October 2, 2014

India Poised To Expand Presence in Global Launch Market (Source: Space News)
India has five slots available on its PSLV launcher for missions heading into sun-synchronous orbit between 2015 and 2017, and expects that its more-powerful GSLV Mark 3 rocket, intended for geostationary-orbiting telecommunications satellites, ultimately will be able to accommodate one foreign/commercial launch a year, a senior Indian space official said.

The vehicle is designed to launch telecommunications satellites weighing around 4,000 kilograms. With the move among manufacturers and operators toward lighter-weight satellites featuring electric propulsion, the Indian vehicle could find itself well-placed in the commercial market now taking shape. (10/2)

KSC (and Other Coastal Spaceports) Threatened by Climate Change (Source: Business Insider)
All over the world, coastal cities are in danger of being wiped out by floods. This chart, published by the Union of Concerned Scientists, focuses just on the United States, pointing out some of the country's historic landmarks that may be lost to rising sea levels or other extreme weather events. The Statue of Liberty, Cape Hatteras lighthouse, and the Kennedy Space Center are just a few places that may one day exist only in history books. Click here. (10/2)

Cloud on Saturn's Moon Titan is Made of Icy Poison (Source: LA Times)
A strange cloud that NASA's Cassini spacecraft spotted on Saturn’s moon Titan two years ago appears to be made of icy hydrogen cyanide, a poison that on Earth has been used to kill everything from rats to whales. The toxic cloud, described in the journal Nature, defies expectations for where and how clouds form on the Saturnian satellite and may force scientists to adjust their understanding of what goes on in the Titan's atmosphere.

The large spinning cloud appeared in Titan’s southern hemisphere in May 2012, high in the atmosphere, about 200 miles above the surface. The cloud, which is still going strong, spins faster than the moon itself, taking nine hours to complete a rotation while Titan takes about 16 Earth days. Using data from the Cassini spacecraft’s visual and infrared mapping spectrometer, the researchers looked at the spectrum of light coming from the cloud and found the chemical signature of hydrogen cyanide ice. (10/1)

Space Age Churches Rise and Fall with Space Program (Source: Florida Today)
It was the late 1950s and modern day launch pads and towers were climbing out the hot, swampy wetlands along Brevard County's northern shoreline to meet man's lofty goal of space travel. But a little farther along the way in places like Titusville, Cocoa Beach and Merritt Island, there was also a boomlet of faith that gave rise church steeples and worship halls to meet the spiritual needs of those helming the race to space. (10/2)

Are the World’s Religions Ready for E.T.? (Source: Vanderbilt University)
In 1930, Albert Einstein was asked for his opinion about the possibility of life elsewhere in the universe. “Other beings, perhaps, but not men,” he answered. Then he was asked whether science and religion conflict. “Not really, though it depends, of course, on your religious views.”

Over the past 10 years, astronomers’ new ability to detect planets orbiting other stars has taken this question out of the realm of philosophy, as it was for Einstein, and transformed it into something that scientists might soon be able to answer. Realization that the nature of the debate about life on other worlds is about to fundamentally change led Vanderbilt Professor of Astronomy David Weintraub to begin thinking seriously about the question of how people will react to the discovery of life on other planets. Click here. (10/2)

UrtheCast To Select Providers of ISS Cameras Soon (Source: Space News)
A Canadian company that operates two cameras on the Russian segment of the international space station will soon select a provider for optical and radar instruments it plans to install on a U.S. space station module in 2017. Wade Larson, president of Vancouver, British Columbia-based UrtheCast, said the company is in the final stages of evaluating proposals for the system. “We will be announcing the contractor team in two to three weeks,” he said.

One of the instruments in the system will be a camera capable of taking images and video at visible wavelengths at resolutions as sharp as 0.5 meters. The other is a synthetic aperture radar that can operate at L- and X-band wavelengths simultaneously. UrtheCast announced in July plans to install the optical and radar instruments on the station. The company is working with Houston-based NanoRacks, which will be responsible for arranging the launch and installation of the cameras on the station’s Node 3, or Tranquility, module. (10/1)

The Expert Guide to Space Colonies (Source: BBC)
With our rising planet’s population competing for space and resources, some people are convinced we need to look beyond Earth to help ensure humanity’s survival. As Elon Musk, the entrepreneur behind space tourism company SpaceX put it recently: “I think there is a strong argument for making life multi-planetary in order to safeguard the existence of humanity in the event that something catastrophic were to happen." Even if you don’t believe this bleak vision, it’s hard to ignore the eternal human instinct to discover the undiscovered – an urge that could push people beyond the safety of our planet. Click here. (10/2)

How Private Space Companies Make Money Exploring The Final Frontier (Source: Universe Today)
There’s a big difference in thinking between governments and the private companies that participate in space. While entities such as NASA can work on understanding basic human health or exploring the universe for the sake of a greater understanding, companies have a limitation: they need to eventually make a profit. Click here. (10/2)

Report: Boeing Ranked Ahead of SpaceX, Sierra Nevada on Commercial Crew (Source: Parabolic Arc)
Boeing’s submission was considered “excellent” for “mission suitability,” whereas SpaceX got a “very good” ranking. The numerical scores for that category, according to one person familiar with the details, were separated by more than 60 points out of a possible 1,000. The document shows Boeing also garnered the highest ranking of “excellent” for technical approach and program management, compared with “very good” rankings for SpaceX.

Based on Boeing’s performance on a preliminary contract, NASA concluded it had “very high confidence” in that company’s likelihood of delivering what it promised—the highest ranking possible…. Neither Boeing nor SpaceX were deemed to have what NASA considered significant weaknesses in their proposals. But in explaining his final decision, Mr. Gerstenmaier pointed to what he saw as some uncertainties and shortcomings in SpaceX’s bid. Click here. (10/2)

Four Candidate Landing Sites for 2018 ExoMars Mission (Source: SpaceFlight Insider)
Four possible landing sites are being considered for the ExoMars mission in 2018. Its rover will search for evidence of martian life, past or present. ExoMars is a joint two-mission endeavour between ESA and Russia’s Roscosmos space agency. The Trace Gas Orbiter and an entry, descent and landing demonstrator module, Schiaparelli, will be launched in January 2016, arriving at Mars nine months later. The Rover and Surface Platform will depart in May 2018, with touchdown on Mars in January 2019. (10/2)

India Seeking Outside Help on High-throughput Satellite (Source: Space News)
The Indian government wants a high-throughput satellite generating at least 100 gigabits-per-second in orbit within five years and is seeking international partners in its development, an Indian Space Research Organisation official said. If pursued, the project would mark a rare opportunity for foreign suppliers to crack India’s mainly closed satellite telecommunications market, which in any case has shown signs of opening in the past year. (10/2)

'Man In The Moon' Mystery Has Finally Been Solved (Source: Huffington Post)
"How many people have looked up at the moon and wondered what produced the pattern we see -- let me tell you, I’ve wanted to solve that one!" That's Maria Zuber, a geophysics professor at MIT and principal investigator for NASA's GRAIL (Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory) mission to understand the moon's interior, according to a written statement from MIT.

Previous theories held that an asteroid created the massive Oceanus Procellarum basin on the lunar surface -- often called the "man on the moon." But Zuber and a team of colleagues at MIT, the Colorado School of Mines, and NASA say they've found a new explanation for the mysterious feature on the lunar surface: ancient volcanic eruptions.

According to the scientists, an asteroid would have created a circular basin upon impact. But a new high-resolution map created from GRAIL data revealed that the area surrounding the Procellarum basin is more rectangular, made up of sharp angles and structures the scientists call gravity anomalies. "We interpret the gravity anomalies discovered by GRAIL as part of the lunar magma plumbing system -- the conduits that fed lava to the surface during ancient volcanic eruptions," Zuber said. (10/2)

Nearby Star Unleashes Flare 10,000 Times Bigger Than Any From Our Sun (Source: Huffington Post)
Our sun's largest solar flare looks pretty wimpy next to this one. NASA's Swift satellite spotted the strongest, hottest, and longest-lasting stellar flares ever recorded from a nearby red dwarf star in April. And now, astrophysicists reveal that the flares were as much as 10,000 times more powerful than the largest solar flare ever recorded -- reaching temperatures up to 360 million degrees Fahrenheit. That's 12 times hotter than the sun's core. (10/2)

Bezos Wants to Leave His Mark on Space (Source: Aviation Week)
Jeff Bezos, the billionaire entrepreneur behind Amazon.com, has definitely placed his mark on the planet. His retail genius is embodied in the convenience of online shopping for just about everything (that’s where I bought my camera), and in the sad decline of bookstores and record shops that once afforded pleasant respite from the hustle-bustle of modern life.

For the past 14 years, Bezos has been working to put his mark off the planet as well—quietly, as is his wont. Blue Origin, the startup space company Bezos endowed, has generated a fair amount of smoke and fire at its West Texas test site, but very little publicity. The Seattle-based company employs a PR firm, and maintains a website that affords snippets of information about its suborbital- and orbital-spacecraft developments. But in general, the company’s work takes place behind a veil of secrecy.

Some of that work has been quite impressive, as “Blue” works toward unmanned flight tests in 2018 of a biconic orbital vehicle aimed at human spaceflight. Now the company—and its founder—have taken a major step into the limelight with the Sept. 17 announcement that it is developing a 550,000-lb.-thrust rocket engine for United Launch Alliance. Click here. (9/29)

New Satellite Monitoring Solar Storms to be Launched in 2015 (Source: NextGov)
The Deep Space Climate Observatory satellite, designed to give scientists at least an hour's notice of solar storms heading toward the Earth, is set to be launched next year, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "The DSCOVR data will also be used to drive the next generation of space weather models, allowing forecasters to specify where on Earth the storm conditions will be at their worst," said Doug Biesecker, DSCOVR program scientist. (10/1)

Space Florida, Space Foundatio, Visit Orlando Join to Bring IAC to Central Florida (Source: SpaceFlight Insider)
The 2014 International Astronautical Congress (IAC) is well underway and more than 3,000 delegates are roaming the halls and event spaces in downtown Toronto, Canada, collaborating and exchanging their breadth of experiences, views and research on hundreds of topics relevant to spaceflight and astronautical endeavors. In addition to the studies and the social events however, this years’ attending membership will have some additional work cut out for them.

It is expected that the International Astronautical Federation (IAF), in collaboration with the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA) and the International Institute of Space Law (IISL), will announce the membership-selected location for the 68th edition of the annual IAC on Friday, Oct. 3. In the spirit of international collaboration, the IAC is held in a different country every year, with an IAF member organization serving as its host.

This week in Toronto, voting members will need to pare down their options to select just one location from a field of four final locations and member organization bids: Adelaide, Australia (Submitted by The Space Industry Association of Australia), Bremen, Germany (Submitted by ZARM Drop Tower Operation and Service Company), Istanbul, Turkey (Submitted by The Turkish Amateur Satellite Technologies Society) and Orlando, United States of America (Submitted by The Space Foundation). (10/1)

Nuclear Warheads Kept in Reserve for Potential Asteroid Threat (Source: Wall Street Journal)
Some U.S. nuclear-warhead components, scheduled for disassembly in the next year, have gotten at least a temporary new lease on life. The reason: possible use in defending the Earth against killer asteroids. That bit of information was tucked deep inside a 67-page Government Accountability Office report on the National Nuclear Security Administration, which manages the U.S. atomic-weapons arsenal. (9/30)

Cubesats: A Space Junk Hazard? (Source: Discovery)
According to space debris expert Hugh Lewis, of the University of Southampton, the use of cubesats and the relaxed attitude to space collision hazards could increase the likelihood of space assets encountering the small satellites in the future. Lewis outlined some of the problems associated with cubesat use.

For starters, most cubesats cannot maneuver themselves while orbiting Earth, so should a collision scenario be predicted, they cannot be commanded to dodge out of the way. Also, some of the organizations using cubesats have insufficient plans for de-orbiting their orbital assets, meaning many defunct cubesats will remain in orbit long after their operational lifetimes. Click here. (10/1)

Hollywood Takes Steps Toward Armstrong Biopics (Source: Collect Space)
The life story of Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, has taken not one, but two small steps towards landing on both the big and small screens. A newly-acclaimed director and a television network have each reportedly turned their attention to the late Apollo 11 moonwalker as the inspiration for a feature-length film and TV miniseries, respectively. (9/29)

Space Station Partners in No Rush To Decide on Extension (Source: Space News)
The heads of three space agencies said their governments may not make decisions until 2016 on whether to continue to participate in the ISS beyond 2020. The leaders of the Canadian Space Agency, European Space Agency, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said they had near-term priorities to address first, including maximizing the current use of the ISS, before considering the extension proposed by the U.S. earlier this year. (9/30)

NASA Images Reveal Shocking Scale of Aral Sea Disaster (Source: FOX News)
A series of NASA satellite images has revealed the shocking decline of water levels in the Aral Sea, a massive environmental disaster dubbed “the quiet Chernobyl.” NASA’s Terra satellite began capturing the images in 2000, when the vast central Asian lake known as the Aral Sea was already a fraction of its 1960 size. Click here. (10/1)

Crops Grow On Fake Moon And Mars Soil (Source: Popular Science)
If humans ever set up permanent bases on the Moon or Mars, we'll need to be able to grow our own food there. To find out whether that’s actually possible, a team of scientists in the Netherlands planted 14 plant species in soils that simulate the Martian and lunar regolith. It turned out that the Martian soil simulant was better than some Earth soils for growing plant life, which is good news for astronauts. Click here. (9/9)

Scaled Down Dream Chaser Would be Stacked with Thunderbolt Rocket (Source: Space News)
That vehicle would be attached to the two-stage Thunderbolt rocket that Orbital Sciences Corp. is building for Stratolaunch. Thunderbolt will be launched from a custom-built aircraft Stratolaunch is building at its facility in Mojave, California. The scaled-down Dream Chaser would be able to carry two to three people into low Earth orbit, including to the international space station.

One advantage of this concept, Gravelle said, is that air launch provides additional flexibility in arranging launches. “It can launch from pretty much anywhere to any inclination,” he said. The Stratolaunch aircraft requires a runway at least 3,800 meters long, although the smaller Dream Chaser can land on runways as short as 2,500 meters.

The Stratolaunch aircraft is more than 50 percent complete, said Chuck Beames, president of Vulcan Aerospace Corp., the holding company owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen that is funding development of Stratolaunch. The company is planning initial flight tests of the aircraft in mid-2016, with initial test launches planned for 2018. (10/1)

Another Proposed UK Spaceport Gets Endorsement (Source: BBC)
A bid to bring the UK's first spaceport to the former airbase at Kinloss has been endorsed by Moray councillors. The UK government is considering potential sites and a consultation document has identified Kinloss as a possible location for the project. The chair of the Moray Economic Partnership and the council's economic development committee, John Cowe, said it was a clear front runner. The council said the economic benefits would be enormous. Ministers want to establish the UK spaceport by 2018 - the first of its kind outside of the US. (10/1)

ULA To Help Fund Aerojet Rocketdyne Engine Studies (Source: Space News)
Although United Launch Alliance has already selected Blue Origin to develop a new main engine for the future, the Denver-based rocket maker will continue to fund a smaller-scale effort by longtime supplier Aerojet Rocketdyne to examine propulsion concepts that include a kerosene-fueled main engine dubbed AR-1. Aerojet Rocketdyne of Sacramento, California, has been shopping the AR-1 as a potential replacement for the Russian-made RD-180 engine that powers the main stage of ULA’s Atlas 5 rocket. (9/30)

Russia and China Have Visa Issues at IAC (Source: SpaceRef)
The first plenary of the IAC is the much anticipated yearly Heads of Agencies panel where the leaders of the leading space programs have an opportunity to bring the Congress up to date on their countries activities. Unfortunately, and embarrassingly, members of both the Chinese and Russian delegations had visa problems and were unable to make it.

It is not known who is at fault for this issue, but according the President of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), Walter Natynczyk, during a press conference afterwards, the CSA was not informed of the issue until 48 hours before the start of the Congress. The Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs handles these matters. It's not clear why China had visa issues as Canada has just completed a new trade agreement with them. (10/1)

Advertising Video Contest Will Send Winner to Space (Source: Ad Week)
When it comes to hype, business-to-business marketing typically takes a backseat to consumer-based initiatives. But Virool may have found a way to cut through the clutter as it is announcing a marketing video contest that will send the winner into outer space. The programmatic video startup, which claims to have served 60,000 ads in its first two years, is encouraging video creatives to submit spots to a dedicated channel through May 4, 2015. Virool will then pick the video that best captures an "out of this world" theme, and award the victor a seat aboard the Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo. (9/30)

Lemurs May Hold Key to Deep Space Travel (Source: WNCN)
The key to space travel and complicated surgical procedures could be found in lemurs at Duke University. With about 250 lemurs from 23 different species roaming 80 acres of natural habitat at Duke Forest, Duke University has the largest number of lemurs outside Madagascar. Those lemurs could hold the key to faster recovery times from injuries and even deep space travel because of hundreds of species of primates, the fat-tailed dwarf lemur is the closest genetic cousin to humans that can hibernate. Click here. (9/30)

No comments: