August 20, 2020

SES Picks SpaceX to Launch Four Additional O3b mPOWER Satellites (Source: SES)
SES announced today that it has selected SpaceX as a launch partner to deliver the four newly-ordered O3b mPOWER spacecraft of its next-generation Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) communications system. Just like the initial seven O3b mPOWER satellites procured, these additional four satellites will be launched into space on board Falcon 9 rockets from Cape Canaveral. A total of four Falcon 9 rockets will be used to support the deployment of all O3b mPOWER satellites. (8/20)

Space Florida Invests in Aerion's (and Florida's) Entry Into the Supersonic Passenger Jet Arena (Source: Space Florida)
Space Florida is pleased to announce it has finalized a multi-million-dollar investment in Aerion Supersonic to accelerate the hiring of employees and development of the company's new state-of-the-art campus – Aerion Park – in Melbourne, Florida. A new development which will be powered by clean energy, Aerion Park will incorporate a new global headquarters and integrated campus for research, design, production and support of the company's supersonic aircraft. The new project represents a multi-year investment that is expected to generate at least 675 jobs in Florida by 2026.

"The decision to locate design, engineering and manufacturing of this technologically advanced supersonic flight vehicle here in Florida is a testament to the growing strength and global recognition of the importance of Florida as a world-leading aerospace state. Space Florida is pleased to have provided financing, structure and development assistance to this project," said Frank DiBello. Aerion will break ground on the new campus later this year and once complete, Aerion Park is expected to attract key aerospace suppliers within the supersonic technology ecosystem to bring business to Florida, creating additional roles for scientists, designers, engineers and aircraft builders. (8/20)

Blue Origin-Led National Team  Delivers Lunar Lander Engineering Mockup to  NASA (Source: Blue Origin)
The Blue Origin-led Human Landing System (HLS) National Team – comprised of Blue Origin, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Draper – delivered an engineering mockup of a crew lander vehicle that could take American astronauts to the Moon. The lander is set up in the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility (SVMF), NASA Johnson Space Center's (JSC) iconic Building 9. 

The full-scale engineering mockup showcases two elements of the National Team’s multi-element architecture – the Ascent Element (AE) and Descent Element (DE). Standing at more than 40 feet, it is the Blue Origin National Team's update to Apollo’s Lunar Module (LM) and will be used to validate the National Team’s approaches for getting crew, equipment, supplies, and samples off and on the vehicle. The team will collaborate with NASA organizations including JSC’s Astronaut Office to  perform  engineering and crew operations tests  with astronauts aiming to fly the final system within several years.  (8/20)

Orion Window Panel Completed (Source: Space Daily)
As NASA's Orion spacecraft approaches the Moon on the Artemis III mission to put the first woman and next man on the lunar surface, the crew will get a glimpse through the spacecraft's windows. The first element machined for the Artemis III Orion crew module - a cone panel with openings for windows which will provide that spectacular view - was designed by Orion's lead contractor, Lockheed Martin, and manufactured by AMRO Fabricating Corp., of South El Monte, California. The completed panel is on its way to NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility near New Orleans, Louisiana, where engineers will weld it with other panels as part of Orion's pressure vessel. (8/20)

Russia’s Nauka ISS Module Arrives at Baikonur for Final Launch Preparations (Source: NasaSpaceFlight.com)
The newest habitable module for the International Space Station (ISS), Nauka, has arrived at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan for final preparations before launch. The module’s launch – which has been delayed for more than 13 years – will mark the resumption of Station expansion. Nauka is currently scheduled to launch on a Proton-M rocket in April 2021 and will be attached to the ISS at the location where the Pirs Docking Compartment is currently located.

The module that would become Nauka – Russian for “Science” – was first constructed as the backup to the currently-on-orbit Zarya module. As such, both are of a similar design called the “Functional Cargo Block” (FGB). The FGB design traces its roots to the Soviet TKS spacecraft that was designed in the 1960s to serve as a crew and cargo resupply vehicle for the Soviet Union’s Salyut space stations. It was comprised of two parts – the VA spacecraft and Functional Cargo Block – both of which could also operate independently.

Roscosmos accepted a proposal to convert FGB-2 into the Multipurpose Laboratory Module, or MLM. The module was expected to launch in 2007. The MLM will feature propulsion systems sufficient to rendezvous and dock with the ISS. The fuel tanks can be reused for ISS propellant storage. The MLM’s solar arrays will help lower the Russian segment’s reliance on the ISS’s main solar arrays that are technically part of the U.S. segment. The new module will contain water and air purification systems, a new galley, and toilet. Its thrusters can also be used as a backup to control the Station, should those on Zvezda fail. (8/19)

Swiss Instrument Provides Best Sensitivity for Life Search (Source: Space Daily)
The question of whether life exists beyond the Earth is one of humanity's most fundamental questions. Future NASA missions, for example, aim to examine the ice moons of Jupiter and Saturn, which may potentially shelter life in the liquid oceans underneath the thick layer of ice, on the ground. Proving traces of life beyond the Earth is extremely challenging, however. Highly sensitive instruments which take measurements on the ground with the greatest possible degree of autonomy and with high precision - millions of kilometers from the Earth and thus without direct support from humankind - are required.

An international group of researchers under the leadership of Andreas Riedo and Niels Ligterink at the University of Bern have now developed ORIGIN, a mass spectrometer which can detect and identify the smallest amounts of such traces of life. ORIGIN is a new instrument which outperforms previous space instruments many times over in terms of its measurement sensitivty. Various international space agencies have expressed great interest in the instrument for future missions.

"Laser pulses are directed at the surface to be examined. In the process, small amounts of material are detached, the chemical composition of which is analyzed by ORIGIN in a second step...The compelling aspect of our technology is that no complicated sample preparation techniques, which could potentially affect the result, are required. This was one of the biggest problems on Mars until now." (8/20)

Space Force Technology Roadmap to Emphasize Partnerships with Private Sector (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Space Force is putting together a technology wish list and will need help from the private sector to make it a reality, said Maj. Gen. Kimberly Crider, the acting chief technology and innovation officer for the Space Force. The Space Force science and technology roadmap, Crider said, will echo findings from a July report issued by the Defense Innovation Unit and the Air Force Research Laboratory, which calls for greater government and industry collaboration to advance the space economy and national security. A key goal is “ensuring that we have a strong industry base and that we can influence policy effectively to ensure we have the capabilities that we need,” said Crider. (8/19)

Army Network Team Sets Timeline for Satellite Constellations (Source: C4ISRnet)
The U.S. Army’s tactical network program office expects to reap the full benefits of low-and medium-Earth orbit satellite constellations in the 2025-2027 time frame, the head of the office said. The two constellations types offer “game-changing technologies” that will likely be fully mature and ready for soldier use in Capability Set ‘25 or ‘27, the two-year cycle of new network tools the service is fielding. The Army is interested in LEO and MEO satellite constellations because they can provide significantly more bandwidth and reduced latency.

One of the connectivity benefits of the LEO and MEO constellations in the field, Collins said, is that they can allow for complex network functions and mission-support capabilities to remain in a safer place. “We may be able to put those in an area in a more safe sanctuary and allow our war-fighting formations, our brigades and divisions to better focus on what their tactical mission is without having to concern themselves with the force protection of those areas.” (8/19)

Details on NASA's Improper Artemis Bid Assistance to Boeing (Source: Quartz)
When the government hires private contractors, it will enter into a “blackout” period where communications must take place in official channels. This is to prevent one company from gaining an advantage over the other due to hidden contacts with government officials, whether accidental or corrupt. During the moon lander blackout, Loverro contacted a Boeing executive, Jim Chilton, and explained concerns the space agency had about the company’s lander design.

When Boeing submitted an updated bid, the NASA managers evaluating the proposals connected the dots and uncovered the back-channel talks, leading Loverro to step down—and Boeing to be excluded from the lander program. Loverro has publicly portrayed the move as a risk he took to ensure the space agency could realize the ambitious goals of the Artemis lunar return program. If so, that someone with deep experience in government procurement felt breaking basic contracting rules was the only way to get a successful moon lander built is a harsh judgment on the designs that were ultimately selected. (8/20)

SpaceX Continues Legal Protest to 2018 Launcher Contracts (Source: Space News)
Despite winning a major launch contract, SpaceX is continuing a lawsuit against the U.S. Air Force. In a court filing Wednesday, SpaceX says it is pressing on with a legal complaint against the U.S. Air Force over Launch Service Agreements awarded in October 2018 to United Launch Alliance, Northrop Grumman and Blue Origin to support development of their vehicles. SpaceX, which did not win an agreement, argues the Air Force gave an unfair advantage to the other companies in the National Security Space Launch Phase 2 competition. SpaceX nonetheless won one of the two Phase 2 awards, but says the Air Force caused "irreparable harm" by not giving it an earlier Launch Service Agreement, allowing ULA to win the majority of the Phase 2 launches. (8/20)

China's Linkspace Successfully Tests Reusable Launcher (Source: Quartz)
Chinese launcher firm Linkspace shared a video of a prototype rocket taking off and landing vertically after reaching an altitude of 300 meters. It’s the kind of demonstration that underpins SpaceX’s reusable Falcon 9 rocket booster and Blue Origin’s New Shepard suborbital rocket. China is pushing its rocket entrepreneurs to match the efforts of American space start-ups, and this is another sign that the gap is narrowing. (8/20)

Kepler Signs with Exolaunch to Deploy Cubesats on Soyuz (Source: Space News)
Kepler Communications has signed a contract with Exolaunch for the launch of two spacecraft next month. The two six-unit XL cubesats will be secondary payloads on a Soyuz launch. Kepler is developing a constellation of dozens of smallsats to provide data services for a range of industries. The two satellites will also serve as technology demonstrators for Kepler's narrowband connectivity internet-of-things service. (8/20)

NASA Prioritizes Two Asteroid Missions for 2021 (Source: Space News)
NASA's planetary science division is prioritizing the launch of two asteroid missions next year. At a committee meeting this week, the agency said that with the Mars 2020 mission now successfully launched, its highest priorities are the DART and Lucy missions scheduled for launch in July and October, respectively, ensuring they have the resources they need during the pandemic to stay on schedule. DART has suffered some schedule problems because of delayed deliveries of hardware, in part because the mission is using relatively new solar panel and electric propulsion technologies. (8/20)

Planet Competes for Geospatial AI Contract (Source: Space News)
Planet is providing data for a new competition to develop geospatial artificial intelligence applications. Competitors in SpaceNet 7, the Multi-Temporal Urban Development Challenge, will have two months to devise change-detection algorithms to track building construction over time. Planet is supplying monthly imagery over a period of two years for more than 100 locations covering 40,000 square kilometers on six continents. SpaceNet, a nonprofit organization established in 2016 by several companies and government agencies, seeks to promote the development of new techniques for analyzing satellite imagery, and provides imagery sets to software developers to enable those efforts. (8/20)

KBR Buys Centauri to Expand Military Space Work (Source: Bloomberg)
KBR is buying engineering services company Centauri for $800 million to expand its work in military space. KBR announced the acquisition Wednesday, which involves a mix of cash and debt and is expected to close in the fourth quarter. Centauri provides engineering services for national security space and missile defense programs, and the acquisition is part of an effort by KBR to diversify from the energy industry. (8/20)

Japan's Ispace Raises $28 Million for Lunar Missions (Source: Space News)
Japanese lunar lander company ispace has raised $28 million in a new funding round. The Series B round was led by Incubate Fund, a Japanese venture capital fund, and included several others, such as Space Frontier Fund, a new space-focused VC fund in Japan. The company, which has now raised $125 million to date, is working on a series of lunar lander missions. The Series B round will allow ispace to complete its first mission, scheduled for launch in 2022. In addition to the landers, ispace is developing a data services business to support government, academic and commercial customers planning their own lunar missions. (8/20)

Asia-Pacific Satellite Operators to LEO Megaconstellation (Source: Space News)
Satellite operators in the Asia-Pacific say they are having discussions with companies planning large constellations of broadband satellites, but lack clarity on how such systems will work in their markets. The Asia-Pacific, like the rest of the world, has a growing demand for broadband that satellite operators are eager to tap. SpaceX, OneWeb, Telesat, Amazon and others are competing to cover the globe with fast and abundant broadband via hundreds or thousands of satellites in low Earth orbit.

Executives from Malaysian operator Measat, Japanese operator Sky Perfect JSAT and Indonesian operator Pacific Satellite Nusantara said they remain convinced that geostationary satellites are still the best way to serve their region’s demand given the myriad questions that remain about deploying, operating and monetizing LEO broadband networks. (8/20)

Watch SpaceX Ship GO Ms Tree Catch a Falcon 9 Fairing (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
SpaceX is getting better at saving money by attempting to catch the fairings from its Falcon 9 rocket launches on ships out at sea. The ship GO Ms Tree nailed a catch of one of the two fairing halves from the Starlink mission launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on Aug. 18, 2020. Both fairing halves had already been refurbished from a previous launch. Company founder Elon Musk posted video of the catch to his Twitter account Tuesday after the successful launch of 58 more of the SpaceX satellites as well as three ridealong Earth-observation satellites for the company Planet.

The booster was making its sixth launch, a first for SpaceX, and both fairing halves were refurbished as well. Musk has said that’s the cost of a new complete fairing is around $6 million. The company will still fish fairing halves out of the ocean and reuse them, but catching them saves them more money. GO Ms Chief had to go fishing for its half on Tuesday, but GO Ms Tree made the catch. Both ships managed to catch both halves in a launch in July, a first for the company. Click here. (8/19)