July 19, 2018

British Government to Promote Space Industry Exports (Source: Space News)
The British government announced July 19 a new effort to help space companies in the country win business outside of Europe amid concerns about the effects Brexit will have on the industry. In a speech at the Farnborough International Airshow, Liam Fox, the minister for international trade, said the government would initiate a “Space Exports Campaign” with a particular focus on the United States and India. Fox said the campaign would leverage the British space industry’s strengths, particularly in emerging fields like small satellites, to create new export opportunities for companies in the space sector. (7/19)

New York-London in 3½ Hours? Supersonic Travel May Be Back (Source: Wall Street Journal)
Fifteen years after the Concorde last flew, supersonic air travel is back in the aerospace industry’s sights. Investors, plane makers and equipment suppliers are pushing to revive superfast airliners and business jets. The big questions: Will regulators go along, and will passengers be willing to pay? The Concorde cut the time to fly from New York to London or Paris to about 3½ hours, about half today’s typical journey. But it was an economic failure.

The latest efforts, highlighted by exhibits and discussions at the international air show here, reflect support from major aerospace companies, buttressed by promising research into reducing the sonic boom that occurs when planes exceed the speed of sound. Backers include Boeing, Lockheed Martin and closely held Colorado startup Boom Technology Inc., which aims to start flying a reduced-size demonstration craft late next year. (7/18)

Blue Origin Launches Another Successful Suborbital Test (Source: Space News)
Blue Origin's New Shepard carried out a successful test flight demonstrating its escape system Wednesday. The suborbital vehicle lifted off from the company's West Texas site at 11:11 a.m. Eastern in the ninth flight of the overall New Shepard test program. Shortly after the crew capsule separated from its propulsion module, it fired its abort motor to demonstrate its ability to operate at high altitudes. The capsule reached a peak altitude of nearly 120 kilometers before landing by parachute, while the propulsion module made a normal powered vertical landing. The flight, besides demonstrating the abort system, also carried several research and technology demonstration payloads. Blue Origin said during the launch webcast that flights with people on board could begin "after a couple more tests." (7/18)

Planet Lays Off Dozens (Source: Space News)
Earth imaging company Planet has laid off up to several dozen employees. A company spokesperson confirmed the company laid off "less than ten percent" of its employees last week, with one source putting the number of people who lost their jobs at 38. Planet said it "restructured teams to more tightly align with our current business goals" after shifting from developing its imaging satellite constellation to creating new commercial products based on the images those satellites provide. (7/18)

UK's Orbex Raises $40M to Enter Small Launcher Market (Source: Space News)
British-based Orbex argues it's a serious contender in the small launch vehicle market after closing a round of funding. The company said this week it had raised about $40 million from private investors and government grants, a little more than half of the total the company projects is needed to develop its Prime vehicle. Prime will be capable of launching 150 kilograms into sun-synchronous orbits using engines that run on liquid oxygen and propane. Orbex plans to focus on European customers, with launches set to begin in 2021 from the new U.K. spaceport in northern Scotland. (7/18)

Solar Probe Launch Pushed Back to Aug. 6 at Cape Canaveral Spaceport (Source: NASA)
The launch of NASA's Parker Solar Probe has slipped a couple more days. NASA said Wednesday that the spacecraft's launch on a Delta 4 Heavy, previously scheduled for Aug. 4, was now planned for Aug. 6 because of an issue with the rocket's payload fairing and to repair a leak in tubing for the spacecraft's kick stage. The launch period for the spacecraft, which will travel closer to the sun than any previous mission, runs until Aug. 19. (7/18)

Astrobotic Picks Dynetics for Lunar Lander Propulsion (Source: Space News)
Astrobotic has selected Dynetics to provide the propulsion system for its lunar lander. The system, featuring five 150-lbf. engines and 12 smaller attitude control thrusters, uses a variant of the mixed oxides of nitrogen propellant known as MON-25 that has a lower freezing point, which the companies say make it more suitable for a mission beyond Earth orbit. The propulsion system was the last major element Astrobotic needed to select for its Peregrine lander, which is scheduled to make its first flight in 2020. Astrobotic plans to offer payload space on that lander to NASA through the agency's Commercial Lunar Payload Services program. (7/18)

India Contracts for Satellite Manufacture (Source: Times of India)
The Indian space agency has signed contracts with three industry groups to manufacture up to 27 satellites. The three-year contracts would provide ISRO with nine satellites, in the range of 1.6 to 3 tons each, each year. The satellites would be used for communications, navigation or meteorological missions. The terms of the contracts were not disclosed by the companies or ISRO. One of the three companies, Alpha Design Technologies, previously built two navigation satellites for ISRO. (7/18)

What To Do With International Space Station? Boost It for Future Salvage (Source: Aviation Week)
Whenever the International Space Station (ISS) comes to the end of its operational life, NASA’s current plan is to propulsively deorbit the 463-ton laboratory so debris falls into the unpopulated southern Pacific Ocean. Former United Launch Alliance (ULA) Vice President and Chief Scientist George Sowers wonders if there is another option. Now a professor at the Colorado School of Mines, Sowers spends much of his time thinking about resources in space. Sowers suggests boosting the deactivated ISS to 1,000-year storage orbit so future generations have the option to salvage the laboratory. (7/18)

The Rebirth of the Australia Space Agency (Source: SpaceQ)
On July 1st the Australia Space Agency (ASA) started operations. It’s an important milestone for the country as they look to space to help drive economic growth with an eye to tripling their share of the global space market by 2030. It turns out Australia’s space industry is stronger than even the government realized, and now with bipartisan support, the country is charting a new course to take advantage of Australia’s strengths. That course includes developing a national strategic plan for the country. Click here. (7/19)