September 25, 2017

No Rush to Determine ISS Fate Beyond 2024 (Source: Space News)
International Space Station partners are not in a rush to determine the station's post-2024 future. The leaders of NASA and other space agencies said at the International Astronautical Congress in Australia Monday that they have been in talks about the station's long-term future, but indicated no urgency in reaching a decision. The partners only finalized the extension of the station from 2020 to 2024 last year, when ESA ministers formally approved extending their role in the station. The agency leaders also said there have been discussions about roles in NASA's  Deep Space Gateway in cislunar space, which at this time remains only a proposal by NASA. (9/25)

Australia to Establish Space Agency (Source: Space News)
The government of Australia plans to finally establish a national space agency. The government announced Monday that it would move ahead with the agency even though a review of the country's space capabilities and needs is still ongoing. Few details about the agency's structure and mission have been disclosed, although it's expected to support regulatory and coordination issues. The announcement was made at the opening ceremonies of the 68th International Astronautical Congress, taking place this week in Adelaide. (9/25)

Smallsat Companies Join Forces for Spectrum Issues (Source: Space News)
A group of small satellite companies have established a new industry organization devoted to spectrum issues. The Commercial Smallsat Spectrum Management Association has 11 founding members, including smallsat operators and manufacturers, to address issues of radiofrequency spectrum management key to their companies but not addressed by other trade groups. Their initial focus will be an upcoming notice of proposed rulemaking by the FCC on smallsats and the 2019 World Radiocommunications Conference. (9/25)

Chinese Cargo Craft Reenters After Station Delivery (Source: GB Times)
China's Tianzhou-1 cargo spacecraft ended its mission Friday with a destructive reentry. The spacecraft reentered at around 6:00 a.m. Friday over the South Pacific, several days after undocking from the Tiangong-2 laboratory module. The spacecraft, a prototype of the cargo spacecraft that will support China's space station, launched in April and performed several docking and refueling tests with Tiangong-2. (9/25)

Absent a Broader Accord, International Partnerships to Address Orbital Debris (Source: Space News)
International cooperation in dealing with the growing problem or orbital debris is essential, a panel of experts argued, but said not to expect a comprehensive accord on the issue for the foreseeable future.

At a discussion about international approaches to orbital debris, organized by the Aerospace Corporation here Sept. 21, panelists from the United States and several other nations emphasized bilateral and multilateral approaches over comprehensive international accords, like a proposed International Code of Conduct for Outer Space Activities.

That proposed code, introduced by the European Union in 2008, included a number of provisions intended to reduce the chance of collisions and minimizing the creation of debris, either though accidental or deliberate actions. While the code had the support of some major space nations, including the United States, opposition from others has effectively blocked its progress. (9/25)

Reaction Engines Receives DARPA Contract for Precooler Tests, in Colorado (Source: Parabolic Arc)
Reaction Engines Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of Reaction Engines, has received a contract from DARPA to conduct high-temperature airflow testing in the U.S. of a Reaction Engines precooler test article called HTX. The precooler heat exchanger is a key component of the company’s revolutionary SABRE air-breathing rocket engine and has the potential to enable other precooled propulsion systems.

The primary HTX test objective is to validate precooler performance under the high-temperature airflow conditions expected during high-speed flights up to Mach 5. To support HTX testing, Reaction Engines is constructing a new high-temperature airflow test facility, located in Colorado. (9/25)

ARCA's Revolutionary Aerospike Engine Completed and Ready for Testing (Source: New Atlas)
ARCA Space Corporation has announced its linear aerospike engine is ready to start ground tests as the company moves towards installing the engine in its Demonstrator 3 rocket. Designed to power the world's first operational Single-Stage-To-Orbit (SSTO) satellite launcher, the engine took only 60 days to complete from when fabrication began.

Over the past 60 years, space launches have become pretty routine. The first stage ignites, the rocket lifts slowly and majestically from the launch pad before picking up speed and vanishing into the blue. Minutes later, the first stage shuts down and separates from the upper stages, which ignite and burn in turn until the payload is delivered into orbit. (9/25)

In Space Capsules, Little Room but Big Improvement (Source: LA Times)
Despite the sleek spaceships of sci-fi imaginings or the familiar winged body of the shuttle, engineers have returned to the seemingly clunky capsule again and again for a simple reason — it works. Boeing and SpaceX said they are confident their vehicles will fly next year, despite recent GAO reports noting that delays for the two companies have pushed the first test flights past the initial deadline.

The new spacecraft have a number of features that weren't available on earlier capsules: touch-screen displays, large windows, more powerful electronics and lighter materials.

The spacesuits that astronauts will wear also have been slimmed down. SpaceX has released several photos of its spacesuit, which Chief Executive Elon Musk said was tested to ensure astronauts would stay safe even if the pressure in the capsule dropped suddenly. Boeing's “Boeing blue” spacesuit is about 40 percent lighter than previous suits, and the gloves were specially designed to let astronauts interact with touch screens. (9/23)