November 29, 2020

Japan Launches Joint Military, Scientific Optical Data Relay Satellite (Source: NasaSpaceFlight.com)
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries of Japan plans launched an H-IIA rocket on Sunday, 29 November to deploy a top secret communications satellite to support the country’s reconnaissance and scientific programs. Liftoff occurred at the start of a two-hour window that opened at 16:25 local time (07:25 UTC or 02:25 EST) from the Tanegashima Space Center.

The Optical Data Relay Satellite payload aboard this mission will be used to relay data collected by Japan’s fleet of Information Gathering Satellites (IGS) – including both optical and radar-imaging reconnaissance spacecraft – back to Earth for analysis. It is a joint mission with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), who will also use the spacecraft to collect data from scientific satellites in low Earth orbit. (11/29)

OneWeb to Strengthen Security Tie with India (Source: The Telegraph)
The rescue of the satellite operator OneWeb will forge closer security links between India and the Western “Five Eyes” alliance, according to the billionaire who teamed up with the Government on the groundbreaking deal. The telecoms tycoon Sunil Bharti Mittal, one of India’s richest men, said OneWeb can be at the heart of new relationship between the world’s largest democracy and the Five Eyes, a longstanding intelligence partnership between Britain, the United States, Australia, Canada and New Zealand.

Mr Mittal said: “While India is not a part of the Five Eyes alliance, the fact is India is a democracy cherished by the UK and the US. “OneWeb has big programmes with the Ministry of Defence and US Department of Defence. From that big alliance that the UK is part of, India can be brought into discussions in sharing intelligence, building critical applications around OneWeb, so these countries can collaborate against terror.” (11/28)

Space Weather Experts Give Go-Ahead on When to Launch and Avoid Disaster (Source; Washington Examiner)
Atmospheric conditions for a NASA human launch versus commercial clients, including SpaceX, United Launch Alliance, and soon, Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin all have different criteria. The customer makes the final decision on whether to launch after evaluating the information compiled by the 45th Weather Squadron. “The Weather Squadron is truly an enabler,” ULA Director and General Manager of Launch Operations Tony Taliancich told the Washington Examiner.

“They give us data that allows us to launch when otherwise we might not be able to,” he said. “We've defined a very clear set of requirements to make sure that the rocket can deal with the winds, the cross-shear from the winds, and the rain and that it's protected from any potential lightning strike.” Each rocket is also different, from ULA’s Delta rockets to SpaceX’s Falcon rockets to the New Glenn rockets developed by Blue Origin. The payload also matters in the risk assessment of whether to launch or not. (11/28)

In Call With Troops, Trump Basks in Space Force Achievement (Source: Space News)
During a video teleconference with members of the military on his last Thanksgiving as commander in chief, President Trump touted his efforts to establish the Space Force, calling the newest branch of the armed services “a very important thing to me.” Trump spoke Nov. 26 from the White House Diplomatic Reception Room with officers representing units from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force and Coast Guard. The Space Force officer on the call was Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier, commander of the 11th Space Warning Squadron at Buckley Air Force Base, Colorado. (11/28)

Canada Developing Lunar Rover and Science Payloads (Source: Space News)
The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) is moving ahead on efforts to develop lunar science payloads and a small rover that could fly to the moon on a NASA-sponsored lander mission. The CSA announced Nov. 27 it awarded six contracts with a total value of $2.9 million Canadian ($2.2 million) to five companies and universities for initial “Phase 0” studies of lunar science instruments. The instruments range from spectrometers and particle telescopes to an “agriculture feasibility” payload. (11/28)

Polar Scientists Wary of Impending Satellite Gap (Source: BBC)
There is going to be a gap of several years in our ability to measure the thickness of ice at the top and bottom of the world, scientists are warning. The only two satellites dedicated to observing the poles are almost certain to die before replacements are flown. This could leave us blind to some important changes in the Arctic and the Antarctic as the climate warms. The researchers have raised their concerns with the European Commission and the European Space Agency. (11/28)

World-First Real-Time link Between GEO and LEO Satellites (Source: Inmarsat)
After a five-year collaboration, together with Addvalue Innovation, we are pleased to announce the Commercial Service Introduction (CSI) of our Inter-satellite Data Relay System (IDRS) service, following successful demonstration of the first live data connectivity between customer Capella Space’s Control Center and its recently launched Sequoia satellite at low earth orbit. This success paves the way for satellites in low earth orbits to continuously maintain communications with the ground, receiving and transmitting data on demand and in real-time. (11/23)

Winners Announced for US/UK Partnered International Space Pitch Day (Source: USSF)
U.S Space Force’s Space And Missile Systems Center,  (SMC) along with its partners have announced the winners of International Space Pitch Day (ISPD). Small tech companies and start-ups from multiple countries had the opportunity to pitch their ideas in front of several U.S., U.K. and N.A.T.O. allied defense leaders on Nov. 16, 2020.

During the event, ten start-ups successfully secured same-day contracts and a slice of the $1M pot, to fast-track the development of their innovations. This marks the first time two nations have come together to award defense contracts based around a pitch-style event and the first time two nations have awarded joint defense innovation contracts to foreign companies. Fifteen companies were able to pitch their innovative ideas during the private pitch day on Monday, Nov. 16, 2020. The winners were announced shortly after the culmination of public pitching by all the companies on Nov. 17, 2020. Click here. (11/28)

Cyprus Could be a Rocky Testing Ground for Mars (Source: Times of Malta)
International and Cypriot experts on Friday discussed a research project to test space equipment on the Mediterranean island before sending it to Mars to measure the age of its rocks, officials said. Planetologists and geologists arrived in Cyprus earlier this month to test out the equipment in the Troodos mountains, which officials say has geological similarities with the red planet.

The project is funded by the European Commission and on Friday a first meeting involving the Cyprus Space Exploration Organisation (CSEO) and the Geological Surveys Department got underway. The rock-measuring project is "very innovative since there are no previous accurate measurements of the age of the rocks of Mars from previous missions", it added in a statement. It noted however that "the geology of the Troodos Mountains has a lot in common with the rocks of Mars". (11/28)