January 10, 2021

Huntsville Congressmen an Alleged Organizer of Capitol Building Seige (Source: CNN)
Ali Alexander, a political activist who has organized pro-Trump rallies, including one of the demonstrations that converged on the Capitol lawn Wednesday, accused the left of "trying to push us to war." In late December, Alexander told followers that he and three GOP congressman -- Reps. Paul Gosar and Andy Biggs of Arizona and Rep. Mo Brooks of Alabama -- were planning something big. "We four schemed up putting maximum pressure on congress while they were voting...hearing our loud war from outside." said Alexander in this video he posted (and has since removed). (1/8)

The Five: Space Missions for 2021 (Source: The Guardian)
Launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, Mars missions arrive at the red planet, Artemis in flux, Launch of China's space station, NASA's DART asteroid mission. These are five big ticket space projects highlighted for 2021. Click here. (1/10)

Space Museum Seeks Volunteers (Source: American Space Museum)
Supporting local non-profits has never been more important than it is right now! Give back to your local community by volunteering at the American Space Museum. We could sure use your help... as a docent, in the gift shop or for special projects. We have adopted enhanced safety protocols such as taking all guests' temperatures when they enter the museum, requiring staff and guests alike to wear masks, encouraging social distancing, limiting tour groups to ten people, and cleaning between tours. Click here. (1/9)

SpaceX's Next Florida Launch Will Go Polar (Source: SPACErePORT)
SpaceX's Transporter-1 launch, scheduled on January 14 from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport, will be a rideshare mission carrying dozens of commercial and government satellites, including a batch of 10 Starlink satellites. These will be placed in a polar orbit with a 97.6 degree inclination. SpaceX in August launched Argentina's SAOCOM 1B satellite into a 97.9 degree polar orbit, the first polar-orbit launch from Florida since 1966.

U.S. polar launches are typically conducted from West Coast spaceports in California or Alaska, where the rockets fly south over the Pacific Ocean. With a new autonomous flight safety system approved by the DoD and FAA, SpaceX is able to fly over populated areas in south Florida, the Bahamas, and Cuba en route to space. As other companies adopt this flight safety system for their rockets, fewer polar launches may be planned from West Coast spaceports, allowing the companies to avoid costs for developing and maintaining redundant launch sites. (1/10)

FCC Grants Permission for Polar Launch of Starlink Satellites (Source: Space News)
The Federal Communications Commission will allow SpaceX to launch 10 Starlink satellites into polar orbit on an upcoming mission, but deferred a decision on a much broader modification of SpaceX’s license. In an order published Jan. 8, the FCC granted SpaceX permission to launch 10 Starlink satellites into a 560-kilometer orbit with an inclination of 97.6 degrees. Those satellites will launch on a Falcon 9 no earlier than Jan. 14 as part of Transporter-1, a dedicated smallsat rideshare mission.

SpaceX had been lobbying the FCC for weeks for permission to launch Starlink satellites into a polar orbital plane as the FCC considers a modification of the company’s license to lower the orbits of satellites originally authorized for higher altitudes. That included a Nov. 17 request to launch 58 satellites into a single polar orbital plane, citing “an opportunity for a polar launch in December” that it did not identify.

SpaceX argued in filings that adding at least some satellites into polar orbits would allow it to begin service in Alaska, which is not in the coverage area of existing Starlink satellites launched into mid-inclination orbits. The company said in its November filing that “launching to polar orbits will enable SpaceX to bring the same high-quality broadband service to the most remote areas of Alaska that other Americans have come to depend upon, especially as the pandemic limits opportunities for in-person contact.” (1/9)

Space Coast Congressman Among Those Objecting to Electoral College Certification (Source: SPACErePORT)
Space Coast Congressman Bill Posey (R-FL) was among a dozen of Florida's 27 congressional representatives who formally objected to the certification of the Electoral College votes that formalized the election of President-Elect Joe Biden. A total of 121 House members supported the objection. Florida US Senator Rick Scott (R) objected to one state's certification, while Marco Rubio (R) voiced no formal objections. Posey issued this statement: "The citizens of our nation desperately need both parties to work together – we will continue to have disagreement about policies and direction – but at the end of the day we are all fellow Americans and we must respect one another and work for the greater good of the American people." (1/7)

Airbus Signs Multi-Satellite Contract with Intelsat for OneSat Flexible Satellites (Source: Parabolic Arc)
Airbus has signed a contract with Intelsat to build two OneSat satellites operating in multiple frequency bands for Intelsat’s next-generation software-defined network. The contract was signed on 31 December 2020. The satellites will be based on Airbus’ OneSat product line, the latest generation of fully flexible, in orbit reconfigurable, Software Defined Satellites (SDS). OneSat is designed to deliver the optimal balance between performance, flexibility and competitive cost per bit, while maintaining Airbus’ unrivalled product reliability. (1/8)

Virginia Economic Development Group Plans Space Innovation Webinar (Source: Business Wire)
The Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA) is presenting a three-part international webinar series on January 27, February 3 and February 10, focused on innovative technologies in aviation and space for commercial and defense applications – many of which are being developed or advanced in Fairfax County and Northern Virginia. (1/7)

India: Avoid Privileging Public Sector Over Private Sector in Space (Source: ORF)
Guarding against the temptation of statist developmental efforts in the space sector will be a key test for the government — and for ISRO’s scientific bureaucracy. The Modi government made a significant decision in May 2020 to permit private sector participation in the space industry. The key to realizing the promise of Indian private enterprise involvement in the Indian space sector is avoiding the pitfalls that come with the Indian State’s proclivity to privilege ISRO’s monopoly over space science and space technology. (1/9)