April 30, 2023

SpaceX Launches SES O3b Satellites From Florida (Source: Spectrum News)
Despite a severe thunderstorm warning and pushbacks, SpaceX successfully launched the SES O3b mPOWER mission on Friday evening. A Falcon 9 rocket launched two O3b mPOWER satellites from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport for SES, owner and operator of the satellites. The first stage booster was recovered downrange on a droneship. (4/28)

SpinLaunch Strengthens Advisory Board (Source: SpinLaunch)
SpinLaunch, a pioneering space company enabling rapid, cost-effective space access, has announced that Dómhnal Slattery has joined the SpinLaunch team as a strategic advisor to the company. He recently participated in the company’s Series B investment round. (4/25)

Azerbaijan Delegation Attends Space Technology Conference in Tashkent (Source: Azercosmos)
A delegation of the Azercosmos, the Space Agency of Azerbaijan, will be attending the "Space Technology Conference" held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on April 24-27. Taking place already for the second time in Eurasia region, conference brings together national space agencies from Central Eurasia and the international space community. (4/30)

NASA Tests Critical In-Flight Capability During RS-25 Engine Hot Fire (Source: NASA)
NASA carried out a critical hot fire of the redesigned RS-25 engine April 26 at Stennis Space Center in Mississippi, demonstrating the gimbaling, or pivoting, capabilities needed to stabilize a rocket during a launch and flight to space. Operators at the nation’s largest propulsion test site conducted the first gimbal test of the current RS-25 engine certification series on the Fred Haise Test Stand. The certification series is supporting lead engine contractor Aerojet Rocketdyne as it prepares to produce additional RS-25 engines for future SLS (Space Launch System) flights. (4/26)

Moon Lander Crash Wipes Out Half of Startup ispace’s Value (Source: Bloomberg)
Tokyo-based Ispace Inc.’s shares slumped for the third straight day after the failure of its moon lander, erasing about $600 million, or almost half, of the company’s value. (4/28)

UK Takes Over Leadership of International Charter Space and Major Disasters (Source: Gov.UK)
The UK Space Agency is taking over the leadership of the International Charter Space and Major Disasters, which provides data from satellites to aid disaster response around the world. The UKSA’s six-month leadership will begin with the 49th Board Meeting of the Charter in Edinburgh this week, attended by space agencies and organizations from across the globe. The Charter has 17 members and 270 contributing satellites, supporting people in need in 131 countries. (4/24)

Ovzon Continues to Provide SATCOM-as-a-Service to the Colombian Government (Source: Ovzon)
Ovzon and its Colombian partner Bansat have been awarded an eight-month order to provide mobile satellite connectivity to the UDAPV (Attention Unit for Vulnerable Population), a department within the Colombian Civil Registry. The Colombian government and the UDAPV have previously used the Ovzon SATCOM-as-a-Service solution for different purposes and were very satisfied with the guaranteed connectivity, reliability, performance, mobility, and ease of use. (4/25)

Thales Alenia Signs Space Factory 4.0 Contract with Italian Space Agency (Source: Thales)
Thales Alenia Space and Leonardo won a contract from the Italian space agency (ASI) to conduct the development of the Space Factory 4.0 program in the frame of the Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan. Thales Alenia Space is leading a consortium including Argotec, CIRA and Sitael, to develop an interconnected system with facilities located across Italy, set to start operations by 2026.

As the lead company, Thales Alenia Space will consolidate the country’s expertise in the design, production and testing of satellite components. The consortium will call on advanced automation and digitalization to build advanced satellites in particular in the micro and small satellite segment including the Platino and NIMBUS families. (4/27)

Science Committee Members Introduce Two Bipartisan DOE Partnership Bills (Source: House Science Committee)
The House Science Committee Members introduced two bipartisan bills to further strengthen and secure two of the Department of Energy’s (DOE) most important interagency research partnerships. DOE is a global leader in energy technology development and science innovation with a wide range of assets, including 17 world-class national laboratories and 28 scientific user facilities. By partnering together and combining resources, DOE and agencies like NASA and the National Science Foundation (NSF) tackle some of our most critical national science and technology challenges. (4/27)

New Astronomical Observation Facilities Take Shape in Northwest China (Source: Xinhua)
Several new facilities for astronomical observation are taking shape in the Lenghu area in northwest China's Qinghai Province, which is an ideal spot for watching the stars. Lenghu, on the north side of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, enjoys the advantages of clear night skies, stable atmospheric conditions, and a dry climate, making it one of the world's best observatory sites.

A total of nine optical astronomical telescope projects have been settled in Lenghu so far, with an investment of nearly 2 billion yuan (about 310 million U.S. dollars). Among them, a new solar observation facility started a test run recently. The Infrared System for the Accurate Measurement of Solar Magnetic Field (AIMS) will fill a scientific gap, being the first astronomical telescope working in the mid-infrared wavelength in the world. (4/29)

SpaceX to Spend About $2 Billion on Starship This Year (Source: CNBC)
Elon Musk expects SpaceX to spend about $2 billion on its Starship rocket development this year, as the company pushes to build on its first launch earlier this month. While SpaceX does secondary rounds about twice a year, to give employees and other company shareholders a chance to sell stock, Musk said the company does “not anticipate needing to raise funding” to further bolster the Starship program and its other ventures. (4/29)

Starship Flight Termination Occured ~40 Seconds Later Than Expected (Sources: New York Times, CNBC)
During its brief first flight more than a week ago, the gigantic Starship rocket made by SpaceX generated an unanticipated “rock tornado” at launch, and multiple engines failed as it headed upward before it somersaulted out of control. Then, said Elon Musk in an update delivered Saturday night, the end of the flight was tenser than it should have been. An automated self-destruct command did not immediately destroy Starship. Instead, 40 seconds passed before the rocket finally exploded. During that gap, Musk says "the vehicle's structural margins appear to be better than we expected, as we can tell from the vehicle actually doing somersaults towards the end and still staying intact." (4/29)

Musk said Starship departed its launch pad at an odd angle due to multiple engine failures, possibly thanks to a "rock tornado" caused by a failure of the concrete base beneath the rocket's launch stool. The rock debris could also have damaged the hydraulic system providing thrust vector control. Musk said SpaceX's next Starship launch will engage all of its its engines sooner to ensure a quicker liftoff. He said the rocket is designed to reach orbit with only 30 of its 33 engines operating. (4/30)

Victus Nox: Space Force Readies its 24-Hour Launch Turnaround Test (Source: Breaking Defense)
The Space Force’s upcoming Victus Nox mission aims to push technology to the edge — and might do the same with the contractors and Guardians involved, who will need to be on-site and ready to go around the clock for six months as they wait for Space Systems Command (SSC) to lower the checkered flag on launch.

SSC last September announced it had contracted Millennium to produce the Victus Nox satellite and ground segment, and Firefly Aerospace to provide the launch for its Tactically Responsive Space-3  (TacRS-3) “operational” experiment. Run by SSC’s Space Safari, established to directly respond to urgent launch needs of Space Command and/or other Combatant Commands, TacRS-3 is designed both to prove the feasibility of rapid launch turnaround and develop a space-based neighborhood watch for low Earth orbit. (4/28)

Florida and Japan to Explore Space Collaboration (Source: FL EOG)
Governor Ron DeSantis met with members of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to discuss Japan and Florida’s space and aerospace ecosystems, creating an alliance that will enhance Florida’s place in the global space economy. They also discussed an opportunity to host a joint space symposium parterning with Space Florida next year.

JAXA and Space Florida have begun discussions and collaboration to build a mutually beneficial relationship. The goal of JAXA and Space Florida’s relationship is to pave the way for additional joint projects, information exchange, and commercial space activities. By fostering a collaborative environment between the two countries, the partnership aims to boost the growth of the aerospace industry and create new opportunities for businesses  and individuals alike. (4/26)

Florida Senate Passes Bill Protecting Human Spaceflight Companies (Source: Florida Politics)
SpaceX and Blue Origin, two aerospace companies backed by billionaires, could save money on legal expenses thanks to new protections from a Senate bill. The Senate unanimously passed a bill that gives aerospace companies, like SpaceX and Blue Origin, more liability protection from civil lawsuits if crew members are killed or seriously injured in spaceflights. Senators passed SB 1318 with a vote of 39-0 and no debate on the floor. (4/27)

UAE’s Sultan Al-Neyadi Becomes First Arab Astronaut to Complete Spacewalk (Source: The Hindu)
UAE astronaut Sultan Al-Neyadi has become the first Arab to undertake a spacewalk during Expedition 69 venturing out of the International Space Station (ISS) and completing his spacewalk. The historic spacewalk lasted 7.01 hours in the vacuum of space on the starboard side of the ISS’s truss structure, accomplishing two key objectives. (4/29)

19,000 Undersea Volcanoes Discovered with High-Resolution Radar Satellites (Source: Live Science)
High-definition radar satellites have revealed more than 19,000 undersea volcanoes around our planet, providing scientists with the most comprehensive catalog of seamounts ever created. The new compendium, which was published April 6 in the journal Earth and Space Science(opens in new tab), could provide a better understanding of ocean currents, plate tectonics and climate change.

Prior to this, only one-quarter of Earth's seafloor had been mapped using sonar, which uses sound waves to detect objects hidden underwater. A 2011 sonar census found more than 24,000 seamounts, or undersea mountains formed by volcanic activity. However, there are more than 27,000 seamounts that remain uncharted by sonar, according to the Science article. (4/27)

With a Planned Moon Launch, NASA Must Put Safety First (Source: Scientific American)
Project Artemis needs to exemplify NASA’s commitment to safety when taking humans out of Earth’s atmosphere. In the aftermath of these catastrophes, NASA has repeatedly shifted its approach to safety, which is commendable, but often the agency’s people have ignored red flags and reports that could have prevented astronaut deaths.

To that end, NASA needs to make it possible for agency employees and contractors to point out possible program weaknesses without fear of reprisal. The agency needs to ensure that reporting mechanisms are in working, responsive order and that managers can and will act on safety concerns. It’s our hope that NASA will step up to the task. Still, some NASA staffers, including a whistleblower to whom we have spoken, believe the agency has a long way to go. (4/28)

Spaceport Cornwall Expands Facilities Following Virgin Orbit Failure (Source: Space News)
Spaceport Cornwall, which provided the runway for Virgin Orbit’s failed launch from the U.K. in January, opened a new operations facility April 27 to attract more businesses in the wake of its flagship customer’s bankruptcy.

According to Spaceport Cornwall, part of the Cornwall Airport Newquay in southwestern England, 10 organizations ranging from satellite operators to software providers are interested in moving into the Space Systems Operations Facility (SSOF). They are Avanti Communications, Goonhilly, KISPE, D-Orbit, Exobotics, Expleo, Geospatial Ventures, Satellite Applications Catapult, Space Skills Alliance, and Intelligent AI. (4/28)

Astra, Exotrail Win Satellite Propulsion Orders (Source: Space News)
Astra Space and Exotrail have won orders for satellite electric propulsion systems as they work to scale up production of those products. Astra announced April 27 it won an order for five of its Astra Spacecraft Engines from Apex, a company developing a line of standardized smallsats. The companies did not disclose the terms of the contract but Astra said it would start delivering the engines later this year.

The Astra deal came one day after French propulsion company Exotrail announced it won an order for its spaceware Hall effect thruster from South Korean satellite manufacturer Satrec Initiative. The system will be used on an Earth observation satellite for the South Korean government. The spaceware thruster comes in several configuration, and Exotrail said it sold a “micro XL” version that uses 150 watts of power and produces seven millinewtons of thrust. (4/28)

Turkey Picks Astronaut Candidates (Source: TRT World)
Türkiye has selected Alper Gezeravci and Tuva Cihangir Atasever as the country's first space travelers to be sent into space in the last quarter of this year, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced. Gezeravci, a pilot in the Turkish Air Force, will be sent to the ISS, while Atasever, a system engineer in the Turkish missile producer Roketsan in the field of space launch systems, was chosen as the reserve candidate. Türkiye established the Turkish Space Agency in 2018. (4/29)