August 19, 2020

Scottish Spaceport Gains Another Approval (Source: HIE)
Ambitious plans to launch satellites into orbit from the north Highlands of Scotland have been approved by the area’s local authority. Development agency Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) intends to create Space Hub Sutherland on land owned by Melness Crofters Estate on the A’ Mhòine peninsula, south of Tongue. HIE had submitted plans in February this year, including an extensive environmental impact assessment. Following a period of public consultation, these were considered on 26 June by the Highland Council North Planning Applications Committee. (8/19)

Meet Dynetics, the Company Racing Against SpaceX and Blue Origin to Return Astronauts to the Moon (Source: CNBC)
The race to return U.S. astronauts to the Moon has a dark horse seeking an upset. A few months ago NASA awarded three teams with contracts to develop competing options for the agency to use to deliver people to the lunar surface as early as 2024. Known as the Human Landing Systems (HLS) program, two of the three teams that NASA picked are led by easily recognizable companies: Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin.

But the third team, Dynetics, knows what it’s up against. While Dynetics has been around for nearly half a century and has done a wide array of work for the Pentagon and NASA, the company has its head down to develop its HLS lander with an appealing combination of innovation, cost effectiveness and flexibility. The Alabama-based company was acquired by defense contractor Ledios early this year in a $1.7 billion cash deal, just a few months before NASA announced the three teams for HLS. While a wholly-owned subsidiary of Leidos, the contractor kept Dynetics’ leadership intact as it seeks to grow the company’s defense and space technologies.

The first mission would see the Dynetics spacecraft carry two NASA astronauts on the final leg of their journey to the Moon’s surface. The company’s spacecraft would meet the astronauts in lunar orbit, connecting with either the Orion capsule the crew launched in or NASA’s proposed orbiting Gateway station. “The initial mission plans for six days on the surface, but future missions will likely go well beyond that,” Crocker said, adding that he expects later NASA missions will be “as long as 42 Earth days.” Click here. (8/19)

GomSpace, Fugro to Offer World Class Position and Timing Accuracy (Source: Parabolic Arc)
GomSpace and Fugro are collaborating to offer world class position and timing accuracy on nanosatellite. SpaceStar is the next generation technology for the provision of high-accuracy real-time navigation services in Low Earth Orbit (LEO), leveraging on the extensive Fugro expertise of delivering of GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite Systems) augmentation services for professional applications. SpaceStar allows to obtain sub-decimetre absolute positioning and nanosecond-level timing, on board a LEO satellite and in real-time without additional ground-infrastructure for the satellite operator. (8/19)

Coalition for Deep Space Exploration Announces Leadership Transition (Source: Parabolic Arc)
The Coalition for Deep Space Exploration (Coalition) announced today that Dr. Mary Lynne Dittmar will be stepping down as president and chief executive officer by the end of the year. The Coalition’s board has begun an extensive search for candidates within the aerospace industry. Dr. Dittmar will continue to serve as president and CEO of the Coalition until new leadership is appointed. (8/19)

How the Space Development Agency is Preparing the Warfighter for the Space Domain Fight (Source: Modern Integrated Warfare)
How do agencies like the Space Development Agency (SDA) envision the space domain and how do they intend to facilitate a stronger defense presence with it? Advancements in space as they pertain to defense communications and connectivity are a prime focus for the Space Development Agency’s Transport layer. According to the agency, “SDA’s Transport Layer will provide assured, resilient, low-latency military data and connectivity worldwide to the full range of warfighter platforms.” This effort is envisioned in the form of a constellation comprised of 300-500 Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites varying in size that will ensure constant global coverage.

Jason McDonald spoke to the rapid growth and innovation taking place in the space domain, noting that he’s seen more change in the arena in the last four years than he has in the last two decades in response to increasingly complex communication needs on the battlefield. “Space is an important part of the puzzle for success in other domains,” he explained. “Pertaining to both multi-domain operations inter-branch communications, space-based connectivity is crucial to warfighter safety and mission success.”

While there has been great progress in weaving space into our defense strategy, there is, of course, room for improvement throughout the process. McDonald noted three main challenges communicated by the defense community regarding increasing the defense presence in space: pace of innovation, lack of research and development, and the increasing congestion of space. But industry is tackling these obstacles in partnership with the defense community. (8/19)

Satellite TV Remains Viable Business (Source: Via Satellite)
Satellite operators believe direct-to-home television broadcasting will continue to be a strong business globally despite weakness in the United States and, to a lesser extent, Europe. Emerging markets are driving demand for satellite capacity to broadcast television channels, with an emphasis on content in local languages. Broadband connections, which can open the floodgates for terrestrial “over-the-top” video streaming services, remain too expensive in many emerging markets to take significant numbers of customers from satellite operators. Emerging markets are slowing down, however, with fewer new direct-to-home platforms launching in recent years, and some new platforms failing to gain customers. (8/19)

OneWeb Wants to Import More Satellite Parts to Florida Factory Through Foreign Trade Zone (Source: USDOC)
OneWeb Satellites, the Airbus-OneWeb joint venture that builds small satellites, has asked the U.S. government to increase the number of components and materials included in the company’s Foreign Trade Zone. The Commerce Department’s Foreign Trade Zone program allows companies to reduce import taxes and streamlines customs procedures. OneWeb Satellites has a Foreign Trade Zone for its factory in Merritt Island, Florida, which sources components from the U.S., Europe and elsewhere. Materials and components OneWeb Satellites sources from abroad include xenon propellant, electrical adhesive tape, and multi-layer insulation sheets for thermal protection. (8/19)

Viasat Developing AFRL Cubesat (Source: Viasat)
A cubesat Viasat is building for the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory is scheduled to launch in the spring of 2021. The 23-kilogram satellite will use a 12U spacecraft bus from Blue Canyon Technologies and an L-band antenna from Roccor. Viasat is supplying a payload that uses Link-16, an encrypted radio frequency employed by military forces for line-of-sight communications. The Viasat satellite will test Link-16 communications from space. The satellite has a design life of six months, and will support demonstrations for the Marine Corps and Special Operations Command in addition to the Air Force Research Laboratory. (8/19)

Pentagon Plans to Keep X-37B Spaceplane Under Air Force Management (Source: SpaceFlight Now)
The U.S. military’s X-37B spaceplane program will remain under Air Force management for the foreseeable future, and won’t join other Pentagon space programs turned over to the Space Force after the establishment of the new service branch last year. The Air Force’s two reusable winged X-37B spacecraft, built by Boeing, have launched on six classified missions, testing out new space hardware, deploying small satellites, and performing other clandestine duties on missions that have logged years in orbit several hundred miles above Earth.

The X-37B program, also known as the Orbital Test Vehicle, is managed by the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office. Randy Walden, director and program executive officer for the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, said that his office will remain in charge of the X-37B program. Walden said the Air Force RCO will retain the X-37B program, but added his office will “continue the collaboration” with Space RCO and the U.S. Space Force. (8/18)

Compatibility Issue Adds New Wrinkle to Europa Clipper Launch Vehicle Selection (Source: Space News)
A long-running debate about how to launch a multibillion-dollar NASA mission to Jupiter is now further complicated by potential technical issues involving one of the vehicles. Lori Glaze, director of NASA’s planetary science division, said the Europa Clipper mission had recently discovered compatibility issues involving the Space Launch System, the vehicle preferred by Congress to launch the spacecraft.

She did not elaborate on the compatibility issues regarding SLS. Such issues, industry sources say, likely involve the environment the spacecraft would experience during launch, such as vibrations. That environment would be very different for Europa Clipper, a relatively small spacecraft encapsulated within a payload fairing, than for the Orion spacecraft that will be the payload for most SLS launches. (8/18)

UAE Adjusts Mars Probe Trajectory (Source: Space.com)
The United Arab Emirates' Mars mission made its first trajectory correction maneuver. The Hope spacecraft, launched last month, made the planned maneuver Monday, adjusting its course to the planet. The project director for Hope said that the spacecraft has "exceeded our expectations" so far. Hope is scheduled to enter orbit around Mars in February. (8/19)

Alaska Spaceport Seeks Longer Windows for Upcoming Launch Attempts (Source: Alaska Public Media)
An Alaska spaceport is seeking longer windows for an upcoming launch. Alaska Aerospace said that the two-hour windows for Astra's attempted Rocket 3.1 launch earlier this month from Kodiak Island were too short, since they did not give the company enough time to work through technical issues common with the first launch of a new vehicle. The spaceport is negotiating with the FAA and Coast Guard about extending the window by up to an hour for the next launch attempt. Astra's next launch opportunity from Kodiak is late this month. (8/19)

SpaceX Raises ~$2 Billion (Source: Space News)
SpaceX has raised nearly $2 billion in its latest funding round. The company, in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission Tuesday, said it had raised $1.9 billion of a projected $2.07 billion in a funding round, with 75 investors participating. The funding will support capital-intensive projects at the company, notably its Starship next-generation launch vehicle and Starlink broadband megaconstellation. (8/19)

SpaceX Launches 58 More Starlink Satellites, Recovers Booster and Fairing (Source: Space News)
The filing came the same day SpaceX launched another set of Starlink satellites. The Falcon 9 lifted off from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport and first deployed three SkySat imaging satellites for Planet 13 minutes after liftoff. The upper stage deployed the 58 Starlink satellites on board about a half-hour later. The first stage of the Falcon 9, on a record-setting sixth flight, landed on a droneship in the Atlantic, while another boat caught one of two payload fairing halves in a net. SpaceX has now launched 653 Starlink satellites, including two prototypes. (8/19)

Arabsat Orders New Geostationary Satellite (Source: Space News)
Arabsat announced Tuesday it is ordering a new geostationary communications satellite from Airbus Defence and Space. The Badr-8 satellite is expected to launch in 2023 to provide C- and Ku-band coverage over Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia. Airbus Defence and Space will build the satellite using Eurostar Neo, an all-electric platform designed with support from the French, British and European space agencies. Arabsat said it plans to spend $300 million on the manufacture, launch, insurance and ground infrastructure for Badr-8. (8/19)

Kymeta Acquires Lepton (Source: Space News)
Satellite antenna company Kymeta is acquiring satellite services specialist Lepton Global Solutions. Kymeta says the deal deepens its expertise in offering communications services to U.S. government agencies that have expressed interest in purchasing services rather than just hardware. Lepton will become a wholly owned Kymeta subsidiary. Kymeta, known for producing electronically steered flat-panel antennas, says its next-generation Kymeta u8 antenna is scheduled to begin beta-testing this month and go on sale in the fourth quarter of this year. (8/19)

Japan's HTV Cargo Craft Departs ISS (Source: SpaceFlight Now)
A Japanese cargo spacecraft departed from the International Space Station Tuesday. The HTV-9 spacecraft was unberthed by the station's robotic arm and released at 1:36 p.m. Eastern. The spacecraft will reenter the atmosphere and burn up on Thursday. The spacecraft, launched in May, is the last of the original series of HTV cargo spacecraft. A next-generation HTV-X vehicle will start flying to the station in 2022. (8/19)

India's Pixxel Raises $5 Million (Source: Space News)
Indian Earth observation startup Pixxel has raised a $5 million seed round. Indian venture capital firms Lightspeed India Partners, Blume Ventures and growX ventures led the round, with participation from Inventus Capital, Stanford Angels and Ryan Johnson, former founder and CEO of Earth observation company Blackbridge. Pixxel is creating a software platform to make it easy for customers to drag and drop satellite imagery as well as models and tools to help them make sense of the data. Pixxel plans to launch its first satellite, a 15-kilogram technology demonstrator, in November. (8/19)

NASA Researchers Track Slowly Splitting 'Dent' in Earth's Magnetic Field (Source: Space Daily)
A small but evolving dent in Earth's magnetic field can cause big headaches for satellites. Earth's magnetic field acts like a protective shield around the planet, repelling and trapping charged particles from the Sun. But over South America and the southern Atlantic Ocean, an unusually weak spot in the field - called the South Atlantic Anomaly, or SAA - allows these particles to dip closer to the surface than normal.

Particle radiation in this region can knock out onboard computers and interfere with the data collection of satellites that pass through it - a key reason why NASA scientists want to track and study the anomaly. The South Atlantic Anomaly is also of interest to NASA's Earth scientists who monitor the changes in magnetic field strength there, both for how such changes affect Earth's atmosphere and as an indicator of what's happening to Earth's magnetic fields, deep inside the globe. (8/18)

China Set to Launch Two Advanced Marine Satellites in 2021 (Source: Space Daily)
China plans to launch two satellites in the coming months for marine research and observation, according to a project insider. Jiang Xingwei, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and former director of the National Satellite Ocean Application Service, said in a statement published by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp on Monday that one of the satellites will be launched in September and the other in November. (8/19)

New UK Space Projects to Boost Global Sustainable Development Receive Cash Boost (Source: Space Daily)
The UK Space Agency has announced 3.4 million pounds of new funding for 10 cutting-edge projects that back UK academics using space to tackle global development problems - from the spread of malaria to human trafficking and forced labor. The funding comes from the UK Space Agency's International Partnership Programme (IPP) which is designed to use UK space expertise in satellite technology and data services to deliver ground-breaking solutions to real-world problems across the globe. Projects aim to help developing countries while building effective partnerships that can lead to growth opportunities for the UK space sector. (8/19)

Hayabusa2 Re-entry Capsule Approved to Land in Australia (Source: Space Daily)
JAXA was informed that the Authorization of Return of Overseas-Launched Space Object (AROLSO) for the re-entry capsule from Hayabusa2 was issued by the Australian Government. The date of the issuance is August 6, 2020. The Hayabusa2 re-entry capsule will return to Earth in South Australia on December 6, 2020 (Japan Time and Australian Time). The landing site will be the Woomera Prohibited Area. The issuance of the AROLSO gave a major step forward for the capsule recovery. We will continue careful operation for return of Hayabusa2 and recovery of the capsule, and the operation status will be announced in a timely manner. (8/19)

Skyrora's Skylark Micro Rocket Launches From Iceland (Source: Space Daily)
Skyrora has successfully launched its two-stage, four-metre tall sub-orbital rocket, Skylark Micro from the company's mobile launch complex set up within a few days at Langanes Peninsula, Iceland. The rocket climbed to 26.86km in altitude before both stages were parachuted back down to sea. The launch is part of Skyrora's de-risking program leading up to the building and launching of its orbital vehicle, Skyrora XL, scheduled for 2023. The launch of Skylark Micro was to test onboard electronics and communications that will also be used in the larger Skylark-L and Skyrora XL launch vehicles. (8/19)

SpaceX Sets Another Rocket Booster Reuse Record (Source: Space Daily)
SpaceX reused the same first-stage Falcon 9 rocket booster for the sixth time in a launch from Florida Tuesday morning, setting a record for the launch industry. The company has said that it can use a Falcon 9 booster about 10 times without a major overhaul. The booster launched three previous Starlink missions and two other communications satellites for customers since 2018. SpaceX started to reuse boosters the year before, saying that reduces launch costs. SpaceX said the mission was their 90th launch on a Falcon 9 rocket. (8/19)