April 11, 2023

Space Force CTIO: Let’s ‘Leap Over’ Tech Debt and Start New (Source: Air and Space Forces Magazine)
While leaders have touted the Space Force as the U.S.’s first digital service, it still faces plenty of technological shortcomings, Chief Information and Technology Officer Lisa Costa said recently. And instead of trying to update all of its outdated IT, the service might be better served by simply starting fresh and building from scratch, she suggested. Such an approach, referred to as “greenfielding” within the IT community, would be similar to how the Space Development Agency has established its own processes for acquiring and launching satellites, Costa said. (4/11)

National Space Council Director Jacob Middleton Ascends to Brigadier General (Source: GovCon Daily)
Vice President Kamala Harris presided over a ceremony for the promotion of Jacob Middleton, director of national security space policy at the National Space Council, to the rank of brigadier general. In his new rank, Middleton will continue to support the development and implementation of policy and strategy to synchronize civil, commercial and national security space initiatives, the U.S. Space Force said Thursday. (4/11)

FCC Holds Kickoff Event for Space Bureau & Office of International Affairs (Source: Executive Gov)
The Federal Communications Commission held a public event on Tuesday, April 11, to mark the official launch of its new Space Bureau and Office of International Affairs as part of a reorganization effort. The bureau will oversee policy and licensing matters related to satellite and space-based communications to foster a competitive communications marketplace worldwide, FCC said Friday. It is positioned to play a key role in coordinating with other U.S. government agencies on space policy and governance and promote the efficient use of scarce spectrum and orbital resources, in addition to other responsibilities. (4/11)

D-Orbit to Develop Radar Imaging Satellite for Italian IRIDE Constellation (Source: D-Orbit)
D-Orbit has won a contract to provide one satellite for an Italian imaging constellation. D-Orbit said last week it won the contract, valued at 26 million euros ($28 million), to build a single radar imaging satellite for the IRIDE constellation. The contract includes an option for a second such satellite valued at 24 million euros. IRIDE is a constellation of up to three dozen satellites wth optical and radar imaging payloads that will launch in 2025 and 2026. (4/11)

Australia's Paladin Space Developing Space Debris Scoop (Source: Cosmos)
An Australian company is working on technology it claims can capture small space debris. Paladin Space says it has designed a system that can capture debris without the use of nets or grappling arms. Instead, debris is directed by an armored scoop in the front on the spacecraft into its interior, where a Kevlar sheet acts as a trash compactor to secure the debris. The technology is designed to work with small debris fragments. The company has not disclosed a schedule for testing the technology in space. (4/11)

Report: U.S. Military Satellite Antennas Overdue for Upgrades (Source: Space News)
The ground terminals used to operate U.S. military and intelligence satellites are running out of capacity and in dire need of upgrades, warns a new report from the Government Accountability Office. GAO auditors spent more than a year investigating the state of the Satellite Control Network, operated by the U.S. Space Force. The network of 19 parabolic antennas, first established in 1959, is distributed across seven locations around the world. (4/10)

New NASA Director Swears Oath on Carl Sagan Book Instead of Bible (Source: Futurism)
If you look closely at the photo that accompanies NASA's press release about the new director of the Goddard Space Flight Center, you'll see something both curious and delightful — that she's taking her oath not on the Bible, or any other conventional holy book, but on a copy of Carl Sagan's 1994 "Pale Blue Dot."

Indeed, as NASA Watch's Keith Cowing spotted following Dr. Makenzie Lystrup's swearing in last Friday, the first woman ever to lead the Maryland space center marked the occasion with a nod to that other star enthusiast, the late Sagan. "Normally I just pass on these staged pics," Cowing wrote. "But people have noticed something unusual about this photo." (4/10)

Virgin Orbit Proposes Expedited Sale Auction, Whole or In Parts (Source: Space News)
Virgin Orbit is proposing an expedited sale of the company or its assets that could be completed by the end of next month. In a filing with a federal bankruptcy court, the company proposed a schedule for a sale of the company that would solicit bids in early May, concluding with an auction May 18. It added that it is open to selling some of its assets rather than the whole company. Virgin Orbit filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy a week ago as it ran out of cash. The company noted in court filings that it had been working with Goldman Sachs back in early 2022 to raise money or sell the company after a SPAC merger generated far less capital than originally projected. (4/11)

Rocket Lab Moves NASA Launches From Virginia to New Zealand (Source: Space News)
Rocket Lab is moving two Electron launches of NASA cubesats from Virginia to New Zealand. The company said Monday that the launches of the TROPICS cubesats, originally planned to take place from its Launch Complex 2 on Wallops Island, Virginia, will instead take place from Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand. The launches are scheduled for April 30 and May 15. Rocket Lab did not disclose the reason for the shift other than to ensure that the satellites are launched in time to enter service this summer to monitor tropical storm development. A Northrop Grumman Antares launch is scheduled for early May from a pad adjacent to Rocket Lab's pad at Wallops. (4/11)

China Picks Asteroid for Redirection Test (Source: Space News)
China has selected an asteroid it will target for a planetary defense demonstration mission. That mission will launch in 2025 on a Long March 3B and collide with 2019 VL5, a near-Earth asteroid about 30 meters across. The mission hopes to change the velocity of the asteroid by about five centimeters per second, enough to create a noticeable change in its orbit and prove that such kinetic impactors can be effective in deflecting potentially hazardous asteroids. The mission also includes an observer spacecraft that will study the asteroid after the impact. (4/11)

Space Companies Try Transparent Pricing (Source: Space News)
There is a growing trend among space companies to offer transparent pricing of their services to customers. Within the space sector, long known for opaque pricing, transparency is gaining traction as several companies are now publishing prices for space-related goods and services. That is particularly true in the Earth observation market as companies offer standard pricing for optical or radar imagery. That shift, said one investor, is a sign of a growing, standardized industry versus a smaller one that does customized work for each customer. (4/11)

Sidus Space and L3Harris Team for the Department of Defense Mentor-Protégé Program (Source: Sidus Space)
Sidus Space is teaming with L3Harris Technologies (NYSE:LHX) for the Department of Defense Mentor-Protégé Program (MPP). The DoD program helps businesses expand their footprint in the defense industrial base by supporting their partnering efforts with larger companies, such as L3Harris. The MPP is designed to enhance Sidus’ capabilities to operate more effectively within the DoD supplier base, enabling the company to more efficiently reach its vision of making space data accessible and actionable to a broad range of customers. (4/11)

NASA Confirms First Radar-Observed Meteor Fall Seen in Maine (Source: WABI)
Just before noon on Saturday, eyewitnesses reported seeing a bright fireball in the sky. Shortly after the sighting, folks reported a loud sonic boom near Calais. NASA reviewed the the radar for that time frame, and discovered the first radar-observed meteor fall seen in Maine. So far, there has been no report of finding any actual meteors or pieces on the ground. But if anyone in the area spots and suspects any rocks found, the Astronomy Center can point you in the right direction. (4/10)

Practical Applications of a Space Mission Authorization Framework (Source: Space News)
The National Space Council recently completed three public listening sessions on the issue of In-Space Authorization and Supervision, often described broadly as mission authorization. These terms seem vague and bureaucratic, and mainly the purview of regulators and lawyers. However, given the importance that mission authorization plays in encouraging innovation in a rapidly growing space economy, it’s too important to be left to those folks alone.

Let’s demystify the concept and explain some of the practical aspects that we expect to happen as exciting new space activities come to market. Satellite refueling, human spaceflight, space nuclear power, and even asteroid mining are only a few examples of the missions that will drive the space economy from the half-trillion dollars it is today to between $1-3 trillion dollars over the next two decades.

If today’s rapid pace of change continues, the space economy of 2040 will involve over 100,000 space objects in multiple orbits, include a robust set of permanent lunar activities, and extend benefits to us on Earth far greater than we’ve seen heretofore. Government regulation, including mission authorization, needs to enable these missions rather than hinder them. Click here. (4/11)

First Four (Source: Space Review)
Last week, NASA announced the four astronauts who will fly on Artemis 2, the first crewed SLS/Orion mission. Jeff Foust reports on the crew selection and plans for that first human mission beyond low Earth orbit in more than half a century. Click here. (4/10)
 
The Spaceport Bottleneck (Source: Space Review)
The handful of US spaceports that host orbital launches are straining to keep up with growing launch demand. Tom Marotta examines this bottleneck and one potential solution for it. Click here. (4/10)
 
How Satellites and Space Junk May Make Dark Night Skies Brighter (Source: Space Review)
Astronomers have warned for several years that the growing population of satellites would interfere with their observations, but often could not quantify their effects. Jessica Heim describes research research that put a dollar value on how growth in space objects will affect one observatory. Click here. (4/10)

NASA Awards Contract for High-Resolution Synthetic Aperture Radar (Source: Space Daily)
NASA has awarded a sole source Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) to Capella Space Corporation of San Francisco to provide high-resolution Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) (0.5 meter to 1.2 meters) commercial Earth observation data products. Under this agreement, the government will issue fixed-price BPA Calls for these products, at a not-to exceed value of $7 million per Call. The work will be performed at the contractor's facilities, and other locations as specified in individual Calls issued. The period of performance is for five years from the effective date of the agreement. (4/11)

Fish-Inspired, Self-Charging Electric Battery May Help Power Space Applications (Source: Space Daily)
A research lab at Penn State will equally share a three-year, $2.55 million grant from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) with three other teams at Carnegie Mellon University and the Adolphe Merkle Institute of the University of Fribourg in Switzerland. The multidisciplinary research collaboration aims to develop a framework for the design and production of soft, self-charging, bio-inspired power sources for applications in space.

The team will fabricate and produce the multifunctional polymer- or hydrogel-based power sources. The inspiration for such a power source comes from the charge-separation principle used by electric fish, which have organs that produce electrical discharges for predation and defense. (4/11)

Northrop Grumman Expands Space Technology Capabilities in Huntsville (Source: Space Daily)
Northrop Grumman cut the ribbon on a new, two-building campus located just outside of Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, expanding its launch and missile defense development capability. This campus will be home to over 1,000 Northrop Grumman employees in the Huntsville area. The facilities will include a hardware-in-the-loop integration lab creating an end-to-end environment for engineers to best utilize the DevSecOps methodologies to develop, test, mirror and qualify integrated systems across the Missile Defense engagement chain. (4/11)

Sustainability in Space Means Holding Satellite Launchers Accountable (Source: NPR)
The more objects we launch into orbit, the denser the traffic becomes to navigate. One potential solution? Apply ideas of green sustainability to the companies and governments that do the launching, says MIT's Danielle Wood. The effort begins with the Space Sustainability Rating (SSR), an incentive system modeled after LEED certifications for green buildings. The system is multifaceted, considering aspects like collision preparedness, information sharing and future debris reductions. At least one company has already applied for and received a certification using the SSR. That initial rating was bronze, the lowest of four possible ratings. (4/10)

SpaceX’s Starship is Waiting for FAA Approval of an Orbital Launch Attempt (Source: The Verge)
Last week, SpaceX announced it’s poised to launch the fully stacked Starship spacecraft for a first orbital flight test following a launch rehearsal this week and pending regulatory approval. “The FAA will make a license determination only after the agency is satisfied SpaceX meets all licensing, safety and other regulatory requirements,” an FAA spokesperson stated.

According to the FAA’s Operations Plan Advisory, the Super Heavy might be slated for launch on April 17th, with backup dates for each subsequent day after through the 22nd. Sources communicating to Ars Technica say SpaceX is working closely with the FAA and that it’s expected that the regulatory body will finally provide a license. (4/10)

Three More Countries Join Pledge Against Destructive ASAT Tests (Source: Space Policy Online)
With little fanfare, three more countries recently joined the U.S.-led pledge not to conduct destructive antisatellite tests in space. The Netherlands, Austria and Italy bring the total to 13 countries who have agreed to avoid ASAT tests that leave hundreds or thousands of pieces of space debris in their wake, threatening not only satellites, but the International Space Station. Vice President Kamala Harris announced the US would not conduct debris-generating direct-ascent ASAT tests almost exactly one year ago. She urged other countries to join the pledge and nine more did by the end of the year: Canada, New Zealand, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Australia, Switzerland and France. (4/9)

Council Seeks to Speed Workforce Clearance Process (Source: FNN)
Leaders charged with overseeing the government’s personnel vetting processes have established ambitious new goals for how long it should take to clear individuals for government service. Top officials on the Suitability, Security and Credentialing Performance Accountability Council testified about the personnel vetting process before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence last Wednesday.

The new goals for end-to-end vetting are 25 days for public trust eligibility, 40 days for secret-level security clearance and high-risk public trust eligibility, and 75 days for top-secret eligibility. The current goals are 75 days for secret-level eligibility and 114 days for top-secret, while there isn’t a statutory goal for lower tier, public trust positions. (4/3)

Russia Starts Manufacturing its First Rokot-M Carrier Rocket, Without Ukrainian Components (Source: TASS)
Russia has started manufacturing a number of components for the first Rokot-M carrier rocket that will be equipped with a domestic control system in place of the previously used Ukrainian-manufactured system, CEO of the Khrunichev Space Center (the rocket’s developer) Alexey Varochko told TASS. (4/9)

Russia to Adjust Angara Rockets for Deliveries of Modules to New Orbital Outpost (Source: TASS)
Russia is set to adjust its Angara carrier rockets for deliveries of modules to the future Russian Orbital Station (ROS), CEO of the Khrunichev Space Center Alexey Varochko told TASS. In April 2021, then-Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov said that the condition of the International Space Station left much to be desired and Russia might focus on creating its own orbital outpost. Work on the future orbital station’s conceptual design is currently underway. (4/10)

Interview with First Deputy General Director of Roskosmos (Source: Interfax)
In an interview with Interfax correspondents Alexander Belov and Artem Rukavov, First Deputy General Director of the state corporation Roscosmos Andrey Yelchaninov spoke about the internal policy of the state corporation, international cooperation and financial estimates for the creation of a promising Russian orbital station. Click here. (4/10)