October 17, 2020

While World Changes, Space Station Partnership Holds Strong (Source: Aviation Week)
It is not just the length of time that humans have been continuously living and working in space that is impressive, though 20 years is a milestone in and of itself, but also how the 15 nations in the International Space Station program have maintained a partnership that thrives despite national and international strife.

It began with technical and operational standards, allowing hardware that had never been in contact on Earth to connect and function together upon reaching low Earth orbit (LEO). NASA is now looking to extend those standards for programs and partnerships beyond LEO under the Artemis program, which aims to return astronauts to the Moon as a precursor to human missions to Mars. (10/14)

Air Leak Rate Aboard Space Station Drops After Crew Patches Up Fracture (Source: TASS)
The rate of the air leak from the ISS dropped after the crew patched up the discovered fracture but the air pressure inside the orbital outpost continues falling, cosmonaut Anatoly Ivanishin reported to Russia’s Flight Control Center. "The air pressure continues falling, although its drop rate has decreased," the cosmonaut said . The cosmonauts believe a more reliable patch should be used. "Perhaps, we should try hard patches our partners have? We can talk with them. This is because the current patch is not so efficient," the cosmonauts said. (10/16)

Spaceport America's Board Removes Former CEO (Source: Santa Fe New Mexican)
The state authority that oversees Spaceport America in Southern New Mexico voted 6-1 Friday to remove a CEO who had been placed on administrative leave after an investigation into potential criminal wrongdoing. Spaceport Authority board members voted after about an hour of closed-door talks to remove Dan Hicks from the Spaceport Authority and retain Scott McLaughlin — who previously led the authority’s business development efforts — as interim director as they continue searching for a long-term replacement.

A wide range of allegations against Hicks were investigated. They included possible violations of the state procurement code; potential financial mismanagement, such as improper spending; alleged disbursement of gross receipts tax revenue for unauthorized purposes; and a possible conflict of interest, Keyes previously said. Hicks had led the spaceport since 2016, and he was placed on administrative leave in June after former Chief Financial Officer Zach De Gregorio submitted a complaint accusing Hicks of pressuring him to ignore procedures meant to provide accountability for public spending. (10/16)

Russian ISS Air Supply Fixed (Source: TASS)
The operation of the Electron-VM air supply system, which went out of order on Wednesday evening, has been restored. This was reported to TASS in Roscosmos on Saturday. "The crew of the International Space Station, under the guidance of specialists from the main operational group of the station's flight control, has successfully carried out restoration work to resume the functioning of the Electron-VM system," the state corporation noted. As specified in Roskosmos, the system was re-launched and is fully operational. (10/17)

Russia in 2024 Will Launch the Kovcheg Biosatellite Into Orbit (Source: TASS)
The head of Roscosmos Dmitry Rogozin announced plans in 2024 to launch a new biological satellite Kovcheg into an orbit up to 20 thousand km high. "In 2024, the launch of the Kovcheg spacecraft will take place, which will stay for four weeks in an orbit of up to 20,000 km," Rogozin wrote on his Twitter page on Saturday. According to him, the new satellite will be engaged in research in the field of space biology, physiology and biotechnology. (10/17)

11 Launches in the Next 2 Years! The Chinese "Tiangong" is Here (Source: Weixin)
Recently, the China Manned Space Engineering Office revealed that my country's manned space project is fully preparing for the space station construction mission, and strives to complete the on-orbit construction plan around 2022, in preparation for the subsequent realization of the long-term stable operation of the space station.

According to the plan, 11 launch missions will be carried out in the next two years, successively launching the Tianhe core module, Wentian experimental module and Mengtian experimental module, and carry out the on-orbit assembly and construction of the basic configuration of the space station; during the period, it is planned to launch 4 Shenzhou manned ships. The spacecraft and 4 Tianzhou cargo spacecraft are used for astronaut crew rotation and cargo replenishment. (10/9)

About 3% of Starlink Satellites May Have Failed. Across a 42,000-Spacecraft Constellation it Could Spark a Crisis (Source: Business Insider)
SpaceX has launched nearly 800 Starlink internet satellites, with plans for a constellation of 42,000 spacecraft this decade. The company says its satellites can avoid collisions using an ion drive, but about 3% have seemingly failed because they are no longer maneuvering in orbit, according to astronomer Jonathan McDowell. Orbiting satellites that can't be maneuvered can crash into other spacecraft and generate dangerous space debris. A 3% failure rate isn't too bad, McDowell says, but if that number holds for SpaceX's entire planned fleet, it may lead to more than 1,200 dead satellites. (10/16)

Hawaii Offers New Space Research, Exploration Certificate for Undergraduates (Source: University of Hawaii)
Design and construction of launch vehicles, spacecrafts, space stations, rovers, landers and planning mission operations, are potential careers offered in Earth and space exploration fields. To equip undergraduate students in the basic principles of space research and exploration, faculty at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa developed a new certificate in earth and planetary exploration technology (EPET).

Inspiration for the new certificate came from faculty at Hawaiʻi Institute of Geophysics and Planetology (HIGP) and the Hawaiʻi Space Flight Laboratory teaching in other undergraduate departments at UH Mānoa. Faculty realized that HIGP’s strengths in areas of Earth and space exploration were not reflected in UH Mānoa’s undergraduate education and wanted to contribute using its area of expertise, which is important in developing a modern workforce. (10/16)

Spanish Startup Wants to Challenge Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic by Taking Tourists to the Edge of Space in Balloons (Source: Business Insider)
Spanish startup EOS-X Space wants to take 10,000 people to the edge of space within the next 10 years. The journeys will be in pressurized capsules, propelled by a balloon that will rise to an altitude of up to 40 kilometers, or nearly 25 miles. Space tourists won't need any suits or physical preparation for the trip. The price for a ticket is between $150,000 and $200,000 per person, with the first commercial flight set to take place in 2023. (10/17)

Meet the Latina NASA Engineer Developing Technology for Missions to Moon, Mars (Source: KGO)
As we approach the end of Hispanic Heritage Month we're highlighting the inspiring story of Ali Guarneros Luna a mother of four who went back to school to make her childhood dream a reality. Today she's an engineer at NASA working on small satellite technology. Luna is part of the team focused on developing technology for missions to the moon and Mars. Luna's curiosity for space was born when she was seven years old.

"My mother used to buy books, encyclopedias. They probably don't exist anymore. I used to come home after school and read them. They had a picture of the space shuttle and I was so intrigued by it that. I wanted to learn about the space shuttle. I later learned that aerospace engineers are the designers," explained Luna. Fast forward to 2020 and meet NASA engineer Ali Guarneros Luna.

Within three months of working and going to high school Luna's mom was laid off. Luna automatically became the sole supporter of her family. Year's later motherhood changed everything. When Luna became a single mom of four kids, two with special needs she made an unexpected life decision and went back to college for her master's degree. "I made a plan I saved some money for the first year and went back to college. I was working full time, two jobs, with my kids and going to school," said Luna. At first she describes feeling unqualified and "too old" but she was determined to accomplish her lifelong dream. (10/17)

NASA Awards $2.8M to Purdue University's Indiana Space Grant Consortium (Source: WDRB)
NASA awarded $2.8 million to Purdue University's Indiana Space Grant Consortium to promoted STEM education. The grant runs through 2024 to support student internship and public engagements throughout Indiana that support studying science, technology, engineering and math. Purdue has strong links with NASA. Twenty-five current and former astronauts, are alumni, including Neil Armstrong. (10/16)

This is What “War in Space” Probably Would Look Like in the Near Future (Source: Ars Technica)
Unlike a war on Earth, which typically involves an effort by opposing forces to dominate a physical location, satellites in orbit do not occupy a single location. Controlling space does not necessarily mean physically conquering sectors of space. Rather, control over the high ground involves reducing or eliminating adversary satellite capabilities while ensuring one retains the ability to freely operate their own space capabilities for communications, navigation, observation, and all the other increasingly essential ways in which militaries rely on space. Click here. (10/16)

SpaceX Plans Back-to-Back Starlink Missions (Source: AmericaSpace)
Starting Sunday morning, two launches will rock the Space Coast, with a pair of back-to-back Starlink missions atop previously-flown Falcon 9 boosters as soon as Sunday and Wednesday. Current plans call for the B1051 core—only the second Falcon 9 to fly a sixth mission—to rise from historic Pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) early Sunday, followed by the twice-flown B1060 from Space Launch Complex (SLC)-40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station just after midday Wednesday. (10/17)

ULA’s Delta 4-Heavy Rocket Still grounded by Launch Pad Problem (Source: Spaceflight Now)
United Launch Alliance engineers have resolved the problem that triggered an abort of a planned Delta 4-Heavy rocket launch Sept. 30, but the company said Friday it is continuing to evaluate a concern with the launch pad swing arm retraction system at Cape Canaveral. ULA said the Delta 4-Heavy’s mission to launch a classified National Reconnaissance Office spy satellite will be postponed beyond next week. The launch provider, a 50-50 joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin, said Friday that the Delta 4-Heavy launch date was now “indefinite” on the Eastern Range, which oversees launch operations at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. (10/16)

AAC Clyde Space to Acquire SpaceQuest for $8.4 Million (Source: Space News)
AC Clyde Space announced plans Oct. 15 to acquire SpaceQuest, a satellite technology developer based in Fairfax, Virginia, for $8.4 million, pending the approval of shareholders and the U.S. Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States.

AAC Clyde Space was formed in early 2018 when shareholders of AAC Microtech of Uppsala, Sweden, approved a plan announced in late 2017 to acquire Scotland’s Clyde Space. Since the acquisition, AAC Clyde Space has been growing rapidly through acquisitions and by expanding its product line to include everything from satellite subsystems to small satellites and space as a service, meaning the company handles mission design, satellite construction, launch arrangements and flight operations. (10/16)

Soyuz Launch Marks End of an Era for NASA (Source: Space News)
A Soyuz spacecraft launched to the International Space Station Oct. 14 on what will likely be the last mission where NASA pays Russia for a seat, but not necessarily the last time NASA astronauts fly on the spacecraft. The Soyuz brought to the station NASA astronaut Kate Rubins and Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov for a six-month stay.

Rubins was added to the crew in May when NASA announced it was purchasing a final Soyuz seat from Roscosmos for $90.25 million. NASA described the purchase as an insurance policy of sorts, ensuring “the agency keeps its commitment for safe operations via a continuous U.S. presence” as commercial crew vehicles finally enter service. (10/14)

Swamp Watch: Watchdog to Audit Pentagon's Use of COVID-19 Funds on Defense Contractors (Source: The Hill)
The Pentagon’s internal watchdog will audit whether the department appropriately used coronavirus relief funding to boost the defense industrial base, according to a memo released Thursday. The audit aims to determine whether the Pentagon “awarded Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act funding to increase the defense industrial base manufacturing capacity in accordance with federal regulations and Defense Production Act authorities,” according to the memo from the Pentagon inspector general’s office, dated Wednesday.

Critics argue the Pentagon’s use of the funding on jet engine parts, body armor, dress uniforms and other military equipment is in contravention of the CARES Act’s stipulation that the money be used to “to prevent, prepare for and respond to coronavirus.” While the Post report provided new details on the exact contracts the Pentagon has awarded, the department notified Congress in late May it planned to use $688 million of the funding to shore up the defense industrial base. (10/15)

Moon Protected Early Earth (Source: TIME)
About 4.5 billion years ago, when Earth was just 100 million years old, a passing planetesimal collided with it, sending up a cloud of debris that eventually coalesced into the moon. The two were exceedingly close to each other at first, but the moon began to drift away at about 3.8 cm (1.5 in) per year. After about 500 million years, they were about 129,000 km (80,000 mi) apart—about a third of the current distance. And right around then, the two worlds began to work together.

At that point, the moon's liquid core had not yet cooled, meaning it still had a magnetic field similar to that of earth. For young worlds in our baby solar system, such a field provided protection against the solar storms from what was then a violently flaring young sun. What's more, as computer models from the new study shows, the moon's magnetic field combined with Earth's, further shielding both bodies and preventing solar storms from stripping away their atmospheres. The moon later moved further away, its core cooled, and it lost both its magnetic field and atmosphere. (10/16)