April 27, 2023

South Korean Hydrogen Venture Plans Florida Facility, with Space Florida Support (Source: FLGov)
Florida has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with South Korea-based LowCarbon Hydrogen Corporation to create a research hub for clean hydrogen technology in Florida. The company plans to develop a clean hydrogen facility in Polk County, Florida, and  The company is collaborating with Space Florida to support the development and deployment of clean hydrogen and related technologies for aerospace and space industry launch applications. (4/26)

South Korean Hydrogen Venture Plans Florida Facility, with Space Florida Support (Sources: Oil & Gas Watch, Korea Economic Daily, Florida EOG)
In December 2022, the South Korea-based company LowCarbon America Corporation announced plans to develop a hydrogen plant in Polk County, Florida. The new plant would produce "blue" hydrogen fuel using fracked natural gas and carbon capture technology. According to the company, the captured carbon dioxide would be used to make calcium carbonate and sodium carbonate, both of which can be used as building materials. The hydrogen produced at the facility would be transported using high-pressure hydrogen trailers and sold to fueling stations across the U.S.

In February 2022, LowCarbon, Space Florida, and Tampa-based Ocean Green Hydrogen signed an MOU to support the project, to develop and cooperate on Florida's clean hydrogen hub, including the Kennedy Space Center, and to install carbon capture utilization storage (CCUS) and direct air capture (DAC) facilities within the aerospace industry complex. During his April 2022 trip through Asia, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis added a visit to South Korea where he basically re-packaged and re-signed the Space Florida MOU with LowCarbon Hydrogen Corp. to give the project added visibility. The project is set to break ground in Florida in June 2023. (4/28)

Dock Access has Port Canaveral, Commercial Space Companies in Conflict (Source: Florida Today)
Port Canaveral commissioners are pushing back on a request from officials of three commercial space companies, who say their industry should, in effect, get the first crack at leasing port land along the water when it becomes available. Officials of Blue Origin, Relativity Space and Stoke Space Technologies told port commissioners in a letter that they want Port Canaveral's charter changed to assure that commercial space launch companies get a chance to lease areas along the waterside at the port when existing leases with other parties are not renewed or are canceled, or when new commercial property is added to the port.

Port CEO John Murray said SpaceX ― which currently is the port's major space-related customer and did not sign the letter to port commissioners ― works well with Port Canaveral, and moves its idle ships and barges to different areas at and near the port as necessary to avoid conflicts with cruise and cargo ship traffic at the port. He also noted that SpaceX has such a frequent cadence of launches from the Space Coast that its vessels often are out to sea, and not in need of dock space at the port.

Dale Ketcham, Space Florida's vice president for government and community relations, said his agency is spearheading a wharf study related to finding solutions to the issues the commercial space companies raised. The first phase of study ― which should be completed by the fall ― includes whether there also may be alternative locations the commercial space companies could use, including at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station or on NASA property. A second phase of the study then will determine whether other Florida ports could be added to the mix for the space companies to use. (4/28)

Mysterious Near-Earth Asteroid Phaethon Just Got Even Weirder (Source: Gizmodo)
A comet-like asteroid has been flaunting a tail of material as it approaches the Sun. But unlike its cometary counterparts, a fresh look at asteroid Phaethon reveals, this tail is made of sodium rather than dust, as was previously thought. The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), a joint mission between NASA and the European Space Agency, recorded new observations of Phaethon as it passed near the Sun in May 2022.

In the recently captured images, the asteroid’s tail appears bright in the orange, sodium-sensitive filter, while not appearing in the blue, dust-detecting filter. This suggests that Phaethon’s tail is the result of the emission of sodium atoms rather than dust escaping the surface of the asteroid during its solar flyby. (4/26)

New Horizons Should Remain a Planetary Mission (Source: SpaceFlight Insider)
A little-known proposal is threatening the future of NASA’s New Horizons mission. This needs to change, as the public has the right to know that one of this country’s most successful planetary missions is in danger of being shut down before its time. Eventually, when it leaves the Kuiper Belt, New Horizons will concentrate solely on the heliophysics of the outer solar system. But for now, it still has sufficient fuel to continue studying the Kuiper Belt for another five years. It is the only vehicle in place to conduct in situ studies of this region. (4/28)

Space Force to Use New Contractor Penalty Tool (Source: Breaking Defense)
The US Air Force has created a Contractor Responsibility Watch List that could be used to disqualify under-performers from future awards. The list has not been used to date, but space acquisition head Frank Calvelli says it will be used by the Space Force. If contractors are put on the CRWL for failure to meet cost and schedule performance goals, he explained, the Space Force has “the ability at that point not to award them any new contracts.” (4/27)

Alabama Lawmakers ‘Beyond Frustration’ Over Space Command (Source: AL.com)
U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, told the leader of the Air Force today that Alabama lawmakers “are beyond the point of frustration with the continued delay in announcing the final decision” on a permanent location for the U.S. Space Command headquarters. Both Rogers and fellow Alabama congressman Dale Strong, both Republicans on the committee, asked Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall repeatedly during a budget hearing for an explanation of the continued delay.

A Pentagon review process designed to take politics out of base location decisions, which mean growth and money for winning cities, ranked Huntsville’s Redstone Arsenal the best choice among finalists. Former President Donald Trump put politics back into the selection by saying he personally made the decision for Alabama announced late in his term. Colorado lawmakers have used Trump’s statement to delay a final decision the new command’s final home. Kendall did not address the base issue in his opening statement or respond directly to questions about it.

Meanwhile, it remains in Colorado Springs where it was started while lawmakers there try to get President Biden to reverse the decision. “The political games must end,” Rogers said. “Your continued handwringing is delaying SPACECOM’s full operational capability and undermining our ability to defend this nation,” Rogers said. “You need to end this charade and make the announcement,” Rogers concluded. (4/27)

DoD Approves Next Step for GPI to Defend Against Hypersonic Missiles (Source: Breaking Defene)
Pentagon overseers have given the Missile Defense Agency the green light to take the next step in developing the Glide Phase Interceptor (GPI), designed to shoot down hypersonic missiles before they begin the high-speed maneuvers that make them hard to engage, according to a senior MDA official. Officials on April 21 signed off on initiation of GPI’s “technology development” phase. “We have to mature multiple critical technologies to develop and deliver that weapons system, but it’s going to give us now the layered  defensive approach that we’ve had for years with ballistic missiles to the hypersonic threat as well.” (4/27)

Raytheon Shifts Strategy for SDA Satellite Work (Source: Space News)
Raytheon Technologies sees itself as a supplier to satellite makers on future Space Development Agency contracts, shifting roles as the company finishes the manufacture of seven satellites for the SDA. "Being in a mission prime position hasn't yielded the results that we were looking for, and we're now focused on a merchant strategy," said the company's David Broadbent. (4/27)

Russian 'Inspector' Satellite Chases Secret US Military Satellite (Source: Business Insider)
A mysterious Russian satellite and a confidential US military satellite appear to be engaged in a cat-and-mouse chase through space. The Russian spacecraft, called Kosmos-2558, was launched into the same orbital plane as the US satellite, called USA-326, in August 2022 and has regularly passed close to the American spacecraft ever since.

The behavior of Kosmos-2558, and the lack of a formal explanation from Russia, has led space observers to believe that the probe is stalking USA-326. It's at least the third satellite Russia has launched that appears to be an "inspector" — a spacecraft aiming to gather up-close data on another satellite. (4/27)

Space Shuttle Module Arrives in Houston for Reuse on Axiom Space's Commercial Station (Source: Houston Chronicle)
NASA's Super Guppy aircraft landed Tuesday at Ellington Field in Houston with a piece of NASA history that will soon get a new life. The plane's massive nose swung open to reveal a space shuttle Multi-Purpose Logistics Module. This pressurized module, called Raffaello, was used on four shuttle missions to transfer cargo and supplies to the International Space Station. Houston-based Axiom Space will now use it as a research and manufacturing facility for the commercial space station it's building. (4/27)

Partners Extend International Space Station for Benefit of Humanity (Source: NASA)
The United States, Japan, Canada, and the participating countries of ESA (European Space Agency) have confirmed they will support continued space station operations through 2030 and Russia has confirmed it will support continued station operations through 2028. NASA will continue to work with its partner agencies to ensure an uninterrupted presence in low Earth orbit, as well as a safe and orderly transition from the space station to commercial platforms in the future. (4/27)

China to Establish Organization to Coordinate International Moon Base (Source: Space News)
China National Space Administration will soon set up an organization to oversee and coordinate the China-led International Lunar Research Station. Wu Weiren, Director General of the Deep Space Exploration Laboratory (DSEL), said the International Lunar Research Station Cooperation Organization (ILRSCO) would soon be established to coordinate and manage the construction of the ILRS moon base. Founding members are expected to sign the agreement on ILRSCO before June. (4/28)

How China's Proposed Chang Zheng 9 Rocket Arrived at the “Starship-Like” Design (Source: NasaSpaceFlight.com)
China has been very agile in developing its super-heavy lift vehicle Chang Zheng 9 (CZ-9). It initially started as a fully expendable rocket, like the Ares V or SLS rockets, but over the years developed into at first a partially reusable concept, and recently, with Starship becoming more real, it changed its design again to become a fully reusable launch vehicle. Today we want to look at the road to that design.

Over the years, head designer Long Lehao, who also managed the Chang Zheng 3 program, has been the most prominent source of updates about the massive rocket, but it also appeared on other stages, such as airshows, and rare updates were provided. It was only in 2021 when CZ-9 shifted into focus again, and since then, it has started a rapid iteration phase, with many designs proposed. In June 2021, the single-body concept, without using side boosters, was mentioned for the first time.

This design would feature two 10.6-meter diameter tanks on the first two stages. The power for the first stage would now be provided by 16 YF-135 RP-1 engines, which produce a thrust of about 360 tonnes each. While reusability was not mentioned in this design, it came in the next step. At the beginning of 2023, grid fins appeared for the first time and the liftoff mass and thrust were raised to 4,369 tonnes and 6,118 tonnes, respectively. The first stage will now feature 30 engines. This design also now features a very Starship-like upper stage, which will allow for the reuse of the second stage, in addition to the already planned reuse of the first stage. (4/27)

DoD Weighing Options to Create ‘Commercial Space Reserve’ (Source: Space News)
The Defense Department is considering ways to partner with commercial space companies so their services can be accessed during national security emergencies. John Plumb, assistant secretary of defense for space policy, said at a House Armed Services Committee strategic forces subcommittee hearing Wednesday that the Pentagon is considering an initiative called "commercial augmentation space reserves" that would be modeled on the Civil Reserve Air Fleet. The proposal would allow the DoD to access commercial space services in an emergency, but details are still being worked out. Plumb said it would take a few months for the Pentagon to provide more details on the proposal to Congress. (4/27)

China Proposes Reusable Long March 9 (Source: Space News)
China proposes to make a large launch vehicle in development fully reusable. Presentations as part of China's national space day revealed plans for a fully reusable version of the Long March 9 that appear to be inspired by Starship. The vehicle in its initial iteration, launching in 2033, will be able to carry 50 tons to a lunar transfer orbit, or 35 when the first stage is recovered. The fully reusable version will carry 80 tons to low Earth orbit, but is not expected to fly until the 2040s. (4/27)

China Proposes Multiple Space Telescopes for Exoplanet Imaging (Source: Space News)
China is also proposing an array of space telescopes to look for habitable exoplanets. The Miyin project envisions sending four light-collecting telescopes and a beam combiner to the Earth-sun L-2 point used by other space telescopes, like JWST. Flying in formation, the spacecraft will use interferometric techniques to provide high angular resolution mid-infrared observations to directly image and characterize exoplanets around stars up to 65 light-years away. In-space technology demonstrations are planned for next year, followed by the launch of a prototype of the array in 2027 and the full five-spacecraft observatory in 2030. (4/27)

Canada's Rogers Links with Lynk and SpaceX for Direct-to-Handset (Source: Global News)
Canadian telecom company Rogers announced Wednesday it is working with both Lynk Global and SpaceX to provide direct-to-handset satellite communications. Rogers, one of Canada's major mobile operators, said it will use existing wireless spectrum to enable communications for devices out of reach of cell towers. That will start with messaging, later expanding to voice and data services. Rogers said it will begin services with Lynk in 2024 but did not set a date for service with SpaceX's Starlink satellites. (4/27)

Czech Republic Signs Artemis Accords (Source: NASA)
The Czech Republic will be the next nation to sign the Artemis Accords. A signing ceremony is scheduled for May 3 at NASA Headquarters, where the Czech Republic's foreign minister will sign the accords. The country will be the 24th to sign the accords regarding best practices for safe and sustainable space exploration. (4/27)

Poll Gauges Americans Opinions on Moon/Mars (Source: YouGov)
A new poll shows more Americans believe NASA will get people to Mars by 2040. The YouGov poll found that 56% of Americans thought it was very or somewhat likely that NASA will land people on Mars by 2040, compared to 49% in a July 2022 poll. The same poll found that 64% of Americans favor sending astronauts to the moon and 57% favor sending astronauts to Mars. (4/27)

Voyager 2 Could Keep Running with Power Tweak (Source: NASA JPL)
A tweak in the operations of the Voyager 2 spacecraft should allow instruments to remain running for several more years. Declining power from the spacecraft's RTG would have required the project to shut down an instrument this year. Engineers instead decided to turn off a voltage regulator, freeing up power it had been using for the instruments. Without the regulator there is greater risk of voltage fluctuations, but the power system has been stable on the spacecraft. With the voltage regulator off, there should be enough power to operate all the current instruments to at least 2026. (4/27)

Albedo Catches Space Force Eyes with Ultra-High Fidelity Imagery From Very Low Satellites (Source: Breaking Defense)
Barely two years after its founding, Colorado startup Albedo has caught the attention of Space Force intelligence pros with its promise of satellite imagery at a level of detail rivaling that taken by surveillance aircraft — allowing, for example, an analyst to easily count aircraft at an airbase, and even tell which ones have hot engines. Albedo today announced that it has scored its second Direct to Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the Department of the Air Force’s AFWERX commercial innovation hub, bringing Pentagon investment in the firm up to $2.5 million. (4/27)

Lunar Landers Move Markets (Source: Quartz)
What does a failed Moon landing cost a company? For Japan’s ispace, more than $200 million. That’s about how much investors at the Tokyo Stock Exchange knocked off the company’s market capitalization the morning after its Hakuto-R spacecraft failed to land on the Moon. (Some good news, at least, is the company holds the first-ever insurance policy on a lunar lander, which could help it make good on some of its losses.) ispace plans to make at least two more attempts, once on its own and once as part of a team with the US firm Draper, which will fly scientific sensors to the lunar South Pole.

On the other side of the globe at the NASDAQ exchange in New York, stock in Intuitive Machines, a NASA contractor with its own plans to land robots on the Moon, saw its stock surge by more than 20%. Divining the reason behind equity price movement is a mug’s game, but there is a suggestion that the market sees the business of going to the Moon as a zero-sum game. Intuitive Machines is expected to launch two landers in June and November 2023 onboard Falcon 9 rockets. (4/27)

Out of Gas in Orbit? This US Space Company is Here to Help (Source: Space Daily)
The US company Orbit Fab is aiming to produce the go-to "gas stations" in space, its CEO tells AFP, hoping its refueling technology will make the surging satellite industry more sustainable -- and profitable. The solar panels typically attached to satellites can generate energy for their onboard systems such as cameras and radios, but can't help the orbiting objects adjust their positions, explains Daniel Faber, who co-founded the company in 2018. (4/27)

Arianegroup, Eutelsat And Magellium Selected To Improve French Space Surveillance Capabilities (Source: Space Daily)
ArianeGroup, Eutelsat and Magellium have won a contract from the French space agency (CNES), as part of the space component of the France 2030. Investing for the Future plan, with the aim of enhancing space surveillance capabilities in order to substantially improve the security of space operations.

The consortium will provide CNES with a Space Situational Awareness (SSA) data service through the deployment of multi-orbital optical sensors, and the development and implementation of an optical space segment in geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), to complement and enhance the performances of the existing ground-based network operated by ArianeGroup. (4/26)

Space Florida: Starship Launch Underscores Importance of Florida’s Space Ecosystem (Source: Space Florida)
“[Last week's] Starship launch underscores the importance of an ecosystem that enables and supports fundamental change in how we do things, and we are building that system in Florida to allow innovators to imagine, build, launch, recover, and even refurbish and relaunch – all from the Sunshine State. We look forward to a bright future for SpaceX with Starship, doing exactly that – building, processing, launching, and recovering, refurbishing and re-launching right here from Florida’s Spaceport System.

“Space Florida is preparing for a future business climate for space enterprise when manufacturing, mining, tourism, energy production, and other economic activity is occurring in space at scale. Our mission is to make Florida the leading global location and doorway for the reality of a space economy here on the ground and in low earth orbit. We are well on our way to achieving that goal, and Starship continues to open that door!” (4/20)

AE Industrial Partners, Space Florida Partner to Expand Florida’s Aerospace Industry (Source: Space Florida)
AE Industrial Partners, LP (“AEI”), a leader in space investing and a private equity firm specializing in aerospace, defense & government services, space, power & utility services, and specialty industrial markets, announced today a partnership with Space Florida, the state of Florida’s aerospace finance and development authority. The partnership aims to accelerate the growth of Florida’s aerospace and space industries, bringing in investment and creating job opportunities in the state.

As part of the partnership, AE Industrial Partners will leverage Space Florida’s unique funding resources and expertise to help attract and invest in companies that are looking to expand or relocate to Florida. The partnership will also focus on developing a talent pipeline for the industry, building on Florida’s strong academic institutions and workforce development programs. (4/19)

Space Industry Leaders Convene in Florida for Launch Sector Working Group (Source: Space News)
Space Florida will host the 2023 State of the Space Industrial Base Workshop, Commercial Launch Sector Working Group on, May 2-3. The annual workshop, themed “Building Enduring Advantages in Space for Security and Prosperity,” enters its fifth year of bringing together key stakeholders to address the current state and future opportunities in the rapidly evolving space industry. For space experts interested in participating, in-person and virtual registration can be found here. (4/27)

Scientist Anticipates Finding Life Beyond Our Solar System in 25 Years (Source: SpaceFlight Insider)
Several missions that could detect life beyond our solar system are currently in development, Swiss astrophysicist Sasha Quanz said at the recent opening of ETH Zurich‘s Center for the Origin and Prevalence of Life. More than 5,000 exoplanets have been discovered since the first one was found in 1995. The Milky Way galaxy contains over 100 billion stars, and astronomers believe most or all of these stars are orbited by at least one planet.

To be considered habitable, a planet must orbit its star at a distance that allows liquid water to exist on its surface. Scientists at the European Space Agency are discussing a new space telescope titled the Large Interferometer for Exoplanets or LIFE, with capabilities beyond those of JWST. First proposed in 2017 and not yet funded, but under development by ETH Zurich‘s new center, LIFE will be capable of probing Earth-like exoplanet atmospheres to search for molecules produced by biological processes. (4/26)

SpaceX’s Starship Launch Sparked Fire on State Park Land (Source: Bloomberg)
SpaceX’s Starship test launch from southern Texas sparked a 3.5-acre fire and spread debris over hundreds of acres of combined company-owned and state park land, a federal agency said. The April 20 rocket launch severely damaged the launch pad, sending concrete, steel and other objects thousands of feet into the air, the Texas division of US Fish and Wildlife Service said. The fire on state park land south of the launch pad was extinguished.

The launch spread debris across 385 acres of SpaceX land and within Boca Chica State Park, but no dead birds or wildlife were reported, and no debris was documented on the federal wildlife refuge. (4/26)

Firms Lining Up Lunar Landings (Source: Space Daily)
Japan's ispace on Wednesday became the latest company to try, and fail, at a historic bid to put a private lunar lander on the Moon. Only Russia, the United States and China have made the 384,000-kilometer journey and landed safely on the Moon's surface. Here are some of the companies who have made the journey, or plan missions soon: SpaceIL, ispace, Intuitive Machines, Astrobotic, Firefly, etc. Click here. (4/26)

Potential Failure Modes of SpaceX's Starship (Source: Space Daily)
SpaceX's Starship system is still in the development phase with several potential failure modes that could impact its success. Let's explore some of the important potential failure modes of the system. Click here. (4/26)

Hypersonix to Partner with Rocket Lab for Hypersonic Tests (Source: Space Daily)
Hypersonix USA is partnering with established launch provider Rocket Lab USA, Inc for the first launch of DART AE. Defense Innovation Unit's (DIU's) hypersonic and high-cadence testing capabilities (HyCAT) project and its mission partners are prototyping a suite of modern, low-cost, high-cadence, dual-use airborne testing platforms (vehicles) that provide data that accelerates the evaluation of potential systems, concepts, technologies, and mission sets.

Hypersonix was selected to provide a vehicle solution for the HyCAT project. The scramjet engine requires a boost to Mach 5 in order to self-ignite. Once flying at this speed, the oxygen-breathing and hydrogen-fuelled engine, manufactured out of high temperature alloys, is capable of accelerating to speeds of up to Mach 7. Rocket Lab's Hypersonic Accelerator Suborbital Test Electron (HASTE) rocket will safely bring DART AE to its initial operating speed. (4/24)

Texas Groups Fight to Keep SpaceX Non-Disclosure Agreements Private (Source: Texas Public Radio)
SpaceX has drawn ire from Texas residents troubled by skyrocketing housing costs, blocked access to public lands, and launch-related safety and environmental concerns. The seemingly opaque relationships between local officials and Elon Musk’s companies have also produced criticism. Texas Public Information Act (TPIA) requests reveal that not only have public entities in Cameron County signed non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) with SpaceX, but those entities have also sought to keep those NDAs private despite ongoing relationships with the company.

Two NDAs, one signed by the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in April 2020 and another by the Brownsville Public Utilities Board (BPUB) in March 2017, were released only after the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) in Texas ordered them to become public. The city of Brownsville is currently fighting a third request for any NDAs signed with SpaceX, the Musk Foundation, or The Boring Company. City officials have sought OAG opinions arguing against the release of potential NDAs throughout each request, but have not explicitly acknowledged whether any NDAs exist.

The state has allowed the city to withhold potential NDAs due to ongoing development negotiations with an unnamed company involved in the aerospace industry. As it turns out, the prevalence of NDAs is not unique to SpaceX, but mirrors a pattern journalists have noticed while covering Elon Musk. Private companies aren’t allowed to dictate the release of public records. “It’s not up to SpaceX or any other company to tell a government it must send all contracting information requests about the company to the attorney general’s office for a ruling,” Kelley Shannon said. (4/24)

Sweden Launches Research Rocket, Accidentally Hits Norway (Source: Reuters)
A research rocket launched by Sweden Space Corp early on Monday from Esrange Space Center malfunctioned and landed 15 km inside neighboring Norway. The rocket reached an altitude of 250 kilometers where experiments were carried out in zero gravity. "It landed in the mountains at 1,000 meters altitude, and 10 kilometers from the closest settlement," said Philip Ohlsson. There are routines in place when things go wrong and we inform both Swedish and Norwegian governments, and other actors, he said. An investigation is being launched to determine the technical details behind the unplanned flight path, the agency said. (4/25)

Climate Change: Satellite Maps Warming Impact on Global Glaciers (Source: BBC)
Scientists have obtained their best satellite assessment yet of the status of the world's glaciers. Europe's Cryosat satellite tracked the 200,000 or so glaciers on Earth and found they have lost 2,720bn tonnes of ice in 10 years due to climate change. That's equivalent to losing 2% of their bulk in a decade. Monitoring how quickly glaciers are changing is important because millions of people rely on them for water and farming. (4/26)

Virgin Galactic Completes Glide Flight From Spaceport America (Sources: Virgin Galactic, Space News)
"Releasing Unity for a glide flight today is one of the final steps towards commercial spaceline operations," said Virgin Glactic's Mike Moses. "The ability to conduct glide flights -- allowing us to gain critical performance metrics without the need for rocket-power -- is one of the benefits of our distinctive flight system. The data from this validation flight will clear the way for our return to space and, ultimately, lead to the launch of commercial service." This is the first time Unity has flown, powered or unpowered, since its suborbital flight in July 2021. (4/26)

Space Force Acquisition Czar Wraps Program ‘Scorecard,’ Puts Floundering Contractors on Notice (Source: Breaking Defense)
Frank Calvelli, the official in charge of herding space acquisition for the Department of the Air Force, has issued his first “scorecard” on program performance, Breaking Defense has learned — with five programs on the bottom rung and struggling to stay abreast of their requirements. Calvelli “recently delivered an Annual Acquisitions Report” to Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall “with a summary of the cost, schedule, and technical performance of multiple Space Force acquisition programs,” a Space Force spokesperson said.

The scorecard is an internal document, and will not be released to Congress or the public as it “contains assessments of the classic cost, schedule, and technical performance of programs,” the spokesperson added. Calvelli, in his own statement, said, “The intent of the report was to provide a portfolio-level overview on Space Force programs and track year-over-year changes in the number of programs meeting their cost, schedule, and technical performance commitments. (4/25)

Thales Seizes Control of ESA Satellite in First Cybersecurity Exercise of its Kind (Source: Space Daily)
The European Space Agency (ESA) challenged cybersecurity experts in the space industry ecosystem to disrupt the operation of the agency's OPS-SAT demonstration nanosatellite. Participants used a variety of ethical hacking techniques to take control of the system used to manage the payload's global positioning system, attitude control system1 and onboard camera.

Unauthorised access to these systems can cause serious damage to the satellite or lead to a loss of control over its mission. Thales's offensive cybersecurity team worked with the Group's Information Technology Security Evaluation Facility (ITSEF2) for this unique exercise, which demonstrates the need for a high level of cyber resilience in the very specific operating environment of space. (4/25)