April 21, 2023

Bigelow is DeSantis' Top Donor for Presidential Bid (Source: TIME)
It’s been a rough two weeks for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Members of Congress from his own state have been endorsing Donald Trump in droves. A crippling gas shortage in South Florida coincided with the governor’s travel from South Carolina to South Korea, fueling a spate of negative headlines and “Where’s Ron?” memes. He’s been dropping in the polls. And perhaps most threatening to his presidential ambitions—some of his donors are pulling out.

But none of that is shaking the confidence of Robert Bigelow, the hotel tycoon Bigelow Aerospace founder who reveals to TIME that he is the largest donor by far to Never Back Down Inc., a super PAC backing DeSantis’s unofficial campaign for President. Bigelow, who was also the single-largest donor to DeSantis’s 2022 gubernatorial reelection bid, confirms that he has already donated a little more than $20 million to Never Back Down. He says that’s just a start. The super-rich businessman plans to continue putting his wealth behind sending the Florida governor to the Oval Office. “I will give him more money and go without food,” Bigelow says. (4/20)

Raymond to Join Axiom Board (Source: Axiom Space)
The first general to lead the U.S. Space Force is joining the board of Axiom Space. The company announced this week that retired Gen. John W. "Jay" Raymond was joining the board and will serve as a strategic adviser on national security space issues. Raymond was the first Chief of Space Operations of the Space Force from the time the service was established in late 2019 to his retirement last November. (4/21)

North Korea Plans Satellite Launch (Source: Yonhap)
North Korea is preparing for the launch of its first reconnaissance satellite. State media reported that Kim Jong-un announced assembly of the satellite was complete and that it would be launched, potentially before the end of the month. The reports did not disclose the capabilities of that satelite. (4/21)

Cygnus Cargo Capsule Departs ISS (Source: NASA)
A Cygnus cargo spacecraft departed from the International Space Station this morning. The station's robotic arm unberthed the NG-18 Cygnus spacecraft from the station and released it at 7:22 a.m. Eastern. The spacecraft used its thrusters to move away from the station, and it will reenter late Friday. The Cygnus had been at the station since November. (4/21)

New FCC Rules Adopted (Source: Space News)
The FCC adopted new rules Thursday governing how operators in non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) share spectrum amid an unprecedented flood of proposed satellites. Operators approved by the FCC in later processing rounds must coordinate with, or show how they will protect, their predecessors under the new measures. However, these protections will be phased out 10 years after the first NGSO system receives a license in a later processing round. That move, said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, is intended to support innovation while limiting the "regulatory privilege" that first-mover systems currently enjoy. (4/21)

Nelson Supports Continuation of 'Wolf Amendment' Restrictions on US/China Space Cooperation (Source: Space News)
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said he supports continuing current restrictions on his agency's ability to cooperate with China. At a hearing by House appropriators this week, Nelson said he felt the Wolf Amendment, which limits NASA's ability to engage in bilateral cooperation with Chinese organizations, was "adequate" and that he had little interest in working with China given a lack of transparency. He further warned of a "space race" between China and the United States in spaceflight, including concerns that, if China got to the south pole of the moon first, it could claim it and prevent NASA from accessing water ice resources there. (4/21)

Space Force Establishes COSMO (Source: Space News)
The Space Force's Space Systems Command is rebranding an office that works on procuring commercial services. The command said its commercial services office is being renamed Commercial Space Office, or COMSO. It will incorporate other organizations that work with the commercial space industry, like SpaceWERX. Brig. Gen. Jason Cothern, deputy commander of Space Systems Command, said it makes sense to bring different organizations under one roof to help improve the government's access to commercial technology while making it easier for companies to seek contracting opportunities. Col. Richard Kniseley, a senior materiel leader at Space Systems Command, has been named head of the office. (4/21)

Space Command Expands International Cooperation (Source: Space News)
U.S. Space Command announced agreements this week with several countries. The command said Thursday it signed an enhanced space cooperation memorandum of understanding with the Australian Defence Space Command to deepen cooperation in military space activities. It also signed a new agreement with the Peruvian National Commission on Aerospace Research and Development and the Peruvian Air Force for space situational awareness data sharing. Under a third agreement, an Italian liaison officer will be assigned to U.S. Space Command. All three agreements were announced at this week's Space Symposium. (4/21)

First Research Flight Images From Innovative Balloon-Borne Telescope (Source: Space Daily)
Astronomers have successfully launched a balloon-borne telescope which has begun capturing images of the Universe on its first research flight. The super pressure balloon-borne Imaging Telescope (SuperBIT) was flown to the edge of space by a helium-filled NASA scientific balloon the size of a football stadium where it will help researchers investigate the mystery of dark matter. SuperBIT has already taken its first images on this flight, showing the "Tarantula Nebula." (4/21)

Space Force Awards Astra New Launch Order for Rocket 4 (Sources: Ars Technica)
Astra Space has been awarded a launch task order for Rocket 4 through the United States Space Force’s Orbital Services Program (OSP)-4 contract. The STP-S29B mission is a Category 2 Mission Assurance launch, which will entail substantial efforts from Astra in tandem with the Government team and its independent mission assurance contractors to support a mission designed for success. The mission is valued at $11.45 million, and is planned for April 2025. (4/21)

Sidus Space Announces Pricing of $10 Million Public Offering (Source: Sidus Space)
Sidus Space announced the pricing of an underwritten public offering of 30,303,030 shares being sold to the public at a combined price of $0.33. The gross proceeds are expected to be approximately $10 million before deducting underwriting discounts, commissions and other offering expenses, and excluding the exercise of the over-allotment option, if any. The offering is expected to close on April 25. Sidus Space intends to use the net proceeds for sales and marketing, operational costs, product development, manufacturing expansion and the remaining proceeds for working capital and other general corporate purposes. (4/20)

More on Virgin Orbit's Bankruptcy Plan, and Launch Failure Investigation (Sources: Reuters, SPACErePORT)
On Wednesday, the company proposed a May 4 deadline for indications of interest for its assets, asking the court to approve bid procedures including interest deadlines, and a bid deadline of May 14. "We expect the filing of the plan and disclosure statement will help us to efficiently conclude the Chapter 11 process once we have completed the sale of the company," said Dan Hart. The company is seeking the sale of its assets, after laying off roughly 85% of its 750 employees.

Meanwhile, the company is making progress toward identifying the cause of its UK launch failure. They have recreated the issue that caused January’s launch anomaly, and this week demonstrated that their fix is effective..."as we move to clear for next launch later this year." A key element to the investigation focusing on the filter in the fuel tank outlet, which apparently dislodged and traveled into the Newton-4 engine. A modified design, that has now been verified through test, has been incorporated into the next rocket which is planned for flight from Mojave Air and Space Port later this year. (4/20)

From Galileo to the Lunar Gateway: Mapping Italy’s Growing Space Industry (Source: Space News)
Today, Italy plays a vital role in space missions and activities worldwide, far more so than is often acknowledged. In 1964, Italy was only the third nation (after the United States and the USSR) to build a satellite and manage its launch. Much of the International Space Station was built by Italian companies under the direction of the Italian Space Agency (ASI), and Italian astronauts were the first Europeans to join an ISS mission. Italy also manufactures much of the Cygnus spacecraft, which is a major part of the ISS commercial resupply program. Click here. (4/19)

Space Forge Reveals Plans for U.S. Manufacturing (Source: Space News)
Space Forge announced plans April 19 to expand its U.S. presence to include manufacturing. The Cardiff, Wales-based startup focused on fabricating high-value materials in space is looking for a U.S. location for manufacturing ForgeStar satellites and payloads for U.S. customers. “We are engaged in conversations with multiple states to identify the best location to our new US HQ,” Tarek Waked, Space Forge board member and investor, said by email.

Among potential U.S. customers, Space Forge sees strong interest in on-orbit semiconductor manufacturing. The combination of the war in Ukraine, U.S. passage of the CHIPS Act and reshoring initiatives “is leading to a surge in sovereign and allied semiconductor capability,” Western said. “We’ve seen a strengthening of Five Eyes and the AUKUS Alliance. We’re positioning ourselves well across those allied partners to be able to deliver.” (4/19)