November 5, 2020

How Do We Prevent War in Space? (Source: Scientific American)
On January 30, 2020, an amateur satellite watcher tweeted, “Something to potentially watch.” Cosmos 2542, a Russian inspection satellite, was “loitering around” USA 245, an American spy satellite, and, he wrote, “as I'm typing this, that offset distance shifts between 150 and 300 kilometers.” USA 245 then adjusted its orbit to get away from Cosmos 2542, which in turn tweaked its own orbit to get closer again. “This is all circumstantial evidence,” the watcher wrote, but “a hell of a lot of circumstances make it look like a known Russian inspection satellite is currently inspecting a known U.S. spy satellite.”

So here we are, with the possibility of an escalating space war that would bring certain and incalculable civilian consequences. Yet attempts at diplomacy have been lackluster, and the military's response sounds as aggressive as it does protective. “I don't know if space war is imminent,” says John Lauder, a 30-year veteran of the intelligence community's arms-control monitoring efforts, “but there are trends that make space more dangerous. It's not sitting on top of us, but it's moving in our direction at a rapid speed.”

Most efforts at defense tend to focus on deterrence. “The natural place for the military to go is deterrence by punishment,” Grego says. “You use ASAT on me; I'll use it on you.” The first problem with punishment, though, is unpredictable escalation. The second is the flip side of U.S. vulnerability—that Russia and China do not need their military satellites as much as the U.S. does. Alternatively the U.S. could deter attacks by denying their benefits. In other words, a redundant, resilient system that could take losses without losing effectiveness would not be as attractive a target. (11/1)

NASA Seeks New Partners to Help Put All Eyes on Artemis Moon Missions (Source: NASA)
NASA is seeking new partners to help the agency tell the story of human exploration at the Moon with the Artemis program in ways that engage, excite, and inspire a worldwide audience. Through the end of this decade, NASA will explore more of the lunar surface than ever before and will establish a sustainable human presence with Artemis in preparation for future human missions to Mars.

The agency has released an Announcement for Proposals calling for submissions of potential partnerships to visually bring the public along for the ride in new ways, starting as early as a trip around the Moon with astronauts on the Artemis II mission, targeted for 2023. Proposals are Dec. 11, 2020. “We’re looking for partners to use advanced technologies, imagery applications and approaches that will go beyond our standard coverage on NASA TV,” said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. (11/5)

The CEO of a $1.2 Billion Space Company Can’t Use its Technology (Source: Quartz)
Mikhail Kokorich, the CEO of Momentus Space, is legally barred from accessing his company’s technology because he is a Russian national and has been unable to obtain US government permission to work with export-controlled space vehicles. This may have implications for the company’s planned $1.2 billion IPO.

While executive leadership doesn’t always require technical chops, it’s hard to imagine SpaceX succeeding if it were against the law for Elon Musk to look at the rocket designs. This unusual scenario could bolster SPAC critics who say the method of going public lends itself to companies looking to avoid the scrutiny of a typical public offering in a frothy market driven by retail investors.

In 2018, the US government forced Kokorich to give up his ownership of another space company, Astro Digital, when it failed to pass a foreign influence review, according to three people familiar with the transaction. Investigators asked about Kokorich’s access to satellite technology that, under US law, can only be used by citizens or permanent residents. (11/5)

Astronomers Discover … Earth?? (Source: New York)
Scientists have discovered a terrible, inhospitable hell planet floating through space. And before you say, “Uh, I know, lady. I live here!” allow me to clarify: They’ve found a second terrible hell planet, besides ours. In a new paper, astronomers from York University, McGill University, and the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research presented their models for the atmosphere and weather of K2-141b, a “lava planet” located roughly 200 light-years away. The planet rains rocks, has an enormous lava ocean over 60 miles deep, and winds whip across its surface at speeds more than four times the speed of sound. (11/4)

After an Antenna Repair on Earth, NASA is Now Able to Command Voyager 2 Again (Source: CNN)
Election Day may have us tied up in anxious knots today. But we can also take solace in the fact that nearly 12 billion miles away, one of humanity's greatest achievements is twinkling back at us, and our understanding of the mysteries of the universe continues to unfold. After a seven-month hiatus without being able to command Voyager 2, NASA is now able to communicate new directions and procedures to the craft, the agency announced. The Voyager 2 space probe, launched in August 1977, has been traveling outward for more than 43 years visiting Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. (11/3)

‘Moonbase 8’: TV’s Latest Space Oddity (Source: Rolling Stone)
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen anything like the last 12 months or so, when we’ve gotten six different shows about space travel: Apple TV+’s alternate-history drama For All Mankind, HBO’s futuristic farce Avenue 5, Netflix’s workplace sitcom Space Force, Netflix’s earnest (and short-lived) mission to Mars drama Away, Disney+’s dull remake of The Right Stuff, and now Showtime’s quirky comedy Moonbase 8, starring John C. Reilly, Fred Armisen, and Tim Heidecker as NASA afterthoughts simulating lunar life in the Arizona desert.

How, exactly, did we arrive at Peak Astronaut TV? Especially since all of these series were developed and produced well before this perilous moment in history, when simply leaving the house can feel as risky as sitting atop a rocket bound for orbit. There’s something scary in the air right now, but how did the people behind this work sense it a year or two ago? More importantly, why are most of these shows so disappointing?

Moonbase 8 at least feels timely, if not especially funny, since its subject matter is about the psychological challenge of prolonged isolation from all but a handful of people. When the season begins, Cap (Reilly), Skip (Armisen), and Rook (Heidecker) have been on assignment for more than 200 days. They are bored, frustrated, and only vaguely competent. (And most of that skill is via NASA legacy Skip, where Cap and Rook come across like each won the job via a scratch-off lottery.) (11/4)

In ‘Proxima,’ Eva Green Preps for Space Travel in a Sexist World (Source: Datebook)
“Proxima” is a film about a female astronaut that feels more authentic and emotionally attuned than similar recent efforts, such as Netflix’s already-canceled “Away” television series and the film, supposedly “inspired by true events,” “Lucy in the Sky.” Perhaps that’s because “Proxima” remains a down-to-earth affair, most of the way, toward liftoff. The film centers around the training and issues facing Sarah Loreau — played by Eva Green in her finest and most demanding performance to date — after she’s chosen for an International Space Station mission. (11/4)

Horn and Gardner Lose Re-Election Bids (Source: Space Policy Online)
Rep. Kendra Horn (D-OK) lost her bid for reelection and has conceded. She is the only Democrat in the Oklahoma delegation and in 2018 was the first Democrat to win an Oklahoma congressional district in decades. She currently chairs the Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee. Horn’s opponent, Stephanie Bice, is a Republican state senator in Oklahoma. Her position on space issues is unclear, but it is notable that the top Republican on the House SS&T Committee, Frank Lucas, also is from Oklahoma, as is NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine (himself a former Member of Congress), along with Sen. Jim Inhofe (R), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Lucas and Inhofe won their reelection races.

Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO) conceded his defeat fairly early yesterday evening, losing to former Governor John Hickenlooper. Gardner is a member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee and of its Aviation and Space subcommittee.  Gardner is one of the original co-sponsors of the PROSWIFT space weather bill, along with Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI), that was just enacted after five years of effort.  Two amendments Gardner added to the Senate version of the NASA authorization bill (S. 2800) reportedly are holding up its consideration by the Senate. They would place extra requirements on NASA before it signs contracts with companies that might have connections with China. (11/4)

Fregata Space to Apply Satellite Technology to Prevent 8 Million Tons of Plastics from Ending up in the Oceans Each Year (Source: Parabolic Arc)
Fregata Space, the company owned by Sateliot and that transforms satellite images into high-resolution information and high predictive value , uses the New Space ecosystem, as well as its own Big Data and Machine Learning technologies to prevent more 8 million tons of plastics end up in the oceans each year .

The applications of New Space technology in the field of marine biodiversity is precisely one of the central issues discussed this Friday at the III New Space Atlantic Summit with the aim of contributing from the space industry to the preservation and management of our resources especially considering that, if this international crisis is not answered, by 2050 there will be more garbage than fish in the oceans. (11/5)

NASA Begins Wind Tunnel Testing For Electric X-Plane Props (Source: AvWeb)
The propeller designs for NASA’s all-electric X-57 Maxwell have now undergone two weeks of wind tunnel testing, the agency said on Monday. The propeller assemblies, supplied by California-based contractor Empirical Systems Aerospace (ESAero), logged 14 hours of powered operation during testing with wind speeds up to around 90 knots. The tests took place at the low-speed aeroacoustic wind tunnel at NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia.

As part of the fourth and final modification (Mod IV) of the X-57’s phased development process, twelve electric motors and propellers will be installed along the leading edge of the aircraft’s wing. According to NASA, those motors will only be used for takeoff and landing while the Maxwell’s two larger electric cruise motors—located on the wingtips—will be utilized throughout operations. The propeller blades associated with the smaller engines will fold inward when not in use. (11/3)

Nuclear Tech in Space: What’s on the Horizon? (Source: ANS)
NASA aims to develop nuclear technologies for two space applications: propulsion and surface power. Both can make planned NASA missions to the moon more agile and more ambitious, and both are being developed with future crewed missions to Mars in mind. Like advanced reactors here on Earth, space nuclear technologies have an accelerated timeline for deployment in this decade.

Space nuclear propulsion and extraterrestrial surface power are getting funding and attention. New industry solicitations are expected this month, and a range of proposed reactor technologies could meet NASA’s specifications for nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP). Nuclear electric propulsion could increase the feasibility of crewed missions to Mars with a shorter transit time, a broader launch window and more flexibility to abort missions, reduced astronaut exposure to space radiation and other hazards, expanded payload mass capabilities, and reduced cost. (11/4)

Texas Satellite Company Defends Itself Against NASA Criticisms (Source: Ars Technica)
The founder of a Texas-based company that wants to put more than 200 very large satellites into low-Earth orbit has pushed back on concerns from NASA that these spacecraft pose an orbital debris threat. “We’re not a bunch of cowboys launching satellites,” said Abel Avellan, founder of AST & Science. "This is a serious, well-funded project." The company, which has 160 employees and has moved into XCOR's old facility at Midland's airport, has asked the FCC for access to the US market to sell Internet connectivity to mobile phones from space.

NASA took the rare step of objecting to the AST mega-constellation proposal to put as many as 243 satellites in an orbit at 720km, commenting last Friday that it could lead to a "catastrophic collision" with its A-Train satellites in a nearby orbit. Avellan said the "SpaceMobile" satellites do indeed have a very large cross-sectional area perpendicular to the ground, as this is the only way to deliver direct satellite-to-broadband signals. "There is no magic," he said. "If you want something to connect directly to a handset, it’s not going to be a CubeSat." (11/5)

Ground Equipment Scrubs ULA Atlas Launch (Source: SpaceFlight Now)
ULA scrubbed an Atlas 5 launch Wednesday night because of problems with ground equipment. The company called off the launch of the NROL-101 mission from Cape Canaveral when controllers noted an "unexpected system response from remotely commanded ground system liquid oxygen valves." Engineers had tried to fix the problem earlier in the countdown, sending a team to the pad, but were unable to do so before the mission's launch window closed. ULA has rescheduled the launch for no earlier than Friday. SpaceX is next on the Eastern Range, with a Falcon 9 launch of the GPS 3 SV04 spacecraft set for 6:24 p.m. (11/5)

International Group Backs Artemis Approach to Lunar Exploration (Source: Space News)
An international group has backed an approach to lunar exploration that closely follows the NASA-led Artemis program. The latest update to the Global Exploration Roadmap by the International Space Exploration Coordination Group of 24 space agencies outlines a three-phase approach to lunar exploration, starting with "Boots on the Moon" in 2024 followed by a long-term, sustainable human presence. The approach closely follows the outlines of NASA's Artemis program, although the report doesn't specify specific roles for individual countries. The group hopes that the report will serve as the "worldwide common reference for future coordination" among countries and other organizations involved in lunar exploration. (11/5)

Starship Hop Could Happen Nov. 9-11 (Source: Teslarati)
SpaceX's Starship could finally make its first high-altitude test flight next week. Local officials announced road closures at SpaceX's Boca Chica, Texas, test site for Nov. 9-11 for a long-planned 15-kilometer flight of the Starship SN8 prototype. At least one static-fire test of the vehicle will likely take place before SpaceX attempts that flight. (11/5)

Scottish Landowner Wants Review of Spaceport Approval (Source: Aberdeen Press and Journal)
A Scottish landowner is seeking a judicial review of a proposed spaceport. Wildland Limited, a venture that owns more than 200,000 acres of land in Scotland, including in the vicinity the proposed spaceport near the town of Sutherland, has asked a court to review the approval by the Highland Council of the launch site. Wildland argues that the approval was a "flawed decision" and that the council didn't have access to sufficient information to grant approval for the spaceport. (11/5)

China Develops Science Centers for Space Science (Source: Xinhua)
China is establishing a series of science centers to support a future space telescope. Construction has started for one of those centers, located at the Guangzhou-based Sun Yat-sen University, with three others planned elsewhere in the country. The China Manned Space Engineering Office is creating the centers to support research that will be done by the Chinese Space Station Telescope, a space telescope slated to launch in 2024 that will operate near China's new space station. (11/5)

Bezos Sells $3 Billion in Amazon Stock (for Blue Origin?) (Source: CNBC)
Jeff Bezos is selling more Amazon stock, perhaps to fund Blue Origin. Bezos sold more than $3 billion in Amazon stock this week, according to Securities and Exchange Commission filings, bringing the total sold this year to $10.2 billion. Bezos did not disclose what he planned to do with the proceeds, but previously said he sells at least $1 billion a year in stock to fund Blue Origin. Even with the latest sale, Bezos owns nearly $170 billion in Amazon stock. (11/5)

Radio Burst Traced to Star (Source: BBC)
A mysterious radio burst has been traced to a star in our galaxy. Astronomers first detected fast radio bursts, or FRBs, in 2007, but had not identified a specific source for any of them, or even determined if they were from within our galaxy or outside of it. Research published Wednesday identified the source of one FRB, a type of neutron star called a magnetar and designated SGR 1935+2154. This magnetar, located 30,000 light-years away, has intense magnetic fields, and astronomers believe that flares of activity by such stars could produce the FRBs detected by radio astronomers. (11/5)

Organic Compound Found in Titan's Atmosphere (Source: Space.com)
Scientists have detected an unusual organic compound in the atmosphere of Titan. Observations of Saturn's largest moon, which has a thick atmosphere, detected traces of cyclopropenylidene, which previously had been found only in interstellar clouds. That compound is interesting to scientists since it reacts easily with other compounds, and can support the creation of more complex organic compounds. (11/5)

Alabama to Launch Charter School Specializing in Aviation (Source: Yellowhammer News)
The Alabama Aerospace and Aviation High School, a new charter school in Birmingham, is scheduled to open in two years and will concentrate on enrolling a group of students comprising all races, genders and financial backgrounds. "We want to leverage Alabama's existing leadership role in the aviation and aerospace industries to create the next generation of leaders and innovators," said the school's founder Ruben Morris. (11/3)

Impact Craters on Earth (Source: Space Daily)
The formation of craters by asteroid and comet impact has always been a fundamental process in the solar system, explains Kenkmann. As the planets developed along with their moons, these impacts played an important part in accreting planetary mass, shaping the surfaces of planetary bodies, and later also influencing their development. And larger meteorite impacts eventually affected the development of life on Earth.

Today, mapping of what can still be seen of the impact structures on the Earth's surface can be done by satellites in low Earth orbit. From 2010 to 2016, the DLR successfully measured the Earth's surface with the radar satellites of the TanDEM-X mission. The acquired data allowed, for the first time, to derive a worldwide terrain model with a height accuracy of up to one meter. From this global digital elevation model the authors have been able to produce this complete topographic atlas of 600 pages with information about all terrestrial impact craters known to date. Click here. (11/3)

Microbial Space Travel on a Molecular Scale (Source: Space Daily)
Since the dawn of space exploration, humankind has been fascinated by survival of terrestrial life in outer space. Outer space is a hostile environment for any form of life, but some extraordinarily resistant microorganisms can survive. Such extremophiles may migrate between planets and distribute life across the Universe, underlying the panspermia hypothesis or interplanetary transfer of life.

The extremophilic bacterium Deinococcus radiodurans withstands the drastic influence of outer space: galactic cosmic and solar UV radiation, extreme vacuum, temperature fluctuations, desiccation, freezing, and microgravity. A recent study examined the influence of outer space on this unique microbe on a molecular level. After 1 year of exposure to low Earth orbit (LEO) outside the International Space Station during the Tanpopo space Mission, researches found that D. radiodurans escaped morphological damage and produced numerous outer membrane vesicles. (11/5)