March 15, 2021

China Plans Four Sea-Based Long March 11 Launches (Source: Space Daily)
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp plans to carry out four sea-based launches this year by its Long March 11 solid-propellant carrier rocket, said a senior scientist at the State-owned space contractor. The Long March 11 is the only model in the company's Long March rocket family that burns solid fuel.

The rocket has been used in 11 launches--nine at land-based launch centers and two from ships-that placed more than 50 satellites into orbit. A seaborne mission is less likely to cause trouble for densely populated areas along the rocket's trajectory. It also allows launches at favorable locations such as near the equator, which helps to increase a rocket's carrying capacity, lowers costs and extends the life span of some satellites, Bao said. (3/12)

UK Seeks "Industrial Revolution" for Space (Source: Sputnik)
The trade association UKSpace is calling on British businesses to take a more active part in launching a "new industrial revolution" and turning Britain into a space superpower by investing big bucks into the industry. "I believe a new investment trust to invest in brilliant space companies is needed on the London Stock Market," said Will Whitehorn, the president of UKSpace. Whitehorn has compared how Wall Street Space firms were raising "billions" for American space initiatives, but "nothing" like that has happened in the UK, he says, signalling that this had to change, albeit with the government's support.

"Space is the key to the world's future, key to battling climate change and could be a key to our future prosperity," the trade association's chairman went on. "We need to wake up and smell the coffee!" Britain has been one of the global champions when it comes to operating civil and military satellites but has yet to launch its first rocket from UK soil. PM Boris Johnson announced in November 2020 that the UK will create a new Space Command in a similar fashion to former US President Donald Trump with his much-debated US Space Force. (3/14)

Air Leak in Russia's ISS Zvezda Module Still Unresolved (Source: Space Daily)
The air leak from the intermediate chamber of the Russian Zvezda module of the International Space Station (ISS) is still unresolved, despite two cracks being sealed off, according to the call between the ISS crew and the ground control broadcast by NASA on Saturday. A small air leak was first detected at the ISS in September 2019. Russian cosmonauts have since found two rips in the access section to the Zvezda module and sealed them both in March 2021. According to Russia's space agency Roscosmos, the air leak poses no threat to the ISS crew. (3/15)

Lockheed Martin Space Lands $1.53 Billon Contract Adding to Hypersonic Weapons Work in Colorado (Source: Denver Business Journal)
The U.S. military is paying Lockheed Martin Space $1.53 billion more to develop a ballistic missile for the Navy that flies faster than the speed of sound. The Jefferson County-based space and defense business won the contract addition Thursday, expanding its existing work on so-called “hypersonic” weapons for various branches of the military.

The contract, from the Pentagon’s Strategic Systems Programs office in Washington D.C., covers “the design, development, build and integration of equipment for missile flight test demonstrations and fielding” of the Navy Intermediate Range Conventional Prompt Strike Weapon System. The total value of the contracts Lockheed Martin Space has for the new weapons system grew to $2.83 billion. (3/12)

Yes, Mars is a Hellhole – That’s Why it’s So Vital to Go There (Source: Digital Journal)
For all the idealism about going to Mars, a lot of people are putting up very solid, realistic reasons for NOT going there and colonizing. This is not a simple issue; the problems are many and tough. That’s both the challenge and the reward. In The Atlantic, Shannon Stirone makes a very clear, very negative, case for not getting too starry-eyed about Mars as a destination. Stirone isn’t the only one.

Most people who’ve been looking long and hard at Mars would agree with just about all the arguments made, but not necessarily the “don’t bother” theory. Many, including me, would disagree that it’s “a ridiculous way to help humanity”, though. Current news about Mars is a predictable collection of new information and theory. It’s not exactly an indicator of anything much. What it does provide, however, is a play-by-play range of information about what Mars might be in the future. The usual story with this level of information is that not-currently-wrong misinformation and ideologically biased disinformation mix with the real info to create a very blurry picture.

As a matter of fact, the picture for Mars colonization is anything but blurry. It’s scary, fascinating, and above all, a leap of logic. Let’s not pull any punches. Mars IS tough and will be tough in future. I’ve written hundreds of articles about Mars in the last decade or so. There’s nothing simple about it. The basic economics of operating a real Mars colony are staggeringly complex. A simple example - What productive operations would make a Mars colony economically viable? This is no guessing game; it’s literally the basis of the future. (3/13)

China Eventually Wants Astronauts to Stay on Moon for Long Periods of Time (Source: Reuters)
Once China establishes a lunar research station, its astronauts will stay on the moon for long periods of time as they conduct scientific studies, state media reported on Sunday, citing the architect of China’s lunar program. China has mapped out a series of uncrewed missions this decade, including the setting up of a robotic base to explore the moon’s south polar region, ahead of manned landings. (3/14)

Largest Neutrino Telescope in the Northern Hemisphere Commissioned at Lake Baikal (Source: TASS)
The largest in the Northern hemisphere Baikal neutrino telescope (Baikal-GVD), which Russian scientists plan to use in order to better understand the processes of emergence and evolution of the universe, was put into operation on Saturday. "We expect that our colleagues will make their contribution, we will all together understand the Universe, we will reveal its history, how galaxies were born," said Russia’s Minister of Science and Higher Education Valery Falkov. He noted that this is also important for the region, since science is one of the drivers of regional development.

Director of the Institute for Nuclear Research at the Russian Academy of Sciences Maxim Libanov told reporters that about 2.5 bln rubles ($33.98 mln) were invested in the project. It is planned to develop and supplement the project. By 2030, if new larger telescopes are not built in the world, Baikal-GVD will become the largest on Earth. The Baikal-GVD neutrino telescope is a mega-science facility. Several neutrino telescopes operate in the world, including Antarctica. The Baikal Telescope is a unique scientific installation that is included in the Global Neutrino Network as its most important element in the Northern hemisphere of the Earth. (3/14)

Korsakov Likely To Be First Russian Cosmonaut to Fly on Crew Dragon (Source: TASS)
Russian cosmonaut Sergei Korsakov, who was initially expected to fly on Soyuz MS-18 in April, is one of the first Russian candidates for the flight onboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, Head of Russia’s Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center Pavel Vlasov said. oscosmos announced on March 9 that cosmonaut Sergei Korsakov had been excluded from the basic crew of the piloted Soyuz MS-18 spacecraft and would be replaced by NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei. In the back-up crew, cosmonaut Dmitry Petelin would be replaced by NASA astronaut Anne McClain, it said. (3/14)

An Astronaut's Guide to Out-of-Earth Manufacturing (Source: Space Daily)
Improvising new stuff from the stuff you have is part of an astronaut's job description - think Apollo 13's crew refitting CO2 filters to save their own lives, or stranded Mark Watney in The Martian, feeding himself on the Red Planet. Now plans are underway to manufacture items in orbit, and ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst argues this could make a big difference to living and working in space.

Alexander - who has spent just under a year in orbit, becoming the second European to command the International Space Station (ISS) - spoke at ESA's Workshop on Advanced Manufacturing, which included a special session on out-of-Earth manufacturing.

While plastic-producing 3D printers have already reached space, the virtual event heard how ESA will fly the first metal 3D printer in 2022, and researchers are also planning large-scale manufacturing such as spacecraft printing their own antennas or solar arrays after launch. Offering a unique user's perspective from his 363 days in orbit, Alexander described out-of-Earth manufacturing as a game-changer for space exploration. (3/9)