September 25, 2020

Life on Venus Could Be From Earth—or Almost Anywhere Else (Source: TIME)
In the most common panspermia scenario, an asteroid collides with a life-harboring world, blasting debris back into space carrying microbes picked up during impact. Many forms of microscopic organisms could survive tens of thousands of years in a sort of suspended animation as they wander through space, waiting for chance and gravity to pull them toward another world, where they could crash land and thrive.

But there's a flaw in that model: the very collisions that pick up the microbes could also generate enough heat to destroy them. That's not to say that some organisms couldn't survive, but they would definitely have a hurdle to overcome. Siraj and Loeb propose a different scenario: what if the hypothetical asteroid doesn't collide with a living world, but simply grazes its atmosphere, collecting airborne microbes before continuing on into space?

Siraj and Loeb estimate that, over the past 3.7 billion years, at least 600,000 space rocks may have grazed our atmosphere, spiraled inward through the solar system, and been snatched up by Venus's gravity. Microbial stowaways would not have much likelihood of surviving if they made it to the inhospitably hot, high-pressure Venusian surface. But if the rock broke apart in the upper atmosphere where temperatures and pressure are far lower, the microbes might have found a comfortable home. (9/25)

SpaceX’s GPS Contract Modified to Allow Reuse of Falcon 9 Boosters (Source: Space News)
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket for the first time next year will launch a military GPS satellite with a previously flown main booster, the U.S. Space Force announced Sep. 25. The company reached an agreement earlier this month with the Space and Missile Systems Center so SpaceX can launch two GPS satellites next year using previously flown boosters. SMC said this will save the government more than $52 million in launch costs.

Although SpaceX routinely recovers and reuses rocket hardware in its commercial and NASA launches, the U.S. military has only recently started to allow SpaceX to recover boosters in GPS missions. The company on June 30 launched the third vehicle of the GPS 3 constellation with a brand-new Falcon 9 booster and recovered it. The fourth GPS 3 vehicle, scheduled to launch Sep. 29 from Florida, will fly on a new Falcon 9 that SpaceX will attempt to recover. For the launches of the fifth and sixth GPS vehicles next year, SpaceX will use previously flown boosters. (9/25)

SpaceX Handed Loss in Challenge Over Air Force Contract (Source: Reuters)
A federal judge plans to deny SpaceX’s challenge to U.S. Air Force contracts awarded to its rivals, writing in a Thursday court filing that the Pentagon properly assessed the development of SpaceX CEO Elon Musk’s Starship rocket system as “too risky and expensive.” SpaceX in its year-long lawsuit had accused the Air Force of unfairly awarding development contracts to Blue Origin and other competitors for new rocket systems in 2018. But in a ruling that was briefly posted online by the court before being sealed, the judge found no wrongdoing by the Air Force in denying the company funds to help develop Starship, a fully reusable rocket system that Musk envisions will one day ferry humans to the moon and Mars. (9/25)

Space Club Plans Revised "Destination Space" Program for Florida Students (Source: NSCFL)
The National Space Club's Florida Committee announces its annual Destination Space program will be conducted this year in a revised format due to COVID-19. The primary difference is that rather than students coming to Kennedy Space Center, many aspects of the study trip will be coming to them. Plans are still being finalized, but activities are expected to include video presentations, copies of an IMAX space movie for Space Coast schools, a Destination Space Journal for every student, materials for hands-on activities, virtual tours of Kennedy Space Center, pre-recorded presentations from a scientist, engineer or astronaut, etc.

Students will participate in a 7-day countdown to Launch Day, with lessons and hands-on activities related to Living and Working in Space with a focus on Mars. Day 8 is “Launch Day” where we hope to have each student design, build and launch a water bottle rocket. Students will also participate in “Post Launch” Days 9 & 10 where they will be designing and planning how to colonize Mars. Sounds like a fantastic alternative to the traditional Destination Space program!

From the beginning, funding for this program has come from outside Brevard Public School’s operating budget and is dependent on contributions from the community. The NSCFL has again pledged a minimum of $25,000 from the aerospace community towards this important program. Funding also comes from the Brevard Schools Foundation, which seeks support from the community at large, and through possible grants that match funding from private industry. We are requesting our community’s financial help once again.  All contributions to the NSCFL (a 501c3 entity) will go directly to Space Week. Contributions can be made online at www.nscfl.org. (9/8)

AAC Clyde Space Expects Surge After Pandemic (Source: Clyde Space)
Cubesat builder AAC Clyde Space says customers that delayed orders earlier this year because of the coronavirus pandemic are returning, which should result in a surge in sales late this year and into the beginning of 2021. AAC Clyde Space expects to end 2020 with roughly 100 million Swedish krona ($11.4 million) in sales, up more than 50% from 2019. The company reported 42 million Swedish krona in sales for the first half of 2020. (9/24)

European Aerospace Group Gets New Leadership (Source: Leonardo)
The CEO of Leonardo, Alessandro Profumo, will lead the Aerospace and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD) for a two-year term, Leonardo announced Sept. 21. ASD represents more than 3,000 small to medium-sized businesses across Europe, as well as many of the continent’s largest companies involved in space, defense, aviation and security. Profumo said he will “work to ensure that the potential of the [aerospace, defense and security] sector is recognised, deployed and supported with effective tools and investments, promoting a continuous and transparent dialogue with European stakeholders.” ASD has a division called Eurospace that focuses on the space sector. (9/24)

Billions in Revenues Expected for Constellation Companies (Source: NSR)
Amazon, OneWeb, SES mPower, SpaceX, and Telesat could generate $68 billion in revenue over the next decade, though some constellations will be more successful than others, according to NSR. With constellations launching through 2024, “all eyes will be on the performance of Broadband and Trunking applications, along with utilizing software to optimize network and price and avoid interference as each player tries to maximize revenue,” NSR said. The influence of megaconstellations could push established geostationary satellite operators to consolidate in order to compete more effectively, according to the research firm. (9/24)

Three Fewer Launches for OneWeb (Source: Space News)
OneWeb has revised its launch contract with Arianespace with three fewer launches than originally planned. The revised contract, announced Monday, includes 16 Soyuz launches that will each carry 34 to 36 satellites. The revised contract canceled two Soyuz launches and removed OneWeb as the customer for the inaugural Ariane 6 launch. Those Soyuz launches are set to resume in December from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the Russian Far East. The revised contract is subject to approval of OneWeb's restructuring plan led by the British government and Bharti Global. (9/24)

Ukrainian Space Regulation Review (Source: Space Daily)
Since independence, Ukraine has established itself as a reliable producer of rocket and space technology: 165 carrier rockets, developed and manufactured by Ukraine and partner countries, were used to launch 345 spacecraft into orbit for 25 different countries. Ukraine has launched 27 spacecraft developed 'in-house'; established the National Centre for Spacecraft Management and Testing, with a considerable ground-based infrastructure; developed a group of promising carrier rockets, "Mayak", propelled with environmentally friendly fuel; and has become a participant in international projects "Sea Launch", "Ground Launch", "Dnipro", "Antares" and "Vega", as well as the International Space Station.

At the same time, the industry has encountered a number of fundamental problems. Ukraine is one of nine countries that possesses a full cycle of aerospace hardware engineering and production, but does not use this potential efficiently. Amongst 18 enterprises managed by the State Space Agency ("SSA"), seven are unprofitable or on the verge of being loss-making, and six are economically inactive. Ukraine incurred losses of about USD1.5 billion within the Sea Launch, the Lybid satellite and the Alkantra spaceport projects. Ukraine still has neither its own Earth observation system nor independent access to space, which were laid down as strategic goals set in the first space programme, in 1993.

Analysing the development of the Ukrainian space industry, one can conclude that Ukraine is an up-and-coming developer and manufacturer of space technology, but its management is inefficient and unprofessional. Click here. (9/24)

NASA Chief Warns Congress About Chinese Space Station (Source: Space Daily)
"I'll tell you one thing that has me very concerned -- and that is that a day is coming when the International Space Station comes to the end of its useful life," said NASA Administrator Bridenstine. "In order to be able to have the United States of America have a presence in low Earth orbit, we have to be prepared for what comes next." To that end, NASA has requested $150 million for the 2021 fiscal year to help develop the commercialization of low Earth orbit.

"We want to see a public-private partnership where NASA can deal with commercial space station providers, so that we can keep a permanent uninterrupted human presence in low Earth orbit," said Bridenstine. "I don't think it's in the interest of the nation to build another International Space Station -- I do think it's in the interest of the nation to support commercial industry, where NASA is a customer." Bridenstine warned the lawmakers this was critical to maintain US space supremacy in the face of a planned Chinese space station, called Tiangog, that Beijing hopes will be operational by 2022.

 China is partnering with 23 entities from 17 countries to carry out scientific experiments on board. These include both developed and developing countries, such as France, Germany and Japan, as well as Kenya and Peru. Editor's Note: China is smart to partner with third-world countries, to firm up ties that could bring diplomatic and trade benefits on Earth. NASA under the Obama administration was lambasted by republicans in Congress for its efforts to partner muslim countries on the ISS. (9/24)

Experience, Charisma will Steer NASA's Choice for First Woman on Moon (Source: Space Daily)
Experience, charisma -- and previous exposure to radiation in space -- will guide NASA's history-making decision to choose the first woman who walks on the moon, according to those familiar with space agency operations. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine has said the woman selected will be an experienced astronaut who has flown on space missions. Ten current astronauts meet that criteria, and more could soon. In addition to expertise, NASA will look at the ability to perform well on high-profile missions and to connect with the public, space exploration observers said.

Some of the most experienced astronauts could be ruled out if they have too much radiation exposure, according to space medicine experts. Among the potential moon mission candidates, astronauts Christina Koch, 41, and Jessica Meir, 43, raised their profiles earlier this year by carrying out the first-ever all-female spacewalk while stationed on the International Space Station. Koch also set a record for living in space longer than any other woman at 328 days. (9/23)

Could Life Exist Deep Underground on Mars? (Source: Space Daily)
Recent science missions and results are bringing the search for life closer to home, and scientists at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard and Smithsonian (CfA) and the Florida Institute of Technology (FIT) may have figured out how to determine whether life is - or was - lurking deep beneath the surface of Mars, the Moon, and other rocky objects in the universe. They suggest that the absence of surface water doesn't preclude the potential for life elsewhere on a rocky object, like deep in the subsurface biosphere.

One challenge for researchers was determining the potential for the existence of water where there appears to be none. "Surface water requires an atmosphere to maintain a finite pressure, without which liquid water cannot exist. However, when one moves to deeper regions, the upper layers exert pressure and thus permit the existence of liquid water in principle," said Lingam. "For instance, Mars does not currently have any longstanding bodies of water on its surface, but it is known to have subsurface lakes."

The research analyzes the "thickness" of the subsurface region - where water and life might exist in principle - of the nearby rocky objects, and whether the high pressures therein could rule out life altogether. According to Loeb, the answer is probably not. "Both the Moon and Mars lack an atmosphere that would allow liquid water to exist on their surfaces, but the warmer and pressurized regions under the surface could allow the chemistry of life in liquid water." The research also arrived at a limit on the amount of biological material that might exist in deep subsurface environments, and the answer, although small, is surprising. (9/24)