September 19, 2017

Iran Plans to Join 2 APSCO Projects (Source: Financial Tribune)
I ran is set to expand collaboration with the Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization and join two of its existing projects. The Minister of Communications and Information Technology Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi said, "Iran is ready to join two major APSCO projects namely, APOSOS and DSSP," the official website of the ministry reported.

He made the remarks in a meeting with the Secretary General of APSCO Li Xinjun in Tehran over the weekend. APOSOS (Asia-Pacific ground-based Optical Space Observation),which is based in China started its space activities in 2008 focusing on educating and training human resources, executing joint programs in space and outer space and using satellites.

APSCO’s DSSP (Data Sharing Service Platform) is another project proposed to member states in 2005. The aim of the project is to build a data sharing platform and provide full service of the space applications and space technology to maximize the level of spatial information application techniques to support  demands like geological support. (9/18)

Prestwick Spaceport Dream is 'Closer Than Ever' (Source: Daily Record)
The dream to launch rockets from Prestwick is “closer than ever,” airport bosses this week insisted. As talks progress to secure key funding for the visionary project, officials insist they are better placed than at any point to put craft into space.

And they say their plans could now be brought “to fruition” within the next year. Prestwick has become favourite to land Europe’s first ever Spaceport licence, with orbiting craft set for take-off as early as 2020. Airport chiefs admit the plans have been viewed with scepticism by some – but say the time to believe is now. (9/18)

Vietnam, Japan Seal Satellite Data Exchange Deal (Source: Vietnam Plus)
The Vietnam National Space Centre under the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) signed an agreement on satellite data exchange in Hanoi on September 18.

The pact aims to assist the DataCube programme in Vietnam, which is an earth-observation-satellite database used for the development of other applications to monitor paddies, forests and water quality. The JAXA will provide its ScanSAR ALOS-2 images capturing the Vietnamese territory and research projects. (9/18)

Mercury 13 Women Were Ready for Space, But NASA Never Gave Them a Chance (Source: Houston Press)
At age 12, Geraldyn “Jerrie” Cobb persuaded her father to teach her to fly, zipping over Wichita Falls, Texas, in a two-seater made of cloth and aluminum poles. At 18 she held a commercial pilot’s license. By the time she was 29 she was a flight instructor, had ferried dozens of army surplus planes to Europe and South America, had amassed more than 10,000 hours of flying time and had broken three world records for flight.

When she was 14, Sarah Ratley stole her older sister’s birth certificate to convince her flight instructor she was old enough to fly solo. She fell in love with it because the first flight she ever took, she looked down and saw her Kansas high school, her town, and it all looked so small. When she was in a plane, it didn’t matter that she was good at math and didn’t fit in at school.

These women, some of the top female pilots in the United States, were not anomalies. The pool was a small one compared to the number of men who flew planes, but when Dr. Randolph Lovelace, a pioneer in aeromedicine, decided to select female pilots to undergo the physical testing to become astronaut candidates, he still had more than 700 to choose from. Click here. (9/19)

Northrop Bulks Up Missile Business on $7.8 Billion Orbital Deal (Source: Bloomberg)
Northrop Grumman Corp.’s $7.8 billion purchase of Orbital ATK Inc. will expand its space and missile businesses just as the U.S. steps up efforts to defend against a possible strike by North Korea and threats in the Middle East. The deal cements a turnaround for Northrop, which had been the target of breakup speculation before it scored an upset win in 2015 to build the next U.S. stealth bomber.

The transaction, the largest in the defense industry in two years, adds rocket propulsion, missile-defense and satellite expertise to Northrop’s capabilities as a major U.S. weapons maker. Buying Orbital would make Northrop the fourth-largest Pentagon contractor, displacing Raytheon. Editor's Note: So how much is it? $7.8 billion, $8 billion, or $9.2 billion? (9/19)

Why Defense Giant Northrop Just Paid $8 Billion For Space Company Orbital ATK (Source: Popular Mechanics)
There is more at stake here than a business takeover story. Northrop is trying to capitalize on global trends that run the gamut from inspiring to disconcerting. To unpack this deal, you have to start with the players. Orbital ATK has a current contract to supply the International Space Station with cargo by launching its Antares rocket and Cygnus capsule from Wallops Island, VA.

The firm also has a comfortable niche making rockets and missiles for the Pentagon. Meanwhile, Northrop Grumman's idea of a niche is building a new stealth bomber to replace the B-2—it won the B-21 bomber program last year. They play big, and they often win. But the big defense contractor is not that strong in the thing that Orbital has: space rockets and missile motors.

So, as Grumman's chief executive pointed out on an investor call on Monday, there "is not a lot of overlap" between the two companies. Like two puzzle pieces, they fit together—which is all fine and good. But that alone doesn't mean motivate a company to plunk down $8 billion to buy a firm. Northrop wanted Orbitals proven expertise, and wanted it now. But why? Click here. (9/19)

Aussie Start-Up Develops 'Petrie Dish' for Space (Source: In Daily)
South Australian start-up Research Sat has developed a prototype of its 3D-printed titanium box, associated quartz glass slides and microchips to transmit data that fits neatly into a miniature satellite. The commercial off-the-shelf product, which is effectively a space petrie dish, is suitable for microbiology, physics and chemistry research and could dramatically reduce the cost of conducting experiments in microgravity environments. (9/19)

NASA Needs To Better Oversee Drone Inventory, OIG Says (Source: Law 360)
NASA has made significant contributions to the development of a framework to allow the operation of unmanned aircraft systems, or drones, in U.S. airspace, but its oversight of its own UAS inventory is patchy and needs work, a watchdog said in a Monday report. (9/18)

US Still Fighting Boeing Subsidy Ruling At WTO (Source: Law 360)
Despite scoring a near-total win in the European Union’s World Trade Organization challenge of subsidies and tax breaks given to aircraft titan Boeing, the U.S. government has nevertheless lodged an appeal looking to undo adverse portions of the decision, according to WTO documents circulated Monday. (9/18)

Canada Won't Do Business with Boeing While It's 'Busy Trying to Sue Us,' Trudeau Says (Source: CBC)
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau dropped the gloves Monday in his fight with Boeing, saying the government won't do business with a company that he's accusing of attacking Canadian industry and trying to put aerospace employees out of work.

Trudeau's broadside represents the strongest Canadian rhetoric yet against the U.S. aerospace giant since Boeing launched a trade dispute with Montreal-based rival Bombardier earlier this year. It also leaves little doubt that the Liberals are serious about walking away from a controversial plan to purchase 18 so-called "interim" Super Hornet fighter jets from Boeing if the company doesn't stand down. (9/19)

'Bourne' Wannabe Gets 5 Years For Selling Satellite Secrets (Source: Law 360)
An ex-defense contractor employee with an affinity for Jason Bourne and other spy characters who tried to sell sensitive satellite information to a buyer he believed to be Russian was sentenced in California federal court Monday to five years in prison, prosecutors said. (9/18)

Seraphim Launches $95 Million Venture Capital Space Fund (Source: Space News)
UK-based venture fund manager Seraphim Capital has launched a dedicated 70 million British pounds  ($95 million) fund that will support innovative companies developing Earth-observation technologies and data-driven applications.

The Seraphim Space Fund will also support other technologies that generate “data from above” such as drones, said Mark Boggett, Seraphim Capital’s chief executive officer. (9/19)

Wargaming Tool Sharpens space Domain Focus (Source: Space News)
As the U.S. Air Force looks to hone its recently issued warfighting operational concepts for space, Lockheed Martin has developed a digital battle manager that promises to integrate the domain into overall planning to a much greater degree than before. Called the Multi-Domain Command and Control system, the manager can link various air, ground, sea and space systems for real-time analysis and action, Lockheed Martin officials say. (9/18)

Bridenstine Outlines Challenges He Foresees for NASA (Source: Space News)
The nominee to be the next administrator of NASA says that he believes the agency’s top challenges include maintaining “consistency and constancy of purpose” that can support long-term plans, while building up international and commercial relationships.

Those opinions were expressed by Rep. Jim Bridenstine (R-OK), formally nominated Sept. 5 to be NASA administrator, in a questionnaire he submitted to the Senate Commerce Committee. Click here. (9/18)

Arecibo Observatory Closes as Hurricane Maria Threatens Puerto Rico (Source: Space.com)
The Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico will cease observations today (Sep. 18) through Thursday (Sep. 21) and keep its visitor center closed through Sep. 28, due to the impending arrival of Hurricane Maria, officials said today on Twitter. (9/18)

World's Smallest Spacecraft Is Prelude to Enormous Voyage (Source: NBC News)
In pursuit of one of space exploration’s biggest dreams — sending a spacecraft to a nearby star system to look for evidence of alien life — Breakthrough Starshot is putting its faith in the very small. The $100-million R&D initiative recently launched into Earth orbit multiple copies of what it calls the world’s smallest fully functional space probe.

Called Sprites, the experimental space vehicles weigh only four grams and measure 3.5 by 3.5 centimeters. But despite the small package — each device is built on a single chip — the Sprites are equipped with solar panels, computers, sensors, and radios. And they’re seen as a big deal by leading astronomers. Click here. (9/18)

New Climate Change Calculations Could Buy the Earth Some Time — If They’re Right (Source: Washington Post)
A group of prominent scientists on Monday created a potential whiplash moment for climate policy, suggesting that humanity could have considerably more time than previously thought to avoid a “dangerous” level of global warming.

The upward revision to the planet’s influential “carbon budget” was published by a number of researchers who have been deeply involved in studying the concept, making it all the more unexpected. But other outside researchers raised questions about the work, leaving it unclear whether the new analysis — which, if correct, would have very large implications — will stick. (9/19)

Northrop Grumman to Acquire Orbital ATK (Source: Space News)
Northrop Grumman will acquire Orbital ATK in a $9.2 billion deal announced Monday morning. Northrop will pay $7.8 billion in cash and assume $1.4 billion in debt for Orbital ATK, which will become a separate division of Northrop. The companies emphasized the complementary nature of the deal, noting Orbital's strengths in launch vehicles, propulsion and smaller satellites compared to Northrop's capabilities with larger satellites, aircraft and other defense systems. The deal is expected to close in the first half of 2018 after regulatory and shareholder approvals. (9/18)

Mars Research Crew Emerges After 8 Months of Isolation (Source: Washington Post)
Six NASA-backed research subjects who have been cooped up in a Mars-like habitat on a remote Hawaii volcano since January emerged from isolation Sunday. They devoured fresh-picked tropical fruits and fluffy egg strata after eating mostly freeze-dried food while in isolation and some vegetables they grew during their mission.

The crew of four men and two women are part of a study designed to better understand the psychological impacts a long-term space mission would have on astronauts. The data they produced will help NASA select individuals and groups with the right mix of traits to best cope with the stress, isolation and danger of a two-to-three year trip to Mars. (9/17)

The World is About to End — Again — if You Believe This Biblical Doomsday Claim (Source: Washington Post)
A few years ago, NASA senior space scientist David Morrison debunked an apocalyptic claim as a hoax. No, there’s no such thing as a planet called Nibiru, he said. No, it’s not a brown dwarf surrounded by planets, as iterations of the claim suggest. No, it’s not on a collision course toward Earth. And yes, people should “get over it.”

But the claim has been getting renewed attention recently. Added to it is the precise date of the astronomical event leading to Earth’s destruction. And that, according to David Meade, is in six days — Sept. 23, 2017. Unsealed, an evangelical Christian publication, foretells the Rapture in a viral, four-minute YouTube video, complete with special effects and ominous doomsday soundtrack. It’s called “September 23, 2017: You Need to See This.”

Why Sept. 23, 2017? Meade’s prediction is based largely on verses and numerical codes in the Bible. He has homed in one number: 33. “Jesus lived for 33 years. The name Elohim, which is the name of God to the Jews, was mentioned 33 times [in the Bible],” Meade said. “It’s a very biblically significant, numerologically significant number. I’m talking astronomy. I’m talking the Bible … and merging the two.” And Sept. 23 is 33 days since the Aug. 21 total solar eclipse, which Meade believes is an omen. (9/17)

Curiosity Rover Captures Spectacular Images as It Climbs Toward a Mysterious Outcrop (Source: Gizmodo)
Over the past few days, NASA’s Curiosity rover has been making a steady climb towards a strange Martian ridge that’s captivated scientists since before the mission even started. Known as Vera Ridge after the pioneering astrophysicist Vera Rubin, the durable outcrop could shed new light on the environment and potential habitability of ancient Mars. Although the climb has proven a challenging one, Curiosity has managed to capture some spectacular photos along the way.

The Curiosity rover’s explorations have already shown that this region of Mars once hosted an ancient lake, which is seen as a potential sign of habitability, and a possible example of what Earth looked like in its primordial days. The iron-oxide-bearing Vera Ridge, which also contains clay and sulfate minerals, was named a “go-to target” by NASA before Curiosity made its landing on the Red Planet back in 2012. (9/17)

It Looks Like We Were Wrong About a Basic Property of Mars (Source: Gizmodo)
When you think about what makes a planet special, maybe you think about its size, its composition, how far it is from the Sun, and maybe how large its collection of apples is. You are probably not thinking about its density. But maybe you should be.

Scientists previously assumed, well, Mars is a big rocky planet, it’s probably kind of dense. But after a few calculations, one team of researchers in the United States made a new model of just how dense Mars’ crust is, with the hope that it could elucidate the makeup of the planet’s rocky surface. Turns out, it’s lighter than they assumed.

How light? The researchers estimated a density of around 2580 kilograms per meter cubed, or 2.58 grams per cubic centimeter. That’s even lighter than the Earth’s continental crust at 2.7 grams per cubic center. (9/17)

Dragon Departs ISS (Source: SpaceFlight Now)
A SpaceX Dragon spacecraft returned to Earth Sunday after a month at the International Space Station. The Dragon was unberthed from the station and released at 4:40 a.m. Eastern, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean southwest of Los Angeles about five and a half hours later. The Dragon, launched to the station in mid-August, brought back more than 1,700 kilograms of experiments and other cargo from the station. (9/17)

India Moving Toward PSLV Return to Flight (Source: The Hindu)
India is planning to resume launches of its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) by December after a launch failure last month. A.S. Kiran Kumar, chairman of the Indian space agency ISRO, said Friday that the agency would soon release the report on the Aug. 31 launch failure, where the PSLV's payload fairing failed to separate. That failure resulted in the loss of a navigation satellite. He said he expected PSLV launches to resume in November or December. (9/18)

Chinese Space Official Gets New Military Tech Post (Source: Reuters)
A Chinese space program official has been promoted to run a key department in the People's Liberation Army (PLA). China's defense ministry announced that Li Shangfu will be the new head of the PLA's Equipment Development Department, responsible for development of military technologies. Li was previously director of the Xichang Satellite Launch Center, one of China's major launch sites. (9/18)