February 5, 2021

Northrop Grumman Test-Fires Strap-On Rocket Motors for Vulcan (Source: Space.com)
Northrop Grumman and the United Launch Alliance (ULA) successfully performed a crucial rocket motor test for ULA's next-generation rocket, Vulcan Centaur, in preparation for a debut launch later this year. On a test stand in Promontory, Utah, the companies did a 90-second "validation ground test" for the motor, which will help power a Northrop Grumman strap-on booster for Vulcan Centaur. The rocket will use the strap-on boosters for additional lift capability, which is handy for situations such as sending large satellites into space. (2/5)

White House Signals Support For Artemis (Source: Space News)
The White House said Thursday it endorsed NASA's Artemis lunar exploration program, but offered no details on budgets or schedules. At a briefing, White House press secretary Jen Psaki noted the Artemis program had "broad and bicameral support in Congress" and that "we support this effort and endeavor." Her comments came after she was asked about the future of Artemis at a briefing Wednesday and responded that she was not familiar with the administration's views on the program. While backing Artemis in general, the White House offered no clues about any potential changes in its budgets, schedules or other aspects. (2/5)

China Launches Another Experimental CommSat (Source: NasaSpaceFlight.com)
China launched what it called an experimental communications satellite Thursday. A Long March 3B rocket lifted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center at 10:36 a.m. Eastern carrying the TJSW-6 spacecraft, which was placed in a geostationary transfer orbit. Official Chinese media said the satellite will be used for experimental communications, including radio, television and data. Some observers, though, speculate the satellite may be part of a missile early warning program. (2/5)

ULA's Bruno Warns of Launcher Flood Amid Fixed-Size Payload Market (Source: Space News)
The head of United Launch Alliance is worried the launch market is becoming "overheated" with too many entrants. At a webinar Thursday, Tory Bruno said that while there has a been a surge of launch ventures, there is a "more or less fixed size" of customers, and that falling launch prices have not stimulated additional demand for launches. He argued the U.S. government benefits from private investment in space but should try to re-direct the focus to new areas, such as space manufacturing and mining, that can stimulate launch demand. (2/5)

Biden's National Security Space Policy Won't Differ Much (Source: Space News)
A Biden administration national security space policy will likely be similar to that of the previous administration. Lt. Gen. John Shaw, deputy commander of U.S. Space Command, said this week that he anticipates that new policy guidance from the current administration will continue on a similar course from the Trump administration, which released a "Defense Space Strategy" document last June. He reiterated comments in testimony by new Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin that China and Russia pose "serious and growing threats" threats to U.S. national security in space. (2/5)

NASA Picks SpaceX for SPHEREx Launch in 2024 (Source: Space News)
NASA selected SpaceX to launch a small astrophysics mission. The agency awarded SpaceX a contract Thursday for the Falcon 9 launch of the Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and Ices Explorer (SPHEREx) spacecraft no earlier than June 2024. SPHEREx, selected by NASA two years as the latest Medium-Class Explorer mission, will perform a near-infrared spectroscopic survey of the entire sky. The SPHEREx contract is the latest in a series of awards for launching NASA science missions that SpaceX has won in the last two years. (2/5)

India's ISRO Plans First 2021 Launch with PSLV Rocket Carrying Brazilian Satellite (Source: PTI)
India's space agency ISRO will perform its first launch of the year at the end of this month. ISRO announced Friday its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) will launch the Amazonia-1 Earth science satellite for Brazil Feb. 28. The launch will also carry 20 secondary payloads, including the first commercial imaging satellite built by an Indian company, Pixxel, as part of a broader space commercialization effort by the Indian government. (2/5)

UK's Space Industry 'Too Dependent' on Foreign Capabilities (Source: Politico)
Britain's former science minister says the industry remains too dependent on foreign space capabilities. Chris Skidmore said during debate Thursday in the House of Commons that 90% of British space industry revenues involve foreign companies. While the British government has emphasized investments in space in recent years, Skidmore said that was not sufficient, recommending the government double the size of its space budget to 1 billion pounds per year. (2/5)

Virgin Orbit Hires Former ILS and Bryce Execs (Source: Virgin Orbit)
Virgin Orbit has hired two new executives, including the former president of International Launch Services. The company said Thursday that Kirk Pysher will be its new vice president of mission assurance, quality and safety. Pysher served as president of ILS, which brokered commercial sales of the Proton rocket, for four years before leaving the company in late 2019. Virgin Orbit also announced hiring Janice Starzyk as its vice president of government operations, running the company's Washington office. Starzyk was previously at Bryce Space and Technology and earlier worked at ILS. (2/5)

Hughes-Fulford Passes Away at 75 (Source: CollectSpace)
The first woman to fly on the space shuttle as a payload specialist has died. Millie Hughes-Fulford died at the age of 75, the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation said Thursday. Hughes-Fulford, a biologist doing research at a Veterans Affairs medical center in San Francisco, was a payload specialist on the STS-40 shuttle mission in 1991, a flight devoted to biomedical research. She continued to be involved in spaceflight research after her single shuttle mission, flying experiments on later shuttle missions and on the International Space Station. (2/5)

Sir Richard Branson: Along with Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, We Can aAchieve 'Incredible' Space Travel (Source: Yahoo! Finance)
The great space race is never too far removed from the mind of billionaire business mogul Sir Richard Branson. Without question, Branson is a big-thinking, well-capitalized business person in the space travel industry. Branson founded Virgin Galactic in 2004 with a goal of taking himself — and those willing to pay for the experience — into space.

He took the company public in 2019 in a bid to raise capital to finally bring his dream to reality. Virgin’s market valuation has swelled to more than $13 billion amid hope the hard-charging Branson accomplishes his mission. Virgin’s efforts haven’t come cheaply. The company notched just under $200 million in net losses for the nine-months ended Sept. 30. Virgin used up $162 million in operating cash flow for the nine-months ended Sep. 30. And of course, Branson isn’t the only billionaire eyeing space.

Elon Musk has had great success launching SpaceX rockets in a bid to reach Mars. Meanwhile, Jeff Bezos continues along his path at Blue Origin to compete with Virgin in the suborbital space tourism industry. Branson thinks the competition between the three business titans only means good things for space exploration. “We have had two very, very big and powerful competitors in Elon [Musk] and Jeff [Bezos], and they are all doing something slightly different. If you put the three projects together in one, I think we can all achieve something pretty incredible, and some pretty incredible things,” Branson said. (2/4)

Space Force Was Ready for Two-Launch Day (Source: SpaceFlight Now)
The military-run Eastern Range was ready for SpaceX's proposed back-to-back missions on Thursday, and probably won’t have to wait long for the next chance for a launch doubleheader. Col. Mark Shoemaker, commander of the 45th Operations Group at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, said Wednesday that the Eastern Range is ready for quicker turnarounds between launches from Florida’s Space Coast.

The range approved a SpaceX request for two Falcon 9 launches Thursday less than five hours apart, each carrying 60 Starlink internet satellites for SpaceX’s ever-growing broadband network. With a jam-packed launch schedule in 2021, it’s likely that the Eastern Range will soon again be asked to accommodate two missions on the same day. “We’ve said a dozen times over the last eight to nine months that we could do two within less than 24 hours, and everybody … is excited,” Shoemaker said. (2/5)

Scottish Rocket Firm's 'Space Tug' Gives Space Sustainability Dream a Lift (Source: Business Insider)
Scottish rocket development company Skyrora has conducted successful trials of a ‘space tug’ which it hopes can ensure the UK becomes a leader in tackling the issue of space junk. The Orbit Transfer Vehicle - part of its Skyrora XL rocket due to launch in 2023 - could clear debris, reposition satellites and remove defunct satellites from orbit.

In the week that the UK and UN signed a historical agreement on space sustainability, Edinburgh-based Skyrora has thrown its support behind the initiative. The UK Science Minister and the UN agreed a new approach to sustainability in space, equipping authorities with the power to act against firms responsible for creating space junk. New guidelines ensure “the conduct of space activities indefinitely into the future”, an ability now under threat from the growing cloud of space debris. (2/5)

Musk’s Broadband-From-Space Subsidy Irks Rivals Who Sought Cash (Source: Bloomberg)
The FCC faces pressure from rural internet service providers to deny a planned $886 million subsidy to Elon Musk’s SpaceX for beaming broadband to underserved areas from outer space. Even before winning a competition for the funds, SpaceX had set up its service and begun launching satellites. More than 1,000 of the Starlink craft are now aloft, providing service to test subscribers. The company says its system “is uniquely positioned to deliver high-quality broadband service to the hardest-to-reach rural Americans.”

But that hasn’t stopped complaints about it winning a competition for subsidies from the FCC’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, in part because the service was being built without the aid and isn’t limited to rural areas. The planned awards to Space Exploration Technologies Corp., as it’s formally known, and to other companies have lawmakers raising questions about the entire $9.2 billion program.

SpaceX is “still in beta testing - not a proven technology,” said Jim Matheson, chief executive officer of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, which has members that vied for the funding. Matheson at a news conference Thursday cited “technology that may not be capable of connecting millions of rural Americans with real broadband” and called on the FCC to “actively, and aggressively, and thoughtfully vet” subsidy applications by SpaceX and others. (2/4)

Firehawk Aerospace Wants to 3-D Print Rocket Engines and is Moving to Dallas (Source: Dallas Morning News)
Rocket engine startup Firehawk Aerospace is moving to Dallas to grow its 3-D printed rocket engine and fuel concept and join the space race as Texas becomes a growing hub in the commercial rocket world. Firehawk is looking for space for its primary research facility in the Dallas-Fort Worth area after getting $1.2 million in investment funding from local startup fund Harlow Capital Management and CEO Colby Harlow. The company is moving from Florida’s Space Coast, where Kennedy Space Center has long been a magnet for commercial space research. Firehawk was founded by former Rocket Crafters chief Ron Jones. (2/4)

Ministers Accused of ‘Punishing’ UK Space Agency by Stripping it of Strategy Decisions (Source: iNews)
Ministers have been accused of “punishing” the UK Space Agency by removing nearly its entire remit after the body raised concerns about the Government’s £400m satellite investment program. Following a review into the UK’s space program, Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng shifted all of the Agency’s policy making and strategy decisions into the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). Labour believes the move was prompted after the agency cast doubts over the viability of the Government’s OneWeb satellite programme, which has cost the taxpayer £400m. (2/4)

Growth of Space Sector Must Benefit UK Companies More, Says Former Minister (Source: Politico)
The U.K. space policy is too dependent on foreign-owned satellites and should do more to ensure the growth of the sector benefits the British economy, said former Science Minister Chris Skidmore. Space contributes about £300 billion to the U.K.’s economic output annually and this is forecast to grow to £340 billion by 2030. However, Skidmore told the House of Commons Thursday that “worryingly, only 10 percent of that activity is actually U.K.-own.”

“There’s a huge issue of sovereignty we need to tackle when it comes to U.K. space industry,” Skidmore said during a backbench debate. “Ninety percent of our satellite activities is by foreign-owned [companies]. We really need to look again at what we can deliver for the future.” The debate took place as the government works on a long-delayed national space strategy, expected to be published in the next six months. (2/4)

The US Should Negotiate a Ban on Basing Weapons in Space (Source: The Hill)
The Biden administration is assembling a deep bench of personnel with experience negotiating arms control agreements and already has agreed with Russia to extend the New Start Treaty. It’s clear the administration intends to initiate another look at the 2018 Nuclear Posture Review and the massive buildup in nuclear weapons begun by the Trump administration.

While it’s good that the Biden administration intends to resume negotiations to continue nuclear force reductions, the specter of placing weapons in space is another area that requires a serious arms control effort. Now that separate space organizations have been established, major military commands are advocating to develop new capabilities. Pentagon buzzwords characterize space as a “contested domain” and some consider actual war-fighting in space to be inevitable. Some advocates argue that the U.S. should strive for technological superiority in space to ensure our dominance of that critical domain. (2/4)

Blue Origin Could Definitely Use More Jeff Bezos in the Next Decade (Source: MIT Technology Review)
Bezos noted that he was looking forward to having “the time and energy I need to focus on the Day 1 Fund, the Bezos Earth Fund, Blue Origin, The Washington Post, and my other passions.” He continued, “I’ve never had more energy, and this isn’t about retiring. For the most part, Blue Origin is falling behind its peers. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket (reusable, and capable of going all the way into orbit) has flown more than 100 missions, with a remarkable track record of success since 2016. Its Falcon Heavy is the most powerful rocket today.

Even smaller companies, like Rocket Lab, can boast more business than Blue Origin. Blue Origin could catch up, though. Several new projects under way could position the company to finally start competing directly with SpaceX and others, and generate steady revenue from a regular line of customers (no more selling off Amazon stock). Those projects include human spaceflight, New Glenn, Blue Moon/Artemis, Project Kuiper, and BE-4 engines. Having Bezos more involved in the day-to-day could be a big asset in securing those customers and inking contracts that really put the company on the map. (2/5)

India: A Space Sector Bull Run is No Longer Just Pie in the Sky (Source: Mint)
Since India’s space-sector reforms of May 2020, there has been tremendous excitement around new space startups and small and medium firms in India. Some of them can grow into mid-cap companies, a few can turn out to be large-cap unicorns, and many might see the end of their road or be acquired. However, there is complete silence on an important question: What kind of role is the government contemplating for India’s large corporations in this liberalized space sector?

The Narendra Modi administration is optimistic about the zest and innovativeness of India’s space startups. However, they cannot carry the entire weight of the country’s private space sector. Today, when the government wants to create a demand-driven space sector, India's large companies are ready to innovate, invest in research, and grow their small space, aerospace and defence subsidiaries. But this will only happen if they are assured of business continuity and contracts, an uninhibited regulatory environment, and the ability to charge into overseas markets. (2/5)
 
Remastered Images Reveal How Far Alan Shepard Hit a Golf Ball on the Moon (Source: Ars Technica)
Fifty years ago this week, Alan Shepard Jr. made space history when he took a few golf swings on the Moon during the Apollo 14 mission, successfully hitting two golf balls across the lunar surface. Space enthusiasts have debated for decades just how far that second ball traveled. It seems we now have an answer, thanks to the efforts of imaging specialist Andy Saunders, who digitally enhanced archival images. Saunders, who has been working with the United States Golf Association (USGA) to commemorate Shepard's historical feat, concluded that the first golf ball traveled roughly 24 yards, while the second golf ball traveled 40 yards. (2/4)

Project Mines New Frontiers in Outer-Space Law (Source: Parabolic Arc)
Two Western Law professors have launched a research project into laws governing space mining. The growing demand for non-renewable natural resources, such as minerals used in batteries, has brought increased attention to the potential of exploiting resources in space for use on Earth – and the laws that govern such activities need to keep pace. The new project, spearheaded by Valerie Oosterveld and Elizabeth Steyn, will examine if international environmental law (IEL) can be employed to address gaps in the regulation of space mining. Their project is funded by a seed grant from Western’s Institute for Earth and Space Exploration. (2/5)

ESA and JAXA Meet Online to Agree on Future Cooperation (Source: Parabolic Arc)
ESA Director General Jan Wörner and President of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Dr Hiroshi Yamakawa took part in an online bilateral meeting on 4 February, confirming the status of cooperative activities between the two agencies. The areas of cooperation include activities in Earth observation, space science and exploration. Dr Yamakawa also agreed to promote the JAXA/ESA relationship further with Josef Aschbacher, currently Director of Earth Observation and Director General elect of ESA. (2/5)