Accelerating Starship (Source:
Space Review)
SpaceX conducted the third integrated test flight of its Starship/Super
Heavy vehicle last week, going further and faster than before. Jeff
Foust reports on the company’s progress on the vehicle but also its
need to move even faster in its development. Click here.
(3/18)
Texas Space Commissions, From
Conestoga to Starship (Source: Space Review)
The Texas state government has reestablished a space commission more
than two decades after the previous one was shut down. Thomas Matula
argues that a priority for the new commission should be to establish a
launch site for the state’s growing space industry. Click here.
(3/18)
Proposing a National Naming
Competition for Our Lunar Exploration Program (Source: Space
Review)
Names carry with them meanings, be they for people or spaceflight
programs. In the first of two-part essay, Cody Knipfer looks at the
history of how NASA has named its various programs and missions. Click here.
(3/18)
Biden’s Tax Proposals Would Hurt
Commercial Space (Source: The Hill)
The idea of a wealth tax as proposed by Biden is that the government
would tax a proportion of unrealized capital gains enjoyed by the
wealthy. If the targeted assets rise in value, the government would
take 25 percent of that increase. The owner would not have to actually
sell the assets for the tax to be levied. The proposal would work at
cross purposes against another Biden administration policy, encouraging
the growth of the commercial space sector to further American space
exploration goals.
If Congress were to pass Biden’s tax increases, SpaceX, Blue Origin,
and a host of other commercial space companies would not have as much
money available to build rocket ships and lunar landers as they
otherwise would. NASA’s space effort, including maintaining the
International Space Station, depends on the commercial space sector,
run primarily by billionaires like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, to operate
cost-effectively. The Biden administration is faced with a choice. It
can either institute draconian tax increases against the private sector
and wealthy Americans or have a vigorous, well-funded space effort
powered by commercial space companies. It cannot have both. (3/17)
For Space Force to Succeed, It Needs
Starships from SpaceX (Source: National Interest)
An operational and robust Starship program denies both China and Russia
some of their targeted goals in space. A safe and consistent Starship
program for the military would also grant newfound capabilities to the
US military: a rapidly deployable, reusable heavy-lift system for the
rapid transportation of troops and equipment—at hypersonic speeds—from
one location to another. Such a capability could help win future wars,
where degraded environments would likely prevent the US military from
employing traditional power projection methods.
All this is made possible by one, relatively small American firm,
SpaceX. If Space Force means to be a serious player within the military
bureaucracy it needs to do more than just defend satellites. It needs
to develop a manned spaceflight and rapid spaceborne transportation
capability. Only by purchasing a block of militarized Starships from
SpaceX can this happen. Whether Washington wants to admit it or not,
the era of space warfare is here. And Starship will play a vital role
in winning that space war. (3/17)
March 18, 2024
Turion Closing in on Initial SSA
Service From First Satellite (Source: Space News)
Space situational awareness (SSA) startup Turion Space expects to start collecting data from its first satellite soon. The company launched its Droid.001 satellite last June and started commissioning its imaging sensor a couple months ago. Turion says it expects to start taking images of other space objects with that sensor by May. Those images will be used for SSA applications for commercial and government customers as Turion works on future spacecraft to perform satellite servicing and debris removal. (3/18)
China Prepares Another Lunar Farside Mission (Source: Space News)
China is preparing to launch a data relay satellite for an upcoming farside lunar mission. A Long March 8 rocket was vertically transferred to a launch pad at Wenchang Satellite Launch Center early Sunday for a launch scheduled for Tuesday evening. The rocket is carrying the Queqiao-2 communications satellite, which will go into an elliptical orbit around the moon to support future Chinese lunar missions, starting with the Chang'e-6 farside lunar sample return mission scheduled to launch in May. (3/18)
Perseverance Collecting Dirt for Mars Sample Mission (Source: Space News)
Despite budget and schedule uncertainty, work to collect samples on Mars for later return to Earth continues. Scientists said the Perseverance rover has now filled 26 of its 43 sample tubes, a total that includes several "witness" tubes that serve as controls for any terrestrial contamination. Perseverance is continuing to drive up the remains of a river delta that once flowed into Jezero Crater.
The samples being collected by the rover will be returned to Earth as part of the Mars Sample Return program, which is undergoing a review after an independent assessment last year found it was overbudget and behind schedule. Funding for Mars Sample Return was left as "TBD" in NASA's fiscal year 2025 budget proposal released last week, which NASA will amend as soon as next month once a new plan is in place for the program. (3/18)
Peregrine Payloads Returned Useful Data Despite No Lunar Landing (Source: Space News)
Despite not making it to the moon, some payloads on Astrobotic's Peregrine lunar lander still returned useful data. At a conference last week, representatives of several payloads on the lander, which suffered a propellant leak hours after liftoff and reentered 10 days later, said they were able to check out their instruments while in cislunar space and collect data, such as of the radiation environment. A student-built lunar rover on the lander was also able to test some of its systems, confirming they would have worked had Peregrine landed.
Astrobotic is continuing its review of the mission and will incorporate lessons learned into its larger Griffin lander that will carry NASA's VIPER lunar rover. While that mission was scheduled to launch in November, NASA says that it's likely the mission will slip into next year as it evaluates what work needs to be done on the lander. (3/18)
Japan to Land Two Astronauts on Artemis Moon Missions (Source: Nikkei)
Japan will get to land two astronauts on the moon as part of the Artemis program. An agreement between the governments of Japan and the United States to be signed next month gives Japan two slots on future Artemis lunar landing missions in exchange for its contributions to the program, such as elements of the lunar Gateway and a pressurized lunar rover. Japan wants to become the second country after the U.S. to land astronauts on the moon, and the earliest opportunity would be the Artemis 4 mission in the late 2020s. (3/18)
China's Military, State Media Slam U.S. After Report on SpaceX Spy Satellites (Source: Reuters)
Chinese military and state-run media on Sunday accused the United States of threatening global security, days after a Reuters report which found Elon Musk's SpaceX was building hundreds of spy satellites for a U.S. intelligence agency. SpaceX's Starshield unit is developing the satellite network under a classified $1.8 billion contract with the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), Reuters reported on Friday, citing five sources familiar with the program.
A social media account run by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) said the SpaceX program exposed the United States' "shamelessness and double standards" as Washington accuses Chinese tech companies of threatening U.S. security. "We urge U.S. companies to not help a villain do evil," Junzhengping, an account run by the PLA, posted on social media platform Weibo on Sunday. The account has 1.1 million followers. (3/18)
Former Amazon, Flexport Exec Tim Collins Joins Blue Origin as Supply Chain Chief (Source: GeekWire)
Tim Collins, most recently an executive vice president at Flexport and a former top Amazon leader, announced Saturday that he’s joining Blue Origin as vice president of supply chain. Collins was executive vice president of global operations at logistics giant Flexport, following 1 1/2 years at Gopuff as SVP of operations. He spent more than 20 years at Amazon, including more than four years as VP of global operations. (3/16)
Musk Unveils "Spin" to Safeguard Space Travelers on Their Way to Mars and Beyond (Source: WPN)
So, how will SpaceX implement this plan? While Musk hasn’t provided detailed specifications, astrophysicist Dr. Peter Hague has suggested tethering two Starships together and spinning them to simulate Mars gravity. This concept is akin to the Von Braun wheel, an evolution of an idea proposed over a century ago. The spacecraft would rotate around a central tether, creating a centrifugal force miming Earth’s gravity. Astronauts inside would experience gravity-like effects during their lengthy journeys to Mars or other destinations. (3/16)
How Do Astronauts Sleep on ISS While Experiencing 16 Sunrises and Sunsets in a Single Day? (Source: Hindustan Times)
Astronauts on the ISS do a full circle of Earth every 90 minutes and experience 16 sunsets and sunrises every day. With this unearthly routine, astronauts can struggle to find a natural daily rhythm in space. The Space Station follows Greenwich Mean Time, which helps keep a consistent schedule, along with regular wake-up and bedtime routines," ESA wrote. (3/17)
China Working on Giant Rail Gun to Shoot Astronauts Into Space (Source: Futurism)
Chinese scientists are working on a giant electromagnetic launch track to launch a massive 50-ton spaceplane — longer than a Boeing 737 — into orbit. As the South China Morning Post reports, the "giant rail gun" system is designed to accelerate a hypersonic aircraft to speeds of up to Mach 1.6. Once it reaches the end of the track, its engine then accelerates it to the edge of space at seven times the speed of sound. (3/16)
A Single Meteorite Smashed Into Mars and Created 2 Billion Craters (Source: New Scientist)
When a single small meteorite struck Mars a few million years ago, it didn’t just create one crater. It ultimately created billions of them. The main crater, called Corinto, is just under 14 kilometres across, but the debris from that meteorite collision formed about two billion additional craters, called secondaries. When a meteorite slams into the ground, it can blast a huge plume of rocks into the air. When these rocks fall back down, they create their own smaller craters, often in chains. (3/14)
NASA Puts Latest Solar Technology to the Test for an Upcoming Space Mission: 'Big Power for Small Spacecraft' (Source: TCD)
Ascent Solar's thin and flexible sun-catching film is set to continue out-of-this-world testing on NASA craft this year. It's a unique crossroads of the latest in solar cell tech and advanced NASA spacecraft, part of an ongoing study into optimizing how the renewable energy source can power small vessels, among other scientific breakthroughs. NASA is using the film as part of the Lightweight Integrated Solar Array project, which is also geared to develop "low-cost power for spacecraft."
The Colorado company's light, bendable solar film is made in part with a copper-indium-gallium-selenide blend. It's a mix of metals that forms a material thinner than a human hair, is shatterproof, and is relatively inexpensive, all per the maker. A photo of the invention shared by Ascent's team looks like a roll of camera film. (3/17)
How a West Virginia Story Inspired Jeff Bezos to Create Blue Origin (Source: WOWK)
The inspiring story found within “October Sky” inspired Amazon founder Jeff Bezos to create an aerospace company. Bezos — a New Mexico native and the richest man in the world — founded online retailer Amazon out of a garage in Seattle in 1994. Six years later in 2000, Bezos founded a new company: Blue Origin.
Bezos and science-fiction author Neal Stephenson — known for writing “Snow Crash” and “Cryptonomicon” — went to see a matinee of “October Sky” in 1999. Bezos told Stephenson after the showing that he always wanted to start a space company. His response, according to Davenport, was, “Well, why don’t you start it today?” (3/16)
The Necessary Collaboration between Robots and Humans in Space Exploration (Source: Space Daily)
As automation and robots reshape the way many industries operate, there is an apprehension that human skill sets and collaboration will become obsolete in certain areas. The space sector is an industry that has utilized robots for decades. However, a question often looms even among some experts in the sector: Are humans needed to explore space? And are robots a better alternative to reach deep space destinations?
The resounding answer is: No. While robots are necessary and useful tools for deep space exploration, humans will always be essential to spacefaring. We need to think past the polarity debate of crewed vs. uncrewed programs to recognize that they serve different but complementary purposes, strengthening each other on our exploration of the cosmos. (3/18)
Space Force Seeks New Partners for $986 Million OSP-4 Launch Services Contract (Source: Space Daily)
The U.S. Space Force, through its Small Launch and Targets Division located at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico, has officially issued a call for additional service providers to join the Orbital Services Program (OSP)-4. This move, spearheaded by the Space Systems Command's (SSC) Assured Access to Space (AATS) initiative, aims to broaden the roster of launch providers eligible for the program's mission contracts.
OSP-4, part of the broader Rocket Systems Launch Program (RSLP), is designed to streamline the procurement of launch services for payloads exceeding 400 pounds, ensuring readiness for launch within 12 to 24 months post-task order issuance. This contract, boasting a ceiling of $986 million and open for orders until October 2028, fosters competition among awardees for each mission. (3/18)
Stratolaunch sets sights on hypersonic speeds for next Talon-A Test (Source: Defense News)
Following a successful test flight in which its Talon-A vehicle reached near-hypersonic speeds, Stratolaunch is preparing for its next mission to reach or surpass the milestone of five times the speed of sound. The March 9 test hit all of its primary objectives, taking off from Stratolaunch’s manufacturing and test facility at Mojave Air and Space Port in California.
For Stratolaunch’s second powered Talon-A mission, scheduled for the second half of this year, it wants to push the uncrewed aircraft’s envelope further. The goal is to reach hypersonic speeds and to demonstrate reusability, landing the system on a runway. The vehicle, dubbed TA-2, won’t undergo any structural changes before the flight, Krevor said, noting that the first mission validated the aircraft’s design and construction. The company is, however, considering operational lessons from the TA-1 vehicle. (3/15)
Space situational awareness (SSA) startup Turion Space expects to start collecting data from its first satellite soon. The company launched its Droid.001 satellite last June and started commissioning its imaging sensor a couple months ago. Turion says it expects to start taking images of other space objects with that sensor by May. Those images will be used for SSA applications for commercial and government customers as Turion works on future spacecraft to perform satellite servicing and debris removal. (3/18)
China Prepares Another Lunar Farside Mission (Source: Space News)
China is preparing to launch a data relay satellite for an upcoming farside lunar mission. A Long March 8 rocket was vertically transferred to a launch pad at Wenchang Satellite Launch Center early Sunday for a launch scheduled for Tuesday evening. The rocket is carrying the Queqiao-2 communications satellite, which will go into an elliptical orbit around the moon to support future Chinese lunar missions, starting with the Chang'e-6 farside lunar sample return mission scheduled to launch in May. (3/18)
Perseverance Collecting Dirt for Mars Sample Mission (Source: Space News)
Despite budget and schedule uncertainty, work to collect samples on Mars for later return to Earth continues. Scientists said the Perseverance rover has now filled 26 of its 43 sample tubes, a total that includes several "witness" tubes that serve as controls for any terrestrial contamination. Perseverance is continuing to drive up the remains of a river delta that once flowed into Jezero Crater.
The samples being collected by the rover will be returned to Earth as part of the Mars Sample Return program, which is undergoing a review after an independent assessment last year found it was overbudget and behind schedule. Funding for Mars Sample Return was left as "TBD" in NASA's fiscal year 2025 budget proposal released last week, which NASA will amend as soon as next month once a new plan is in place for the program. (3/18)
Peregrine Payloads Returned Useful Data Despite No Lunar Landing (Source: Space News)
Despite not making it to the moon, some payloads on Astrobotic's Peregrine lunar lander still returned useful data. At a conference last week, representatives of several payloads on the lander, which suffered a propellant leak hours after liftoff and reentered 10 days later, said they were able to check out their instruments while in cislunar space and collect data, such as of the radiation environment. A student-built lunar rover on the lander was also able to test some of its systems, confirming they would have worked had Peregrine landed.
Astrobotic is continuing its review of the mission and will incorporate lessons learned into its larger Griffin lander that will carry NASA's VIPER lunar rover. While that mission was scheduled to launch in November, NASA says that it's likely the mission will slip into next year as it evaluates what work needs to be done on the lander. (3/18)
Japan to Land Two Astronauts on Artemis Moon Missions (Source: Nikkei)
Japan will get to land two astronauts on the moon as part of the Artemis program. An agreement between the governments of Japan and the United States to be signed next month gives Japan two slots on future Artemis lunar landing missions in exchange for its contributions to the program, such as elements of the lunar Gateway and a pressurized lunar rover. Japan wants to become the second country after the U.S. to land astronauts on the moon, and the earliest opportunity would be the Artemis 4 mission in the late 2020s. (3/18)
China's Military, State Media Slam U.S. After Report on SpaceX Spy Satellites (Source: Reuters)
Chinese military and state-run media on Sunday accused the United States of threatening global security, days after a Reuters report which found Elon Musk's SpaceX was building hundreds of spy satellites for a U.S. intelligence agency. SpaceX's Starshield unit is developing the satellite network under a classified $1.8 billion contract with the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), Reuters reported on Friday, citing five sources familiar with the program.
A social media account run by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) said the SpaceX program exposed the United States' "shamelessness and double standards" as Washington accuses Chinese tech companies of threatening U.S. security. "We urge U.S. companies to not help a villain do evil," Junzhengping, an account run by the PLA, posted on social media platform Weibo on Sunday. The account has 1.1 million followers. (3/18)
Former Amazon, Flexport Exec Tim Collins Joins Blue Origin as Supply Chain Chief (Source: GeekWire)
Tim Collins, most recently an executive vice president at Flexport and a former top Amazon leader, announced Saturday that he’s joining Blue Origin as vice president of supply chain. Collins was executive vice president of global operations at logistics giant Flexport, following 1 1/2 years at Gopuff as SVP of operations. He spent more than 20 years at Amazon, including more than four years as VP of global operations. (3/16)
Musk Unveils "Spin" to Safeguard Space Travelers on Their Way to Mars and Beyond (Source: WPN)
So, how will SpaceX implement this plan? While Musk hasn’t provided detailed specifications, astrophysicist Dr. Peter Hague has suggested tethering two Starships together and spinning them to simulate Mars gravity. This concept is akin to the Von Braun wheel, an evolution of an idea proposed over a century ago. The spacecraft would rotate around a central tether, creating a centrifugal force miming Earth’s gravity. Astronauts inside would experience gravity-like effects during their lengthy journeys to Mars or other destinations. (3/16)
How Do Astronauts Sleep on ISS While Experiencing 16 Sunrises and Sunsets in a Single Day? (Source: Hindustan Times)
Astronauts on the ISS do a full circle of Earth every 90 minutes and experience 16 sunsets and sunrises every day. With this unearthly routine, astronauts can struggle to find a natural daily rhythm in space. The Space Station follows Greenwich Mean Time, which helps keep a consistent schedule, along with regular wake-up and bedtime routines," ESA wrote. (3/17)
China Working on Giant Rail Gun to Shoot Astronauts Into Space (Source: Futurism)
Chinese scientists are working on a giant electromagnetic launch track to launch a massive 50-ton spaceplane — longer than a Boeing 737 — into orbit. As the South China Morning Post reports, the "giant rail gun" system is designed to accelerate a hypersonic aircraft to speeds of up to Mach 1.6. Once it reaches the end of the track, its engine then accelerates it to the edge of space at seven times the speed of sound. (3/16)
A Single Meteorite Smashed Into Mars and Created 2 Billion Craters (Source: New Scientist)
When a single small meteorite struck Mars a few million years ago, it didn’t just create one crater. It ultimately created billions of them. The main crater, called Corinto, is just under 14 kilometres across, but the debris from that meteorite collision formed about two billion additional craters, called secondaries. When a meteorite slams into the ground, it can blast a huge plume of rocks into the air. When these rocks fall back down, they create their own smaller craters, often in chains. (3/14)
NASA Puts Latest Solar Technology to the Test for an Upcoming Space Mission: 'Big Power for Small Spacecraft' (Source: TCD)
Ascent Solar's thin and flexible sun-catching film is set to continue out-of-this-world testing on NASA craft this year. It's a unique crossroads of the latest in solar cell tech and advanced NASA spacecraft, part of an ongoing study into optimizing how the renewable energy source can power small vessels, among other scientific breakthroughs. NASA is using the film as part of the Lightweight Integrated Solar Array project, which is also geared to develop "low-cost power for spacecraft."
The Colorado company's light, bendable solar film is made in part with a copper-indium-gallium-selenide blend. It's a mix of metals that forms a material thinner than a human hair, is shatterproof, and is relatively inexpensive, all per the maker. A photo of the invention shared by Ascent's team looks like a roll of camera film. (3/17)
How a West Virginia Story Inspired Jeff Bezos to Create Blue Origin (Source: WOWK)
The inspiring story found within “October Sky” inspired Amazon founder Jeff Bezos to create an aerospace company. Bezos — a New Mexico native and the richest man in the world — founded online retailer Amazon out of a garage in Seattle in 1994. Six years later in 2000, Bezos founded a new company: Blue Origin.
Bezos and science-fiction author Neal Stephenson — known for writing “Snow Crash” and “Cryptonomicon” — went to see a matinee of “October Sky” in 1999. Bezos told Stephenson after the showing that he always wanted to start a space company. His response, according to Davenport, was, “Well, why don’t you start it today?” (3/16)
The Necessary Collaboration between Robots and Humans in Space Exploration (Source: Space Daily)
As automation and robots reshape the way many industries operate, there is an apprehension that human skill sets and collaboration will become obsolete in certain areas. The space sector is an industry that has utilized robots for decades. However, a question often looms even among some experts in the sector: Are humans needed to explore space? And are robots a better alternative to reach deep space destinations?
The resounding answer is: No. While robots are necessary and useful tools for deep space exploration, humans will always be essential to spacefaring. We need to think past the polarity debate of crewed vs. uncrewed programs to recognize that they serve different but complementary purposes, strengthening each other on our exploration of the cosmos. (3/18)
Space Force Seeks New Partners for $986 Million OSP-4 Launch Services Contract (Source: Space Daily)
The U.S. Space Force, through its Small Launch and Targets Division located at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico, has officially issued a call for additional service providers to join the Orbital Services Program (OSP)-4. This move, spearheaded by the Space Systems Command's (SSC) Assured Access to Space (AATS) initiative, aims to broaden the roster of launch providers eligible for the program's mission contracts.
OSP-4, part of the broader Rocket Systems Launch Program (RSLP), is designed to streamline the procurement of launch services for payloads exceeding 400 pounds, ensuring readiness for launch within 12 to 24 months post-task order issuance. This contract, boasting a ceiling of $986 million and open for orders until October 2028, fosters competition among awardees for each mission. (3/18)
Stratolaunch sets sights on hypersonic speeds for next Talon-A Test (Source: Defense News)
Following a successful test flight in which its Talon-A vehicle reached near-hypersonic speeds, Stratolaunch is preparing for its next mission to reach or surpass the milestone of five times the speed of sound. The March 9 test hit all of its primary objectives, taking off from Stratolaunch’s manufacturing and test facility at Mojave Air and Space Port in California.
For Stratolaunch’s second powered Talon-A mission, scheduled for the second half of this year, it wants to push the uncrewed aircraft’s envelope further. The goal is to reach hypersonic speeds and to demonstrate reusability, landing the system on a runway. The vehicle, dubbed TA-2, won’t undergo any structural changes before the flight, Krevor said, noting that the first mission validated the aircraft’s design and construction. The company is, however, considering operational lessons from the TA-1 vehicle. (3/15)
March 17, 2024
Arabsat and Aldoria Collaborate on
Enhancing Space Safety and Security (Source: Arabsat)
Arabsat, the leading satellite operator in the Arab world, and Aldoria, a pioneering space situational awareness company, announced at LEAP 2024, the world's most attended tech event (Saudi Arabia), the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on enhancing space safety and security. This MoU is one of the fruitful outcomes of the 1st Space Debris Conference in Saudi Arabia held in Riyadh on February 11-12 and organized by the Saudi Space Agency. (3/12)
Redwire Partners with Eli Lilly on Second Mission for Chronic Diseases Research (Source: Redwire)
Jacksonville-based Redwire is partnering with Eli Lilly on a second spaceflight mission using its in-space pharmaceutical manufacturing platform, PIL-BOX. On this second mission (PIL-02)Lilly researchers will be conducting an experiment aimed at accelerating the discovery of novel medicines against chronic diseases. Following the successful results of the PIL-01 experiment, which demonstrated that microgravity benefited insulin crystal growth, Lilly researchers will use the PIL-02 mission to expand their understanding of crystal formulations and how they impact overall drug discovery and development. (3/12)
New Step Toward Ecosystem for Laser Satellite Communication in The Netherlands (Source: TNO)
TNO and FSO Instruments today announced that they have entered into license and cooperation agreements. Under the agreements FSO Instruments will obtain worldwide rights to industrialize and commercialize TNO’s laser satellite communication technology. This optical technology enables much faster and more secure broadband connectivity than the radio frequencies that are currently used. The agreement marks both parties’ commitment to build up a long-term partnership to establish an European ecosystem for laser satellite communication, based in the Netherlands. (3/13)
Yahsat to Bring Satellite Connectivity to Standard Smartphones (Source: Yahsat)
Yahsat and e& UAE signed a Memorandum of Understanding under its Direct-to-Device (D2D) strategy. The collaboration includes exploring various initiatives and projects concerning Yahsat’s planned D2D ecosystem to enable voice, texting, and data satellite connectivity for standard smartphones. (3/14)
Winners of Small Space Debris Global Challenge Announced (Source: Freelancer)
Innovative solutions aimed at tracking and remediating debris in low-Earth orbit were awarded a share of $120,000. Global freelancing marketplace Freelancer.com and Ensemble Consultancy are thrilled to announce the winners of the Detect, Track, and Remediate: The Challenge of Small Space Debris competition. Click here. (3/14)
Thales Alenia Space Will Develop the Radar Instrument for ESA’s 10th Earth Explorer Harmony Mission (Source: Thales Alenia)
Thales Alenia Space, a Joint Venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), has signed a first 7M€ contract with ESA to develop the Earth Observation Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) instrument to be embarked on the two Harmony satellites, ESA’s 10th Earth Explorer mission.
This bridging phase contract is the first step towards the final contract for the overall SAR implementation phase. Under this contract, Thales Alenia Space will lead a diversified European industrial consortium to design, develop and validate the C-Band SAR instruments and will also be responsible of the C-Band digital electronic and antenna tiles to be embarked on both Harmony satellites, expected to be launched aboard a Vega-C launch vehicle by 2029. (3/14)
GomSpace North America Announces Next Phase of Satellite Partnership with SAIC (Source: GomSpace)
GomSpace North America has announced the next milestone of a long-term partnership with SAIC, the $7 billion Federal contractor headquartered in Reston, Virginia. The companies announced a strategic partnership in 2023, and now SAIC has purchased a satellite kit from GomSpace which SAIC will integrate into a specialized satellite at their space development center. GomSpace engineers and scientists will work with SAIC personnel. GomSpace has produced robust and reliable satellites and components for over 15 years. (3/12)
FCC Advances Supplemental Coverage from Space Framework (Source: FCC)
The FCC today adopted final rules to establish a new regulatory framework to revolutionize connectivity across the United States. The world’s first supplemental coverage from space (SCS) framework leverages cutting-edge satellite technology to extend the reach of wireless networks to remote areas. This will enable collaborations between wireless carriers and satellite operators to make sure smartphone users stay connected even in areas where there is no terrestrial mobile service.
Through today’s action, the FCC takes the first step in establishing clear and transparent processes to support these services. Connecting consumers to essential wireless services where traditional mobile services are not available can be lifesaving in remote locations and can open up innovative opportunities for consumers and businesses. This action also builds on the Commission’s efforts to promote innovative and collaborative use of radio spectrum resources, particularly as communications systems converge towards a single network future. (3/14)
Examining Florida's Toxic Triangle and Its Impact on the Space Coast (Source: Advocates Voice)
The space industry's legacy of environmental degradation continues to haunt the region, as accidental spills and outdated sewage facilities contributed to the Indian River Lagoon's pollution. Heavy metals, mercury, chlorinated solvents, and other industry pollutants have impacted local waterways. A remedial investigation found concentrations of TCE as high as 300,000 parts per billion in groundwater at the Kennedy Space Center. The EPA considers less than 5ppb safe. The environmental consequences associated with space shuttle flights included the fallout of acidic mist and dust, contaminated holding ponds, groundwater, soil pollution, and plumes that required monitoring wells installed throughout Canaveral National Seashore.
As a result, local residents remain concerned about the impact of space launches on the surrounding ecosystem. It is important to note that rocket engines using hydrocarbon fuels produce soot, which absorbs ultraviolet light and can potentially heat the stratosphere, affecting the conditions on the ground. Industry leaders often claim that research is still playing catch-up and that the full extent of the potential damage is not yet fully understood, leaving many questions unanswered. Looking ahead, the number of space tourism flights is expected to soar in the next decade, with multiple flights occurring daily.
Over the years, several investigations have been conducted into disease clusters in Brevard County. These include a high incidence of leukemia cases in children near a Superfund site in Palm Bay, a high rate of Hodgkin's Lymphoma in teens near Patrick military base in South Patrick Shores, ALS among workers at Kennedy Space Center, and a concerning situation of blood cancer and asthma in Port St. John situated between two power plants. These investigations shed light on the health challenges faced by different communities in Brevard County. (3/11)
Arabsat, the leading satellite operator in the Arab world, and Aldoria, a pioneering space situational awareness company, announced at LEAP 2024, the world's most attended tech event (Saudi Arabia), the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on enhancing space safety and security. This MoU is one of the fruitful outcomes of the 1st Space Debris Conference in Saudi Arabia held in Riyadh on February 11-12 and organized by the Saudi Space Agency. (3/12)
Redwire Partners with Eli Lilly on Second Mission for Chronic Diseases Research (Source: Redwire)
Jacksonville-based Redwire is partnering with Eli Lilly on a second spaceflight mission using its in-space pharmaceutical manufacturing platform, PIL-BOX. On this second mission (PIL-02)Lilly researchers will be conducting an experiment aimed at accelerating the discovery of novel medicines against chronic diseases. Following the successful results of the PIL-01 experiment, which demonstrated that microgravity benefited insulin crystal growth, Lilly researchers will use the PIL-02 mission to expand their understanding of crystal formulations and how they impact overall drug discovery and development. (3/12)
New Step Toward Ecosystem for Laser Satellite Communication in The Netherlands (Source: TNO)
TNO and FSO Instruments today announced that they have entered into license and cooperation agreements. Under the agreements FSO Instruments will obtain worldwide rights to industrialize and commercialize TNO’s laser satellite communication technology. This optical technology enables much faster and more secure broadband connectivity than the radio frequencies that are currently used. The agreement marks both parties’ commitment to build up a long-term partnership to establish an European ecosystem for laser satellite communication, based in the Netherlands. (3/13)
Yahsat to Bring Satellite Connectivity to Standard Smartphones (Source: Yahsat)
Yahsat and e& UAE signed a Memorandum of Understanding under its Direct-to-Device (D2D) strategy. The collaboration includes exploring various initiatives and projects concerning Yahsat’s planned D2D ecosystem to enable voice, texting, and data satellite connectivity for standard smartphones. (3/14)
Winners of Small Space Debris Global Challenge Announced (Source: Freelancer)
Innovative solutions aimed at tracking and remediating debris in low-Earth orbit were awarded a share of $120,000. Global freelancing marketplace Freelancer.com and Ensemble Consultancy are thrilled to announce the winners of the Detect, Track, and Remediate: The Challenge of Small Space Debris competition. Click here. (3/14)
Thales Alenia Space Will Develop the Radar Instrument for ESA’s 10th Earth Explorer Harmony Mission (Source: Thales Alenia)
Thales Alenia Space, a Joint Venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), has signed a first 7M€ contract with ESA to develop the Earth Observation Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) instrument to be embarked on the two Harmony satellites, ESA’s 10th Earth Explorer mission.
This bridging phase contract is the first step towards the final contract for the overall SAR implementation phase. Under this contract, Thales Alenia Space will lead a diversified European industrial consortium to design, develop and validate the C-Band SAR instruments and will also be responsible of the C-Band digital electronic and antenna tiles to be embarked on both Harmony satellites, expected to be launched aboard a Vega-C launch vehicle by 2029. (3/14)
GomSpace North America Announces Next Phase of Satellite Partnership with SAIC (Source: GomSpace)
GomSpace North America has announced the next milestone of a long-term partnership with SAIC, the $7 billion Federal contractor headquartered in Reston, Virginia. The companies announced a strategic partnership in 2023, and now SAIC has purchased a satellite kit from GomSpace which SAIC will integrate into a specialized satellite at their space development center. GomSpace engineers and scientists will work with SAIC personnel. GomSpace has produced robust and reliable satellites and components for over 15 years. (3/12)
FCC Advances Supplemental Coverage from Space Framework (Source: FCC)
The FCC today adopted final rules to establish a new regulatory framework to revolutionize connectivity across the United States. The world’s first supplemental coverage from space (SCS) framework leverages cutting-edge satellite technology to extend the reach of wireless networks to remote areas. This will enable collaborations between wireless carriers and satellite operators to make sure smartphone users stay connected even in areas where there is no terrestrial mobile service.
Through today’s action, the FCC takes the first step in establishing clear and transparent processes to support these services. Connecting consumers to essential wireless services where traditional mobile services are not available can be lifesaving in remote locations and can open up innovative opportunities for consumers and businesses. This action also builds on the Commission’s efforts to promote innovative and collaborative use of radio spectrum resources, particularly as communications systems converge towards a single network future. (3/14)
Examining Florida's Toxic Triangle and Its Impact on the Space Coast (Source: Advocates Voice)
The space industry's legacy of environmental degradation continues to haunt the region, as accidental spills and outdated sewage facilities contributed to the Indian River Lagoon's pollution. Heavy metals, mercury, chlorinated solvents, and other industry pollutants have impacted local waterways. A remedial investigation found concentrations of TCE as high as 300,000 parts per billion in groundwater at the Kennedy Space Center. The EPA considers less than 5ppb safe. The environmental consequences associated with space shuttle flights included the fallout of acidic mist and dust, contaminated holding ponds, groundwater, soil pollution, and plumes that required monitoring wells installed throughout Canaveral National Seashore.
As a result, local residents remain concerned about the impact of space launches on the surrounding ecosystem. It is important to note that rocket engines using hydrocarbon fuels produce soot, which absorbs ultraviolet light and can potentially heat the stratosphere, affecting the conditions on the ground. Industry leaders often claim that research is still playing catch-up and that the full extent of the potential damage is not yet fully understood, leaving many questions unanswered. Looking ahead, the number of space tourism flights is expected to soar in the next decade, with multiple flights occurring daily.
Over the years, several investigations have been conducted into disease clusters in Brevard County. These include a high incidence of leukemia cases in children near a Superfund site in Palm Bay, a high rate of Hodgkin's Lymphoma in teens near Patrick military base in South Patrick Shores, ALS among workers at Kennedy Space Center, and a concerning situation of blood cancer and asthma in Port St. John situated between two power plants. These investigations shed light on the health challenges faced by different communities in Brevard County. (3/11)
March 16, 2024
Space Force Looks to Ramp Up Space
Mobility, Logistics Research in FY-25 (Source: Defense Scoop)
The Space Force wants to kick-start funding in fiscal 2025 for two space mobility and logistics projects — including R&D of on-orbit refueling capabilities and an effort to use rockets to carry supplies across the world. The two initiatives fall under the service’s space access, mobility and logistics (SAML) portfolio, which in total is requesting $20 million in research, development, test and evaluation funds in FY ’25.
According to the Space Force’s budget justification documents, the focus of the program through 2026 will be to “establish the foundational capability areas through RDT&E, technology demonstrations, operational integration and fielding of Point to Point Delivery (P2PD) services and on-orbit mobility services, to include refueling.” The service wants $16 million for work on in-orbit servicing and refueling technology, budget documents show. (3/15)
Air Force, Space Force Budgets Fall Far Short of Need (Source: Air and Space Forces)
Last month, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall warned attendees at AFA’s Warfare Symposium: “We are out of time. We are out of time. We are out of time…For at least two decades, China has been building a military that is … purpose-built to deter and defeat the United States if we intervene in the western Pacific.”
Echoing similar themes, President Joe Biden began last week’s State of the Union address warning of the severe threats to America’s security abroad, quoting President Franklin D. Roosevelt on the eve of World War II: “I address you at a moment unprecedented in the history of the Union.” Kendall and Biden are correct. China, Russia, Iran, and others pose a dire threat to our nation. Yet the fiscal 2025 budget they submitted to Congress is woefully inadequate to confront those challenges—especially for the Department of the Air Force. (3/14)
Space Force Guardians Just Got Their Own Service-Specific Physical Training Uniforms (Source: Yahoo!)
Space Force Guardians have finally received their own physical training uniforms that will distinguish their identity while working out and while at basic military training. On March 8, trainees at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland's Guardian boot camp were the first to receive the new uniforms. (3/11)
SpaceX is Building Spy Satellite Network for US Intelligence Agency, Sources Say (Source: Reuters)
SpaceX is building a network of hundreds of spy satellites under a classified contract with a U.S. intelligence agency, five sources familiar with the program said, demonstrating deepening ties between billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk's space company and national security agencies. The network is being built by SpaceX's Starshield business unit under a $1.8 billion contract signed in 2021 with the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), sources said.
The contract is for a powerful new spy system with hundreds of satellites bearing Earth-imaging capabilities that can operate as a swarm in low orbits, and that the spy agency that Musk's company is working with is the NRO. Reuters was unable to determine when the new network of satellites would come online and could not establish what other companies are part of the program with their own contracts.. If successful, the sources said the program would significantly advance the ability of the U.S. government and military to quickly spot potential targets almost anywhere on the globe. (3/16)
Scepticism Surrounds Russian Space Nuke Allegations (Source: EU Observer)
If there is one point of agreement between the US intelligence community and the space policy community, it's the seemingly low confidence in recent warnings about Russia readying a nuclear weapon for orbit. At the very least it would violate the UN's 1967 Outer Space Treaty, one of the few agreements that keeps nuclear weapons in check. At most, it would be impractical and dangerous.
Pooling publicly available data, the best guess that a network of researchers have come up with is not a space-based platform for a nuclear weapon, but one with a nuclear power source. That is something Russia has real-world experience with, and it is not an explicit violation of the Outer Space Treaty. (3/14)
Leaked SpaceX Documents Show Company Forbids Employees to Sell Stock if it Deems They’ve Misbehaved (Source: Tech Crunch)
SpaceX requires employees to agree to some unusual terms related to their stock awards, which have a chilling effect on staff, according to sources and internal documents. That includes a provision that allows SpaceX the right to purchase back vested shares within a six-month period following an employee leaving the company for any reason.
SpaceX also gives itself the right to ban past and present employees from participating in tender offers if they are deemed to have committed “an act of dishonesty against the company” or to have violated written company policies, among other reasons. Employees often aren’t aware of the “dishonesty” condition when they initially sign up on the equity compensation management platform, one former employee said.
If SpaceX bars an employee from selling stock in the tender offers, the person would have to wait until SpaceX goes public to realize cash from the shares — and it’s unclear when that will happen, if it ever does. Also, at SpaceX, if an employee was fired “for cause,” the company stated it can repurchase their stock for a price of $0 per share. These terms “keep everyone under their control, even if they have left the company,” one former employee said. (3/15)
Starship is Already the Most Revolutionary Rocket Ever Built (Source: Ars Technica)
Starlink terminals on the ship were sending signals to satellites in low-Earth orbit, which then sent them back to Earth. This is not a new idea. For the last 40 years, NASA has used a small constellation of Tracking and Data Relay Satellites to communicate with spacecraft, beginning with the Space Shuttle. Starship was able to communicate with these satellites upon its reentry, but it was only at a low data rate, and it dropped out as the plasma thickened. The Starlink connection remained longer and is what enabled the stunning video of reentry.
What Thursday's revelatory reentry footage promises is a world in which launch is cheap and abundant. No longer will we need to worry so much about mass or volume, which have been tyrannical overlords to mission planners since the inception of spaceflight nearly seven decades ago. But even with those caveats, Starship is already the most revolutionary rocket ever built. Because of a relentless focus on costs and cheap building materials, such as stainless steel, SpaceX can likely build and launch a fully expendable version of Starship for about $100 million.
Once Super Heavy becomes reusable, you can probably cut manufacturing costs down to about $30 million per launch. This means that, within a year or so, SpaceX will have a rocket that costs about $30 million and lifts 100 to 150 metric tons to low-Earth orbit. We could compare that to some existing rockets. NASA's SLS, for example, can lift up to 95 tons to LEO. That's nearly as much as Starship. But it costs $2.2 billion per launch, plus additional ground system costs. So it's almost a factor of 100 times more expensive for less throw weight. Also, the SLS rocket can fly once per year at most. (3/15)
Why Didn't the SNP Help Scotland's First Spaceport Get Off the Ground? (Source: Daily Mail)
A steady stream of UK Government ministers and representatives have made the trip to Shetland in recent years and, clearly, were impressed with what they saw. A £10million investment in SaxaVord was announced in Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s Budget earlier this month.
But Scottish Government backing for this home-grown success? Not so much. Indeed, Mr Strang tells the Mail, it has ‘ignored’ and, at times, even ‘briefed against’ his spaceport from the beginning. The SaxaVord operation is now the clear leader in the race towards Europe’s first orbital launch of a satellite-carrying rocket – but this is in spite, not because, of Scottish Government activities, says Mr Strang. (3/15)
How the 'NASA Nazis' Helped Transform Sleepy Alabama Farming Town Into America's 'Rocket City' (Source: Daily Mail)
Around 1,600 scientists were brought to the US through Operation Paperclip, which was approved by President Harry Truman. Foremost among the scientists was Wernher von Braun, a Nazi and member of the SS. Von Braun was complicit in war crimes and played a leading role in the development of the V-2 rocket, which was built using slave labor and used by the Nazi regime to kill thousands of civilians.
Von Braun and a team of his specialists were brought to the US in 1945 and initially based at Fort Bliss, Texas, where they worked on missile systems. Historians have said about half of von Braun’s team of around 118 men were members of the Nazi party. Critics say bringing these men to the US was an inexcusable decision - compounded by the fact their Nazi backgrounds go largely unmentioned in lessons about America's space history. The arrival of the Nazis was also difficult for their Jewish colleagues at NASA.
Another central figure to NASA's early achievements was Kurt Heinrich Debus, another former SS member who was recruited through Operation Paperclip. In Nazi Germany, Debus also played a central role in the development of the V missiles. He went on to become the first director of NASA's Launch Operations Center, which would later become the Kennedy Space Center. Debus's biography notes that during his time as a scientist in Germany, he once reported a colleague, Richard Crämer, 'for criticizing Hitler and the Nazi Party, resulting in the Crämer’s conviction under the Treachery Law'. (3/16)
Massive Volcano “Hiding in Plain Sight” on Mars (Source: Cosmos)
A giant volcano has been ‘hiding’ on the surface of Mars – but scientists have only just identified the behemoth, as well as possible glacier ice beneath its surface. The volcano has been provisionally given the title “Noctis volcano” pending an official name. Noctis volcano has been imaged repeatedly since 1971. But it has been eroded almost beyond recognition. (3/15)
Jacksonville's Redwire Looks to Larger Deals and New Markets to Fuel Growth (Source: Space News)
Space infrastructure company Redwire plans to continue its growth and its push to profitability by seeking larger contracts for its lines of components while moving up the value chain, including a new satellite design. In financial results released after the markets closed March 14, Redwire reported revenue of $243.8 million in 2023, a 51.9% increase over 2022.
Redwire’s plans for future growth involve both increased demand for its current products and movement into new markets. That includes “winning and delivering on increasingly larger orders,” such as a $142 million contract it announced it won in the fourth quarter to provide its Roll-Out Solar Array (ROSA) systems for an undisclosed satellite manufacturer. The company announced it was forecasting $300 million in revenue in 2024. (3/15)
Aethero Wants to Become the Space Industry’s Intel or Nvidia (Source: Tech Crunch)
Satellite sensors collect an incredible amount of raw data, but on-orbit compute limitations mean that operators have little way to process this data in space. Aethero, a startup founded 13 months ago, wants to change that. The startup is developing radiation-hardened edge computers for on-orbit data processing and eventually even autonomous decision-making. (3/14)
ISS National Lab-Sponsored Study Tests a Novel Gene Therapy for Vision Loss (Source: CASIS)
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of blindness in older adults, affecting more than 200 million people globally. Patients in the intermediate stage of the disease currently lack an effective treatment to improve vision or slow disease progression. Now, a new gene therapy from biotech innovator Oculogenex, Inc. may change that narrative by preventing and even reversing symptoms of this pervasive condition. (3/14)
Colliding Neutron Stars Hint at New Physics That Could Explain Dark Matter (Source: Space.com)
The collision of two neutron stars around 130 million light-years from Earth, and the unique physics this merger created, may have shed new light on dark matter. New research suggests the neutron star merger, detected here on Earth as the gravitational wave signal GW170817, could help place constraints on hypothetical particles called "axions," one of the leading candidates for dark matter. (3/15)
New NASA Astronauts Celebrate Moon Missions, Private Space Stations as They Get Ready for Liftoff (Source: Space.com)
Jack Hathaway and 11 other astronaut candidates — 10 from NASA and two from the United Arab Emirates — finished 2.5 years of basic training this month and are eligible for future missions. They have a rich array of spaceflight possibilities to enjoy: possible moon or lunar space station flights for the Artemis program, months-long missions on the International Space Station (ISS) and missions to future commercial space stations that are in development. Click here. (3/15)
SpaceX Launches 6,000th Starlink Satellite on Friday Night From Florida Spaceport (Source: Space.com)
SpaceX tied its rocket-reuse record on Friday while placing its 6,000th Starlink internet satellite into Earth orbit. A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 23 more of the company's Starlink satellites launched at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. It was the 19th liftoff for this Falcon 9's first stage, according to a SpaceX mission description. That tied a mark set this past December and matched for the first time last month. (3/15)
Debris From Burning Satellites Could be Affecting Earth's Magnetic Field (Source: Space.com)
The environmental impacts of spaceflight are becoming increasingly clear as more and more spacecraft are launched into Earth's orbit. The growing number of satellites burning up in Earth's atmosphere has concerned scientists for years, and now a new paper explores how the emerging shell of "conductive dust" around the planet that results from satellite re-entries may affect Earth's protective magnetic field.
The problem of increasing concentrations of metallic dust (or "plasma dust") in Earth's upper atmosphere arises from interactions of the fragile ionized gas that makes up Earth's upper atmosphere and the microscopic ash particles left behind from the burn-up of meteors that strike the planet as well as from satellites that spiral back after running out of fuel at the end of their missions. The concern is that at some point in the future, this conductive dust could create some perturbations in the magnetosphere. (3/15)
NASA Delivers Science Instrument to JAXA’s Martian Moons Mission (Source: NASA)
NASA’s Mars-moon Exploration with Gamma Ray and Neutrons (MEGANE) instrument, developed by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in collaboration with colleagues from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, will play a major role in the MMX mission, which aims to characterize and determine the origin of Mars’ moons Phobos and Deimos and deliver a sample from Phobos to Earth. The instrument team received the green light to ship MEGANE, marking the end of a demanding 6-year design and development process. (3/15)
Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff Participates in Women in Space Roundtable (Source: NASA)
The National Space Council hosted the Women in Space Roundtable on March 12, and Deputy Center Director Laurie Grindle from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, was there to welcome Second Gentleman Mr. Douglas Emhoff and moderate a panel discussion. The discussion included a wide range of topics related to women in space. The event was hosted by the South Bay Workforce Investment Board in Hawthorne, California. (3/15)
Jeff Bezos’s Rocket Company Could Race SpaceX to the Moon (Source: New York Times)
At first glance, SpaceX seems to have a huge head start. A variation of Starship is scheduled to take NASA astronauts to the surface of the moon as soon as September 2026. By contrast, Blue Origin has yet to launch anything into orbit, and its contract with NASA for a lunar lander for astronauts is for a mission that is launching in 2030. But Blue Origin might still get there first. SpaceX faces major challenges with Starship, which is as tall as 16-story building, while Blue Origin plans to send a smaller cargo lander to the moon by the end of next year. (3/14)
Scientists May Have Just Caught 7 Exotic 'Ghost Particles' as they Pierced Through Earth (Source: Space.com)
Astronomers using the IceCube observatory, which is buried deep within the ice of the south pole, have detected seven elusive and exotic "ghost particle" candidates as they streamed through Earth. The signals suggest these particles are astrophysical tau neutrinos; they act as important messengers between powerful, high-energy celestial events and us. (3/14)
New Research Suggests Our Universe Has No Dark Matter (Source: Phys.org)
Rajendra Gupta used a combination of the covarying coupling constants (CCC) and "tired light" (TL) theories (the CCC+TL model) to reach this conclusion. This model combines two ideas—about how the forces of nature decrease over cosmic time and about light losing energy when it travels a long distance. It's been tested and has been shown to match up with several observations, such as about how galaxies are spread out and how light from the early universe has evolved.
This discovery challenges the prevailing understanding of the universe, which suggests that roughly 27% of it is composed of dark matter and less than 5% of ordinary matter, remaining being the dark energy. "The study's findings confirm that our previous work ("JWST early universe observations and ΛCDM cosmology") about the age of the universe being 26.7 billion years has allowed us to discover that the universe does not require dark matter to exist," explains Gupta. (3/15)
KULR Announces Contract with Nanoracks for Advanced Space Battery Development (Source: KULR)
KULR Technology Group announced it has been awarded a contract exceeding $865,000 from Nanoracks (now part of Voyager Space’s Exploration Segment). For Voyager, it brings KULR's cutting-edge, safe, and innovative battery designs to the forefront of space technology, under an expedited schedule. (3/14)
NASA Collaborates with Industry to Advance Space Communications (Source: Space Daily)
The Communications Services Project (CSP) is leading NASA's efforts to usher in a new era of space communications. Through strategic partnerships with the commercial sector, CSP is focused on delivering commercial space relay communications services for NASA missions operating near Earth. With an ambitious target to integrate these services into the Near Space Network by 2030, CSP has allocated $278.5 million to six domestic companies for the development and demonstration of advanced space relay communication capabilities. (3/13)
NASA Artemis Mission Progresses with SpaceX Starship Test Flight (Source: Space Daily)
SpaceX's Starship test launch was an important milestone toward providing NASA with a Starship HLS for its Artemis missions. The ability to test key systems and processes in flight scenarios like these integrated tests allows both NASA and SpaceX to gather crucial data needed for the continued development of Starship HLS," said Lisa Watson-Morgan. This test accomplished several important firsts that will contribute to the development of Starship for Artemis lunar landing missions.
One objective closely tied to future Artemis operations is the transfer of thousands of pounds of cryogenic propellant between internal tanks during the spacecraft's coast phase as part of NASA's Space Technology Missions Directorate 2020 Tipping Point awards. This Tipping Point technology demonstration is one of more than 20 development activities NASA is undertaking to solve the challenges of using cryogenic fluids during future missions. As a key step toward understanding how super-cooled propellant sloshes within the tanks when the engines shut down, and how that movement affects Starship's stability while in orbit. (3/15)
Planet Labs Enhances Agricultural Data with Daily Global PlanetScope Insights (Source: Space Daily)
Planet Labs announced enhancements to its Crop Biomass Planetary Variable by incorporating daily global PlanetScope data. This enhancement aims to provide agronomists and farmers with cloud-free, analysis-ready data for a comprehensive view of agricultural fields. By merging radar and optical signals, this tool facilitates a deeper understanding of crop health and operational status. (3/14)
The Space Force wants to kick-start funding in fiscal 2025 for two space mobility and logistics projects — including R&D of on-orbit refueling capabilities and an effort to use rockets to carry supplies across the world. The two initiatives fall under the service’s space access, mobility and logistics (SAML) portfolio, which in total is requesting $20 million in research, development, test and evaluation funds in FY ’25.
According to the Space Force’s budget justification documents, the focus of the program through 2026 will be to “establish the foundational capability areas through RDT&E, technology demonstrations, operational integration and fielding of Point to Point Delivery (P2PD) services and on-orbit mobility services, to include refueling.” The service wants $16 million for work on in-orbit servicing and refueling technology, budget documents show. (3/15)
Air Force, Space Force Budgets Fall Far Short of Need (Source: Air and Space Forces)
Last month, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall warned attendees at AFA’s Warfare Symposium: “We are out of time. We are out of time. We are out of time…For at least two decades, China has been building a military that is … purpose-built to deter and defeat the United States if we intervene in the western Pacific.”
Echoing similar themes, President Joe Biden began last week’s State of the Union address warning of the severe threats to America’s security abroad, quoting President Franklin D. Roosevelt on the eve of World War II: “I address you at a moment unprecedented in the history of the Union.” Kendall and Biden are correct. China, Russia, Iran, and others pose a dire threat to our nation. Yet the fiscal 2025 budget they submitted to Congress is woefully inadequate to confront those challenges—especially for the Department of the Air Force. (3/14)
Space Force Guardians Just Got Their Own Service-Specific Physical Training Uniforms (Source: Yahoo!)
Space Force Guardians have finally received their own physical training uniforms that will distinguish their identity while working out and while at basic military training. On March 8, trainees at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland's Guardian boot camp were the first to receive the new uniforms. (3/11)
SpaceX is Building Spy Satellite Network for US Intelligence Agency, Sources Say (Source: Reuters)
SpaceX is building a network of hundreds of spy satellites under a classified contract with a U.S. intelligence agency, five sources familiar with the program said, demonstrating deepening ties between billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk's space company and national security agencies. The network is being built by SpaceX's Starshield business unit under a $1.8 billion contract signed in 2021 with the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), sources said.
The contract is for a powerful new spy system with hundreds of satellites bearing Earth-imaging capabilities that can operate as a swarm in low orbits, and that the spy agency that Musk's company is working with is the NRO. Reuters was unable to determine when the new network of satellites would come online and could not establish what other companies are part of the program with their own contracts.. If successful, the sources said the program would significantly advance the ability of the U.S. government and military to quickly spot potential targets almost anywhere on the globe. (3/16)
Scepticism Surrounds Russian Space Nuke Allegations (Source: EU Observer)
If there is one point of agreement between the US intelligence community and the space policy community, it's the seemingly low confidence in recent warnings about Russia readying a nuclear weapon for orbit. At the very least it would violate the UN's 1967 Outer Space Treaty, one of the few agreements that keeps nuclear weapons in check. At most, it would be impractical and dangerous.
Pooling publicly available data, the best guess that a network of researchers have come up with is not a space-based platform for a nuclear weapon, but one with a nuclear power source. That is something Russia has real-world experience with, and it is not an explicit violation of the Outer Space Treaty. (3/14)
Leaked SpaceX Documents Show Company Forbids Employees to Sell Stock if it Deems They’ve Misbehaved (Source: Tech Crunch)
SpaceX requires employees to agree to some unusual terms related to their stock awards, which have a chilling effect on staff, according to sources and internal documents. That includes a provision that allows SpaceX the right to purchase back vested shares within a six-month period following an employee leaving the company for any reason.
SpaceX also gives itself the right to ban past and present employees from participating in tender offers if they are deemed to have committed “an act of dishonesty against the company” or to have violated written company policies, among other reasons. Employees often aren’t aware of the “dishonesty” condition when they initially sign up on the equity compensation management platform, one former employee said.
If SpaceX bars an employee from selling stock in the tender offers, the person would have to wait until SpaceX goes public to realize cash from the shares — and it’s unclear when that will happen, if it ever does. Also, at SpaceX, if an employee was fired “for cause,” the company stated it can repurchase their stock for a price of $0 per share. These terms “keep everyone under their control, even if they have left the company,” one former employee said. (3/15)
Starship is Already the Most Revolutionary Rocket Ever Built (Source: Ars Technica)
Starlink terminals on the ship were sending signals to satellites in low-Earth orbit, which then sent them back to Earth. This is not a new idea. For the last 40 years, NASA has used a small constellation of Tracking and Data Relay Satellites to communicate with spacecraft, beginning with the Space Shuttle. Starship was able to communicate with these satellites upon its reentry, but it was only at a low data rate, and it dropped out as the plasma thickened. The Starlink connection remained longer and is what enabled the stunning video of reentry.
What Thursday's revelatory reentry footage promises is a world in which launch is cheap and abundant. No longer will we need to worry so much about mass or volume, which have been tyrannical overlords to mission planners since the inception of spaceflight nearly seven decades ago. But even with those caveats, Starship is already the most revolutionary rocket ever built. Because of a relentless focus on costs and cheap building materials, such as stainless steel, SpaceX can likely build and launch a fully expendable version of Starship for about $100 million.
Once Super Heavy becomes reusable, you can probably cut manufacturing costs down to about $30 million per launch. This means that, within a year or so, SpaceX will have a rocket that costs about $30 million and lifts 100 to 150 metric tons to low-Earth orbit. We could compare that to some existing rockets. NASA's SLS, for example, can lift up to 95 tons to LEO. That's nearly as much as Starship. But it costs $2.2 billion per launch, plus additional ground system costs. So it's almost a factor of 100 times more expensive for less throw weight. Also, the SLS rocket can fly once per year at most. (3/15)
Why Didn't the SNP Help Scotland's First Spaceport Get Off the Ground? (Source: Daily Mail)
A steady stream of UK Government ministers and representatives have made the trip to Shetland in recent years and, clearly, were impressed with what they saw. A £10million investment in SaxaVord was announced in Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s Budget earlier this month.
But Scottish Government backing for this home-grown success? Not so much. Indeed, Mr Strang tells the Mail, it has ‘ignored’ and, at times, even ‘briefed against’ his spaceport from the beginning. The SaxaVord operation is now the clear leader in the race towards Europe’s first orbital launch of a satellite-carrying rocket – but this is in spite, not because, of Scottish Government activities, says Mr Strang. (3/15)
How the 'NASA Nazis' Helped Transform Sleepy Alabama Farming Town Into America's 'Rocket City' (Source: Daily Mail)
Around 1,600 scientists were brought to the US through Operation Paperclip, which was approved by President Harry Truman. Foremost among the scientists was Wernher von Braun, a Nazi and member of the SS. Von Braun was complicit in war crimes and played a leading role in the development of the V-2 rocket, which was built using slave labor and used by the Nazi regime to kill thousands of civilians.
Von Braun and a team of his specialists were brought to the US in 1945 and initially based at Fort Bliss, Texas, where they worked on missile systems. Historians have said about half of von Braun’s team of around 118 men were members of the Nazi party. Critics say bringing these men to the US was an inexcusable decision - compounded by the fact their Nazi backgrounds go largely unmentioned in lessons about America's space history. The arrival of the Nazis was also difficult for their Jewish colleagues at NASA.
Another central figure to NASA's early achievements was Kurt Heinrich Debus, another former SS member who was recruited through Operation Paperclip. In Nazi Germany, Debus also played a central role in the development of the V missiles. He went on to become the first director of NASA's Launch Operations Center, which would later become the Kennedy Space Center. Debus's biography notes that during his time as a scientist in Germany, he once reported a colleague, Richard Crämer, 'for criticizing Hitler and the Nazi Party, resulting in the Crämer’s conviction under the Treachery Law'. (3/16)
Massive Volcano “Hiding in Plain Sight” on Mars (Source: Cosmos)
A giant volcano has been ‘hiding’ on the surface of Mars – but scientists have only just identified the behemoth, as well as possible glacier ice beneath its surface. The volcano has been provisionally given the title “Noctis volcano” pending an official name. Noctis volcano has been imaged repeatedly since 1971. But it has been eroded almost beyond recognition. (3/15)
Jacksonville's Redwire Looks to Larger Deals and New Markets to Fuel Growth (Source: Space News)
Space infrastructure company Redwire plans to continue its growth and its push to profitability by seeking larger contracts for its lines of components while moving up the value chain, including a new satellite design. In financial results released after the markets closed March 14, Redwire reported revenue of $243.8 million in 2023, a 51.9% increase over 2022.
Redwire’s plans for future growth involve both increased demand for its current products and movement into new markets. That includes “winning and delivering on increasingly larger orders,” such as a $142 million contract it announced it won in the fourth quarter to provide its Roll-Out Solar Array (ROSA) systems for an undisclosed satellite manufacturer. The company announced it was forecasting $300 million in revenue in 2024. (3/15)
Aethero Wants to Become the Space Industry’s Intel or Nvidia (Source: Tech Crunch)
Satellite sensors collect an incredible amount of raw data, but on-orbit compute limitations mean that operators have little way to process this data in space. Aethero, a startup founded 13 months ago, wants to change that. The startup is developing radiation-hardened edge computers for on-orbit data processing and eventually even autonomous decision-making. (3/14)
ISS National Lab-Sponsored Study Tests a Novel Gene Therapy for Vision Loss (Source: CASIS)
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of blindness in older adults, affecting more than 200 million people globally. Patients in the intermediate stage of the disease currently lack an effective treatment to improve vision or slow disease progression. Now, a new gene therapy from biotech innovator Oculogenex, Inc. may change that narrative by preventing and even reversing symptoms of this pervasive condition. (3/14)
Colliding Neutron Stars Hint at New Physics That Could Explain Dark Matter (Source: Space.com)
The collision of two neutron stars around 130 million light-years from Earth, and the unique physics this merger created, may have shed new light on dark matter. New research suggests the neutron star merger, detected here on Earth as the gravitational wave signal GW170817, could help place constraints on hypothetical particles called "axions," one of the leading candidates for dark matter. (3/15)
New NASA Astronauts Celebrate Moon Missions, Private Space Stations as They Get Ready for Liftoff (Source: Space.com)
Jack Hathaway and 11 other astronaut candidates — 10 from NASA and two from the United Arab Emirates — finished 2.5 years of basic training this month and are eligible for future missions. They have a rich array of spaceflight possibilities to enjoy: possible moon or lunar space station flights for the Artemis program, months-long missions on the International Space Station (ISS) and missions to future commercial space stations that are in development. Click here. (3/15)
SpaceX Launches 6,000th Starlink Satellite on Friday Night From Florida Spaceport (Source: Space.com)
SpaceX tied its rocket-reuse record on Friday while placing its 6,000th Starlink internet satellite into Earth orbit. A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 23 more of the company's Starlink satellites launched at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. It was the 19th liftoff for this Falcon 9's first stage, according to a SpaceX mission description. That tied a mark set this past December and matched for the first time last month. (3/15)
Debris From Burning Satellites Could be Affecting Earth's Magnetic Field (Source: Space.com)
The environmental impacts of spaceflight are becoming increasingly clear as more and more spacecraft are launched into Earth's orbit. The growing number of satellites burning up in Earth's atmosphere has concerned scientists for years, and now a new paper explores how the emerging shell of "conductive dust" around the planet that results from satellite re-entries may affect Earth's protective magnetic field.
The problem of increasing concentrations of metallic dust (or "plasma dust") in Earth's upper atmosphere arises from interactions of the fragile ionized gas that makes up Earth's upper atmosphere and the microscopic ash particles left behind from the burn-up of meteors that strike the planet as well as from satellites that spiral back after running out of fuel at the end of their missions. The concern is that at some point in the future, this conductive dust could create some perturbations in the magnetosphere. (3/15)
NASA Delivers Science Instrument to JAXA’s Martian Moons Mission (Source: NASA)
NASA’s Mars-moon Exploration with Gamma Ray and Neutrons (MEGANE) instrument, developed by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in collaboration with colleagues from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, will play a major role in the MMX mission, which aims to characterize and determine the origin of Mars’ moons Phobos and Deimos and deliver a sample from Phobos to Earth. The instrument team received the green light to ship MEGANE, marking the end of a demanding 6-year design and development process. (3/15)
Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff Participates in Women in Space Roundtable (Source: NASA)
The National Space Council hosted the Women in Space Roundtable on March 12, and Deputy Center Director Laurie Grindle from NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, was there to welcome Second Gentleman Mr. Douglas Emhoff and moderate a panel discussion. The discussion included a wide range of topics related to women in space. The event was hosted by the South Bay Workforce Investment Board in Hawthorne, California. (3/15)
Jeff Bezos’s Rocket Company Could Race SpaceX to the Moon (Source: New York Times)
At first glance, SpaceX seems to have a huge head start. A variation of Starship is scheduled to take NASA astronauts to the surface of the moon as soon as September 2026. By contrast, Blue Origin has yet to launch anything into orbit, and its contract with NASA for a lunar lander for astronauts is for a mission that is launching in 2030. But Blue Origin might still get there first. SpaceX faces major challenges with Starship, which is as tall as 16-story building, while Blue Origin plans to send a smaller cargo lander to the moon by the end of next year. (3/14)
Scientists May Have Just Caught 7 Exotic 'Ghost Particles' as they Pierced Through Earth (Source: Space.com)
Astronomers using the IceCube observatory, which is buried deep within the ice of the south pole, have detected seven elusive and exotic "ghost particle" candidates as they streamed through Earth. The signals suggest these particles are astrophysical tau neutrinos; they act as important messengers between powerful, high-energy celestial events and us. (3/14)
New Research Suggests Our Universe Has No Dark Matter (Source: Phys.org)
Rajendra Gupta used a combination of the covarying coupling constants (CCC) and "tired light" (TL) theories (the CCC+TL model) to reach this conclusion. This model combines two ideas—about how the forces of nature decrease over cosmic time and about light losing energy when it travels a long distance. It's been tested and has been shown to match up with several observations, such as about how galaxies are spread out and how light from the early universe has evolved.
This discovery challenges the prevailing understanding of the universe, which suggests that roughly 27% of it is composed of dark matter and less than 5% of ordinary matter, remaining being the dark energy. "The study's findings confirm that our previous work ("JWST early universe observations and ΛCDM cosmology") about the age of the universe being 26.7 billion years has allowed us to discover that the universe does not require dark matter to exist," explains Gupta. (3/15)
KULR Announces Contract with Nanoracks for Advanced Space Battery Development (Source: KULR)
KULR Technology Group announced it has been awarded a contract exceeding $865,000 from Nanoracks (now part of Voyager Space’s Exploration Segment). For Voyager, it brings KULR's cutting-edge, safe, and innovative battery designs to the forefront of space technology, under an expedited schedule. (3/14)
NASA Collaborates with Industry to Advance Space Communications (Source: Space Daily)
The Communications Services Project (CSP) is leading NASA's efforts to usher in a new era of space communications. Through strategic partnerships with the commercial sector, CSP is focused on delivering commercial space relay communications services for NASA missions operating near Earth. With an ambitious target to integrate these services into the Near Space Network by 2030, CSP has allocated $278.5 million to six domestic companies for the development and demonstration of advanced space relay communication capabilities. (3/13)
NASA Artemis Mission Progresses with SpaceX Starship Test Flight (Source: Space Daily)
SpaceX's Starship test launch was an important milestone toward providing NASA with a Starship HLS for its Artemis missions. The ability to test key systems and processes in flight scenarios like these integrated tests allows both NASA and SpaceX to gather crucial data needed for the continued development of Starship HLS," said Lisa Watson-Morgan. This test accomplished several important firsts that will contribute to the development of Starship for Artemis lunar landing missions.
One objective closely tied to future Artemis operations is the transfer of thousands of pounds of cryogenic propellant between internal tanks during the spacecraft's coast phase as part of NASA's Space Technology Missions Directorate 2020 Tipping Point awards. This Tipping Point technology demonstration is one of more than 20 development activities NASA is undertaking to solve the challenges of using cryogenic fluids during future missions. As a key step toward understanding how super-cooled propellant sloshes within the tanks when the engines shut down, and how that movement affects Starship's stability while in orbit. (3/15)
Planet Labs Enhances Agricultural Data with Daily Global PlanetScope Insights (Source: Space Daily)
Planet Labs announced enhancements to its Crop Biomass Planetary Variable by incorporating daily global PlanetScope data. This enhancement aims to provide agronomists and farmers with cloud-free, analysis-ready data for a comprehensive view of agricultural fields. By merging radar and optical signals, this tool facilitates a deeper understanding of crop health and operational status. (3/14)
March 15, 2024
Starship Mission Supported Various
Test Objectives (Source: Space News)
While in space on its suborbital trajectory, SpaceX opened a payload bay door that will be used on later Starship vehicles for deploying Starlink satellites. It also performed an in-space propellant transfer demonstration as part of a NASA contract where it would move propellant from one tank within the vehicle to another. SpaceX said it was evaluating the data from both tests.
SpaceX had planned to perform a brief relight of a Raptor engine on Starship about 40 minutes after liftoff, but the company said on the webcast that this test was skipped for reasons not immediately known. The company later said the engine test was called off because of the vehicle’s roll rates.
Several minutes later, the vehicle started reentry. A camera mounted on a flap on Starship provided dramatic images of the reentry, relayed through Starlink satellites. Telemetry was lost about 49 and a half minutes after liftoff when the vehicle was descending through an altitude of 65 kilometers. SpaceX later said on the webcast that it lost contact through both its own Starlink satellites as well as through NASA TDRSS data relay satellites at the same time, speculating that the vehicle may have broken up. (3/15)
NOAA Office of Space Commerce Invites SSA User Interface Demos for TraCSS Program (Source: Executive Gov)
NOAA is calling on companies with existing space situational awareness, or SSA, capabilities to demonstrate their technology’s viability for the Traffic Coordination System for Space, or TraCSS, program. NOAA’s Office of Space Commerce on Wednesday published a call for demonstrations, which will take place on April 9-10 at the 2024 National Space Symposium in Colorado. OSC is looking for SSA technologies that are compliant with requirements for graphic user interfaces and RESTful web application programming interfaces. The chosen platform will enhance the ability of TraCSS to manage space flight traffic, safety, sustainability and international coordination. (3/14)
Barbara Jackson Joins NASA as Goddard Space Flight Center’s Deputy CIO (Source: Executive Gov)
Barbara Jackson, a government information technology leader, has taken on the role of deputy chief information officer at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. In addition to her role as deputy CIO, Jackson will also serve as deputy director of IT and communications at Goddard. (3/14)
Putin Says Setting Up a Nuclear Power Unit in Space is a Priority for Russia (Source: CNN)
Russian President Vladimir Putin told government officials on Thursday that space projects, including setting up a nuclear power unit in space, should be a priority and get proper financing, according to state news agency TASS. Russia “has good competencies and, moreover, even has such reserves that we can be proud of, which we can count on in the future,” Putin said during a meeting with members of the government, pointing as an example to a nuclear power unit that would operate in space. (3/14)
FCC Approves Direct-to-Device Use of Terrestrial Spectrum (Source: Space News)
The FCC has approved rules to allow direct-to-device satellite communications using terrestrial spectrum. FCC commissioners unanimously approved Thursday the Supplemental Coverage from Space (SCS) regulatory framework. The rules will allow satellite operators like SpaceX to use radio waves from terrestrial mobile partners to keep smartphone users connected outside cell tower coverage. SCS providers would have to immediately cease operations if they interfere with a mobile satellite services provider or terrestrial telco with primary rights. The final rules approved by the FCC will go into force after a final review and publication in the Federal Register in the coming weeks. (3/15)
Sierra Space Building DoD/National Security Business (Source: Space News)
Sierra Space is looking to take a larger role in national security space with dual-use spacecraft. The company says it has $1.3 billion in defense orders, including a $740 million contract from the Space Development Agency it won in January to produce 18 missile-tracking satellites. Sierra Space says it is examining how it can make use of spacecraft and related technologies originally developed for civil and commercial applications, like its Dream Chaser spaceplane, for national security applications. That includes what the Pentagon calls "space access, mobility and logistics" or SAML services, which has $40 million earmarked for it in the Space Force's 2025 budget proposal. (3/15)
Taiwan Considers Homegrown Satellite Options, Wary of Starlink (Source: New York Times)
Taiwan, wary of relying on Starlink, may develop its own satellite communications network. The government is planning to launch its first communications satellite in 2026, with a second to follow within two years and several more test satellites in development. The satellites would provide connectivity to back up a telecommunications infrastructure reliant on undersea cables that could be severed in a natural disaster or crisis with China. The country is also working with SES and Eutelsat OneWeb on connectivity services, but some officials say they worry that SpaceX might not make Starlink available in Taiwan during a crisis because of Elon Musk's business interests in China. (3/15)
SpaceX Transporter-Erector Problem Scrubs Starlink Launch at Florida Spaceport (Source: Florida Today)
SpaceX again scrubbed a Falcon 9 launch of Starlink satellites Thursday because of a ground equipment issue. SpaceX called off the launch two minutes before the scheduled liftoff Thursday evening from the Kennedy Space Center, later stating that there was a problem with arms on the transporter erector that cradle the rocket on the pad before launch. The launch is now scheduled for 6:39 p.m. Eastern Friday. (3/15)
Space Force FY2025 Budget Includes $4 Million for Point-to-Point Rocket Cargo (Source: Breaking Defense)
The Pentagon is taking the next step in a "rocket cargo" program. The Space Force's fiscal year 2025 budget proposal includes $4 million for the initiative, now called Point-to-Point Delivery, to support continued research and development of the concept that would use rockets to deliver cargo around the world in as little as an hour. The Air Force Research Laboratory started the effort in 2021 and awarded SpaceX a $102 million contract in early 2022 to study use of the company's Starships for cargo delivery. (3/15)
South Korea Staffing Up New Space Agency (Source: Chosun Ilbo)
South Korea is offering high salaries for staff of its new space agency. The Korea Aerospace Administration, or KASA, plans to hire 120 people by May, when it formally starts operations, with a goal of reaching 300 people later in the year. The director of the space agency will receive a salary of nearly $190,000, the same as the country's president, with the potential for additional compensation. KASA would become the first South Korean agency where staff could earn more than the president. The government says it is offering the high salaries to attract talent, emphasizing the importance it is placing on growing the country's space capabilities. (3/15)
Flying First on Ariane 6 (Source: ESA)
With Europe’s new Ariane 6 rocket now at its spaceport in French Guiana, the passengers it will launch to space are getting ready to be added to the top of the tall new rocket. Ariane 6 will launch several satellites, deployers and experiments from space agencies, companies, research institutes, universities and young professionals on its first flight.
“Ariane 6 is designed to be versatile, offering space actors bespoke launch options all while keeping costs down,” says Michel Bonnet, head of Ariane 6 missions and system engineering and ESA’s lead for the Ariane 6 inaugural flight. “The varied missions launching on the first flight, from nine countries and dozens of organisations, are a perfect demonstration of the team spirit behind this rocket and the design ethos that underpins it.” (3/14)
Former Space Coast Congressman Running for State House (Source: Florida Politics)
State Rep. Tyler Sirois is endorsing Dave Weldon for House District 32 in the Melbourne area. “We owe a debt of gratitude to Dr. Weldon for his good work to expand the space program, improve healthcare for Brevard veterans, preserve our environment, and protect our values in Congress,” Sirois said.
Weldon, a former U.S. Representative, is running to succeed state Rep. Thad Altman. Altman cannot seek re-election due to term limits. Weldon was first elected to the U.S. House in 1994, flipping a seat that had been previously held by Democrat Jim Bacchus. He decided not to seek re-election in 2008, when he endorsed then-state Sen. Bill Posey to succeed him. (3/14)
The World’s Most Expensive Meal Will Cost You $495,000—and It Be Will Served in a Space Balloon (Source: Robb Report)
Forget the freeze-dried space meals and Tang. One of the first luxury-space tourism companies is hosting a meal aboard in the stratosphere that is priced at $495,000 each. Now, they just need to find a group of six to pay for what amounts as history’s most expensive meal, on Earth or in space. SpaceVIP has enlisted chef Rasmus Munk, whose Copenhagen-based restaurant Alchemist has earned two Michelin stars since 2020, to cook one of his most impressive meals and serve as host aboard a space balloon.
Space Perspective’s Spaceship Neptune can seat eight passengers and a captain. In honor of the occasion, the “astronauts” will be wearing made-to-measure clothing by Ogier. Think stylish space suits. Space Perspective plans to begin manned test flights by the end of this year, with commercial flights starting in 2025. (3/14)
Leonardo Organizes Dedicated Space Unit (Source: Aviation Week)
Leonardo is launching a dedicated space business unit to consolidate its efforts in the space sector, addressing its previously "fragmented" market presence through various joint ventures, as explained by CEO Roberto Cingolani. "Basically, Leonardo can do everything in space. We are in launchers. We are in satcoms [satellite communications]. We are in satellite services. But the point is there was no clear identity," Cingolani said. (3/12)
Aerospace Industry in Houston Set to Boom as Numerous Projects Hit Key Milestones (Source: ABC13)
With new businesses moving in, missions incoming, and developments locking in by the month, Houston aerospace industry officials expect the city to be home to some of the world's most cutting-edge projects and a space exploration hub. At NASA, along with a slate of new missions taking place, the Johnson Space Center is planning a new development called Exploration Park, which will be home to research and testing for future space travel.
There has yet to be a set timeline on when it could be built out, but in February, NASA locked in two partnership agreements for the site. Meanwhile, officials expect the Houston Spaceport to be home to many new projects in the coming years, Szczesniak said. Spaceport officials not only expect to add more businesses in the coming years - in a pursuit to make the spot a destination - but companies located there have plans to launch more of their creations into space. Meanwhile, companies like Aegis Aerospace, a woman-owned business founded in 2021, are adding to the commercial space sector. (3/14)
SDA Plans $25.5 Billion in Spending Over the Next Five Years (Source: Air and Space Forces)
The Space Development Agency plans to spend roughly $25.5 billion from 2025 through the end of the decade building out its massive constellation of low-Earth orbit satellites, budget documents show. The Space Force unveiled its fiscal 2025 budget request on March 11, with the service’s $29.4 billion request marking its first-ever year-over-year cut.
SDA, the agency at the forefront of revolutionizing space acquisition and driving the Space Force toward launching smaller satellites in larger numbers, similarly saw a decline in spending, from 2024’s total of $4.7 billion to $4.2 billion. After that, however, budget documents project SDA’s funding rebounding quickly and reaching $6 billion by fiscal 2027, followed by more than $5 billion in both 2028 and 2029. (3/13)
Why This Space Force Buzzword Will Endure (Source: Forbes)
Too often, a word or phrase becomes the “it” word in Washington, while the issue it speaks to may never actually be addressed. In recent years, though, one word emerged out of the space policy milieu – resilience – that has become a remarkable exception. The seeds of our desire for space resilience in this century were planted many years before the birth of the Space Development Agency (SDA) five years ago, the Space Force’s new purpose-built agency charged with providing it. (3/14)
Every War Is a Space War Now (Source: Geopolitical Monitor)
The escalation of militarization and weaponization in outer space has become an urgent issue of concern. The once-fictional notion of using nuclear space weapons to incapacitate satellites with powerful energy waves is now a tangible reality. Nations across the globe are making unprecedented strides in both civilian space exploration and its military application.
According to the Secure World Foundation’s annual Global Counterspace Capabilities report, there is a noticeable trend wherein an increasing number of countries are harnessing space to bolster their military capabilities and safeguard national security. This involves the development of a wide array of defensive and offensive technologies with dual-use applications.
Notably, countries like France, India, Iran, Japan, and North Korea are actively investing in counter-space programs, while major players such as China, Russia, and the United States are leading the charge in research, development, testing, and operationalizing systems and weapons. This proliferation of capabilities significantly heightens the risk of potential conflicts in space. (3/12)
Arizona Stratospheric Balloon Company Opens Funding Round, Aims to Tap Into Space Tourism Market (Source: AZ Inno)
A Tucson-based stratospheric balloon company has launched a new funding round to advance flight capabilities and production of its remote sensing platforms. World View in February opened a series D round with an undisclosed initial investment by aerospace and defense company Sierra Nevada Corp., along with participation from new and existing investors. (3/13)
Florida Space Race Could be in Store if Gov. DeSantis Signs Bill Expanding Spaceport Territory (Source: Orlando Business Journal)
If Gov. Ron DeSantis signs a newly passed bill that activates more spaceports across Florida, clients could have more options for commercial launches and the Department of Defense will be able to grow its Space Force presence in Florida. The bases will be added to the roster of spaceports named in Florida Statutes: Patrick Space Force Base, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and Space Coast Regional Airport — all in Brevard County — and Eglin Air Force Base in Northwest Florida, Cape San Blas in Gulf County [part of Eglin AFB], and Cecil Airport in Duval County.
By definition, spaceports are “gateways to space, providing places for both launch and re-entry. ... Typically, they also have a host of associated facilities such as processing facilities, range assets, and ground control centers, which can be located away from launch/re-entry sites.” Following the passage of the bill, Long said Space Florida will kick off an update to the 2018 strategic plan that will be completed in about a year.
Editor's Note: There's little that Space Florida can do on such spaceport territories that it cannot do elsewhere in the state. The agency has developed or financed several facilities outside of such territories. I believe the unique capabilities that come with a spaceport territory designation are mainly aimed at hosting launch operations...something unlikely in the new territories. (3/13)
After a Soft Lunar Touchdown, Canadensys Plans More Missions to the Moon (Source: SpaceQ)
Technology from Ontario’s Canadensys Aerospace was recently on the first U.S. Moon lander to make a soft touchdown in more than 50 years, since the Apollo 17 human landing mission of 1972. Intuitive Machines’ robotic IM-1 mission, which included NASA payloads as well for the agency’s Commercial Lunar Services Program (CLPS), touched down at the south pole on the Moon on Feb. 22. "Our next mission of significance will likely be the NASA Vertex mission," said Christian Sallaberger.
"Canadensys is providing the multi-spectral microscope for this mission, which will land in the Reiner Gamma region of the moon. This area is very unusual, with swirling patterns in the surface regolith and magnetic anomalies as well... We have already delivered our instrument to APL some months ago. ...Another significant lunar mission Canadensys is currently preparing is the Canadian Lunar Rover Mission. Canadensys is leading a team of about 20 organizations across Canada to design and build Canada’s first lunar rover, which will land near the Moon’s south pole. (3/13)
‘Space Headaches’ Could Be a Real Pain for Astronauts (Source: Popular Science)
Space travel is certainly not for the faint of heart, for many reasons including its effects on physical health. It can potentially disturb human immune systems and increase red blood cell death. It could also increase headaches. Astronauts with no prior history of headaches may experience migraine and tension-type headaches during long-haul space flights–over 10 days in space. “Changes in gravity caused by space flight affect the function of many parts of the body, including the brain,” said W. P. J. van Oosterhout.
“The vestibular system, which affects balance and posture, has to adapt to the conflict between the signals it is expecting to receive and the actual signals it receives in the absence of normal gravity.” The changes to the brain’s balance and posture system, combined with adjusting to zero gravity during the first week of space flight, “can lead to space motion sickness in the first week, of which headache is the most frequently reported symptom. Our study shows that headaches also occur later in space flight and could be related to an increase in pressure within the skull.” (3/13)
Meet the 24-Year-Old Coloradan Building a ‘MapQuest’ for Space Missions (Source: CPR)
Don the goggles and ride along with a CU graduate student who’ll let you hold a holographic sun in the palm of your hand. Dezell Turner wants to use augmented reality to map trajectories in space. His souped-up gaming laptop and that eyewear may someday help aerospace companies chart new paths through the solar system. “I’m sort of trying to build MapQuest for planning space missions,” he said.
Turner often demonstrates his project, operating his computer while visitors don the goggles to see colorful holograms of our sun and eight planets, displayed to show their location at a given date and time, down to the millisecond. Then, users move their fingers – think about changing the size of a photo on a smartphone – to shift things around. The next step, Turner said, would be for operators to interactively draw possible routes for their vehicles through his virtual solar system, and pick the ideal one. (3/14)
While in space on its suborbital trajectory, SpaceX opened a payload bay door that will be used on later Starship vehicles for deploying Starlink satellites. It also performed an in-space propellant transfer demonstration as part of a NASA contract where it would move propellant from one tank within the vehicle to another. SpaceX said it was evaluating the data from both tests.
SpaceX had planned to perform a brief relight of a Raptor engine on Starship about 40 minutes after liftoff, but the company said on the webcast that this test was skipped for reasons not immediately known. The company later said the engine test was called off because of the vehicle’s roll rates.
Several minutes later, the vehicle started reentry. A camera mounted on a flap on Starship provided dramatic images of the reentry, relayed through Starlink satellites. Telemetry was lost about 49 and a half minutes after liftoff when the vehicle was descending through an altitude of 65 kilometers. SpaceX later said on the webcast that it lost contact through both its own Starlink satellites as well as through NASA TDRSS data relay satellites at the same time, speculating that the vehicle may have broken up. (3/15)
NOAA Office of Space Commerce Invites SSA User Interface Demos for TraCSS Program (Source: Executive Gov)
NOAA is calling on companies with existing space situational awareness, or SSA, capabilities to demonstrate their technology’s viability for the Traffic Coordination System for Space, or TraCSS, program. NOAA’s Office of Space Commerce on Wednesday published a call for demonstrations, which will take place on April 9-10 at the 2024 National Space Symposium in Colorado. OSC is looking for SSA technologies that are compliant with requirements for graphic user interfaces and RESTful web application programming interfaces. The chosen platform will enhance the ability of TraCSS to manage space flight traffic, safety, sustainability and international coordination. (3/14)
Barbara Jackson Joins NASA as Goddard Space Flight Center’s Deputy CIO (Source: Executive Gov)
Barbara Jackson, a government information technology leader, has taken on the role of deputy chief information officer at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. In addition to her role as deputy CIO, Jackson will also serve as deputy director of IT and communications at Goddard. (3/14)
Putin Says Setting Up a Nuclear Power Unit in Space is a Priority for Russia (Source: CNN)
Russian President Vladimir Putin told government officials on Thursday that space projects, including setting up a nuclear power unit in space, should be a priority and get proper financing, according to state news agency TASS. Russia “has good competencies and, moreover, even has such reserves that we can be proud of, which we can count on in the future,” Putin said during a meeting with members of the government, pointing as an example to a nuclear power unit that would operate in space. (3/14)
FCC Approves Direct-to-Device Use of Terrestrial Spectrum (Source: Space News)
The FCC has approved rules to allow direct-to-device satellite communications using terrestrial spectrum. FCC commissioners unanimously approved Thursday the Supplemental Coverage from Space (SCS) regulatory framework. The rules will allow satellite operators like SpaceX to use radio waves from terrestrial mobile partners to keep smartphone users connected outside cell tower coverage. SCS providers would have to immediately cease operations if they interfere with a mobile satellite services provider or terrestrial telco with primary rights. The final rules approved by the FCC will go into force after a final review and publication in the Federal Register in the coming weeks. (3/15)
Sierra Space Building DoD/National Security Business (Source: Space News)
Sierra Space is looking to take a larger role in national security space with dual-use spacecraft. The company says it has $1.3 billion in defense orders, including a $740 million contract from the Space Development Agency it won in January to produce 18 missile-tracking satellites. Sierra Space says it is examining how it can make use of spacecraft and related technologies originally developed for civil and commercial applications, like its Dream Chaser spaceplane, for national security applications. That includes what the Pentagon calls "space access, mobility and logistics" or SAML services, which has $40 million earmarked for it in the Space Force's 2025 budget proposal. (3/15)
Taiwan Considers Homegrown Satellite Options, Wary of Starlink (Source: New York Times)
Taiwan, wary of relying on Starlink, may develop its own satellite communications network. The government is planning to launch its first communications satellite in 2026, with a second to follow within two years and several more test satellites in development. The satellites would provide connectivity to back up a telecommunications infrastructure reliant on undersea cables that could be severed in a natural disaster or crisis with China. The country is also working with SES and Eutelsat OneWeb on connectivity services, but some officials say they worry that SpaceX might not make Starlink available in Taiwan during a crisis because of Elon Musk's business interests in China. (3/15)
SpaceX Transporter-Erector Problem Scrubs Starlink Launch at Florida Spaceport (Source: Florida Today)
SpaceX again scrubbed a Falcon 9 launch of Starlink satellites Thursday because of a ground equipment issue. SpaceX called off the launch two minutes before the scheduled liftoff Thursday evening from the Kennedy Space Center, later stating that there was a problem with arms on the transporter erector that cradle the rocket on the pad before launch. The launch is now scheduled for 6:39 p.m. Eastern Friday. (3/15)
Space Force FY2025 Budget Includes $4 Million for Point-to-Point Rocket Cargo (Source: Breaking Defense)
The Pentagon is taking the next step in a "rocket cargo" program. The Space Force's fiscal year 2025 budget proposal includes $4 million for the initiative, now called Point-to-Point Delivery, to support continued research and development of the concept that would use rockets to deliver cargo around the world in as little as an hour. The Air Force Research Laboratory started the effort in 2021 and awarded SpaceX a $102 million contract in early 2022 to study use of the company's Starships for cargo delivery. (3/15)
South Korea Staffing Up New Space Agency (Source: Chosun Ilbo)
South Korea is offering high salaries for staff of its new space agency. The Korea Aerospace Administration, or KASA, plans to hire 120 people by May, when it formally starts operations, with a goal of reaching 300 people later in the year. The director of the space agency will receive a salary of nearly $190,000, the same as the country's president, with the potential for additional compensation. KASA would become the first South Korean agency where staff could earn more than the president. The government says it is offering the high salaries to attract talent, emphasizing the importance it is placing on growing the country's space capabilities. (3/15)
Flying First on Ariane 6 (Source: ESA)
With Europe’s new Ariane 6 rocket now at its spaceport in French Guiana, the passengers it will launch to space are getting ready to be added to the top of the tall new rocket. Ariane 6 will launch several satellites, deployers and experiments from space agencies, companies, research institutes, universities and young professionals on its first flight.
“Ariane 6 is designed to be versatile, offering space actors bespoke launch options all while keeping costs down,” says Michel Bonnet, head of Ariane 6 missions and system engineering and ESA’s lead for the Ariane 6 inaugural flight. “The varied missions launching on the first flight, from nine countries and dozens of organisations, are a perfect demonstration of the team spirit behind this rocket and the design ethos that underpins it.” (3/14)
Former Space Coast Congressman Running for State House (Source: Florida Politics)
State Rep. Tyler Sirois is endorsing Dave Weldon for House District 32 in the Melbourne area. “We owe a debt of gratitude to Dr. Weldon for his good work to expand the space program, improve healthcare for Brevard veterans, preserve our environment, and protect our values in Congress,” Sirois said.
Weldon, a former U.S. Representative, is running to succeed state Rep. Thad Altman. Altman cannot seek re-election due to term limits. Weldon was first elected to the U.S. House in 1994, flipping a seat that had been previously held by Democrat Jim Bacchus. He decided not to seek re-election in 2008, when he endorsed then-state Sen. Bill Posey to succeed him. (3/14)
The World’s Most Expensive Meal Will Cost You $495,000—and It Be Will Served in a Space Balloon (Source: Robb Report)
Forget the freeze-dried space meals and Tang. One of the first luxury-space tourism companies is hosting a meal aboard in the stratosphere that is priced at $495,000 each. Now, they just need to find a group of six to pay for what amounts as history’s most expensive meal, on Earth or in space. SpaceVIP has enlisted chef Rasmus Munk, whose Copenhagen-based restaurant Alchemist has earned two Michelin stars since 2020, to cook one of his most impressive meals and serve as host aboard a space balloon.
Space Perspective’s Spaceship Neptune can seat eight passengers and a captain. In honor of the occasion, the “astronauts” will be wearing made-to-measure clothing by Ogier. Think stylish space suits. Space Perspective plans to begin manned test flights by the end of this year, with commercial flights starting in 2025. (3/14)
Leonardo Organizes Dedicated Space Unit (Source: Aviation Week)
Leonardo is launching a dedicated space business unit to consolidate its efforts in the space sector, addressing its previously "fragmented" market presence through various joint ventures, as explained by CEO Roberto Cingolani. "Basically, Leonardo can do everything in space. We are in launchers. We are in satcoms [satellite communications]. We are in satellite services. But the point is there was no clear identity," Cingolani said. (3/12)
Aerospace Industry in Houston Set to Boom as Numerous Projects Hit Key Milestones (Source: ABC13)
With new businesses moving in, missions incoming, and developments locking in by the month, Houston aerospace industry officials expect the city to be home to some of the world's most cutting-edge projects and a space exploration hub. At NASA, along with a slate of new missions taking place, the Johnson Space Center is planning a new development called Exploration Park, which will be home to research and testing for future space travel.
There has yet to be a set timeline on when it could be built out, but in February, NASA locked in two partnership agreements for the site. Meanwhile, officials expect the Houston Spaceport to be home to many new projects in the coming years, Szczesniak said. Spaceport officials not only expect to add more businesses in the coming years - in a pursuit to make the spot a destination - but companies located there have plans to launch more of their creations into space. Meanwhile, companies like Aegis Aerospace, a woman-owned business founded in 2021, are adding to the commercial space sector. (3/14)
SDA Plans $25.5 Billion in Spending Over the Next Five Years (Source: Air and Space Forces)
The Space Development Agency plans to spend roughly $25.5 billion from 2025 through the end of the decade building out its massive constellation of low-Earth orbit satellites, budget documents show. The Space Force unveiled its fiscal 2025 budget request on March 11, with the service’s $29.4 billion request marking its first-ever year-over-year cut.
SDA, the agency at the forefront of revolutionizing space acquisition and driving the Space Force toward launching smaller satellites in larger numbers, similarly saw a decline in spending, from 2024’s total of $4.7 billion to $4.2 billion. After that, however, budget documents project SDA’s funding rebounding quickly and reaching $6 billion by fiscal 2027, followed by more than $5 billion in both 2028 and 2029. (3/13)
Why This Space Force Buzzword Will Endure (Source: Forbes)
Too often, a word or phrase becomes the “it” word in Washington, while the issue it speaks to may never actually be addressed. In recent years, though, one word emerged out of the space policy milieu – resilience – that has become a remarkable exception. The seeds of our desire for space resilience in this century were planted many years before the birth of the Space Development Agency (SDA) five years ago, the Space Force’s new purpose-built agency charged with providing it. (3/14)
Every War Is a Space War Now (Source: Geopolitical Monitor)
The escalation of militarization and weaponization in outer space has become an urgent issue of concern. The once-fictional notion of using nuclear space weapons to incapacitate satellites with powerful energy waves is now a tangible reality. Nations across the globe are making unprecedented strides in both civilian space exploration and its military application.
According to the Secure World Foundation’s annual Global Counterspace Capabilities report, there is a noticeable trend wherein an increasing number of countries are harnessing space to bolster their military capabilities and safeguard national security. This involves the development of a wide array of defensive and offensive technologies with dual-use applications.
Notably, countries like France, India, Iran, Japan, and North Korea are actively investing in counter-space programs, while major players such as China, Russia, and the United States are leading the charge in research, development, testing, and operationalizing systems and weapons. This proliferation of capabilities significantly heightens the risk of potential conflicts in space. (3/12)
Arizona Stratospheric Balloon Company Opens Funding Round, Aims to Tap Into Space Tourism Market (Source: AZ Inno)
A Tucson-based stratospheric balloon company has launched a new funding round to advance flight capabilities and production of its remote sensing platforms. World View in February opened a series D round with an undisclosed initial investment by aerospace and defense company Sierra Nevada Corp., along with participation from new and existing investors. (3/13)
Florida Space Race Could be in Store if Gov. DeSantis Signs Bill Expanding Spaceport Territory (Source: Orlando Business Journal)
If Gov. Ron DeSantis signs a newly passed bill that activates more spaceports across Florida, clients could have more options for commercial launches and the Department of Defense will be able to grow its Space Force presence in Florida. The bases will be added to the roster of spaceports named in Florida Statutes: Patrick Space Force Base, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and Space Coast Regional Airport — all in Brevard County — and Eglin Air Force Base in Northwest Florida, Cape San Blas in Gulf County [part of Eglin AFB], and Cecil Airport in Duval County.
By definition, spaceports are “gateways to space, providing places for both launch and re-entry. ... Typically, they also have a host of associated facilities such as processing facilities, range assets, and ground control centers, which can be located away from launch/re-entry sites.” Following the passage of the bill, Long said Space Florida will kick off an update to the 2018 strategic plan that will be completed in about a year.
Editor's Note: There's little that Space Florida can do on such spaceport territories that it cannot do elsewhere in the state. The agency has developed or financed several facilities outside of such territories. I believe the unique capabilities that come with a spaceport territory designation are mainly aimed at hosting launch operations...something unlikely in the new territories. (3/13)
After a Soft Lunar Touchdown, Canadensys Plans More Missions to the Moon (Source: SpaceQ)
Technology from Ontario’s Canadensys Aerospace was recently on the first U.S. Moon lander to make a soft touchdown in more than 50 years, since the Apollo 17 human landing mission of 1972. Intuitive Machines’ robotic IM-1 mission, which included NASA payloads as well for the agency’s Commercial Lunar Services Program (CLPS), touched down at the south pole on the Moon on Feb. 22. "Our next mission of significance will likely be the NASA Vertex mission," said Christian Sallaberger.
"Canadensys is providing the multi-spectral microscope for this mission, which will land in the Reiner Gamma region of the moon. This area is very unusual, with swirling patterns in the surface regolith and magnetic anomalies as well... We have already delivered our instrument to APL some months ago. ...Another significant lunar mission Canadensys is currently preparing is the Canadian Lunar Rover Mission. Canadensys is leading a team of about 20 organizations across Canada to design and build Canada’s first lunar rover, which will land near the Moon’s south pole. (3/13)
‘Space Headaches’ Could Be a Real Pain for Astronauts (Source: Popular Science)
Space travel is certainly not for the faint of heart, for many reasons including its effects on physical health. It can potentially disturb human immune systems and increase red blood cell death. It could also increase headaches. Astronauts with no prior history of headaches may experience migraine and tension-type headaches during long-haul space flights–over 10 days in space. “Changes in gravity caused by space flight affect the function of many parts of the body, including the brain,” said W. P. J. van Oosterhout.
“The vestibular system, which affects balance and posture, has to adapt to the conflict between the signals it is expecting to receive and the actual signals it receives in the absence of normal gravity.” The changes to the brain’s balance and posture system, combined with adjusting to zero gravity during the first week of space flight, “can lead to space motion sickness in the first week, of which headache is the most frequently reported symptom. Our study shows that headaches also occur later in space flight and could be related to an increase in pressure within the skull.” (3/13)
Meet the 24-Year-Old Coloradan Building a ‘MapQuest’ for Space Missions (Source: CPR)
Don the goggles and ride along with a CU graduate student who’ll let you hold a holographic sun in the palm of your hand. Dezell Turner wants to use augmented reality to map trajectories in space. His souped-up gaming laptop and that eyewear may someday help aerospace companies chart new paths through the solar system. “I’m sort of trying to build MapQuest for planning space missions,” he said.
Turner often demonstrates his project, operating his computer while visitors don the goggles to see colorful holograms of our sun and eight planets, displayed to show their location at a given date and time, down to the millisecond. Then, users move their fingers – think about changing the size of a photo on a smartphone – to shift things around. The next step, Turner said, would be for operators to interactively draw possible routes for their vehicles through his virtual solar system, and pick the ideal one. (3/14)
March 14, 2024
How India Will Become a Global Space
Hub? (Source: Jaipur Dialogues)
In a remarkable turn of events, the number of space startups in India has skyrocketed from just one in 2014 to an astonishing 204 by 2024. This exponential growth signifies the burgeoning interest and potential within the Indian space sector. Despite its impressive achievements, India currently lags far behind in the global space economy, which currently values at $546 billion. To address this disparity, the Indian government launched the Indian Space Policy 2023, paving the way for private enterprises to carry out end-to-end activities, from launching satellites and rockets into space to operating Earth stations. Click here. (3/14)
Leonid Capital Partners Bolsters Space Portfolio with $6.25 Million Investment (Source: Business Wire)
Leonid Capital Partners, a leading investment firm focused on high-growth technology companies working in the National Security industry, today announced a new $6.25 million financing for Phase Four, a revolutionary aerospace company developing advanced propulsion systems for the next generation of space vehicles.
Phase Four plays a critical role in the future of space and national security. Their innovative propulsion technologies hold the potential to revolutionize the government and commercial space industry, enabling faster and more efficient missions, opening up new orbital regimes, and expanding humanity’s impact on and reach beyond Earth. (3/13)
Geopolitics – China and the Moon (Source: SpaceWatch Global)
On March 6th, 2024, China submitted to the Working Group on Legal Aspects of Space Resource Activities of the Legal Subcommittee of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) a document highlighting the country’s position towards the utilization of space resources and indicated selected issues that should be addressed as a matter of priory importance. The submission represents the first official initiative taken by China to delineate its approach on the regulation of space resources activities; unsurprisingly, this document has received significant attention in the press and among scholars. Click here. (3/13)
Did ‘Alien’ Debris Hit Earth? Startling Claim Sparks Row at Scientific Meeting (Source: Nature)
A sensational claim made last year that an ‘alien’ meteorite hit Earth near Papua New Guinea in 2014 got its first in-person airing with the broader scientific community on 12 March. At the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in The Woodlands, Texas, scientists clashed over whether a research team has indeed found fragments of a space rock that came from outside the Solar System.
In June 2023, Loeb led a privately funded expedition to the site that used magnetic sledges to recover more than 800 metallic spherules from the sea floor. About one-quarter of the spherules had chemical compositions indicating that they came from igneous, or once-molten, rocks. Of those, a handful were unusually enriched in the elements beryllium, lanthanum and uranium. The researchers concluded that those spherules are unlike any known materials in the Solar System1.
However, Desch counters that the spherules could have come from an asteroid impact in southeast Asia. Key to his proposal2 is a kind of soil called laterite, which forms in tropical regions when heavy rainfall carries some chemical elements from the topmost layers of soil into deeper ones. This leaves the upper soil enriched in other elements, including beryllium, lanthanum and uranium — similar to the composition of the spherules collected by Loeb and his colleagues. Desch says that an asteroid known to have struck the region around 788,000 years ago3 probably hit lateritic rock and created the molten blobs found by Loeb’s team. (3/13)
NASA Expanding Lunar Exploration with Upgraded SLS Mega Rocket Design (Source: Space Daily)
As NASA prepares for its first crewed Artemis missions, the agency is making preparations to build, test, and assemble the next evolution of its SLS (Space Launch System) rocket. The larger and power powerful version of SLS, known as Block 1B, can send a crew and large pieces of hardware to the Moon in a single launch and is set to debut for the Artemis IV mission.
"Each of the evolutionary changes made to the SLS engines, boosters, and upper stage of the SLS rocket are built on the successes of the Block 1 design that flew first with Artemis I in November 2022 and will, again, for the first crewed missions for Artemis II and III." Early manufacturing is already underway at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, while preparations for the green run test series for its upgraded upper stage are in progress at nearby Stennis Space Center in Mississippi.
Block 1B features two big evolutionary changes that will make NASA's workhorse rocket even more capable. The in-space stage used to send the first three Artemis missions to the Moon, called the interim cryogenic propulsion stage (ICPS), uses a single engine and will be replaced by a larger, more powerful four-engine stage called the exploration upper stage (EUS). The other configuration change is a universal stage adapter that connects the rocket to the Orion spacecraft. Together, those upgrades will increase the payload capability for SLS from 59,000 pounds to approximately 84,000 pounds. (3/13)
Sidus Space Receives Signals from LizzieSat in Orbit (Source: Sidus Space)
Sidus Space announced it received multiple signals from its LizzieSat satellite after launch and deployment to low Earth orbit as part of SpaceX’s Transporter-10 Rideshare mission on March 4. The Sidus mission and launch team received multiple signals on its FCC approved prime radio frequency and continues to monitor communications with the satellite from its operations center in Merritt Island, Florida. (3/14)
Final Mission: Delta IV Heavy Rocket Set for Historic Launch with NROL-70 Payload (Source: Space Daily)
The Space Systems Command (SSC) of the U.S. Space Force, in partnership with the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) and United Launch Alliance (ULA), has announced the scheduled launch of the NROL-70 mission. This event, set for no earlier than March 28, will mark the final flight of the Delta IV Heavy rocket. The launch is planned from Space Launch Complex-37B at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. (3/13)
SwRI Receives $2 Million NASA Grant to Develop Lunar Regolith Measuring Instrument (Source: Space Daily)
Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has been awarded a three-year, $2,041,000 grant from NASA's Development and Advancement of Lunar Instrumentation (DALI) program to further develop a novel ground-penetrating radar instrument. The Synthetic Pulse Artemis Radar for Crustal Imaging (SPARCI, pronounced "sparky") instrument is designed to characterize the depth of the regolith and upper megaregolith, the upper broken-up layers of lunar crust associated with impact cratering. (3/14)
NASA Allocates DALI Grants to Foster Lunar Science and Exploration Innovations (Source: Space Daily)
NASA has awarded Development and Advancement of Lunar Instrumentation (DALI) grants to five leading scientists and engineers. These grants are a cornerstone of NASA's initiative to advance lunar science through the Commercial Lunar Payload Services and the Artemis campaign. With a funding model that allocates approximately $1 million annually to each recipient, the DALI grants are aimed at developing instruments that not only promise potential for future NASA missions but also are ready for hardware construction post a three-year development period. (3/14)
Protect Earth Instead of Colonizing Mars, Obama Says (Source: Space Daily)
Humanity must preserve Earth before dreaming of colonising Mars because even nuclear war and unbridled climate change cannot make the red planet more liveable, Barack Obama said. Speaking at a renewable energy conference in the French capital Paris, the former US president mentioned Silicon Valley "tycoons, many of whom are building spaceships" that could take humans to Mars. "But when I hear some of the people talk about the plan to colonize Mars because the earth environment may become so degraded that it becomes unliveable, I look at them like, what are you talking about?" (3/14)
Study Brings Scientists a Step Closer to Successfully Growing Plants in Space (Source: Space Daily)
New, highly stretchable sensors can monitor and transmit plant growth information without human intervention, UI researchers report. The polymer sensors are resilient to humidity and temperature, can stretch over 400% while remaining attached to a plant as it grows and send a wireless signal to a remote monitoring location. (3/14)
SpaceX’s Starship Journeys Into Space But is Lost on Re-Entry (Source: New York Times)
The third try was closer to the charm for Elon Musk and SpaceX, as the company’s flight test of the mammoth Starship rocket launched on Thursday and traveled almost halfway around the Earth before it was lost as it re-entered the atmosphere. The landing burn for the Super Heavy booster stage of the rocket — the aim was to “land” it in the Gulf of Mexico — was not fully successful, and the Starship craft did not survive re-entry. But it was marked significant progress, because none of the problems from the earlier flights recurred, and SpaceX engineers now have data to tackle the new problems. (3/14)
Alabama Republicans Target Transgender Space Camp Employee (Source: NBC)
Three Republican Alabama officials are expressing concern that a transgender person is employed at Space Camp, an educational program for children held at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville. One of the lawmakers is calling for the employee to be removed and for the center to “open a safety review to consider the potential harm and damages they have inadvertently caused children.”
The backlash began Saturday after Clay Yarbrough, a father who lives just outside of Huntsville in the small town of Owens Cross Roads, posted a screenshot of the LinkedIn profile and social media photos of a crew trainer at Space Camp on Facebook. Yarbrough said he had planned to send his daughter to Space Camp the following week, “but we have just found out that this freak is a team lead and a hall monitor in the girls dorms and at times could be allowed to be alone in the halls at night.” (3/14)
Chinese Launch Malfunction During Lunar Navsat Mission (Source: Space News)
A malfunction during a Chinese launch Wednesday may have doomed two lunar spacecraft. A Long March 2C rocket lifted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center at 8:51 a.m. Eastern, but there was no official report of the launch until early Thursday, when Chinese media said there was a malfunction with the rocket's Yuanzheng-1S upper stage. The rocket was carrying the DRO-A and -B satellites, intended to test lunar navigation technologies, likely in a distant retrograde orbit around the moon. It's unclear what orbit the spacecraft are in now and if their mission can be salvaged. (3/14)
Space Force's SDA Seeks $4.25 Billion for Transport Layer Satellites (Source: Space News)
The Space Force's Space Development Agency is marking its fifth anniversary as it continues work on two satellite constellations. The SDA is requesting about $4.25 billion for fiscal year 2025 to continue development of a Transport Layer of data communications satellites that will serve as a tactical network to move data collected by a Tracking Layer of infrared sensors to users around the world. That is a far cry from the agency's origins, when it struggled to secure funding amid skepticism from Congress and within the Pentagon. SDA Director Derek Tournear said in a recent interview that the agency had to "ruffle feathers" as part of being disruptive. He noted that SDA is working with contractors on supply chain issues while working to bring in new vendors to bid on future satellite contracts. (3/14)
NASA Restructuring Earth Science Project Amid Reduced Budgets (Source: Space News)
NASA is restructuring a major Earth science program to compensate for reduced budgets. NASA said in its fiscal year 2025 budget proposal it was making major changes to the Earth System Observatory line of missions, intended to collect key data identified in the most recent decadal survey. In a town hall meeting Wednesday, agency officials said the changes include splitting larger missions into several smaller ones, relying more on international partners and turning some agency-led directed missions into ones open for competition. Those changes are intended to reduce costs, but will result in some delays and loss of instruments as well. (3/14)
Terran Orbital Offers Small GEO Satellites (Source: Space News)
Terran Orbital is now offering a small GEO satellite. The company unveiled Thursday a line of spacecraft called SmallSat GEO weighing 500 kilograms and more. The satellites are intended to serve growing interest in GEO satellites much smaller than the traditional multi-ton GEO communications satellites. The new product line announcement comes as Terran Orbital weighs an offer to be acquired by Lockheed Martin. (3/14)
Satellite Firms Forge Unlikely Alliances to Create Seamless Multi-Orbit Networks (Source: Space News)
Satellite operators are making unusual partnerships in order to provide customers with multi-orbit services. Those partnerships, like deals Intelsat and SES made with OneWeb and Starlink, point to a future of mixed space networks spanning multiple orbits. Hybrid networks that were once considered niche are now becoming a dominant trend in the satellite communications industry. Collaboration and partnership models are becoming the norm for operators to stay relevant and meet the complex demands of customers who want to ensure continuous connectivity even in challenging situations. (3/14)
Omnispace Targets Africa Service (Source: Space News)
Omnispace says its proposed satellite constellation could provide direct-to-device services in Africa. Omnispace announced an agreement this week with MTN, Africa's largest terrestrial mobile network operator, where they will use Omnispace prototype satellites to test how S-band spectrum could be used to keep mobile customers connected outside cell tower coverage. Omnispace has announced similar testing agreements with mobile phone operators in several other countries, and also recently announced winning regulatory approval provide services in Brazil. Omnispace expects to provide initial services in 2026 with 300 LEO satellites. (3/14)
Defense Unicorns to Update IT Systems for Launches (Source: Space News)
A startup has won a $15 million contract to update computer systems at U.S. Space Force launch ranges. Colorado Springs-based Defense Unicorns won a so-called Strategic Funding Increase, or STRATFI, agreement from SpaceWERX, the technology arm of the Space Force. The contract will go towards updating IT systems and software applications used to support rocket launches. The company last week announced it raised a $35 million Series A funding round led by Sapphire Ventures and Ansa Capital. (3/14)
Call Henry Awarded $12 Million for Launch Operations Support at California Spaceport (Source: DoD)
Call Henry Inc., Titusville, Florida, has been awarded a $12,069,893, predominantly fixed-price contract modification for management and support, maintenance and repair, operations, and other services related to launch operations support. Work will be performed at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, and is expected to be completed by Mar 31, 2025. (3/12)
This Company Intends to be the First to Mine the Moon (Source: Washington Post)
Nearly a decade ago, Congress passed a law that allows private American space companies the rights to resources they mine on celestial bodies, including the moon. Now, there’s a private venture that says it intends to do just that. Founded by a pair of former executives from Blue Origin, the space venture founded by Jeff Bezos, and an Apollo astronaut, the company, Interlune, announced itself publicly Wednesday by saying it has raised $18 million and is developing the technology to harvest and bring materials back from the moon.
Specifically, Interlune is focused on Helium-3, a stable isotope that is scarce on Earth but plentiful on the moon and could be used as fuel in nuclear fusion reactors as well as helping power the quantum computing industry. The company, based in Seattle, has been working for about four years on the technology, which comes as the commercial sector is working with NASA on its goal of building an enduring presence on and around the moon.
Earlier this year, two commercial spacecraft attempted to land on the moon as part of a NASA program designed to carry instruments and experiments to the lunar surface, and eventually cargo and rovers. The first attempt, by Astrobotic, a Pittsburgh-based company, suffered a fuel leak and never made it to the moon. The second, by Houston-based Intuitive machines, did land on the moon, but came in too fast and tipped over. Still, it was the first American spacecraft to land softly on the moon in more than 50 years, and it was the first commercial vehicle to achieve the feat. (3/13)
NASA’s Space Tech Prize Bolsters Diversity, Inclusivity Champions (Source: NASA)
NASA selected the first winners of the agency’s Space Tech Catalyst prize to expand engagement with underrepresented and diverse individuals in the space technology sector as part of the agency’s broader commitment to inclusivity and collaboration. The winners are receiving $25,000 each to create more inclusive space technology ecosystems. Click here. (3/13)
AI-Enabled Satellites to Revolutionize Earth Observation and Communications (Source: Space Daily)
Comsat Architects has partnered with Ubotica Technologies to infuse artificial intelligence into space technologies, specifically focusing on enhancing the capabilities of small satellites in low Earth orbit for real-time Earth monitoring and intelligence. Comsat Architects, offering expertise in space communication analysis, software development, and aerospace technologies, serves both civil and commercial sectors, including NASA and various commercial entities. The company excels in enabling effective communication for spacecraft in low Earth orbit (LEO), leveraging AI and machine learning to enhance data delivery mechanisms. (3/13)
ESA Awards Atheras Analytics Contract for Next-Gen Satellite Constellation Ground Software Development (Source: Space Daily)
The European Space Agency (ESA) has chosen Atheras Analytics SAS, based in Paris, for a significant 12-month project focused on the creation of an advanced Ground Segment Dimensioning Tool. This tool is designed to optimize the operation and analysis of satellite constellations, which may comprise networks in varying orbits, all equipped with the capability for inter-satellite communication. It promises to enhance ground segment decision-making through detailed trade-off analysis, performance assessment, and operational concept evaluation for diverse satellite constellations. (3/13)
NASA's Network of Small Moon-Bound Rovers Is Ready to Roll (Source: Space Daily)
A trio of small rovers that will explore the Moon in sync with one another are rolling toward launch. Engineers at NASA JPL recently finished assembling the robots, then subjected them to a punishing series of tests to ensure they'll survive their jarring rocket ride into space and their travels in the unforgiving lunar environment. Part of a technology demonstration called CADRE (Cooperative Autonomous Distributed Robotic Exploration), each solar-powered rover is about the size of a carry-on suitcase. The rovers and associated hardware will be installed on a lander headed for the Moon's Reiner Gamma region. (3/11)
How NASA Uses Simple Technology to Track Lunar Missions (Source: Space Daily)
NASA is using a simple but effective technology called Laser Retroreflective Arrays (LRAs) to determine the locations of lunar landers more accurately. They will be attached to most of the landers from United States companies as part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Service (CLPS) initiative. LRAs are inexpensive, small, and lightweight, allowing future lunar orbiters or landers to locate them on the Moon. These devices consist of a small aluminum hemisphere, 2 inches in diameter and 0.7 ounces in weight, inset with eight 0.5-inch-diameter corner cube retroreflectors made of fused silica glass. LRAs are targeted for inclusion on most of the upcoming CLPS deliveries headed to the lunar surface. (3/11)
In a remarkable turn of events, the number of space startups in India has skyrocketed from just one in 2014 to an astonishing 204 by 2024. This exponential growth signifies the burgeoning interest and potential within the Indian space sector. Despite its impressive achievements, India currently lags far behind in the global space economy, which currently values at $546 billion. To address this disparity, the Indian government launched the Indian Space Policy 2023, paving the way for private enterprises to carry out end-to-end activities, from launching satellites and rockets into space to operating Earth stations. Click here. (3/14)
Leonid Capital Partners Bolsters Space Portfolio with $6.25 Million Investment (Source: Business Wire)
Leonid Capital Partners, a leading investment firm focused on high-growth technology companies working in the National Security industry, today announced a new $6.25 million financing for Phase Four, a revolutionary aerospace company developing advanced propulsion systems for the next generation of space vehicles.
Phase Four plays a critical role in the future of space and national security. Their innovative propulsion technologies hold the potential to revolutionize the government and commercial space industry, enabling faster and more efficient missions, opening up new orbital regimes, and expanding humanity’s impact on and reach beyond Earth. (3/13)
Geopolitics – China and the Moon (Source: SpaceWatch Global)
On March 6th, 2024, China submitted to the Working Group on Legal Aspects of Space Resource Activities of the Legal Subcommittee of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) a document highlighting the country’s position towards the utilization of space resources and indicated selected issues that should be addressed as a matter of priory importance. The submission represents the first official initiative taken by China to delineate its approach on the regulation of space resources activities; unsurprisingly, this document has received significant attention in the press and among scholars. Click here. (3/13)
Did ‘Alien’ Debris Hit Earth? Startling Claim Sparks Row at Scientific Meeting (Source: Nature)
A sensational claim made last year that an ‘alien’ meteorite hit Earth near Papua New Guinea in 2014 got its first in-person airing with the broader scientific community on 12 March. At the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in The Woodlands, Texas, scientists clashed over whether a research team has indeed found fragments of a space rock that came from outside the Solar System.
In June 2023, Loeb led a privately funded expedition to the site that used magnetic sledges to recover more than 800 metallic spherules from the sea floor. About one-quarter of the spherules had chemical compositions indicating that they came from igneous, or once-molten, rocks. Of those, a handful were unusually enriched in the elements beryllium, lanthanum and uranium. The researchers concluded that those spherules are unlike any known materials in the Solar System1.
However, Desch counters that the spherules could have come from an asteroid impact in southeast Asia. Key to his proposal2 is a kind of soil called laterite, which forms in tropical regions when heavy rainfall carries some chemical elements from the topmost layers of soil into deeper ones. This leaves the upper soil enriched in other elements, including beryllium, lanthanum and uranium — similar to the composition of the spherules collected by Loeb and his colleagues. Desch says that an asteroid known to have struck the region around 788,000 years ago3 probably hit lateritic rock and created the molten blobs found by Loeb’s team. (3/13)
NASA Expanding Lunar Exploration with Upgraded SLS Mega Rocket Design (Source: Space Daily)
As NASA prepares for its first crewed Artemis missions, the agency is making preparations to build, test, and assemble the next evolution of its SLS (Space Launch System) rocket. The larger and power powerful version of SLS, known as Block 1B, can send a crew and large pieces of hardware to the Moon in a single launch and is set to debut for the Artemis IV mission.
"Each of the evolutionary changes made to the SLS engines, boosters, and upper stage of the SLS rocket are built on the successes of the Block 1 design that flew first with Artemis I in November 2022 and will, again, for the first crewed missions for Artemis II and III." Early manufacturing is already underway at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, while preparations for the green run test series for its upgraded upper stage are in progress at nearby Stennis Space Center in Mississippi.
Block 1B features two big evolutionary changes that will make NASA's workhorse rocket even more capable. The in-space stage used to send the first three Artemis missions to the Moon, called the interim cryogenic propulsion stage (ICPS), uses a single engine and will be replaced by a larger, more powerful four-engine stage called the exploration upper stage (EUS). The other configuration change is a universal stage adapter that connects the rocket to the Orion spacecraft. Together, those upgrades will increase the payload capability for SLS from 59,000 pounds to approximately 84,000 pounds. (3/13)
Sidus Space Receives Signals from LizzieSat in Orbit (Source: Sidus Space)
Sidus Space announced it received multiple signals from its LizzieSat satellite after launch and deployment to low Earth orbit as part of SpaceX’s Transporter-10 Rideshare mission on March 4. The Sidus mission and launch team received multiple signals on its FCC approved prime radio frequency and continues to monitor communications with the satellite from its operations center in Merritt Island, Florida. (3/14)
Final Mission: Delta IV Heavy Rocket Set for Historic Launch with NROL-70 Payload (Source: Space Daily)
The Space Systems Command (SSC) of the U.S. Space Force, in partnership with the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) and United Launch Alliance (ULA), has announced the scheduled launch of the NROL-70 mission. This event, set for no earlier than March 28, will mark the final flight of the Delta IV Heavy rocket. The launch is planned from Space Launch Complex-37B at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. (3/13)
SwRI Receives $2 Million NASA Grant to Develop Lunar Regolith Measuring Instrument (Source: Space Daily)
Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has been awarded a three-year, $2,041,000 grant from NASA's Development and Advancement of Lunar Instrumentation (DALI) program to further develop a novel ground-penetrating radar instrument. The Synthetic Pulse Artemis Radar for Crustal Imaging (SPARCI, pronounced "sparky") instrument is designed to characterize the depth of the regolith and upper megaregolith, the upper broken-up layers of lunar crust associated with impact cratering. (3/14)
NASA Allocates DALI Grants to Foster Lunar Science and Exploration Innovations (Source: Space Daily)
NASA has awarded Development and Advancement of Lunar Instrumentation (DALI) grants to five leading scientists and engineers. These grants are a cornerstone of NASA's initiative to advance lunar science through the Commercial Lunar Payload Services and the Artemis campaign. With a funding model that allocates approximately $1 million annually to each recipient, the DALI grants are aimed at developing instruments that not only promise potential for future NASA missions but also are ready for hardware construction post a three-year development period. (3/14)
Protect Earth Instead of Colonizing Mars, Obama Says (Source: Space Daily)
Humanity must preserve Earth before dreaming of colonising Mars because even nuclear war and unbridled climate change cannot make the red planet more liveable, Barack Obama said. Speaking at a renewable energy conference in the French capital Paris, the former US president mentioned Silicon Valley "tycoons, many of whom are building spaceships" that could take humans to Mars. "But when I hear some of the people talk about the plan to colonize Mars because the earth environment may become so degraded that it becomes unliveable, I look at them like, what are you talking about?" (3/14)
Study Brings Scientists a Step Closer to Successfully Growing Plants in Space (Source: Space Daily)
New, highly stretchable sensors can monitor and transmit plant growth information without human intervention, UI researchers report. The polymer sensors are resilient to humidity and temperature, can stretch over 400% while remaining attached to a plant as it grows and send a wireless signal to a remote monitoring location. (3/14)
SpaceX’s Starship Journeys Into Space But is Lost on Re-Entry (Source: New York Times)
The third try was closer to the charm for Elon Musk and SpaceX, as the company’s flight test of the mammoth Starship rocket launched on Thursday and traveled almost halfway around the Earth before it was lost as it re-entered the atmosphere. The landing burn for the Super Heavy booster stage of the rocket — the aim was to “land” it in the Gulf of Mexico — was not fully successful, and the Starship craft did not survive re-entry. But it was marked significant progress, because none of the problems from the earlier flights recurred, and SpaceX engineers now have data to tackle the new problems. (3/14)
Alabama Republicans Target Transgender Space Camp Employee (Source: NBC)
Three Republican Alabama officials are expressing concern that a transgender person is employed at Space Camp, an educational program for children held at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville. One of the lawmakers is calling for the employee to be removed and for the center to “open a safety review to consider the potential harm and damages they have inadvertently caused children.”
The backlash began Saturday after Clay Yarbrough, a father who lives just outside of Huntsville in the small town of Owens Cross Roads, posted a screenshot of the LinkedIn profile and social media photos of a crew trainer at Space Camp on Facebook. Yarbrough said he had planned to send his daughter to Space Camp the following week, “but we have just found out that this freak is a team lead and a hall monitor in the girls dorms and at times could be allowed to be alone in the halls at night.” (3/14)
Chinese Launch Malfunction During Lunar Navsat Mission (Source: Space News)
A malfunction during a Chinese launch Wednesday may have doomed two lunar spacecraft. A Long March 2C rocket lifted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center at 8:51 a.m. Eastern, but there was no official report of the launch until early Thursday, when Chinese media said there was a malfunction with the rocket's Yuanzheng-1S upper stage. The rocket was carrying the DRO-A and -B satellites, intended to test lunar navigation technologies, likely in a distant retrograde orbit around the moon. It's unclear what orbit the spacecraft are in now and if their mission can be salvaged. (3/14)
Space Force's SDA Seeks $4.25 Billion for Transport Layer Satellites (Source: Space News)
The Space Force's Space Development Agency is marking its fifth anniversary as it continues work on two satellite constellations. The SDA is requesting about $4.25 billion for fiscal year 2025 to continue development of a Transport Layer of data communications satellites that will serve as a tactical network to move data collected by a Tracking Layer of infrared sensors to users around the world. That is a far cry from the agency's origins, when it struggled to secure funding amid skepticism from Congress and within the Pentagon. SDA Director Derek Tournear said in a recent interview that the agency had to "ruffle feathers" as part of being disruptive. He noted that SDA is working with contractors on supply chain issues while working to bring in new vendors to bid on future satellite contracts. (3/14)
NASA Restructuring Earth Science Project Amid Reduced Budgets (Source: Space News)
NASA is restructuring a major Earth science program to compensate for reduced budgets. NASA said in its fiscal year 2025 budget proposal it was making major changes to the Earth System Observatory line of missions, intended to collect key data identified in the most recent decadal survey. In a town hall meeting Wednesday, agency officials said the changes include splitting larger missions into several smaller ones, relying more on international partners and turning some agency-led directed missions into ones open for competition. Those changes are intended to reduce costs, but will result in some delays and loss of instruments as well. (3/14)
Terran Orbital Offers Small GEO Satellites (Source: Space News)
Terran Orbital is now offering a small GEO satellite. The company unveiled Thursday a line of spacecraft called SmallSat GEO weighing 500 kilograms and more. The satellites are intended to serve growing interest in GEO satellites much smaller than the traditional multi-ton GEO communications satellites. The new product line announcement comes as Terran Orbital weighs an offer to be acquired by Lockheed Martin. (3/14)
Satellite Firms Forge Unlikely Alliances to Create Seamless Multi-Orbit Networks (Source: Space News)
Satellite operators are making unusual partnerships in order to provide customers with multi-orbit services. Those partnerships, like deals Intelsat and SES made with OneWeb and Starlink, point to a future of mixed space networks spanning multiple orbits. Hybrid networks that were once considered niche are now becoming a dominant trend in the satellite communications industry. Collaboration and partnership models are becoming the norm for operators to stay relevant and meet the complex demands of customers who want to ensure continuous connectivity even in challenging situations. (3/14)
Omnispace Targets Africa Service (Source: Space News)
Omnispace says its proposed satellite constellation could provide direct-to-device services in Africa. Omnispace announced an agreement this week with MTN, Africa's largest terrestrial mobile network operator, where they will use Omnispace prototype satellites to test how S-band spectrum could be used to keep mobile customers connected outside cell tower coverage. Omnispace has announced similar testing agreements with mobile phone operators in several other countries, and also recently announced winning regulatory approval provide services in Brazil. Omnispace expects to provide initial services in 2026 with 300 LEO satellites. (3/14)
Defense Unicorns to Update IT Systems for Launches (Source: Space News)
A startup has won a $15 million contract to update computer systems at U.S. Space Force launch ranges. Colorado Springs-based Defense Unicorns won a so-called Strategic Funding Increase, or STRATFI, agreement from SpaceWERX, the technology arm of the Space Force. The contract will go towards updating IT systems and software applications used to support rocket launches. The company last week announced it raised a $35 million Series A funding round led by Sapphire Ventures and Ansa Capital. (3/14)
Call Henry Awarded $12 Million for Launch Operations Support at California Spaceport (Source: DoD)
Call Henry Inc., Titusville, Florida, has been awarded a $12,069,893, predominantly fixed-price contract modification for management and support, maintenance and repair, operations, and other services related to launch operations support. Work will be performed at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, and is expected to be completed by Mar 31, 2025. (3/12)
This Company Intends to be the First to Mine the Moon (Source: Washington Post)
Nearly a decade ago, Congress passed a law that allows private American space companies the rights to resources they mine on celestial bodies, including the moon. Now, there’s a private venture that says it intends to do just that. Founded by a pair of former executives from Blue Origin, the space venture founded by Jeff Bezos, and an Apollo astronaut, the company, Interlune, announced itself publicly Wednesday by saying it has raised $18 million and is developing the technology to harvest and bring materials back from the moon.
Specifically, Interlune is focused on Helium-3, a stable isotope that is scarce on Earth but plentiful on the moon and could be used as fuel in nuclear fusion reactors as well as helping power the quantum computing industry. The company, based in Seattle, has been working for about four years on the technology, which comes as the commercial sector is working with NASA on its goal of building an enduring presence on and around the moon.
Earlier this year, two commercial spacecraft attempted to land on the moon as part of a NASA program designed to carry instruments and experiments to the lunar surface, and eventually cargo and rovers. The first attempt, by Astrobotic, a Pittsburgh-based company, suffered a fuel leak and never made it to the moon. The second, by Houston-based Intuitive machines, did land on the moon, but came in too fast and tipped over. Still, it was the first American spacecraft to land softly on the moon in more than 50 years, and it was the first commercial vehicle to achieve the feat. (3/13)
NASA’s Space Tech Prize Bolsters Diversity, Inclusivity Champions (Source: NASA)
NASA selected the first winners of the agency’s Space Tech Catalyst prize to expand engagement with underrepresented and diverse individuals in the space technology sector as part of the agency’s broader commitment to inclusivity and collaboration. The winners are receiving $25,000 each to create more inclusive space technology ecosystems. Click here. (3/13)
AI-Enabled Satellites to Revolutionize Earth Observation and Communications (Source: Space Daily)
Comsat Architects has partnered with Ubotica Technologies to infuse artificial intelligence into space technologies, specifically focusing on enhancing the capabilities of small satellites in low Earth orbit for real-time Earth monitoring and intelligence. Comsat Architects, offering expertise in space communication analysis, software development, and aerospace technologies, serves both civil and commercial sectors, including NASA and various commercial entities. The company excels in enabling effective communication for spacecraft in low Earth orbit (LEO), leveraging AI and machine learning to enhance data delivery mechanisms. (3/13)
ESA Awards Atheras Analytics Contract for Next-Gen Satellite Constellation Ground Software Development (Source: Space Daily)
The European Space Agency (ESA) has chosen Atheras Analytics SAS, based in Paris, for a significant 12-month project focused on the creation of an advanced Ground Segment Dimensioning Tool. This tool is designed to optimize the operation and analysis of satellite constellations, which may comprise networks in varying orbits, all equipped with the capability for inter-satellite communication. It promises to enhance ground segment decision-making through detailed trade-off analysis, performance assessment, and operational concept evaluation for diverse satellite constellations. (3/13)
NASA's Network of Small Moon-Bound Rovers Is Ready to Roll (Source: Space Daily)
A trio of small rovers that will explore the Moon in sync with one another are rolling toward launch. Engineers at NASA JPL recently finished assembling the robots, then subjected them to a punishing series of tests to ensure they'll survive their jarring rocket ride into space and their travels in the unforgiving lunar environment. Part of a technology demonstration called CADRE (Cooperative Autonomous Distributed Robotic Exploration), each solar-powered rover is about the size of a carry-on suitcase. The rovers and associated hardware will be installed on a lander headed for the Moon's Reiner Gamma region. (3/11)
How NASA Uses Simple Technology to Track Lunar Missions (Source: Space Daily)
NASA is using a simple but effective technology called Laser Retroreflective Arrays (LRAs) to determine the locations of lunar landers more accurately. They will be attached to most of the landers from United States companies as part of NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Service (CLPS) initiative. LRAs are inexpensive, small, and lightweight, allowing future lunar orbiters or landers to locate them on the Moon. These devices consist of a small aluminum hemisphere, 2 inches in diameter and 0.7 ounces in weight, inset with eight 0.5-inch-diameter corner cube retroreflectors made of fused silica glass. LRAs are targeted for inclusion on most of the upcoming CLPS deliveries headed to the lunar surface. (3/11)
March 13, 2024
Ultrablack Coating Could Make Next-Gen
Telescopes Even Better (Source: AIP)
Sometimes, seeing clearly requires complete black. For astronomy and precision optics, coating devices in black paint can cut down on stray light, enhancing images and boosting performance. For the most advanced telescopes and optical systems, every little bit matters, so their manufacturers seek out the blackest blacks to coat them. (3/12)
New UAF Lidar Will Add To Space Weather Research Capability (Source: UAF)
University of Alaska Fairbanks scientists are developing a new light detection and ranging instrument to help gain a better understanding of space weather enveloping Earth. The new laser radar, or lidar, will be the third for the UAF Geophysical Institute. It will measure temperature and neutrally charged iron in the upper atmosphere at altitudes of 75 to 125 miles, where the mesosphere and thermosphere meet. (3/4)
Why NASA Wants Human Guinea Pigs to Test Out Martian Living (Source: NPR)
NASA is seeking volunteers to test out living in the 1,700-square-foot habitat known as Mars Dune Alpha. They are trying to determine — as realistically as possible — how living on Mars would affect humans. There are already four volunteer crew members living in that habitat, who entered in June 2023 and will emerge in July of this year. Click here. (3/12)
Comet Bigger Than Mount Everest Will Rule Skies of Earth After 71 Years (Source: The News)
This month, there is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for stargazers to watch a comet the size of Mount Everest speeding across the sky. Officially identified as Comet 12P/Pons–Brooks, it has drawn comparisons to the Star Wars Millennium Falcon due to two “horns” that may be seen in pictures. With specialized telescopes, amateur astronomers have already begun taking pictures of the comet, but it should soon be visible to the unaided eye. (3/12)
Japan Creates Multibillion-Dollar Space Strategic Fund to Boost Space Industry (Source: Space News)
Japan has established a multibillion-dollar Space Strategic Fund to help develop the country’s innovation, autonomy and international competitiveness in space.
Japan’s cabinet approved a bill to establish a $6.7 billion (1 trillion yen), 10-year fund for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) in November, aimed at supporting development, technology demonstration, and commercialization of advanced technologies in the space field. New details were presented in a Space Policy Committee meeting in February, including defining three areas for support: satellites, space exploration and space transportation. (3/12)
NOAA Appoints Michael Kruk as Deputy Director of Technology Partnerships Office (Source: GovCon Daily)
Michael Kruk has been named deputy director of the Technology Partnerships Office within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The NOAA TPO said Monday that in his new position, Kruk will work to ensure efficient operations while carrying out the execution of the office's strategic direction. (3/12)
AIA Supports Future Increases for NASA (Source: Payload)
Eric Fanning, president and CEO of the Aerospace Industries Association, expressed disappointment over NASA's first funding decrease in a decade, stating: "The Aerospace Industries Association was disappointed to see the first drop in NASA funding in 10 years in the just-passed FY24 consolidated appropriations bill, threatening key aeronautics, exploration, space technology, and science programs. However, we are pleased the president's budget request supports an increase to NASA's current funding beyond the FY24 level and see this request as a floor for Congress as it deliberates next year's appropriation." (3/12)
Space Force Looks to Future On-Orbit Refueling Capability (Source: Defense One)
The Space Force is initiating a project to create technology for refueling and repairing satellites in orbit, as stated by Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman, highlighting the effort's potential to enhance satellite maneuverability and defense capabilities. With a $20 million allocation in its 2025 budget request, the service aims to develop "Servicing, Mobility, and Logistics" capabilities. (3/12)
Space One's Kairos Rocket Explodes After Launch From New Japanese Spaceport (Source: Space News)
The first launch of a privately developed Japanese rocket ended in an explosion seconds after liftoff. The Kairos rocket lifted off at 10:01 p.m. Eastern Tuesday from the Spaceport Kii launch site on Honshu. The rocket, though, exploded about five seconds after liftoff, with debris falling back near the launch site.
Space One, the company that developed Kairos, did not disclose details about what might have caused the explosion. Kairos uses three solid-propellant lower stages and a liquid-propellant kick stage and is designed to place up to 250 kilograms into low Earth orbit. Space One, whose shareholders include Canon and IHI Aerospace, has stated its goal is to launch Kairos up to 20 times a year but has offered few details about any customers for the rocket. (3/13)
Japan Approves $6.7 Billion Strategic Fund for Space Industry Development (Source: Space News)
Japan's cabinet approved a bill to establish a $6.7 billion (1 trillion yen) 10-year Space Strategic Fund in November to be administered by the Japanese space agency JAXA aimed at supporting development, technology demonstration, and commercialization of advanced technologies in the space field. New details about the fund disclosed last month defined three areas for support: satellites, space exploration and space transportation. It answers a call in the Space Basic Plan, revised in June 2023, for JAXA to be able to support entities from the commercial and academic worlds. (3/13)
Army Extends Maxar Contract for 3D Terrain Models (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Army has extended a contract with Maxar Intelligence for 3D terrain models. Maxar was awarded Phase 4 of the U.S. Army's One World Terrain (OWT) contract, which has a total value of $94.7 million if all options are exercised. The company uses data from its high-resolution Earth imaging satellites to make 3D mapping products including, for the OWT contract, models used to create immersive training environments for soldiers. (3/13)
Beluga Transports European Satellite to Florida (Source: Space News)
Airbus used its Beluga aircraft to transport one of its communications satellites to Florida for launch. The oversized aircraft transported the Eutelsat 36D satellite from France, where the spacecraft was assembled, to Florida for launch on a Falcon 9 at the end of the month. Eutelsat 36D has 70 Ku-band transponders and will replace the Eutelsat 36B satellite at 36 degrees east in GEO. It is the third time the manufacturer's alternative to Ukrainian Antonov aircraft has flown a large satellite across the Atlantic since Airbus started offering an outsized freight transportation service two years ago. (3/13)
FAA Seeks Big Space Budget Increase (Source: Space News)
The FAA is seeking a large budget increase for its commercial space office. The FAA's fiscal year 2025 budget proposal released this week includes $57.1 million for its Office of Commercial Space Transportation, 36% above its 2024 budget. The additional funding would allow the office to hire more staff to oversee commercial launches and reentries, as well as prepare for potential new regulatory roles in human spaceflight and mission authorization for space activities not overseen by other agencies. The FAA is, in addition, requesting a $7 million increase for its Air Traffic Organization so it can hire more staff to coordinate airspace for commercial launches. (3/13)
Rocket Lab Launches Japanese Imaging Satellite From New Zealand (Source: Space News)
Rocket Lab launched a Japanese radar imaging satellite Tuesday. The company's Electron rocket lifted off from its New Zealand launch site at 11:03 a.m. Eastern and deployed the StriX-3 satellite into a sun-synchronous orbit 54 minutes later. StriX-3 is the fourth synthetic aperture radar imaging satellite for Synspective, a Japanese company with plans to deploy a constellation of 30 such spacecraft. All four have launched on Electron rockets under a multi-launch contract that includes two more launches. (3/13)
South Korea Could See Space Budget Doubled (Source: Korea Herald)
South Korea's president has vowed to nearly double the country's space budget. In a visit Wednesday to the headquarters of Korea Aerospace Industries, Yoon Suk Yeol said the government's spending on space would grow to more than $1.1 billion in 2027, nearly double current levels. That funding would go towards expanding satellite and launch vehicle production, including a new launch pad for commercial rockets. He set a goal of expanding South Korea's share of the global aerospace industry from the current 1% to 10% by 2045. (3/13)
India's New Weather Satellite is Operational (Source: India Today)
India's space agency ISRO has published the first images from a new weather satellite. The images, released this week, are from the INSAT-3DS spacecraft launched last month to geostationary orbit. The images confirm that the satellite and its instruments are working well, ISRO said. (3/13)
Four Astronauts From Four Countries Return to Earth After Six Months in Orbit (Source: AP)
Four astronauts from four countries caught a lift back to Earth with SpaceX on Tuesday to end a half-year mission at the ISS. Their capsule streaked across the U.S. in the predawn darkness and splashed into the Gulf of Mexico near the Florida Panhandle. NASA’s Jasmin Moghbeli, a Marine helicopter pilot, led the returning crew of Denmark’s Andreas Mogensen, Japan’s Satoshi Furukawa and Russia’s Konstantin Borisov. They moved into the space station last August. Their replacements arrived last week in their own SpaceX capsule. (3/12)
China Accelerating Development of Two Large Reusable Rocket Models (Source: Xinhua)
China's development of both 4-meter-diameter and 5-meter-diameter reusable rockets is being accelerated, with their inaugural flights scheduled for 2025 and 2026, respectively. The manufacturing of these two new large reusable launching vehicle models is a response to growing demand in the commercial space market, said the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. Reusable rockets are crucial for future space exploration efforts, as they offer cost-effectiveness, high efficiency, technical complexity, and are also environmentally friendly. (3/12)
Australian Initiative Demonstrates World’s Smallest Known Voice-Enabled Satellite (Source: Cosmos)
Adelaide-based Fleet Space Technologies has successfully demonstrated that its Centauri nanosatellites can be reprogrammed to deliver push-to-talk voice capabilities while in orbit. The new satellite-enabled push-to-talk capabilities are part of the Defence Space Command-funded ASCEND2LEO project, which aims to develop a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite communications system to achieve tactical communications and data transmission where there is limited connectivity. (3/13)
Sierra Space Axelerator to Incubate Space Tech Innovations (Source: Sierra Space)
Sierra Space announced today the launch of Sierra Space Axelerator, an innovation-at-speed incubator designed to fast-track the development of revolutionary defense technologies and mission solutions. Axelerator is set to redefine industry standards by delivering cutting-edge products with unprecedented efficiency. The first marvel to emerge from Axelerator is Sierra Space Ghost, a state-of-the-art space delivery system engineered to safely return objects from space – and through space – directly to precise locations on Earth. (3/12)
Defense Unicorns Announces $15 Million U.S. Space Force Strategic Funding Increase (Source: Yahoo! Finance)
Defense Unicorns, a veteran-owned startup providing open-source software and Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities for National Security systems, announced a $15 million U.S. Space Force Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI) in partnership with Program Executive Office Assured Access to Space (AATS). Defense Unicorns’ focus is to accelerate and scale secure software solutions to increase the launch capacity of the Space Launch Deltas and meet the increasing demand for federal and commercial launch operations. (3/12)
New Lego Technic Mars Rover is Sci-Fi but Built with NASA's Help (Source: CollectSpace)
Lego and NASA have a long history of collaborating, but a recently released building set launched the partnership in a new direction — both for the toy company and space agency. The new Mars Crew Exploration Rover, which went on sale earlier this month, is unlike any space vehicle that Lego — or NASA — has ever built. For Lego, it was the first time that its Technic line of advanced working models focused on a fictional space vehicle. Similarly, this was the first time NASA engineers advised on a Lego toy that was not in some way based on any of the agency's plans or spacecraft. (3/12)
Air Force Budget Plan Lags Inflation (Source: Air & Space Forces Magazine)
The US Air Force's $262.6 billion budget proposal for 2025 represents a small percentage increase though more is needed to keep up with inflation, according to acting Air Force undersecretary Krysten Jones. The plan includes allocations of $188.1 billion for the Air Force, $29.4 billion for the Space Force, and $45.1 billion in "pass through" funding. (3/11)
Spring Break and SpaceX Launch Bring Crowds to Texas Beaches (Source: Valley Central)
Spring break is underway this week on South Padre Island but this year brings an added attraction. SpaceX plans to launch its Starship rocket on Thursday. The launch is expected to happen Thursday, but the Federal Aviation Administration has to sign off first. The thousands of visitors who come to view the launches will have to pass through the transit city of Port Isabel. (3/11)
Alaska Beach Closed for Testing at Alaska Spaceport (Source: KMXT)
Alaska’s Pacific Spaceport Complex is gearing up for its next launch at its site on Kodiak Island. Island residents saw access to a local beach closed for several days over the last week as various testing is underway. Robert Greene is the President of Aurora Launch Services, a subsidiary of the Alaska Aerospace Corporation, which operates out of the spaceport. According to Greene, the commercial customer is performing various hazardous operations testing before scheduling a launch date. (3/11)
Orlando SpaceCom / Space Congress Opens Exhibitor Registrations for 2025 (Source: SpaceCom)
SpaceCom | Space Congress 2024 attracted an impressive 4,000+ space professionals, setting a new record in exhibitor re-sign rates–with many expanding their footprint for 2025 as a direct result of their success at the 2024 event. With the industry still buzzing about the success of the event, many new organizations are also jumping on the opportunity to be first-time exhibitors. Click here. (3/11)
Virgin Galactic Boosts Space Ride Prices 33% (Source: Orange County Business Journal)
Inflation may be heading toward outer space. Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc. is increasing the cost of a single suborbital ride in its spacecraft from $450,000 to $600,000. While the company (NYSE: SPCE) only brought in $7 million in revenue last year as it began its nascent commercial operations, it says each launch center it is aiming for, known as a spaceport, will eventually generate more than $1 billion annually with new spacecraft, greater flight frequency and higher ticket prices. (3/11)
Establishing Global Space Transportation Networks Puts Florida at Center of Aerospace Commerce (Source: Space Florida)
After successful meetings in the United Kingdom with key leaders during the 2024 Space-Comm Expo, Space Florida’s president and CEO Rob Long announced intentions for Space Florida to develop the regulatory framework that will underpin international commercial transportation through space commerce with strategic allies. The below statement should be attributed to Rob Long, Space Florida president and CEO.
“Much like the transportation networks that support airports and link international travel and commerce, a network of spaceports--connected and supported through global cooperation--could redefine the boundaries of economic exchange. Innovative commercial concepts like space trade routes enabled by point-to-point space travel require international cooperation and development... We look forward to working with our international counterparts to build a framework that could transform this idea into a global space transportation network, of which Florida is the critical node driving aerospace commerce.” (3/12)
Sometimes, seeing clearly requires complete black. For astronomy and precision optics, coating devices in black paint can cut down on stray light, enhancing images and boosting performance. For the most advanced telescopes and optical systems, every little bit matters, so their manufacturers seek out the blackest blacks to coat them. (3/12)
New UAF Lidar Will Add To Space Weather Research Capability (Source: UAF)
University of Alaska Fairbanks scientists are developing a new light detection and ranging instrument to help gain a better understanding of space weather enveloping Earth. The new laser radar, or lidar, will be the third for the UAF Geophysical Institute. It will measure temperature and neutrally charged iron in the upper atmosphere at altitudes of 75 to 125 miles, where the mesosphere and thermosphere meet. (3/4)
Why NASA Wants Human Guinea Pigs to Test Out Martian Living (Source: NPR)
NASA is seeking volunteers to test out living in the 1,700-square-foot habitat known as Mars Dune Alpha. They are trying to determine — as realistically as possible — how living on Mars would affect humans. There are already four volunteer crew members living in that habitat, who entered in June 2023 and will emerge in July of this year. Click here. (3/12)
Comet Bigger Than Mount Everest Will Rule Skies of Earth After 71 Years (Source: The News)
This month, there is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for stargazers to watch a comet the size of Mount Everest speeding across the sky. Officially identified as Comet 12P/Pons–Brooks, it has drawn comparisons to the Star Wars Millennium Falcon due to two “horns” that may be seen in pictures. With specialized telescopes, amateur astronomers have already begun taking pictures of the comet, but it should soon be visible to the unaided eye. (3/12)
Japan Creates Multibillion-Dollar Space Strategic Fund to Boost Space Industry (Source: Space News)
Japan has established a multibillion-dollar Space Strategic Fund to help develop the country’s innovation, autonomy and international competitiveness in space.
Japan’s cabinet approved a bill to establish a $6.7 billion (1 trillion yen), 10-year fund for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) in November, aimed at supporting development, technology demonstration, and commercialization of advanced technologies in the space field. New details were presented in a Space Policy Committee meeting in February, including defining three areas for support: satellites, space exploration and space transportation. (3/12)
NOAA Appoints Michael Kruk as Deputy Director of Technology Partnerships Office (Source: GovCon Daily)
Michael Kruk has been named deputy director of the Technology Partnerships Office within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The NOAA TPO said Monday that in his new position, Kruk will work to ensure efficient operations while carrying out the execution of the office's strategic direction. (3/12)
AIA Supports Future Increases for NASA (Source: Payload)
Eric Fanning, president and CEO of the Aerospace Industries Association, expressed disappointment over NASA's first funding decrease in a decade, stating: "The Aerospace Industries Association was disappointed to see the first drop in NASA funding in 10 years in the just-passed FY24 consolidated appropriations bill, threatening key aeronautics, exploration, space technology, and science programs. However, we are pleased the president's budget request supports an increase to NASA's current funding beyond the FY24 level and see this request as a floor for Congress as it deliberates next year's appropriation." (3/12)
Space Force Looks to Future On-Orbit Refueling Capability (Source: Defense One)
The Space Force is initiating a project to create technology for refueling and repairing satellites in orbit, as stated by Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman, highlighting the effort's potential to enhance satellite maneuverability and defense capabilities. With a $20 million allocation in its 2025 budget request, the service aims to develop "Servicing, Mobility, and Logistics" capabilities. (3/12)
Space One's Kairos Rocket Explodes After Launch From New Japanese Spaceport (Source: Space News)
The first launch of a privately developed Japanese rocket ended in an explosion seconds after liftoff. The Kairos rocket lifted off at 10:01 p.m. Eastern Tuesday from the Spaceport Kii launch site on Honshu. The rocket, though, exploded about five seconds after liftoff, with debris falling back near the launch site.
Space One, the company that developed Kairos, did not disclose details about what might have caused the explosion. Kairos uses three solid-propellant lower stages and a liquid-propellant kick stage and is designed to place up to 250 kilograms into low Earth orbit. Space One, whose shareholders include Canon and IHI Aerospace, has stated its goal is to launch Kairos up to 20 times a year but has offered few details about any customers for the rocket. (3/13)
Japan Approves $6.7 Billion Strategic Fund for Space Industry Development (Source: Space News)
Japan's cabinet approved a bill to establish a $6.7 billion (1 trillion yen) 10-year Space Strategic Fund in November to be administered by the Japanese space agency JAXA aimed at supporting development, technology demonstration, and commercialization of advanced technologies in the space field. New details about the fund disclosed last month defined three areas for support: satellites, space exploration and space transportation. It answers a call in the Space Basic Plan, revised in June 2023, for JAXA to be able to support entities from the commercial and academic worlds. (3/13)
Army Extends Maxar Contract for 3D Terrain Models (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Army has extended a contract with Maxar Intelligence for 3D terrain models. Maxar was awarded Phase 4 of the U.S. Army's One World Terrain (OWT) contract, which has a total value of $94.7 million if all options are exercised. The company uses data from its high-resolution Earth imaging satellites to make 3D mapping products including, for the OWT contract, models used to create immersive training environments for soldiers. (3/13)
Beluga Transports European Satellite to Florida (Source: Space News)
Airbus used its Beluga aircraft to transport one of its communications satellites to Florida for launch. The oversized aircraft transported the Eutelsat 36D satellite from France, where the spacecraft was assembled, to Florida for launch on a Falcon 9 at the end of the month. Eutelsat 36D has 70 Ku-band transponders and will replace the Eutelsat 36B satellite at 36 degrees east in GEO. It is the third time the manufacturer's alternative to Ukrainian Antonov aircraft has flown a large satellite across the Atlantic since Airbus started offering an outsized freight transportation service two years ago. (3/13)
FAA Seeks Big Space Budget Increase (Source: Space News)
The FAA is seeking a large budget increase for its commercial space office. The FAA's fiscal year 2025 budget proposal released this week includes $57.1 million for its Office of Commercial Space Transportation, 36% above its 2024 budget. The additional funding would allow the office to hire more staff to oversee commercial launches and reentries, as well as prepare for potential new regulatory roles in human spaceflight and mission authorization for space activities not overseen by other agencies. The FAA is, in addition, requesting a $7 million increase for its Air Traffic Organization so it can hire more staff to coordinate airspace for commercial launches. (3/13)
Rocket Lab Launches Japanese Imaging Satellite From New Zealand (Source: Space News)
Rocket Lab launched a Japanese radar imaging satellite Tuesday. The company's Electron rocket lifted off from its New Zealand launch site at 11:03 a.m. Eastern and deployed the StriX-3 satellite into a sun-synchronous orbit 54 minutes later. StriX-3 is the fourth synthetic aperture radar imaging satellite for Synspective, a Japanese company with plans to deploy a constellation of 30 such spacecraft. All four have launched on Electron rockets under a multi-launch contract that includes two more launches. (3/13)
South Korea Could See Space Budget Doubled (Source: Korea Herald)
South Korea's president has vowed to nearly double the country's space budget. In a visit Wednesday to the headquarters of Korea Aerospace Industries, Yoon Suk Yeol said the government's spending on space would grow to more than $1.1 billion in 2027, nearly double current levels. That funding would go towards expanding satellite and launch vehicle production, including a new launch pad for commercial rockets. He set a goal of expanding South Korea's share of the global aerospace industry from the current 1% to 10% by 2045. (3/13)
India's New Weather Satellite is Operational (Source: India Today)
India's space agency ISRO has published the first images from a new weather satellite. The images, released this week, are from the INSAT-3DS spacecraft launched last month to geostationary orbit. The images confirm that the satellite and its instruments are working well, ISRO said. (3/13)
Four Astronauts From Four Countries Return to Earth After Six Months in Orbit (Source: AP)
Four astronauts from four countries caught a lift back to Earth with SpaceX on Tuesday to end a half-year mission at the ISS. Their capsule streaked across the U.S. in the predawn darkness and splashed into the Gulf of Mexico near the Florida Panhandle. NASA’s Jasmin Moghbeli, a Marine helicopter pilot, led the returning crew of Denmark’s Andreas Mogensen, Japan’s Satoshi Furukawa and Russia’s Konstantin Borisov. They moved into the space station last August. Their replacements arrived last week in their own SpaceX capsule. (3/12)
China Accelerating Development of Two Large Reusable Rocket Models (Source: Xinhua)
China's development of both 4-meter-diameter and 5-meter-diameter reusable rockets is being accelerated, with their inaugural flights scheduled for 2025 and 2026, respectively. The manufacturing of these two new large reusable launching vehicle models is a response to growing demand in the commercial space market, said the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. Reusable rockets are crucial for future space exploration efforts, as they offer cost-effectiveness, high efficiency, technical complexity, and are also environmentally friendly. (3/12)
Australian Initiative Demonstrates World’s Smallest Known Voice-Enabled Satellite (Source: Cosmos)
Adelaide-based Fleet Space Technologies has successfully demonstrated that its Centauri nanosatellites can be reprogrammed to deliver push-to-talk voice capabilities while in orbit. The new satellite-enabled push-to-talk capabilities are part of the Defence Space Command-funded ASCEND2LEO project, which aims to develop a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite communications system to achieve tactical communications and data transmission where there is limited connectivity. (3/13)
Sierra Space Axelerator to Incubate Space Tech Innovations (Source: Sierra Space)
Sierra Space announced today the launch of Sierra Space Axelerator, an innovation-at-speed incubator designed to fast-track the development of revolutionary defense technologies and mission solutions. Axelerator is set to redefine industry standards by delivering cutting-edge products with unprecedented efficiency. The first marvel to emerge from Axelerator is Sierra Space Ghost, a state-of-the-art space delivery system engineered to safely return objects from space – and through space – directly to precise locations on Earth. (3/12)
Defense Unicorns Announces $15 Million U.S. Space Force Strategic Funding Increase (Source: Yahoo! Finance)
Defense Unicorns, a veteran-owned startup providing open-source software and Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities for National Security systems, announced a $15 million U.S. Space Force Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI) in partnership with Program Executive Office Assured Access to Space (AATS). Defense Unicorns’ focus is to accelerate and scale secure software solutions to increase the launch capacity of the Space Launch Deltas and meet the increasing demand for federal and commercial launch operations. (3/12)
New Lego Technic Mars Rover is Sci-Fi but Built with NASA's Help (Source: CollectSpace)
Lego and NASA have a long history of collaborating, but a recently released building set launched the partnership in a new direction — both for the toy company and space agency. The new Mars Crew Exploration Rover, which went on sale earlier this month, is unlike any space vehicle that Lego — or NASA — has ever built. For Lego, it was the first time that its Technic line of advanced working models focused on a fictional space vehicle. Similarly, this was the first time NASA engineers advised on a Lego toy that was not in some way based on any of the agency's plans or spacecraft. (3/12)
Air Force Budget Plan Lags Inflation (Source: Air & Space Forces Magazine)
The US Air Force's $262.6 billion budget proposal for 2025 represents a small percentage increase though more is needed to keep up with inflation, according to acting Air Force undersecretary Krysten Jones. The plan includes allocations of $188.1 billion for the Air Force, $29.4 billion for the Space Force, and $45.1 billion in "pass through" funding. (3/11)
Spring Break and SpaceX Launch Bring Crowds to Texas Beaches (Source: Valley Central)
Spring break is underway this week on South Padre Island but this year brings an added attraction. SpaceX plans to launch its Starship rocket on Thursday. The launch is expected to happen Thursday, but the Federal Aviation Administration has to sign off first. The thousands of visitors who come to view the launches will have to pass through the transit city of Port Isabel. (3/11)
Alaska Beach Closed for Testing at Alaska Spaceport (Source: KMXT)
Alaska’s Pacific Spaceport Complex is gearing up for its next launch at its site on Kodiak Island. Island residents saw access to a local beach closed for several days over the last week as various testing is underway. Robert Greene is the President of Aurora Launch Services, a subsidiary of the Alaska Aerospace Corporation, which operates out of the spaceport. According to Greene, the commercial customer is performing various hazardous operations testing before scheduling a launch date. (3/11)
Orlando SpaceCom / Space Congress Opens Exhibitor Registrations for 2025 (Source: SpaceCom)
SpaceCom | Space Congress 2024 attracted an impressive 4,000+ space professionals, setting a new record in exhibitor re-sign rates–with many expanding their footprint for 2025 as a direct result of their success at the 2024 event. With the industry still buzzing about the success of the event, many new organizations are also jumping on the opportunity to be first-time exhibitors. Click here. (3/11)
Virgin Galactic Boosts Space Ride Prices 33% (Source: Orange County Business Journal)
Inflation may be heading toward outer space. Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc. is increasing the cost of a single suborbital ride in its spacecraft from $450,000 to $600,000. While the company (NYSE: SPCE) only brought in $7 million in revenue last year as it began its nascent commercial operations, it says each launch center it is aiming for, known as a spaceport, will eventually generate more than $1 billion annually with new spacecraft, greater flight frequency and higher ticket prices. (3/11)
Establishing Global Space Transportation Networks Puts Florida at Center of Aerospace Commerce (Source: Space Florida)
After successful meetings in the United Kingdom with key leaders during the 2024 Space-Comm Expo, Space Florida’s president and CEO Rob Long announced intentions for Space Florida to develop the regulatory framework that will underpin international commercial transportation through space commerce with strategic allies. The below statement should be attributed to Rob Long, Space Florida president and CEO.
“Much like the transportation networks that support airports and link international travel and commerce, a network of spaceports--connected and supported through global cooperation--could redefine the boundaries of economic exchange. Innovative commercial concepts like space trade routes enabled by point-to-point space travel require international cooperation and development... We look forward to working with our international counterparts to build a framework that could transform this idea into a global space transportation network, of which Florida is the critical node driving aerospace commerce.” (3/12)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)