October 30, 2020

What a Biden Win Means for Space (Source: Politico)
If former Vice President Joe Biden wins the White House, NASA’s attention is likely to shift a little closer to home. While many of President Donald Trump’s signature space initiatives would likely continue — from the Space Force to the returning astronauts to the moon and promoting private space ventures — the former vice president is also expected to bolster the Earth science budget to fulfill one of his most important campaign promises: fighting climate change.

Who will lead the effort? Multiple space industry insiders say they are watching Pam Melroy, a retired Air Force test pilot and astronaut who serves on the National Space Council’s User Advisory Group, as a possible NASA administrator. Others on the radar: Wanda Sigur, a former Lockheed Martin executive who worked on the Orion deep space capsule; Wanda Austin, a former CEO of the Aerospace Corporation; Gretchen McClain, a board member at Booz Allen Hamilton; and Waleed Abdalati, the former chief scientist at NASA. NASA has never had a female administrator.

What about the National Space Council? It’s not yet clear what would happen to the National Space Council. But retaining the Cabinet-level advisory the panel, which is traditionally led by the vice president, could help Biden’s running mate Sen. Kamala Harris. The high-profile role coordinating administration policy could bolster her resume for future political ambitions, said Peter Garretson, co-director of the American Foreign Council’s Space Policy Initiative. (10/30)

Why NASA's Moonshot, Boeing, Bezos and Musk Have a Lot Riding on U.S. Election (Source: Reuters)
President Trump’s differences with rival presidential candidate Joe Biden extend far beyond planet earth. Trump’s plans to win the race in space call for a 2024 moon mission, and ending direct U.S. financial support for the International Space Station in 2025 - turning over control of the decades-old orbital laboratory to private space companies. Biden, on the other hand, would likely call for a delayed moonshot and propose a funding extension for the ISS if he wins the White House, according to people familiar with the fledging Biden space agenda.

Pushing back the moon mission could cast more doubt on the long-term fate of Boeing's Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, just as Elon Musk's SpaceX and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin scramble to bring rival rockets to market as soon as next year. Extending support for the space station for a decade would also be a major boost for Boeing, whose $225 million annual ISS operations contract is set to expire in 2024 and is at the depths of a financial crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the 737 MAX grounding after fatal crashes.

Boeing and SpaceX are already supplying spacecraft to ferry astronauts to the ISS under a program begun under the Obama administration and supported by both Trump and Biden. Though slowing the moonshot would push back contracts for moon landers and related equipment the companies aim to win, the emerging Biden space agenda appears broadly set to promote competition between traditional defense contractors like Boeing and “new space” rivals like SpaceX who promise lower-cost and reusable rocket systems and space vehicles. (10/30)

The Case for NASA'S Bridenstine Post-Election Day (Source: The Hill)
No matter the outcome on Nov. 3, Administrator Jim Bridenstine should remain at the helm of NASA to shepherd the agency through one of the most dynamic times in its history. A return to American crewed launch capability, the Artemis Accords as a new U.S.-led international effort for developing the Moon, the fate of the International Space Station (ISS) as it celebrates a 20-year anniversary and the direction of key space science and technology programs are inextricably linked to the occupant of the NASA administrator’s office.

The space industry continues to rapidly evolve, and NASA — a key enabler of such change — requires consistent leadership to sustain and grow American excellence. Bridenstine has not only demonstrated his ability to do this thus far, but his ability to persuasively make the case for America’s leadership role in space among the nations of the world befits his continued tenure as NASA administrator.

As a key component of America’s DIME (diplomatic, informational, military and economic) strategy to which Bridenstine often refers, NASA requires stable leadership in our current world of crisis. If a Biden administration comes into office on Inauguration Day, it should resist the urge to extend its replacement of cabinet-level officials with Democrat members-in-the-waiting. (10/29)

Buttigieg Stumps on Florida's Space Coast for Biden (Source: Florida Today)
Former 2020 Democratic presidential hopeful, Pete Buttigieg, stopped in Melbourne Thursday to encourage early voting and to voice his support for Vice President Joe Biden's campaign for President. "I'm here because of what we're for. I'm not just against Donald Trump, I am for Joe Biden," he said speaking to a crowd of about 100 supporters gathered in the parking lot of the Viera Regional Community Center.

Noting this was his first time on the Space Coast, Buttigieg shared a personal anecdote, that growing up as a child he would pretend that the Valley American Bank building, the only skyscraper in South Bend, which bore the letters VAB, was the iconic Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center. The US space program, he said, "made me from that very early age, a believer in science, a believer in the United States of America, and a believer in what we can do when we come together as a country."

"Joe Biden was instrumental in the passage of the 2010 NASA reauthorization that led to a lot of the programs that we have now, obviously they're complex new relationships between the public and the private sector that need to be guided with with wisdom and intention, so that we have job creation and greater exploration potential, because this is a human as well as an American goal," he said. (10/29)

Down-Ballot Space Races (Source: Politico)
There are a number of key congressional races that could impact space policy in 2021 and beyond. Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO), a member of the Commerce Committee who has made keeping China out of America’s space program a top priority, is fending off a challenge from former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, who is up nine points, according to an Oct. 20 Morning Consult poll.

The leader of the House space subcommittee, Kendra Horn (D-OK), is in a close race for reelection. Horn, who chairs the House Science Space Subcommittee, is up by less than two points over Republican State Sen. Stephanie Bice, according to a SoonerPoll released Oct. 22, and the Cook Political Report ranks the race a “Democratic toss up.” (10/30)

Constellation Investors Waiting on Regulation (Source: Politico)
Investors are a bit hesitant to pour money into satellite constellations without domestic or international agreements governing how to track or remove them once they are no longer operating, Meagan Murphy Crawford, co-founder of venture capital firm SpaceFund, said at a POLITICO event on Wednesday sponsored by the Aerospace Corporation.

“Orbital traffic management is a real issue. That combined with debris is making some people hesitant to do business [and] invest in constellations when there's still so many unknowns and so many dangers there,” she said. “I do see some hesitancy around some of those issues, but not enough that investment isn't continuing to grow at an increasing pace in the industry.”

Such rules have already helped in other areas such as asteroid mining, she said. Regulations adopted in the U.S., Luxembourg and the United Arab Emirates have helped give confidence to investors in space mining ventures. “If you didn’t have the right to bring the asteroid material back or sell it, it’s not a very good business proposition,” she explained. (10/30)

A Look Behind the "Big Boards" at Mission Control in the Golden Age of NASA (Source: Hackaday)
Plots and diagrams were projected into the rear of the massive screens using a completely electromechanical system. Glass and metal stencils were used to project the icons, maps, and grids, building up images layer by layer. Colors for each layer were obtained by the use of dichroic filters, and icons were physically moved to achieve animations.

Graphs and plots were created Etch-a-Sketch style, with a servo-controlled stylus cutting through slides made opaque with a thin layer of metal. The whole thing is wonderfully complex, completely hacky, and a great example of engineering around the limits of technology. Click here. (10/29)

Canada Decides it Wants to Be a Launching State (Source: SpaceQ)
The Government of Canada has made the decision that it wants to be a launching state. The day that rockets carrying satellites to orbit and beyond from Canadian soil is now closer than its ever been. Patrick Juneau, Director, Aviation Safety Policy and Intelligence, has been the public go to person in providing updates on what’s happening with respect to regulatory reform for the launch industry.

“When it comes to launch, many of you grasp the interconnectedness that exists right away with aviation. You’re talking about moving stuff through airspace, you’re talking about moving goods and people. And so there’s a very heavy nexus when it comes to launch with civil aviation in the framework that we have today.” Juneau said it needs to take into account the socio-economic benefit to Canada. “We’re a socio-economic department at the end of the day. ...Now thankfully, with the publication of the space strategy, and certain elements around regulatory modernization, we’ve been able to answer that question and say, yes, this is an area that we want to enable Canada to venture into.” (10/29)

ESA Lays Out Roadmap for Ariane 6 and Vega C Launchers (Source: ESA)
Vega-C and Ariane 6 are being developed by ESA to assure Europe's independent access to space. The maiden flight for Vega-C is planned to take place in June 2021, that for Ariane 6 for the second quarter of 2022. Solid progress is being made on both Vega-C and Ariane 6 development programmes. Since March, some technical events and the COVID-19 pandemic have both impacted the progress of activities. Uncertainty from COVID-19 still persists globally to date. (10/30)

ESA Seeks Member Money for Ariane 6 Delays (Source: Space News)
ESA is asking member states for additional funding to cover delays in the development of the Ariane 6 launch vehicle. Agency officials announced Thursday that the first launch of the Ariane 6 has slipped again, and is now scheduled for the second quarter of 2022. ESA blamed the latest delays on the pandemic and on technical issues with the cryogenic arm that connects the launchpad to the vehicle. ESA is seeking 230 million euros ($268 million) in additional funding from member states, bringing the total cost of the Ariane 6 program to more than 3.8 billion euros. The first Ariane 6 launch lacks a customer after OneWeb revised its launch contract with Arianespace to use only Soyuz launches. (10/30)

Telesat to Announce Constellation Contracts Before 2021 (Source: Space News)
Telesat expects to announce contracts for its low Earth orbit satellite constellation by the end of this year. Telesat CEO Dan Goldberg said that he believed Telesat could make "some announcements" about contracts to build and launch the satellites before the end of the year. Telesat plans to fund the constellation from company revenues, as well as C-band clearing payments and financing from export credit agencies. Telesat reported a 15% decline in revenue in the third quarter from a year ago, which it blamed in part on restructuring of contracts with customers caused by the pandemic as well as reduced demand for direct-to-home television in North America. (10/30)

Parsons Acquiring Braxton (Source: Space News)
Parsons is acquiring Braxton Science & Technology Group to expand its work in space and cybersecurity. Parsons will pay $258 million for Braxton, which will be merged into Parsons' space and geospatial business. Braxton has recently won several military and intelligence agency contracts for space ground systems, satellite cybersecurity and other space technologies. The Braxton deal follows Parsons' $292 million acquisition of OGSystems acquisition in 2019 and the $489 million purchase of defense contractor Polaris Alpha in 2018. (10/30)

Bennu Samples Safely Stowed (Source: Space News)
A canister holding samples collected from the surface of an asteroid is now safely stowed in a NASA spacecraft. The OSIRIS-REx spacecraft collected the samples from the surface of the asteroid Bennu last week, but NASA moved up plans to stow the container in a sample return capsule after images showed material from the asteroid leaking out. Project officials said Thursday that the canister is now sealed in the sample return capsule, and that they lost only "tens of grams" of material out of at least one kilogram collected. OSIRIS-REx will leave the vicinity of Bennu in March, returning to Earth in September 2023. (10/30)

Virgin Orbit Takes Stake in SAS (Source: Space News)
Virgin Orbit plans to invest in one of its customers, Sky and Space Global (SAS). In a statement this week, SAS said that Virgin Orbit had agreed to take a stake of at least 14.7% into the company. SAS did not disclose the value of that stake, but the company filed with the ASX stock exchange in Australia to sell about $2.2 million Australian in stock to Virgin Orbit. In return, the companies will cancel an existing launch contract, and SAS will sign a three-year "launch services and consulting agreement" with Virgin Orbit at $1 million Australian a year. SAS entered voluntary administration, a form of bankruptcy protection, in April after failing to raise a new round of funding, and the Virgin Orbit investment will assist its recapitalization plans. SAS had planned to launch a constellation of up to 200 cubesats for communications services. (10/30)

Foreign Governments Outpace US in Geospatial Spending (Source: Space News)
A new study says that foreign governments are outpacing the U.S. government in investing in the commercial geospatial intelligence, or geoint, industry. U.S. investment in commercial geoint has been relatively flat over the last five years, while foreign investment has "increased tremendously within the last two years," according to a MITRE report. The study contends there is a bias against commercial providers in U.S. defense and intelligence agencies, who believe their own capabilities are superior. Foreign investment is helping to strengthen foreign capabilities, in some cases outpacing those of the United States in areas like SAR. (10/30)

Space Group Urges Reform to Security Clearances (Source: Space News)
A space industry group is seeking reforms in how the government handles security clearances. The National Security Space Association, a group that represents U.S. defense and intelligence contractors, says outdated security clearance policies thwart the United States' ability to outpace adversaries. In a white paper, the organization said space programs today are governed by a mix of outdated and emerging classification guidance that produces inconsistent policies, and that access to the same piece of information might require different clearances from DoD or the intelligence community. Companies have difficulty getting clearances, the organization said, which denies the government from taking advantage of "new ideas, technology, capabilities and applications." (10/30)

Turkish Launch Attracts Protesters to SpaceX (Source: CBS 2 Los Angeles)
Hundreds protested outside SpaceX's headquarters Thursday, calling on the company to cancel the launch of a Turkish satellite. The protesters claim that the Turksat 5A satellite, scheduled to launch late this year on a Falcon 9, will be used by the Turkish government to assist Azerbaijan in attacking Armenia. Those two countries have been embroiled in a conflict in recent weeks. The SpaceX protest was the latest in a series of demonstrations by Armenian Americans in Southern California about the conflict with Azerbaijan. (10/30)

Space Ballooners Clash Over Non-Compete Agreement (Source: Sifted)
Two Spanish companies are in a dispute over "space balloons." Zero 2 Infinity has been working for more than a decade on balloons that would carry people into the stratosphere, giving them an experience much like going into space. The company sought to raise a round of funding, working with Kemel Kharbachi, an entrepreneur who runs an investment company called Agora Next. Instead, Kharbachi decided to start his own company, EOS X Space, that will also offer balloon flights to the edge of space. Zero 2 Infinity alleges that Kharbachi violated a non-compete agreement by starting EOS X Space, a claim that Kharbachi said was "absolutely inappropriate and unfounded." (10/30)

KSC's New Bridge Brings Changes to Spaceport Access (Source: Florida Today)
A coalition of organizations continues to push forward with the replacement of Kennedy Space Center's aging drawbridge. According to permitting documents recently filed by the Florida Department of Transportation and NASA, construction of a new bridge that extends State Road 405 in south Titusville to the spaceport is still slated to begin in early 2022. Over the decades, it's carried countless spacecraft, employees, visitors, tourists, and other hardware like pad infrastructure and building materials.

These days, it's not just KSC that needs the artery. It also leads to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, KSC's Visitor Complex, and Blue Origin's massive New Glenn rocket factory. For some companies like Lockheed Martin's Astrotech Space Operations in Titusville, it's the only way to get processed spacecraft across the river to the spaceport. NASA officials knew at the time a replacement would cost north of $100 million, a steep figure for the agency focused on its Space Launch System rocket and transitioning KSC to a spaceport with more commercial tenants. But FDOT analyses showed maintaining the current bridge for 10 more years and then replacing it would cost even more: about $156 million.

Space Florida last year applied for the U.S. DOT's Infrastructure for Rebuilding America grant program and secured more than two-thirds of the amount needed to replace the 56-year-old NASA structure. The grant also included money for expanding Space Commerce Way, which leads to the visitor complex and Blue Origin's factory. With Space Florida assuming responsibility for the project's execution and funding a majority of the remaining $36 million, NASA agreed to state ownership of the new bridge. (10/30)

Bridge Ownership Transfer a Sign of What's to Come for NASA, Space Force (Source: Florida Today)
NASA's transfer of the NASA Causeway bridge alleviates some of NASA's need to focus on projects that aren't intimately tied to space, science, and aeronautics. Looking to the future, it could be the beginning of even more shifting responsibilities. The Space Force, which oversees the Eastern Range and other space-related facilities across the country, is exploring the possibility of merging Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and KSC to streamline operations.

Like the bridge ownership change, the idea is similar: allow the Department of Defense to focus on its core missions of national defense and launch support through new efficiencies and shifting peripheral projects off its books. The proposal puts increased responsibilities on the DOT, FAA, commercial companies, and other organizations like Space Florida to manage future space operations. A new federally empowered spaceport authority could help establish a strategy for spaceport management and take over launch-scheduling work. Ultimately, the plan positions NASA and the DOD as tenants to the independent authority.

Dale Ketcham, Space Florida’s vice president of government and external relations, said the "national spaceport authority" concept is critical fostering growth in commercial space and protecting public safety. "The Air Force has been struggling for some time now to address a better governance model for spaceports," he said during the FAA meeting. "They're spending a lot of time, money, and bandwidth focusing on roads, commodes, commodities, leases, and things of that nature. (10/30)

Geologists Simulate Soil Conditions to Help Grow Plants on Mars (Source: Space Daily)
Humankind's next giant step may be onto Mars. But before those missions can begin, scientists need to make scores of breakthrough advances, including learning how to grow crops on the red planet. Practically speaking, astronauts cannot haul an endless supply of topsoil through space. So University of Georgia geologists are figuring out how best to use the materials already on the planet's surface. To do that, they developed artificial soil mixtures that mimic materials found on Mars. In a new study published in the journal Icarus, the researchers evaluated the artificial soils to determine just how fertile Martian soil could be. (10/28)

Budding UK Space Entrepreneurs Wow Industry Experts (Source: Space Daily)
The 'Dragons' Den' style event, organised by the UK Space Agency and hosted yesterday, gave an opportunity for some of the UK's best and brightest minds to pitch their ideas to seven expert judges, offering them support like mentoring and the chance to build industry connections that they can use to take their plans to the next level.

All the participating students are aged between 11 and 22, with each being awarded a share of Pounds 50,000 in cash prizes for their ideas in the UK Space Agency's SatelLife Competition earlier this year. Science Minister Amanda Solloway said: It is truly inspiring to see this country's next generation of entrepreneurs developing innovations that could help answer some of society's most challenging questions - including how we reduce air pollution or using satellite drones to deliver vital healthcare services. (10/28)