Scientists Have an
Extreme Plan to Intercept Asteroid ‘the Size of a Skyscraper’ (Source:
Metro)
Pete Worden, an adviser on space resources to the Grand Duchy of
Luxembourg, recently said that the prevailing theory is that if any
asteroids are big enough to threaten the planet ‘we’ll go move them.'
NASA is planning to launch a mission in 2021 known as a Double Asteroid
Redirection Test (DART) – essentially bumping a small asteroid to
monitor how much they can move its trajectory.
Speaking about the DART, Mr Worden said: ‘The thing is, if you move
something years in advance, you don’t have to move it very much. ‘This
is a rock that’s the size of a skyscraper. ‘You would then hit it with
a spacecraft kind of the size of a small car, and by impacting it, it
impacts energy and momentum and will move it slightly off its orbit.’
Amazingly though, Worden revealed another possible plan to intercept an
asteroid that doesn’t involve striking it. He claimed that
spray-painting one side of the asteroid was being discussed by
scientists as a way of changing orbit. The patch of rock with the paint
on it would be heated differently by the sun, which would impact its
movement through space. (8/13)
Volusia Wants to be in
Middle of New Growth in Florida’s Space Industry (Source:
Daytona Beach News Journal)
Volusia County leaders are bullish on chances to attract share of
Florida’s growing space industry with help from Space Florida,
Congressman Michael Waltz and others. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical
University’s MicaPlex incubator, developer Chad Hagle’s Space Square
project in Daytona Beach also leading way. Eager to capitalize on the
space race, Edgewater community leaders in the late 1950s/early ’60s
put up a billboard touting the Southeast Volusia city as the “Gateway
to the Moon,” just a short drive north of Cape Canaveral.
Some 60 years later, the county may finally start living up to that
claim. Thanks to a new space race, this time led not by NASA but by
private-sector ventures such as SpaceX and Blue Origin, Volusia County
is gaining the attention of companies interested in taking part in the
growing commercial space industry. Some of those companies are already
here, noted Volusia County Councilwoman Deb Denys. (8/10)
USAF X-37b Military Space
Plane's Mystery Mission Circling Earth Hits 700 Days
(Source: Space Daily)
The robotic X-37B launched its fifth and latest mission, known as
Orbital Test Vehicle 5 (OTV-5), hitting the 700-day mark, and is just a
few weeks short of breaking the vehicle's spaceflight-duration record.
The reusable spacecraft, which looks like a miniature version of NASA's
space shuttle, is on a mission that has been a topic of speculation
since its start on September 7, 2017, as the solar-powered spacecraft's
missions, and most of its payloads, remain classified.
The US Air Force keeps stressing that the space plane tests
technologies for future reusable spacecraft and takes experiments up to
space and back. Air Force officials, however, have revealed that its
payloads include the Advanced Structurally Embedded Thermal Spreader
experiment (ASETS-II), which is measuring how oscillating heat pipes
and certain electronics perform in the space environment. (8/8)
A Non-Biological Cause
for Martian Methane Dismissed (Source: Space Daily)
Wind erosion has been ruled out as the primary cause of methane gas
release on Mars, Newcastle University academics have shown. Methane can
be produced over time through both geological and biological routes and
since its first detection in the Martian atmosphere in 2003, there has
been intense speculation about the source of the gas and the
possibility that it could signal life on the planet.
Previous studies have suggested the methane may not be evenly
distributed in the atmosphere around Mars, but instead appear in
localised and very temporary pockets on the planet's surface. And the
previous discovery of methane 'spikes' in the Martian atmosphere has
further fuelled the debate. Now research led by Newcastle University,
UK, and published in Scientific Reports, has ruled out the possibility
that the levels of methane detected could be produced by the wind
erosion of rocks, releasing trapped methane from fluid inclusions and
fractures on the planets' surface. (8/13)
Dextre Begins RRM3 Tasks
to Test Robotic Refueling of Spacecraft (Source: NASA)
Canada’s star space robot Dextre is busy working tasks aimed at finding
solutions to enable the robotic refueling of spacecraft. Robotic
Refueling Mission 3 (RRM3) follows on from the previous two test
objectives that are evaluating techniques at advancing satellite
servicing capabilities and enabling long-duration, deep space
exploration.
RRM is an ISS payload developed by the Satellite Servicing Capabilities
Office (SSCO) at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) – the same
team that managed the highly intricate Hubble Space Telescope (HST)
Servicing Missions via the Space Shuttle. It is designed to test
procedures for refueling satellites in space, among other objectives.
The RRM1 launched on STS-135 back in July 2011 and Dextre showed off
its skills by using an array of tools to conduct objectives that are
set to be employed on future missions. (8/13)
Spies, Lies, and
Radioactivity: Russia’s Nuke Missile Mishap, Decoded
(Source: Daily Beast)
When Vladimir Putin announced a brand new globe-spanning missile
powered by a mini reactor last year, it was supposed to be a crown
jewel for Moscow’s military. But as President Trump tweeted late
Monday, it’s increasingly looking like one of those missiles exploded
during testing. So whose bright idea was it to slap a nuclear reactor
on the back of a nuclear missile, why is Russia making one, and just
how viable is a nuke-powered missile?
Wait, there’s a nuclear reactor-powered missile? Kind of. The missile,
dubbed the 9M730 Burevestnik (or “petrel” in English), is designed to
carry a warhead—nuclear or conventional—around the globe and dodge
American missile defenses. (NATO refers to the missile by a name more
befitting its James Bond movie aura: Skyfall.) Putin hailed the weapon
as a “a low-flying stealth missile carrying a nuclear warhead, with
almost an unlimited range, unpredictable trajectory and ability to
bypass interception boundaries.” (8/13)
'Interplanetary Shock'
Spotted by NASA Spacecraft (Source: Space.com)
A team of four NASA spacecraft finally caught sight of a phenomenon
scientists have been hunting for years: an interplanetary shock. The
spacecraft comprise a NASA project called the Magnetospheric Multiscale
mission, nicknamed MMS, which launched in 2015. The mission is focused
on studying the magnetic environment surrounding Earth. To do so, it
relies on four identical spacecraft that cooperate to map what's
happening.
In new research, scientists dissect a particularly intriguing
phenomenon that occurred in the magnetic field in January 2018. Because
the individual satellites were deployed within just 12 miles of each
other, they got a prime view of what was happening. The phenomenon was
an interplanetary shock, which is an interaction between two different
patches of the stream of charged particles constantly flowing off the
sun, which scientists refer to as the solar wind. When a fast patch of
solar wind overtakes a slower patch, scientists believe it transfers
energy to that slower patch and creates a shock. (8/13)
NASA Plans to Send
Robonaut Back to ISS (Source: Space News)
NASA's Robonaut is getting ready to return to the International Space
Station. At a recent conference, a project official said the humanoid
robot will likely be flown back to the station late this year on a
cargo mission, then undergo checkouts. The robot flew to the station in
2011 but suffered technical problems a few years later that led NASA to
ship the robot back to Earth last year. Engineers traced the problem to
design flaws in the robot's electrical system that have been corrected.
Roscosmos is planning to launch its own humanoid robot, FEDOR or Skybot
F-850, to the station this month, but is expected to remain on the
station only briefly. (8/13)
Aevum Wins Air Force SBIR
Grant for Launcher Development (Source: Aevum)
The U.S. Air Force has awarded Aevum a Small Business Innovation
Research (SBIR) Phase I contract for its fully autonomous launch and
space logistics service. Aevum’s unique platform can launch small
satellites with response times as low as 180-minutes, measured from
mission conceptualization to orbital insertion to data downlink, to any
low Earth orbit. The USAF awarded Aevum under a special USAF SBIR topic
developed, in partnership with Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL),
National Security Innovation Network (NSIN) – formerly MD5, and USAF
AFWERX, to increase the efficiency, effectiveness, and transition rate
of the SBIR program.
Under this contract, Aevum will move quickly to find an Air Force
transition partner for its autonomous launch system to provide
strategic responsive launch capabilities to the USAF for global
persistent awareness. Aevum has made rapid progress in bringing its
autonomous launch architecture to full service. Autonomous launch is a
brand-new type of access to space conceived by Aevum. It requires an
advanced logistics network comprised of launch sites, launch support
assets, ground stations, fully autonomous launch vehicles, cloud
technologies, and software.
This global network is fully controlled and commanded by Aevum’s
advanced mission management technology. The first in Aevum’s autonomous
launch vehicle lineup is Ravn X. Ravn X is a reusable, three-stage
launch vehicle – the only reusable, small launch vehicle poised to
service small payloads. The first stage is a fully autonomous unmanned
aerial system (UAS) powered by afterburning turbojet engines. The
second and third stages are liquid rocket stages powered by
staged-combustion liquid engines utilizing Jet A and liquid oxygen.
(8/13)
Russia Says Small Nuclear
Reactor Blew Up in Deadly Accident (Source: TIME)
The failed missile test that ended in an explosion killing five
scientists last week on Russia’s White Sea involved a small nuclear
reactor, according to a top official at the institute where they
worked. The institute is working on small-scale power sources being
tested for the SSC-X-9 Skyfall, known in Russia as the Burevestnik, a
nuclear-powered cruise missile that President Vladimir Putin introduced
to the world in a brief animated segment during his state-of-the-nation
address last year.
The men, who will be buried Monday, were national heroes and the “elite
of the Russian Federal Nuclear Center,” institute Director Valentin
Kostyukov said in the video, which was also posted on an official
website in Sarov, a high-security city devoted to nuclear research less
than 250 miles east of Moscow. (8/12)
ESA Parachute Test for
ExoMars Lander Fails Again (Source: Space News)
The European Space Agency said Monday that another parachute test for
the ExoMars 2020 mission failed last week. ESA said in a statement
that, in the high-altitude test last week in Sweden, a parachute 35
meters in diameter suffered damage prior to inflation, causing a test
article mimicking the lander to descend under a smaller pilot chute
alone. In late May, both that 35-meter parachute and a smaller one 15
meters across were damaged in a similar test. The parachutes are key
elements of the entry, descent and landing system for the mission,
scheduled to launch in less than a year. ESA said in the statement that
the mission team is "working to understand and correct the flaw in
order to launch next year." (8/13)
Chinese Launch Startups
Keep Testing (Source: Space News)
As one Chinese startup tests reusable launch vehicle technology,
another company is gearing up for a first orbital launch attempt.
Chinarocket Co., Ltd. is set to test launch its Jielong-1 (Smart
Dragon-1) small launch vehicle as soon as this weekend from the Jiuquan
Satellite Launch Center. The rocket is capable of putting 150 kilograms
into a sun-synchronous orbit. Chinarocket is a subsidiary of the China
Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), the main
contractor for China's space programs. Linkspace, which flew a reusable
launch vehicle technology demonstrator to an altitude of 300 meters
over the weekend and landed it successfully, is expected to perform a
kilometer-level test before proceeding to a larger RLV-T6 tech
demonstrator rocket. (8/13)
France's Mecano ID
Develops Smallsat Launch Adapter (Source: Space News)
A French supplier of satellite components is developing a smallsat
launch adapter. Mecano ID is developing a deployer with the assistance
of the French space agency CNES. The Ejection Of Satellite (EOS)
separation system is designed for smallsats between 20 and 60
kilograms, and should be qualified and ready for launch opportunities
during the second half of 2020. Mecano ID is a 75-person company that
counts on the space sector for 90% of its $10 million in annual
revenue. (8/13)
NASA and DOE Developing
Nuclear Reactor to Power Moon/Mars Bases (Source:
Space.com)
A nuclear reactor that could support human missions to the moon and
Mars should be ready for a flight demonstration in 2022. The Kilopower
reactor, under development by NASA and the Department of Energy, is a
fission reactor capable of producing one kilowatt of power but can be
scaled up to 10 kilowatts. In a recent presentation, the project lead
for Kilopower at Los Alamos National Lab said the reactor could be
flown in space as soon as 2022, although NASA has yet to announce plans
for such a test. (8/13)
NASA Picks Bennu Landing
Sites for Asteroid Sample Collection (Source: NASA)
A NASA asteroid sample return mission has selected four potential sites
on the asteroid Bennu to collect material. NASA said Monday that
scientists identified four sites, named Nightingale, Kingfisher, Osprey
and Sandpiper, where the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft could touch down
briefly, collecting samples using a device at the end of a robotic arm.
The spacecraft will now collect high-resolution images of the four
sites so that scientists can select a primary and backup location by
December. OSIRIS-REx will attempt to obtain the samples later in 2020
for return to Earth in 2024. (8/13)
Hawaii Observatories
Reopen for Some Observations (Source: University of Hawaii)
Observatories on Hawaii's Mauna Kea reopened just in time to allow
astronomers to rule out a potential impact by a near Earth asteroid.
Several observatories on the mountain's summit reopened over the
weekend after reaching an agreement with protestors who blocked access
to stop construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope there. One
observatory, the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, spent Saturday night
observing 2006 QV89, an asteroid that carried a very small but non-zero
chance of impacting the Earth in 2020. The observations have ruled out
any potential future impact threat from the asteroid for the next
century. (8/13)
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