September 21, 2017

NASA Calls for Ideas to Enhance Future Space Exploration with Next iTech Challenge (Source: NASA)
A new cycle of the NASA iTech initiative kicks off today with a call for technical solutions to fill gaps in areas identified as having a critical impact on future space exploration.

The request for a five-page white paper is the first phase of NASA iTech Cycle 3, part of a collaborative initiative to find and foster innovative solutions from small and large businesses, universities, non-profits, U.S. government organizations outside of NASA and undiscovered inventors. Inventors and entrepreneurs can enter NASA iTech Cycle 3 at the NASA iTech website through Oct. 20, 2017. (9/15)

Air Force Plans New Launch System Procurement (Source: Space News)
A long-awaited U.S. Air Force solicitation for future launch systems will soon be released. Lt. Gen. Arnold Bunch, head of Air Force procurement, said at the Air, Space and Cyber conference this week that the Launch Services Agreement request for proposals will be released "soon," with plans to select either two or three vehicles for prototype development.

Orbital ATK, SpaceX and ULA are all expected to compete. Bunch added that the Air Force has no plans to ask Congress to purchase additional RD-180 engines that power the Atlas 5. Editor's Note: Don't forget Blue Origin. And this could be the opportunity Orbital ATK (with Northrop Grumman) is waiting for to develop the Liberty-like vehicle -- based on the SLS solid rocket motor -- that would launch from LC-39B. (9/21)

With SpaceX Launches, Landings, and Automated Flight Safety, USAF Revises Mindset at Eastern Range (Source: Space News)
SpaceX has forced the Air Force to revisit how it manages launch operations. Brig. Gen. Wayne Monteith, commander of the 45th Space Wing at Cape Canaveral, said that the company launches "on readiness" rather than on a fixed schedule. This has forced the Eastern Range to become more efficient and more affordable, he said, allowing it to accommodate more launches. An autonomous flight safety system SpaceX developed with the Air Force will allow the Eastern Range to handle up to 48 launches a year. Click here. (9/21) 

Why Russian Billionaire Yuri Milner Is Spending $100 Million On A Mission With Slim Odds Of Success (Source: Forbes)
Billionaire tech investor Yuri Milner wants to use a giant laser to blast small silicon chips deep into space. He’s trying “to answer one of the most existential questions,” he said at an annual Forbes 400 Summit on Philanthropy. “Are we alone in the universe?”

Last year Milner funded a $100 million “Breakthrough Starshot” project to test the feasibility of the light-sail approach. He brought on Stephen Hawking and Mark Zuckerberg as board members. It’s an unusual cause to take on, even for a Silicon Valley mogul, and the potential payoff would be decades away. “Philanthropy is a very broad space. 99% of it should focus on what people need today,” he said. “At the same time, there should be a relatively small amount — less than 1% — that would explore more outward kinds of things.”

Breakthrough Starshot aims to send small, 1.4 by 1.4-inch devices containing cameras and transmitters to the closest star system to Earth, Alpha Centauri. It’s four light years — or 25 trillion miles — away. To get there, Milner wants to use a laser that would need to be an astonishing one kilometer by one kilometer in size. (9/21)

Monteith: SpaceX Has Flipped the Cape's Launch Paragigm (Source: IBD)
Monteith said 13 years ago the Air Force had one commercial space launch and seven military launches. Next year, it plans to have 35 launches, with 28 of them commercial. "The paradigm has completely shifted. We have to adopt commercial business practices. We have to be innovative. We have to be affordable and accessible." (9/21)

Musk Has an Update on His Mars Colony Plans (Source: CNet)
Musk announced his scheme, which focused largely on the rockets and spacecraft that could transport people to Mars rather than the Martian colony itself, at the IAC event last year. Then, over the summer, Musk revealed that the plan has "evolved quite a bit." Specifically, he said in an interview that the size of the vehicles that may ferry Mars pioneers has been decreased somewhat to make it less expensive.

The revised design could be capable of performing missions for Earth orbit as well as Mars. "Maybe we can pay for it by using it for Earth orbit activity. That's one of the key elements of the new architecture," he said. He later explained via Twitter that reducing the diameter of the vehicles would also allow them to fit in current SpaceX factories.

Musk held off on publishing the revised plan and design in order to present it in person at this year's IAC gathering in Australia on the last day of the conference, Sep. 29. The IAC meeting is also set to include the latest on Lockheed Martin's vision for a Mars Base Camp designed to support NASA's plans to send astronauts to the fourth planet using the upcoming Space Launch System and Orion capsule. (9/21)

Chinese-Owned New Zealand Dairy Farm Space Program Attracts Scrutiny (Source: Stuff)
The choice of an Ashburton farm for a Chinese space program has been highlighted in a research paper by Anne-Marie Brady, Canterbury University specialist in Chinese affairs. Brady said New Zealand was useful to China's near-space exploration research "as it expands its long range precision missiles, as well as having civilian applications".

Chinese company KuangChi Science used one of Shanghai Pengxin's farms near Ashburton for the launch of China's first near-space commercial program called Traveler in June 2015. The launch of the near-space balloon was described in a Stuff article at the time as a test to deliver broadband.

Brady's research paper outlined China's policy of "soft influence" and political and business relationships including former Prime Minister John Key's Parnell house sale in September to a Chinese buyer. "The property was sold for $20 million, well above market rates for the area, to an undisclosed Chinese buyer," Brady said. (9/21)

Houston NASA Chief: If Trump Wants 'We're Very Well Set Up' to Go to the Moon (Source: Houston Chronicle)
At a recent Rice University event in Houston, one of NASA's top chiefs was asked about the potential pivot from Mars to moon. "If we do see an administration that decides to make a little bit of a turn and focus a little bit more on the moon, I think we're very well set up to do it," said Ellen Ochoa, NASA's Johnson Space Center director, according to Berger.

"It's not at all incompatible with what we're doing," she said. Ochoa said NASA has left a lot of options open and that a variety of missions are possible, including a return to the moon. (9/21)

Aussie Astronaut Calls for Establishment of National Space Agency (Source: Xinhua)
The second Australian to ever venture into space has called for the country to establish its own space agency. Andrew Thomas, an Australian-born National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) astronaut, told the 68th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Adelaide that Australia should look to play a leading role in space tourism.

"I hope Australia will seize the opportunity and start participating deeply," Thomas, who went on four NASA trips to space between 1996 and 2005, told the congress on Wednesday night. "We need to make a very sound business case for it." "The space sector worldwide is worth something like (320 billion U.S. dollars) and it's growing at 8 percent a year," Thomas said. (9/21)

Aussie State Govt Launches its Own Space Industry Center (Source: InDaily)
Launched today, the South Australian Space Industry Centre is an expansion of Defence SA’s Space Industry Office and aims to drive space industry innovation, research and entrepreneurial development.

Earlier this week Cabinet created an expanded portfolio of Defense and Space Industries for minister Martin Hamilton-Smith. The space center will support South Australia’s emerging space industry by providing grant funding of up to $1 million each year to space entrepreneurs, along with new and existing space startups. (9/21)

Sean Penn to Star in Hulu's Upcoming Mars Drama (Source: Mashable)
Sean Penn is making the move to streaming. The Academy Award winning actor is set to star in Hulu's upcoming original drama series, The First, which will follow the first human mission to Mars. The series — by House of Cards creator Beau Willimon — will depict the challenges a group of astronauts face while trying to achieve interplanetary colonization, while following the lives of their loved ones on Earth and the ground team overseeing the mission. (9/21)

Space Radiation is Risky Business for the Human Body (Source: NASA)
While people protect their eyes from the sun's radiation during a solar eclipse, NASA's Human Research Program (HRP) is working to protect the whole human body from radiation in space. Space radiation is dangerous and one of the primary health risks for astronauts.

"Determining astronaut health consequences following radiation exposure involve very complex processes," said Tony Slaba, Ph.D., NASA research physicist. "It's difficult to quantify exactly how radiation is interacting with tissues and cells -- and more complicated to quantify and determine what long-term outcomes are going to be in terms of the potential diseases and biological system effects."

Virtually any cell in the body is susceptible to radiation damage. The HRP is concerned with long-term health consequences of radiation exposure such as cancer, as well as adverse effects to the central nervous and cardiovascular systems. (9/21)

Hubble Observes Unusual Asteroid Pair with Comet-Like Coma and Tail (Source: Hobby Space)
With the help of the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, a German-led group of astronomers have observed the intriguing characteristics of an unusual type of object in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter: two asteroids orbiting each other and exhibiting comet-like features, including a bright coma and a long tail. This is the first known binary asteroid also classified as a comet. (9/21)

Tougher, Shinier Mirrors Boost Telescope Power (Source: Cosmos)
The world’s big astronomical telescopes could soon all get a performance upgrade without the need for installing bigger mirrors, thanks to a collaboration between materials scientists and astronomers at the University of California, Santa Cruz. One key property of the mirrors used in astronomical telescopes is, of course, reflectiveness. Another, however, is durability – and the intersection of the two represents a trade-off.

Most big telescopes use mirrors coated in aluminium, which is a comparatively tough material that can survive the sometimes harsh environments in which observatories are situated, as well as being able to withstand the potentially damaging effects of being manhandled. Silver makes for a much more efficient mirror because it is much more reflective. However, it is also fragile, and prone to damage and corrosion.

Tackling this problem after a conversation with a despairing astronomer, the researchers formulated a tough but ultra-thin coating that can keep silver protected without reducing or distorting its reflective properties. The team formulated several new alloys, using various combinations of fluoride, magnesium and aluminium oxides. These were then deposited on a silver surface, using an electron beam, in a molecule-by-molecule process called atomic layer deposition. (9/21)

Work on China's Mission to Mars 'Well Underway' (Source: Yahoo7 News)
China's program to launch a mission to Mars in 2020 is "well underway", its top planner said Wednesday as the country moves forward with its ambitious space program. The probe will carry 13 types of payload including six rovers. "The payloads will be used to collect data on the environment, morphology, surface structure and atmosphere of Mars."

Editor's Note: What if China's Mars plans are being hyped only to convince the U.S. that NASA should invest billions to beat China to Mars, while China's real goal is to dominate lunar exploration and development? (9/21)

747 Adapted in Texas to Launch Satellites is Now Flying (Source: Dallas Observer)
A unique airplane called the Cosmic Girl landed at Texas State Technical College's airport in Waco earlier this year and parked inside one of the big hangars there. When it rolled out months later, the airplane was ready to launch a space rocket from under one wing while flying at high altitudes. Richard Branson's company, Virgin Orbit, delivered the 747-400 to defense contractor L-3 for conversion into a flying launch pad for small satellites. (9/21)

Experts Set to Meet in Kenya on Space Science (Source: Xinhua)
More than 200 scientists from across the world are set to attend a three-day international conference on space science in Nairobi next week. The Sept. 27-29 conference, organized by the Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD), is expected to offer opportunity for countries in fast tracking decision making in their application of earth observation and geo-spatial technologies in developing their decision making policy briefs. (9/21)

Six Firm Launch Contracts Booked with Arianespace (Source: Spaceflight Now)
Arianespace has received its first two confirmed launch contracts for Europe’s new Ariane 6 rocket, and the company recently announced four more launch bookings to loft communications and weather satellites into orbit aboard Ariane 5 and Soyuz boosters from French Guiana.

Two Ariane 6 rockets will launch pairs of Galileo navigation satellites between the end of 2020 and mid-2021, Arianespace said. The launch contractor signed the Galileo launch deal with the European Space Agency, which serves as a technical agent and developer for Europe’s navigation network on behalf of the European Commission. (9/21)

USAF Chief Bullish on Space, Smallsats, Cheap Launchers (Source: Space News)
The commanding general of the U.S. Air Force sees benefits from smallsats and low-cost launch. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein said Tuesday that the combination of those two developments will make it easier to deploy more sensors of the right type, networked together, to help forces on the ground. Goldfein also reiterated the Air Force's belief that it is the lead service for space activities. "We own space," he said. "It is who we are. It is based on the obligation we have." (9/20)

Lockheed Introduces New Satellite Products (Source: Space News)
Lockheed Martin announced a new line of satellite buses Tuesday that range from cubesats to large spacecraft. The buses, despite their wide range in size, use common components designed to reduce cost and speed production time. At the small end is the LM 50, a nanosatellite bus developed in partnership with Terran Orbital, a cubesat developer that Lockheed Martin took a stake in earlier this year. At the large end is the LM 2100, an updated version of its A2100 bus used primarily for large GEO satellites. (9/20)

Bridenstine Wins Shelby's Support (Source: Sen. Shelby)
The nominee to be NASA administrator has won the support of a key senator. In a tweet Tuesday, Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) said he met with Rep. Jim Bridenstine (R-OK), nominated earlier this month to lead the space agency. "I look forward to supporting him throughout this process," Shelby said. Shelby chairs the Senate appropriations subcommittee that funds NASA. (9/20)

Finnish Firm Markets Astronaut Training (Source: Space News)
A Finnish startup developing an online astronaut training program has signed on a marketing firm led by a former Apple executive. West, a San Francisco-based "venture studio," will help Space Nation with its rollout next year of its Astronaut Program, a smartphone app that will lead users through a series of challenges with the prospect of participating in full-fledged training and even suborbital spaceflight. West was founded by Allison Johnson, Apple's former vice president for marketing and communications. (9/20)

DOD Chief Supports New ICBM Development (Source: Space News)
The development of a new ICBM has the support of Secretary of Defense James Mattis. Maj. Gen. Anthony Cotton, commander of the 20th Air Force at Global Strike Command, said this week that Mattis sees the need for a new missile to replace the 50-year-old Minuteman, despite being skeptical about that need in the past. Global Strike Commander Gen. Robin Rand said "real problems" caused by North Korea's provocations and concerns about deterring Russia are helping build the case for what is known as the Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent program. (9/20)

Air Force Exploring Ways to Protect Satellite Networks from Cyberattacks (Source: Space News)
A future war in space is less likely to be fought with missiles than with electronic signals and malware. Such a prospect has unnerved Air Force leaders at a time when the military is growing increasingly dependent on space systems for essential missions.

The military is confident that its own spacecraft are tightly encrypted and unlikely to be taken down by hackers. It worries, however, about the vulnerability of commercial satellites that host military payloads. The Air Force is eyeing a possible fix: Adding encryption devices to payloads to protect them from tampering or hacking even if the satellite that hosts them comes under attack. (9/20)

Mattis Sees Need for New Space Programs (Source: Space News)
DOD Secretary James Mattis said he’s open to funding new  space programs if Congress delivers on the military spending hike the White House has sought. “In space, we need new starts in order to take advantage of what industry can deliver if we are willing to invest there,” Mattis said Sept. 20 during a keynote speech at the annual Air Force Association Air Space Cyber conference here.

Space is becoming a more dangerous military region, Mattis noted. “In outer space,” he said, “we used to consider it a sanctuary.” But now, he said, adversaries are challenging the U.S. in that domain as they are in others. “It is contested.” One particular area that relies heavily on space-related systems is national nuclear deterrence and Mattis spoke of the need to maintain the robust capability. (9/20)

Space Industry Awaits Air Force Decisions on Future Launch Services (Source: Space News)
A long-awaited solicitation for industry bids on future space launch services will be out “soon,” said Air Force procurement chief Lt. Gen. Arnold Bunch. Much is at stake for the space industry in how the Air Force proceeds with a “launch services agreement” that has been in the works for months.

Bidders already have commented on an earlier draft request for proposals and are now awaiting the final RFP. “We want to get the real RFP out to industry,” Bunch told reporters Tuesday at the Air Force Association’s Air Space Cyber conference. (9/20)

Air Force Reserve Grooming Space Warriors (Source: Space News)
Air Force leaders generally agree that the service will need more skills in three key areas: space, cyber and intelligence. Where that talent will come from is still a matter of debate. Lt. Gen. Maryanne Miller, chief of Air Force Reserve, says many of the specialized space and cyber operators the Air Force hopes to add to its ranks are likely to be part-time reservists.

Miller recently sat down with Gen. John Raymond, commander of Air Force Space Command, to discuss this very topic. The command is leading a long-term project to sharpen space warfare skills in the Air Force and prepare for future wars against peer competitors.

A central challenge that Raymond faces, said Miller, is “How do you take the space domain and convert it into a war fighting environment?” There is no simple answer to that question, Miller said. (9/20)

Water Disputes Suggest Need for Australian Space Agency (Source: The Conversation)
An independent report into allegations of water theft and corruption in the Murray-Darling Basin has recommended fundamental reforms to the system. Solutions suggested in the report focus on the state of New South Wales, and involve metered pumps and public access to information.

Others have proposed a space-based solution: wide application of “random audits” of water meters by an independent monitoring system: satellites. But what if we went further. Forget the random audits – why not use satellites to monitor everywhere in the Murray-Darling Basin, all the time? It’s another argument supporting Australia’s need of a space agency. (9/20)