March 14, 2021

Radioactive 'Snowflakes' Act like the Tiniest Nuclear Bombs in the Universe (Source: Space.com)
Tiny snowflakes of radioactive uranium that trigger massive nuclear blasts might explain some of the universe's more mysterious star explosions. As smallish stars die, they cool into husks of their former selves known as white dwarfs. New research proposes that atoms of uranium sink to the centers of these aging white dwarf stars as they cool, freezing into snowflake-like crystals no bigger than grains of sand. There, these "snowflakes" can act as some of the tiniest nuclear bombs in the universe, becoming the "spark that sets off the powder keg," said study co-author Matt Caplan. (3/13)

China Lofts Three Military Yaogan Satellites in Chang Zheng 4C Launch (Source: NasaSpaceFlight.com)
China continues to upgrade its oceanic surveillance systems with the launch of three new satellites from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The Group 04 of Yaogan Weixing-31 satellites launched at 02:20 UTC on 13 March from launch pad 94 of the LC-43 launch complex on a Chang Zheng 4C rocket. As usual, Chinese media refer to the new satellites as being used “for electromagnetic environment surveys and other related technology tests.”

This designation of the Yaogan Weixing series is used to hide the true military nature of the satellites. In this case, the three satellites are orbited in a flying formation like a type of NOSS (Naval Ocean Surveillance System, considered as the Jianbing-8 military series. Designed for locating and tracking foreign warships, the satellites will collect optical and radio electronic signatures of the maritime vessels as well as other information valuable for the Chinese maritime forces. (3/12)

Axiom and NASA Likely Benefit From Soyuz Flight Deal (Source: Quartz)
NASA said Axiom would give the space agency a seat on a Russian Soyuz rocket heading to the ISS this April, in exchange for a seat on a future commercial crew vehicle, either the Dragon or the delayed Boeing Starliner, in 2023. This may be a smart arbitrage for Axiom: If the Soyuz seat cost less than a seat on a future commercial crew mission, Axiom made a profit—and turned a ride on an older Russian rocket into a seat on a modern American design it can then offer to its customers.

If the Soyuz seat was sold at the rates NASA last paid ($90.3 million), then compared to the estimated cost of a seat on a Crew Dragon ($60 million), Axiom just took a $30 million loss as a favor to the US space agency. But if Axiom paid less (Roscosmos sold rides on Soyuz for as low as $21 million in the early 2000s) then they effectively made money on the deal. It might actually be cheaper for NASA, too. (3/12)