May 17, 2020

ULA Launches Space Force Space Plane on Atlas 5 at Cape Canaveral Spaceport (Source: ULA)
A United Launch Alliance Atlas V 501 configuration rocket launched the USSF-7 mission for the U.S. Space Force on Sunday morning. In a show of national solidarity this launch was dedicated to honor front-line responders and those affected by COVID-19. This marked the sixth flight of the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV-6). This was the 139th mission for United Launch Alliance. It was the 84th for an Atlas V rocket and the 7th in the 501 configuration. (5/17)

Posey and Crist Join to Sponsor Bipartisan Space Launch Bill (Source: Floridian Press)
With the 59th anniversary of the first American human space flight of Alan Shepard piloting the Freedom 7 capsule during the Mercury program, Florida Reps. Bill Posey (R) and Charlie Crist (D) have introduced bipartisan legislation that would build on that important milestone, and help Keep America first in space. The American Space Commerce Act (H.R. 6783), the legislation supports American leadership in space, and it will provide an incentive for American space firms to keep investing in America and launching from American soil.

Both lawmakers released statements discussing the matter, and both agreed that the United States needs to continue being the pioneer when it comes to space. Rep. Posey commented that “our domestic space launch industry is in our national security interest and America is up against unfair trade practices from nations like China and Russia that heavily subsidize space launches.” Moreover, he expressed that the “bill provides a powerful incentive for our space firms to keep investing to support America’s growing commercial space sector, further advancing our leadership in space and securing the ultimate military high ground for years to come.” (5/11)

Gilmour Teams With Aussie Defense on Strategic Space Tech (Source: Space Daily)
Gilmour Space Technologies has joined forces with Australia's defense ministry to work together on space technologies under a new strategic agreement. The hybrid rocket launch provider is developing lower-cost, reliable and dedicated rockets to launch small satellites into low earth orbits. The new partnership will research defence-related technologies including propulsion, materials and avionics technologies, to help develop a three-stage hybrid rocket that will launch small payloads and satellites. (5/14)

Russian Meteor-M Satellite Resumes Work After Meteoroid Strike (Source: Sputnik)
The Meteor series of weather observation satellites was first developed in the 1970s, and continuously upgraded and revamped in the decades since to monitor atmospheric and sea surface temperature, cloud and snow cover, sea ice conditions, humidity, radiation conditions in near space and the state of the ozone layer. Russia's Meteor-M No.2-2, which was struck by a micrometeoroid in December, has come back online and resumed its normal operations, a Roscosmos spokesman has confirmed. (5/14)

Aerojet Rocketdyne Tests Advanced Large Solid Rocket Motor (Source: Space Daily)
Aerojet Rocketdyne recently completed a successful static-fire test of an advanced large solid rocket motor, called the Missile Components Advanced Technologies Demonstration Motor (MCAT Demo), under contract to the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). "Aerojet Rocketdyne has produced large solid rocket motors for critical defense programs for more than 60 years, to include powering every U.S. Air Force ICBM ever fielded," said Eileen Drake, Aerojet Rocketdyne CEO and president. (5/13)

Airbus Supplies EU with Satellite Communications (Source: Space Daily)
Airbus has won the new satellite communications framework contract for military and civil missions of the European Union and its member states. This four-year framework contract was awarded by the European Defence Agency (EDA) and is estimated to be worth tens of millions of euros. (5/13)

JAXA Readies HTV-9 Spacecraft to Carry Science, Technology to ISS (Source: Space Daily)
A Japanese cargo spacecraft loaded with experiment hardware, supplies and spare parts is scheduled to launch from the Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan to the International Space Station on May 20. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) unpiloted H-II Transport Vehicle-9 (HTV-9) carries investigations testing a new livestreaming educational tool, microscope and telescope. (5/14)

Bridenstine Criticizes China for Uncontrolled Rocket Reentry (Source: Space News)
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine criticized China May 15 for the “really dangerous” reentry of a large rocket stage earlier in the week that led to debris landing in Africa. In brief comments opening the online meeting of the NASA Advisory Council’s Regulatory and Policy Committee, Bridenstine used the May 11 reentry of the Long March 5B core stage as an example of the behavior that was contrary to the norms of behavior for space activities NASA sought to endorse through its Artemis Accords. (5/16)

Bankrupt OneWeb Seeks DoD Financing to Keep Assets from Chinese Purchase (Source: Space Daily)
Bankrupt satellite company OneWeb could get Defense Department funding, a Space Force official said while warning China to stay away from the company's assets. Startup companies specializing in space research have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. OneWeb, a British company contracted to provide Internet access for the U.S. Space Force in Arctic regions with a consumer-grade, low-earth orbit satellite constellation, declared bankruptcy in March.

Started in 2015 to great fanfare in the business community, the company raised over $3 billion in startup financing, largely from the Japanese investment firm SoftBank. The Defense Department is considering action to help OneWeb and other contractors facing insolvency, Lt. Gen. David Thompson, vice commander of Headquarters Space Force, said on Tuesday. (5/14)

Rocket Crafters Concludes Tests of 3D-Printed Hybrid Engine (Source: Space Daily)
A Florida rocket development company, Rocket Crafters, said Wednesday it concluded a new round of test-firings of its hybrid rocket engine, and plans a test flight with a small rocket in New Mexico later this year. "We're excited about the data we've seen and to fly a rocket soon," said Rob Fabian, the company president. "The engine performance for the tests were on track with models."

The tests were conducted over the last few months at the company's facility in Cocoa, Fla., about 20 miles south of Kennedy Space Center. The company test-fired the largest experimental version of the engine yet, which it calls the Comet and emits 5,000 pounds of thrust. By comparison, small launch company Rocket Lab provides satellite launches with an Electron rocket that has 34,000 pounds of thrust. (5/14)

Innovators Around the World Help NASA Improve a Moon Digging Robot (Source: Space Daily)
With its Artemis program, NASA will quickly and sustainably return to the lunar surface. To prepare for sustainable operations on the Moon, NASA is advancing technologies needed to explore and work on the lunar surface. This includes developing capabilities to "live off the land," which requires being able to dig up resources in the lunar soil, or regolith.

Supporting these efforts, researchers and engineers at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida have designed a robot called the Regolith Advanced Surface Systems Operations Robot, or RASSOR. The robot does not rely on weight or traction for its digging force. Instead, RASSOR digs using movable rotating hollow cylinders, or bucket drums, on opposing ends of the robot that spin so the excavation forces balance out. (5/15)

Pryer Aerospace to Support New Glenn Heavy-Lift Launch Vehicle (Source: Space Daily)
Pryer Aerospace has signed a multi-year contract with Blue Origin. Under this contract, Pryer will provide large complex machined parts and leading edge structures for New Glenn, Blue Origin's massive heavy-lift orbital launch vehicle, designed to support national security space launch and commercial space missions for years to come. (5/14)

RUAG Space Offers New Electronics for Constellations (Source: Space Daily)
For constellations of hundreds or thousands of small satellites, products in high volumes, lower cost, on-time and on-quality delivery are needed. RUAG Space, a leading supplier to the space industry, has developed novel products and processes specifically meeting the needs of satellite constellations. "We can offer a unique mix of our vast experience in hundreds of space missions combined with our high volume production fostering lean operations and automated processes to our customers," says Peter Guggenbach, Executive Vice President RUAG Space.

The international space supplier with sites in six different countries and headquartered in Switzerland is offering new electronic and mechanical products for constellations. RUAG's new onboard-computer for constellations (cOBC) is the "brain" of a satellite. The onboard computer controls and monitors the payload of the satellite and many other subsystems. For constellation onboard computing RUAG offers a combination of its cOBC and its constellation Interface Unit products (cIU). (5/14)

Momentus and Alba Orbital Sign Contract for Up To 10 PocketQubes (Source: Space Daily)
Momentus and Alba Orbital have signed a contract for three Alba Albapods to ride on plaza deck of the Falcon 9 vehicle, which will launch in December 2020 from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral. Alba Orbital is actively working with customers to launch clusters to their mission requirements via PocketQube deployers suitable for 1p, 1.5p, 2p or 3p PocketQube format satellites. A PocketQube is a type of miniaturized satellite for space research that usually has a size of 5 cm cubed (one eighth the volume of a CubeSat), has a mass of no more than 250 grams per unit or 'p'. (5/15)