March 24, 2023

Don't Let NASA Fool You: The Next Astronauts on the Moon Will Not Be Wearing Black Spacesuits (Source: Business Insider)
NASA revealed a new prototype of the spacesuit destined to adorn the next astronauts on the moon. But the look is a little misleading. In an event on March 15, NASA and its new spacesuit contractor, Axiom Space, walked out their first iteration of the uniform for the Artemis generation of lunar astronauts. The get-up includes new joints that will allow astronauts to move more easily than the Apollo spacesuits, and boots made for walking instead of hopping, for the first-ever human landing on the moon's frigid south pole.

But one defining feature overshadowed the others: color. Stylish stripes of orange and blue are laid across a dark suit, as black as the void of space. When the first Artemis moonwalkers step out of Starship and onto the lunar surface, they'll be wearing this Axiom spacesuit, but it will be white.

In a harsh environment with no atmosphere to protect you from the sun's radiation, temperature management is key for survival. Spacesuits have to be reflective and well-insulated to keep astronauts cool in the unfiltered glare of the sun. On the new prototype, "a cover layer is currently being used for display purposes only to conceal the suit's proprietary design," Axiom Space wrote in a press release. (3/23)

China Testing Parachute Booster/Fairing Landing System (Source: CN Spaceflight)
CASC is developing a parachute system that's able to land boosters and payload fairings up to 4 tonnes to designated landing spot. With an additional cushion system on the ground, reuse of the recovered parts will be possible. Two tests are planned by next year. (3/23)

Teachers Outraged After Ignited Rocket Engine Explodes at Fresno High (Source: KMPH)
Many educators in the Fresno Unified School District feel the district is not doing enough to keep students and staff safe. Now, the district says it is laying out plans for infrastructure and support across the district next week. It comes after they say a student ignited a model rocket engine in a Fresno High stairwell Monday, which caused a loud bang and filled the air with smoke. (3/24)

Lockheed Martin Launches Commercial Ground Control Software for Satellite Constellations (Source: Space Daily)
To help future developers of commercial satellite constellations plan missions and operate their systems, Lockheed Martin is now offering commercial licenses to its proven Horizon Command and Control (C2) and Compass Mission Planning software. Horizon and Compass leverage an integrated and scalable modular architecture designed to meet specific customer needs. They provide mission critical capability for small, medium or large constellations, which includes orbit management, autonomous operations and formation flying. (3/24)

Rocket Lab Launches BlackSky Imaging Satellites From New Zealand (Source: Space News)
Rocket Lab launched a pair of BlackSky imaging satellites early Friday. An Electron rocket lifted off from the company's Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand at 5:14 a.m. Eastern and deployed the two Gen-2 satellites into low Earth orbit nearly an hour later. The satellites are likely the last Gen-2 satellites BlackSky will deploy, the company said in an earnings call earlier this month, as it works on higher-resolution Gen-3 satellites it will start launching next year. Rocket Lab also used the launch to test its ability to recover and potentially reuse rocket boosters that splash down in the ocean, an approach it says may be better than trying to catch the boosters with a helicopter. (3/24)

Boeing Delays CST-100 Starliner Launch From April to May (Source: Space News)
The first flight of Boeing's CST-100 Starliner commercial crew vehicle with astronauts on board has slipped again. NASA said Thursday that the Crew Flight Test (CFT) mission, previously scheduled for late April, would now take place after the Axiom Space Ax-2 private astronaut mission scheduled for early May. NASA did not disclose a reason for the delay beyond the time needed to "assess readiness and complete verification work" on the spacecraft, and did not provide a new launch date. The delay also avoids a conflict with the first Vulcan Centaur launch scheduled in early May from the same launch pad that will host the Atlas 5 launch of Starliner. (3/24)

Report Urges ESA to Pursue Independent Human Spaceflight Capability (Source Space News)
An advisory group called on ESA to develop an independent human spaceflight program. The report released Thursday by the High-Level Advisory Group, whose members primarily came outside of the space industry, endorsed the development of crewed vehicles, a commercial space station and even a European human landing on the moon within a decade. The report acknowledged that will require additional spending, but did not offer an estimate of how much that effort would cost. It did endorse the use of greater public-private partnerships modeled on NASA's commercial cargo and crew programs. ESA officials welcomed the report and said they would work on plans they will present at a European space summit meeting scheduled for November. (3/24)

Texas Investor Considers Acquisition of Virgin Orbit (Source: CNBC)
A Texas investor confirmed he is in "final discussions" to acquire Virgin Orbit. Matthew Brown said in a TV interview Thursday that he hoped to close the deal that could see him invest up to $200 million into the launch company in the next 24 hours. He said he held positions in "over 13" space companies and that Virgin Orbit has "something special" with its air-launch system. He said that if the deal closes, he would effectively own the company. Virgin Orbit has not commented on the ongoing discussions. (3/24)

Musk Denies Saudi/UAE Funding Sought for SpaceX (Source: Reuters)
Elon Musk denied that SpaceX is in talks to raise a new round of funding from Saudi and Emirati investors. "Not true," he tweeted overnight in response to a tweet linking to coverage of the proposed multibillion-dollar investment reported earlier this week. He did not elaborate. (3/24)

Sierra Space Tests Another Inflatable Habitat Module to Bursting (Source: Space.com)
Sierra Space has completed a series of burst tests of an inflatable habitation module. The test was of a prototype of its Large Integrated Flexible Environment (LIFE), demonstrating the module exceeded requirements for use in space. Sierra Space is developing LIFE for use on the Orbital Reef commercial space station, and the test was the last in a series of four. (3/23)

Shatner Documentary to Donate Revenues for Private Astronaut Flights (Source: Space For Humanity)
A documentary about William Shatner will help support an initiative to fly private astronauts. Space For Humanity announced this week that the producer of the new documentary "You Can Call Me Bill" will donate 25% of its gross revenue to the organization, which pays for flights for people on commercial spacecraft. The documentary, which includes Shatner's flight on Blue Origin's New Shepard in 2021, premiered at the South by Southwest festival earlier this month but the producers have not yet announced plans for a wider release of the film. (3/24)

SpaceX and Boring Co. Want to Dump Texas Wastewater in River (Source: My San Antonio)
In October 2022, one of Elon Musk's many Texas-based companies requested for a permit with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality that is still riling up some Bastrop County residents. Filed by Gapped Bass LLC, an organization affiliated with Musk's Boring Company, it would allow the tunneling operation to dump 142,500 gallons of processed wastewater into the Colorado River every day. On Tuesday, March 21, residents voiced their concerns at a TCEQ hearing.

The public hearing revealed that "the effluent will be discharged directly to the Colorado River Below Lady Bird Lake/Town Lake in
Segment No. 1428 of the Colorado River Basin," which is near the FM 969 bridge, according to TCEQ notes. A preliminary review by TCEQ did not find that plans for wastewater would affect water quality. A representative for Musk's companies appeared at the hearing, calling the wastewater dumping a "short-term solution," and saying they hope to not "use the full capacity of what is being authorized." (3/22)

Amazon is About to Go Head to Head with SpaceX in a Battle for Satellite Internet Dominance (Source: MIT Technology Review)
Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos are about to lock horns once again. Last month, the US Federal Communications Commission approved the final aspects of Project Kuiper, Amazon’s effort to deliver high-speed internet access from space. In May, the company will launch test versions of the Kuiper communications satellites in an attempt to take on SpaceX’s own venture, Starlink, and tap into a market of perhaps hundreds of millions of prospective internet users.

Other companies are hoping to do the same, and a few are already doing so, but Starlink and Amazon are the major players. “It is really a head-to-head rivalry,” says Tim Farrar, a satellite expert from the firm TMF Associates in the US. The satellites are meant to orbit at an altitude of about 600 kilometers and cover latitudes from Canada to Argentina, reaching “95% of the world’s population,” the Amazon spokesperson said. “Our constellation will serve individual households, as well as businesses, schools, hospitals, government agencies, and other organizations operating in locations without reliable broadband.”

Amazon has applied to the FCC to increase its constellation to 7,774 satellites, which would allow it to cover regions further north and south, including Alaska, as Starlink does. SpaceX currently charges $110 a month to access Starlink, with an up-front cost of $599 for an antenna to connect to the satellites. According to a letter to shareholders last year, Amazon is spending “over $10 billion” to develop Kuiper, with more than 1,000 employees working on the project. Andy Jassy, Amazon’s current CEO, has said that Kuiper has a chance of becoming a “fourth pillar” for the company, alongside its retail marketplace, Amazon Prime, and its widely used cloud computing service, Amazon Web Services. (3/23)

Amazon's Market Reach for Kuiper Could Be Key in Battle Against Starlink, OneWeb (Source: SPACErePORT)
Assuming their service offerings are comparable, the prices offered by Amazon, SpaceX, and OneWeb will be big differentiators in the looming battle for satellite broadband dominance. Two big advantages for Amazon will be its global reach and its ability to bundle services in ways that are attractive to users. With the marketing reach allowed by Amazon's ubiquitous Prime and retail services, customers may come to see Kuiper as yet another reliable and convenient addition to their monthly bill. SpaceX and OneWeb won't have that advantage. (3/23)

Billionaires in Space Help Relaunch NASA’s Firepower (Source: Financial Review)
Billionaires taking supersonic joyrides into the edge of space are not only pioneering a new generation of tourism for the fabulously wealthy but bringing down the cost of space exploration for behemoths such as NASA, says the agency’s current head. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson says competition for the space race from companies such as Elon Musk’s SpaceX, Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin and Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic had made the “economics of going to space more affordable” while reducing NASA's costs for such access and expanding the agency's options. (3/23)

Nelson Details "Devastating" Impacts if NASA Funding is Capped at FY-22 Level or Less (Source: Space Policy Online)
In a letter to the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson spelled out the “devastating and potentially unrecoverable” impacts if the discretionary portion of the federal budget, which includes NASA, is held to its FY2022 level as House Republicans are proposing. Determined to reduce the deficit, House Republicans want discretionary funding cut back to FY2022 levels with the possible exception of defense and medical care for veterans.

House Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) asked Nelson to provide an analysis of the impact on NASA if FY2024 funding is capped at the FY2022 level. NASA’s FY2024 request is $27.1 billion, a 7.1 percent increase over its FY2023 appropriation of $25.4 billion. Congress appropriated $24.0 billion for FY2022.

However, Nelson postulates that if DoD and the Department of  Veterans Affairs are exempted and the goal remains to keep total discretionary funding at the FY2022 level, deeper cuts would have to be made in the other parts of the discretionary budget, a reduction of up to 22 percent. That would give NASA just $19.8 billion, Nelson wrote. As an example, the Artemis IV mission would be “substantially delayed” if NASA was capped at FY2022. (3/22)

Boeing, Embry-Riddle Partner on $5.1 Million Center to Advance Aerospace Safety (Source: ERAU)
The Boeing Company has provided Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University with a $5.1 million donation for a research center that will drive safety improvements throughout the industry. The newly named Boeing Center for Aviation and Aerospace Safety at Embry-Riddle, charged with advancing the safety of all who fly, will conduct independent research aimed at mitigating known and emerging operational safety risks.

The Boeing Center for Aviation and Aerospace Safety at Embry-Riddle will be housed in a 13,000-square-foot building on Embry-Riddle’s Daytona Beach, Florida, campus that is currently under renovation. This building, which is expected to open in January 2024, will feature offices and lab space as well as a dedicated classroom for safety-related professional education courses. The center will foster collaboration across academia, industry and government entities, establishing research partnerships. (3/23)

James Webb Space Telescope is so Powerful it Discovered Sand Storms on a Planet 235 Trillion Miles Away (Source: Business Insider)
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has proven just how powerful it is with its latest discovery: sand storms swirling on a planet 40 light-years from Earth, or about 235 trillion miles away. One of Webb's greatest powers is its ability to decipher what's going on in alien atmospheres.

From its vantage point in space, Webb can peer at a distant world and analyze the entire infrared spectrum of starlight passing through the planet's atmosphere. Different spectra of light correspond to different elements, so Webb can show astronomers exactly which gases and vapors are in another world's atmosphere. (3/22)

Startup Metaspectral Looks to Australia for Catalyst Program (Source: SpaceQ)\
Vancouver based startup Metaspectral, a remote sensing software company, has been accepted into the Venture Catalyst Space at the University of South Australia’s Innovation & Collaboration Centre (ICC). The five month program started March 1st and has seven startups in this cohort, four from Australia, 1 from India, another jointly from New Zealand/Japan and the Metaspectral. The Catalyst program has featured 29 startups since its inception in 2018. (3/22)

Firms Join Forces to Boost Satellite Launch Ambitions at Prestwick Spaceport (Source: Daily Record)
Two firms involved in ambitious Prestwick Spaceport plans have joined forces. Spirit AeroSystems, Inc. and Astraius Ltd. have announced a collaboration to enhance future satellite launch capabilities from Prestwick Spaceport. During a visit to the site by Scottish Government Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism, and Enterprise Ivan McKee, the companies commemorated the announcement with a signing ceremony. (3/22)

In a $3 Billion Bet, Space Force Envisions Tactical Anti-Jam SATCOM Keeping Enemy EW at Bay (Source: Breaking Defense)
The Space Force is planning to spend slightly more than $3 billion between fiscal 2024 and 2028 for its multi-pronged effort to develop new jam-resistant satellite communications (SATCOM) systems to ensure warfighters on the battlefield can stay securely connected in the face of ever-improving adversary electronic warfare systems. The funds would support the disparate pieces of Space Systems Command’s complex Protected Anti-Jam Tactical SATCOM (PATS) family of systems.

PATS was initiated in 2018 to take over the tactical mission of the current Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellites, which provide highly encrypted communications for both strategic and tactical needs. The goal is to provide a resilient SATCOM architecture by using multiple types of satellites with better encryption that are dispersed over various orbits to flummox adversary jamming attempts — with US national security planners fully expecting sophisticated electronic warfare attacks against satellites in future conflicts. (3/22)

USSF Announces University Consortium Research Opportunity – “xGEO Operations and SDA” (Source: USSF)
In partnership with the Air Force Research Laboratory and Universities Space Research Association, the United States Space Force announced the establishment of a new University Consortium Research Opportunity addressing space science and technology challenges today. The research focus areas for this UCRO will include Beyond Geostationary Earth Orbit (xGEO) Operations and Space Domain Awareness (SDA); and will facilitate applied research to develop transformational space domain technology.

This ground-breaking initiative advances capabilities that can be transitioned and integrated into current and future USSF space systems. The xGEO Operations and SDA team will be comprised of at least three research institutions, including a lead university. The teams of universities selected are encouraged to collaborate and partner with other universities, AFRL, DARPA and industry to address space research, development, and demonstration needs. (3/22)