September 24, 2017

NASA, Space Council, Shelby Get Shout-Outs From Trump in Alabama (Source: Space Policy Online)
President Trump gave shout-outs to NASA and the National Space Council during a political speech in Huntsville, AL last night, and credited Sen. Richard Shelby (R) for bringing billions of NASA dollars to the city. In a lengthy speech whose main purpose was to build support for Sen. Luther Strange (R) in a run-off election that will take place on Tuesday, Trump covered a lot of ground.

The space program got only a few seconds of attention, but the fact that it was mentioned at all is a sign of the importance that it has in Huntsville, home to the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC).  The speech was held in the city’s Von Braun Center named after legendary rocket engineer and visionary Wernher Von Braun who was the first director of MSFC (1960-1970). (9/23)

Musk May Have Bigger Plans for Boca Chica (Source: Rio Grande Guardian)
Eduardo A. Campirano, port director and CEO of the Port of Brownsville, says he would not be surprised to see Elon Musk announce even bigger plans for SpaceX’s rocket-launching site at Boca Chica. Campirano was asked to give an update on SpaceX’s plans for Boca Chica when chairing a Rio South Texas Economic Council meeting earlier this week.

“I know Elon Musk is expected to speak on the 29th and everyone holds their breath to see what he says. I think he has made some indications that there may be some bigger plans for Boca Chica than initially anticipated,” Campirano said, in response to a question from Mike Willis on the South Texas Manufacturers Association. (9/24)

'To Donald Trump,' by Leland Melvin, Former NASA Astronaut and NFL Player (Source:  Boing Boing)
I served my country not in the military, but as 1 of 362 American Astronauts that have explored the universe to help advance our civilization. Not just Americans, but all humans. I also was briefly in the NFL and stood for the National Anthem with my hand over my heart. What makes us great is our differences and respecting that we are all created equally even if not always treated that way.

Donald Trump, I listened to your Alabama rally rant and could not believe how easily you say what you say. We have become numb to your outlandish acts, tweets and recent retweet of you knocking down Hillary Clinton with a golf ball. Donald Trump, your boorish and disgusting actions are not funny. They actually promote violence when your followers act out what you say.

Today, you called Colin Kaepernick “a son-of-a-bitch.” You said he should be fired. You are calling his white mother a bitch. The strong contrast in [your] language for a black man and a Nazi is very telling. Do you have any sense of decency or shame in what you say to the American people? ...you are supposed to be a unifier and a compassionate and empathetic leader. Click here. (9/23)

An Accident On The Moon, Young Lawyers To The Rescue (Source: NPR)
When Alexia Boggs was applying to law school, she initially considered all the big specialties, but none of them seemed quite right. "I was looking for a field of law where none of my family could ever seek my help," she says, sarcastic but also not really joking.

She found what she was looking for in space law, and enrolled at the University of Mississippi School of Law, one of the two big space and aeronautical law programs in the U.S. This year's intercollegiate competition case is, in the broadest terms, about a traffic accident on the moon.

In the case, "there are two countries, Perovsk and Titan," says Boggs. "They're bordering countries. They share a common language and a common history." Both have space programs — in fact, they helped each other get to space, developing complimentary expertise in much the same way Russia and the U.S. work together to put astronauts in orbit. Click here. (9/22)

A New Way of Propelling Spacecraft May Open Up the Asteroid Belt (Source: The Economist)
In a paper presented to the European Planetary Science Congress on Sep. 19, they proposed that spacecraft equipped with their new propulsion system could make a round trip to the asteroid belt in little more than three years. A fleet of 50 such craft, weighing about 5kg each and thus capable of being launched by a single rocket, could visit 300 asteroids, survey them and return to Earth for a thrifty €60m ($72m) or so, including the cost of launch. Click here. (9/22)

Classified US Spy Satellite Launched from California by ULA (Source: Washington Post)
A spy satellite for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office has been launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. A United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket carrying the classified NROL-42 satellite lifted off at 10:49 p.m. PDT Saturday. All systems were going well when the launch webcast concluded about three minutes into the flight. (9/24)

Scientists Urge Europe to Stick With "Armageddon"-style Asteroid Mission (Source: Universe Today)
For decades, scientists have known that in near-Earth space there are thousands of comets and asteroids that periodically cross Earth’s orbit. These Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) are routinely tracked by NASA’s Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) to make sure that none pose a risk of collision with our planet. Various programs and missions have also been proposed to divert or destroy any asteroids that might pass too closely to Earth in the future.

One such mission is the Asteroid Impact & Deflection Assessment (AIDA), a collaborative effort between NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA). Recently, the ESA announced that it would be withdrawing from this mission due to budget constraints. But this past Wednesday (Sep. 20), during the European Planetary Science Conference in Riga, a group of international scientists urged them to reconsider. (9/23)

Broward College a Frequent Flyer in NASA Space Program (Source: Sun Sentinel)
Broward College regularly cooks up experiments that are out of this world — literally. Students will spend this semester preparing equipment for rocket mission sponsored by NASA, continuing what has become two decades of tradition for the college.

“Twenty years ago they told us there was no way that a community college would get something on the space shuttle and we didn’t believe them,” said Professor Rolando Branly. “We worked hard and we did it.” The college’s projects take flight about every two years, paid for by NASA as a way to advance space exploration and stoke the private market for rocket-powered vessels and spacecraft. (9/22)

National Space Club Honors Florida Space Industry Workers (Source: Florida Today)
The National Space Club Florida Committee this week recognized the efforts of local and state workers during its monthly luncheon held in Cape Canaveral. Three "Lifetime Achievement" awards, or recognition of longtime Florida residents who have made significant contributions to the space industry, were distributed. One "Rising Star" award was given to the above-and-beyond accomplishments of a young achiever. Click here. (9/23)

Dreams of 'Moon Village' Shape Up at Riga Meeting (Source: The Japan Times)
By 2040, 100 people will live on the moon, melting ice for water, 3-D printing homes and tools, eating plants grown in lunar soil, and competing in low-gravity “flying” sports. To those who mock such talk as science fiction, experts such as Bernard Foing, ambassador of the European Space Agency-driven “Moon Village” project, reply the goal is not only reasonable but feasible too.

At a European Planetary Science Congress in Riga this week, Foing spelled out how humanity could gain a permanent foothold on Earth’s satellite, and then expand. He likened it to the growth of the railways, when villages grew around train stations, followed by businesses.

By 2030, there could be an initial lunar settlement of six to 10 pioneers — scientists, technicians and engineers — which could grow to 100 by 2040, he predicted. Mere decades from now, “there may be the possibility to have children born on the moon,” he enthused. (9/23)

Boeing May Follow Northrop Grumman in Consolidation Space Race (Source: Bloomberg)
The Orbital acquisition, which would launch Northrop ahead of Lockheed Martin Corp. as the third-biggest NASA contractor, may have a ripple effect in the space, rocket and missile markets. Northrop’s purchase would add Orbital’s $1 billion in prime contracts at NASA and about $13.7 million in subcontracts. Boeing is the second-biggest NASA contractor, winning $2.1 billion in orders last year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg Government.

Caret didn’t say which companies Boeing might be interested in acquiring. Shares of Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings Inc., a rocket propulsion systems provider, rose 5.2 percent on Sept. 18, the day of Northrop’s announcement, their biggest move since Aug. 4. They increased by 3.1 percent yesterday to $31.75 in New York.

Aerojet, NASA’s 11th-biggest contractor, had $257 million in contracts with NASA and $180 million with DOD in fiscal 2016. The company could be an attractive target for acquisition because of some of the products and services it sells. (9/22)

Boeing Sees More ‘Excitement About Space’ Now Than in the Last Few Decades (Source: CNBC)
Boeing Defense, Space and Security division CEO Leanne Caret told CNBC that the aerospace giant is putting a new emphasis on space investment because of the rapidly changing landscape of the industry. Caret called the company's satellite business and space exploration two "key" opportunities to generate more growth.

Caret says Boeing's satellite business is getting more exciting, though she has not yet divulged details about how that part of her business is evolving. Boeing has long developed satellites about the size of a school bus, but the industry's push to downsize is putting new pressure on traditional manufacturers. Microsatellites, as small as a shoebox, are an integral part of commercial and military operators' recent push to cut the cost and size of satellites. (9/22)

Asteroid Mining Could Support Space Economies, Colonies (Source: CBC)
Why do we need to mine asteroids? Quite simply because the current economics of space flight are untenable. It costs approximately $10,000 US per kilogram every time we want to send something up to the International Space Station. Imagine $10,000 for a litre of water. Elon Musk and Space X are trying to cut those costs down by having reusable rockets, but still, the price is exorbitant. Click here. (9/23)

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