January 19, 2020

SpaceX Aces Crew Dragon Launch Abort Test, Destroys Rocket On Purpose (Source: Space.com)
SpaceX just took a giant leap forward in its quest to launch astronauts. The private spaceflight company intentionally destroyed one of its rockets on Sunday (Jan. 19) as part of a crucial test of its new Crew Dragon capsule's launch escape system.

The uncrewed test, known as an in-flight abort (IFA) test, is the last major hurdle SpaceX needed to clear before Crew Dragon can begin to carry astronauts to and from the International Space Station (ISS). Originally scheduled to launch on Saturday (Jan. 18), the unpiloted crew capsule was grounded for 24 hours due to unfavorable weather conditions at both the launch site and the Crew Dragon recovery zone, the Atlantic Ocean just off the Florida coast. (1/19)

China Plans 39 Million-Mile Race to Mars to Catch Up With NASA (Source: Bloomberg)
China is taking its rivalry with the U.S. to another planet. The Chinese space agency is preparing a mid-year mission to Mars, marking the most ambitious project on an exploration checklist intended to achieve equal footing with NASA and transform the nation’s technological know-how. Landing the unmanned probe on the red planet would cap President Xi Jinping’s push to make China a superpower in space. The nation already has rovers on the moon, and it’s making bold plans to operate an orbiting space station, establish a lunar base and explore asteroids by the 2030s.

“It’s about prestige, the demonstration of technological prowess on the world stage,” said Emily Lakdawalla, a solar system specialist at The Planetary Society nonprofit foundation. “If they can stick the landing, they will accomplish something amazing.” Chinese scientists have plenty of company as they look at least 39 million miles away at what’s called Huoxing, or “fire star,” in Mandarin. Thanks to Mars and Earth being closer in orbit, a phenomenon that happens only every 26 months, this promises to be a breakthrough year for exploring the planet that has fueled countless science-fiction tales. (1/18)

Commercial Spaceflight is No Longer a Pipe Dream. Here's What's Next (Source: CNN)
The last decade gave rise to more than 500 startups in the commercial spaceflight sector, prompting analysts to dub it one of the most exciting new markets to watch. Investors have put more than $25 billion into makers of satellites, rockets and other space innovations since 2009, according to a report published Tuesday by investment firm Space Angels. This year could bring even more attention to the industry, as young companies continue to evolve from wannabes with pitch decks into legitimate businesses.

Instead of chasing angel investments and seed funding, some are graduating to growth capital or attracting more mainstream backers. One or two established startups might even file for an IPO, some investors speculate, potentially giving the industry more credibility on Wall Street. But just like any maturing industry, some companies will go bankrupt, others will join forces to survive and some could be snapped up by bigger competitors.

Venture capitalists only began making significant investments in space startups in the past few years. So the "new space" industry, as some call it, is still very young and has a lot to prove. But Wall Street banks, including Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, predict the global space economy could grow to $1 trillion or more over the next two decades. If the space sector's visionaries have their way, the next decade will see unprecedented business activity in space. (1/17)

A Freshly Cooked Meal In Space? It Could Happen Sooner Than You Think (Source: Forbes)
With both NASA’s Commercial Crew Program and Virgin Galactic on track to launch crew into space this year, the 2020s are on track to become the decade of space tourism. In anticipation of the industry’s expansion, companies such as Bigelow Aerospace have gone as far as to design hotels that will house private space travelers during their stays on orbit. Virgin Galactic, in turn, has a waiting list more than 600 people long for its first suborbital tourist flights.

As a 2010 study by The Tauri Group found, the main customer base for private spaceflight is high net-worth individuals, many of whom are seeking a new luxury travel experience after patronizing the world’s finest hotels and resorts. These individuals, who are willing to pay between $250,000 and $25M USD for a private spaceflight experience, are accustomed to white glove treatment: Not only are they visiting a destination when they travel, but they expect the cream of the crop in accommodation, amenities, and dining during their stay. (1/16)

RUAG Space: High-Tech-Mechanisms for New Generation of All-Electric Satellites (Source: RUAG)
Eutelsat KONNECT satellite has been launched on 16 January on board an European Ariane 5 rocket. The satellite will provide broadband internet services to Africa. For this new generation of European telecommunications satellites, RUAG Space produced mechanisms that point the satellite's electrical engines. The electric propulsion is necessary to bring the satellite exactly into its position and to maintain this position over the lifetime of several years. “To have designed and produced such a complex mechanism in a very short time frame is an extraordinary technical achievement,” says Peter Guggenbach, Executive Vice President RUAG Space. “Our mechanisms are a key element of this new type of all-electric satellite.”

The all-electric Eutelsat KONNECT spacecraft is the first satellite built on the new Spacebus Neo platform from Thales Alenia Space. Electric engines consume significantly less fuel than chemical engines, for example. The Electric Propulsion Pointing Mechanisms (EPPM) were delivered from RUAG Space to Thales Alenia Space, the satellite builder. The mechanisms will be mounted on Eutelsat KONNECT satellite. In total RUAG Space developed and produced 12 mechanisms at its site in Vienna, Austria. (1/18)

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