October 27, 2020

NASA's OSIRIS-REx Spacecraft Goes for Early Stow of Asteroid Sample (Source: Space Daily)
NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission is ready to perform an early stow on Tuesday, Oct. 27, of the large sample it collected last week from the surface of the asteroid Bennu to protect and return as much of the sample as possible. On Oct. 22, the OSIRIS-REx mission team received images that showed the spacecraft's collector head overflowing with material collected from Bennu's surface - well over the two-ounce (60-gram) mission requirement - and that some of these particles appeared to be slowly escaping from the collection head, called the Touch-And-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism (TAGSAM).

A mylar flap on the TAGSAM allows material to easily enter the collector head, and should seal shut once the particles pass through. However, larger rocks that didn't fully pass through the flap into the TAGSAM appear to have wedged this flap open, allowing bits of the sample to leak out. Because the first sample collection event was so successful, NASA's Science Mission Directorate has given the mission team the go-ahead to expedite sample stowage, originally scheduled for Nov. 2, in the spacecraft's Sample Return Capsule (SRC) to minimize further sample loss. (10/27)

Nov. 14 Set for Next Commercial Crew Launch (Source: NASA)
NASA has set Nov. 14 as the new launch date for the Crew-1 commercial crew mission. NASA said Monday that the mission, carrying four NASA and JAXA astronauts on a Crew Dragon spacecraft, is scheduled to launch from the Kennedy Space Center at 7:49 p.m. Eastern. That is two weeks later than previously scheduled because of an investigation into a Falcon 9 engine issue. NASA said it scheduled the launch after a Nov. 10 Falcon 9 launch of the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite and will perform "a thorough review of launch vehicle performance" on that mission before going forward with Crew-1. (10/20)

Peraton to Continue Orbital Analysis for USAF (Source: Space News)
Peraton has won a contract extension from the U.S. Space Force for orbital analysis services. The five-year, $10 million extension covers work supporting the safe operations of satellites, collision avoidance and "over-the-shoulder" support during satellite anomalies and daily operations. The company received a $7.8 million five-year contract in September 2015 that was re-competed last month. (10/20)

Aerospace Corp. Seeks to License Laser Comm Tech (Source: Space News)
The Aerospace Corporation is seeking to license commercially a laser communications subsystem. That system, tested earlier this year on the Rogue Alpha and Beta cubesats built for the U.S. Space Force Space and Missile Systems Center, demonstrated it could downlink data at 200 megabits per second. Since Aerospace does not produce commercial components in high volumes, it is offering to license the technology to any interested companies or government organizations. (10/20)

ULA Pleased with BE-4 Engine Progress for Vulcan Rocket (Source: Ars Technica)
The CEO of United Launch Alliance is satisfied with the progress made testing the BE-4 engine. That engine, developed by Blue Origin, will power the first stage of the Vulcan rocket. Tory Bruno said in an interview on The Space Show that some problems with turbopumps on the BE-4 has been "sorted out" and that the engine was now performing as well as or better than expected. Vulcan is scheduled to make its first launch next year. (10/20)

NASA Seeks to Stretch Human Lander Funding (Source: Space News)
The NASA program supporting development of human lunar landers is looking for ways to stretch its budget if a fiscal year 2021 spending bill is delayed. NASA's Human Landing System (HLS) program is fully funded for its ongoing "base period" supporting work by three companies through next February. At a conference Monday, a NASA official said the program is looking at "some interesting methods" that could buy it an additional month if a funding bill is not completed by then, but reiterated that NASA needs the full $3.2 billion it requested for 2021 to keep the program on track to support a 2024 landing. NASA is currently operating under a continuing resolution that funds the agency at 2020 levels through Dec. 11. (10/20)

Ansys to Buy Analytical Graphics (Source: Space News)
Ansys is acquiring Analytical Graphics Inc. (AGI), a company whose software is used throughout the space industry Ansys is buying AGI for $700 million in cash in stock in a deal announced Monday and expected to close by the end of the year. Ansys said the acquisition of AGI will help expand the company's commercial space and government business. In addition to its software, AGI operates the Commercial Space Operations Center, which tracks objects in orbit and analyzes the data to provide satellite operators with warnings of potential close approaches, or conjunctions. (10/20)

China Launches Spy Satellites (Source: Space News)
China launched another trio of reconnaissance satellites Monday. A Long March 2C rocket lifted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center at 11:19 a.m. Eastern carrying three Yaogan satellites and one smaller commercial payload. The three Yaogan-30 satellites join six similar trios launched in the last three years and are believed to be used for military reconnaissance. Also on the launch was Tianqi-6, a data acquisition satellite for Beijing Guodian Gaoke Technology Co. Ltd. that is part of technology verification tests for a narrow-band internet-of-things constellation. (10/20)

ULA to Launch Spy Satellite on Election Day (Source: Florida Today)
United Launch Alliance will mark Election Day with a launch. The company announced Monday its Atlas 5 rocket will launch the NROL-101 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office Nov. 3 between 5:30 and 8:10 p.m. Eastern from Cape Canaveral. The NRO has not disclosed the payload for the mission, but the launch poster for it has a "Lords of the Rings" theme. (10/20)

Orbital Sidekick Awarded $16M US Air Force STRATFI Contract (Source: Space Daily)
Orbital Sidekick (OSK) has been awarded a $16 million multi-year contract by the Department of the Air Force's commercial investment group (AFVentures), in conjunction with the Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) and the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), as part of its Strategic Financing (STRATFI) program.

This award, which is matched by private investment funds, will allow OSK to accelerate the deployment of six advanced hyperspectral imaging (HSI) satellites with edge processing capabilities as well as integrate its Spectral Intelligence Global Monitoring Application (SIGMA) platform with the USAF Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS). (10/20)

NASA’s Refueling Mission Completes Second Set of Robotic Tool Operations in Space (Source: NASA)
NASA’s Robotic Refueling Mission 3 (RRM3) has successfully completed its second set of robotic tool operations on the International Space Station, demonstrating key techniques for transferring cryogenic fluids, used as coolants, propellants, or for life support systems in orbit. These technologies have applications for extending spacecraft life and facilitating exploration to the Moon and Mars. (10/23)

Air Force Assesses Education Quality, License Portability Near USAF Installations (Source: Air Force Magazine)
The Air Force recently released an assessment of public education quality in school districts serving USAF installations, and of how supportive states are of Airmen, space professionals, and their families when it comes to transferring professional licenses. The department will use the findings, based on data available as of 2019, to inform future basing decisions. Only three installations took top marks in both public education quality and licensure portability—Utah’s Hill Air Force Base and Wright Air National Guard Base, and Minnesota’s Minneapolis-St. Paul Air Reserve Station.

The Air Force’s assessment suggests it is rare for a state to achieve both top-tier public education and licensure portability. For example, at Greeley Air National Guard Station, Colo., licensure portability excelled, though public education quality was in the lower-third percentile. On the flipside, Air Force families at Vandenberg AFB, Calif., can access top-tier public education, but live in one of the two areas of the nation (along with Washington, DC) with the biggest obstacles to moving licenses. Only five states fell into the green, or most-supportive, category for licensure portability: Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota, South Carolina, and Utah. Forty-four states fell into the yellow, or moderately supportive, category, the analysis showed.

Notably, a number of USAF installations that are expected to transition to the Space Force—Colorado’s Buckley Air Force Base, Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station, Peterson Air Force Base, Schriever Air Force Base; and Florida’s Patrick Air Force Base—placed in the lower-third percentile when it came to public education quality. Editor's Note: Click here for an October 15 response to the Air Force study by Florida state representative Chris Sprowls, highlighting recent changes to Florida law that promote education credential portability, and improve educational opportunities for Florida-based service members and their families. (8/10)

The Midland International Air & Space Port is Open for Business & FAA Approved (Source: Midland EDC)
The Spaceport Business Park is conveniently located in Midland, Texas - the heart of oil & gas country. The Midland International Air & Space Port is the first to be co-located with a major commercial airport. It is FAA approved as a Commercial Space Launch Site. The launch site is currently being used by AST & Science, a satellite testing and manufacturing company, who has recently raised $128-million in investment. Satellite technology company, Kepler Aerospace, has also located in the Spaceport Business Park and is benefiting from access to affordable space and state-of-the-art equipment.

Sites are available within the Spaceport Business Park and leasing incentives are available for qualifying companies. Those locating here may also have access to the Midland Altitude Chamber Complex (MACC) - a world-class high-altitude test facility within the park. The MACC is owned by the Midland Development Corporation and is located in the facility subleased to Kepler Aerospace. It supports the testing and qualification of space and pressure suits, payloads, subsystems and components, as well as flight crew training operations. (10/26)

On the Moon, Water Water Everywhere and Not a Drop to Drink (Yet) (Source: Reuters)
The moon lacks the bodies of liquid water that are a hallmark of Earth but scientists said on Monday lunar water is more widespread than previously known, with water molecules trapped within mineral grains on the surface and more water perhaps hidden in ice patches residing in permanent shadows. While research 11 years ago indicated water was relatively widespread in small amounts on the moon, a team of scientists is now reporting the first unambiguous detection of water molecules on the lunar surface.

At the same time, another team is reporting that the moon possesses roughly 15,000 square miles (40,000 square kilometers) of permanent shadows that potentially could harbor hidden pockets of water in the form of ice. The only way for this water to survive on the sunlit lunar surfaces where it was observed was to be embedded within mineral grains, protecting it from the frigid and foreboding environment.

Using data from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft, researchers led by planetary scientist Paul Hayne of the University of Colorado, Boulder detected what may be tens of billions of small shadows, many no bigger than a small coin. Most are located in the polar regions. “Our research shows that a multitude of previously unknown regions of the moon could harbor water ice,” Hayne said. “Our results suggest that water could be much more widespread in the moon’s polar regions than previously thought, making it easier to access, extract and analyze.” (10/26)

Meat on Mars: Aleph Farms Wants to Serve 'Slaughter Free' Steaks in Space (Source: CNET)
The crew of the International Space Station has gotten good at producing salad greens in space, but what about something more meaty? Israeli company Aleph Farms is dreaming of space beef and committing to a solar system where astronauts can chow on cultivated meat on the moon or Mars. Aleph Farms announced the launch of its Aleph Zero space program focused on one day establishing large-scale meat cultivation facilities (called "BioFarms") in extraterrestrial environments. The company specializes in what it describes as "slaughter free" steaks grown from animal cells.

Aleph Farms shared a render of a BioFarm facility on Mars. These facilities might seem like a far-off idea, but the company has already taken small steps forward. A year ago, it announced a successful 3D bioprinter experiment on the ISS that involved assembling cells harvested from live animals into a tiny piece of muscle tissue, essentially a mini beef steak in space. "We are currently building our work plan with selected partners for developing our BioFarm for extraterrestrial human colonies, and our activities will certainly involve more experiments on Earth under microgravity and in space, including with the ISS," Aleph Farms co-founder Didier Toubia said. (10/26)

Russia Gears Up for Electronic Warfare in Space (Source: Space Review)
The Russian military has been developing a series of systems designed to counter American and other satellites through electronic warfare. Bart Hendrickx describes what we know about some of these capabilities in the first of a two-part report. Click here. (10/26)
 
Swords Into Plowshares: the Top Secret PERCHERON Project (Source: Space Review)
In the 1960s, a company doing work for the NRO sought permission to offer some of those spacecraft systems to NASA. Dwayne Day describes that effort, and how it ended badly. Click here. (10/26)
 
The Artemis Accords Take Shape (Source: Space Review)
Earlier this month seven countries joined the United States as the first to sign the Artemis Accords. Jeff Foust reports on what’s in the accords and some of the praise and criticism they’ve received. Click here. (10/26)
 
From the Truman Proclamation to the Artemis Accords: Steps Toward Establishing a Bottom-Up Framework for Governance in Space
The signing of the Artemis Accords comes as others seek to push for alternative approaches, like the Moon Agreement. Alfred B. Anzaldúa and Cristin Finnigan discuss whether a bottom-up or top-down approach to governance works best to enable sustainable lunar exploration. Click here. (10/26)
 
If We Are Going Forward to the Moon, Don’t Go Back to Apollo (Source: Space Review)
NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine recently suggested that the first human lunar landing since Apollo might not go to the south pole of the Moon but instead to an Apollo site. Christopher Cokinos argues that, if the south pole is ruled out, there are better places to go than somewhere we’ve already been. Click here. (10/26)