February 1, 2021

Could Game Theory Help Discover Intelligent Alien Life? (Source: Space Daily)
New research from The University of Manchester suggests using a strategy linked to cooperative game playing known as 'game theory' in order to maximise the potential of finding intelligent alien life. If advanced alien civilisations exist in our galaxy and are trying to communicate with us, what's the best way to find them? This is the grand challenge for astronomers engaged in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI). A new paper proposes a new strategy based on game theory that could tip the odds of finding them more in our favour.

SETI programmes tend to use one of two approaches. One is to conduct a survey that sweeps large areas of sky in the hope of seeing a signal from somewhere. This survey approach can quickly generate huge volumes of data that can be very hard to search through comprehensively. An alternative approach is targeted SETI, where the search focuses more intensively on specific star systems where life might exist. This provides more comprehensive data on those systems, but maybe there's nobody there?

Dr Kerins proposes the use game theory: "In game theory there are a class of games known as coordination games involving two players who have to cooperate to win but who cannot communicate with each other. When we engage in SETI we, and any civilisation out there trying to find us, are playing exactly this kind of game. So, if both we and they want to make contact, both of us can look to game theory to develop the best strategy." (1/31)

Swedish Space Corporation Opens Thailand Branch (Source: Space Daily)
Swedish Space Corporation has announced the formation of SSC Space Thailand, a subsidiary targeted at the Asian-Pacific market, further expanding the company's presence in the region. The announcement marks further investment in the Asian-Pacific region, adding to SSC's already strong presence in Australia and Thailand, including ground station facilities in both countries.

Containing China is 'Mission Impossible', Beijing Warns Biden (Source: Space Daily)
Any attempt to contain China is "mission impossible", the country's defence ministry warned the US on Thursday, as the Biden administration works to shore up its Asian alliances against Beijing. Military tensions between the two superpowers worsened under former US President Donald Trump, who adopted an aggressive stance on regional flashpoints such as Taiwan and the South China Sea. (1/29)

China at the same time poured billions into revamping its military, in line with President Xi Jinping's ambitions to transform the People's Liberation Army into a fully modernised, "world-class" fighting force by 2050. "The facts show that to contain China is mission impossible, and will only end up in shooting yourself in the foot," warned defence ministry spokesman Wu Qian. "Sino-US military relations are currently at a new historic starting point" with the arrival of the Biden administration, said Wu, urging the US to adopt a "non-confrontational, mutually respectful, win-win mentality."

Tensions between the two superpowers have shown no sign of abating under the Biden administration, which deployed groups of warships, including a US aircraft carrier, to the South China Sea over the weekend. China has increasingly asserted its presence in the disputed region in recent years, aggressively expanding its territory via man-made islands and reefs, much to the chagrin of Southeast Asian neighbours with rival claims. (2/1)

NASA, Boeing Test Crew Return and Recovery Procedures (Source: Space Daily)
Landing and recovery teams from Boeing and NASA recently completed a crew landing dress rehearsal at the U.S. Army's White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico, in preparation for missions returning with astronauts from the ISS as part of the agency's Commercial Crew Program. When astronauts land after their journey to the space station on Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spacecraft, recovery teams must be able to remove the crew from the capsule quickly. In the unlikely event of a medical emergency, Boeing and NASA also partner with local trauma teams who are trained to provide the highest level of coordinated, specialized care.

"We are working with Level 1 trauma centers that are fully staffed and have a full complement of doctors and nurses for a variety of conditions and disciplines, allowing us to plug into a network of the best very quickly," said Michael Schertz, Boeing Starliner medical coordinator and a leader on the landing and recovery team. (2/1)

ISS Spacewalk Will Complete Battery Installation (Source: NASA)
Two NASA astronauts have started their second spacewalk in less than a week outside the International Space Station. Mike Hopkins and Victor Glover started the spacewalk, expected to last six and a half hours, at 7:56 a.m. Eastern. The two will complete the installation of a new battery in the station's power system and replace several external cameras. The two astronauts also carried out a spacewalk last week, installing items on the Columbus module and removing fixtures on the truss ahead of future upgrades of the station's solar panels. (2/1)

China's iSpace Suffers Failure with 2nd Orbital Launch (Source: Space News)
A Chinese commercial launch failed early Monday. The Hyperbola-1 rocket by iSpace launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at about 3 a.m. Eastern, but malfunctioned during ascent, according to posts on Chinese social media. The launch was not announced in advance beyond an airspace closure notice a few hours ahead of the launch, and iSpace has not yet confirmed the launch failure. The launch failure comes 18 months after iSpace became the first nominally private Chinese launch company to achieve orbit with the first Hyperbola-1 rocket, although images suggest significant changes in design of the rocket between the two launches. (2/1)

SpaceX Starship Grounded Until Completion of FAA License Process (Source: Space News)
SpaceX's Starship prototype remains grounded as the FAA continues a review of a modified launch license. SpaceX cancelled plans early Friday to fly the SN9 prototype to an altitude of 10 kilometers, and airspace restrictions indicate the next available launch opportunity is Tuesday. The FAA said in a statement late Friday that it was working "to evaluate additional information provided by the company as part of its application to modify its launch license" for the vehicle amid rumors that SpaceX failed to meet the conditions of that license on December's flight of the SN8 vehicle. (2/1)

Umbra Raises $32 Million for SAR Constellation (Source: Space News)
Earth observation startup Umbra raised $32 million to fund development of a constellation of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites. The round was led by the family office venture fund of Passport Capital founder John Burbank with participation from existing Umbra investors. Umbra is preparing to launch its first microsatellite this year to provide SAR imagery at a resolution of better than 25 centimeters. Umbra is building multiple satellites and preparing to expand its 45-person staff. (2/1)

Space Command Seeks to Expand Space Traffic Data Sharing (Source: Space News)
U.S. Space Command is looking to expand its network of data-sharing partners for space traffic management. Maj. Gen. DeAnna Burt, who commands the multinational space operations arm of U.S. Space Command, said the command wants more countries to join the 25 that have signed agreements to share space situational awareness data. The command also gets data from a "commercial integration cell" that includes several commercial satellite operators, with SpaceX expected to join that group in the near future. (2/1)

Virgin Galactic to Resume Vehicle Testing at Spaceport America (Source: Space News)
Virgin Galactic will resume SpaceShipTwo test flights later this month. The company announced early Monday that the window for the next flight of the suborbital spaceplane opens Feb. 13 from Spaceport America in New Mexico, pending weather and technical readiness. The company attempted a powered test flight of the vehicle in December, but the vehicle's engine shut down almost immediately after ignition when a computer system malfunctioned. The upcoming test will re-run that earlier flight and test changes made to correct the problem. This flight is the first in a set of three test flights the company outlined in November that will allow the company to move into commercial operations. (2/1)

Startup Tests Hybrid Fuel Rocket at Maine Site (Source: Space News)
Small launch vehicle startup bluShift Aerospace tested a hybrid rocket motor on a low-altitude launch Sunday. A rocket powered by the company's hybrid rocket engine lifted off from a site in northern Maine, flying to an altitude of about 1.5 kilometers before landing under parachute. The launch was a test of the company's hybrid rocket engine, which uses nitrous oxide and a proprietary "bio-derived" solid fuel. The company is raising funding to build a larger prototype vehicle that will serve as the building block for a small launch vehicle. (2/1)

UK Space Agency Loses Policy and Regulatory Roles (Source: The Telegraph)
The British government has taken some policy roles away from the UK Space Agency. The Department for Business has taken over responsibility for space policy and strategy, while the Civil Aviation Authority will take over launch regulations. The moves come two weeks after the agency's chief executive, Graham Turnock, resigned, and months after agency officials expressed skepticism about the government's plans to invest in OneWeb. (2/1)

India to Trim 2021 Testing of Crew-Carrying Spacecraft (Source: The Week)
India plans to launch at least uncrewed test flight of its Gaganyaan crewed spacecraft this year. The Indian space agency ISRO originally projected performing two uncrewed test flights this year, in July and December, before flying a crewed mission in 2022. In an interview, ISRO chairman K. Sivan said the pandemic has caused delays, but that he hopes to launch at least one uncrewed flight before the end of the year. Four Indian Air Force pilots selected as potential astronauts will wrap up "generic" training in Russia in March or April, then return to India for mission-specific training. (2/1)

Russia Gets New Cosmonauts (Source: CollectSpace)
Roscosmos has selected a new class of cosmonauts. The agency said last week that Sergey Irtuganov, Alexander Kolyabin, Sergey Teteryatnikov and Harutyun Kiviryan will begin two years of training in the near future, after which they will be eligible for flight assignments. Roscosmos selected the four from a pool of 2,229 applicants. The previous class of cosmonauts, selected in 2018, completed their two years of training a month ago, although one of the eight members did not qualify and was reassigned to basic space training. (2/1)

Canadian Astronaut Returns to Hospital Work to Treat COVID-19 Patients (Source: CTV)
A Canadian astronaut is now working in a hospital. David Saint-Jacques, who has a medical degree and practiced medicine in northern Quebec before becoming an astronaut in 2009, has returned to a Montreal hospital, caring for patients with COVID-19. He said he had not planned to return to medicine after his spaceflight career, but that he changed his mind given the "pretty dire situation" created by the pandemic. It wasn't clear when, or if, he would return to the Canadian astronaut corps. (2/1)

“Space Ethics” According to Space Ethicists (Source: Space Review)
Some recent essays have posed questions regarding the ethics of space exploration. James S.J. Schwartz and Tony Milligan discuss how “space ethics” is not a new topic, and why it is important to humanity’s future in space. Click here. (2/1)
 
The Secret History of Britain’s Involvement in the Strategic Defense Initiative (Source: Space Review)
Historical accounts of the 1980s portrayed British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher as opposed to SDI until the US offered research funding to participate. Aaron Bateman examines recently declassified accounts to find that Thatcher was, in fact, a much stronger proponent of SDI from the program’s beginning. Click here. (2/1)
 
A Long Journey But a Short Stay on Mars (Source: Space Review)
NASA concepts for the first human missions to Mars projected extended stays on the Red Planet, lasting up to a year and a half. Jeff Foust reports on how the agency is instead looking to speed up that first mission with an alternative approach that spends just a month there. Click here. (2/1)
 
What to Do With That Olde Space Station (Source: Space Review)
While the International Space Station will likely continue to operate, and even be expanded, over the next decade, it will eventually reach the end of its life. Eric Choi describes some options for the ISS when it comes time to retire it. Click here. (2/1)