem—namely, that everyone else interested in space has thought of the moon’s potential as well. Over the next two or three years, there could well be two dozen lunar missions, some landing astronauts or starting mining operations—and all transmitting on many different frequencies. There’s something of a lunar gold rush in progress, and astronomers want to make sure science doesn’t get trampled.

The worry is that things will happen that nobody anticipated. For instance, electrical circuits on spacecraft tend to “leak” unintended signals into space unless they’re adequately shielded. Imagine a satellite in lunar orbit, perhaps sent to observe the near side of the moon, ruining the observations by a radio telescope on the far side when it passes over. (4/8)

NASA Releases Source Selection Documents for Rover Design Competition (Source: Space News)
A NASA document outlines how the agency picked the three companies that are working on lunar rover designs. NASA released the source selection statement last week for the Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV) competition, which resulted in contracts earlier this month to Intuitive Machines, Lunar Outpost and Venturi Astrolab.

NASA noted it received nine proposals, three of which were deemed unacceptable. Three others, from Astrobotic, Blue Origin and Leidos, also failed to make the cut, although the document does not explain how they fell short. Among the three winners, Astrolab had the highest "mission suitability" score but also the highest price at more than $1.9 billion; Intuitive Machines had the lowest score but also the lowest price at just under $1.7 billion. NASA plans to later select one of the companies for a task order to develop and demonstrate the rover. (4/15)

NASA PACE Data Released (Source: NASA)
NASA has released the first data from a new Earth science mission. NASA said last week it is now distributing "science-quality" data from the Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) satellite, launched in early February. The spacecraft has an ocean color instrument to study ocean biology and polarimeters to measure atmospheric aerosols. The initial data confirms that PACE is working as designed. (4/15)

Kendall: Broken Budget Process Threatens US in Space Race (Source: Space Daily)
US Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall says US dominance in space is threatened by unpredictable and fluctuating domestic budgets, highlighting significant delays in budget approvals. He pointed out that the delay in approving the current fiscal year's budget, which came six months late, has cost the US valuable modernization lead time, emphasizing the strategic disadvantage posed by continuing resolutions. (4/12)

April 14, 2024

Environmental Concerns Raised by Rocket Flights over San Diego County (Source: San Diego Union Tribune)
“I, along with thousands of other residents of the South Coast, am significantly impacted with each launch, including being woken up from a deep sleep on occasion, while my dogs are terrified, my house shakes, and the sonic booms are felt physically, with a deep shock.” Conservationists say the noise disturbs native wildlife such as red legged frogs, the western snowy plover, seals and sea lions, and it interferes with commercial and recreational fishing. Nearby public beaches and fishing grounds are often closed during the launches.

“The launches are extremely loud and destructive,” said Mandy Sackett in San Diego, senior California policy coordinator for the Surfrider Foundation. “Sound impacts are grossly underestimated,” Sackett said, and she urged the Coastal Commission to “pump the brakes” on the increase. Another downside are the latex weather balloons released before every flight to check atmospheric conditions. The balloons carry batteries and electronics that reach the stratosphere and then burst from the pressure before falling back to earth or into the ocean, where the equipment sinks with little chance of being recovered. (4/14)

Japan to Pick 2 Astronauts From 7 Candidates for Moon Landing (Source: Kyodo News)
Japan will select two astronauts to send to the Moon in 2028 or later from seven candidates after the Japanese science ministry and the U.S. space agency on Wednesday confirmed flight opportunity allocations in the U.S.-led Artemis Moon exploration program. Some of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's candidates, including two trainees recruited in February last year, expressed their hope to be picked for the Artemis program and become the first non-American astronaut to land on the Moon. (4/11)

Relativity Space Wins $8.7 Million U.S. Air Force Contract for Additive Manufacturing Research (Source: Space News)
Relativity Space, a company that builds launch vehicles using 3D printing technology, has secured an $8.7 million contract with the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to explore real-time flaw detection in additive manufacturing. Real-time flaw detection in 3D printing is the ability to identify defects as parts are being printed. This is an important technology as additive manufacturing works by laying down thin layers of material on top of each other so each layer adds to the potential for imperfections.

The two-year research contract is from AFRL’s Materials and Manufacturing Directorate at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. The work for this project will be done at Relativity’s factory in Long Beach, California, using the company’s Stargate 3D printing platform, known for its large-scale metal printing capabilities. “This effort with Relativity Space is in response to a congressional demand signal,” Adam Hicks, a physicist at AFRL’s Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, said. (4/14)

Tiny Black Holes Left Over From the Big Bang May Be Prime Dark Matter Suspects (Source: Space.com)
Tiny black holes, created seconds after the birth of the universe, may survive longer than expected, reigniting a suspicion that primordial black holes could account for dark matter, the universe's most mysterious stuff.

Not only has a recent change in thinking regarding how black holes "evaporate" prompted a reassessment of primordial black holes' viability as dark matter suspects, but as the search for a dark matter particle continues to mostly draw a blank, more researchers could begin to look at the primordial black hole dark matter theory more seriously. (4/13)

SpaceX Launch Marked Record Turnaround Time with Record Booster Reflight (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
SpaceX managed a Starlink launch from Cape Canaveral Friday night less than three days since the last rocket blasted off from the same launch pad, setting a turnaround record while also using a first-stage booster for a record-setting 20th flight. LC-40 was used for the last Starlink launch that came at 1:40 a.m. Wednesday, so the turnaround came only two days and 20 hours after, besting the previous record by nearly 26 hours. (4/12)

NASA Budget Woes Could Doom $2 Billion Chandra Space Telescope (Source: Washington Post)
NASA spent $2.2 billion to build and launch the Chandra X-Ray Observatory in 1999, and it has performed brilliantly, scrutinizing deep space, black holes, galaxy clusters and the remnants of exploded stars. It sees things that other space telescopes can’t see, because it literally has X-ray vision. If Congress approves the Biden administration’s 2025 budget request for NASA science missions, they say, the Chandra mission will be effectively terminated. (4/14)

This Little Robot Can Hop in Zero-Gravity to Explore Asteroids (Source: Space.com)
A three-legged robot named SpaceHopper could help combat the challenges of exploring low-gravity environments, such as those found on asteroids or moons. The SpaceHopper program was first launched two and a half years ago as a student research project at ETH Zurich university in Switzerland. And recently, researchers tested the hopping robot in a simulated zero-gravity environment during a European Space Agency parabolic flight, according to a statement from the university. (4/14)

SpaceX Launches Friday Night Starlink Mission at Florida Spaceport (Source: SPACErePORT)
SpaceX launched another batch of Starlink satellites on Friday night. This was the 20th flight for the booster, which landed downrange on a droneship. (4/12)

Sierra Space Wants to Drop Cargo From Orbit to Anywhere on Earth in 90 Minutes (Source: Space.com)
Sierra Space unveiled a radical new concept for on-demand cargo delivery from Earth orbit. The company aims to land critical supplies anywhere on the planet within 90 minutes of when it was requested. Sierra Space says the concept could enable soldiers on the battlefield or in remote areas to acquire much-needed supplies on quicker timescales, as they'd be far from traditional infrastructure used to transport goods on the ground. The Ghost orbital delivery platform could also aid first responders in disaster-stricken areas and bolster humanitarian efforts. (4/12)

One of the Universe's Most 'Extreme' Dead Stars Just Sprang Back to Life Unexpectedly (Source: Space.com)
The universe's most extreme stars just got a little bit more unexpected and mysterious. Scientists were astounded when they witnessed a "dead" neutron star with one of the most powerful magnetic fields in the cosmos unexpectedly spring back to life. The reactivation of this highly magnetic neutron star or "magnetar" doesn't conform to the current understanding of these exotic celestial objects. The team made the discovery of this magnetar's return from the dead when they spotted strange radio signals from the closest known magnetar to Earth, XTE J1810-197, located around 8,000 light-years away. (4/12)

Office of Space Commerce Selects Colorado and Maryland Locations for TraCSS Operations Centers (Source: Space News)
The Office of Space Commerce will set up operations centers in Colorado and Maryland for its civil space traffic coordination system. Richard DalBello, director of the Office of Space Commerce, announced that the primary operations center for the Traffic Coordination System for Space (TraCSS) will be at the David Skaggs Research Center, operated by NOAA in Boulder, Colorado. A secondary center will be at another NOAA facility in Suitland, Maryland.

While the Boulder center will be the primary location, the Suitland site will be up and running first, said Sandy Magnus, chief engineer for TraCSS, in an interview after the panel. In Suitland, the office is able to take over a room from another program, while the Boulder facility will require some renovations first. When both centers are up and running, the Boulder center will largely handle operations while Suitland will handle systems engineering and IT support. The centers will operate around the clock but rely heavily on automation. (4/12)

Spain's HALO Space Unveils Capsule Design for Stratospheric Space 'Glamping' (Source: Space.com)
Stratospheric balloon company HALO Space plans to offer aspiring space travelers the space tourism equivalent of glamping. Instead of tight space suits and stomach-churning G-forces typically attached to a rocket flight, the company's pressurized capsule, attached to a helium-filled balloon, will offer comfy swivel seats, giant windows and a selection of fine cuisine.

The Spanish-headquartered firm unveiled the design of the 3.9-ton (3.5 metric tonnes) Aurora capsule at an event in London on Wednesday, April 10, and said it hoped to begin commercial operations in 2026. HALO Space is one of two companies currently readying its balloon technology to begin commercial operations in the next two years. The other is Florida-based Space Perspective. HALO Space plans to fly from spaceports in the Mojave Desert in the U.S., Spain, Australia and Saudi Arabia. (4/12)

Putin Lauds Soviet Republics for Contribution to Space Exploration (Source: TASS)
The USSR made great contributions to the advancement of space exploration, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting in the Kremlin with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitsky and Belarusian cosmonaut Marina Vasilevskaya, who recently returned from the ISS. He emphasized that now Russia and Belarus continue this joint work. "And the fact that the first Belarusian cosmonaut flew into space is just another manifestation of our joint activities. (4/12)

Russia to Launch Over 100 Spacecraft by Year-End (Source: TASS)
Russia will launch more than 100 spacecraft to build up the orbital constellation by the end of 2024, Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov told reporters. "More than 20 spacecraft have already been launched to build up the domestic orbital constellation in 2024. The launch of more than 100 spacecraft is planned by the end of this year. Therefore, we expect in total that 123 spacecraft will be launched in 2024, including 70 small ones," Manturov said. The domestic orbital constellation comprises more than 240 spacecraft, he added. (4/12)

Putin: No Task, Including Defense Capabilities, Can Be Solved Without Space (Source: TASS)
The space industry development contributes to solving any task, including bolstering the country’s defense capabilities, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting in the Kremlin with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko, and the two cosmonauts who have recently returned to Earth from the ISS - Russia’s Oleg Novitsky and Belarus’ Marina Vasilevskaya. (4/12)