March 23, 2021

India Wants to Win Share of Heavy Lift Market From SpaceX (Source: Sputnik)
The ISRO has been keen on roping in the domestic private sector to finance the rocket manufacturing and satellite launch business so that it can itself focus on research and the heavy satellite launch market. Hoping to get a share of the global satellite launch business, India allocated a $1.4 billion fund for NewSpace India Ltd.

India's state owned NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL) has prepared to compete with global firms like SpaceX in the heavy satellite launch business as it is offering its Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) Mk-3 to foreign customers at competitive rates.

GSLV MK-III is the ISRO's most powerful launch vehicle to date. It can lift four tonnes of payload to geostationary transfer orbit and 10 tonnes to the lower earth orbit. The GSLV MK-III costs approximately $60 million, which ISRO intends to further lower by 50 percent with the help of technologies like reusable launch vehicles and its scramjet engine to garner the lucrative heavy satellite launch contracts. (3/23)

Part of Wright Brothers’ 1st Airplane on NASA’s Mars Chopper (Source: AP)
A piece of the Wright brothers’ first airplane is on Mars. NASA’s experimental Martian helicopter holds a small swatch of fabric from the 1903 Wright Flyer, the space agency revealed Tuesday. The Carillon Historical Park in Dayton, Ohio, the Wrights’ hometown, donated the postage-size piece of muslin from the plane’s bottom left wing, at NASA’s request. The swatch made the 300 million-mile journey to Mars with the blessing of the Wright brothers’ great-grandniece and great-grandnephew, said park curator Steve Lucht. (3/23)

NASA Seeks Industry Input on Future Commercial Destinations in Low-Earth Orbit (Source: NASA)
NASA is seeking industry input as the agency continues to refine and update its strategy to enable a robust economy in low-Earth orbit (LEO). Commercial destinations in low-Earth orbit are an important element of that strategy, and NASA has announced its updated plan to ensure continuous human presence in low-Earth orbit through the Commercial LEO Destinations (CLD) project. The agency's goal is a low-Earth orbit marketplace where NASA is one of many customers, and the private sector leads the way.

The primary purpose of the Commercial LEO Destinations project is to stimulate U.S. private industry development of free-flying orbital destination capabilities and create a market environment in which those services are available to both government and private-sector customers.

NASA is adopting a two-phase strategy that builds on the successful legacy of its commercial cargo and commercial crew programs that now are delivering important research, supplies and astronauts to the International Space Station. In the first phase, NASA will pursue multiple funded Space Act Agreements for early concept development of commercial destinations. In the second phase, NASA intends to purchase destination services when such services become available for purchase. (3/23)

FAA's Streamlined Launch Regulations Take Effect (Source: FAA)
The U.S. is leading the way to a new era of commercial space transportation with a final rule that streamlines the licensing process for private sector launch and reentry operations. The new rule took effect on March 21 and arose from a directive of the National Space Council to encourage American leadership in space commerce. The rule streamlines and modernizes FAA commercial space launch and reentry licensing regulations by eliminating obsolete requirements, replacing most prescriptive requirements with performance-based criteria and reducing duplicative regulations.

“Innovation in commercial space transportation is increasing dramatically, and policy needs to keep up. This rule will help us to prepare for future U.S. leadership in commercial space transportation by facilitating the continued economic growth and innovation of the American aerospace industry and ensuring the highest level of public safety,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

The rule aims to support greater innovation, flexibility and efficiency in commercial space operations. It also seeks to keep pace with the dramatic increase in the $400 billion global space industry that is expected to generate revenues of $1.1 trillion or more by 2040. It also establishes a single set of licensing and safety regulations for several types of commercial space operations and vehicles. (3/22)

Europe is Starting to Freak Out About the Launch Dominance of SpaceX (Source: Ars Technica)
The European Space Agency announced an initiative to study "future space transportation solutions." Basically, the agency provided about $600,000, each, to three companies—ArianeGroup, Avio, and Rocket Factory Augsburg—to study competitive launch systems from 2030 onward. The implication is that Europe's next generation of rockets, the larger Ariane 6 booster and smaller Vega-C, will meet the continent's launch needs for the next decade. Both of these new rockets, which are evolved from an earlier generation of boosters, are due to make their debut within the next 12 to 18 months.

However, there now appears to be increasing concern in Europe that the Ariane 6 and Vega-C rockets will not be competitive in the launch market of the near future. This is important, because while member states of the European Space Agency pay for development of the rockets, after reaching operational status, these launch programs are expected to become self-sufficient by attracting commercial satellite launches to help pay the bills.

The primary cause? SpaceX. Thanks to its reusable, low-cost Falcon 9 rocket, SpaceX has been able to slash prices for large commercial satellites that could be lofted by the Ariane 6. Whereas Europe's Ariane vehicles once played a dominant role in launching geostationary satellites, they've lost considerable market share since 2014. Moreover, through its rideshare program for the Falcon 9, SpaceX also threatens to take missions away from Vega-C, which has a lift capacity of about 1.5 tons to polar orbit. (3/22)

Arianespace Signs with Avio for 10 Additional Vega C Launchers (Source: Space Daily)
During the recent meeting in Rome between Bruno Le Maire, French Minister of the Economy, Finance and Recovery, and Giancarlo Giorgetti, Italian Minister of Economic Development, Arianespace announced the signature of an agreement with Avio to start production of 10 new Vega C launch vehicles.

This agreement kicks off the procurement of long lead-time items and the initial activities for the production of 10 new launchers, to be delivered from 2023. Arianespace has signed an agreement with Avio, industrial prime contractor for the Vega and Vega C launchers, to start production of a batch of ten new Vega C rockets, to be launched as from 2023. (3/19)

Russian Soyuz Launches 38 Satellites Into Orbit (Sources: Space Daily, Space News)
The Fregat booster-equipped Soyuz-2 carrier rocket delivered 38 satellites from 18 countries into low-Earth orbit. The launch of the Soyuz-2 carrier rocket from the Baikonur spaceport had been postponed until Sunday, Russian state space corporation Roscosmos' chief, Dmitry Rogozin, said. The launch was scheduled for Saturday but scrubbed because of a control system problem with the Fregat upper stage. (3/19)

ClimaCell Plans Satellites for Global Weather Radar (Source: Space Daily)
ClimaCell, plans to launch dozens of miniaturized weather satellites to provide more accurate predictions in remote areas. The company, which already sells weather data services to such firms as Uber and Delta, won't say how many satellites it plans. ClimaCell claims to have new technology that will allow relatively inexpensive construction of the spacecraft.

ClimaCell's said its satellites will provide coverage to remote areas that don't have good radar, such as the oceans and vast areas of Africa, Canada, Russia and China. The company designed the network as a less expensive, more accurate supplement for ground-based weather radar and billion-dollar government satellites. (3/18)

Russia to Test World's 1st Ultra-Light Optics for Nanosatellites in Space (Source: Sputnik)
Russia's Samara University has said that its pioneer ultra-light optics for nanosatellites will be sent to space for testing. "Ultralight optical systems for remote sensing of Earth, developed by scientists of the Samara University named after [famed Soviet rocket engineer Sergei] Korolev, will be tested in space aboard Russian nanosatellites Cube SX-HSE and Cube SX Sirius HSE," the university said.

According to the university, cheaper nanosatellites with compact optics make it possible to create large-scale orbital constellations from hundreds of such satellites to ensure monitoring of Earth in near real-time and quickly obtain an image of any spot on Earth's surface without waiting for a large remote sensing satellite to fly over the right place. Such information could be vital for a range of purposes, including tracking the spread of wildfires and floods or monitoring agricultural crops. (3/19)

Rocket Lab’s Peter Beck Explains SPAC Strategy, Growth Targets, and Plans for Neutron (Source: Via Satellite)
New Zealand-based smallsat launcher Rocket Lab made headlines earlier this month when it announced plans to go public through a special purpose acquisition corporation (SPAC) and set a $4.1 billion valuation on the company. It also shared its plans to build a reusable, medium-lift vehicle called Neutron, with an 8-ton payload capacity.

The decision to go public brought CEO and Founder Peter Beck’s thesis for the company as an end-to-end space solution provider into full focus. Rocket Lab is a leading small satellite launch provider and has executed 18 launches since 2017. But, Beck wants to offer turnkey satellites and spacecraft components, on-orbit operations, and data services in addition to launch services. Click here. (3/17) https://www.satellitetoday.com/business/2021/03/19/rocket-lab-ceo-peter-beck-explains-spac-strategy-growth-targets-and-plans-for-neutron/

Inmarsat to Develop In-Orbit Telemetry Relay Service for the UK Space Agency (Source: Via Satellite)
Inmarsat has won a new deal with the UK Space Agency, a National Space Innovation Program contract to develop an in-orbit telemetry relay service for rockets called InRange. The contract announced is valued at $359,785 with matched funding from industry, taking the project total to $588,619. Inmarsat’s InRange service aims to reduce the dependency of space launch providers on traditional, expensive ground-based monitoring systems infrastructure for their rockets and will provide a more cost-effective, flexible solution, available globally via Inmarsat’s geostationary L-band network. (3/19)

No, Mars is Not a Hellhole (Source: Mars Society)
In the words of Michael Starobin and Mike McClare of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, the similarities between Earth and Mars “are striking”. In addition to sharing the presence of water ice and robots, the two planets have nearly an identical day-night cycle. Astoundingly, the length of a Martian day is only 40 minutes longer than a day on Earth. The two worlds also share comparable geological features, such as volcanoes, dried river beds and canyons.

Partly as a result of having nearly the same axial tilt as Earth, Mars also has seasonal variability. According to the European Space Agency, “no other climate in the Solar System is thought to be as similar to Earth’s as the Martian system.” Further, like Earth, Mars is known to have many of the required nutrients for the growth of plant life, such as nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. In fact, the red planet is so similar to Earth that it might have hosted life in the past (a possibility so compelling that it is the primary investigative goal of the Perseverance rover).

These parallels with our home world are not only of academic value. Rather, they are crucial factors in our ability to establish a foothold on the red planet and they should not be shrugged off. (3/20)

Back to the Future (Source: Space Review)
A former senator who, a decade ago, played a major role in shaping NASA’s human spaceflight programs is heading to the agency as its next leader. Jeff Foust reports on the nomination of Bill Nelson as NASA administrator and its implications for programs like the Space Launch System. Click here. (3/22)
 
This Woman’s Work: “For All Mankind” and Women’s Pain (Source: Space Review)
The second season of the alternate-history TV series “For All Mankind” moved ahead to the 1980s. Emily Carney examines how the female characters of the show deal with physical and emotional pain, often by denying it. Click here. (3/22)
 
The Politics of Settling Space (Source: Space Review)
Exactly when, and how, humans establish settlements beyond Earth will be shaped by the politics of the era. Gregory Anderson explores some of those potential political issues and their solutions. Click here. (3/22)
 
Don’t Discount the FAA’s Role in the Private Space Race (Source: Space News)
The rules the FAA currently has on the books are far from controversial. They merely ensure that launches do not impose an undue burden of safety risk on the airspace or the public. The bar to receive FAA approval is not very high, either. In my experience with the agency, it never once denied a launch license and only ever demanded modifications to launch licenses when a proposed operation put public health and safety or national security at risk — the standard under federal law.

The FAA has a dual mandate that has served the U.S. launch industry well. Not only is the agency required first and foremost to protect public health and safety, but it is also required to encourage, facilitate, and promote the industry. This dual mandate effectively limits any FAA inclination to overregulate and is why the launch industry generally works well with the FAA’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation. Congress had the foresight in the Commercial Space Launch Act to ensure that the regulation of commercial spaceflight was both safe and in the best interests of a vibrant industry. 

To meet the needs of this growing industry, the FAA has been streamlining existing regulations to make space launches easier and less costly. In October 2020, the agency issued its Streamlined Launch and Reentry Licensing Requirements Rule (SLR2). This blockbuster regulatory change increased flexibility for launch operations by, among other reforms, requiring just one license for all types of commercial spaceflight. (3/18)

Houston Startup Designing Spaceplane That Could fly from LA to Tokyo in 1 Hour (Source: Houston Chronicle)
Venus Aerospace wants to fly you from Los Angeles to Tokyo in just one hour. The Houston startup is designing a spaceplane that will travel 12 times faster than the speed of sound and at an altitude of 150,000 feet, which is high enough to see the blackness of space.

It sounds like a new-and-improved Concorde — the commercial airliner that traveled more than twice the speed of sound; flying from London to New York in roughly 3 ½ hours — but Venus Aerospace says its aircraft would be more like the space shuttle. The shuttle re-entered Earth’s atmosphere and then glided to the runway, and Venus Aerospace plans to use rocket engines to approach the threshold of space and then glide. (3/9)

Eutelsat Orderss Satellite From Airbus (Source: Space News)
Eutelsat has ordered a geostationary communications satellite from Airbus for a launch in 2024. Eutelsat 36D will replace Eutelsat 36B, which is expected to reach the end of its life before 2027, at an orbital position covering Africa, Russia and Europe. The new all-electric satellite will have 70 physical Ku-band transponders and is based on the Airbus Eurostar Neo platform. (3/22)

Nelson Nomination for NASA Supported Broadly (Source: Space News)
Bill Nelson's nomination to lead NASA has the backing of current members of Congress, including the chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), which will hold a confirmation hearing for Nelson in the coming weeks. Former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine also endorsed Nelson's nomination, as did industry groups such as the Aerospace Industries Association and Commercial Spaceflight Federation. (3/22)

Old NOAA Satellite Breaks Apart in Orbit (Source: Space News)
A NOAA weather satellite decommissioned nearly eight years ago has broken up. The Space Force's 18th Space Control Squadron said late Thursday it confirmed the NOAA-17 satellite broke up on March 10, with 16 pieces being tracked. There was no sign, it added, that the breakup was caused by a collision. NOAA-17 is a polar-orbiting weather satellite launched in 2002 and shut down in 2013. Several other NOAA and Defense Department weather satellites have suffered breakups in recent years, which may be caused by a design flaw in their battery system. NOAA-17 followed best practices for removing energy sources when it was decommissioned, which one expert notes is evidence that the U.S. and other governments need to invest in active debris removal technologies. (3/22)

Space Force Wants Leading Spaceflight Safety Role (Source: Space News)
The Space Force wants to take a leading role in discussions about spaceflight safety, one general says. Lt. Gen. B. Chance Saltzman, deputy chief of space operations, said Friday that working to establish rules of the road for space operations is an extension of what the military does in other domains like the oceans and the airspace. Saltzman said the Space Force should "play a central role" on addressing space junk as well. These are problems that can't be fixed overnight, he said, adding that they require advocacy and negotiation. (3/22)

Inmarsat to Develop Launch Vehicle Telemetry Relay for UK (Source: Space News)
Inmarsat has won funding from the U.K. Space Agency to develop technology to relay launch vehicle telemetry. The $358,000 grant from the agency will help Inmarsat develop InRange, which will use the company's L-band satellites to carry telemetry during launches, reducing the need for ground stations and related infrastructure. Inmarsat is partnering with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), the prime contractor for Japan’s next-generation H3 launch vehicle, on InRange, but did not disclose when it will be completed. (3/22)

India's Pixxel Raises Funding for Hyperspectral Constellation (Source: Space News)
Indian startup Pixxel has raised a seed round of financing to support initial development of a constellation of hyperspectral imaging satellites. The $7.3 million funding round by Omnivore VC and Techstars, among other investors, will help Pixxel develop its initial satellites that promise to offer 150 spectral bands at a resolution of five meters.

Pixxel has completed its first satellite, but a software problem meant it missed its launch last month on a PSLV. The company is now looking for a new launch opportunity in the next few months. Hyperspectral imaging has shown promise in providing useful data for applications from agriculture to energy, but has not found a foothold in the commercial market. Pixxel believes the higher quality of its imagery, combined with a software platform for analyzing it, can help it win greater adoption. (3/22)

Soyuz Spacecraft Switches Ports on ISS (Source: Spaceflight Now)
A Soyuz spacecraft took a brief flight around the ISS Friday. The Soyuz MS-17 spacecraft undocked from the station's Rassvet module at 12:38 p.m. Eastern and flew around to the Poisk module, docking there a little more than a half-hour later. The maneuver will allow the next Soyuz spacecraft to dock with Rassvet and frees up the Poisk module for a spacewalk to prepare for the arrival later this year of the Nauka lab module. (3/22)

NASA Likely to Stay the Course to the Moon Under Bill Nelson, if Confirmed (Source: Space.com)
Nelson, a Democrat who served in the Senate from 2001 to 2019, helped set NASA on its current course toward Earth's nearest neighbor. He and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) were the key Senate drivers of the 2010 NASA authorization act, which ordered the agency to develop a huge new rocket called the Space Launch System (SLS) and continue work on its Orion crew capsule. SLS and Orion are Artemis linchpins, the rocket and spacecraft designed to get NASA astronauts beyond low Earth orbit for the first time in half a century.

The 2010 bill, by the way, also supported the continued development of commercial cargo and crew capabilities in low Earth orbit, a key priority of then-President Barack Obama. Since leaving the Senate, Nelson has served on the NASA Advisory Council. As these extensive and varied experiences show, he's very much an insider, not some change agent brought aboard to enact a new vision. (3/22)