July 10, 2023

No, Private Space Colonies Will Not be Dystopian Hellscapes (Source: The Hill)
The idea of pulling up stakes and moving to a space colony to start a new life is a compelling one. SpaceX’s Elon Musk wants to build a city of a million people on Mars. Jeff Bezos wants to build free-flying colonies that can sustain even more people. Space colonies are the stuff of science fiction dreams, invoking the settlement of the American West. Not so fast, according to a story in Scientific American. Space colonies founded by private businesses are likely, in the story’s view, to be dystopian hells.

The theory is that space colonists will be subject to the whims of their tech overlords. Free from the restraints of earthly laws, the founders of the first communities of humans beyond the home planet will do with their subjects as they like. The story cites accusations of racial discrimination and sexual harassment at tech companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin to buttress his case.

The story’s thesis encounters one problem. If Musk’s Mars colony or Bezos’s free-flying space cities become latter-day East Berlins, who would want to move there? Space colonies are going to need the best and the brightest to become their citizens in order to survive and thrive. No one is going to sign up willingly to become denizens of outer space gulags. Real-world experience on Earth proves the point. The United States is not a perfect country by any means. Yet millions of people, either legally or otherwise, aspire to move to that country to enjoy its freedom and economic opportunities. (7/9)

Can Space Governance Keep Up With Space Sustainability? (Source: Space News)
It is not uncommon to be faced with a problem but struggle to find a solution. In the case of space sustainability, as low Earth orbit fills with both active satellites and debris, the challenge is as much coming up with a solution to deal with that congestion as it is determining who should do it. The rapid growth in the number of space objects, caused by the rise of satellite constellations as well as debris-generating events like anti-satellite tests and collisions, is testing the international governance model for space activities developed in the early years of the Space Age that many in the industry believe can no longer keep up. (7/10)

ATLAS Space Launches Freedom Space for Government Missions (Source: Space Daily)
ATLAS Space Operations, a front-runner in Ground Software as a Service (GSaaS) provision, is broadening its reach with the inauguration of its subsidiary, Freedom Space Technologies. This development emphasizes ATLAS's resolve to enhance space industry capabilities and support the execution of vital government missions. The new subsidiary will be based in Colorado Springs, CO, and aims to provide advanced solutions tailored to cater to DoD and National Security Space organizations' needs. (7/8)

NASA Humanoid Robot to be Tested as Remote Oil Rig Attendant (Source: The Register)
NASA announced on Friday its humanoid robot, Valkyrie, is headed to Western Australia, where Perth-based Woodside Energy will put it through its paces with a view to "remote caretaking of uncrewed and offshore energy facilities." The collab with Woodside is "reimbursable" – meaning the energy outfit will pay NASA's costs as the aerospace agency works to "develop remote mobile dexterous manipulation capabilities" for taking care of uncrewed facilities. (7/10)

Europe-Wide Space-Enabled Aviation Approaches Take Off (Source: Space Daily)
Commercial air passengers across Europe will soon experience fewer flight delays and greener travel thanks to pilots being able to use satellites to route their planes. The ESA-backed Iris for aviation system connects pilots digitally to air traffic controllers via satellites, so that flight routes can be optimised. Pilots will be able to fly the most efficient routes, saving time and fuel, while cutting carbon dioxide emissions by up to 10%. (7/8)

Rise of Commercial Satellite Imaging in Latin America (Source: Satellite Industry Blogspot)
The commercial satellite imaging market in Latin America is growing rapidly, driven by a number of factors, including the increasing demand for remote sensing data, the growth of the geospatial industry, and the need to address climate change. The growth of the market is being driven by the increasing demand for remote sensing data from a variety of sectors, including agriculture, forestry, mining, energy, and infrastructure. Click here. (7/9)

US Pursues Closer Ties with Europe in Space Operations (Source: Air & Space Forces Magazine)
US Space Command head Army Gen. James Dickinson has pledged to increase integration with European allies in space operations. During his weeklong trip to Europe, Dickinson met with US allies, some of which are establishing their own space commands, and emphasized the importance of space for global life, the threats facing the domain and the need for continued cooperation to ensure its safety, security, stability and sustainability. (7/7)

India Plans Commercialization of SSLV Launcher (Source: PTI)
India plans to commercialize a new small launch vehicle. The Indian space agency ISRO said it will transfer its Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) to the private sector in the near future, soliciting bids from companies that wish to take on the manufacturing and operations of the vehicle. The SSLV failed in its inaugural flight last August but succeeded in a second demonstration launch in February. The SSLV is designed for payloads weighing up to 500 kilograms. (7/10)

Phosphine Detected Again in Venus Atmosphere (Source: Space.com)
Scientists says they have once again detected a chemical associated with life in the atmosphere of Venus. At last week's National Astronomy Meeting in the United Kingdom, researchers said they detected phosphine in the atmosphere of Venus using the James Clark Maxwell Telescope in Hawaii. The same team announced the discovery of phosphine at Venus in 2020 using both that telescope as well as the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array. On Earth, phosphine is typically created by microorganisms in low-oxygen environments, leading to speculation the phosphine in the atmosphere of Venus might be created by life there. However, other scientists have been unable to replicate the findings. (7/10)

Critics Slam Aussie ‘Brutal Blow’ to Whack $1.2B on Space Spending (Source: Breaking Defense)
Less than two years after Australia created its own Space Command to great fanfare, the  government has announced plans to slash its space spending by $1.2 billion dollars, prompting outcry from industry and close observers. The cut will primarily affect the NSMEO program, which was to have four satellites launched between 2028 and 2033 to give Australia a new stream of information from space. While the goal was primarily for civil use, maritime situational awareness data — crucial for keeping an eye on Australia’s sovereign waters — was also part of the project. Also, the weather and earth observation capabilities would have had clear military applications. (7/10)

New Era for 'Space Medicine' as Scientists Expand Specialist Care for Astronauts (Source: The National)
From the impact of radiation on our bodies to the effects of living in isolation and the emergence of remote medicine, the experiences of space exploration are helping shape how we deliver healthcare on Earth. The rapidly growing commercial space flight sector is likely to lead to an exponential growth in the number of humans entering space. That changing landscape is leading to a greater requirement for specialist medicine to cope with the demands of microgravity and radiation.

With limited space on-board craft, engineering innovation is vital to provide effective new medical tools. Small ultrasound devices plugged into an iPhone are the kind of innovations perfectly suited to extreme medicine and the space environment. Another medical innovation used on Earth that originated in space is the ‘neural arm’, a precision robotic limb that now performs brain tumour-related surgeries. It was developed from the Canadarm, which has the dexterity of a human arm and was created for use on ISS and the Space Shuttle. (7/9)

Orbex Expands Facilities in Preparation for UK Mainland’s First Vertical Rocket Launch (Source: Orbex)
Forres, UK, 10 July 2023 – UK-based spaceflight company, Orbex, has extended its footprint by over thirty percent across its Scottish and Danish design and production facilities, in preparation for the launch of its Prime rocket. The company is adding an extra 1,500 square meters of factory and office space to its existing estates in Scotland and Denmark. The additional space will increase the company’s launch vehicle production and propulsion system manufacturing capacity and add an extra software laboratory and an avionics clean room space with ISO 8 and ISO 9 sections. The additional capacity in Forres is just 3km from its test site at Kinloss, allowing for quick turnaround between the two sites, as Orbex ramps up its testing in the countdown to launch. (7/10)

Cheops Shows Scorching Exoplanet Acts Like a Mirror (Source: ESA)
Aside from the Moon, the brightest object in our night sky is planet Venus, whose thick cloud layer reflects around 75% of the Sun’s light. By comparison, Earth only reflects around 30% of incoming sunlight. Now for the first time, astronomers have found an exoplanet that can match Venus’ shininess: planet LTT9779 b. New detailed measurements by ESA’s Cheops mission reveal that this planet reflects a whopping 80% of the light shone on it by its host star. (7/10)

Space Force Captain Kept US Cabinet Officials Safe Amid Europe Crisis (Source: Air Force Times)
Early last year, as Russia mounted its all-out assault on Ukraine, the U.S. Space Force quietly built a shadowy electronic warfare enterprise in the remote European countryside to secure U.S. satellite networks. That effort, led by Capt. Victoria Garcia, safeguarded the travel of two U.S. Cabinet secretaries to Kyiv, deployed a brand-new EW system for the first time and set a new standard for how the Space Force operates in far-flung parts of the world. Garcia’s role in leading the first space EW deployment to Europe at the onset of the continent’s largest military crisis in over two decades earned her Military Times’ inaugural Guardian of the Year award. (7/9)

Climate Change Disrupting Jet Stream, Causing Extreme Heat Around the Globe (Source: MSNBC)
Strong storms and flooding as well as oppressive heat move through the U.S. and abroad, during what scientists say was the hottest week in recorded history. Meteorologist & climate specialist Jeff Berardelli says this may be just the beginning. "It's astonishing to see it happening but we expected this to happen," he said. "The key here is slowing it down so we can adapt and nature...can adapt as well." (7/9)

From Florida Spaceport, SpaceX Launches Falcon 9 Rocket for Record-Breaking 16th Time (Sources: Sky.com, Florida Today)
SpaceX said it successfully launched 22 Starlink satellites into orbit from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport in Florida. Eight-and-a-half minutes after liftoff, the 162-foot booster landed on a drone ship near the Bahamas, completing a record-breaking 16th flight to date. (7/10)