September 12, 2020

The EmDrive Just Won't Die (Source: Popular Mechanics)
When DARPA put money behind the controversial EmDrive in 2018, it looked like a big gamble. Many physicists had dismissed the revolutionary space drive as simply fake science. Now its EmDrive project is greenlit for Phase 2, DARPA told Popular Mechanics in February this year. Meanwhile, other teams are hoping to reach a final demonstration of the technology later this year.

"This is a technology which could transform space travel and see craft lifting silently off from launchpads and reaching beyond the solar system," says Mike McCulloch, a lecturer in geomatics at the University of Plymouth, U.K., and leader behind DARPA’s EmDrive project. “We can also get an unmanned probe to Proxima Centauri in a (long) human lifetime, 90 years.” But DARPA is tempering that idealistic vision.

Jose Luis Perez Diaz in Madrid, Spain, and Martin Tajmar in Dresden, Germany, are carrying out the experimental side of the project. Tajmar confirms that he plans to publish two papers in February 2021, one on the “normal” microwave EmDrives and the other on the laser-based EmDrives. On the experimental side, Tajmar is still working on eliminating every possible source of error. “We are still improving our balances and testing continues, “ says Tajmar. “In particular we are working on further reduction of magnetic field interactions with the environment, which was the major side-effect that we discovered in previous testing.” (9/11)

Former ISRO Chief Explains The Importance Of Space Assets In India-China Standoff In Ladakh (Source: NDTV)
Amid tension with China at the Line of Actual Control, veteran space scientist G Madhavan Nair on Friday said India should ramp up its space assets and enhance coverage of the region to keep pace with the changing times. He said in almost all areas of security-related activities, the space - earth observation, communication and electronic intelligence, among other things - plays a very major role.

"The Chinese side, as far as I understand, have multiplied the number of radar imaging satellites, earth observation satellites and communication satellites several fold so that they can have continuous coverage of the globe. So, they will get all kinds of information from their constellation (of satellites)", Mr Nair said. "Leave alone the global coverage, at least across the border, India should have a plan to have continuous coverage", the former Chairman of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) said. (9/11)

Filipinos in Space: ‘Suntok Sa Buwan’? (Source: Inquirer)
The term “suntok sa buwan” literally means “a punch at the moon” and is a metaphor, more colorful than “moonshot,” for how far-fetched certain ideas are. Aside from expecting President Duterte to resign, other things that have been described with this metaphor include unrequited love and the abolition of political dynasties. But what about Filipinos going to space? In 2013, amid much fanfare, AXE, a deodorant brand, announced the search for the first “Filipino astronaut,” and from over 28,000 applicants, Chino Roque, a 22-year-old Crossfit coach, was chosen. What happened to him? After getting much publicity by tapping into “Filipino pride,” the manufacturers of AXE owe the nation an explanation.

To date, no Filipino has left our planet, but we have had some presence, however minor, beyond our atmosphere. Since the 1990s, there have been Philippine-owned satellites, and in 2016, Diwata-1—the first satellite built and designed by Filipinos—went into orbit. With the creation of a Philippine Space Agency last year, perhaps we can expect more such milestones.

Understandably, a space program is the least of our priorities, especially in the middle of a pandemic. But I am nonetheless reminded of our space aspirations with the news that Pinoys were the most enthusiastic in signing up for the ‘‘Send Your Name to Mars” program, in which NASA will etch names in a microchip aboard a future rover to the Red Planet. (9/11)

39% of the World's Rich Would Take a Space Flight – But Then What? (Source: The National)
The modern space race is getting closer to making astronauts out of tourists – and a new survey finds that there is already pent-up demand, even as questions linger over the industry. About 39 per cent of people with a net worth of more than $5 million (Dh18.3m), a total addressable market of about 2.4m, are interested in paying at least $250,000 (the current price) for a Virgin Galactic flight to the edge of space, according to financial services firm Cowen.

While opportunities may soon open up, much remains unproven – including the market for space tourists, Laura Forczyk, owner of US space consulting firm AstralyticaL, tells The National. One issue that the Cowen survey did not address is the question of repeat customers. “What happens after those high-worth individuals fly? Will any of them fly again?” says Forczyk. “If space tourism is seen as a once-in-a-lifetime purchase and the price isn't lowered to increase the customer base, potential customers will decline once operational flights begin.” This means ticket prices for future trips to space are likely to come down in order to attract new customers. An accident, she adds, is also “inevitable." (9/10)

Amazon Web Services Hires Peter Marquez to Lead Space Policy (Source: Via Satellite)
Amazon Web Services (AWS) has hired Peter Marquez as head of Space Policy. Marquez was the director of space policy on the National Security Council under President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama, from 2007 to 2010. Marquez shared the news on LinkedIn Wednesday. He will be based out of Washington, D.C. (9/11)

Microsoft Wants to Take On Amazon in Connecting Satellites to the Cloud (Source: CNBC)
The FCC authorized Microsoft to perform proof-of-concept demonstrations of a service that would connect its cloud computing service Azure with a ground station the company proposed to build. “If the demonstrations result in significant market interest, Microsoft will file an application for regular earth station authority with the International Bureau (IB) to support future commercial operations,” the company wrote in the filings. The company’s strategy will put it in competition with Amazon, which in November 2018 launched its similar AWS Ground Station service. (9/11)

Astra Launches From Alaska Spaceport, Fails to Reach Orbit (Source: Astra)
Rocket 3.1 left the Alaskan coast at Astra’s Kodiak launch site. We’re excited to have our first orbital attempt under our belt! As we’ve always said, we expect it to take three flights to make it to orbit. Preliminary data indicate the rocket performed very well. Early in the flight, our guidance system appears to have introduced some slight oscillation into the flight, causing the vehicle to drift from its planned trajectory leading to a commanded shutdown of the engines by the flight safety system. We didn’t meet all of our objectives, but we did gain valuable experience, plus even more valuable flight data. This launch sets us well on our way to reaching orbit within two additional flights, so we’re happy with the result. (9/12)

Zero Gravity Solutions Files Patent Application for the Mitigation of Viral, Fungal and Bacterial Diseases Affecting Crops (Source: ZGSI)
Florida-based ZGSI has filed a patent application relating to the mitigation, treatment and control of viral, fungal and bacterial diseases affecting specific crops worldwide with innovative BAM technology. “The BAM technology platform has demonstrated its’ ability to act as an elicitor which activates the plant’s innate immune system...[with] a process known as priming. This mechanism enables plants to utilize its’ own immune system and defensive genes to enable the plant to defend itself against these pathogens”

Extensive trials conducted internationally and domestically have consistently demonstrated BAM’s preventative and curative effects on multiple pathogens. The company has targeted four core crops, which are facing potentially catastrophic effects from diseases and currently have no effective treatments, for citrus, olives, coffee, and bananas. The Company’s positive results from trials on citrus and olives form a portion of the data submitted to the US Patent and Trademark Office with the Company’s unique patent application on August 28, 2020. Plans to test the efficacy of this new product in coffee and banana are currently in progress.

“The BAM technology platform has demonstrated its’ ability to act as an elicitor which activates the plant’s innate immune system; thereby activating a process known as priming. This mechanism enables plants to utilize its’ own immune system and defensive genes to enable the plant to defend itself against these pathogens,” stated Dr. Ravi Pottathil, Zero Gravity Solutions’ Chief Science Officer. (9/10)

Toledo Airport Now Bears Name of NASA's Kranz (Source: Toledo Blade)
It’s official: Toledo’s main airport is now shown as Eugene F. Kranz Toledo Express Airport on FAA maps. The Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority and Toledo City Council had both voted last year to add Mr. Kranz’s name to the airport in honor of his celebrated career at NASA, for which he was best known as a flight director for the Apollo 11 and Apollo 13 missions.

He was on duty both when the Eagle lunar module landed on the Moon on July 20, 1969, and when an oxygen tank aboard the Apollo 13 service module exploded the following year, requiring improvised recovery measures. Holly Kemler, a port authority spokesman, said a dedication ceremony will be held next spring during which Mr. Kranz will be honored and new signs unveiled. (9/12)

Chinese Telescope Detects Strongest Magnetic Field in Universe (Source: Xinhua)
Using China's Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope (HXMT), a team of scientists has discovered the strongest magnetic field ever observed in the universe. This work was conducted by scientists from the Institute of High Energy Physics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen in Germany. According to the Chinese institute, the team discovered the magnetic field on the surface of a neutron star, designated GRO J1008-57.

Neutron stars have the strongest magnetic fields in the universe. Neutron star X-ray binaries are systems consisting of a neutron star and a normal stellar companion. The neutron star accretes matter and forms a surrounding accretion disk. If the magnetic field is strong, the accreted matter will fall onto the surface of the neutron star along magnetic lines, resulting in X-ray radiations that can be detected by telescopes. (9/11)

OmegA Launch Tower to be Demolished as KSC 39B Fails to Become a Multi-User Pad (Source: NasaSpaceFlight.com)
Following the cancellation of Northrop Grumman’s OmegA rocket, work to demolish the vehicle’s launch tower on a repurposed former Shuttle program Mobile Launch Platform (MLP) will mark the erasure of the program from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. It was hoped OmegA would allow the “clean pad” at 39B to fall under the assigned mandate of a ‘Multi-User Spaceport’. Instead, 39B will now only see a maximum of one SLS launch per year. OmegA’s short life ended when Northrop Grumman lost out on the National Security Space Launch award from the U.S. Space Force, which was split between ULA and SpaceX.

Although the company only admitted the vehicle was to be shelved this week, the program was ended within days of losing out on the award. The rocket’s demise was confirmed by a work stoppage relating to OmegA-related groundwork involving the use of a High Bay inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) and the tower on the MLP.

MLP-3 was a former Space Shuttle platform and was being repurposed to host OmegA launches via rollouts from the VAB’s High Bay-2 (HB2). JP Donovan Construction is now about to begin work on removing the half-built tower structure on the MLP-3 Base. This work will be completed by November. It is not known what fate awaits the former Shuttle MLP. Although no modifications to HB2 had been conducted inside the VAB, it was being used to store OmegA related hardware, which will be removed before the end of September. The cancellation of the program came soon after several inert OmegA segments were shipped to KSC on railcars, along with the segments for the Artemis-1 SLS launch. (9/12)

ULA Studying Long-Term Upgrades to Vulcan (Source: Space News)
United Launch Alliance is looking at a three-core version of its Vulcan Centaur rocket, although an executive said that such a vehicle is “pretty far out on the horizon.” Mark Peller, vice president of major development at ULA, said that a “Vulcan Heavy” rocket, with three booster cores, is something the company is considering for future markets that require greater performance than what the Vulcan vehicle currently under development can provide. “We are continually studying the evolution of our product line,” he said. “We’re not going to rest on our laurels and we’re going to continue to evaluate what the market needs.” (9/11)

Chinese Kuaizhou-1A Rocket Launch Ends in Failure (Source: Space News)
Launch of a Kuaizhou-1A satellite carrying a remote sensing satellite ended in failure following liftoff from Jiuquan Saturday. The Kuaizhou-1A solid rocket lifted off from a transporter erector launcher at Jiuquan in the Gobi Desert at 01:02 a.m. Eastern Saturday. Amateur footage of the apparent launch appeared on Chinese social media shortly after. Chinese launches to low-Earth and Sun-synchronous orbits are usually confirmed successful within an hour of liftoff. State media provided official confirmation of the failure (Chinese) five hours after launch. The terse report stated that the specific reasons for the launch anomaly are being further analyzed and investigated. (9/12)

Shuttle-Used Rockets Roll into California to Stand Up Endeavour Exhibit (Source: CollectSpace)
Two rocket boosters made from parts that launched on more than 80 space shuttle missions are now parked outside of Los Angeles, having moved a step closer to standing up the display of a retired NASA orbiter.

The twin solid rocket motors, which Northrop Grumman pledged to donate for the California Science Center's exhibit of the space shuttle Endeavour in 2017, were delivered over the past couple of weeks to the Mojave Air and Space Port, where they are being temporarily held in outdoor storage. The inert motor cases, which Northrop Grumman described as being "structurally representative" of the solid rocket boosters used during NASA's space shuttle program, were trucked in from the company's Promontory, Utah test facility after being prepared for their exhibit. (9/11)