SpaceX Starlink Just Won a Huge
Customer (Source: Motley Fool)
On Saturday, Oct. 24, SpaceX crossed the finish line, achieving the 800
Starlink broadband internet satellites in orbit it needed to offer
"moderate" internet coverage to large portions of Earth's surface. Just
two days later, the company officially opened up Starlink to "beta"
subscribers, advertising 50Mb/s to 150Mb/s broadband internet service
for prices as low as $99 a month (plus a $499 hardware fee). Demand for
the new service in the U.S. has reportedly been brisk, and demand in
Canada is about to get even brisker -- because just this month,
regulators approved Starlink to offer internet service in Canada as
well.
How important is this to Canada, and is $99 for as little as 50 mbps
internet speeds really a good deal? With Comcast offering 200 mbps for
under $50 in metro locales in the U.S. you might not think so, but
here's the thing: Listening in on tweets from elated Canadian (future)
customers, and hearing their lamentations about being forced to pay,
for example, $46 a month (presumably Canadian) for 6 mbps, $75 for 5
mbps, or even $95 for a measly 2 mbps, it's pretty clear that the
service Starlink is offering will be a big improvement for a lot of
rural users. (11/26)
Gilmour Space and Northrop Grumman
sign MoU to Grow Sovereign Capabilities in Australia (Source:
Space Daily)
Australian rocket company, Gilmour Space Technologies, has signed a
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with global aerospace giant Northrop
Grumman Corporation to work on developing sovereign space capabilities
in Australia. "Northrop Grumman aims to lead industry support in
developing Australian sovereign space capabilities to help meet the
needs of defence and realise the Australian Space Agency vision," said
Chris Deeble, chief executive, Northrop Grumman Australia. (11/25)
Canada's Escape From Planet Earth? (Source:
Maclean's)
By the time you read this, one of three things has happened: you have
witnessed America re-elect a neo-fascist, and you are concerned; or,
you have witnessed America decline to re-elect a neo-fascist, and the
neo-fascist is angry, and his followers are angrier still, and you are
concerned; or, Russia has bombed every post office in Pennsylvania and
you are too busy watching footage of roving street militias to read
this. In any event, whatever happens/has happened on Nov. 3, this is
certain: after that date our country remains uneasy about our proximity
to the country directly below us and, upon careful reflection, decides
the time is right for Canada to commence exploring its options for
colonizing the moon.
Luckily, this seems a good opportunity to do so, because the most
important international agreement regarding space exploration has just
been signed: the Artemis Accords. Now, the Artemis Accords aren’t
strictly designed to facilitate moon colonization (which is, granted,
not 100 per cent legal), but as they regulate space exploration,
they’re currently the closest thing we have to a launchpad for the 38
million or so of our prospective lunar colonists. Here are the new
rules, then, for “exploring” the moon.
Among other things, we’d have to: land only for peaceful purposes
(Canada’s previous exploration/colonization efforts may compromise our
credibility on this point, but presumably observers will be reassured
by the obligingly unthreatening status of our defence spending); be
transparent about our moon business (“We’re just here for the meteor
views!”); “utilize current interoperability standards for space-based
infrastructure” (I don’t know what any of that means, and it is
doubtful a space law enforcement officer would either); help other
countries’ space personnel in distress (fine, but unnecessary—wherever
they’re from, and however far it is from the United States, space
personnel will be relieved to be somewhere further). (11/25)
Danish Billionaire Backs Shetland
Spaceport (Source: The Herald)
The Danish billionaire objecting to a spaceport near his Highland
estate has invested almost £1.5m in a rival site on Shetland. Anders
Povlsen, Scotland’s biggest landowner, has boosted a proposed space
centre on Unst, which is currently lagging in the race to be Scotland’s
first vertical rocket launch site. The £1.43m investment is being made
by Mr Povlsen’s company Wild Ventures Ltd, which said it wanted
spaceports built “in the right place”. (11/27)
The U.S.-China Split in Space
(Source: Axios)
China has a flourishing space program with big ambitions. The nation is
expected to build a space station in orbit in the coming years and
eventually plans to send people to the Moon. Those plans run in
parallel to U.S. ambitions to send people back to the lunar surface as
the International Space Station program comes to an end.
Both nations also have strong military presences in orbit: China's
tests of its anti-satellite weapons worry many U.S. space watchers that
the nation doesn't adhere to widely accepted norms in orbit. The U.S.
relies on spy satellites and other assets in space to fight wars.
Unlike arrangements with other U.S. allies and adversaries that have so
far held peace between powers in space, NASA and China are prevented
from cooperating in space without congressional approval under the Wolf
Amendment, first passed in 2011.
This separation in space means the U.S. and China sometimes pursue
different technologies and goals, and build separate international
collaborations. Still, the U.S. space program as a whole is stronger
and is likely to remain so, says Matthew Daniels. But the U.S.-China
separation in space "may have long-term costs that exceed their
benefits to America," the report says. If the U.S. is focused on
international leadership and managing risk in space, "some narrow
relaxation" of policies may be needed, he writes. (11/27)
Chinese Space Program Marches Ahead:
Implications for India (Source: ORF)
Several important developments in the Chinese space program over the
last ten months of 2020 are noteworthy and require careful analysis to
ascertain their implications for India. Three areas are: i) Chinese
space launch rates, ii) China’s collaboration with foreign space
startups in the development of low-cost satellite propulsion fuel, and
iii) China’s reportedly successful test of a Reusable Launch Vehicle
(RLV).
In all these three segments, the Chinese space programme appears to
have made progress this past year. Each of these milestones suggest
that a raging pandemic — which originated in China — has had very
little adverse effect, allowing the Chinese to insulate their space
programme from the worst effects of COVID-19. (11/27)
China to Build Lunar Research Station
Prototype (Source: Space Daily)
China plans to build a prototype for a lunar scientific research
station in the fourth phase of the country's lunar exploration program,
said Wu Weiren, chief designer of the program. The prototype, which
will consist of multiple detectors operating in lunar orbit and on the
lunar surface, will be capable of conducting scientific and
technological research on the moon, as well as technical verification
of lunar resource exploration and utilization, said Wu.
With the planned prototype, Chinese scientists will seek cooperation
with their international counterparts to build an international lunar
scientific research station, said Wu, also an academician of the
Chinese Academy of Engineering.
On Tuesday, China launched the Chang'e-5 spacecraft to collect and
return samples from the moon, the country's first attempt to retrieve
samples from an extraterrestrial body. It marked the end of the third
phase of China's lunar exploration program. According to the plan of
the fourth phase of the program, the Chang'e-7 spacecraft will conduct
a comprehensive exploration of the moon's Antarctic topography,
material composition and space environment, said Wu. The Chang'e-8
spacecraft will be tasked with conducting further scientific tests as
well as the verification of key technologies, the scientist added.
(11/27)
China Plans to Launch New Space
Science Satellites (Source: Xinhua)
China plans to launch a space telescope for research in electromagnetic
counterparts of gravitational waves in December, according to the
National Space Science Center under the Chinese Academy of Sciences
(CAS). The telescope, Gravitational Wave High-energy Electromagnetic
Counterpart All-sky Monitor (GECAM), will be launched from the Xichang
spaceport The GECAM mission is composed of two small satellites, and it
will focus on detecting electromagnetic counterparts of gravitational
waves, high-energy radiation from fast radio bursts, various gamma-ray
bursts, and magnetar flares. (11/27)
China's Mighty Long March 9 Rocket Set
to Debut in 2030 (Source: China Daily)
The China National Space Administration has revealed design
specifications about the Long March 9, a super-heavy carrier rocket
that will likely become one of the world's largest and mightiest launch
vehicles. Xu Hongliang, secretary-general of the administration, said
that the Long March 9 is in the research and development stage and is
expected to enter service around 2030.
The super-heavy rocket will be 93 meters tall, have a liftoff weight of
4,140 metric tons and a thrust power of 5,760 tons. Its core stage will
be about 10 meters in diameter, Xu said at the Wenchang International
Aviation and Aerospace Forum's opening ceremony on Tuesday. The craft
will be so powerful that it will be able to transport spacecraft with a
combined weight of 140 tons to a low-Earth orbit hundreds of kilometers
above the planet, he said. (11/26)
Japan’s New H3 Launcher Delayed by
Rocket Engine Component Issues (Source: Space News)
The first launches of the new Japanese H3 launch vehicle are being
delayed by issues with two components of the rocket’s main engine. The
Japanese space agency JAXA said that problems were found with the new
LE-9 engine’s combustion chamber and turbopump. JAXA and Mitsubishi
Heavy Industries (MHI) were aiming to hold the inaugural launch by the
end of 2020 before the discovery of issues in May. This led JAXA to
announce in September that the first flight would slip to some time in
Japanese fiscal year 2021, beginning April 1, 2021. The rocket’s second
launch likewise slipped to Japanese fiscal year 2022. (11/27)
NASA Can't Decide Whether Astronauts
Should Wash Their Underwear (Source: New Scientist)
NASA and Procter & Gamble (P&G) have signed an agreement to
develop the first detergent for washing clothes in space – despite a
long-standing recommendation against astronauts doing their own
laundry. While astronauts wear spacesuits when working outside the
International Space Station (ISS), they wear ordinary clothes most of
the time. Once these are too dirty to be worn, they are then either
returned to Earth as rubbish or ejected along with other waste in a
capsule to burn up in the atmosphere. (11/26)
Russian Space Agency Set to Begin
Discussing ISS Lifespan with NASA in Early 2021 (Source: TASS)
Consultations on the International Space Station (ISS) lifespan will
begin in early 2021. According Roscosmos, the ISS lifespan depends both
on technical and political issues. "One way or another, we plan to
commence consultations with NASA and other partners on these issues,"
Roscosmos underscored.
Previously, the Scientific Russia website published a portion of the
speech of ISS Russian segment flight manager Vladimir Solovyov, who
claimed that there is a number of seriously damaged elements on the
station that begin to fail. Solovyov noted that exponential failure of
multiple modules on the ISS is expected after 2025, adding that further
funding of the station may require about 10 to 15 billion rubles ($132
million to $198 million). (11/26)
Air Force Academy Looks to Become a
Place for Space (Source: Air Force Magazine)
The U.S. Air Force Academy has long been the training ground for cadets
headed for careers in military space. But with the creation of a Space
Force, the Colorado school is looking to expand the opportunities
available to space-minded students. "Where do you go if you want to be
a pilot? I think most people would say, you go to the Air Force Academy
if you want to fly in the United States Air Force,” said Col. Jeffrey
H. Greenwood, USAFA’s Space Force liaison. “I want that same mentality
of, if you want to serve in the United States Space Force.”
The Space Force, which falls under the Department of the Air Force,
does not currently plan to establish its own service academy. Instead,
USAFA brought in Greenwood in July to change up the space education
experience. He’s modeling the Space Force detachment on the Marine
Corps’ presence at the U.S. Naval Academy, alongside about 30 USAFA
staffers who form the core of the school’s new Space Force detachment.
(11/25)
Firehawk Aerospace Raises $2M for Next
Generation Rocket Engines (Source: Space Daily)
Firehawk Aerospace, a rocket propulsion startup, has closed a $2
million seed round. The round is led by members of the Victorum Capital
Club and includes additional investments from Achieve Capital and
Harlow Capital Management. "Firehawk Aerospace has achieved a new level
of performance for hybrid rocket engines through our patented
3D-printed rocket fuel," said Will Edwards, Co-Founder and CEO.
"Firehawk Aerospace will provide a safe, reliable, and affordable
rocket engine to power the next-generation of satellite launchers,
guided reconnaisance systems, lunar transport systems, and manned space
systems."
Firehawk Aerospace is providing customizable propulsion systems to make
the future of space transportation safer and more accessible. The funds
will be used to test Firehawk's engine at operational scale, grow its
partnerships with leading government and commercial entities around the
world, and expand its research and manufacturing facilities to Texas
and Oklahoma. (11/27)
Defects in Mitochondria May Explain
Many Health Problems Observed During Space Travel (Source: Space
Daily)
For space exploration to be successful, it's vital to understand - and
find ways to address - underlying causes of the health issues that have
been observed in astronauts who have spent extended periods of time off
world. These problems include loss of bone and muscle mass, immune
dysfunction, and heart and liver problems. Using data collected from a
number of different resources, a multidisciplinary team is reporting
discovery of a common thread that drives this damage: mitochondrial
dysfunction. The researchers used a systems approach to look at
widespread alterations affecting biological function. (11/26)
Space Travel Can Adversely Impact
Energy Production in a Cell (Source: Space Daily)
Studies of both mice and humans who have traveled into space reveal
that critical parts of a cell's energy production machinery, the
mitochondria, can be made dysfunctional due to changes in gravity,
radiation exposure and other factors. These findings are part of an
extensive research effort across many scientific disciplines to look at
the health effects of travel into space. The research has implications
for future space travel as well as how metabolic changes due to space
travel could inform medical science on earth. (11/26)
How Can Space Improve Urban Planning?
(Source: ESA)
Representatives of the city of Milan in Italy and the municipality of
Baia Mare in Romania will join ESA engineers to identify how
information gleaned from space can help cities to function smoothly.
Andrea Aliscioni, Director of the Integrated Water Service Division for
the Municipality of Milan, will explain how the city uses highly
localised satellite data to monitor the health of its sewerage
networks. He will be joined by Piero Pelizzaro, Chief Resilience
Officer for the Municipality of Milan.
Meanwhile Sorin Pop of the Municipality of Baia Mare in Romania will
describe the region’s efforts to create a smart, post-industrial
regenerative ecosystem by reintroducing green plants. The system
employs satellite data on biomass to conduct soil analysis from space.
(11/26)
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