January 12, 2021

New Solar Arrays to Power NASA’s International Space Station Research (Source: Aviation Week)
As the International Space Station orbits Earth, its four pairs of solar arrays soak up the sun’s energy to provide electrical power for the numerous research and science investigations conducted every day, as well as the continued operations of the orbiting platform. The space station is the springboard to NASA's Artemis missions to the Moon, a platform to test advanced technologies for human exploration of deep space and future mission to Mars. NASA also has opened the space station for business and commercial activities, including private astronauts missions.

Designed for a 15-year service life, the solar arrays have been operating continuously since the first pair was deployed in December 2000, with additional array pairs delivered in September 2006, June 2007, and March 2009. The first pair of solar arrays has now provided continuous electrical power to the station for more than 20 years as more modules were added and dozens of crews tackled thousands of scientific experiments and continued operations through hundreds of spacewalks, cargo missions, and more. (1/11)

Skyrora Reveals New UK-Built Vehicle in Life Test (Source: Skyrora)
On 23rd December 2020 the Skyrora test and flight operations team performed one of their most important test campaigns to date, a full upper stage static fire test, at their engine development complex in Fife, Scotland. This historic event represents yet another significant milestone in the Edinburgh-based rocket manufacturer’s development plan. In fact, it is a crucial milestone for the entire UK space industry.

The company unveiled their latest technical accomplishment with a full mission duration static fire test (450 second burn over 3 firings) of the upper stage of their orbital-class vehicle, Skyrora XL. The test involved a fully-integrated setup of the engine, feed systems, avionics, and the software.

This third stage vehicle has capabilities way beyond just transporting its payload into orbit. It is a full mission-ready Orbital Transfer Vehicle (OTV) that can perform a number of in-space missions once it has delivered its payload including the replacement of redundant satellites or even the removal of space debris. (1/11)

Moon Dialogs Bring Together Stakeholders in Near-Future Lunar Activity (Source: SpaceFlight Insider)
Moon Dialogs, a partnership that seeks to bring together a wide variety of stakeholders to brainstorm about near-future lunar activity, organized Zoom sessions throughout 2020 exploring the wide range of topics pertinent to policy and governance on the Moon. Representatives of industry, government, science, public policy and non-government organizations held nine interdisciplinary dialog sessions or salons over the past year, culminating in a Dec. 14, 2020, hour-and-a-half-long salon titled “Lunar Policy Takeaways,” where numerous stakeholders reflected on science and policy recommendations of the past year. Click here. (1/12)

Lunar Base Camp 2030+ Simulation Game (Source: Lunar Surface Innovation Consortium)
Lunar Base Camp 2030+ is based on NASA plans and technologies for astronauts living on the Moon, the Artemis Mission. It simulates different activities on the moon. You must find and mine resources such as ice for oxygen to breathe and hydrogen for rocket fuel, and minerals to sell to Earth. In year 2030+ there will be different nations, businesses and enemies you must defend against. You must use shuttle diplomacy to keep peace according to NASA Artemis Accords. The purpose of this simulation is to introduce STEM education to youth who may become real astronauts going to the Moon and Mars. Click here. (1/11)

Potential Consequences for the 'Sedition Caucus' Space Subcommittee Members (Source: SPACErePORT
Over 140 members of Congress challenged the results of the November 2020 election, and voted to do so immediately after the Jan. 6 siege of the Capitol by supporters of President Trump. They are now being called the "Sedition Caucus" or the "Coup Caucus." Leadership in the Senate and House (including Mitch McConnell) have explicitly referred to the siege as an act of sedition, and those leaders can bar members from being seated in the 117th Congress if they have supported acts of sedition.

Short of removal, some within and outside of Congress are recommending that they face other consequences, including formal censure, a refusal to support their legislative initiatives and bill co-sponsors, and to otherwise shun them from legislative activities. They also appear to be facing the loss of corporate financial donations as companies and trade associations rush to distance themselves from public outcry. Some companies announced they will halt donations to any member who voted to challenge the election result.

This could become a problem for current Republican members of the House Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee, all five of whom voted to challenge the election outcome: Brian Babin (CA), Mo Brooks (AL), Mike Garcia (CA), Bill Posey (FL), and Michael Waltz (FL). In the Senate, "Sedition Caucus" members on the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation include Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Rick Scott (R-FL), though Scott does not serve on the Subcommittee on Aviation and Space. (1/11)

European Space in a Time of Transition (Source: Space Review)
Europe is entering not just a new year but also a new era in space, with changes ranging from the UK’s departure from the European Union to a new head of the European Space Agency. Jeff Foust reports on this ongoing transition in European space programs. Click here. (1/11)
 
What Will Space Security Look Like in 2021? (Source: Space Review)
Last year saw a number of developments in space security, from the rise of the US Space Force to tests of antisatellite weapons. Nayef Al-Rodhan examines the implications of these and other activities for the coming year. Click here. (1/11)
 
Arecibo Telescope’s Fall is Indicative of Global Divide Around Funding Science Infrastructure (Source: Space Review)
The collapse of the giant radio telescope at Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico in December was a loss for astronomy. Raquel Velho argues it also illustrates the financial challenges and other controversies that scientific facilities face. Click here. (1/11)

EU Seeks Space Alliance to Defend Against U.S. and Chinese Ambitions (Source: Reuters)
The European Union will pursue a more aggressive European space strategy to prevent being muscled out by U.S. and Chinese launcher technology, setting up an European alliance with industry this year, a EU official said on Tuesday. Over the past decades, Europe has sought to build independent access to space from U.S. and Russian pioneers to help its industry, with successes such as Ariane rockets or GPS-rival satnav Galileo.

“I will therefore gather in the next months all the actors to initiate a European Launcher alliance to be able to jointly define...a common roadmap for the next generation of launchers and technologies relevant to ensure an autonomous access to space,” Breton said. Breton said the alliance would be made up of industry, EU governments, EU lawmakers and the European Space Agency, among others. The recent emergence of U.S. competitor SpaceX and its reusable rockets as well as China’s rapid advances, including the first ever landing on the far side of the Moon, is giving new urgency to Europe’s ambitions. (1/12)

NOAA Proposes Upgraded Weather Satellite System (Source: Space News)
NOAA is proposing a future weather satellite system with three satellites in geostationary orbit, rather than two. NOAA's Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) system currently has two operational satellites, GOES East and GOES West. However, a recent study recommended that, in the future, NOAA augment that system with a third satellite, GOES Central, with a complementary set of instruments. The NOAA study also recommended adding new instruments for air quality and ocean color measurements. The agency said it is in only the initial planning phases of the new system with a first launch in 2032, but expects the new system to cost similar to the $12 billion spent on the GOES-R fleet of four satellites. (1/12)

NASA Readies for Sending New Solar Arrays to ISS (Source: Space News)
NASA will embark on an upgrade of the solar arrays on the ISS this year. The agency said Monday it plans to launch the first of three pairs of upgraded arrays later this year on a Dragon cargo spacecraft. The new arrays, which deploy by rolling out, will be installed on top of the existing arrays, but will be more efficient and thus generate more power. The existing arrays, installed between 2000 and 2009, are gradually degrading, as expected, reducing the amount of power they generate. The new arrays are intended to ensure the station has sufficient power to continue operations through the decade. (1/12)

Finland's Iceye to Expand SAR Satellite Constellation (Source: Space News)
Finnish company Iceye plans to launch three more synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites this month. The satellites are part of a SpaceX dedicated rideshare mission now scheduled to launch no earlier than Jan. 21. The new satellites will expand Iceye's constellation to six spacecraft that provide SAR imagery. Iceye is building an additional eight satellites. (1/12)

NASA Moves Forward Artemis SLS Green Run Test (Source: NASA)
In a surprise, NASA is moving up the final Green Run test of the Space Launch System core stage. NASA announced late Monday that the full-duration static-fire test of the core stage, which had been scheduled for this Sunday, is now planned for Saturday at the Stennis Space Center. The agency didn't disclose the reason for the schedule change, but plans to brief the media later today about its plans. The hotfire test is the last for the overall Green Run campaign, which started nearly a year ago, after which the core stage will be shipped to the Kennedy Space Center to be prepared for the launch of the Artemis 1 mission. (1/12)

Proposed Russian Space Station May Be Temporarily Crewed (Source: TASS)
A proposed Russian space station may not be permanently crewed. Russia is studying the development of its own space station as a potential successor to the ISS. Dmitry Rogozin, head of Roscosmos, said Monday that the Russian station would only be temporarily crewed, rather than have a permanent human presence like the ISS, to reduce costs. RSC Energia is currently developing proposals for the station, but Roscosmos has not set a schedule or budget for the project. (1/12)

Canadian Spaceport Backer Says Effort On Track (Source: CBC)
A company that seeks to develop a Canadian launch site says the project is moving ahead despite a lack of recent progress. Maritime Launch Services (MLS) proposed building a launch site near Canso, Nova Scotia, that would host launches of Cyclone-4 rockets built in Ukraine. The company failed to submit a progress report on the project to the provincial government last year, required as part of a 2019 environmental assessment of the spaceport, because of what the company said was a lack of activity at the time. Construction of the spaceport has yet to start and MLS is still looking for investors, but the company nonetheless claims that the facility could be ready to host launches late this year or early next year. (1/12)

UK Space Agency Eyes Space Nuclear Power (Source: UKSA)
The UK Space Agency is supporting research on space nuclear systems. The agency announced Tuesday it awarded a contract to Rolls-Royce to study space nuclear power and propulsion technologies and how they could be applied to future missions. The agency didn't disclose the scope or value of the contract beyond it being an effort to "explore the game-changing potential of nuclear power" in spaceflight. (1/12)

NASA Selects 4 Concepts for Small Missions to Study Universe's Secrets (Source: Space Daily)
NASA has chosen four small-scale astrophysics missions for further concept development in a new program called Pioneers. Through small satellites and scientific balloons, these selections enable new platforms for exploring cosmic phenomena such as galaxy evolution, exoplanets, high-energy neutrinos, and neutron star mergers. (1/11)

NASA Extends Exploration for Two Planetary Science Missions (Source: Space Daily)
As NASA prepares to send astronauts back to the Moon and on to Mars, the agency's quest to seek answers about our solar system and beyond continues to inform those efforts and generate new discoveries. The agency has extended the missions of two spacecraft, following an external review of their scientific productivity.

The missions - Juno and InSight - have each increased our understanding of our solar system, as well as spurred new sets of diverse questions. An independent review panel, comprised of experts with backgrounds in science, operations, and mission management, found the Juno and InSight missions have "produced exceptional science," and recommended NASA continue both missions. (1/11)