November 17, 2020

Vega Rocket Fails After Liftoff at Kourou Spaceport (Sources: Space Daily, Space News)
A European space rocket failed minutes after taking off with the loss of both satellites it was carrying. The Vega light launcher, which would have placed Spain's first earth observation satellite into orbit, malfunctioned roughly eight minutes after launching from a space center in Kourou, French Guiana. In a call with reporters, Arianespace says they believe the Vega failure was caused by the upper stage tumbling because cables in its control system were improperly connected. A quality issue, “a series of human errors”, not a design flaw. (11/17)

From Development to Operations, at Long Last (Source: Space Review)
On Sunday night, a Crew Dragon spacecraft carrying four NASA and JAXA astronauts lifted off on the first “operational” commercial crew mission to the International Space Station. Jeff Foust reports that the launch, and some paperwork days earlier, marked a long-awaited transition in commercial spaceflight. Click here. (11/16)
 
Spooks and Satellites: the Role of Intelligence in Cold War American Space Policy (Source: Space Review)
Intelligence about Soviet efforts to develop anti-satellite weapons shaped US space policy in the 1970s and 1980s. Aaron Bateman examines what’s known from archival materials about how that intelligence is linked to US decisions on ASAT development and the Strategic Defense Initiative. Click here. (11/16)
 
Lunar Commerce: a Question of Semantics? (Source: Space Review)
Many space advocates envision a future of commercial space activities on the Moon, but what does that really mean? Derek Webber discusses what lunar markets might have government versus commercial customers in the near and long term. Click here. (11/16)
 
The Need for US Leadership in Remediating Space Debris (Source: Space Review)
While most people agree that something should be done to remove orbital debris, there’s a lack of consensus about how it should be done. Jessica Duronio argues that it’s time for the US to take a leadership role on the issue. Click here. (11/16)

Omnispace Selects Exolaunch to Deliver Two Next-Generation Satellites (Source: Parabolic Arc)
Omnispace, the company that is reinventing mobile communications by building a global hybrid network, today signed a launch agreement with Exolaunch, the rideshare launch and deployment services provider for the New Space industry. Exolaunch will deliver two Thales Alenia Space-built satellites into orbit aboard SpaceX’s rideshare missions. Exolaunch will provide launch, mission management, integration and deployment services for the two Omnispace satellites, targeted for launch in 2022. (11/10)

A New Doorway to Space (Source: NASA)
Anyone who has gotten a sofa stuck in a doorway on moving day knows how frustrating it is when there’s no other way in or out. The doorways on the International Space Station, or airlocks, have worked just fine for 20 years. But as more researchers and companies wish to expand the scope and size of the projects they send into low-Earth orbit, a larger doorway could help.

Opening another portal to receive more shipments and deploy more satellites and experiments is the challenge a private company took up – Nanoracks LLC, headquartered in Webster, Texas. With support from NASA, the company built a new and different kind of doorway into space.

The Nanoracks Bishop Airlock Module will serve as another door to space, helping to move larger payloads inside and outside the station. This will alleviate one bottleneck slowing down the deployment of new small satellites and CubeSats from the space station. Bishop will also significantly increase the amount of research that can be done in low-Earth orbit – research that helps us better understand the space environment but also has implications for Earth imaging, medical research, and biomanufacturing. (11/16)

Bruno: FAA Streamlining Effort Empowers U.S. Launch Industry (Source: Space News)
After a meaningful and involved dialogue with commercial launch companies, including ULA, SpaceX, Northrop Grumman, and many others, the FAA drafted regulations that allow industry to innovate at a rapid pace while maintaining safety as the No. 1 priority. When it comes to launch licensing, the FAA must ensure that both launch and reentry practices keep individuals in the launch and reentry area safe. This means working to ensure that a launch vehicle and any potential blast or debris will not injure those in the vicinity.

In addition to ensuring the safety of individuals, these rules protect launch infrastructure. Protecting these assets is critical to enabling the on-time launch of irreplaceable missions that save lives, connect the world, and allow us to explore our universe. This new approach will ensure that payloads, launch infrastructure and, most importantly, the public, are protected as America’s commercial rocket industry continues to grow and mature.

 The FAA’s interest in the industry perspective has helped facilitate an open and fair process about how to most effectively regulate launch without impeding any of the groundbreaking advances that are being made every day. This is truly a model for how U.S. regulatory agencies can most effectively work with the space industry. They have found a solid and workable balance between enabling advancement in space and protecting lives and property. (11/17)

MIT’s Mini-Satellite Maker (Source: SciTech Daily)
At MIT, Kerri Cahoy looked for ways to collaborate with students on hands-on engineering projects. She teamed up with colleagues at AeroAstro and MIT Lincoln Laboratory, who were teaching students to design CubeSats with weather sensors — an enhancement that pushed the CubeSat beyond an educational exercise to something that could potentially be used as a practical spacecraft.

Cahoy has since worked on improving the performance and reliability of nanosatellites, and tailoring them for specific missions. She has developed spacecraft to improve data downlink and communication, as well as probes like DeMi, that improve images of distant stars and exoplanets. She is also designing constellations of nanosatellites that work together to track weather patterns on Earth. (11/17)

It's Time for Congress to Act: Save Jobs and Stabilize the Aerospace Industry (Source: The Hill)
Thankfully, bipartisan leaders from both chambers of Congress have taken an important step to help save these jobs. Sens. Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Mark Warner (D-VA) and Reps. Rick Larsen (D-WA) and Ron Estes (R-KS) have introduced two bills that would help U.S. aviation manufacturers retain their workforce and bring laid-off workers back to work sooner. And over 20 members of Congress have already signed onto the legislation.

Over the next few years, the COVID-19 crisis will create new unprecedented challenges. But aerospace’s inspiring workers have a history of helping lead our nation through times of crisis, from the trials of world wars to the pressures of the Space Race. They’re not only the reason a plane is greater than the sum of its parts, but a group dedicated to something greater than their individual selves: our country.

Still, they can’t do it alone. We’ve already seen too many U.S. job losses — it’s time for Congress to act. Passing these payroll bills will help save vital U.S. jobs and empower aerospace’s extraordinary workforce to help strengthen American economic success and national security. It will stabilize this critical industry today and ensure we are set up to achieve an even better tomorrow. (11/17)

Voyager Space Eyes New Acquisitions as Industry Appears Headed for Consolidation (Source: Space News)
Denver-based Voyager Space Holdings is expanding its Washington, D.C. footprint as it eyes new acquisitions of commercial and government-focused space companies. “I’m going to be building out a team,” Eric Stallmer, the company’s new executive vice president of government affairs and public policy, told SpaceNews.

Space industry angel investor Dylan Taylor is the company’s chairman and CEO. He founded Voyager Space Holdings in October 2019 with the goal of making long-term investments in space companies, providing an alternative to traditional venture funding. Voyager Space so far has acquired the satellite servicing company Altius Space Machines and Pioneer Astronautics, a company that develops technologies to make human life sustainable in outer space. (11/16)

Cosmic Flashes Come In All Different Sizes (Source: Phys.org)
By studying the site of a spectacular stellar explosion seen in April 2020, a Chalmers-led team of scientists have used four European radio telescopes to confirm that astronomy's most exciting puzzle is about to be solved. Fast radio bursts, unpredictable millisecond-long radio signals seen at huge distances across the universe, are generated by extreme stars called magnetars—and are astonishingly diverse in brightness.

For over a decade, the phenomenon known as fast radio bursts has excited and mystified astronomers. These extraordinarily bright but extremely brief flashes of radio waves—lasting only milliseconds—reach Earth from galaxies billions of light years away.

In April 2020, one of the bursts was for the first time detected from within our galaxy, the Milky Way, by radio telescopes CHIME and STARE2. The unexpected flare was traced to a previously-known source only 25 000 light years from Earth in the constellation of Vulpecula, the Fox, and scientists all over the world coordinated their efforts to follow up the discovery. (11/16)

Dragon Docks Successfully to ISS (Source: Space News)
A SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft docked with the International Space Station Monday night. The spacecraft docked with the station at 11:01 p.m. Eastern, and hatches separating the spacecraft and station opened two hours later. The four NASA and JAXA astronauts on the spacecraft joined the station's crew for a six-month stay. Crew-1, which started with a launch Sunday evening from the Kennedy Space Center, is the first operational commercial crew mission. (11/17)

What History Can Tell Us About SpaceX’s Astronaut-Flying Business (Source: Quartz)
The future of the economy in low-earth orbit may depend on today’s Boeing—or Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin—meeting SpaceX’s challenge. An obvious lesson of aviation industry is avoiding monopolies and incentivizing competition. NASA officials say they have taken this philosophy to heart. While SpaceX’s new vehicle is the cheapest ever made to fly people into space, tickets cost roughly $60 million per seat. That makes it both a giant leap forward for space travel—and still many times removed from the everyday relevance of a propeller plane in 1930.

“These are going to be very expensive,” Phil McAlister, NASA’s director of commercial spaceflight, said last week of private activity in low-earth orbit. “My hope is we will see more entrepreneurs enter this market. You generally see that makes things more cost effective going forward.” (11/16)

China Readies Rocket for Lunar Sample Mission (Source: Space News)
China rolled out the Long March 5 rocket that will launch a lunar sample return mission. The rocket moved out to its pad at the Wenchang Satellite Launch Center on the island of Hainan late Monday night. The rocket is expected to launch later this month to send the Chang'e-5 mission to the moon. Chang'e-5 will land at a site close to Mons Rümker, a volcanic formation situated in the Oceanus Procellarum region, and collect samples for return to Earth. (11/17)

Human Rating of India's GSLV Rocket Gets Underway (Source: Deccan Chronicle)
Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) GSLV MkIII rocket has been identified as the vehicle to launch the Gaganyaan Mission and the process for its human rating is in progress. GSLV MkIII is a three-stage heavy lift launch vehicle developed by ISRO. It has two solid strap-ons, a core liquid booster and a cryogenic upper stage. It is designed to carry four-tonne class of satellites into geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) or about 10 tonnes to low earth orbit (LEO), which is about twice the capability of the GSLV Mk II.

The two strap-on motors of GSLV Mk III are located on either side of its core liquid booster. Designated ‘S200’, the high-thrust solid propellant strap-on boosters play an important role in the human-rated GSLV Mk III. Each S200 booster carries 205 tonnes of composite solid propellant and their ignition results in vehicle lift-off. According to an ISRO statement on Monday, many new design features have been introduced in the hardware in order to human rate the S200 booster. (11/17)

Relativity Space Raising $500 Million at $2 Billion Valuation From Tiger and Others (Source: CNBC)
Rocket builder and 3D-printing specialist Relativity Space is raising $500 million of fresh capital in a new round being led by Tiger Global Management, people familiar with the financing told CNBC on Tuesday. The new fundraise, expected to close in the coming days, would jump Relativity’s valuation to $2.3 billion, those people said. Existing investors in Relativity are also expected to be contributing to the round -- those include Social Capital, Playground Global, Y Combinator, Bond Capital, Tribe Capital, Jared Leto and Mark Cuban. (11/17)

Senate Weighs in on Space Force Transfers, Procurement (Source: Air Force Magazine)
The Senate Appropriations Committee’s version of the fiscal 2021 defense spending bill looks to continue shaping the young Space Force with provisions on personnel and acquisition. Lawmakers are offering the Space Force $2.6 billion for operations and maintenance, $2.2 billion for procurement, and $10.4 billion for research and development in 2021. Other aspects of the new service’s funding still come from the broader Department of the Air Force.

In the legislation released Nov. 10, senators added language that blocks the Pentagon from transferring parts of the military and intelligence community to the Space Force without a plan for doing so.

The appropriators want to block DOD from spending money on those transfers unless the Defense Secretary and director of national intelligence report to Congress on “any plans to transfer appropriate space elements of the Department of the Army, the Department of the Navy, a Department of Defense agency, or of the Intelligence Community to the Space Force,” the bill says. Military officials must also show that those changes are “consistent with the mission” of the Space Force and won’t negatively affect the organizations that are losing personnel or resources. (11/15)

Unleashing America’s Commercial Space Industry (Source: Space News)
On Nov. 15, the world watched with admiration as SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule launched atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Florida’s historic Kennedy Space Center carrying a four-person crew. The occasion marked an important milestone — the first orbital FAA-licensed human spaceflight launch. This achievement demonstrates America’s leadership in a new era of space exploration advanced by private companies in the United States.

Commercial space activity is rapidly expanding. This year, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has already licensed 31 launches. In contrast, the FAA licensed just one commercial launch in 2011, when the Space Shuttle last flew. The frequency of launches and reentries will only continue to ramp up in the years ahead. The FAA’s National Aerospace Forecast projects as many as 56 launches next year.

Our country is on the verge of the most exciting years in space yet. Last month, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced the completion of the most comprehensive update and streamlining of the FAA’s commercial space launch and reentry licensing requirements ever undertaken. This new rule will allow operators to use a single license for multiple launches from multiple launch sites. Furthermore, it replaces cumbersome, prescriptive requirements with flexible, performance-based criteria. (11/16)

Battelle Teams with Penn State Professor on Sounding Rocket STEM Program for Minority Students (Source: Battelle)
When he’s teaching at Pennsylvania State University, Professor Randall McEntaffer doesn’t see many minority students in his astronomy and astrophysics classes. It is no different around the country—Black students comprise about 14% of the college-going population but only about 4% of physics degrees are awarded to them each year.

This year, Professor McEntaffer is doing something about it. Battelle is supporting his new program called Rockets for Inclusive Science Education (RISE), a year-long course for students at the nearby 2,300-student State College Area High School in collaboration with Dr. Seria Chatters-Smith, the Director of Equity and Inclusivity for the district. RISE is designed to immerse students in what amounts to a space mission, with the main task being the development of a scientific instrument for a suborbital rocket flight. The student mini-payload will be launched as a ride-along subpayload on a pre-existing NASA suborbital rocket program. (11/17)