Changes to Commercial Space Industry
Could Benefit Oklahoma Spaceport (Source: Tulsa World)
When Bill Khourie stands on the concrete under the midday sun and
squints toward the end of the runway three miles to the south,
invisible behind the curving earth and dancing mirages, he believes
he’s looking at the future. Khourie is the director of the Oklahoma
Space Industry Development Authority, which has been trying since 1999
to lure space companies to Oklahoma. For years, the authority’s
leadership has preached patience, saying the future will come.
Now, Khourie believes the future is so close he can almost see it. The
commercial space industry is showing signs of growth as companies like
SpaceX, Virgin Galactic, Blue Origin and United Launch Alliance have
successfully blasted their spacecraft into the sky in recent months.
(8/1)
Falcon Heavy vs Saturn V
(Source: Universe Today)
Its an Epic Rocket Battle! Or a Clash of the Titans, if you will.
Except that in this case, the titans are the two of the heaviest
rockets the world has ever seen. And the contenders couldn’t be better
matched. On one side, we have the heaviest rocket to come out of the US
during the Space Race, and the one that delivered the Apollo astronauts
to the Moon. On the other, we have the heaviest rocket created by the
NewSpace industry, and which promises to deliver astronauts to Mars.
And in many respects, the Falcon Heavy is considered to be the
successor of the Saturn V. Ever since the latter was retired in 1973,
the United States has effectively been without a super-heavy lifter.
And with the Space Launch System still in development, the Falcon Heavy
is likely to become the workhorse of both private space corporations
and space agencies in the coming years. Click here.
(7/30)
Intelsat Confident in Ariane 5 to
Launch Two Critical Satellites (Source: SpaceFlight Now)
Two Intelsat communications craft are in French Guiana getting
configured for a dual-launch aboard an Ariane 5 rocket Aug. 24, the
first time the global satellite operator has put two of its payloads on
the same booster. The Intelsat 33e and Intelsat 36 satellites are set
for launch Aug. 24 at 5:55 p.m. EDT at the opening of a 45-minute
window.
Two Russian Antonov An-124 cargo planes delivered the spacecraft to
French Guiana earlier this month, with Intelsat 33e arriving July 21
from its Boeing factory in El Segundo, California, and Intelsat 36
landing July 25 after a trip from Space Systems/Loral’s Palo Alto,
California, manufacturing plant. (7/31)
Eutelsat Projects Growth Despite
Near-Term Instability (Source: Space News)
Eutelsat is confident in its long-term growth prospects despite
near-term instability. The company said Friday it is forecasting a
decline in revenue of up to 3 percent in its new fiscal year, which
ends in June 2017, before a return to growth in 2018. The company had
projected that revenue decline in May, unsettling the industry, but
officials said it did not reflect a long-term trend. Eutelsat also said
Friday it would take several more months to negotiate a sale of its
stake in Spanish operator Hispasat and finalize a joint venture with
ViaSat for Ka-band broadband services. (8/1)
Japan Plans Microsat Launcher From
Upgraded Suborbital Rocket (Source: Nikkei)
Japan is converting a sounding rocket into a vehicle designed to launch
cubesats. A version of the SS-520 sounding rocket should be ready to
launch cubesats as soon as December, pending a safety certification
expected to be granted in October. The first payload will be a
three-kilogram satellite developed by the University of Tokyo that will
go into an elliptical orbit at an altitude of about 200 kilometers.
(8/1)
Russia About to Drastically Boost Its
Orbital Surveillance Capabilities (Source: Sputnik)
A new type of advanced surveillance satellites will soon bolster the
reconnaissance capabilities of the Russian Aerospace Forces. The
mainstay of the new space surveillance system will be the new 14F156
Razdan satellites, which are expected to replace the existing 14F137
Persona craft.
Several sources in Russian industrial and military circles have told
the newspaper Kommersant that the Russian Aerospace Forces and the
Progress State Research and Production Rocket Space Center are already
discussing the specifics of engineering Razdan satellites. (7/29)
Humanity in Dire Need of Global System
to Prevent In-Space Collisions (Source: Sputnik)
According to a recent analysis, the number of satellites orbiting the
Earth has increased 40% in the past five years, currently standing at
almost 1,400 known devices. Tech companies struggling to cope with the
soaring demands of the communications industry are regularly sending
new satellites into space. One Web, for example, intends to build and
launch some 650 small satellites by 2019.
"There are potential constellations of well over 5,000 additional
satellites that have been announced." The increased number of orbiting
satellites could result in collisions in space as they feed a growing
cloud of space debris circling the Earth. Tom Stroup suggests that a
system to regulate satellite placement, as well as use, would
dramatically lessen the physical risks of accidents in space for
rapidly expanding communication markets. (7/28)
Roscosmos May Supply Components for
Iranian Satellites (Source: Sputnik)
Russia's Roscosmos space corporation might receive an order for the
supply of components for Iranian satellites, Russian Minister of
Communications and Mass Media Nikolai Nikiforov said Thursday. Earlier
in the day, Nikiforov and Iranian Minister of Communication Mahmoud
Vaezi met in Moscow and discussed a number of issues. (7/29)
Researchers Measure, Monitor and
Mitigate Potential Health Risks of Long Duration Spaceflight
(Source: Space Daily)
Biomedical research that aims to prevent heart disease is an important
part of the NASA Human Research Program. One example is the Cardio Ox
study, which uses the unique microgravity environment of the
International Space Station to understand changes to the cardiovascular
system in astronauts living and working in low-Earth orbit. Click here.
(7/29)
China Begins Developing Hybrid
Spacecraft (Source: Xinhua)
China has launched a program to develop hybrid spacecraft. The vehicle
is expected to make space travel much cheaper if it proves successful.
According to China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, the
new vehicle will be powered by multiple engines in different phases of
the flight into orbit. These engines include turbine, ramjet and
rocket. The core technique is using the air's oxygen as an oxidiser to
create power. Researchers say the hybrid launch vehicle will be mainly
used for expeditions of between dozens to hundreds of kilometers from
the earth. (8/1)
No comments:
Post a Comment