October 12, 2017

When Going to Space Becomes Your Normal Commute (Source: CNET)
Astronaut training companies that specifically cater to commercial clients are beginning to crop up, heralding a shift in the demographics of human spaceflight. Only 554 astronauts have visited space as of October 2017, and the vast majority of them represent federal space agencies like NASA, Roscosmos, or the European Space Agency. They are selected based on their aptitude to complete the scientific and engineering objectives of those governmental organizations, and are also generally viewed as role models for their home countries.

Commercial astronauts may be graded on completely different criteria, and their lifestyles and duties in space could vary significantly from those of the crews on the International Space Station (ISS). Science fiction has already flirted with this distinction in films like "Alien," which takes place on the commercial space freighter "Nostromo," or "Moon," set on a helium-3 mining base on the lunar surface owned by a company with unorthodox employee contract terms.

The coming diversification of the astronaut population beyond governmental employees will no doubt alter the image and experience of the spacefaring profession. Once emerging commercial space industries like space tourism or interplanetary mining start to materialize, it might be more common to see people with backgrounds in hospitality or industrial labor take to the orbital lifestyle. (10/11)

Space Travel's Existential Question (Source: The Atlantic)
Have we become too squeamish about the inevitable human cost of exploration? After each fatal incident, the nation has responded with shock and grief. These explorers—our explorers, Earth’s explorers—paid for that exploration with their lives. Questions arose. Some—How did this happen?—are left to inspectors and investigators. But others—How big a cost are humans willing to bear to leave the planet?—lie in the public domain. The answers seem to have changed throughout the decades, as space travel seemed to evolve from something novel to something routine.

Americans may become more tolerant of the loss of astronaut life. If they don’t, the government and private industry might not be able to make the leap at all. We all know people probably will die on these new missions, especially if they become commonplace, as many hope. What no one knows is how we will all respond to those losses. (10/11)

Is Space Cool Again? (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
In their day, Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong were hailed as heroes. The were rock stars. Kids dreamed about walking in their footsteps — literally. There is no doubt that space was cool in the 1950s and '60s, but has the renewed interest in space travel sparked imaginations today? Click here. (10/11)

DiBello: Space Jam Offers Hope for Technology's Future (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Space Florida is this state’s spaceport authority, not unlike the authority at Orlando International Airport or Port Canaveral. As CEO, it is my job to highlight those areas of Florida’s aerospace industrial and technical capacity to business decision-makers considering the establishment or relocation of new aerospace programs or research projects. Few efforts on behalf of Florida’s economic future are as encouraging as our engagement in an event that occurred in Orlando recently.

The Digital Animation & Visual Effects School at Universal Studios hosted the fourth annual Indie Galactic Space Jam. As in previous years, Space Florida was proud to participate. Well more than 100 of the most talented young people in the state, each pursuing difficult technical fields, gathered to have a blast, while at the same time helping to further consolidate this region’s stature as an IT hot spot.

Elon Musk has long identified game development as a critical competency he seeks in the evolution and maturation of SpaceX. Ideally, the growth and continued nurturing of this and other IT proficiencies are helping to transform the perception of the state of Florida and its ability to assure economic success to new and existing businesses well into this still-new century. (10/11)

Preserving Historic Sites on the Moon (Source: Air & Space)
Michelle Hanlon is the co-founder of For All Moonkind, a nonprofit established in June that seeks to preserve the six Apollo lunar landing sites—including Tranquility Base—by having them classified as world heritage sites. Click here. (10/10)

ULA Sets New Atlas Launch Date for NET Oct. 14 (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
A piece of hardware on a United Launch Alliance rocket has been replaced and tested, opening the door for an upcoming mission’s new launch time, possibly as early as Saturday. In an email, ULA officials said Wednesday morning that the launch of a top-secret spy satellite, originally planned for last week, will take off “no earlier than Saturday, Oct. 14.” (10/11)

It’s Time to Reevaluate Export Controls on Commercial Spacecraft (Source: Fair Observer)
As America’s commercial space sector blossoms, opportunities abound for private industry to secure a controlling lead in the growing and globalizing space market. However, the US government, wary of the “dual-use” civil-military nature of space systems, restricts the export of many space technologies through tightly-controlled export lists. As the commercialization of outer space continues, the way the government perceives and controls space technology will need to shift.

With advanced space systems becoming more common in the commercial and international arenas, a reevaluation of space technology export controls is increasingly warranted. These lists should be gradually reformed to lift the constraints on export and overseas use of emerging systems such as commercial crewed spacecraft — with incorporation of careful exceptions that maintain governance over the proliferation of overtly weapon-related technologies.

Stringent export controls is a major point of contention for America’s commercial space sector. Restrictions on the sale and export of space technology enables emerging foreign competitors to develop, sell and capture a significant share of the space system market without American competition. The United States’ industrial competitiveness is weakened as a result, with only marginal national security or foreign policy benefit gained. Click here. (10/10)

The Final Frontier is Reachable (Source: Houston Chronicle)
Last week, in his first meeting with the space council, VP Pence proved he's taking the job seriously, bluntly describing how America had become lost in space. He broadly outlined a plan to reclaim the nation's place in the final frontier. In an era when commercial enterprises like SpaceX and Blue Origin are capturing headlines, Pence made it abundantly clear the U.S. government is serious about reclaiming the high ground. He called for the U.S. "to maintain a constant commercial, human presence in low-Earth orbit." And he called for a return to the moon as a foundation for sending Americans "to Mars and beyond."

That sounds great, but veterans of America's space program have good reason to be skeptical. Other administrations have spewed lofty rhetoric about flying to the moon and Mars, but their promises have turned out to be science fiction. President Obama even talked about landing on an asteroid, forcing the space agency to waste a lot of time and effort on a cockamamie idea that didn't have a prayer of getting off the ground.

Pence needs to seriously consider an idea backed by a member of Houston's congressional delegation that would help shield NASA from the shifting winds of presidential politics. U.S. Rep. John Culberson, R-Houston, suggests appointing its administrators to ten year terms, like FBI directors. The administrator and an independent board, Culberson proposes, also would submit budgets directly to Congress to insulate the agency from the whims of the executive branch. (10/11)

For a Successful National Space Council Revival, the Best Man Must Always Win (Source: TownHall.com)
If the first-in-a-quarter-century meeting last week of the National Space Council was indeed President Trump’s effort to ramp up our national space program and provide benefits for all, then good. But if it is as some perceived – a gauzy send-up to resume the practice of shoveling taxpayer dollars to Washington’s official Friends of the Industry – then we should have no part of it.

The idea of the National Space Council is a good one. A new generation of technology demands a new look at space and the benefits it can bring us. The idea of bringing together leaders in the civil, commercial and military space industries to discuss key issues and ways they might work together to advance U.S. interests in space and protect the country from the ever-increasing danger of cyber-attacks is sound. (10/10)

Investment for Spaceport in Cornwall to Lift Off? (Source: Pirate FM)
It looks like we could have lift-off for investment in a spaceport for Cornwall. A trade mission to North America has reported strong interest from potential investors. The delegation led by the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership, met with several last week. The group was also given the chance to visit spaceport facilities in California and New Mexico. The LEP is leading a bid to establish a spaceport at Cornwall Airport Newquay. It is in response to a Government drive to have a commercial launch facility in the UK by 2020.

The spaceport could offer horizontal take-off facilities for satellite launches, research missions and human space flight, with space tracking capabilities available from Goonhilly Earth Station. Sandra Rothwell, chief executive of the LEP, was part of the delegation and said: “We’ve got strong interest from potential spaceport operators and investors who view Cornwall as an ideal location to access the European commercial space market for horizontal satellite launch, spaceflight research and human spaceflight. (10/11)

Human Cost of Australia's Space Industry May be Indigenous Communities (Source: Crikey)
The Woomera rocket range was established in 1956 for the purpose of weapons testing, in partnership with Britain, creating jobs for the entire town of Woomera (indeed, creating the township itself) and for many in outback towns close by. It was the site of the nation's first satellite launch and, over many years, collaborations with NASA and other space agencies to observe space and launch rockets.

From the beginning, the Woomera Prohibited Area, as it is now known, has been run by the Australian military and used for the intertwined purposes of developing machines for space exploration and technologies for defence. It’s perhaps no accident that Woomera was also the site of an immigration detention center between 1999-2003, playing a visceral role in Australia’s secretive, punitive border protection policies that are still an international human rights scandal over 20 years later. (10/11)

SoftBank: OneWeb is 'Only the First Step' in Connectivity Play (Source: Space Intel Report)
SoftBank’s satellite director said his company’s $1 billion-plus investment in low-orbiting constellation startup OneWeb is just “the first step” in the company’s connectivity strategy. Tetsuji Katayama also said Softbank’s relationship with Intelsat remains strong despite Intelsat bondholders’ rejection of Softbank’s debt-repurchase offer. The bondholder decision did not affect Intelsat’s existing agreements with OneWeb and Softbank. Click here. (10/11)

Ancient Asteroid Impact Exposes the Moon’s Interior (Source: Purdue University)
Scientists have long assumed that all the planets in our solar system look the same beneath the surface, but a study published in Geology on Oct. 4 tells a different story. “The mantle of the earth is made mostly of a mineral called olivine, and the assumption is usually that all planets are like the Earth,” said Jay Melosh at Purdue University,. “But when we look at the spectral signature of rocks exposed deep below the moon’s surface, we don’t see olivine; we see orthopyroxene.”

Around 4 billion years ago, an asteroid collided with the moon and created the largest and deepest impact on the moon: the South Pole-Aitken basin. The collision exposed lunar mantle in the basin and splashed up material onto the far side of the moon.

Melosh’s group used remote sensing to identify what minerals compose the splashed-up material. When sunlight hits the moon, it interacts with materials on the surface; because different materials absorb different wavelengths of light, researchers can tell what materials are on the surface by looking at the reflected signal. (10/4)

Orbital ATK Eyes Investments in Advanced Rocket Motors (Source: Space News)
A new market for super high-speed weapons is fueling investments in rocket engine technologies as companies seek to gain an edge. The industry foresees a demand for advanced rocket engines, particularly if the U.S. military moves to acquire revolutionary missiles that fly at hypersonic speeds. The Pentagon expects to invest $2 billion over the next five years in high-speed weapons including lasers and hypersonic missiles that travel at five times the speed of sound.

The future of missiles and propulsion technology is about going “further and faster,” Pat Nolan, vice president of Orbital ATK, told SpaceNews at the Association of the U.S. Army’s annual conference. Orbital ATK has a hot production line for rocket motors that power some of the military’s most widely used missiles like the Hellfire. (10/10)

Bizarre Dwarf Planet Haumea Has Rings (Source: Scientific American)
Scientists have discovered a ring system around the dwarf planet Haumea. Earlier this year, Haumea passed between Earth and a distant star, allowing planetary scientists to get a better idea of the dwarf planet's shape and size. Haumea is at least twice as long in one direction as it is in the other, which makes it look more like a river rock than a respectable planet. Scientists think Haumea's incredibly fast rotation may have spun it into this shape. A day on Haumea lasts only 4 hours, making it the fastest-spinning large object known to exist in the solar system.

Most surprisingly, the scientists learned that Haumea has rings. The night Haumea crossed in front of the distant star, Santos Sanz and team leader José Luis Ortiz, also of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía, looked at the new data. "We started to see something weird in the light curve," Santos Sanz said. The light dimmed just before and after Haumea passed in front of the star, as if something else were obscuring it. (10/11)

Will Air Travel Get Faster? Future NASA Planes Could Cross Country in One Hour (Source: Newsweek)
A gram of boron nitride nanotubes material costs $1,000—but it could transport you across the country in under an hour. A team of engineers from NASA and Binghamton University are investigating the mechanical properties of a nanotube made of boron nitride, a combination of boron and nitrogen. In particular, the team wanted to investigate the ability of these structures to withstand heat.  

The study examined whether the properties of the material would change in a high-temperature environment. “We found that there is no change in mechanical properties with boron nitrate nanotubes,” says Changhong Ke, a mechanical engineer at Binghamton University and senior author on the study, published recently in Scientific Reports.

The work has a particular relevance to air travel. Currently, certain airplane structures use carbon nanotubes, a strong, lightweight structure that can withstand temperatures up to 450 degrees Celsius. But as this study showed, boron nitride nanotubes, which are similar in function, can withstand 900 degrees Celsius, temperatures that extremely fast airplanes need to be equipped to handle. (10/12)

Trump Nominates AccuWeather CEO to Lead Key Climate Agency (Source: Politico)
President Donald Trump has nominated the CEO of AccuWeather to run the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a key agency in conducting climate research and assessing climate change. Barry Myers has served since 2007 as CEO of AccuWeather, a media company in State College, Pennsylvania, that provides worldwide weather predictions. He graduated from Penn State with a degree in business and received a law degree from Boston University, but has no science training. (10/11)

New Congressional NASA Caucus to Include Floridians Bill Posey, Charlie Crist, Alcee Hastings (Source: Florida Politics)
Florida U.S. Reps. Bill Posey, Charlie Crist, and Alcee Hastings are joining a newly-formed, bipartisan Congressional NASA Caucus to promote the space agency’s agenda, research and budgetary needs.

The caucus, announced Wednesday, is distinctly different from the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, and its Subcommittee on Space, as Crist, a Democrat from St. Petersburg, and Posey, a Rockledge Republican, are members of both of those committees, while Hastings, a Miami Gardens Democrat, is not. Likewise, Republican U.S. Reps. Neal Dunn of Panama City and Dan Webster of Lake County are members of the full committee, and Webster of the subcommittee, but are not charter members of the caucus.

The caucus is being co-chaired U.S. Reps. Steve Knight, a California Republican, and Marcy Kaptur, an Ohio Democrat, indicative of NASA’s broad national reach with its facilities. The 23-member caucus also has members from Indiana, Mississippi, Michigan, Virginia, Alabama, Texas, Maryland and Colorado. “The NASA caucus will be instrumental in educating members of Congress about the importance of maintaining our leadership in space and shaping legislation affecting our nation’s space program,” Posey said. (10/11)

Small Businesses Hope Push to Mars Will Help Space Coast Economy (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
When the shuttle program came to a close, the Space Coast faced a bleak economic forecast. Now, as things heat up in Cape Canaveral, small business owners say they are waiting for the economy to takeoff. Click here. (10/11)