June 20, 2022

We Got a Leaked Look at NASA’s Future Moon Missions—and Likely Delays (Source: Ars Technica)
For several years now, NASA has publicly discussed the initial phase of its Artemis Moon program. These first three missions, to be conducted over the next four or five years, are steps toward establishing a human presence on the Moon. Artemis II, will more or less be a repeat of Artemis I, only with four humans on Orion. Then comes the big test, Artemis III, which will send two humans to the Moon and back during the middle of this decade.

Beyond these missions, however, NASA has been vague about the timing of future Artemis missions to the Moon, even as some members of Congress have pressed for more details. Now, we may know why. Internal planning documents show an Artemis mission schedule and manifest for now through FY2034, with two "in-guide" schedule options planners are achievable with anticipated budgets. These revised schedules indicate that NASA planners do not believe the baseline plan will be achievable on time or within budget.

One of the internal schedules, labeled "cadence," prioritizes launching regularly. The other, labeled "content," prioritizes launching only when the most meaningful payloads are ready. Combined, they reveal that NASA is struggling to cram an ambitious exploration plan into a finite budget. The result is a slow-moving lunar program that, in large part, fails to deliver on the goals of the US National Space Policy. Click here. (6/20)

How Satellites Protect Historical Sites From Looters and War (Source: Daily Beast)
The arrival of tools like Google Earth in 2001 then democratized access to satellite imagery with a free, accessible service. Archaeological teams often survive on small budgets. The open-source imagery meant archaeologists could exploit satellites without needing to worry about high costs. Now NASA’s Landsat and the European Union’s Copernicus programs also provide free imagery.

“There are now vast amounts of open data satellite imagery which can be used for archaeology,” Stéphane Ourevitch, senior executive adviser at Copernicus, told The Daily Beast. “In an image, you can detect the presence of buried structures, especially during dry periods, thanks to the difference in ‘color’ of the vegetation.”

Now, the proliferation of commercial satellite imagery is giving archaeologists access to imagery with up to 50-centimeter resolution. This allows them to spot much smaller details like the spoil heaps left by looters. “Frequent pass” services also mean specific locations can be updated as often as every five days, on demand. Multi-spectral imaging has improved the analysis of obscure photos too by revealing otherwise hidden features on the ground. (6/20)

China Proposes Mars Sample Return Mission (Source: Space News)
China is proposing a Mars sample return mission that could return samples before NASA and ESA. Sun Zezhou, chief designer of the Tianwen-1 Mars orbiter and rover mission, presented a new mission profile for China's Mars sample return on Monday. The Tianwen-3 mission would launch a lander on a Long March 5 and an orbiter and return vehicle on a Long March 3B in 2028. That would allow the mission to return samples to Earth in 2031, two years ahead of current NASA/ESA plans. China's Mars sample return mission appears to have backing from the relevant top space and government authorities. (6/20)

Space Force to Establish Intelligence Center in Ohio (Source: Space News)
The Space Force will formally establish the National Space Intelligence Center (NSIC) this week. A ceremony Friday at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio will inaugurate the center, co-located with the National Air and Space Intelligence Center. The NSIC will be run by a new Space Force unit, Space Delta 18, responsible for analyzing foreign threats to the United States in the space domain. (6/20)

Speedcast Adds Satellite Capacity (Source: Space News)
Remote communications provider Speedcast is preparing to buy another sizable chunk of satellite capacity as demand soars beyond pre-pandemic levels. Speedcast added 13 gigabits per second from satellite operators in May, giving it 30 gigabits per second overall, a new high for the company, to support customers in cruise and energy markets. The company expects to add another 12 gigabits per second in September to support cruise ships in the Caribbean. Speedcast says demand for satellite capacity is outstripping what is available from geostationary satellites, while OneWeb's rollout of its low Earth orbit constellation is delayed. (6/20)

SSA is Hot (Source: Space News)
Space situational awareness (SSA) is becoming a hot market for startups. Several companies in the U.S., Europe and Australia have secured funds for space-based systems they say will be needed to provide more accurate, complete and reliable information about objects in space. The companies are taking varying approaches to collecting SSA, including deploying their own satellites or hosted payloads on other satellites. Some companies anticipate supporting the increasing demand for in-space servicing, while others want to refine the catalogs of satellites and debris in general. (6/20)

Groups Urge Funding for NEO Surveyor Mission (Source: Planetary Society)
Two space advocacy groups are asking Congress to restore funding for a NASA asteroid mission. The joint letter last week from the National Space Society and The Planetary Society asked House and Senate appropriators to fully fund NEO Surveyor, a space telescope designed to search for near-Earth objects to identify potentially hazardous ones. NASA's fiscal year 2023 budget request sought to cut spending on the mission by $130 million, delaying its launch by two years. A House appropriations subcommittee will mark up a spending bill that includes NASA on Wednesday. (6/20)

UAE Lunar Rover Being Tested (Source: The National)
A small lunar rover developed by the United Arab Emirates is undergoing final tests before launch later this year. The Rashid rover is now in France for several weeks of environmental tests before being shipped to Germany to be installed on a lunar lander built by Japanese company ispace. That lander is scheduled to launch late this year on a Falcon 9. Project officials at the UAE's Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre said they are confident the rover can carry out its mission if the lander makes it safely to the lunar surface. (6/20)

Some Kitt Peak Observatory Buildings Destroyed by Wildfire (Source: Tucson Sentinel)
Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona appears to have escaped major damage from a wildfire. A fire reached the observatory early Friday, but in statements over the weekend, officials said "heroic action" by firefighters saved telescopes there. Four buildings, including a residence and dormitory, were destroyed by the fire, though. Observatory personnel have yet to return to the summit to check on any damage sustained by instruments and other equipment. (6/20)