Orion Service Module Getting World’s
Hardest Shake-Up at NASA’s Plum Brook Station (Source:
SpaceFlight Insider)
NASA's Orion service module is getting a serious shake-up, thanks to
the engineers and technicians at NASA's Plum Brook Station testing
facility in Sandusky, Ohio. Inside Plum Brook's giant Space Power
Facility, the service module is currently undergoing a rigorous series
of vibration tests atop the facility's new vibration table, the most
powerful such apparatus in the world. (7/21)
Latest Landings Continue March Toward
Reusable Space Launchers (Source: Aviation Week)
Blue Origin has found its design for a one-chute-out landing of its New
Shepard capsule worked as planned, and SpaceX is negotiating for a
customer to ride a used Falcon 9 launch vehicle to orbit, as the two
companies’ efforts to lower the cost of launch by reusing spacecraft
gain momentum. (7/21)
Blue Origin Crew Capsule Safely Lands
During Parachute Test (Source: Kent Reporter)
Blue Origin says a test flight last month in Texas showed the crew
capsule of its New Shepard spacecraft could safely land with only two
of its parachutes open. Owner Jeff Bezos emailed on Wednesday to
subscribers to his company’s website the latest update:
“On our most recent flight, we performed a test to prove the crew
capsule could safely land with only two of its three parachutes open,”
Bezos said. “On a nominal flight with all three parachutes deployed,
the capsule descends at about 16 mph before firing a retrorocket just a
few feet above the ground. This retrorocket firing is what creates the
large cloud of dust you see just before the capsule lands, and slows
the capsule down to 3 mph before it touches the ground." (7/20)
Vector Space Completes Acquisition of
Garvey Spacecraft Corp. to Enhance Microsat Launch Capabilities
(Source: Vector Space)
Vector Space Systems, a micro satellite space launch company comprised
of new-space industry veterans from SpaceX, Virgin Galactic, McDonnell
Douglas and Sea Launch, today announced it has finalized the
acquisition of Garvey Spacecraft Corporation. As part of the
acquisition, Garvey Spacecraft Corporation Founder and CEO John Garvey
joins Vector Space Systems as Chief Technology Officer.
Founded in May 2016, Vector Space Systems was formed to connect space
startups with affordable launch-enabling platforms and vehicles for
accessing space at a cost and schedule never before possible. The
acquisition allows Vector Space Systems to accelerate its mission of
fostering innovation to spark growth in the space commerce industry
through reliable and frequent launch opportunities.
Vector Space Systems has already begun engine-level static fire testing
and is working toward the start of sub-orbital test flights that will
pathfind operations and manifest key technology experiments in Q3 2016,
followed by large-scale sub-orbital test flights in 2017 and orbital
launches in 2018. Garvey Spacecraft Corporation specializes in
aerospace research to develop advanced space technologies and launch
vehicle systems. (7/20)
Jack White Is Determined to Make
‘Vinyl History’ In Space (Source: Time)
White Stripes rocker Jack White is no stranger to making music records
— and no stranger to setting them. In 2014, his album Lazaretto became
the most-sold vinyl album ever. And in 2015, he set the world record
for fastest-released record, performing and then producing a vinyl in
under four hours. Up next? The final frontier. Space, that is.
In a mysterious clip posted to his record company’s Twitter on Tuesday,
White teased a major July 30th announcement to come. All we know is
that it has something to do with space and with making “vinyl history
again.” This isn’t the first time White has alluded to a space
endeavor; back in 2012, he told astronaut Buzz Aldrin that he was
working on a “secret project” to get a vinyl played in outer space.
Aldrin recommended that White talk to the CEO of Richard Branson’s
Virgin Galactic, because Branson is “always interested in doing unusual
things,” he said. Although it’s unclear whether or not that
conversation with Virgin Galactic took place, we’ll know soon enough
what White has in store when he shares more details at the end of the
month. (7/20)
ULA CEO: the Path to Vulcan is Clear
(Source: Via Satellite)
Following approval by Congress earlier this month of the 2017 National
Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), ULA CEO Tory Bruno now feels the
company will have a sufficient number of RD-180 engines to transition
smoothly to a domestic alternative. The current NDAA going into
conference allows for 18 additional engines — amended up from an
initial nine engines — which, combined with ULA’s previous allotment,
brings the total number of approved additional engines to 22.
Bruno said this supply of engines is enough for the company to move
forward with its transition plan in confidence. The company’s flagship
launch vehicle, the Atlas 5, flies about twice as often as the lesser
used and more expensive Delta family, but its Russian-built engine has
been the source of controversy after the U.S. introduced sanctions on
Russia for it’s annexation of Crimea. The path to Vulcan, ULA’s
American-made successor to both the Atlas and Delta, was obfuscated by
disagreements over how many RD-180 engines the company should need
before a U.S. alternative would be available.
Now, Bruno said that path is clear. “This bridge will get us there. We
are doing this very fast — this engine and rocket development that we
are now in the middle of is going to be done in about half the normal
span, and allow us to get off the venerable RD-180 rocket engine and
onto an all-American solution.” Blue Origin claims its BE-4 engine will
be flight qualified by 2017. Aerojet Rocketdyne says the AR1 will be
flight qualified by 2019. Bruno said ULA would make its decision soon.
(7/21)
An Astronaut Spoke at the Republican
Convention, It Was Far Odder Than it Seemed (Source: Washington
Post)
After Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi's excoriation of Hillary
Clinton, the room grew dark for a video presentation. A voice gently
told the story of America's space exploration. It told of Eileen
Collins, the first woman to command a space shuttle mission and it
lamented how America's explorations were in the past. The lights came
up. Collins walked out.
"[I]n 2011, the space shuttle program ended," she said. "The last time
the US launched our own astronauts from our own soil was over 5 years
ago. We must do better than that!" Her prepared remarks concluded, "We
need leadership that will challenge every American to ask, 'What’s
next?' We need leadership that will make America's space program first
again. We need leadership that will make America first again. That
leader is Donald Trump." Those were her prepared remarks, but she
didn't say that. Collins omitted that last part.
It's also odd given Trump's past statements about space travel. Asked
last November how he felt about NASA, Trump said: "Right now, we have
bigger problems — you understand that? ... We've got to fix our
potholes. You know, we don't exactly have a lot of money." He added
that he supported the privatization of space travel, which seems at
odds with Collins' point. "What we spend in NASA should be appropriate
for what we are asking them to do," he said. (7/20)
Huge Sail Will Power JAXA Mission to
Trojan Asteroids and Back (Source: Japan Times)
Japan’s space agency has its sights on unexplored asteroids as far away
as Jupiter, a project that at one level draws on centuries of sail
science. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency this month unveiled a
huge prototype solar sail designed to power a JAXA probe as it explores
asteroids that circle the sun on roughly the same orbit as Jupiter. The
sail measures 2,500 sq. meters and is made up of thousands of ultraslim
solar panels. (7/21)
U.S. Air Force Expands Space Warfare
Training (Source: Space News)
U.S. Air Force Space Command released an outline late last week of Gen.
John Hyten’s plan for training military satellite operators to defend
the ultimate high ground against adversaries striving to take away the
edge satellites give the U.S. and its allies in armed conflict. The
initiative, known as the Space Mission Force, aims to better prepare
airmen to operate military satellites in a threatened environment and
includes tactics to respond to threats.
Air Force space leaders have been planning the program for more than a
year and Hyten, the head of Air Force Space Command, has made the Space
Mission Force a prominent part of his speeches in the last eight
months. Hyten’s plan aims to ensure the Air Force applies the same
level of rigor to its space operations as it does to its air
operations. (7/20)
CCT Supporting Launch Pad Design for
Blue Origin Through RS&H (Source: CCT)
Florida-based CCT welcomes Blue Origin to the Space Coast and is proud
to be a member of the RS&H team providing engineering support for
launch pad design and development. CCT is providing engineering support
for control system infrastructure design. (7/20)
Massive Asteroids Created Craters On
Moon, Planets, Findings Show (Source: Aviation Week)
An asteroid at least 10 times more massive than originally estimated
appears responsible for a prominent impact site on the Moon known as
the Imbrium Basin. New findings suggest the early inner Solar System
was populated by many such large protoplanet-sized asteroids and their
fragments that were responsible for major impact craters evident on
Mars and Mercury as well as elsewhere on the Moon.
The findings, based on observation and hypervelocity impact experiments
carried out at NASA’s Ames Research Center using the Vertical Gun
Range, were pursued to explain curious furrow-like formations around
Imbrium, a darkened region in the Moon’s northwest quadrant that
measures about 1,250 km, or 775 mi., across. (7/20)
Russia Spaceplane Engine to be
Publicly Revealed in September (Source: NextBigFuture)
Russian state media is reporting that the country's Defense Ministry is
developing a nuclear-armed bomber than could launch attacks from space.
A prototype aircraft is under development and will be ready for trials
by 2020. According to RIA Novosti, the engine, for the spaceplane, has
already been tested and is expected to make its public debut in
September at the International Military Technology Forum.
The report quotes a Lieutenant Colonel Solodovnikov, who states the
plane will take off and patrol the skies like a regular bomber. Once
given the command, the bomber would ascend into space and could hit any
target on Earth with nuclear warheads within one or two hours. Russia's
Ministry of Defense has denied reports a space bomber is in
development, saying it was "out of the question" but not outside its
technical level of expertise. (7/18)
Dearth of Dedicated Smallsat Launchers
Challenges Fledgling Industry (Source: Aviation Week)
Tensions are rising between the growing small-satellite sector in the
U.S. and prospective U.S.-based smallsat launch-service providers, with
the latter fearing they could be undercut by competition from low-cost
rockets abroad and by the sale of repurposed ICBM motors at home.
At issue is how best to sustain the number of companies developing
dedicated smallsat launch vehicles in the U.S., even as smallsat
manufacturers and fleet operators look elsewhere for rides to space.
Given a dearth of dedicated smallsat launchers, these manufacturers and
operators—many of whom are planning large constellations of very small
Earth-observation or telecommunications spacecraft—have few options
when it comes to launch. Click here.
(7/20)
Thales Expands Operations in Florida (Source:
Area Development)
Thales, a global technology leader for the Aerospace, Transport,
Defense and Security markets, has chosen to expand its operations
center to Melbourne, Florida. The company expansion will add 327
high-tech positions by 2020 with plans to develop a 100,000-square-foot
facility to support advancement of innovative technology and solutions
worldwide. (7/11)
Taiwan is Building NASA’s Resource
Prospector Lander to Mine the Moon (Source: Geek.com)
NASA has been planning the first ever mining mission on the moon for
several years, and now construction of the lander and rover that will
carry it out is under way. NASA is working with Chung-shan Institute of
Science and Technology in Taiwan to build the lunar lander for a
planned launch in the early 2020s. The goal is to prove that important
materials can be mined on the moon, thus extending humanity’s reach
into deep space.
The mission is called Resource Prospector, and most of the action will
take place in a small rover designed to scan the lunar surface for
evidence of useful materials. We know from orbital missions like the
Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite and Lunar Reconnaissance
Orbiter that there are tons of water ice and pockets of gases on the
moon. Resource Prospector will try to mine it in the first ever in-situ
resource utilization (ISRU) proof of concept. (7/20)
'Small Astronaut' Gets Opportunity of
a Lifetime at KSC (Source: Florida Today)
We could all stand to be a little more like Harrison Sheldon. The
4-year-old "small astronaut" is the child behind a series of photos by
his father, Aaron Sheldon, that have garnered national attention. The
theme? In a world full of places and things often perceived as old hat,
to a child, it is magnificent. While adults practically sleepwalk
through places such as Target or laundromats, Harrison can be seen
taking in every moment, dressed as an astronaut. An explorer in his own
little world.
"It's about reminding parents that our kids are explorers in what we
see as an everyday world," said Aaron. But there was one particular
photo that caught the eye of Kennedy Space Center officials. Harrison,
suited up, held a sign on the side of a desolate road. The sign read,
"Space Coast Florida or bust."
Andrea Farmer, public relations manager at the Kennedy Space Center
Visitor Complex, stumbled upon the picture and saw a match made in
heaven. She read Sheldon's story through a Kickstarter page — Aaron
wants to put together a book of his work. She emailed the family, who
live in Columbus, Ohio, and before they knew it they were on Cocoa
Beach, watching a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch into the sky early
Monday morning. (7/20)
International Space Station Captures
Dozens of Experiments (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Fungi found near the Chernobyl power plant might end up being put to
good use. A NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory experiment sent from
Florida’s Space Coast early Monday has on board fungal strains found
near the Ukrainian site of the 1986 nuclear disaster.
Researchers say the materials found there are biologically active and
could some day treat disease or help food crops grow. The experiment
will monitor the fungi in microgravity, monitoring to see if that
environment fosters any beneficial natural products. The experiment was
among those highlighted by NASA on Wednesday, as the SpaceX Dragon
capsule berthed with the International Space Station. Click here.
(7/20)
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