February 14, 2023

Kigen and Skylo to Bring eSIM and Satellite Connectivity to Expand the Potential of 5G IoT (Source: Space Daily)
Kigen, a global security leader in IoT enablement with its SIM, eSIM, and iSIM technology solutions, and Skylo, a Satellite Network or Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) operator focused on connecting anything, anywhere, are together making satellite connectivity integration frictionless for device makers, allowing for seamless transitions between cellular and satellite connectivity via Skylo's SIM profile. This combination is particularly attractive for devices used in challenging environments, where relying on terrestrial cellular networks alone can be problematic, and is being adopted by market leaders in rugged technology, Bullitt. (2/9)

Large Number of Chinese Launches Planned (Source: Space Daily)
China plans to carry out more than 70 launch missions this year, according to the nation's major space contractors. China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, the nation's dominant space enterprise, has more than 60 launch missions planned for this year, and it aims to deploy more than 200 spacecraft in orbit, according to the Blue Book of China Aerospace Science and Technology Activities in 2022, which was compiled and published by the company last month. (2/14)

Tracking Ocean Mcroplastics From Space (Source: Space Daily)
New information about an emerging technique that could track microplastics from space has been uncovered by researchers at the University of Michigan. It turns out that satellites are best at spotting soapy or oily residue, and microplastics appear to tag along with that residue. Microplastics-tiny flecks that can ride ocean currents hundreds or thousands of miles from their point of entry-can harm sea life and marine ecosystems, and they're extremely difficult to track and clean up.

However, a 2021 discovery raised the hope that satellites could offer day-by-day timelines of where microplastics enter the water, how they move and where they tend to collect, for prevention and clean-up efforts. The team noticed that data recorded by the Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS), showed less surface roughness-that is, fewer and smaller waves-in areas of the ocean that contain microplastics, compared to clean areas.

In preliminary testing, they used the technique to spot suspected microplastic releases at the mouth of China's Yangtze River and to identify seasonal variations in the Great Pacific Garbage patch. But until now, the team was unsure about the nature of the relationship between microplastics and surface roughness. Research now shows that the anomalies in wave activity are caused not by the plastics themselves, but by surfactants-soapy or oily compounds that are often released along with microplastics and that travel and collect in similar ways once they're in the water. (2/9)

FCC Greenlights Amazon's Project Kuiper to Deploy 3,236 Satellites in LEO (Source: Space Daily)
The Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) International Bureau approved Amazon on February 8 to deploy and operate their 3,236 low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, called "Project Kuiper," for broadband service using Ka-band radio frequencies. The approval comes after satisfying requirements for orbital-debris mitigation, collision risk, and coordination with other satellite systems, re-entry casualty risk, and proper satellite disposal.

Amazon was granted permission to deploy 3,236 Project Kuiper satellites in 2020 by the FCC, but this has been delayed due to concerns about orbital debris. "Our action will allow Kuiper to begin deployment of its constellation in order to bring high-speed broadband connectivity to customers around the world," the FCC stated in its order. Objections from rivals SpaceX and Viasat delayed Kuiper's launch by nearly four years. (2/14)

Astronomers Spot Meteor Before Atmospheric Entry (Source: New York Times)
A meteor that lit up skies in Western Europe early Monday was detected in advance. Hungarian astronomer Krisztián Sárneczky discovered an asteroid about one meter across less than seven hours before that asteroid burned up in the atmosphere. The entry caused no damage but created a brilliant meteor over the English Channel seen for hundreds of kilometers. It's the second time that Sárneczky has discovered an asteroid shortly before it hit the Earth. (2/14)

Too Many or Two Few? The Launch Industry’s Conundrum (Source: Space Review)
Two small launch vehicle developers suffered high-profile launch failures last month, the latest sign of struggles for that sector. Jeff Foust reports that while some see financial and technical problems leading to a weeding out of the industry, others are calling for even more vehicles to meet growing demand. Click here. (2/13)
 
Trends in NASA Authorization Legislation (Source: Space Review)
Congress passed a NASA authorization act as part of a broader bill last year, the first NASA authorization enacted in five years. Alex Eastman and Casey Dreier discuss how NASA authorization acts have become less frequent, but also longer, in recent decades. Click here. (2/13)
 
India’s Space Security Policy, Part 1: History’s Second Cut (Source: Space Review)
India abstained in a recent UN vote on an antisatellite testing moratorium, even as 155 nations voted in favor of it. Pranav R. Satyanath examines India’s policy towards development of ASATs and international regulation of them. Click here. (2/13)
 
Galactic Dissonance for the Space Force (Source: Space Review)
The US Space Force has proposed a range of new activities, from debris removal to monitoring cislunar space. Matthew Jenkins argues that the service should focus first on demonstrating how it protects American interests at home and abroad. Click here. (2/13)

Maxar Contracts with Umbra for Imagery Access (Source: Space News)
Maxar has signed a contract with Umbra to get dedicated access to that company’s radar imaging constellation. The companies announced the partnership Tuesday, which will allow Maxar to directly task Umbra’s satellites and integrate synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data into its portfolio of Earth intelligence products and services.

While Maxar has agreements with other SAR providers, including Capella Space and Iceye, Maxar said it elected to enter a dedicated partnership with Umbra because its high-resolution SAR imagery better complements Maxar's own high-resolution optical images. Umbra has launched five satellites and has plans for a constellation of 24 spacecraft; Maxar will have assured access to the next two Umbra satellites under the agreement. (2/14)

Russia Postpones Next Soyuz Capsule Launch to Investigate Leaky Progress at ISS (Source: Space News)
Russia is postponing the launch of an uncrewed Soyuz spacecraft to the International Space Station to investigate a leak with a Progress spacecraft. Roscosmos said Monday the launch of the uncrewed Soyuz MS-23 spacecraft, which had been scheduled for late Sunday, would be delayed to early March. Soyuz MS-23 is intended to replace Soyuz MS-22, which experienced a coolant leak in December similar to the one that the Progress MS-21 spacecraft suffered Feb. 11.

The delay will give Roscosmos more time to investigate the Progress leak, including images that will be taken by the station's Canadarm2 robotic arm. Roscosmos released images of the Soyuz MS-22 leak on Monday, which it said was proof it was caused by external damage like a micrometeoroid impact. (2/14)

Astranis Wins $4.5 Million Contract to Add Military Comms Payload to Satellite (Source: Space News)
Astranis won a contract to incorporate military communications on one of its small GEO satellites. Under the $4.5 million contract, announced Tuesday, Astranis will include the Protected Tactical Waveform (PTW) on one of its satellites, with a $6 million option to conduct an on-orbit demonstration of the system.

PTW is a type of networking software used by the military to transmit voice and data and is designed to increase security to satellite-based communications. Astranis got the Space Force contract just six weeks after the head of U.S. Space Systems Command, Lt. Gen. Michael Guetlein, visited the Astranis factory in San Francisco and heard about the potential military applications for micro-GEO communications satellites. (2/14)

Canada's SpaceRyde Files for Bankruptcy (Source: Space News)
Canadian launch vehicle developer SpaceRyde has filed for bankruptcy. The company filed for bankruptcy Friday after raising $10 million to start work on a small launch system that would have used a balloon as a first stage. SpaceRyde CEO Sohrab Haghighat said that there was interest in the company's launch system, but the company ran into obstacles trying to test its rocket engines. The Ontario municipality where SpaceRyde was based told the company to stop engine tests in October in response to noise complaints. (2/14)

Intuitive Machines Starts SPAC Nasdaq Trading (Source: Space News)
Lunar lander developer Intuitive Machines is now trading on the Nasdaq after completing its merger with a SPAC. The company closed its merger with Inflection Point Acquisition Corp. and the merged company will trade under the ticker symbol LUNR. The companies announced the marger in September, saying at the time it could raise more than $300 million for Intuitive Machines to continue work on a series of lunar lander missions and other capabilities. However, in the statement announcing the completion of the merger, Intuitive Machines said it raised just $55 million from the SPAC's sponsors and company founders. (2/14)

Boecore to Acqire Orbit Logic (Source: Space News)
Aerospace and defense contractor Boecore is acquiring Orbit Logic. The companies announced the acquisition Monday but did not disclose terms of the deal. Orbit Logic is a developer of mission planning and scheduling software for satellite ground systems, and created the SpyMeSat app to give users access to on-demand satellite imagery. Boecore, based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, provides systems engineering, cybersecurity and software services to the Defense Department and contractors in the defense, space and missile defense sectors. (2/14)

JAXA Delays First H3 Launch for Weather (Source: Space News)
JAXA has delayed the first launch of the H3 rocket because of weather. The agency said Tuesday that the inaugural H3 launch had been delayed two days to Feb. 17 (Feb. 16 Eastern time) because of poor weather conditions at the Tanegashima Space Center. The rocket is carrying the ALOS-3 Earth observation satellite. (2/14)

Space-Based Data Centers: A Solution to Earth-bound Energy Problems? (Source: BIS Research)
Space-based data centers can become a new innovative approach in space tech to addressing energy demands and environmental impact. Imagine, data centers orbiting the Earth, where they would have access to unlimited energy from the sun and zero pollution. It's a futuristic idea that could change the way we store data and conserve energy. But who came up with the idea and how is it going to be executed? Let’s learn more about it! Click here. (2/14)

Space Day Event Brings Companies, Students to Tallahassee (Source: Space Florida)
The 2023 Florida Space Day at the Florida Capitol will be held tomorrow, Tuesday, Feb. 14. Fall in love with space this year with astronaut Tony Antonelli who flew on two space shuttle missions, and meet representatives from Kennedy Space Center, Space Florida,  the United States Space Force, and top aerospace companies.

This year, Florida Space Day will host students who are members of the Wolfpack CubeSat Development Team (WCDT) as well as students who previously participated in the For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Robotics Competition and have chosen to pursue careers in engineering and related science fields. The students will advocate for the importance of STEM education in the mission to make Florida the ground node for the aerospace industry.

From workforce development to economic impact, building the premier global spot for aerospace begins with educating and encouraging children. The students will participate in meetings with key Florida officials and lawmakers. Top aerospace companies will be exhibiting beginning in the Florida Capitol, including an Aerojet Rocketdyne RL10 rocket engine exhibit. (2/13)

China Allegedly Supplies SAR Imagery to Wagner Group (Source: SFA Final Frontier Flash)
The US sanctioned a Chinese company for allegedly providing satellite imagery of Ukraine to support the Wagner Group's combat operations for Russia. Changsha Tianyi Space Science & Technology Research Institute is among 16 entities slapped with curbs by the Treasury Department. The firm, also known as Spacety China, has offices in Beijing and Luxembourg.

Spacety provided synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite imagery derived locations in Ukraine to Terra Tech, a Russia-based technology firm, according to the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control. - The Treasury Dept stated, “These images were gathered in order to enable Wagner combat operations in Ukraine." (1/27)

China is Afraid of NASA’s Artemis Return to the Moon (Source: Washington Examiner)
China Military Online, the English language organ of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, responded to Bill Nelson and others who have highlighted the Chinese space threat: "Since taking office as head of NASA, Bill Nelson [is] falsely claiming that China's space program is a military program and groundlessly accusing China's aerospace industry of stealing technology and ideas from other countries. Arguments like this are not uncommon in American political and military sectors."

The article concludes with some demands. “As a major power in the world, the US should abandon the Cold War mentality as soon as possible, take a correct view of other countries' aerospace achievements, and strive to make space benefit all mankind, instead of an arena for space hegemony.”

In the meantime, the Chinese are having a hard time getting willing partners for their space projects. The European Space Agency has forgone sending its astronauts to the Tiangong space station. China is reaching out to a number of Middle Eastern countries so far without success. Russia, which would seem a natural space partner for China, has degraded its usefulness because of the cost of its invasion of Ukraine. (2/13)

Hubble Captures Mysterious ‘Spokes’ Gliding Across Saturn’s Rings (Source: CNN)
The Hubble Space Telescope captured images of a mysterious show playing out on Saturn’s rings — ghostly, fleeting “spokes” that appear to move along the planet’s rings. And scientists can’t yet explain why the phenomena happen. The return of the spokes is one of the earliest signs that Saturn is entering a new season as it approaches the autumnal equinox of its northern hemisphere, which is expected to occur on May 6, 2025, for the first time in about 15 years. (2/13)

Space Station Research Announcement Open for In-Space Production Applications (Source: CASIS)
The International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory is soliciting flight projects for in-space production applications focused on advanced materials and manufacturing. Flight investigations should demonstrate space-based manufacturing and production activities that enable new business growth and capital investment, represent scalable and sustainable market opportunities, and produce recurring value with the potential to generate demand for and revenue from access to space. Click here. (2/13)

Orbit Logic Acquired by Aerospace and Defense Contractor Boecore (Source: Space News)
Orbit Logic, a developer of mission planning and scheduling software for satellite ground systems, has been acquired by aerospace and defense engineering contractor Boecore. Boecore, based in Colorado, provides systems engineering, cybersecurity and software services to the Defense Department and contractors in the defense, space and missile defense sectors. The company in January 2022 was acquired by Enlightenment Capital, a private equity firm based in the Washington, D.C. area. (2/13)

NASA Seeks Input on How to Improve Acquisitions (Source: GovConWire)
NASA's Office of Procurement has created the Acquisition Innovation Launchpad to take input on how to streamline buying. "The NAIL will apply NASA's culture of exploration and innovation to the acquisition life cycle and empower our acquisition workforce to meet objectives and challenges such as NASA's Moon to Mars exploration approach," said NASA's Karla Smith Jackson. (2/13)

NASA Seeks Input for Commercial Low-Earth Orbit Destinations (Source: NASA)
NASA is requesting feedback from American companies about capabilities and operations for future commercial space stations. The agency has released two documents, and seeks responses about how the content aligns with industry’s needs and expectations to help guide their technical and business plans for commercial low-Earth orbit (LEO) destinations.

NASA has identified a future need for a low-Earth orbit destination capability to support the agency’s astronauts and other spaceflight participants safely on a commercially-owned and operated space system. As NASA looks to retire the International Space Station after 2030 and focus on its Moon to Mars exploration approach, the ability of private industry to provide a destination in LEO is required to maintain training and research operations in low-Earth orbit. Click here. (2/13)

Think Global on Space Security Cooperation (Source: Space Force Association)
Traditional security cooperation activities within the national security and defense realm include exercises, information sharing, armaments cooperation, advising and assisting, and mutually beneficial training. These opportunities exist to build partner capacity and allow the leveraging of allies’ and partners’ strengths to achieve common goals. It is time to further expand security cooperation in space to build capabilities to combat existential threats such as Earth-bound asteroids. Such extreme and advanced aims require equally remarkable and unique solutions.

Even though there are long-standing space agreements already in place like the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, they are generally viewed as outdated due to the exponential growth in satellites and other space enabling technology that are rocketing toward unlocking untapped resources and opportunities in space—rare-Earth metals, space-based solar power, data (awareness, sharing, processing, fusion), alternative habitats (Moon and Mars), transportation and tourism, and national security and defense applications. 

Existing paradigms may require a complete reset—new governance bodies, new cross-cutting resource bodies, new ways to incentivize companies, new legal structures that surround space related activity—to responsibly achieve what nations and companies are seeking, to unlock transformational results. The U.S. Space Force does not have the authority to change many of these paradigms, but what it lacks in authority, it overcomes with strong relationships, a technological focus, global access through U.S. Embassies, and industry partnerships. (2/8)

Hundreds of New High-Redshift Quasars Discovered (Source: Phys.org)
An international team of astronomers reports the detection of more than 400 new high-redshift quasars using the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI). The discovery, published February 3 on the arXiv preprint server, greatly improves the number of known distant quasars and demonstrates the capability of DESI to identify more objects of this type in the future. Quasars, or quasi-stellar objects (QSOs), are extremely luminous active galactic nuclei (AGN) containing supermassive central black holes with accretion disks.

Their redshifts are measured from the strong spectral lines that dominate their visible and ultraviolet spectra. Astronomers are especially interested in finding new high-redshift quasars (at redshift higher than 4.4) as they are the most luminous and most distant compact objects in the observable universe. Now, a team of astronomers has discovered 412 new quasars with redshifts between 4.44 and 6.53. The finding is based on the data from the DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys DR9 photometry, combined with the Pan-STARRS1 data and J-band photometry from public surveys. (2/13)

SpaceX President Warns That Starship's Orbital Launch May Explode (Source: Futurism)
SpaceX is gearing up for the long-awaited first orbital launch of its gigantic Starship super heavy launch system. A lot will be on the line. In fact, SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell says that a lot can still go wrong. "Keep in mind, this first one is really a test flight... and the real goal is to not blow up the launch pad, that is success," she said. (2/10)

Small Planets Orbiting Low-Mass Stars Detected with the SPIRou Instrument and the TESS Satellite (Source: Phys.org)
Since the discovery in 1995 of a planet in orbit around a star other than the sun, research in exoplanetology has revolutionized our knowledge of planetary systems. The SPIRou instrument, installed at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, contributes to these results, in particular by observing the possible planets identified by the TESS observatory satellite.

By combining the data from both instruments, the planet TOI-1695b has been discovered, and is one of the new sub-Neptune and super-Earth type planets revealed by SPIRou around stars less massive and cooler than the sun, by an international team in which the Institut d'astrophysique de Paris plays a major role. These results promote a better understanding of these types of planet that do not exist in the solar system. Click here. (2/13)

World's First Space Platforms Utilizing H2O2 in Concentration Above 98% – Next Level of Green Space Propulsion (Source: Space News)
With 25 projects from the ESA since Poland’s accession to ESA 10 years ago, Łukasiewicz – Institute of Aviation became a R&D hot spot in space propulsion in Central-Eastern Europe. Completed and ongoing projects with key spacecraft integrators (i.e. Airbus Defence & Space, OHB and Thales Alenia Space), as well as established players in space transportation systems (i.e. ArianeGroup, Avio, Nammo) and major new space companies – the institute have the ultimate goal of bringing new components, technologies and subsystems to the international market. (2/13)

How NASA’s Breakthrough ‘Class of ’78’ Changed the Face of Space Travel (Source: Nature)
With The New Guys, Meredith Bagby, a film producer and former journalist, has produced a broad and easily readable narrative about this group of US astronauts. She does not break new ground in outlining their experiences and the team’s role in space history. But she does illuminate the historic nature of their selection — and, significantly, how they helped to shape NASA’s space shuttle programme, from its first flight in 1981 until its end in 2011.

NASA’s first astronaut class, chosen in 1959, was the iconic Mercury Seven that included John Glenn, Alan Shepard and Gus Grissom. The next six groups were in the same vein: all white, male military pilots lionized for having “the right stuff”. Then came the class of 1978. Of the 35 new astronauts, 14 were civilians, 6 were women and 4 were men of color. (2/13)

Cost of ISS Creation, Operation Over $150 Billion, Says Orbital Station Chief Developer (Source: TASS)
More than $150 billion has been spent on the creation and operation of the International Space Station (ISS) so far, Vladimir Kozhevnikov, deputy chief developer of the S.P. Korolev Rocket and Space Corporation Energia (part of Roscosmos) and chief developer of the Russian Orbital Station (ROS), told TASS in an interview.

"Nonetheless, in any case, these costs are much lower than those allocated for the creation and operation of the ISS. At the moment, according to expert estimates, they have already exceeded $150 billion," Kozhevnikov said. In April 2021, Yury Borisov, who was then the deputy prime minister, said that the state of the ISS left much to be desired, so Russia could focus on creating its own orbital station. (2/13)

Russia’s New Orbital Outpost to Use Robots, Augmented Reality (Source: TASS)
Robots, virtual and augmented reality will help cosmonauts carry out their work at the future Russian Orbital Station (ROS), Deputy Chief Designer of the Energia Space Rocket Corporation (part of the State Space Corporation Roscosmos), said ROS Chief Designer Vladimir Kozhevnikov. "In order to ease the work of humans in orbit, robotic vehicles will be created aboard the ROS and there are plans to use virtual and augmented reality technologies," he said.

Russia’s future orbital outpost will have more room for accommodating scientific payload compared to the Russian segment on the International Space Station (ISS), Kozhevnikov said. "As compared to the ISS Russian segment, the number of workplaces for connecting specific equipment will be multiply increased." (2/13)