Embry-Riddle Researchers
Discover How Solar Winds Heat Ions Across Earth (Source:
ERAU)
A discovery made by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University researchers
about space plasma might help answer one of the burning questions in
solar physics: How is the sun’s corona heated? It could also someday
reveal a pathway tomaking clean nuclear fusion power a reality.
Katariina Nykyri, a physics professor, and Tommy Moore, a doctoral
student — both researchers at Embry-Riddle’s Center for Space and
AtmosphericResearch (CSAR) — published their findings on how solar wind
transfers energy across Earth’s magnetic field barrier in the September
2016 issue of Nature Physics.
Together with Andy Dimmock from Aalto University in Espoo, Finland,
they dug deep into sensor data from the European Space Agency’s Cluster
satellites to discover how solar wind interacting with Earth’s magnetic
field is responsible for heating particles in Earth’s magnetosphere.
Click here.
(4/12)
Telecom Wants To Revive
Challenge To $20B NASA Contract (Source: Law360)
A New Jersey telecom urged the Federal Circuit Monday to revive its bid
protest contesting its removal from an up-to $20 billion NASA IT
contract, arguing a Federal Claims judge improperly considered evidence
beyond the solicitation's “unambiguous” size standard. NASA's August
2013 solicitation clearly envisioned a small business set-aside portion
for contractors of no more than 500 employees if providing goods they
didn't personally manufacture, York Telecom Corp. said, meaning the
Federal Claims judge should not have looked to a Q&A to find a
“patent ambiguity”. (4/11)
Air Force Wants
Contractors to Defend Space Systems from Cyberattacks
(Source: C4ISRnet)
The Air Force is looking for defensive cyber operations contractor
support to protect space weapon systems. In a request for information
issued at the end of March, the 50th Network Operations Group, which
falls under the 50th Space Wing, is soliciting industry cyber defense
capabilities to enable protection, detection, response and sustainment
of 50th Space Wing cyber defense missions.
The notice was sure to note that 50th Space Wing Space Mission Systems
“are distinct from general purpose communications systems such as the
NIPRNet and the SIPRNet; the subject of this acquisition is
Cybersecurity and DCO for 50 SW Space Mission Systems.” (4/11)
'Blue Origin' Rocket
Engine's Future Rests on Upcoming Hot-Fire Tests (Source:
Defense News)
United Launch Alliance is set to make a decision this year on whether a
Blue Origin or Aerojet Rocketdyne engine should power its Vulcan launch
system. The outcome hinges on a series of hot-fire tests that will
prove whether Blue Origin’s BE4 works, ULA’s chief executive said.
"It’s a big decision, and you only get to make it once, and if you pick
the wrong engine it’s very difficult to come back from that, so we’re
going to be very, very careful,” said Tory Bruno. (4/11)
RD-180 Ban Thrusts
Russian Manufacturer Into Uncertain Future (Source:
Defense News)
Igor Komarov, director general of Roscosmos, painted a bright future
for the RD-180 and other Russian rocket propulsion systems. “We have
requests from some countries that are developing launchers and their
expertise in space,” he told reporters April 4. “We have requests to
sell engines. It's not just the United States. We have good relations,
good history for our sales and successful launches, very high
performance and statistics, very good statistics of these launches. No
one can complain.”
Komarov’s comments depict a rosy picture, but Energomash’s situation
may be more complicated, Russian space analysts told Defense News.
While Energomash’s takeover of Khrunichev State Research and Production
Space Center’s manufacturing facility in Perm, Russia, has brought in
new commercial business — mostly through sales of RD-276 engines for
the Proton-M launch vehicle — RD-180 sales still make up a large part
of the company’s revenue.
Energomash in 2014 earned revenues of about $113.9 million, or 4.4
billion rubles, said Pavel Luzin, a space policy expert at Perm
University in Russia. The company actually operated at a loss that year
of about $30.4 million, or 1.7 billion rubles. The next year,
Energomash’s revenue rose to $192.5 million, and it made a $26 million
profit. The explanation for the sudden profitability is simple, Luzin
said. After Khrunichev transferred its Perm plant to Energomash in
October, it made money from the sale of 48 RD-278 engines produced
there. (4/11)
ZERO-G Plans 17 More
Florida Flights in 2017 (Source: ZERO-G)
ZERO-G's manifest of flights in 2017 currently includes 17
Florida-based microgravity missions, with six flying from Miami and 11
from Orlando. Four of the Orlando flights are planned for researchers
and all the others are for tourism/entertainment. Click here to view the
manifest. (4/11)
Italy's Avio Goes Public
(Source: Bloomberg)
Italian launch vehicle company Avio started trading on the Milan stock
exchange Monday. Shares in Avio rose 11 percent in the first day of
trading Monday on the Borsa Italiana before falling back. Avio listed
on the exchange after a merger with investment vehicle Space2 SpA and
the departure of private-equity funds. Avio, which is the prime
contractor for the Vega small launch vehicle and part of the Ariane 6
program, believes being publicly listed will make it easier for the
company to access capital for future programs. (4/11)
Harris CapRock Exec Joins
Global Eagle (Source: Space News)
The chief financial officer of Harris CapRock has joined satellite
connectivity company Global Eagle. Paul Rainey because CFO of Global
Eagle earlier this month, filling a position vacated in February by Tom
Severson, who departed the company abruptly with CEO Dave Davis. Rainey
arrives at Global Eagle as the company faces a near-term threat to its
Nasdaq listing because of the delayed filing of its 2016 financial
results. (4/11)
Climate Data Gap Could
Result From NASA Funding Cuts (Source: New York Times)
Scientists are worried that proposed cuts to NASA's Earth science
programs could create a climate data gap. Last month's budget proposal
included terminating four planned or operational missions designed at
least in part to collect climate-related data. Scientists were worried
even before the new administration took office about the potential loss
of climate data, in part because of a perceived gap in the
responsibilities of NASA and NOAA to study climate and weather. (4/11)
Space Shuttle Tile Stolen
From NASA Kennedy Space Center (Source: Popular Mechanics)
A thermal tile designed for the Space Shuttle was stolen from the
Shuttle Atlantis's display exhibit at NASA Kennedy Space Center on
Sunday April 9, according to freelance photographer Brandon Thonen who
has worked on projects at NASA Kennedy before and is familiar with the
situation. "It was never used on a shuttle, it was just for training
purposes," Thonen told Popular Mechanics.
The thermal plate is a 6-inch square black tile encased in plexiglass
that is used at Kennedy Space Center for educational purposes. It has
serial number VT70—191 with three additional digits that are unknown. A
Space Shuttle tile matching this description on eBay or for sale
elsewhere online should be treated with suspicion and possibly reported
to the authorities. (4/11)
Space Coast Scientist
Wants to Study Sun Closer (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
A decorated NASA physicist based in Melbourne wants to get us closer to
the sun. A project pitched by Robert Youngquist, who in 2009 became the
first Kennedy Space Center Engineer/Scientist of the Year, landed on a
list of 22 grants being awarded by NASA. His project would research the
development of a high-temperature coating that would reflect up to 99.9
percent of the sun’s radiation.
The increase in launches on the Space Coast from companies like SpaceX
and United Launch Alliance has encouraged scientists, Youngquist said.
"It does help us,” he said. “When you have all of these different
companies launching, the general excitement level and number of
applications we can work on goes up.”
If developed, Youngquist’s project would be placed on a spacecraft that
could travel closer to the sun than any other craft has reached. “We
want to understand this great ball of energy,” he said. “You can only
make certain measurements by getting close. There are a lot of things
we don’t understand about the sun.” (4/11)
A Celebration of Life,
for Dr. David Webb (Source: SPACErePORT)
Friends of Dr. David Webb have issued an open invitation to a
celebration of his life at 2:30 on April 22nd at the First Presbyterian
Church of New Smyrna Beach, Florida. (Directions can be found at http://firstpresbyteriannsb.com)
Webb, who was one of the 15 members of President Reagan’s National
Commission on Space, was an avid advocate on behalf of space
exploration and development. He was party to the founding of the
International Space University, Zero Gravity Corporation, and many
other organizations.
At the request of Dr. Buzz Aldrin, Webb created the graduate-level
Space Studies program at the University of North Dakota. Born in County
Tipperary, Republic of Ireland, Dr. Webb was an international outdoor
adventurer before becoming a career space advocate. He raced both cars
and motorcycles. He was a free-diving lobster fisherman, house-boy for
a millionaire, drove 18-wheeler trucks, served time on the original
build of the Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line, and worked with a
geologist for six months creating the first known map of the Arctic Red
River.
The ceremony will be informal, a mix of music chosen by Dr. Webb with
memories shared by those attending. After the ceremony, those who wish
to do so will adjourn to Nolan’s Pub at the intersection of Route 520
and A1A in Cocoa Beach. If you are able to join us, please contact
MoiraLynn Mefein, 386-212-0664, or mlmwriter@earthlink.net. If you are
unable to attend and would like to share your favorite Webb
recollections, email them to MoiraLynn (David’s companion for the last
16 years of his life) and your memories will be shared at the service.
(4/12)
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