Not only is Sidus the first female-founded space company to go public, but your impressive U.S. Naval career includes many other firsts as well. What advice would you give to other women looking to blaze their own trail in historically male dominated industries? How did you successfully navigate breaking those glass ceilings? Click here. (5/21)
NGA Plans New Procurement of Commercial Earth Monitoring Services (Source: Space News)
The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency is planning a new procurement of commercial services to monitor activities from space. “We’re preparing for commercial advancements in analytics through our upcoming Luno contract,” said NGA’s director Vice Adm. Frank Whitworth. Luno is the follow-on to NGA’s economic indicator monitoring (EIM) contract that the agency started in 2021. Nearly $30 million in task orders were awarded to five vendors. An additional $60 million is projected to be spent on task orders over five years. (5/23)
Offshore Spaceport Advances with First-Ever Launch in U.S. Waters (Source: Spaceport Company)
The Spaceport Company successfully tested its mobile floating spaceport prototype yesterday by conducting the first-ever commercial rocket launches from U.S. territorial waters. Multiple rockets were launched in one day from a modified ship located in the Gulf of Mexico.
The offshore spaceport demonstration successfully tested all the procedures necessary to conduct an orbital-class launch: regulatory approvals from the FAA and US Coast Guard, scheduling, control of public access, range surveillance, hazard clearance, airspace integration, anomaly response, and remote launch vehicle ignition at sea. The demonstration was conducted on-schedule and within budget, proving the potential for offshore spaceports to ease congestion at existing launch ranges and expedite delivery of satellites to orbit. (5/23)
Startup Demonstrates Offshore Launch Platform in Gulf of Mexico (Source: Space News)
A startup has demonstrated conducting launches using an offshore platform. The Spaceport Company announced it carried out four launches Monday of sounding rockets built by Evolution Space from a platform in the Gulf of Mexico. The launches were intended to demonstrate the concept of operations of an offshore platform, which The Spaceport Company plans to build to host launches without needing any land-based infrastructure. The company argues that can help reduce congestion at existing launch sites and avoid the cost and regulatory challenges of building new ones. (5/23)
NGA to Map Moon (Source: Space News)
NGA plans to use its terrestrial mapping expertise on the moon. NGA Director Vice Adm. Frank Whitworth said at the GEOINT Symposium Monday that the agency was working with NASA on a project to provide a positioning and navigation system for the moon. NGA will develop a lunar reference system, analogous to the World Geodetic System 1984 (WGS 84) reference system for the Earth, as part of the agency's broader goal to support civil and military space operations. That project is part of a new focus on space for NGA that includes work on space domain awareness. (5/23)
Impact Observatory to Map/Monitor Land Use with AI (Source: Space News)
Impact Observatory unveiled an early access program Monday for IO Monitor, a global mapping and monitoring product. For $1 per square kilometer customers can obtain access to IO Monitor, which pairs artificial intelligence with satellite imagery to classify land use and land cover. The system uses data from Europe's Copernicus Earth observation satellites. (5/23)
A New Tool for Satellite Monitoring of Deforestation (Source: Space Daily)
To understand the big picture of a changing landscape, scientists rely on the National Land Cover Database, which turns Earth-observation satellite (Landsat) images into pixel-by-pixel maps of specific features. Between 2001 and 2016, the database showed that nearly half of the land cover change in the contiguous United States involved forested areas.
"To ensure the quality of National Land Cover Database land cover and land cover change products, it is important to accurately detect the location and time of forest disturbance," said Jin. Jin and team developed a method to detect forest disturbance by year. The approach combines strengths from a time-series algorithm and a 2-date detection method to improve large-region operational mapping efficiency, flexibility, and accuracy. The new technique facilitates more effective forest management and policy, among other applications. (5/19)
Mapping the Shallow Seabed of the Mediterranean Coast Using Satellite Images (Source: Space Daily)
Satellite-derived bathymetry continues to advance and improve rapidly. A recent scientific study has confirmed the effectiveness of a methodology developed to obtain bathymetric data from satellite images in the Western Mediterranean. The results of this research, published in the prestigious International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, reaffirm the value of this tool for monitoring coastal areas with varying turbidity levels and diverse seafloor characteristics.
The study was conducted in Cala Millor (Mallorca, Spain), an ecosystem of great significance due to its marine biodiversity but also its potential vulnerability to the effects of global change. The researchers successfully and accurately mapped its coastal seabed using satellite images from the Sentinel-2 twin satellites. This study represents the first attempt to test this methodology in an area with the presence of Posidonia oceanica, an endemic Mediterranean aquatic plant with significant ecological value. (5/19)
NASA PoISIR Cubesat Mission to Track Ice Clouds (Source: NASA)
NASA has selected for development a cubesat mission to study high-altitude clouds. NASA announced Monday it will fund the Polarized Submillimeter Ice-cloud Radiometer (PoISIR) mission, flying two cubesats with radiometers that will track the formation of ice clouds at high altitudes in tropical and subtropical regions. The mission is part of NASA's Earth Venture Instrument program of low-cost Earth science missions, with a total cost excluding launch of $37 million. (5/23)
SETI Project to Use Mars Signals to Test Alien Signal Decoding (Source: Space.com)
SETI scientists will work this week to decode a cryptic message from Mars. The project, called "A Sign in Space", involves a signal that will be transmitted Wednesday from ESA's Trace Gas Orbiter spacecraft at Mars. Scientists will use three radio telescopes to receive the message and then work to decode it, demonstrating how they would collaborate if they ever received an authentic alien signal. (5/23)
SaxaVord Spaceport Secures $173 Million in Financing, Says UK Should Focus on Commercial Viability (Source: Space Intel Report)
Scotland’s startup SaxaVord Spaceport, which prides itself on being commercially oriented, has secured a $173-million debt package to complete site development and prepare for orbital missions from three launch pads being developed. The funding of 139 million British pounds ($173 million), adds to about 28 million pounds raised from private sources since March 2022 and an estimated 13 million pounds of launch infrastructure investment by Rocket Factory Augsburg (RFA) of Germany. (5/22)
L3Harris Wins IARPA HAYSTAC Contract (Source: Space News)
L3Harris Technologies announced a contract May 22 from the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity to provide technology to help characterize and predict human mobility. Under the IARPA contract in support of the Hidden Activity Signal and Trajectory Anomaly Characterization (HAYSTAC) program, L3Harris will conduct modeling and simulation studies aimed at generating and analyzing human activities based on data obtained by satellites, GPS, Bluetooth and other sources. (5/22)
Saving Skylab the Top Secret Way (Source: Space Review)
NASA launched Skylab 50 years ago this month, but immediately ran into problems that threatened the space station. Dwayne Day examines how the NRO came to the assistance of NASA to get imagery of the station to support rescue efforts. Click here. (5/23)
A Lunar Lander Makeover (Source: Space Review)
NASA announced last week that it selected Blue Origin to develop a second lander for Artemis missions, joining SpaceX’s Starship. Jeff Foust reports on how the company’s Blue Moon lander is significantly different from earlier designs, as well as the challenges NASA faces in getting support for those landers and Artemis in general. Click here. (5/23)
The Dawn of the Age of DART (Source: Space Review)
Last year’s DART mission showed that we have the ability to deflect the trajectory of an asteroid, a key technology for planetary defense. Daniel Deudney describes how that enables capabilities beyond planetary defense, for better or worse. Click here. (5/23)
Orbital Sidekick Satellites Produce First Images (Source: Space News)
Hyperspectral startup Orbital Sidekick has acquired images from its first two satellites. The company said Monday that it achieved "first light" on the satellites, launched in April on a SpaceX rideshare mission. The satellites are part of the six-satellite Global Hyperspectral Observation Satellite constellation, or GHOSt, that will provide frequent revisits, viewing some sites on a daily basis. The company has focused largely on energy and government markets for the hyperspectral imagery those satellites will produce. (5/23)
North Korea's Kim Jong Un Says Spy Satellite Ready for Launch (Source: Space Daily)
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspected the secretive regime's first completed military reconnaissance satellite and "approved the future action plan" for its launch, state-run media reported Wednesday. Kim visited an aerospace facility on Tuesday and examined the satellite, which is "ready for loading after undergoing the final general assembly check and space environment test," according to Korean Central News Agency. He "approved the future action plan of the preparatory committee" for the satellite's launch, although a date was not specified. (5/18)
SpaceX Files Motion to Become Defendant in Boca Chica Spaceport Lawsuit (Source: Parabolic Arc)
SpaceX has filed a motion in US Federal District Court to intervene as a defendant in a lawsuit that environmental groups filed against the FAA in an attempt to void the agency’s approval for the company to launch Starship/Super Heavy rockets from Boca Chica, Texas. "If the Court were to rule in Plaintiffs’ favor, the FAA’s decision could be set aside, and further licensing of the Starship/Super Heavy Program could be significantly delayed, causing severe injury to SpaceX’s business,” the company said in the motion, which was filed on May 19.
SpaceX said it has made a significant investment in the launch vehicle and spaceport since the FAA issued a record of decision (ROD) allowing SpaceX to develop the Boca Chica site in July 2014. Organizations including The Center for Biological Diversity, American Bird Conservancy, Surfrider Foundation, Save RGV, and The Carrizo/Comecrudo Nation of Texas, Inc. filed a lawsuit on May 1 seeking to revoke the FAA’s approvals for the Starship/Super Heavy launches from the Gulf Coast spaceport just north of the Mexican border. (5/22)
Defending Taiwan by Countering China’s Biggest Threat (Source: Space News)
China can damage GPS satellites or deny GPS signals while suffering far fewer impacts from an attack on its space-based assets by the United States. Eliminating this strategic imbalance must be a key part of deterring a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. Fortunately, the beginnings of an allied terrestrial PNT broadcast network already exist in the region. One that can work in concert with GPS or support military vehicles and weapons systems on its own.
South Korea has long maintained a Loran terrestrial broadcast PNT system. For years, it could only provide services by cooperating with adjacent Chinese and Russian broadcasting sites. After experiencing GPS jamming from North Korea, South Korea upgraded its system from Loran-C to eLoran standard. The transition enables it to operate in conjunction with similar Chinese and Russian transmitters or as a stand-alone, sovereign South Korean capability. (5/22)
Former NGA Director Robert Cardillo Joins Synthetaic’s Board of Directors (Source: Space News)
Synthetaic, a startup that uses artificial intelligence to analyze data from space and air sensors, announced May 22 that former director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency Robert Cardillo has joined its board of directors. The Wisconsin-based company made headlines earlier this year when its founder Corey Jaskolski used Planet Labs’ satellite imagery archive to trace the path of the Chinese spy balloon that flew across the United States. (5/22)
NATO Faces Hurdles in Acquiring Commercial Satellite Imagery (Source: Space News)
Commercial satellite imagery is helping NATO address its need for persistent monitoring in spite of cost, technical and licensing issues. “NATO is not all that wealthy and the price for commercial satellite imagery is pretty high,” said Paul Bowman. “There’s a limit to how much NATO is going to be able to invest in that.” Bowman said he’s hopeful that prices for commercial satellite imagery and analytics will decrease as the number of satellite and analytics providers grows. (5/22)
Space Force Turns to Metaverse to Predict Effects of Spaceport Congestion (Source: Space News)
Space launch operations at Cape Canaveral, the nation’s busiest spaceport, were recently replicated in a digital 3D “metaverse” that merged virtual and physical worlds. The demonstration, funded by the Space Force’s Spaceport Integration Office, simulated launches using real-world telemetry data from commercial rockets and Maxar’s high-resolution satellite imagery of Cape Canaveral.
The data was merged using Cesium visualization software, Unreal Engine’s computer graphics game engine and NVIDIA’s Omniverse collaboration platform. The spaceport simulation is an example of how the military can take advantage of metaverse technology, said Jennifer Arnold. Space Launch Delta 45, the unit that oversees the Florida space launch ranges, will use the technology to help plan future operations in the face of growing congestion and increased launch rates. The Space Force, for example, will need to predict demands on the range’s resources and plan upgrades to the communications infrastructure and the sensor network.
Editor's Note: SpaceX's high-tempo launches of Starlink satellites currently dominate the manifest at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport. Congestion should ease significantly once these Falcon-9 missions are complete. Starlink is driving many efficiency improvements at the spaceport, allowing several other launch operators to establish operations here. (5/22)
Exploration Upper Stage Unveiled: Revolutionary Leap in Crew Safety, Cargo Capacity, and Deep Space Power (Source: Space News)
On November 16, 2022, NASA’s SLS rocket was successfully launched as part of the Artemis I Mission. The mission, launched at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, was an uncrewed test flight to validate the rocket component and systems in preparation for future crewed missions. Boeing, which is building the Core Stages for Artemis II, III and IV, as well as the flight avionics suite, is also building the first EUS, which will enable scientific discovery missions like those to the outer planets of the solar system. In size, scope and power, the EUS is like nothing the United States—or any other country on the planet—has ever had in its space fleet.
Starting with Artemis IV, the EUS will be used on the rocket’s advanced Block IB configuration. The EUS will replace the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS), which is currently used on the Block 1 configuration of the SLS rocket, allowing NASA to send astronauts and large payloads to the Moon on a single mission. Compared to the single-engine ICPS, the EUS has larger propellant tanks and four RL10 engines. EUS provides 97,000 pounds of thrust during translunar injection versus nearly 25,000 pounds of thrust from ICPS. This added boost allows for 40 percent more payload to be sent to the Moon and beyond, enabling NASA to send more than 83,000 pounds of cargo on a single crewed mission. (5/22)
OneWeb Announces Innovation Challenge Winners (Source: Space News)
OneWeb announced six finalists May 22 for its annual Innovation Challenge. More than 70 competitors from 25 countries participated in OneWeb’s Innovation Challenge 2022, called Connectivity and Beyond! Through the competition, conducted with European Space Agency, OneWeb invited people to identify products and services to “unleash the potential in OneWeb’s global communications network to serve future generations,” according to a news release. Click here. (5/22) https://spacenews.com/oneweb-announces-innovation-challenge-winners/
Vast and SpaceX are Heating Up the Commercial Space Station Race (Source: The Hill)
Besides landing astronauts on the lunar surface in a few years, NASA is faced with the problem of how to replace the International Space Station once it reaches the end of its operational life around 2030. Toward that end, the space agency has signed funded Space Act Agreements with three companies, Blue Origin, Northrop Grumman and Voyager Space, to start design work on commercial space stations. NASA has made an agreement with a fourth company, Axiom Space, to install commercial modules on the ISS as a precursor to its own orbiting space facility.
But now a fifth company, called Vast, has stolen a march on its competitors and has signed an agreement with SpaceX to launch a single-module commercial space station by August 2025, according to Space News. Vast is getting no direct help from NASA. Vast plans to launch Haven-1 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Then four astronauts would launch on board a Dragon spacecraft, dock with the Haven-1 and then spend 30 days conducting experiments or engaging in space manufacturing. Haven-1 is designed for four missions consisting of paying customers.
Haven-1 is simply the practice run for Vast’s main project to take place in the 2030s. The company intends to build a much larger space station consisting of modules launched by the SpaceX Starship. (5/21)
Texas Space Commission Approved by Senate (Source: Austin Business Journal)
Texas lawmakers approved the creation of the Texas Space Commission and the Aerospace Research and Space Economy Consortium, two organizations aimed at fostering growth in the space and defense industry. The legislation heads next to the desk of Gov. Greg Abbott. Part of a $350 million public investment program supported by Gov. Greg Abbott, the two organizations will serve as keystones in the development of a coordinated strategic plan to position Texas as a global leader in space travel, research and technology.
It is anticipated to keep Texas competitive with others states including Florida, California, Alabama and Colorado that are proposing similar initiatives. “Much like the space race of the 1960s, there is now fierce competition among states to define the next phase of American involvement in this significant enterprise,” said Sen. Joan Huffman. Huffman said the bill will ensure the state maintains support for the industry and sets "Texas on a course of continued success.” (5/19)
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.
Today, Italy boasts the second-greatest number of assets in orbit among European nations, and it is an essential contributor to European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA missions. This global space leadership is the result of decades of intense and thoughtful development of the Italian space ecosystem and its relationships with the rest of the world. The country’s space maturity and economic activity signal that Italy is heading into an exciting new era of its space story. Click here. (5/19)
Bezos and Musk are Now Competing on the Moon (Source: Quartz)
Blue Origin has been working on its lunar lander since at least 2019, when it unveiled a mock-up at an event in Washington, D.C. However, it lost out to SpaceX in its bid for NASA’s first lunar lander contract in 2021 after NASA chose one company instead of two due to funding issues. Blue Origin filed legal protests against the bid but did not win. Despite concerns from some lawmakers about a “Bezos bailout,” NASA received funding last year to choose a second lander proposal.
Unlike SpaceX’s Starship, an enormous spacecraft capable of orbital flight, Blue is developing what is effectively a super-sized version of a traditional lander, with infrastructure that includes large batteries and storage areas to enable new activity on the Moon. The 16-meter tall vehicle weighs 45 metric tons when fully fueled, and is designed to be reusable. Blue Origin plans for it to remain in lunar orbit between landings, and be refueled by a tender spacecraft that will bring fuel and other resources from Earth.
The company expects to make several uncrewed test landings on the Moon ahead of an astronaut mission, launching onboard Blue Origin’s yet-to-fly New Glenn rocket, which may make its maiden voyage this year. (5/19)
US Tech Transfer Agreement to Boost Australian Space Industry (Source: Cosmos)
A new safeguards agreement has opened the door for Australia’s embryonic rocket launch industry to host sensitive US rocket and satellite technology. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and President Joe Biden announced the in-principle Technology Safeguards Agreement (TSA) on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Japan.
“The TSA will create commercial opportunities for our launch sector and sends a signal to the global market that Australia is ‘open for launch’,” reads a tweet from the Australian Space Agency. President Biden said he intends to ask US Congress to categorise Australia as a “domestic source” under the Defense Production Act. The practical upshot is that technological and industrial collaboration in sensitive areas between the two countries will be streamlined.
On Sunday, Australian Space Agency chief Enrico Palermo said the G7 announcement would go some way towards addressing these concerns. “This is a vital milestone that will further grow Australia’s space sector,” Palermo said. (5/22)
Changes in Beyond Gravity’s Executive Board and Boosting of Digital Expertise (Source: Beyond Gravity)
Beyond Gravity announces changes in its Executive Board: Caroline Schmitt will join the company as the new Chief Transformation & Strategy Officer, boosting the company's digital expertise. Oliver Grassmann, who has held the position previously, will take over as Executive Vice President of the Satellites Division from Anders Linder who leaves Beyond Gravity to pursue a career outside the company. The changes will take effect as of 15 May 2023.
As the world's leading supplier of space products and the largest Swiss space company, Beyond Gravity develops and manufactures products for satellites, launch vehicles and the semiconductor industry with the goal of advancing humankind and enabling the exploration of the world and beyond. Beyond Gravity is currently driving its digital transformation with the aim of consolidating all key IT systems and building a digital core. The latter will enable Beyond Gravity to significantly increase its efficiency and fully exploit the opportunities offered by cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, augmented reality, virtual reality, and automation. (5/22)
DARPA Selects Umbra to Demonstrate Radar Imaging Techniques (Source: Space News)
Umbra won a contract from DARPA to demonstrate novel collection techniques using synthetic aperture radar satellites, the company announced May 22. DARPA, the Pentagon’s research and development arm, awarded Umbra a cost-sharing agreement under a new program called Digital Radar Image Formation Technology (DRIFT). The agency allocated $4.5 million for the one-year project. Umbra, a startup based in Santa Barbara, California, operates a constellation of six high-resolution SAR satellites, and is scheduled to launch two more later this year on the SpaceX Transporter 9 rideshare mission. (5/22)
Exploration Upper Stage Unveiled: Revolutionary Leap in Crew Safety, Cargo Capacity, and Deep Space Power (Source: Space News)
On November 16, 2022, NASA’s SLS rocket was successfully launched as part of the Artemis I Mission. The mission, launched at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, was an uncrewed test flight to validate the rocket component and systems in preparation for future crewed missions. Boeing, which is building the Core Stages for Artemis II, III and IV, as well as the flight avionics suite, is also building the first EUS, which will enable scientific discovery missions like those to the outer planets of the solar system. In size, scope and power, the EUS is like nothing the United States—or any other country on the planet—has ever had in its space fleet.
Starting with Artemis IV, the EUS will be used on the rocket’s advanced Block IB configuration. The EUS will replace the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS), which is currently used on the Block 1 configuration of the SLS rocket, allowing NASA to send astronauts and large payloads to the Moon on a single mission. Compared to the single-engine ICPS, the EUS has larger propellant tanks and four RL10 engines. EUS provides 97,000 pounds of thrust during translunar injection versus nearly 25,000 pounds of thrust from ICPS. This added boost allows for 40 percent more payload to be sent to the Moon and beyond, enabling NASA to send more than 83,000 pounds of cargo on a single crewed mission. (5/22)
OneWeb Announces Innovation Challenge Winners (Source: Space News)
OneWeb announced six finalists May 22 for its annual Innovation Challenge. More than 70 competitors from 25 countries participated in OneWeb’s Innovation Challenge 2022, called Connectivity and Beyond! Through the competition, conducted with European Space Agency, OneWeb invited people to identify products and services to “unleash the potential in OneWeb’s global communications network to serve future generations,” according to a news release. Click here. (5/22) https://spacenews.com/oneweb-announces-innovation-challenge-winners/
Vast and SpaceX are Heating Up the Commercial Space Station Race (Source: The Hill)
Besides landing astronauts on the lunar surface in a few years, NASA is faced with the problem of how to replace the International Space Station once it reaches the end of its operational life around 2030. Toward that end, the space agency has signed funded Space Act Agreements with three companies, Blue Origin, Northrop Grumman and Voyager Space, to start design work on commercial space stations. NASA has made an agreement with a fourth company, Axiom Space, to install commercial modules on the ISS as a precursor to its own orbiting space facility.
But now a fifth company, called Vast, has stolen a march on its competitors and has signed an agreement with SpaceX to launch a single-module commercial space station by August 2025, according to Space News. Vast is getting no direct help from NASA. Vast plans to launch Haven-1 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Then four astronauts would launch on board a Dragon spacecraft, dock with the Haven-1 and then spend 30 days conducting experiments or engaging in space manufacturing. Haven-1 is designed for four missions consisting of paying customers.
Haven-1 is simply the practice run for Vast’s main project to take place in the 2030s. The company intends to build a much larger space station consisting of modules launched by the SpaceX Starship. (5/21)
Texas Space Commission Approved by Senate (Source: Austin Business Journal)
Texas lawmakers approved the creation of the Texas Space Commission and the Aerospace Research and Space Economy Consortium, two organizations aimed at fostering growth in the space and defense industry. The legislation heads next to the desk of Gov. Greg Abbott. Part of a $350 million public investment program supported by Gov. Greg Abbott, the two organizations will serve as keystones in the development of a coordinated strategic plan to position Texas as a global leader in space travel, research and technology.
It is anticipated to keep Texas competitive with others states including Florida, California, Alabama and Colorado that are proposing similar initiatives. “Much like the space race of the 1960s, there is now fierce competition among states to define the next phase of American involvement in this significant enterprise,” said Sen. Joan Huffman. Huffman said the bill will ensure the state maintains support for the industry and sets "Texas on a course of continued success.” (5/19)
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.
Today, Italy boasts the second-greatest number of assets in orbit among European nations, and it is an essential contributor to European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA missions. This global space leadership is the result of decades of intense and thoughtful development of the Italian space ecosystem and its relationships with the rest of the world. The country’s space maturity and economic activity signal that Italy is heading into an exciting new era of its space story. Click here. (5/19)
Bezos and Musk are Now Competing on the Moon (Source: Quartz)
Blue Origin has been working on its lunar lander since at least 2019, when it unveiled a mock-up at an event in Washington, D.C. However, it lost out to SpaceX in its bid for NASA’s first lunar lander contract in 2021 after NASA chose one company instead of two due to funding issues. Blue Origin filed legal protests against the bid but did not win. Despite concerns from some lawmakers about a “Bezos bailout,” NASA received funding last year to choose a second lander proposal.
Unlike SpaceX’s Starship, an enormous spacecraft capable of orbital flight, Blue is developing what is effectively a super-sized version of a traditional lander, with infrastructure that includes large batteries and storage areas to enable new activity on the Moon. The 16-meter tall vehicle weighs 45 metric tons when fully fueled, and is designed to be reusable. Blue Origin plans for it to remain in lunar orbit between landings, and be refueled by a tender spacecraft that will bring fuel and other resources from Earth.
The company expects to make several uncrewed test landings on the Moon ahead of an astronaut mission, launching onboard Blue Origin’s yet-to-fly New Glenn rocket, which may make its maiden voyage this year. (5/19)
US Tech Transfer Agreement to Boost Australian Space Industry (Source: Cosmos)
A new safeguards agreement has opened the door for Australia’s embryonic rocket launch industry to host sensitive US rocket and satellite technology. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and President Joe Biden announced the in-principle Technology Safeguards Agreement (TSA) on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Japan.
“The TSA will create commercial opportunities for our launch sector and sends a signal to the global market that Australia is ‘open for launch’,” reads a tweet from the Australian Space Agency. President Biden said he intends to ask US Congress to categorise Australia as a “domestic source” under the Defense Production Act. The practical upshot is that technological and industrial collaboration in sensitive areas between the two countries will be streamlined.
On Sunday, Australian Space Agency chief Enrico Palermo said the G7 announcement would go some way towards addressing these concerns. “This is a vital milestone that will further grow Australia’s space sector,” Palermo said. (5/22)
Changes in Beyond Gravity’s Executive Board and Boosting of Digital Expertise (Source: Beyond Gravity)
Beyond Gravity announces changes in its Executive Board: Caroline Schmitt will join the company as the new Chief Transformation & Strategy Officer, boosting the company's digital expertise. Oliver Grassmann, who has held the position previously, will take over as Executive Vice President of the Satellites Division from Anders Linder who leaves Beyond Gravity to pursue a career outside the company. The changes will take effect as of 15 May 2023.
As the world's leading supplier of space products and the largest Swiss space company, Beyond Gravity develops and manufactures products for satellites, launch vehicles and the semiconductor industry with the goal of advancing humankind and enabling the exploration of the world and beyond. Beyond Gravity is currently driving its digital transformation with the aim of consolidating all key IT systems and building a digital core. The latter will enable Beyond Gravity to significantly increase its efficiency and fully exploit the opportunities offered by cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, augmented reality, virtual reality, and automation. (5/22)
DARPA Selects Umbra to Demonstrate Radar Imaging Techniques (Source: Space News)
Umbra won a contract from DARPA to demonstrate novel collection techniques using synthetic aperture radar satellites, the company announced May 22. DARPA, the Pentagon’s research and development arm, awarded Umbra a cost-sharing agreement under a new program called Digital Radar Image Formation Technology (DRIFT). The agency allocated $4.5 million for the one-year project. Umbra, a startup based in Santa Barbara, California, operates a constellation of six high-resolution SAR satellites, and is scheduled to launch two more later this year on the SpaceX Transporter 9 rideshare mission. (5/22)
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