April 27, 2019

Russia Developing a Diverse Suite of Ground-Launched and Directed-Energy ASAT Capabilities (Source: CSIS)
While the vulnerabilities of U.S. national security space systems are often discussed publicly, the progress other nations are making in counterspace systems is not as readily accessible. The purpose of this report is to review the open-source information available on the counterspace capabilities that can threaten U.S. space systems. It is intended to raise awareness and understanding of the threats, debunk myths and misinformation, and highlight areas in which senior leaders and policymakers should focus their attention. Click here. (4/25) https://aerospace.csis.org/space-threat-assessment-2019/

Organs-on-a-Chip Hurtle Toward the Final Frontier (Source: Technology Networks)
Throughout the 60-year history of the U.S. space program—from the Mercury capsules of the 1960s to today’s International Space Station—astronauts have been getting sick. Researchers know being in orbit seems to suppress their immune systems, creating a more fertile ground for infections to grow. But nobody really understands why.

Early on the morning of April 25, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch a cargo mission to the ISS from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Along with fresh water, food, and other necessities for the crew, the craft will be carrying two experiments designed by Penn scientists that could help shed light on why bugs have bedeviled space travelers. Solving the puzzle of illness in orbit is an important part of NASA’s long-term plan to send people well beyond the Moon, particularly to Mars.

For a short trip, an infection might not be a big deal. For ISS astronauts who have stayed in orbit for as long as a year or those assigned to future long-distance missions, understanding what’s happening is much more important. The project’s Earth-bound impact will be significant, too. New insights gleaned from this study will deepen our understanding into the complex inner workings of immunity in the human body. This may also help scientists and drug companies develop more effective medical countermeasures for infectious and inflammatory diseases. (4/17)

This Martian Greenhouse Concept Just Won a NASA Award (Source: Futurism)
A team from Dartmouth University has won NASA’s 2019 BIG Idea Challenge for a futuristic design for a dome-shaped Martian greenhouse. The hydroponic structure could allow astronauts to grow their own food on the desolate Martian surface. It’d cultivate up to eight food crops could be grown inside a rotating system that could serve up 3100 calories per day for four astronauts over a 600 day excursion to the Red Planet.

It’d grow kale, soy, sweet potato, potato, broccoli, strawberry, wheat, and chufa. A massive tank filled with a nutrient solution under the ceiling feeds a circular system of crop trays with the help of gravity. LEDs make sure that the plants get enough sunlight. But there’s one more challenge: getting a greenhouse to Mars. The team calculates that the entire structure could be sent up in a single 20,000 pound (9,130 kg) package — roughly a tenth of the advertised payload to Mars of SpaceX’s upcoming Starship. (4/26)

Secrets of Tiniest Star Ever Measured Revealed by Passing Asteroids (Source: Space.com)
Astronomers found the size of the smallest star measured to date by tracking the shadows of nearby asteroids. Most stars in the night sky are too far away to be measured accurately, even by the best optical telescopes. However, astronomers leveraged a method known as diffraction to overcome this challenge.

Diffraction occurs when an object, such as an asteroid, passes in front of a star, creating a shadow called an occultation. As the asteroid passes in front of the star, astronomers can calculate how long it takes for the star's light to fade. Knowing how fast the asteroid is traveling, astronomers can then determine the size of the star. Using this method, astronomers were able to more precisely measure the diameter of several distant stars, according to a statement from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, which oversees the observatory used in the study. (4/26)

Blue Origin Tweeted a Cryptic Photo of Explorer Shackleton's Ship – Here's What it Likely Means (Source: CNBC)
lue Origin, the space company founded by Amazon chairman Jeff Bezos, shared a cryptic photo of famed explorer Ernest Shackleton’s expedition in a tweet on Friday. But, with only the date of May 9 in the photo’s caption, the company left the context for the post unexplained. One likely meaning is the possible connection between Shackleton’s expedition and Blue Origin’s bid to send astronauts back to the surface of the moon.

The photo is of Shackleton’s ship “Endurance” during the explorer’s attempt to make the first land crossing of the Antarctic more than a century ago. But Shackleton is also the name of a crater on the moon’s surface. And it’s not just any crater. NASA named the crater for the famed explorer in 2006 due to its potential as a lunar outpost. Located at the moon’s south pole, the Shackleton crater is believed by many to have deposits of frozen water.

A NASA program aims to award billions of dollars in contracts over the next five years so companies will develop spacecraft capable of flying humans to and from the moon. Bezos pours about $1 billion of his Amazon stock into Blue Origin each year. He has said there should be “a permanent human settlement on one of the poles of the moon” and that it’s not just time for humans to return to the moon, it’s “time to stay.” (4/26)

The Pentagon  Wants to Build Satellite-Repairing Droids (Source: Futurism)
The Pentagon’s research division, DARPA, wants to develop space robots that can visit high-altitude satellites and conduct repairs when something breaks down. The repair-bots are expected to service the satellites and spacecraft orbiting Earth at around 22,000 miles, according to Nextgov. The fleet would not only provide support for a U.S. Space Force but could also potentially enable explorations deeper into space.

DARPA announced last week that it would host a so-called Proposers Day to any agencies or teams that might want to build out the real-world astromech droids in late May. Once the robots are up and running, they could save the government and other space agencies a great deal of money — high-altitude satellites are currently built with several expensive redundancies because repairs are often out of the question. If a droid could be shuttled up to the satellite and fix the broken parts, those redundant components become unnecessary. (4/25)

USDOT Seaports Money Could Benefit Space Operations (Source: Aviation Week)
During her visit to Kennedy Space Center, USDOT Secretary Elaine Chao said the impending announcement of an additional $292 million in funding to improve port facilities at coastal seaports represents money that could be used for spaceports. Of the total, $92 million is reserved for the nation’s 15 busiest ports, three of which are in Florida. DOT also has an ongoing, $900 million Build Transportation grants program that could also be applied to some non-federal infrastructure that supports space launch operations. Applications are due July 15. (4/24)

China a Threat to U.S. Smallsat Industry Leadership (Source: Politico)
China's heavy investment in smaller, cheaper satellites threatens to snuff out the burgeoning American market and leaves the Pentagon no homegrown industry to buy from, warns the chairman of the SmallSat Alliance, an industry group that advocates for companies that build and launch small satellites. Charles Beames says he’s worried China will copy or steal American small satellite technology and use its low labor costs to drive down the overall price of the satellites. And American startups could be forced to shutter if international customers purchase the lower-priced alternatives. (4/26)