May 24, 2018

SpaceX’s New Falcon 9 Still Needs a Key Update Before it Can Fly Astronauts (Source: The Verge)
On May 11th, SpaceX launched the inaugural mission of its powerful new Falcon 9 rocket, called the Block 5 — the same vehicle the company will use to send astronauts to the International Space Station. However, it turns out the vehicle used for that first launch wasn’t in its final configuration to fly crew members for NASA, Quartz reports, though it was believed to be.

Before the launch, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk was asked if the Block 5 rocket met NASA’s requirements for flying astronauts, and he said he thought so. “That’s my understanding, but I could be mistaken,” Musk said. However, the rocket was missing some upgraded tanks that will have to be installed long before crewed flights can take place. And that means SpaceX will have to fly even more flights of the Block 5 before astronauts can board it. (5/24)

DARPA Begins Addressing Concerns Related to Proximity Operations and Satellite Servicing (Source: Space News)
A major challenge facing companies planning to perform on-orbit satellite servicing will be ensuring satellite operators do not view their activities as potential threats. “How do we avoid any potential for misperception of what one spacecraft is doing when it approaches another spacecraft,” David Barnhart asked. DARPA’s Consortium for Execution of Rendezvous and Servicing operations, called Confers, which held its first meeting May 21, plans to address those concerns with transparency and confidence-building measures, Barnhart said.

Specifically, Confers will delve into engineering and design criteria, operational issues and information sharing practices for proximity operations and satellite servicing. Data exchange, while essential for these activities, will pose challenges due to national export controls and corporate concerns about protecting proprietary information, said Barnhart, a former DARPA project manager. (5/23)

Air Force Uncovered LSD Use Among Airmen Guarding Nuclear Missiles (Source: NPR)
More than a dozen U.S. Air Force airmen were linked to a drug ring at a base that controls America's nuclear missiles and have faced disciplinary actions – including courts martial, according to an investigation by The Associated Press. Military investigators cracked the ring in 2016, after one of the service members made the mistake of posting drug-related material to social media.

Nearly half of the airmen were convicted of using or distributing LSD — which the Pentagon has stopped screening for in drug tests, the AP reported Thursday. Citing records obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, the news service reports that the drug ring operated at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, just outside of Cheyenne, Wyoming. The airmen took the drugs — which also included ecstasy, cocaine and marijuana — during their off-duty time, but at least one airman acknowledged that while under the influence of LSD, he wouldn't have been able to respond properly if he had been suddenly called to duty. (5/24)

Plans for First Rocket Launch Dedicated to Scottish Satellite (Source: BBC)
Plans are in place for the first rocket launch dedicated to a Scottish satellite. It will be the first time a Scottish built orbiter has not had to piggyback on another launch vehicle. The satellite - called Unicorn 2-a - is another milestone for Scotland's growing space industry. It is expected to lift off from a launch site in Alaska later this year aboard an American built Vector-R rocket. (5/21)

Trump is Reforming and Modernizing American Commercial Space Policy (Source: White House)
President Trump’s Space Policy Directive – 2 reforms America’s commercial space regulatory framework, ensuring our place as a leader in space commerce. "This time, we will not only plant our flag and leave our footprint. We will establish a foundation for an eventual mission to Mars." Click here. (5/24)

Italy's First Spaceport Planned in Puglia (Source: DDay)
The first Italian spaceport will be built in Puglia, precisely in the area between Taranto and Grottaglie within the Marcello Arlotta airport structure. The news came directly from the Ministry of Infrastructures and Transport following the decision taken by the National Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC) to place the structure in the deep south of Italy, an area that has an ideal territorial conformation.

This is the final result of an agreement signed between Enac, the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and the US Federal Aviation Administration, which will allow testing the first sub-orbital tourist flights as early as 2020, according to the forecasts. The first company to operate in the Italian spaceport will be Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic , in collaboration with the Turin-based Altec (a company owned by Asi and Thales Alenia Space). Branson's company is struggling with the latest tests on its Space Shuttle Two and its carrier WhiteKnight Two. (5/15)

Russia Says New Missile Test Did Not Fail, 'Trust' Putin Not U.S. Media (Source: Newsweek)
Russia has defended its new arsenal of advanced, nuclear-capable weapons from U.S. allegations that they failed during recent tests. Citing sources with direct knowledge of a U.S. spy report on Russia's latest weapons, CNBC reported Monday that a nuclear-powered cruise missile failed all four tests between November 2017 and February 2018, with its longest flight lasting only 22 miles.

The missile, later named Burevestnik after an online vote, was touted as having a virtually unlimited range. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peksov dismissed the report, which has been cited by a number of other U.S. media outlets, instructing journalists to place their faith in the Russian leader instead. "Listen to Russian President Vladimir Putin and trust him," Peskov said, according to the state-run Tass Russian news agency. (5/22)

China to Launch 11 More Beidou Satellites This Year (Source: Xinhua)
China plans to launch 11 more Beidou navigation satellites this year. Wang Li, chairman of China Satellite Navigation System Committee, said at a Chinese conference that the 11 will join eight that have launched so far this year. China still plans to provide global coverage with the Beidou system by around 2020. (5/24)

Europe Split on UK's Role in Galileo (Source: Guardian)
There are divisions within the European Union about Britain role in the Galileo program after Brexit. While the EU has indicated that Britain will no longer be able to work on the program after the UK leaves the EU, and will not have access to military signals without entering into an agreement, several EU members are sympathetic to Britiain's desire to remain in the program, fearing disruptions to security. A leaked British "technical note" suggested that the country could seek to claw back funding it has already provided for other EU space efforts. (5/24)

Bridenstine Offers Senators Reassurances on NASA Programs (Source: Space News)
In his first congressional testimony since becoming NASA administrator, Jim Bridenstine sought to assure senators about the status of several key programs. Speaking at a hearing of a Senate appropriations subcommittee Wednesday, Bridenstine said NASA was reconsidering two Earth science missions proposed for cancellation in the 2019 budget request based on the outcome of the Earth science decadal survey published in January.

He also stated that he believed humans were the leading contributor to climate change, a view he acknowledge was an "evolution" from past statements. Senators did criticize the proposed closure of NASA's education office, but avoided many issues, like exploration programs and commercial crew, that have been contentious in the past. The committee will mark up a spending bill that funds NASA next month. (5/24)

Sales Surge, Profits Plunge at Aerojet Rocketdyne (Source: Motley Fool)
Aerojet Rocketdyne stock lost 12% of its value in the two days after the company reported earnings  for the first quarter of 2018 -- a miss, and its third such miss in a row, according to data from Yahoo! Finance . Since that report and subsequent drop, however, Aerojet Rocketdyne has come roaring back, recovering all of its losses, and even adding a bit more. At last week's closing price of $28.72, Aerojet Rocketdyne stock now costs about one dollar a share more than it did pre-earnings.

But here's the thing Aerojet Rocketdyne investors need to remember: Yes, ULA has tapped Aerojet to power its Vulcan second stage for now. Who will build the larger, arguably more important first-stage engines, however, remains up for debate (and currently, Aerojet's privately funded rival Blue Origin seems to be winning that contest). What's more, ULA plans to switch out its Centaur second-stage (and Aerojet's) engines for a new "Advanced Cryogenic Evolved Stage" (ACES) second-stage rocket, which may or may not include Aerojet's RL10 in its design, in 2023. Thus, Aerojet's victory on Centaur may be short-lived. (5/23)

No comments: