November 18, 2017

NASA Launches NOAA Weather Satellite Aboard United Launch Alliance Rocket to Improve Forecasts (Source: NASA)
NASA has successfully launched for NOAA the first in a series of four highly advanced polar-orbiting satellites, equipped with next-generation technology and designed to improve the accuracy of U.S. weather forecasts out to seven days. The Joint Polar Satellite System-1 (JPSS-1) lifted off on a United Launch Alliance Delta II rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, at 1:47 a.m. PST Saturday. (11/18)

Ukrianian Space Effort Aims at Scotland Launches (Source: Room)
Skyrora, a privately-funded launch vehicle developer with a research and development hub in Ukraine, unveiled its plans for entering the small satellite launch market. Edinburgh-based Skyrora, which is currently developing an orbital launch vehicle and has recently started a series of engine test firings, has plans to launch from the UK and follow in the footsteps of Black Arrow through the use of a high-test peroxide (HTP) and Kerosine propellants.

“Scotland is an ideal place from which to operate. Its launch suitability, strong manufacturing history and the fact that Glasgow, in particular, is a leading city within the European space sector are all positive factors.” This summer Skyrora began working with a research and development hub in Ukraine and with individuals that have experience on a number of major Ukrainian space projects. (10/25)

Engine Tests Resume in Ukraine for Proposed Canadian Rocket (Source: RussianSpaceWeb)
The resumption of the tests for Yuzhnoye RD-861K rocket engine should boost the morale inside the beleaguered Ukrainian rocket industry, which has faced many problems after the breakdown of its ties to Russia in the wake of the annexation of Crimea in 2014. In particular, the Ukrainian propulsion systems depended on supplies of Russian structural materials and hardware. Production of the turbine, for example, uses a EP742 heat-resistant alloy that Yuzhnoye had procured from Russia's TsNIIMV material science institute.

Experts familiar with the matter say that the RD-861K engine is almost ready for operational use, but its development and serial manufacturing still faces serious challenges due to lack of resources, personnel and propellant components. The engine burns hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide (carcinogenic hypergolic propellants) which are not currently produced in Ukraine and have to be imported from China. There are also problems with the production of new components for the engine, which forced engineers to recycle parts from older units.

Another test was scheduled for the middle of November 2017. Upon the completion of the test series planned for the defunct Tsyklon-4 program, KB Yuzhnoe is preparing an RD-861K engine for new firings, this time, to benefit the prospective Tsyklon-4M rocket, which is intended for operations at a Canadian spaceport by Maritime Launch Services. (11/15)

Number Of Earth-Like Planets In The Universe Is Staggering (Source: Forbes)
How do scientists know that there are billions of other solar systems like us in the Universe? What they do know is that based on measurements of portions of the sky and extrapolation, that there are about 100 billion stars in our galaxy and up to 10 trillion galaxies in the universe. That means up to 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 stars. About 7.6% percent of those stars are class G stars (like our Sun).

We have been studying a very small portion of the sky in the constellation Cygnus, using the Kepler telescope. Kepler allows us to detect changes in the light coming from those stars caused by planets passing in front of the star. From this analysis, the estimates are now that almost all class G stars have at least one planet.

That means there are up to 76,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 stars similar to ours and almost all of them have some form of planets. Based on the Kepler observations, it is now estimated that a quarter of those stars have at least one rocky planet similar in size to the Earth and in the habitable zone. That means there are up to 19,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 stars similar to ours with at least one planet similar to Earth. (11/15)

Amazon Developing 'Mercury 13' as Series About Women Tested for Spaceflight (Source: CollectSpace)
The true life story of 13 women who underwent the same medical testing as NASA's Mercury astronauts at the start of the space age is being developed as a new miniseries for Amazon. "Mercury 13" will tell the history of the First Lady Astronaut Trainees (FLATs), the women pilots who were recruited for a privately-financed program by the Lovelace Foundation, the same clinic that devised the tests to screen the United States' first astronauts. (11/17)

First Cat in Space to Get Memorial Statue After Successful Crowdfund (Source: CollectSpace)
The first cat to launch into space and live to meow about it is getting her own monument in Paris — thanks to the crowdfunded support of more than 1,100 of her fans. A campaign on the Kickstarter website on Nov. 17 successfully raised more than $57,000 to create "a proper memorial" for FĂ©licette, a female black-and-white stray that lifted off on a French rocket for a sub-orbital spaceflight on Oct. 18, 1963. (11/17)

Black Holes That Shred Stars Burp Out Cosmic Rays and Neutrinos (Source: New Scientist)
White dwarf stars shredded by black holes could explain showers of high-energy cosmic rays and neutrinos we see on Earth. Cosmic rays and neutrinos are part of the rain of subatomic particles from space that bombard Earth every day. But what produces these difficult-to-detect particles? A team led by Daniel Biehl at Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron in Germany suggest that tidal disruption events in white dwarfs could be responsible.

In theory, the extreme energy of black hole jets is enough to disintegrate atomic nuclei in a cascading reaction that produces both high-energy neutrinos and ultra high-energy cosmic rays. The researchers suggest a single process – the disintegration of nuclei torn from white dwarves and accelerated in the jets of black holes – could simultaneously produce both kinds of subatomic particles. Julian Krolik at John Hopkins University agrees it’s a possibility.

Krolik explains that only a small portion of black holes produce relativistic jets, although scientists are uncertain why. Likewise, only a small portion of black holes have nearby white dwarf stars that can be torn apart to produce tidal disruption events. This means that it will take time and luck to successfully observe tidal disruption events on white dwarfs near black holes that are capable of producing jets. (11/17)

Moon Express MX-1E Lander is Heading for the Moon or Bust (Source: WIRED)
A decade ago, the Google Lunar X Prize offered $20 million for the first private firm to build a robot that can soft-land on the surface of the moon, travel 500 meters, and beam hi-def video back to Earth. Now, after multiple extensions and a couple of flameouts, five teams are racing toward the March 2018 launch deadline, and the cutest contender might be the MX-1E, an R2-D2–shaped lander designed by space startup Moon Express.

At roughly the size of Danny DeVito, the MX-1E fits inside a launch vehicle from partnering company Rocket Lab; once the craft detaches and shoots moonward, its engine and thrusters slow it down so the moon’s gravity can help gently guide its descent. Bob Richards, a self-described “space entrepreneur” and Moon Express’ cofounder and CEO, envisions a future in which the moon is mined for resources—not necessarily for export back to Earth but to power further space travel, using Luna as a launching point. (11/17)

On-Orbit Satellite Servicing: The Next Big Thing in Space? (Source: Space.com)
A team of researchers and Pentagon contractors was recently selected to organize a space industry consortium that will consider new “rules of the road” for commercial on-orbit activities like repairing and refueling satellites. The effort, led by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, is being touted as a major step in the transition of on-orbit services from experiment to reality, and ultimate commercial success.

The project is significant, analysts said, because safety standards and other norms need to be in place to fuel investments and research in space applications, and open up new markets in robotic and human exploration. The federal government regulates space activities but there is no rule-making body for the new and mostly unknown activity of in-orbit services. (11/17)

Astronaut Captures Incredible View of 'Fireball' Meteor from Space (Source: Space.com)
While filming an incredible view of Earth from space, an astronaut aboard the International Space Station (ISS) inadvertently captured a fireball on camera as it whizzed into the atmosphere off the coast of South Africa, above the Atlantic Ocean. Click here. (11/17)

Senate Sends $700B Defense Bill To Trump's Desk (Source: Law360)
The U.S. Senate on Thursday unanimously approved the nearly $700 billion 2018 National Defense Authorization Act, sending the legislation to be signed into law alongside a companion bill intended to address concerns about the U.S. Department of Defense exercising oversight of drugs and medical devices. (11/17)

FAA Reauthorization in Holding Pattern (Source: Chamber Hill Strategies)
Many hoped the AIRR Act, a House bill aimed at privatizing the Air Traffic Control (ATC) system and reauthorizing the FAA, would have reached the floor for consideration by now. Those hopes are increasingly diminishing as Congress shifts gears to focus on tax reform and other issues. Discussions with House leadership staff indicate that despite the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee’s best effort to drum up support for the legislation, and the recent editorial blitz touting the benefits of ATC privatization, the votes still aren’t there.

The lack of consensus on ATC reform has pushed potential floor consideration of any major FAA reauthorization bill into 2018. Additionally, the limited timeframe Congress has to reauthorize the FAA (the latest extension is set to expire March 31, 2018), the packed legislative calendar, and the lack of widespread support for the House initiative, has increased pressure on the Senate to act first.

Given these circumstances, Senate staffers have acknowledged the need to advance their FAA reauthorization language, which excludes the House text privatizing the ATC, and further weakens the AIRR Act’s prospects for passing this Congress. This suggests the most likely path forward is either a more subdued version of the House’s legislation, or yet another short-term extension before the FAA’s authorization expires in March. (11/2)
    
Rocket Lab Prepares Electron for Second Test Flight (Source: SpaceFlight Insider)
Less than six months after the maiden flight of their Electron launch vehicle, Rocket Lab readies itself for the second flight of its innovative rocket. With the arrival of the vehicle at the company’s Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand, Rocket Lab now begins the pre-flight phase of their second mission.

“It’s a great feeling to have another rocket on the pad,” stated Peter Beck, Rocket Lab founder and CEO, in a release issued by the company. “To be preparing for a second flight just months after an inaugural test is unprecedented for a new launch vehicle. It’s a testament to Electron’s robust design and the hard-working team behind it.”

That robust design, featuring a carbon-composite body and the company’s innovative Rutherford engine, actually made it to space on its first flight – named “It’s a Test” – though it failed to achieve orbit. Luckily, that failure was attributed to a fault with a third-party company’s telemetry equipment and not a flaw in the design of the vehicle itself. (11/17)

Virgin Orbit Wins DOD Launch Contract (Source: Space News)
Virgin Orbit has won its first contract from the Defense Department for a LaunchOne mission. The company announced Thursday the award from the Defense Innovation Unit Experimental to launch small satellite payloads for the Space Test Program. Those payloads will be selected closer to the planned launch in early 2019. Virgin Orbit has also established a new subsidiary, VOX Space, to handle management of government missions. Virgin Orbit says the first launch of LauncherOne, a smallsat launch vehicle flown from a converted Boeing 747, is on track for the first half of 2018. (11/17)

Unusual and Compelling Urgency for Space-Based Missile Warning System (Source: Space News)
The Air Force says it has an "unusual and compelling urgency" to develop a new missile warning satellite system. The Air Force issued a "sources sought" notice Wednesday for the follow-on to the Space Based Infrared System, with companies given less than 24 hours to register for an industry day scheduled for Tuesday. The announcement puzzled many in industry, who couldn't reconcile the urgency of the announcement with a statement in the announcement that the follow-on system wouldn't be deployed until 2029. (11/17)

India Plans Fixes for PSLV Rocket (Source: IANS)
The Indian space agency ISRO says it will increase the "robustness" of its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) when it returns to flight in December. A PSLV launch in late August failed when the rocket's payload fairing failed to separate, which the director of one of ISRO's centers said remained "surprising and baffling." ISRO doens't believe the failure is a design flaw, and will tighten tolerances on the vehicle's various systems to ensure they operate as planned on future launches. (11/17)

First Industry Built PSLV by 2020 (Source: The Hindu)
The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is preparing to hand over the entire gamut of launch vehicle manufacture to domestic industry by 2020. “Until now, public and private industries have only supplied devices, components and sub-systems for ISRO’s launch vehicles, including the PSLV and the GSLV. Our effort is to give a push to industry for production of end-to-end systems. By 2020, we hope to have the first completely industry-built PSLV,” said K. Sivan. (11/17)

Spaceport America Seeks More State Funding to Ready for Virgin Galactic (Las Cruces Sun-News)
Spaceport America will seek additional funding from the New Mexico government next year to prepare for the start of Virgin Galactic operations. Dan Hicks, the CEO of the spaceport, said Thursday he will ask the state legislature for an additional $600,000 in 2018 to hire staff and make infrastructure improvements. Those resources would support operations at the spaceport when Virgin Galactic brings SpaceShipTwo to the spaceport some time in 2018 for final tests and the beginning of commercial operations. Hicks cited higher spending at spaceports in other states as another reason for the increase. (11/17)

NSF Funds to Keep Arecibo Open (Source: Science)
The National Science Foundation has agreed to keep the Arecibo radio telescope open. The NSF completed a "record of decision" regarding the future of the giant observatory in Puerto Rico, concluding the best course of action was to keep it open and enter into negotiations with one or more organizations who would take over operations over the next several years. The review considered other options, including closing the observatory and demolishing the facilities there. The NSF has not disclosed who it is in discussions with about taking over Arecibo, and will also need to determine how to pay for $4-8 million in damage sustained from Hurricane Maria. (11/17)

NASA and JAXA Collaborate on Martian Moon Mission (Source: NASA)
NASA has selected an instrument that will fly on a future Japanese mission to the moons of Mars. The agency said Thursday it will fund development of an instrument called MEGANE — Japanese for "eyeglasses" — to study the elemental composition of the surface of the moon Phobos. MEGANE will fly on the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) mission being developed by the Japanese space agency JAXA for launch in 2024. MMX will study Phobos and Deimos and return samples from Phobos to Earth in 2029. (11/17)

Soon, India-Japan to Jointly Explore the Moon (Source: Sify News)
Asserting that the relationship between the space agencies of India and Japan has had a "visible change", the Indian Space Research Organisation chief on Friday said the countries are working towards a joint lunar mission soon. "We are looking at a possible joint lunar mission which is still in a very preliminary stage. We are working on the details at the moment," state-run ISRO's Chairman A.S. Kiran Kumar said.

Kumar was speaking on the sidelines of the 24th Session of Asia Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF) here. Heads of space agencies of 10 countries from the Asia-Pacific region, government bodies and industries related to space were at the event. Japan and India had their own lunar missions in the past. In 2009, JAXA's lunar orbiter spacecraft Selene had impacted the lunar surface after successfully orbiting the moon for a year and eight months. (11/17)

SpaceX Studying Falcon Fairing Before Proceeding with KSC Launch (Source: Florida Today)
It was potential concerns about fairings that led SpaceX to postpone this week’s planned launch from Kennedy Space Center of a secret U.S. government mission called Zuma on a Falcon 9 rocket. The company said it stood down to review the results of fairing tests performed for another customer. “We will take the time we need to complete the data review and will then confirm a new launch date,” said a statement Thursday.

NASA this month delayed a science mission’s launch aboard an Orbital ATK Pegasus rocket until next year to study a separation component on the rocket. Investigations of the Taurus XL fairing failures years ago, which destroyed NASA science satellites worth nearly $600 million combined, found multiple potential causes. SpaceX builds Falcon fairings in-house. The composite structures stand 43 feet tall and up to 17 feet in diameter atop a Falcon 9.

A high-pressure helium circuit releases mechanical latches holding the fairing halves together. Four pneumatic pushers then shove halves apart at a vertical seam, a system SpaceX says creates “a benign shock environment” and minimizes debris. As with any system, if a problem crops up in testing, teams may need to hold a launch to make sure the next rocket isn’t vulnerable to the same issue or flawed component. (11/18)

Codename Zuma: All About SpaceX's Secret Launch (Source: CNN)
Zuma is headed for low-Earth orbit, but we don't know exactly where. Unlike the vast majority of its launches, SpaceX will cut off its live stream before the payload is deployed. The idea is to leave no clues about its final destination. Zuma was built for the U.S. government, and it's not unusual for the government to keep information about sensitive payloads under wraps. Typically these payloads involve a military concern, such as national security, defense or surveillance.

Northrop Grumman says it's "involved" in the Zuma mission -- declined to give any details about the spacecraft or reveal which arm of the government funded it. "The U.S. Government assigned Northrop Grumman the responsibility of acquiring launch services for this mission," the company said in a statement. "Northrop Grumman realizes this is a monumental responsibility and we have taken great care to ensure the most affordable and lowest risk scenario for Zuma."

Editor's Note: Consider this some valuable new experience for Northrop Grumman as they seek more involvement in national security space missions...and move toward their proposed acquisition of Orbital ATK. Another challenger to Lockheed Martin and Boeing. (11/17)

Congress to MDA: Prepare for Space-Based Missile Attacks (Source: Defense News)
Congress made another aggressive push for space-based missile defense by carving out language in the fiscal 2018 defense policy bill that asks the Missile Defense Agency to develop capabilities to track and respond to missile attacks from space. Specifically, the bill would require MDA to develop both a persistent space-based sensor architecture and a space-based ballistic missile intercept layer.

The language also teases out what could be the Pentagon’s recommendations stemming from the yet-to-be-released Ballistic Missile Defense Review expected by the year’s end. Because it hasn’t been published, conferees placed a caveat in all sections of missile defense language in the report stating that the MDA should only commence with strategies and plans in the National Defense Authorization Act if they are consistent with the recommendations of the review. (11/17)

War in Space is Increasingly Possible. That Would be Terrible for Everyone (Source: National Post)
We are in danger of strangling this revolution in its cradle, because war in space is no longer unthinkable. Indeed, for the past few years, the United States Air Force has been waging a vocal campaign to convince policymakers, Congress, and the public that U.S. satellites are under imminent threat. Sadly, there is a kernel of truth in this rhetoric.

The same advances that are driving commercial and civil interest in new space missions have also enabled improved satellite attack capabilities. Russia and China for decades expressed fears about the United States leading the world toward the weaponization of space, while at the same time diligently working to be able not only to “keep up with the Joneses,” but also to hold U.S. space assets at risk. This, from the perspective of Moscow and Beijing, makes sense. Many U.S. satellites critical to national security are vulnerable, and losing them would make U.S. victory in a war more difficult. (11/17)

SpaceX Engineers Put Rocket Engines Through Their Paces (Source: Houston Chronicle)
As the commercial space industry assumes a larger role in the evolving national space race, one of its top private companies is finding military veterans an integral part of its workforce. At the SpaceX test facility in McGregor, a third of more than 550 full-timers have military backgrounds. Employees say they are used to mission-driven tasks.

Since 2003, Musk's company has steadily increased the size and workload at its McGregor test site, where it brings every one of its engines for testing. Technicians and engineers build and maintain 14 test stands that secure rocket engines for testing. SpaceX is developing a heavy-lift and super-heavy-lift rocket. The Falcon Heavy will have 27 Merlin first-stage engines, three times more than the Falcon 9 that SpaceX is currently flying, fueled by liquid oxygen and rocket-grade kerosene. The engines combine for a total of 5.13 million pounds of thrust at liftoff. (11/17)

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