November 13, 2018

ArianeGroup to Cut 2,200 Jobs (Source: AFP)
ArianeGroup plans to cut 2,200 jobs over the next four years as it phases out the Ariane 5. The company, which currently employs 9,000, said Monday that it plans to cut the jobs through attrition rather than layoffs as it completes development of the Ariane 6, the successor to the Ariane 5. The Ariane 6, intended to cost 40 percent less than the Ariane 5, is scheduled to enter service in 2020, with the Ariane 5 phased out a few years later. [AFP]

FCC Considers New Orbital Debris Rule (Source: Space News)
The FCC will take up a proposed rule this week modifying its orbital debris mitigation guidelines. The commission is expected to approve the notice of proposed rulemaking at its meeting Thursday, beginning a public comment period on the revised regulations. Among those proposed rules under consideration by the FCC is a requirement that low Earth orbit satellites that plan to operate at altitudes above 650 kilometers first undergo checkouts at a lower altitude to avoid situations where spacecraft failures leave them stranded in higher, longer-lived orbits. The FCC will also take up authorizations for several satellite constellations and approval of the use of Galileo navigation signals by nonfederal devices. [SpaceNews]

Italy's Space Agency Chief Dismissed (Source: Space News)
The head of the Italian Space Agency (ASI) was dismissed last week for reasons that remain unclear. Roberto Battiston had been president of ASI since 2014 and started a second four-year term earlier this year when Marco Bussetti, the country's education, university and research minister, removed Battiston from his post Nov. 6. Battiston said that his dismissal was evidence of the patronage system being applied to public research agencies in the country for the first time. The ministry hasn't formally commented on Battiston's dismissal. A petition seeking to either return Battiston to his job or otherwise reduce the effects of his departure has garnered more than 15,000 signatures. [SpaceNews]

NASA Hopes Canada Will Support Gateway with Robotic Arm (Source: CTV)
NASA is hoping that Canada will contribute an advanced robotic arm system to its proposed lunar Gateway. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine is scheduled to meet this week with Canadian officials in discussions that will include Canadian contributions to the Gateway. NASA has asked Canada to contribute robotic arms, making use of artificial intelligence, for the Gateway, but the Canadian government has yet to make a commitment for a system that could cost more than $1 billion over 20 years. [CTV]

Suyuz Rocket Passes Test Ahead of Next Crewed Launch (Source: TASS)
The Soyuz spacecraft to be used on the next mission to the International Space Station has passed a key test. Russian officials said the Soyuz MS-11 spacecraft passed a vacuum test, with no signs of leaks. The Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft, currently docked to the ISS, suffered a leak in August, the cause of which remains under investigation but could be linked to workmanship and handling issues during prelaunch preparations. [TASS]

Multiple Pilots Report UFO Sighting (Source: Huffington Post)
Several commercials airline pilots reported a series of fast-moving unidentified objects in the skies off the west coast of Ireland last week in an incident now under investigation. One pilot said the object or objects were traveling at “astronomical” speeds of at least Mach 2, or twice the speed of sound. The incident began when a British Airways pilot flying from Montreal to London’s Heathrow Airport contacted Shannon Air Traffic Control in Ireland to ask if there were any military aircraft in the vicinity. When told there was no such aircraft, the pilot said something had moved “so fast” past the aircraft.

“Errr... alongside you?” the air traffic controller asked.  The pilot replied that two objects had approached on the left and then “rapidly” veered toward the north. “We saw a bright light and it just disappeared at a very high speed,” she said. A Virgin Airlines flight from Orlando to Manchester, UK, then reported “two bright lights” that “seemed to bank over to the right and then climb away at speed.”

The pilot described “a meteor or another object making some kind of reentry, appears to be multiple objects following the same sort of trajectory, very bright from where we were.” Then, a third pilot chimed in. “Glad it wasn’t just me,” the Norwegian Air pilot flying from Stewart Airport in New York to Shannon, Ireland said. (11/13)

Finland Probe: Russia Disrupting GPS During NATO Drill (Source: DW)
Pilots in Finland and Norway lost GPS navigation signals during recent NATO's  large-scale Trident Juncture exercise near Russia's western border. Speaking to Finland's public broadcaster Yle on Sunday, Finnish Prime Minister Juha Sipila said that Moscow was likely to blame for the jamming. "Technology-wise, it's relatively easy to disturb a radio signal, and it's possible that Russia was behind it," he was quoted as saying. "This is not a joke, it threatened the air security of ordinary people." Sipila, who is also an experienced pilot, said that the incident would be treated as a breach of Finnish airspace. The goal of the alleged Russian interference was "to demonstrate the capabilities for such actions," he said. (11/11)

Why a Space Force Can Wait (Source: Aerospace Security)
I do not disagree with the contention that the current organizational structure of national security space is problematic. Most experts have noted that space capabilities are spread unevenly throughout DoD and Intelligence Community, without much interoperability and communication, and space authority and coordination is fragmented. As a result, there is no true military space career path and Air Force officers with no space background are often shifted into space work.

Additionally, the Air Force tends to decrease space-related funding in order to support aircraft when balancing priorities. These are serious issues that need to be resolved; however, the solution is not to jump to create a new military department. DoD needs to slow down and take a deep breath, evaluate the issues that are causing our national security space enterprise to falter, and develop a strategic plan to fix them. Throwing more money and even more bureaucracy at the issue is not going to help, and holding to unrealistic timelines will not allow for thorough progress reviews of incremental steps, such as establishing a space combatant command or a dedicated space acquisition and development agency. (10/3)

The End of an Era in the Exploration of Europa (Source: Space Review)
Last week’s midterm elections saw the defeat of Rep. John Culberson, a major advocate for missions to Jupiter’s moon Europa. Jason Callahan explains what that means for NASA missions under development, and why some scientists might not be that surprised. Click here. (11/12)
 
A Different Trajectory for Funding Space Science Missions (Source: Space Review)
The budget increases that NASA’s planetary science program has enjoyed for the last several years may soon come to an end, even while there’s no shortage of compelling mission concepts. Jeff Foust reports on two alternative approaches under study for doing planetary exploration, involving philanthropy and coalitions. Click here. (11/12)
 
Spaceplanes: the Triumph of Hope Over Experience (Source: Space Review)
For decades, engineers have tried to develop spaceplanes that can operate like aircraft, only to suffer technical shortfalls. John Hollaway argues that the failed efforts to develop such vehicles mark the limits of the space launch industry. Click here. (11/12)

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