February 22, 2018

Space Council Backs Expanded Role for Dept. of Commerce, Launch Licensing Improvements (Source: Space News)
The National Space Council approved several recommendations for commercial space regulatory reform Wednesday. The Council, meeting at the Kennedy Space Center, backed four recommendations intended to streamline licensing and regulation of commercial space activities. The recommendations include combining the Office of Space Commerce and a separate office that oversees commercial remote sensing, and moving that office from NOAA to the office of the Secretary of Commerce. The recommendations also called for launch-licensing improvements, spectrum protection and export-control reforms. (2/22)

Space Council Focuses on China Threats, Opportunities (Source: Space News)
The Council addressed both the threats and opportunities presented by China's growing space capabilities. Officials testifying at the meeting warned of growing Chinese counterspace capabilities and a space program with "few demarcations" between civil and military activities. One executive, though, said the U.S. was missing an opportunity to work with the growing Chinese commercial space industry, and said the U.S. should work on a "stern but fair" agreement with China that would allow for cooperation while providing technology transfer protections. (2/22)

SpaceX's Starlink Constellation (4,400 Satellites) Evolving (Source: Wall Street Journal)
SpaceX now suggests that development of that constellation may take longer than previously planned. A company spokesman said that "we still have considerable technical work ahead of us to design and deploy" a constellation of 4,400 satellites, known as Starlink, and continues to work on technical designs and cost estimates for the system. The company previously indicated it could begin initial service with about 800 satellites in orbit in 2020, but has not disclosed a new schedule for the deployment of the constellation and development of ground terminals. (2/22)

Army's Kestrel Eye to Enter Demonstration Mode Soon (Source: Space News)
An experimental U.S. Army imaging satellite launched last year is operational, but how it will be used remains to be determined. Kestrel Eye, built by Adcole Maryland Aerospace for the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC), was deployed from the International Space Station in October, and the company says the satellite should soon start providing images. "Operational demonstrations" of the satellite are planned for late spring, according to SMDC, after which the Army will "continue to look for opportunities" to use the satellite in exercises or other applications. (2/22)

Aerojet Reports Quarterly Loss (Source: Aerojet Rocketdyne)
Aerojet Rocketdyne reported a net loss in its latest quarter. In a filing Wednesday, the company said it had a net loss of $52 million in its fiscal fourth quarter compared to net income of $18.1 million in the same quarter in 2016. Aerojet said an adjustment caused by the tax bill enacted last December caused the loss, and without that it would have reported net income of $12.6 million for the quarter. For the full year, the company said it had a net loss of $9 million on net sales of $1.88 billion. (2/22)

Expect Ground Station Ventures to Consolidate (Source: Space News)
Companies operating ground stations to serve small satellites expect consolidation in the years to come. About half a dozen startups have emerged in recent years to support the growing number of smallsat ventures by building networks of ground stations, leasing capacity on existing stations or developing data-relay satellites. Companies that currently dominate the market for satellite ground stations are skeptical there is enough demand to support all these new entrants, and expect some kind of consolidation in the next few years. (2/22)

ESA's Mars Orbiter Circularizes Orbit, Prepares for Science (Source: ESA)
A European Mars orbiter is nearing the start of science operations after completing an aerobraking campaign. The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter arrived at Mars in October 2016, and since last March has been performing a series of dives through the upper atmosphere to shift from an elliptical orbit that took the spacecraft as far as 98,000 kilometers from the planet into a circular 400-kilometer orbit. A final series of maneuvers will place the spacecraft into its desired orbit by April, allowing the spacecraft to then begin observations of the planet's atmosphere, looking for evidence of methane and other trace gases. (2/22)

SLS Engine Taken to Record Thrust in Stennis Test (Source: NasaSpaceFlight.com)
A static-fire test of a shuttle-era engine took it to record thrust levels. The test of the RS-25 engine Wednesday at NASA's Stennis Space Center throttled the engine up to 113 percent of its rated power, the first test of an RS-25 at that level. The engine will be used at up to 109 percent of its rated power on initial launches of the Space Launch System. New versions of the RS-25, to be built for later SLS launches, will go to 111 percent. (2/22)

UK Invest in Deep Space Antenna at Goonhilly (Source: Goonhilly Earth Station)
The British government will invest in an antenna at a satellite ground station to use it for deep space communications. The Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership will provide $11.7 million to upgrade a 32-meter antenna at the Goonhilly Earth Station. That work, done in partnership with ESA, will allow the antenna to be used for deep-space communications for ESA, NASA or private missions beyond Earth orbit. (2/22)

ThinSat Concept Slices Cubesats Into Inch-Thin Microsats (Source: Space News)
Some smallsat advocates think a new concept for very small satellites could help encourage student-run missions. The ThinSat concept uses the cubesat form factor, but sliced into thin pieces less than 20 millimeters thick. Each ThinSat is a single layer with enough surface area for sensors, solar panels and other electronics. Such satellites, proponents argue, could be easily built by students for educational missions. (2/22)

Amateur Astronomer Finds Supernova (Source: Nature)
Astronomers have gotten their best look yet at the early stages of a supernova, thanks to a lucky amateur. Victor Buso, an amateur astronomer in Argentina, observed a galaxy one night by chance as he was testing a new camera. Those observations captured a rapid brightening within the galaxy. Professional astronomers, alerted to the discovery, turned larger telescopes on the supernova, collecting data on its early phases that can help refine models of their development. (2/22)

Russia Jails Four for Embezzling Millions from Cosmodrome Project (Source: Space Daily)
Russia on Wednesday jailed three men and a woman for up to 8 years for embezzling state funding worth millions of dollars while working as contractors on the construction of the country's showpiece Vostochny cosmodrome. The four, who controlled or worked for construction companies, were together found guilty of embezzling 1.3 billion rubles ($23 million) from the national prestige project, in the latest blow to Russia's troubled space industry. Editor's Note: I guess this embezzlement wasn't state sanctioned. (2/21)

NASA Wants Ideas from University Teams for Future Human Space Missions (Source: Space Daily)
Teams at U.S. colleges and universities have an opportunity to potentially help NASA with innovative design ideas to meet the challenges of space exploration. The 2019 eXploration Systems and Habitation (X-Hab) Academic Innovation Challenge supports NASA's efforts to develop technologies and capabilities that will enable future human missions throughout our solar system.

In collaboration with the National Space Grant Foundation, NASA will offer competitively selected awards of $15,000 to $50,000 for the development of studies, functional products, and solutions to enhance the human exploration of space. Entries are due April 27, 2018. Click here. (2/22)

Space Coast's HCT Receives Space Antenna Patent (Source: HCT)
Helical Communications Technologies (HCT), a Rockledge-based research, design and manufacturer of deployable space-based and ground station antennas, recently received notification that the patent for their Deployable Quadrifilar Helical Antenna design was approved and awarded by the United States Patent Office. The design, developed over the past four years, is a unique omni-directional antenna for “cube-sat” space satellites that captures a much larger footprint of geography and topography on the earth and can be scaled depending on the customer’s requirements to have a wide range of circularly polarized antenna patterns.

The US Air Force’s Wright Patterson AF base was their first customer with HCT delivering a custom made antenna modeled and ready for space flight and HCT is currently in discussions with government agencies in the Netherlands, United Kingdom and France along with private commercial aerospace companies both domestically and internationally for their less expensive and scalable antenna technology. (2/18)

Lockheed Martin Finds its Innovative Edge in Florida (Source: Enterprise Florida)
Lockheed Martin has a strong Florida presence with more than 14,000 employees throughout the state. In today’s business world, you have to stay relevant. You also have to stay one step ahead. That requires you to continually evolve...in a place that will evolve with you. In Florida, we offer boundless opportunities to grow, innovate, discover and explore. So whatever you can imagine, you can create.

Fueled by a world-class infrastructure, young, educated and diverse workforce, global gateways, a state of the art high-speed technology backbone, and one of the most business-friendly environments in the country, anything is possible here. It’s why so many companies are realizing their future in Florida. And why yours can too. Click here. (2/14) 

Cocoa Beach Plans 50th Anniversary Celebration for Moon Landing (Source: City of Cocoa Beach)
The City of Cocoa Beach will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Man On the Moon! The City of Cocoa Beach is partnering with the county's Tourism Development Council to begin the commemoration and ceremonies beginning in July 2018. (2/21)

Qtum Launches ‘First Ever’ Blockchain Node Into Space (Source: CoinTelegraph)
Qtum, a Blockchain project focused on Decentralized Applications (DApps), announced on Twitter Friday, Feb. 2, that the “first ever space-based Blockchain node,” made by Qtum, has been launched on a Chinese satellite. Qtum’s DApps are unique from those based on Ethereum because the platform uses the Unspent Transaction Output (UTXO) Blockchain model, enabling more lightweight smart contract interactions with mobile and IoT programs. Qtum is also partners with Spacechain, a space exploration initiative aimed at building an open source satellite network. Storing data in outer space would eliminate potential problems with government regulation. (2/3)

Window Wars in Space: Quest for the 'Big View' High Above Earth (Source: Space.com)
Passenger flight on rocket-for-hire flings to suborbital space is near at hand. One big draw that adds to the bragging rights for space travelers is the view from high above. Rubbernecking tourists will have face time with space, snagging perspective and images to make a travelogue of their voyages. One major ticket-for-sale vendor set to give rocket riders a suborbital space cruise is Seattle-based Blue Origin, which is headed by billionaire Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos.

"Our New Shepard capsule features the largest windows in spaceflight history," Blue Origin representatives wrote on the company's website. "These windows make up a third of the capsule, immersing you in the vastness of space and life-changing views of our blue planet." Click here. (2/16)

NASA Photos Reveal Speeding Antarctic Ice Melt (Source: Newsweek)
NASA recently published a study uncovering just how fast Antarctica’s ice sheets are flowing into the ocean. Scientists used a new technique compiling hundreds of thousands of high-precision satellite imagery to illuminate the speed of glaciers—which act like massive solid rivers—sliding into the sea. Understanding this speed helps scientists pinpoint how much sea levels will rise due to melting glaciers.  

"We're entering a new age," Alex Gardner, lead author and cryospheric scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, said in a statement. "When I began working on this project three years ago, there was a single map of ice sheet flow that was made using data collected over 10 years, and it was revolutionary when it was published back in 2011.” (2/21)

Here's How Much US Astronauts Can Earn Working for NASA (Source: Business Insider)
To apply to be a NASA astronaut, you must first pass a stringent list of requirements, including being a US citizen, having an accredited college degree in science, engineering, or mathematics, and three years of professional experience or 1,000 hours piloting a jet aircraft under your belt. Then you have to go through a grueling selection process that is about 74 times harder than getting into Harvard University: NASA selects a new astronaut class once every couple of years, and picked only 12 of 18,300 applicants in 2017.

So how much does NASA compensate its astronauts for their experience, extensive training, and willingness to risk their lives to explore space? The annual salary is "based on the Federal Government's General Schedule pay scale for grades GS-12 through GS-13." In 2018, according to OPM pay scales, a new astronaut with a GS-12 grade and Step 1 experience and performance would earn $63,600 per year. After several years of excellent performance, the same astronaut might be eligible to make the GS-12's Step 10 pay: $82,680 per year.

Meanwhile, more-qualified astronauts with a GS-13 pay grade could initially earn $75,628 per year (Step 1) and, after several years, up to $98,317 per year (Step 3). But astronauts aren't locked into GS-12 and GS-13 for their careers; they can earn the top tier of the pay scale — GS-15 Step 10 — and upward of $120,000 per year, depending on their position, responsibilities, and performance within the astronaut corps. (2/19)

Pence: Government, Commercial Space Industry Must Collaborate (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Vice President Mike Pence said streamlined regulations would help the space industry as it transitions into a period where government agencies will collaborate with commercial space companies. As it stands now, launch companies must certify rockets before they launch from individual launch pads in Florida, California or any other state.

“The government has figured out how to acknowledge drivers licenses across state lines so there is no reason we can’t do the same for rockets,” he said. Pence was leading the second meeting of the National Space Council since President Donald Trump reignited the advisory body. The meeting at Kennedy Space Center came with tight security, as buses carrying visitors were swept by police dogs and people arriving for the event were led through metal detectors.

“As an administration, we want to advance a regulatory environment that leaves industries and businesses as free as possible to innovate and to create the technology of the future,” said Neomi Rao, the administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. “Government shouldn’t be picking winners and losers through regulation.” (2/21)

Patriarchal Race to Colonize Mars is Just Another Example of Male Entitlement (Source: NBC)
What does a midlife crisis look like in the 21st century? Frittering away your life savings on a red sports car is so last century. Instead, today’s man who is grappling with the limitations of his mortality spends $90 million on a rocket to launch a $100,000 electric car, helmed by a robot by the name of “Starman,” into space.

And Musk isn’t the only billionaire looking to enter the space race. Amazon’s Jeff Bezos has his private aerospace company, Blue Origin, while Virgin’s Richard Branson, a prominent adventurer, created Virgin Galactic back in 2004. These men, particularly Musk, are not only heavily invested in who can get their rocket into space first, but in colonizing Mars. The desire to colonize — to have unquestioned, unchallenged and automatic access to something, to any type of body, and to use it at will — is a patriarchal one.

Indeed, there is no ethical consideration among these billionaires about whether this should be done; rather, the conversation is when it will be done. Because, in the eyes of these intrepid explorers, this is the only way to save humanity. It is the same instinctual and cultural force that teaches men that everything — and everyone — in their line of vision is theirs for the taking. (2/21)

On the Verge of a Space Renaissance (Source: Space News)
We are entering a renaissance era in human spaceflight. Just as the European masters brought forth a magical period of learning, discovery, invention, fine arts and music 500 years ago, with the advances in the science and technologies proliferating today, we expect a rejuvenation in human space activity in this dawn of the 21st century.

Visions like those offered in the American Space Renaissance Act and the European Space Agency’s Moon Village suggest that a new paradigm is emerging for space activity in general, and human space activity in particular. A space renaissance of sorts is happening right now, especially in human space endeavor, and it appears to have many nations and many sectors, both governmental and private, eager to participate in projects. (2/21)

Goodbye ISS. Hello Private Space Stations? (Source: Planetary Society)
Have you heard? The ISS might go away in 2025. Yep, that ISS—our big, honking space laboratory in the sky, one of the most successful international partnership stories of all time. Continually staffed since 2000. Off the Earth, for the Earth. One of the most expensive public projects ever, second possibly only to America’s Interstate Highway System.

Unofficially, 2025 has been the station’s retirement year since 2014, when NASA and its international partners agreed to keep it flying through 2024. But there’s always been an assumption that end date could stretch to 2028, a point cited as when degrading hardware might start making life aboard the station a little dicey.

The earlier the ISS goes away, the earlier NASA can shed up to $4 billion in annual operating costs, and apply that toward deep space exploration. But the agency has to be careful: We’re still conducting long-duration human health research there (see: Scott Kelly’s year-long flight) and testing technologies needed for deep space. Plus, America's commercial space industry could suffer severely should the ISS suddenly disappear. The going assumption is that we’ll need some kind of replacement station; likely, a commercial one. (2/20)

Aussie Rocket Brothers Ink NASA Deal as Local Space Agency Wait Continues (Source: Sydney Morning Herald)
An ambitious plan to fly low-cost rockets into space carrying nano-satellites has been given a boost as the brothers behind it reveal their start-up has signed an agreement with NASA. Gold Coast based Gilmour Space Technologies — backed to the tune of $5 million by Australian venture capital firm Blackbird Ventures and US-based 500 Startups, among other private investors — said on Tuesday that it has entered into a Space Act Agreement with NASA to work on various research, technology development and educational initiatives.

While not a financial deal, all companies that want to work with NASA are required to first enter into such an agreement. Under the agreement, Gilmour will pay NASA to work with the agency on rover testing at the Kennedy Space Center. The agreement could also see the space company explore other activities in areas including space transportation, propulsion, sustainability and life support systems. (2/20)

Scientists Are Knitting – Yes, Knitting – A Satellite Out Of Gold (Source: IFL Science)
Putting objects in space is expensive, and the heavier they are, the more it costs. Satellites for Earth Observation and Surveillance need large dishes to maximize the radio waves they can collect. A team at Nottingham Trent University are trying to resolve the resulting conundrum by knitting themselves an ultralight satellite.

“Few people associate knitting with high-end space technology,” said project lead Professor Tilak Dias in a statement. “However due to the advancements in knitting technology we can now knit an antenna which is extremely lightweight, cost-effective and robust enough to withstand solar radiation.”

As any knitter can tell you, having the right material matters. In the case of the dishes Dias is designing, that material is gold-plated wire less than 50 micrometers (0.002 inches) thick, thinner than most human hairs. The gold-plating offers protection against the radiation of space. Although gold is not light, as the most malleable of all the elements, the plating can be so thin it adds very little to the telescope's weight. (2/18)

NASA Spends $1 Billion for a Launch Tower That Leans, May Only Be Used Once (Source: Ars Technica)
There is one component of the revamped facilities at KSC that NASA may be reluctant to show Vice President Pence, who in effect oversees all national spaceflight activities as the head of the space council. This is the "mobile launcher" structure, which supports the testing and servicing of the massive SLS rocket, as well as moving it to the launch pad and providing a platform from which it will launch.

The expensive tower is "leaning" and "bending." For now, NASA says, the lean is not sufficient enough to require corrective action, but it is developing contingency plans in case the lean angle becomes steeper. These defects raise concerns about the longevity of the launch tower and increase the likelihood that NASA will seek additional funding to build a second one. In fact, it is entirely possible that the launch tower may serve only for the maiden flight of the SLS rocket in 2020 and then be cast aside. This would represent a significant waste of resources by the space agency.

In 2011, after Congress directed NASA to build a new large rocket, the SLS, the agency began studying its options to launch the booster. These trade studies found that modifying the existing mobile launcher would cost $54 million, modifying the Space Shuttle Mobile Launcher Platforms would cost $93 million, and constructing a new mobile launch platform would cost $122 million. Ultimately, the agency opted for the lowest-cost option—modifying the Ares mobile launcher—but unfortunately those preliminary cost estimates turned out to be wildly optimistic. (2/20)

Ensuring Fresh Air for All (Source: Space Daily)
A start-up company from an ESA business incubator is offering affordable air-quality monitors for homes, schools and businesses using technology it developed for the International Space Station. "We realized that the problem astronauts face with limited of exchange of air inside the International Space Station is also the case for many people inside buildings that have little or no ventilation," explains Ciro Formisano from Airgloss, hosted at ESA's Business Incubation Center in Italy.

"So we adapted the sensor system we had designed for the Station to work on Earth in a variety of settings, with web-based controllers to give timely warnings wherever you are." The products were designed and developed by Ciro and his team, and tested on the ISS in collaboration with University of Rome Tor Vergata to check the air quality aboard the orbiting complex.to check the air quality aboard the orbiting complex. There, it was tested by ESA astronaut Roberto Vittori during his third flight to the station in 2011. (2/20)

News About Tabby's Star, the Most Mysterious Star of 2017 (Source: Space Daily)
"Since the discovery of Tabby's star, using data which extend over five years' observations, finally we are in a position to present new, convincing ideas about the nature of this strange object", says Hans Deeg. According to Rio Alonso, "we know that the material which is interposed between us and the star is not opaque, as would be expected if it were a planet, or an alien mega structure".

However not all the answers are known. At the present time the teams which are observing on the GTC, as well as those around the world, are waiting for Tabby's star to wake up again, and show stronger dimming, from 10% to 20% as found in the observations from Kepler over 5 years ago. Although the present data support the hypothesis that the star is within a large dust cloud, which produces the attenuation, observing future deep fluctuations it is hope that the puzzle presented by this star will finally be solved. (2/20)

New Space Council Advisory Group Includes Former Florida Legislator (Source: NSC)
Vice President Mike Pence, Chairman of the National Space Council, today announced the candidates selected to serve on the National Space Council’s Users Advisory Group. Pending official appointment by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the selected members of the Users Advisory Group will serve to fulfill President Trump’s mandate to “foster close coordination, cooperation, and technology and information exchange” across our nation’s space enterprise. Among the members is Steve Crisafulli, former Space Coast state legislator and speaker of the Florida House of Representatives. Click here. (2/20)

Slazer: NASA's Bold Plans Need Bold Lawmakers to Step Up With Funding (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Haven’t we seen this movie before? There’s wide bipartisan support for investment in American leadership in space. The White House and Congress alike are highlighting the importance of space programs, underpinned by significant events like this week’s National Space Council meeting at the Kennedy Space Center. But our government consistently fails to provide the budgets required to realize these bold visions. Unfortunately, the Fiscal Year 2019 NASA budget request doesn’t break us out of that loop.

The president’s $19.9 billion request for NASA’s FY19 budget includes a tiny increase; far too little to move the needle. In real terms, the request falls short of keeping up with the rate of inflation. Over the years, flat budgets have had a substantial negative cumulative impact on NASA’s buying power. For instance, NASA’s budget in 1992 was nearly $22 billion after adjusting for inflation. If American leadership in the space enterprise is important to our nation, shouldn’t NASA receive at least a 5 percent increase — to $20.6 billion? Click here. (2/21)

Orbital Insight Expands with New Japan Office (Source: Via Satellite)
Orbital Insight announced it has opened a new sales office in Tokyo, Japan. The office will meet the growing demand for Orbital Insight’s products and services throughout the Asia-Pacific region, the company stated. According to Orbital Insight, Tokyo is a strategic choice for the company because of its role in global innovation. Asia-Pacific customers have started using geospatial analytics to serve a variety of business, environmental and humanitarian scenarios, including flood detection, commodities monitoring for oil, steel and coal, deforestation, and large-scale infrastructure projects. (2/20)

Can the Canadian Government Keep up With the Growing SmallSat Community? (Source: SpaceQ)
The Canadian SmallSat Symposium held in Toronto, February 13-15, attracted national and international individuals, ranging from small start-ups, law firms, private commercial space corporates, to the government, all involved in the Canadian small satellite and space sector.

An overarching gap was evident across the sessions: the rapid growth and expansion of companies in space and small satellite development, many outside of Canada, versus the lack or slow progress of government funding and licence approvals within Canada. In the Space Exploration session, representatives from AstroKeys Inc., Gedex Systems Inc., and Canadensys Aerospace Corporation spoke on their future plans for having Canada in space; some with more concrete and realistic goals than others. (2/20)

White House Emphasizes Industry Over Science in Space Council Appointments (Source: SpaceFlight Now)
A roster of representatives from the commercial space industry, astronauts, retired military officers and politicians will advise the National Space Council as the top-level government panel seeks to reshape U.S. space policy, regulations and exploration strategies.

The Users Advisory Group will offer testimony and input to the council’s deliberations, and the 29 selectees come from industry, government and multiple spaceflight advocacy organizations. But leaders from commercial telecom and Earth observation companies who use much of the civilian U.S. rocket and satellite capacity, along with scientists currently active in space research, are largely absent from the group. (2/21)

Future Mars Plans Evolve from NASA, SpaceX (Source: Leonard David)
A virtual meeting of The Mars Exploration Program Analysis Group (MEPAG) was held today, detailing a number of exploration issues, including a projected effort to robotically return samples from the Red Planet. MEPAG meetings involve the planetary exploration community, particularly those scientists, engineers, project and program personnel, theoreticians and experimentalists, instrument scientists, and modelers who are interested in Mars exploration.

MEPAG’s overall mission is to determine if Mars ever supported life; understand the processes and history of climate on Mars; understand the origin and evolution of Mars as a geological system; and to prepare for human exploration. The MEPAG briefing provided an overview of NASA’s Mars 2020 rover situation, characterized as doing very well. Key pieces of hardware for the mega-rover vehicle have been completed, now undergoing testing. Click here. (2/20) 

How SpaceX and NASA’s Rockets Compare (Source: The Hill)
Unfortunately, a few recent headlines and ill-informed opinion editorials have suggested that the success of SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy test launch spells trouble for NASA — that somehow the agency’s own rocket, the powerful Space Launch System (SLS), is unnecessary. Nothing could be further from the truth. Without taking anything away from Falcon Heavy’s impressive performance, it is important to keep in mind the major key differences from SLS.

According to SpaceX, Falcon Heavy is not currently slated to carry human beings into space. That means it will not require many of the safety features that must be built into the SLS. In addition, the Orion crew vehicle that will ride atop SLS has a Launch Abort System that will be heavily tested to further reduce risks to crew while on the launch pad and during the potentially dangerous early stages of ascent.
 
Falcon Heavy may be perfectly acceptable for launching fairly large billion-dollar satellites or groups of smaller satellites, but it simply does not require the kind of rigorous engineering needed when human lives are at stake. Second, there is a significant difference in power between Falcon Heavy and SLS. Simply put, the Falcon Heavy can lift around 64 metric tons and the evolved SLS can lift 130 metric tons to low Earth orbit. (2/21)

Defense Contracting: A $9.2B Power Surge to San Diego Economy (Source: San Diego Times Union)
The military’s presence in San Diego County isn’t just sailors, Marines, ships and planes. It’s a $9.2 billion contracting network of 5,600 businesses and 62,000 workers that serve the bases and develop weapons and systems for the nation’s defense establishment. That’s the premise for a first-ever report, issued Wednesday from the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp., to outline the extent of defense contracting and its challenges in the face of an aging population and competition for high-tech talent.

Historically, San Diego companies and institutions have received defense research and development grants but the knowledge gained has become the basis of many companies to do nondefense work as well. “In absence of the defense cluster, it is doubtful San Diego would be the global innovation hub it is today,” the report said. Click here. (2/16)