November 3, 2020

How Many Alien Civilizations are Out There? A New Galactic Survey Holds a Clue (Source: National Geographic)
More than 300 million worlds with similar conditions to Earth are scattered throughout the Milky Way galaxy. A new analysis concludes that roughly half of the galaxy’s sunlike stars host rocky worlds in habitable zones where liquid water could pool or flow over the planets’ surfaces. “This is the science result we’ve all been waiting for,” says Natalie Batalha, an astronomer with the University of California, Santa Cruz, who worked on the new study.

The finding, which has been accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journal, pins down a crucial number in the Drake Equation. Devised by my father Frank Drake in 1961, the equation sets up a framework for calculating the number of detectable civilizations in the Milky Way. Now the first few variables in the formula—including the rate of sunlike star formation, the fraction of those stars with planets, and the number of habitable worlds per stellar system—are known. (11/2)

Airbus Wins Satellite Mission to Gauge Global Warming Accuracy (Source: Bloomberg)
Airbus SE won a contract to help build a European Space Agency satellite designed for scientists to more accurately predict the pace of climate change. The mission will enlarge the constellation of satellites being launched to track the impact of global warming on the Earth’s economies. The Traceable Radiometry Underpinning Terrestrial and Helio Studies, or TRUTHS satellite, will increase the certainty of climate and weather models. It will follow recent launches of satellites observing air quality, emissions and sea levels. (11/2)

Vector Restarting Operations Under New Ownership (Source: Space News)
Vector, a small launch vehicle developer that went bankrupt in 2019, is getting a second chance under new ownership, with changes to both its technology and initial markets. Vector has raised more than $100 million to develop a family of small launch vehicles, but suspended operations in August 2019 and laid off most of its employees after one of its key investors pulled out. The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in December and later decided to sell its assets.

Vector’s satellite assets, called GalacticSky, were acquired by Lockheed Martin in February for $4.25 million. Vector’s launch assets were sold in May to an entity known as TLS Bidco LLC for $1.175 million, according to bankruptcy court filings. The new owner of Vector’s launch assets is a consortium led by John Moran, president and chief executive of Moran Logistics, a shipping company based in Pennsylvania. They are restarting Vector with Robert Spalding, a retired Air Force brigadier general who previously served on the staff of the National Security Council, as chief executive.

One thing they [previously] did wrong was the technology the used for their engines. “They had some Achilles’ heels associated with their technical approach. They were trying to use a propellant combination [propylene and liquid oxygen] that was untested in the industry,” said Chris Barker, who serves as Vector’s chief rocket scientist. “They were struggling with trying to get performance that they knew they needed for a small launcher to be successful, and ultimately their test program was unsuccessful.” (11/3)

Space Command Concerned About China and Russia Weaponizing Space (Source: Space News)
The new head of U.S. Space Command says he wants to keep space safe from emerging threats he sees from China and Russia. In his first interview since taking over Space Command, U.S. Army General James Dickinson said he is concerned those two countries "have weaponized space" and that he will continue to publicly reprimand space activities by those countries that are unsafe or unprofessional. Dickinson said he supports the transition of civil space traffic management activities to the Commerce Department, and is working with the department on those transition plans. Another priority, he added, is making clear the difference between Space Command and the U.S. Space Force, the new military service. (11/2)

UK's Spacebit Seeks Research Partners for Lunar Rover (Source: Space News)
Spacebit is looking for research partners for its first lunar rover. The U.K.-based company has plans to send two small rovers to the moon on commercial lander missions by Astrobotic and Intuitive Machines in 2021. The company said it will release images and other data those rovers collect to scientists after an initial analysis within the company. Spacebit's founder said that flying two rover missions provides a degree of redundancy and, if both are successful, enables studies of two different regions of the moon. (11/3)

Space Force and ARFL Aim for Cislunar Space (Source: Space News)
The Space Force might operate in cislunar space in the near future. The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is working on a mission concept called Cislunar Highway Patrol System, or CHPS, intended to monitor cislunar space. Details of the experiment are nowhere close to being decided, though, and AFRL plans to solicit ideas from the private sector and assess different technologies and approaches some time next year. The CHPS project is driven by growing interest by the Space Force for expanding its responsibilities beyond geostationary orbit. (11/3)

Commercial Constellation Poses Threat to NASA Earth Observation Satellites (Source: Ars Technica)
NASA has raised concerns about a proposed commercial satellite constellation. In a filing with the FCC, NASA said the SpaceMobile constellation of 240 large satellites proposed by AST&Science poses a risk to its "A-Train" of Earth observations satellites, which are in orbits near those of the SpaceMobile system. The large size of the SpaceMobile satellites would increase the number of conjunctions that NASA will have to deal with, creating an "unacceptably high" risk of collisions. The company said it is confident it can work out ways to mitigate those risks. AST&Science is also facing strong opposition from terrestrial mobile operators, who argue the system could interfere with their networks. (11/3)

Rocket Lab Readies 30-Satellite Launch (Source: Stuff.co.nz)
Rocket Lab's next launch will carry 30 satellites — and a gnome. The company said Monday that an Electron launch scheduled for mid-November will carry 30 satellites, 24 of which will be Spacebee satellites for Swarm's internet of things constellation. Other payloads include two satellites for Unseenlabs, a French company developing a constellation for radio-frequency monitoring, and a demonstration of a tether-based deorbiting system. Mounted on the rocket's kick stage will be a 3D-printed gnome, a project funded by Gabe Newell, founder of game company Valve. The gnome, named Gnome Chompski, is a character in the "Half-Life" series of games by Valve, and is intended to be a test of new 3D-printing technologies that could be used in future satellites. Newell said he will donate $1 to a children's hospital for each person who watches the livestream of the launch. (11/3)

UK Apprenticeship Program Builds Space Workforce (Source: Space Daily)
The UK's Space Engineering Technician apprenticeship is the first to be recognised by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) and approved by The Department of Education. The first cohort of students is expected to start their training from January 2021. The UK space sector is hungry for engineers and technologists who understand the demands that come with working in space, and over the next decade the sector aims to create 30,000 jobs. This new opportunity will offer students, for the first time, the chance to focus on topics like spacecraft manufacturing; building skills in design, problem solving and testing.

Currently, apprentices training in space roles gain qualifications as general apprentices and craft apprentices. The Science Minister recently visited Airbus in Stevenage where she met apprentices working on satellite panel manufacturing, as well as those developing techniques to be used by the Rosalind Franklin the Mars sample fetch rover. Science Minister Amanda Solloway said: "This new qualification is an incredible opportunity for young people which will equip them with the vital skills they need to help unlock the secrets of our solar system. "The UK's space industry is booming, and these new apprentices will become the next generation of engineers that will help us achieve our country's space ambitions." (11/2)