December 4, 2020

SpaceX Starship Hop Delayed (Source: Teslarati)
The first high-altitude hop flight of SpaceX's Starship has slipped again. The company canceled flight restrictions scheduled for Friday through Sunday at its Boca Chica, Texas, test site, pushing back the flight of the SN8 prototype to at least Monday. SpaceX did not disclose the reason for this latest delay. While the flight had previously targeted a peak altitude of 15 kilometers, the company has reportedly lowered that to 12.5 kilometers. At a September 2019 event, SpaceX's Elon Musk said that Starship would fly to 20 kilometers within one to two months. (12/4)

Blue Origin BE-7 Engine Testing Further Demonstrates Capability to Land on the Moon (Source: Blue Origin)
Blue Origin’s BE-7 engine program continues its testing at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. This week, the program accomplished the fourth thrust chamber test of its high-efficiency engine. The hotfire testing further validates the engine that will power Blue Origin’s National Team Human Landing System (HLS) in support of NASA’s Artemis program.

Within the National Team’s Human Landing System architecture, the BE-7 is used on both the Descent Element and Transfer Element. Developed privately over several years, the BE-7 is the latest high-performance engine in the Blue Origin family, building upon the demonstrated success of the BE-3 PM hydrogen/oxygen engine that powers the New Shepard vehicle. (12/4)

Indian Space Agency Supports First Space Startup (Source: The Economic Times)
The Indian space agency ISRO has signed its first agreement to support an Indian space startup. ISRO signed a nondisclosure agreement with Agnikul Cosmos to provide technical support for the startup, including access to ISRO testing facilities. Agnikul Cosmos is working on a small launch vehicle that could begin flights in 2022. The agreement is the first for ISRO since the Indian government rolled out a new space commercialization policy earlier this year. (12/4)

ESA Releases Milky Way Map (Source: Nature)
The European Space Agency has released the most detailed map yet of the Milky Way. The data from the Gaia spacecraft, launched by ESA in 2013, includes the positions and motions of 1.8 billion stars. Astronomers plan to use the 1.3-terabyte data set to support a wide range of research. "It's like an early Christmas for Galactic Astronomers," said one astronomer. Click here. (12/3)

Defense Bill Includes Space Force and Space Command Items (Source: Space News)
House and Senate negotiators finalized a defense authorization bill Thursday despite a veto threat from the president. The compromise version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) authorized $740.5 billion in defense spending for fiscal year 2021. The bill includes several policy provisions for the Space Force, such as reports on the selection process for Space Command headquarters and the space-related missions and expertise that should remain in other services.

The bill doesn't include language from the House version that would have directed the Space Force to use naval ranks, and instead directs the secretary of the Air Force to brief committees on the Space Force's recommended rank structure for officers and enlisted personnel at least 15 days before implementation. President Trump has threatened to veto the NDAA because it does not repeal what's known as "Section 230" that gives legal protection to social media companies. (12/4)

China's Moon Lander Departs Lunar Surface with Samples (Source: Space.com)
A Chinese spacecraft carrying lunar samples blasted off from the moon Thursday. The Chang'e-5 ascent vehicle lifted off at 10:10 a.m. Eastern, going into orbit around the moon. It will later rendezvous with the Chang'e-5 orbiter and transfer the samples to it for return to Earth in mid-December. The samples will be the first brought back from the moon since the former Soviet Union's Luna 24 mission in 1976. (12/4)

NASA Picks Four Companies for Low-Cost Sample Returns (Source: Space News)
NASA announced Thursday it will purchase lunar samples from four companies. The agency said it selected ispace Europe, ispace Japan, Lunar Outpost and Masten Space Systems for contracts. Those companies will fly lunar lander missions and collect small amounts of lunar samples, which they will then sell to NASA for amounts ranging from $1 to $15,000. The contracts are intended primarily to set precedents for the extraction and use of space resources, including the ability to sell them. (12/4)

NSF: Too Early to Decide Arecibo Replacement Plans (Source: Space News)
The National Science Foundation says it's too early to determine if the Arecibo radio telescope will be rebuilt. NSF officials released video Thursday taken of the giant telescope's collapse two days earlier. No one was injured in the collapse, when a series of cables broke, causing the 900-ton observing platform to crash into the dish below. The current focus of Arecibo work is on cleanup, and NSF officials said it was still "very early" for them to determine if the 305-meter radio telescope will be replaced. (12/4)

Japanese Asteroid Samples Returning to Earth with Australian Landing (Source: AFP)
A Japanese spacecraft carrying asteroid samples is set to land Saturday in Australia. The sample return container from the Hayabusa2 spacecraft will land at the Woomera range in South Australia, returning a small amount of material collected from the asteroid Ryugu last year. The main spacecraft will fly by Earth for an extended mission that could last for a decade. (12/4)

Biden Mulls Space Council's Future (Source: Politico)
Members of President-elect Biden’s transition team held a series of meetings this week with commercial space leaders from across the industry to get their take on the National Space Council, an industry official said. The panel, which President Donald Trump revived in 2017, has been behind the administration’s space policy directives on everything from human exploration to the U.S. Space Force and cutting burdensome regulations.

“The first question they asked was what did we think about the space council and do we think it’s effective,” said the industry official, who spoke on background to discuss the private meeting. “We all warmly endorsed it.” The transition team has also asked NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine about his views on how useful the panel is, the source said, adding that Bridenstine is also “a believer” in the committee’s value.

“It made space a national priority and elevated it within the West Wing,” the source said, describing what participants told the transition team. “We feel that the five space policy directives were very helpful and moved the ball forward.” Biden has yet to say whether he will keep the panel, which is historically led by the vice president. But space officials have widely praised the council for both elevating the national conversation about space and enlisting new parts of government on space goals, including the chairman of the Joint Chiefs and the secretaries of Commerce and Energy. (12/4)

Bill Nixes Naval Rank Approach for Space Force (Source: Politico)
Congress will not require the Space Force to use Navy ranks, instead allowing the new service to decide for itself what officers and enlisted personnel should be designated, according to an explanatory statement on the final version of the National Defense Authorization Act that was released Thursday. The bill, however, urges Space Force leaders to consider “all of the military services historic rank structures.” It also directs the secretary of the Air Force, which oversees the new branch, to share the final decision with Congress two weeks before it is implemented. (12/4)

China Joins Race to Mine Moon for Resources (Source: Voice of America)
China’s space program celebrated a major accomplishment this week when its Chang’e 5 lunar probe mission safely landed on the moon. The landing Tuesday brought Beijing a step closer to becoming the third country in the world to retrieve geological samples from the moon, but more important, analysts say, is that China is accruing experience for more ambitious plans.

The goal of this mission is to extract 2 kilograms of sample from the moon’s northern Mons Rümker region and bring it back to the Earth. If the mission succeeds, China will join the U.S. and the former Soviet Union as the only countries to have collected lunar samples. Analysts say the complexity of Chang'e 5’s unmanned exploration mission shows the great progress of China's space capabilities, and, if successful, will likely help Beijing realize future plans for manned moon landings and the construction of bases.

Some of the metal resources that exist on the moon could become materials for future human space bases, “either structures on the moon itself for habitation or for other science missions,” as well as “structures in space around the Earth.” Some rare-earth metals are considered strategically important because they are an integral part of the manufacturing of electronic devices, electric vehicle batteries and military equipment. Currently, more than 80% of U.S. rare-earth imports come from China. (12/2)

Florida Delegation Makes Case for Space Command HQ (Source: Space Policy Online)
Members of Florida’s congressional delegation have sent a letter to DOD leaders making their case for locating headquarters of U.S. Space Command (USSPACECOM) in their state. Reestablished last year by President Trump, the command temporarily is at Peterson AFB in Colorado Springs, CO, but interest is high from states that want to be its permanent home. Florida was recently picked as one of six possible choices.

Now, 21 members of Florida’s House delegation have written to Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller and Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett arguing in favor of Patrick Air Force Base, which operates Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, which in turn is adjacent to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Patrick Air Force Base and its associated Cape Canaveral Air Force Station has earned a global reputation as the world’s premier gateway to space for government and commercial customers. It is also home to the 45th Space Wing, which delivers assured access to space for warfighters.

In addition to its renowned launch reputation, the quantity and quality of assets and expertise the community that USSPACECOM offers extend well beyond battlefield access to rocket and spacecraft manufacturing, payload and electronics, and ground support. Florida is already home to three of the 11 unified combatant commands: U.S. Central Command and U.S. Special Operations Command at MacDill AFB near Tampa, and U.S. Southern Command in Doral (near Miami). (12/2)

Incoming Utah Lawmaker Running Bill to Add Space Force to State Code (Source: Salt Lake Tribune)
In his first act as a newly-elected state representative, Jefferson Burton, the former Utah National Guard adjutant general, is working to add President Donald Trump’s Space Force as a branch of the armed forces equal to the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard in the state’s code. The bill, which received a favorable recommendation from the Veterans and Military Affairs Commission on Tuesday, is a relatively simple one in that it seeks to mirror similar changes in federal code.

But the proposal also speaks to the federal government’s vision for protecting the expanse beyond the Earth’s atmosphere — and for Burton’s hope to get Utahns in on the action. “Reserve elements from every state are discussing ways to get involved in the Space Force” and Utah is no exception, Burton, a Republican representative-elect from Utah County, said. Becoming one of the first states to add the Space Force to its code could signal early support for the endeavor as it gets off the ground and could help Utah’s residents get involved, he said. (12/2)

Swamp Watch: On the Same Day China Landed a Probe on the Moon, the US's Massive Telescope in Puerto Rico Collapsed (Sources: Business Insider, Twitter)
On the same day that China landed in a groundbreaking space mission, a critical US radio telescope at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico collapsed. The observatory, built in the 1960s, was a beacon for US astronomical research, lasted through natural disasters, and inspired generations of researchers. The two events on Tuesday illustrated a stark contrast between China's recent investments in space exploration and research and the US's space efforts.

Wesley Clark, retired US Army general who served as the Supreme Allied Commander Europe of NATO from 1997 to 2000, tweeted: "Dear America, this is what happens when you spend $143 million on golf trips to pad a criminal's pockets instead of infrastructure. Pathetic." (12/3)

Team That Includes Aldrin Foundation Gets Education Grant From NASA (Source: Florida Today)
The Melbourne-based science-education foundation run by moonwalker Buzz Aldrin's family is part of a group that has won a $175,000 grant from NASA to "ignite curiosity among the next generation of explorers using the inspirational story of human space exploration." The Aldrin Family Foundation has partnered with Explorer At Large, Public Consulting Group, the University of Kansas and numerous NASA Centers to form Project Ianos.

The group will develop and deploy videos and hands-on learning tools targeted to 3.8 million underrepresented students in grades 5-8 to get them inspired about future possibilities in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). NASA said it is awarding $1.15 million to seven different groups to promote STEM learning to inspire the next generation of explorers. The projects, selected from 95 proposals through a peer-reviewed process, will be implemented in the 2020-2021 school year. The projects range in value from approximately $110,000 to $175,000. (12/2)

Raymond: Air Support Coming to US Space Command (Source: Air Force Magazine)
The Space Force’s top general this week indicated the Air Force will create an organization to offer aircraft and other resources in support of U.S. Space Command, making it the final military service to do so. “All the services will have a service component, because this isn’t space for space’s sake,” Chief of Space Operations Gen. John W. “Jay” Raymond said. “This is a much broader view of joint warfighting and it’s going to require the full weight of the joint force to handle that.”

A SPACECOM spokesperson said the organization is still exploring the possibilities with the Air Force. “The Air Force is a critical partner in our mission, as evidenced by their recent support where they provided rescue forces on alert for NASA’s return to human space flight,” Maj. AnnMarie Annicelli said. Annicelli was referring to the search-and-rescue specialists in the 45th Operations Group’s Detachment 3 at Patrick Air Force Base, Fla. Those Airmen fly HH-60 helicopters and HC-130 and C-17 planes for search and rescue, and deploy “Guardian Angel” boats to step in if something goes wrong for the humans launching or landing a NASA spacecraft over the ocean. (12/2)

From Astronaut to Senator: Mark Kelly Takes Office (Source: Space Policy Online)
Former NASA astronaut Mark Kelly took the oath of office today to become the junior Senator from Arizona. He is filling the last two years of the late Sen. John McCain’s term after defeating Martha McSally, who had been appointed to the position after McCain’s death. Kelly was sworn in by Vice President Mike Pence in his capacity as President of the Senate at 2:00 pm ET accompanief by the senior Senator from Arizona, Kyrsten Sinema.  It is the first time in almost 70 years that Arizona has been represented in the Senate by two Democrats. (12/2)