December 5, 2020

Jeff Bezos Shows Off Blue Origin’s BE-7 Engine — and Makes a Bold Prediction (Source: GeekWire)
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos heralded progress on the development of the rocket engine that’s destined for use on the lunar lander that his Blue Origin space venture is building — but he also offered a glimpse into his crystal ball for future moon missions. “This is the engine that will take the first woman to the surface of the moon,” he wrote in an Instagram posting about the hydrogen-fueled BE-7 engine.

NASA hasn’t yet selected which team (or teams) will go on to the next phase of development. And even if multiple teams are chosen, it may not be instantly clear which team would end up building the lander that’s used for the Artemis program’s first crewed mission to the moon, scheduled for as early as 2024. By saying the BE-7 is “the engine that will take the first woman to the moon,” Bezos is putting his mouth where his money is. (NASA phrases it as “the first woman and the next man,” in recognition of the fact that the crew’s likely to be diverse.) (12/4)

NASA Selects Space Science Institute of Boulder to Help Develop Next Generation of Space Explorers (Source: Daily Camera)
The Space Science Institute, a Boulder-based nonprofit organization that advances the understanding of the universe, has been tapped by NASA to join its Museum & Informal Education Alliance. The alliance brings together museums, planetariums and libraries “to promote learning in STEM with the goal of inspiring the next generation of explorers,” according to a NASA news release.

As part of the group, the Space Science Institute will work on a project called “From Our Town to the Moon, Mars, and Beyond.” According to the release, “using a combination of a traveling exhibit, activity programming kits, and professional development, libraries across the country will increase their capacity to use NASA resources and engage their patrons in NASA’s mission to return permanently to the moon while moving forward to Mars.” (12/4)

Who Has the Right Stuff to be a Private Astronaut? (Source: Astronomy)
For more than half a century, astronauts and test pilots have been judged by whether or not they have "the right stuff." But what does that mean in an era when anyone can buy a ticket to space? We’ll soon find out. Half a century after NASA put humans on the moon, a new generation is about to become space pioneers cut from a different cloth. By the end of next year, these first private astronauts should begin launching into space on SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule, the first-ever privately-owned spacecraft capable of reaching orbit.

Meanwhile, an ever-growing list of other spaceflight companies are lining up to offer their own tourist trips to space. Like the early wealthy adventurers who supported aviation in its infancy by buying pleasure rides in airplanes, these paying astronauts will help fund the technology to eventually make humanity a fully spacefaring species. Private astronauts will also need to meet some basic medical requirements, which will vary depending on their space travel method of choice.

While passengers on private spacecraft aren’t federally required to pass physicals, they are recommended by the FAA. The agency also says that paying ticket holders will also need to be trained in how to respond to emergencies, in case there’s a fire onboard or the cabin loses pressure. Spaceflight companies will also be required to get the “informed consent” of their customers. (12/4)

Spaceport America Board Approves Selection Process for Next Director, Bids for Projects (Source: Las Cruces Sun-News)
The board of directors governing the New Mexico Spaceport Authority began turning the page Wednesday on a recent third-party audit that alleged hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars were wasted during the tenure of fired Spaceport America director Dan Hicks. The seven-member body (minus one who was absent) agreed to a recommendation by state Economic Development Secretary Alicia Keyes, who serves as board chair, to have the state Attorney General's office review draft bylaws to assure their sufficiency under New Mexico statutes.

Spaceport general counsel Melissa Force said the draft version presented to the board Wednesday clarified the board's authority to hire and fire the spaceport's director and addressed requirements under the Open Meetings Act, which were one of the concerns raised by the special audit. The board approved a job description and process for selecting candidates for spaceport director. Hicks, who had served as director since 2016, was fired at a special meeting of the board in October. The spaceport's business development director, Scott McLaughlin, is serving as interim director.

McLaughlin sought the board's approval to apply for bond refinancing through the New Mexico Finance Authority in an effort to reduce debt service costs by a projected $9 million, but the board postponed action for further analysis. (12/3)

South Padre Island Expected to be Crowded for SpaceX Starship SN8 Test Launch (Source: Click2 Houston)
The shores at Isla Blanca Park are expected to be the place where hundreds of space enthusiasts and islanders go to watch a test launch across the water at SpaceX’s Starship facility in Boca Chica, Texas. With the Starship SN8 launch teasingly imminent, South Padre Island has found a lot more tourists walking the streets. The view of the SpaceX launch facility just a few miles across the water. “Everybody wants to see it happening,” said James Baxter, a Houston native and South Padre Island transplant. (12/3)

Gwynne Shotwell, Rocket Woman (Source: Bloomberg)
Elon Musk founded Space Exploration Technologies Corp. in 2002 with the goal of revolutionizing space travel and making life multiplanetary; Shotwell, who oversees day-to-day operations and growth, was one of his earliest employees. Before being introduced to Musk, she spent a decade at Aerospace Corp., a large defense contractor, then a few years at Microcosm Inc., a private space startup that designs and builds low-cost rockets and rocket parts. Click here. (12/4)

UCF Researchers Will Keep Working at Arecibo, Despite Telescope Collapse (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Despite the collapse of the 1,000-foot dome at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, UCF researchers will continue to work at the facility at least through 2023. Ramón “Ray” Lugo, director of the Florida Space Institute at the University of Central Florida, confirmed that the National Science Foundation will continue to fund research projects at what had been the world’s second-largest radio telescope. Since 2018, UCF, Yang Enterprises and the Ana G. Méndez University in Puerto Rico have operated and managed the observatory. Lugo said the observatory has about 130 employees, of which 25 are UCF scientists, between 80 and 90 are with Yang Enterprises and the rest are from Ana G. Méndez University. (12/4)

Vice President Mike Pence Coming to KSC to Chair His Final National Space Council Meeting (Source: Click Orlando)
Vice President Mike Pence will travel to Brevard County on Dec. 9 to chair his final meeting of the National Space Council at Kennedy Space Center. Pence is scheduled to first visit Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, meeting with members of the 45th Space Wing. Then he will chair the 8th meeting of the National Space Council at Kennedy Space Center. The vice president is expected to deliver remark’s on NASA’s Artemis program and space achievements made under President Donald Trump’s leadership. (12/4)

Aevum Plans 2021 Tests at Cecil Spaceport (Source: Jacksonville Business Journal)
The journey toward launching from Cecil Spaceport into low Earth orbit is a parabola that took another step on Thursday afternoon when Aevum Inc. unveiled its autonomous launch vehicle. The vehicle, called Ravn X, is the world’s largest unmanned aircraft system. it has the ability to launch satellites and other payloads up to 2,000 kilometers above the Earth’s surface. The 80-foot long, 18-foot high aircraft has a 60-foot wingspan and can reach speeds of 575 miles an hour.

Aevum has an operating and lease agreement with Cecil Spaceport. Last year, the company was selected by the United States Space Force to provide launch and payload integration operations. Thursday, Aevum produced a demonstration of the vehicle that will take the payloads beyond the borders of our atmosphere. Officials at Aevum and Cecil Spaceport said testing and launch services would be held in Jacksonville in 2021. (12/4)

Landowner Accused of Hypocrisy Over Investment in Shetland Spaceport (Source: Northern Times)
Scotland's richest man – who has taken legal action to ground the UK's first vertical launch spaceport near land which he owns in Sutherland – has now caused fury by investing £1.43 million in a rival rocket launch facility. The move by Anders Holch Povlsen's company to put the money into the Shetland Space Centre on Unst has been blasted by locals in the far north.

The Scottish Government decided not to call-in the controversial scheme at the A’Mhoine Peninsula near Tongue which meant it was all systems go for lift off. Mr Povlsen's company had written to the Scottish Government asking it to intervene in the Sutherland Space Hub scheme – and to also consider it alongside Scotland's two other planned rocket sites in Shetland and the Outer Hebrides. (12/5)

Leaked Reports From Pentagon UFO Task Force Discuss 'Non-Human Technology,' Mysterious Objects (Source: Fox News)
Two classified reports from the Pentagon's task force used to "detect, analyze and catalog" UFOs have been leaked, both of which include photos of unidentified objects. A leaked photo, taken off the East Coast of the U.S. by a "pilot’s personal cell phone," was a part of the 2018 position report, one source told the news outlet. This report discussed what the unidentified silver “cube-shaped” object could be, with a list of possible explanations discussed, including the fact it could be “alien” or “non-human” technology.

A 2020 photo is described as a triangle with white lights in each corner. This may be the more interesting photo, said Nick Pope, a former employee and UFO investigator for Britain's Ministry of Defense. "With my own defense background in this subject, three things stand out. Firstly, the description by one insider of the reports as 'shocking' — a word that begs the question what about UAP do these people find shocking. Secondly, the fact that the intelligence reports seem to have been given a surprisingly wide distribution in various intelligence agencies, and thirdly, the fact that the extraterrestrial hypothesis seems genuinely not to have been taken off the table."

The creation of a task force follows inquiries from lawmakers about the subject. In June, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, acting chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, instructed the director of national intelligence, the secretary of defense and other agency heads to compile data on “unidentified aerial phenomenon." "The Committee remains concerned that there is no unified, comprehensive process within the federal government for collecting and analyzing intelligence on unidentified aerial phenomena, despite the potential threat,” lawmakers wrote in a report. (12/4)

Fourth GPS III Satellite Receives Operational Acceptance in Record Time (Source: C4ISRnet)
The fourth GPS III satellite has achieved operational acceptance from the U.S. Space Force at record speeds using an expedited process that was 10 days faster than previous efforts. “[The fourth GPS III satellite] sets a new standard for handover from the contractor launch team to operational acceptance, setting the satellite healthy to the global user community approximately 30 days post launch. Moving forward with future GPS III launches, the timeline between launch and the satellite being set healthy will be at a minimum,” said 2 Space Operations Squadron Flight Commander Capt. Collin Dart. (12/3)

Germany Blocks Chinese Takeover of Satellite Tech Company (Source: Space Daily)
Chancellor Angela Merkel's government has blocked a Chinese defence company from buying up a German company specialising in satellite and radio technologies including 5G over national security risks, local media reported. Based in North Rhine-Westphalia state, the company called IMST is an acquisition target of Addsino, a subsidiary of state-owned defence group China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation which manufactures military communication systems, German news agency DPA reported, citing a government document. (12/3)

SIMPLEx Mission Small Satellite to Blaze Trails Studying Lunar Surface (Source: Space Daily)
A small-satellite mission to understand the lunar water cycle - detecting and mapping water on the lunar surface in order to investigate how its form, abundance, and location relate to geology - has received NASA approval to proceed with the next phase of its development. On Nov. 24, the Lunar Trailblazer, a mission selected under NASA's Small Innovative Missions for Planetary Exploration (SIMPLEx) program, passed its Key Decision Point-C (KDP-C) milestone, obtaining agency-level endorsement to begin final design of hardware and build. The milestone also provides the project's official schedule and budget determination. (12/3)

Solid Phosphorus has been Found in Comets. This Means They Contain All the Raw Elements for Life (Source: Universe Today)
Did comets deliver the elements essential for life on Earth? It’s looking more and more like they could have. At least one comet might have, anyway: 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko. A new study using data from the ESA’s Rosetta mission shows that the comet contains the life-critical element phosphorous. The raw elements for life are known as CHNOPS, which stands for Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Phosphorous, and Sulfur. Combinations of these six chemical elements make up the large majority of biological molecules on Earth. Together they account for almost 98% of Earth’s living matter. (12/3)

Virgin Galactic Prepares for Low-Key First Spaceflight From New Mexico (Source: Space News)
When Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo takes to the skies above New Mexico later this month, it will do so without the crowds and publicity once expected for the historic flight. Virgin Galactic announced Dec. 1 that is had rescheduled a powered test flight of its SpaceShipTwo suborbital spaceplane for a window that opens Dec. 11 from Spaceport America in New Mexico.

Pilots CJ Sturckow and David Mackay will fly the vehicle on trajectory that will go above the 80-kilometer altitude that the company defines as space, based on the altitude U.S. government agencies use for awarding astronaut wings. The vehicle will then glide to a landing at the spaceport. Virgin had scheduled the launch for last month, but postponed it Nov. 16 when the state imposed a new stay-at-home order to address a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases. That order closed nonessential businesses and placed restrictions on those allowed to remain open. (12/4)

Pensacola Approves 2nd Hangar for Incentivized Aerospace Company (Source: Pensacola News Journal)
Pensacola is set to break ground on the second hangar for ST Engineering after the City Council approved an amended construction contract that was $6 million more than the original contract. The City Council voted last month to approve an amended construction contract with Brasfield and Gorrie that upped the construction cost of Hangar 2 on the ST Engineering campus at Pensacola International Airport from $45.6 million to $51.6 million.

The city is building a $210 million complex for ST Engineering as part of an economic development project known as Project Titan, which is expected to bring 1,325 jobs to Pensacola. The city is funding the project largely through grants from the state, including a $66 million grant from Triumph Gulf Coast. The city of Pensacola and Escambia County have also each put $15 million toward the project. (12/2)