June 14, 2022

Despite 2 Failed Launches, NASA Intends to Stick with Using Astra Space (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
Astra Space has gone 0-for-2 in its attempts for success from the Space Coast, with the latest supposed to be the first of three launches this summer for NASA to put several hurricane-tracking satellites into orbit. The failure on Sunday saw Astra’s Rocket 3.3 lift off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in what seemed to be a good launch only the be thwarted by its second stage failing to put its payload of two satellites into the desired orbit, resulting in their destruction falling back to Earth.

NASA officials, though, say that all is not lost for the overall TROPICS project, which stands for Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation structure and storm Intensity with a Constellation of Smallsats. “TROPICS is part of (NASA’s) Venture program for lower-cost, higher risk missions: payloads that tolerate relatively high risk and serve as an ideal platform for innovation. For TROPICS: four out of six small satellites are needed for the mission to work,” said Thomas Zurbuchen, NASA’s associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate.

So while the first two satellites were destroyed, Astra Space officials said they are hopeful they will figure out the problem and be able to fulfill the rest of their $7.8 million contract, launching the final four satellites. A NASA official reiterated that a part of such missions is to give new rocket companies a financial reason to do business. “Even though we are disappointed right now, we know: There is value in taking risks in our overall NASA Science portfolio because innovation is required for us to lead,” he said. (6/13)

Dark Clouds: The Secret Meteorological Satellite Program (Source: Space Review)
In the early 1960s the NRO started a project to fly weather satellites to determine if targets of its reconnaissance satellites were clouded over. Dwayne Day examines the development of that project and how it found uses beyond supporting spy satellites. Click here. (6/14)
 
Learning to Let Go of Space Missions (Source: Space Review)
NASA’s InSight Mars lander is likely in its final months as its power levels decline, and other missions are facing their own near-death experiences. Jeff Foust reports on how NASA is emphasizing not how long a mission lasts, but what goals it achieved. Click here. (6/14)
 
The Russian Space Threat and a Defense Against it with Guardian Satellites (Source: Space Review)
Russia has developed, and in some cases tested, a wide range of antisatellite weapons and related systems. Matthew Mowthorpe outlines those efforts and a potential approach to defending satellites against them. Click here. (6/14)

Ariane 6 Debut Slips to 2023 (Source: Space News)
The first Ariane 6 launch has slipped to 2023. ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher said in a BBC interview published Monday that the launch had been delayed to some time next year, but did not provide additional details. ESA later confirmed the delay but did not elaborate. Just a few weeks ago, a senior executive for Arianespace said the company was preparing to conduct the inaugural launch toward the end of 2022. (6/14)

Hammett to Lead Space Rapid Capabilities Office (Source: Space News)
An Air Force scientist is the new director of the Space Rapid Capabilities Office. Kelly Hammett, former head of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Directed Energy Directorate, will lead the office, which procures space technologies and manages classified programs for the U.S. Space Force and U.S. Space Command. During more than two decades at AFRL, Hammett worked on programs like high-power lasers and high-power microwave developments, and oversaw the Air Force Maui Optical and Supercomputing site known as AMOS. (6/14)

Draco Valve Issue Blamed for Dragon ISS Cargo Delay (Source: Space News)
The launch of a SpaceX cargo Dragon mission has been rescheduled for July after finding the source of a hydrazine leak in the spacecraft. NASA said Monday that SpaceX traced elevated hydrazine readings in the spacecraft's propulsion system to a Draco thruster valve inlet joint that will be replaced. The spacecraft, originally set to launch last week on the CRS-25 cargo mission, is now scheduled for launch no earlier than July 11. (6/14)

Astra Stock Tumbles After Launch Failure (Source: CNBC)
Astra's stock tumbled by nearly 25% Monday, a day after its latest launch failure. Shares in Astra closed down 23.8% Monday at $1.54 per share. The failure, the second in three missions this year and fifth in seven overall orbital launch attempts, caused the loss of two NASA cubesats intended to track tropical storms, the first of three launches under a NASA contract awarded last year. Company CEO Chris Kemp acknowledged that "the next two launches need to work." (6/14)

SpaceX Raises $1.68 Billion (Source: Bloomberg)
SpaceX said Monday it raised nearly $1.7 billion in its latest funding round. The company, in a SEC filing, said it raised $1.68 billion of a planned $1.72 billion round. SpaceX did not disclose additional details about the round, but previous reports indicated the company was raising money at a valuation of $125 billion, up from $100 billion last year. (6/14)

BlueHalo Wins $11 Million AFRL Contract for Laser Comm Terminals (Source: Space News)
BlueHalo won an $11 million contract from AFRL for an optical communications system. The company will develop a pair of optical laser communications terminals and a ground station, to be delivered in 2025, that will be used for on-orbit experiments. The system will support demonstrations of optical uplinks and downlinks between satellites in geostationary and low Earth orbits and for space-to-ground links. (6/14)

German Startup Raises $5.7 Million for Space Traffic Management (Source: Space News)
Okapi:Orbits, a German space traffic management startup, raised 5.5 million euros ($5.7 million) in a seed funding round. The company develops software designed to help satellite operators reduce maneuvers, save fuel and limit downtime. It is used by more than 50 satellites today. Okapi is raising money to expand the user base for its platform, enhance its product portfolio and grow its international footprint. (6/14)

Atlas Space Operations to Demonstrate Hybrid Satellite Network for DoD (Source: Space News)
Atlas Space Operations won a Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) contract to demonstrate a hybrid network. The DIU Hybrid Space Architecture award will test a hybrid network linking Defense Department, civil government and commercial satellites. The Defense Department is looking for ways to take advantage of the proliferation of commercial satellites and ground stations to create resilient hybrid networks capable of transmitting data at multiple classification levels. (6/14)

China Developing Tech for Space Solar Energy Beaming (Source: Space News)
A Chinese university says it's completed a first-of-its-kind test structure for space-based solar power technology. Xidian University built a 75-meter-tall steel structure designed to collect solar energy and convert it into direct current electricity, which will then be converted into microwaves for transmission via an antenna over a distance of 55 meters. The system is designed to test technologies needed for space-based solar power, but the project's leader acknowledges that such systems will take generations to develop. (6/14)

South Korea Preps for Second KSCL-2 Launch (Source: Korea Times)
South Korea hopes to conduct a second launch of its KSLV-2 rocket this week, weather permitting. High winds have already pushed back the launch of the rocket, also known as Nuri, by a day to Thursday. The first Nuri launch last year failed to reach orbit when the rocket's upper stage shut down prematurely. (6/14)

ESA's Gaia Tracks Stellar Motions (Source: Nature)
ESA released Monday the latest data from the Gaia space telescope. The fourth release of Gaia data tracks the location of nearly two billion stars, and includes three-dimensional motions of tens of millions of stars and thousands of asteroids. ESA launched Gaia in 2013 to provide the most precise measurements yet of stellar positions, and the agency says that data from Gaia is now cited in papers more frequently than data from the Hubble Space Telescope. Gaia is expected to continue operators to 2024, when it will run out of propellant. (6/14)

Iris System to Ddigitalize Airspace Goes Global (Source: Space Daily)
A space-enabled system to help clear congested skies while reducing carbon emissions is going global, following a deal signed between satellite communications provider Inmarsat and ESA. Passengers will experience fewer delays once the Iris system is fully implemented - and airlines will save fuel and reduce emissions of carbon dioxide. It could even be used to safely coordinate the flights of drones delivering medical supplies between hospitals or aid to remote communities.

At present pilots mostly communicate with air traffic controllers by voice or by using an outdated data communication technology. This makes flight operations inefficient, as planes have to be kept far apart from one another and follow pre-defined air corridors instead of taking the most direct route. Data exchanges will soon become the primary means of communication, with large quantities of data relayed to and from the aircraft. The Iris system uses satellites to relay data digitally from the cockpit to the ground, increasing communication capacity and coverage including remote and oceanic areas. (6/10)

Argentina's VENG and ReOrbit Sign Agreement for Satellite Manufacturing (Source: Space Daily)
ReOrbit and VENG, an Argentinian-based company, signed an agreement to manufacture satellites in Argentina to serve the Latin America market. The directors of both organisations met at the Argentina Space Centre located in Cordoba Province, Argentina, to visit the VENG's AI&T facilities, discuss future collaborations and finally sign a Memorandum of Understanding.

VENG, the main contractor of the Argentina Space Agency (CONAE) for Launch Vehicle developments, signed an agreement with ReOrbit for satellite manufacturing. On Friday June 10th, a meeting between both companies was held at the Argentina Space Centre, located in the Town of Falda del Canete, Cordoba Province, to sign and formalise the agreement and visit the Manufacturing, Assembling, Integration and Test facilities operated by VENG. (6/10)

Explosion at Chinese Launch Center Revealed by Satellite Imagery (Source: Space News)
An explosion severely damaged rocket facilities at China’s Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in October 2021, commercial satellite imagery shows. Jiuquan spaceport is situated in the Gobi Desert and hosts major orbital launches including all of the country’s Shenzhou human spaceflight missions. Established in 1958 it is the first of China’s four national spaceports to be constructed.

Evidence of the explosion was discovered by space enthusiast Harry Stranger using imagery from Airbus and CNES and posted on Twitter June 10. The incident occurred at facilities constructed around 16 kilometers to the southwest of Jiuquan’s two main launch complexes. The pair of launch pads are used by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) for hypergolic Long March rocket launches for human spaceflight, civil, military and scientific missions and were unaffected by the blast. (6/14)