December 15, 2020

Fertilizer Made From Urine Could Enable Space Agriculture (Source: Space Daily)
Space agricultural technology is one of the research topics currently being undertaken by the Research Center for Space Colony at Tokyo University of Science. The researchers here hope to spearhead the technological development for safe and sustainable space agriculture - with the aim of sustaining humans for a long time in an extremely closed environment such as a space station.

Realizing that farmers have used animal waste as fertilizer for thousands of years, as a rich source of nitrogen, Dr. Suzuki and his team have been investigating the possibility of manufacturing it from urea (the main component of urine), to make a liquid fertilizer. This would also simultaneously address the problem of human waste treatment or management in space! As Dr. Suzuki explains, "This process is of interest from the perspective of making a useful product, i.e., ammonia, from a waste product, i.e., urine, using common equipment at atmospheric pressure and room temperature." (12/15)

Exoplanet Behaves Like "Planet Nine" (Source: ESA)
The 11-Jupiter-mass exoplanet called HD106906 b occupies an unlikely orbit around a double star 336 light-years away and it may be offering clues to something that might be much closer to home: a hypothesized distant member of our Solar System dubbed "Planet Nine." This is the first time that astronomers have been able to measure the motion of a massive Jupiter-like planet that is orbiting very far away from its host stars and visible debris disc.

The exoplanet HD106906 b was discovered in 2013 with the Magellan Telescopes at the Las Campanas Observatory in Chile's Atacama Desert. However, astronomers did not then know anything about the planet's orbit. This required something only the Hubble Space Telescope could do: collect very accurate measurements of the vagabond's motion over 14 years with extraordinary precision.

The exoplanet resides extremely far from its host pair of bright, young stars - more than 730 times the distance of Earth from the Sun. This wide separation made it enormously challenging to determine the 15 000-year-long orbit in such a short time span of Hubble observations. The planet is creeping very slowly along its orbit, given the weak gravitational pull of its very distant parent stars. (12/11)

Starship Contradictions (Source: Space Review)
Last week, a SpaceX Starship prototype flew its first high-altitude test flight, which was either a major success or an explosive failure, depending on your point of view. Jeff Foust reports on how Starship is full of contradictions. Click here. (12/14)
 
Beyond Apollo: Guiding the Next Moon Landing (Source: Space Review)
NASA is working with companies to develop landers to return humans to the Moon for the first time since Apollo. Alan Campbell explains why those new landers will have capabilities far greater than those used on the Apollo missions. Click here. (12/14)
 
More Space on the Ground: Trendy Analogues vs. an Unpleasant Reality (Source: Space Review)
There’s been a increase in interest in recent years in “analogue” missions, where people practice Moon or Mars missions on Earth. Ilaria Cinelli cautions that, if not properly designed, such missions can do little to advance actual space exploration. Click here. (12/14)

U.S. DOT Supports Record Number of Licensed Commercial Space Launches (Source: FAA)
The U.S. Department of Transportation is having a record year with supporting 35 licensed commercial space launches thus far in 2020 with the potential for even more before the year ends. The prior record of 33 was established in 2018. For 2021, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is forecasting a continued growth in licensed commercial space launches that could possibly reach 50 or more. (12/14)

Biden to Pick Buttigieg as Transportation Chief (Source: AP)
President-elect Joe Biden is expected to pick former South Bend, Indiana, mayor Pete Buttigieg to head the Transportation Department, according to three people familiar with the plans. Buttigieg, one of Biden’s rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination, was a breakout star of the primaries, sharing victory in the nation’s first caucus with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. He suspended his campaign before Super Tuesday and endorsed Biden. (12/15)

Air Force Plans Investments in Space Tech (Source: Breaking Defense)
The Air Force will target space technologies for investment, similar to current investments being made in flying car technology under the Agility Prime initiative. "There are new markets that are emerging for commercial reasons that could be helped by new warfighting missions being championed by the Space Force," said Will Roper, Air Force head of acquisitions. The new initiatives seek to harvest cutting-edge commercial tech, including an effort to kick open new markets for next-generation space systems.

The ‘Space Prime’ effort is being modeled on the service’s high-profile Agility Prime project to ‘prime the pump’ for commercial use of ‘flying cars’ — electronic vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles — as a way for the military to then leverage both the technology and cost savings. Space was chosen as the next investment arena for the Prime program during last week’s Accelerate virtual event sponsored by the Air Force innovation hub AFWERX. (12/14)

Rocket Lab Places Earth Observation Satellite Into Orbit (Source: Spaceflight Now)
A Rocket Lab Electron rocket successfully delivered the StriX-α satellite into orbit on Tuesday, following a launch from Mahia Peninsula in New Zealand. The satellite is the first of what will be a 30-satellite radar Earth observation constellation being built by Synspective to provide SAR imagery for the Japanese startup. Synspective raised $100 million last year. The launch was the seventh and final mission of 2020 for Rocket Lab. (12/15)

Blue Canyon to Build 2 DARPA Blackjack Satellites (Source: Space News)
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has cleared Blue Canyon Technologies to build the first two satellites for the Blackjack constellation, a planned group of 20 satellites that will provide missile detection, communications and navigation services. (12/15)

NSTXL to Manage SMC Space Enterprise Consortium (Source: Space News)
The Space and Missile Systems Center has selected a new manager for the Space Enterprise Consortium. NSTXL, or National Security Technology Accelerator, won the contract to manage the consortium for the next 10 years. The Air Force created the Space Enterprise Consortium in 2017 to help attract startups and other companies in the space industry to bid on military projects. It has so far awarded 80 prototype projects valued at $856 million. Under the new contract the consortium will award up to $12 billion in projects over the next decade. (12/15)

Space Acquisition Advice for the Biden Administration (Source: Avascent)
The New Space era is here, with changes affecting governments worldwide and all sectors of the commercial space industry. Perhaps the greatest impact is on the US Government. As the Biden Administration enters office, it will need to confront the fact that America’s once dominant and uncontested space leadership position has been eroding for years. Secretary James, Director Cardillo and Deputy Administrator Garver stressed that the incoming Biden Administration will need to accelerate the current momentum in adapting US Government space acquisition to the New Space era. Click here. (12/14)

Ariane Gets ESA Funding for Reusable Booster Development (Source: Ariane Group)
ArianeGroup has received a 33-million-euro contract from the European Space Agency (ESA), to begin the first development phase for the Themis reusable rocket stage demonstrator. Themis will use Prometheus, the very low-cost rocket engine demonstrator currently under development as an ESA program.

The aim of the project, developed through the ArianeWorks platform,is to demonstrate Europe’s technological capacity in the field of reusability so that by 2022, the ESA member states will be in a position to determine the range of launchers most suited to the needs of Europe around  2030 based on available technologies, the requirements of Europe, and the evolution of the global space market. (12/15)

Hibernating Lemurs May be the Key to Cryogenic Sleep for Human Space Travel (Source: Space Daily)
How do we translate hibernation in animals to hibernation in humans? Recent work has uncovered such an ability in animals that are evolutionarily similar to humans: hibernating primates. What is unique about these primates is that they can enter a state of hibernation when resources are scarce and temperatures become cold, and do so without seriously dropping their body temperature.

One of the driving forces behind this extreme ability is microRNAs - short pieces of RNA that act as molecular gene silencers. MicroRNAs can regulate gene expression without altering the genetic code itself. By studying the microRNA strategy these animals use, we can exploit this genetic on/off switch for rapid, reversible changes that could aid hibernation in humans.

Our work on gray mouse lemurs (Microcebus murinus) shows how microRNAs control which biological processes remain on to protect the animal and which ones are switched off to save energy. Some of these microRNAs were found to combat muscle wasting during hibernation. Other roles seem to involve preventing cell death, slowing down or stopping unnecessary cell growth, and switching fuel stores from quickly consumed sugars to slower-burned fats. (12/15)

Japanese Asteroid Samples More Than Hoped For (Source: Space Daily)
The samples, the climax of a six-year space odyssey to the Ryugu asteroid by the space probe Hayabusa2, arrived in Japan last week but researchers did not know for sure until this week if they had actually gotten anything. "We were aiming for 100 mg or more, and we definitely got that," said Hirotaka Sawada at Japan Space Exploration Agency (JAXA), who said he was speechless when he first glimpsed the sample. "I think that next I probably screamed, I don't really remember," he told a news conference. "It was really different from what I expected, there was a fair amount." (12/15)

Indonesia Wants to Lure SpaceX to Build Rocket Launch Site (Source: Space Daily)
Indonesia has invited Tesla boss Elon Musk to build a launch site for his SpaceX's rocket in the Southeast Asian country, pointing out the benefits of a location next to the equator, officials said. "Indonesia has several areas located near to the equator," said Jodi Mahardi, spokesman of Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Ministry. "The cost of SpaceX's rocket launch will be lower because its satellite won't need any manoeuvring to adjust its orbit to the equator," he added. President Joko Widodo officially extended the invitation to the world's second-richest person on Friday.

Indonesia's space agency announced last year a plan to build its first spaceport on the island of Biak, off the north coast of the island of New Guinea and has been in talks with foreign partners. Musk and Widodo, along with Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment Luhut B. Pandjaitan, also discussed investment opportunities for Tesla in Indonesia, according to a press statement. "Tesla CEO Elon Musk responded to the invitation of Indonesian President Joko Widodo by planning to send his team to Indonesia in January 2021 to explore all the opportunities for this collaboration," the ministry statement said. (12/14)

NASA's ELaNa 20 Mission First to Fly on Virgin Orbit Launch (Source: Space Daily)
Ten NASA-sponsored CubeSats are preparing to fly on the agency's next Educational Launch of Nanosatellites (ELaNa) mission, making this the first payload carried by Virgin Orbit's LauncherOne rocket. With the small satellites safely secured inside the payload fairing, and the fairing mated to the rocket, Virgin Orbit is gearing up for ELaNa 20, the Dec.19, 2020, Launch Demo 2 flight from the Mojave Air and Space Port in California. (12/15)

NASA Adding Small Rocket Capacity at Cape Canaveral Spaceport With New Pad (Source: NASA)
Launch Complex 48 expands the scope of the agency’s premier multi-user spaceport by creating a dedicated launch site to accommodate launchers generating 500,000 pounds of thrust or less. Complex 48’s “clean pad” design and basic infrastructure offer flexibility for small-class vehicle customers whose rockets have varying needs. “Launch Complex 48 fills a need for new, low-cost launch systems with very fast turnaround cycles,” said Keith Britton, a senior project manager in Kennedy’s engineering directorate. “The site was built as a ‘blue-sky’ concept – companies can come in and work as they please.”

The 10-acre complex is located about a mile south of Kennedy’s historic Launch Complex 39A, a relatively isolated area where activities are less likely to disrupt operations at other launch sites. The concrete pad measures 42 by 54 feet and is 4 feet thick. The site offers access from Cape Road, the main roadway connecting the oceanside launch complexes. It includes the pad itself, an area where customers may stage fuel tankers or other commodities, and a basin to capture sound suppression water, if needed.

“This complex creates a significant savings for companies,” said Tom Engler, director of Kennedy Center Planning and Development. “They are looking for that clean pad concept, not having to develop the infrastructure we have developed.” The site’s flexibility also means multiple commercial launch service providers and commercial research and development efforts can conduct testing and launch operations. Each customer can truck in the power, water, support equipment, and communications resources their vehicle requires, then depart with it, leaving behind a clear pad for the next user. (12/11)

Mexico's Merida Aerospace Aims Disrupt With Array of Services, Including a Mexican Spaceport (Source: Space Daily, Merida)
Merida Aerospace is ready to establish itself as the first space technology company in the world that offers clients satellite design, data distribution, and launching capabilities for space crafts in one facility. It is unprecedented that any space engineering solutions company could offer such a comprehensive portfolio of services to clients at once. In addition, building the company in the Yucatan Peninsula will take advantage of a geographical location for launches over water.

In a future that holds immense promise for the space industry, Merida Aerospace's ability to offer in-house satellite construction, data collection and distribution, and launch vehicles capable of accommodating equatorial as well as sun-synchronous launches as a one-stop-shop is a historic event. With this step, Merida Aerospace has helped the industry cross the next threshold and enter a new era of more efficient services and robust processes. Click here. (12/14)

No Pot of Gold in Commercial Constellations (Source: Space Daily)
In its latest analysis of satellite manufacturing and launch services, "Satellites to be Built and Launched by 2029", Euroconsult anticipates almost a quintupling in satellite demand in the next decade with an average of 1,250 satellites to be launched on a yearly basis. In comparison to the 260 yearly satellites launched in the previous decade, this skyrocketing number cements the structural changes occurring in the market and the industry, not only in the number of satellites but also in terms of satellite missions and operators, both governmental and commercial.

"The satellite industry will indeed experience a quick and radical transformation when it comes to satellite numbers. However, despite this spike in satellite demand, we are looking at half of the market concentrated around a handful of mega constellations. In addition, some being vertically integrated means that their procurement will not be done on an open competition basis." (12/11)

NASA, ESA Choose Astronauts for SpaceX Crew-3 Mission to Space Station (Source: NASA)
NASA and ESA (European Space Agency) have selected three astronauts to serve as crew members for NASA’s SpaceX Crew-3 mission to the International Space Station, which is expected to launch in the fall of 2021. The trio will consist of NASA astronauts Raja Chari and Tom Marshburn, who will serve as commander and pilot, respectively, and ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer, who will serve as a mission specialist. A fourth crew member will be added at a later date, following a review by NASA and its international partners. (12/14)

Japan Has Opened Hayabusa2’s Capsule, Confirming It Contains Samples From Asteroid Ryugu (Source: Forbes)
The Japanese space agency (JAXA) says it has begun opening the capsule returned to Earth by its historic Hayabusa2 mission – and has confirmed asteroid samples are inside. On Dec. 14 the capsule was opened for the first time since it touched down in the Australian outback on Dec. 6 following its journey through space. On board, scientists were hoping to find pieces of asteroid Ryugu, collected millions of kilometers from Earth – and now JAXA has confirmed the mission was successful.

“A black granular sample believed to be derived from the asteroid Ryugu was confirmed inside the sample container,” JAXA said in a short statement. “This is thought to be the particles attached to the entrance of the sample catcher (the container in which the sample is stored).” The entire capsule itself has yet to be opened, meaning there are likely more samples of the asteroid waiting inside. (12/14)