July 21, 2023

Space Force Fends Off Protest Against $900M Data Analytics Awards (Source: Washington Technology)
Space Force appears to have the green light for moving ahead on a potential $900 million contract vehicle it awarded in March for data analytics and software services. Greystones Consulting Group subsequently protested its exclusion from the list of 18 awardees, but that challenge was denied on Tuesday. The Government Accountability Office's decision on that protest is sealed, but GAO's docket has updated to show the result of a denial. Greystones' challenge was the lone protest, which means Space Force can proceed on the five-year vehicle and begin awarding delivery orders to develop applications for bringing together space domain awareness data. (7/20)

Spaceport America Lawsuit Settled Before Trial Start (Source: Source New Mexico)
The New Mexico Spaceport Authority settled a lawsuit by a former employee who alleged discrimination and retaliation, just before a trial was scheduled to begin July 31, according to court documents. The settlement agreement ends a three-year-long civil lawsuit against the agency. The terms of the settlement will be released on the state’s Sunshine Portal settlement and awards page, within the next few days to weeks.

Karen Barker, a space systems engineer, brought the lawsuit to First Judicial District Court in 2020. Barker worked for two years between 2017 and 2019 as the Strategic Solutions Director at the New Mexico Spaceport Authority. Barker sued the former CEO Dan Hicks and the state agency for subjecting her to “different, less favorable treatment than male counterparts,” at the agency. Editor's Note: Ms. Barker worked with me ages ago as an engineer at the Spaceport Florida Authority, predecessor to Space Florida. (7/20)

First Astranis Satellite Partially Disabled by Solar Array Pointing Glitch (Source: Space News)
The first Astranis-built satellite won’t be able to provide commercial broadband over Alaska for local telco Pacific Dataport because it can’t keep solar arrays pointed at the sun, the Californian manufacturer’s CEO John Gedmark said July 20. Despite the failure of both solar array drive assemblies on Arcturus, used to position solar panels that power the satellite, Astranis estimates it can get six to 12 hours a day of service from the spacecraft.

While that is not enough to provide continuous broadband over Alaska as intended, Gedmark said the spacecraft could still be used as an in-orbit test bed or another alternative mission. He said fixing the component issue through software and hardware changes on other Astranis satellites in production should only delay its next batch of four satellites — known as Block 2 — by a couple of months. (7/21)

Philippine Cubesats Deployed From ISS (Source: Manila Times)
Two Philippine-made cube satellites have been deployed into space from the International Space Station (ISS), signaling another milestone in the country's space program. The Maya 5 and Maya 6 cube satellites were launched on Wednesday from the "Kibo" module of the ISS, which is operated by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). (7/22)

Spaceport Opponents Demand Public Inquiry as the Scottish Government Considers Planning Application Review (Source: Press and Journal)
A row has erupted over plans for a new spaceport in the islands. Planning permission for a spaceport in Scolpaig, North Uist, was awarded by Comhairle nan Eilean Siar last month. But campaigners Friends of Scolpaig argues that the Comhairle “did not make an unbiased decision” when approving the application. Hundreds of people had objected and a petition was raised against the plans. It has now emerged the Scottish Government may now review the decision. In addition, campaigners are calling for a public inquiry. (7/20)

'Bronze Age Cemetery' Discovered at Shetland Spaceport (Source: The Herald)
Archaeologists working at a planned Shetland spaceport have discovered what appears to be a bronze age ritual cremation cemetery. The remains were uncovered while foundation work was carried out at the SaxaVord spaceport site on the Lamba Ness peninsula in Unst, Shetland. Pits, large boulders and cremations were uncovered alongside a quartz setting, which is generally associated with prehistoric burial tombs. Excavation is still in its early stages, but archaeologists believe the remains date to between 2200-1800 BC. The discovery will offer archaeologists a fresh opportunity to study prehistoric inhabitants of Shetland, and will not hold back the development of the spaceport. (7/21)

Dream Chaser vs Space Shuttle: A Side-by-Side Comparison (Source: Sierra Space)
More than a decade ago today, on July 21, 2011, the last space shuttle mission landed at the legendary facility in the heart of Florida’s “Space Coast.” As Atlantis landed for the final time so too concluded the chapter in NASA’s 30-year shuttle program.

The historic runway at Kennedy Space Center has remained largely quiet since – for too long – as humanity lost the ability to return from space with a low-G runway landing and we bid farewell to an icon of spaceflight. But that’s about to change. Sierra Space is dedicated to bringing the Kennedy Space Center runway back to life and ushering in the next era of space exploration with its revolutionary fleet of Dream Chaser® spaceplanes.

The Dream Chaser is the first-ever winged commercial spaceplane, and although it looks somewhat like NASA’s space shuttle, it’s something entirely new. It’s also unlike Boeing’s X-37b, which exclusively conducts military missions, in that it will open shared access to space and international collaboration for all humankind. So, how does a Dream Chaser spaceplane vary from the traditional space shuttles we’re familiar with? Let’s explore the big differences. Click here. (7/21)

Eutelsat Shelves ELO Commercial IoT Constellation Plans, Recasts Effort as Low-Level R&D (Source: Space Intel Report)
Satellite fleet operator Eutelsat has shelved plans to build its own constellation of small IoT satellites and has downgraded the project, called ELO, to a low-level R&D effort. The company has launched five small satellites to test ELO technologies and also made a small order for ELO-compatible ground terminals. But the decision to move forward with a 25-satellite ELO constellation has been put on indefinite hold, said Vijay Thakur of Eutelsat’s Satellite Technical Authority. (7/20)

Amazon's Project Kuiper Plans Satellite Processing Facility at Cape Canaveral Spaceport (Source: Space Florida)
Space Florida announced that Amazon’s Project Kuiper has expanded to Florida, investing $120 million into the construction of a satellite processing facility at Space Florida’s Launch and Landing Facility (LLF) located at Kennedy Space Center. Project Kuiper is Amazon’s low Earth orbit satellite network, which aims to provide fast, affordable broadband to unserved and underserved communities around the world. The facility will be operational in early 2025 and enable the company to assemble satellites in advance of launch by Blue Origin and ULA.

The 100,000+ square foot payload processing and support facilities will bring up to 50 new jobs with an average annual wage of $80,000 to the Space Coast, plus an additional 300 during the construction phase. Amazon used Space Florida’s lease structure agreement, which is part of the state’s financial toolkit. The project will also benefit from the Florida Department of Transportation’s Spaceport Improvement Program, which is administered by Space Florida and FDOT, and encourages private investment in the Florida Spaceport System by providing matching investment in critical spaceport infrastructure. (7/21)

Artemis 2 Moon Astronaut Explains Risk of Flying NASA's Supersonic Training Jet (Source: Space.com)
ighter jet pilot and astronaut Jeremy Hansen has seen a few things on his way to the moon. One of the four crewmembers of the Artemis 2 moon mission slated to launch in November 2024, Canadian Space Agency (CSA) astronaut Jeremy Hansen recently praised the supersonic T-38 trainer jet for its ability to keep astronauts on their toes while in flight.

"We use these airplanes because they're challenging," Hansen said. "We can have two astronauts in the cockpit together working as a team, just like we do in a spacecraft. We have so many amazing simulators here ... but none of those simulators will kill you. This will. That is one of the benefits of this training, is that we are managing real risks preparing us to go to space." (7/20)

Ancient Solution Could Deal With The Problem Of Space Junk (Source: IFLScience)
There are governments that I advise, and one of the advice that I give them is you should have, as part of your advisory board or group of people that provide you with advice, Indigenous people or First Nation people to give you their opinion about how to approach the use of space as a finite resource and how to do it successfully because these Indigenous people have been able to achieve that over tens of thousands of years. So, we should listen to them, and it's back to the ancient tek informing how to use high tech. Click here. (7/20)

Skyscraper-Size Asteroid Flew Closer to Earth Than the Moon — and Scientists Didn't Notice Until 2 Days Later (Source: LiveScience)
An asteroid as large as a 20-story building sailed uncomfortably close to Earth last week, zooming by our planet at roughly a quarter of the distance between Earth and the moon — and astronomers didn't notice it until two days later. Now dubbed 2023 NT1, the roughly 200-foot-wide (60 meters) space rock sailed past our planet on July 13, traveling at an estimated 53,000 mph (86,000 km/h), according to NASA. However, because the rock flew toward Earth from the direction of the sun, our star's glare blinded telescopes to the asteroid's approach until long after it had passed. (7/20)

WST Might Have Spotted the First Dark Matter Stars (Source: Scientific American)
In a first, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) may have glimpsed a rare type of star that astronomers aren’t even sure exists. These stellar objects, called “dark stars,” might not have been fueled not by nuclear fusion but by the self-annihilation of dark matter—the invisible stuff that is thought to make up about 85 percent of the matter in the universe. The candidate stars seen by JWST will need more evidence to be confirmed, but if they’re real, the finding could change our story of how the first stars formed. (7/20)

Poll Shows Most Americans Support NASA's Role, U.S. Presence (Source: Space Daily)
New polling data released by the Pew Research Center indicates that Americans want the nation to maintain a continued presence in space.
A sample group of 10,329 U.S. adults was surveyed between May 30 and June 4. About seven in 10 respondents said America's role in space was essential, while 30% said it was not. The survey indicates that 47% of Americans have done at least one space-related activity over the past year, with 26% saying they have seen images from space telescopes. (7/20)

Space Force using Anduril Software to Integrate U.S. Space Surveillance Sensors (Source: Space News)
The Space Force is using a software platform developed by Anduril Industries to integrate data from a decades-old network of space surveillance sensors. DoD announced July 12 that Anduril won an $8 million contract extension to field its mesh networking software at Space Surveillance Network sites through December 2024. The software autonomously analyzes data from sensors and provides an integrated picture.

The SSN is a collection of sensors dispersed across multiple sites worldwide first deployed in the late 1950s to provide early warnings of ballistic missile launches. The network has a mix of conventional radars, phased-array radars and telescopes for missile detection, and to track satellites and space debris. (7/20)

Rocket Lab’s Stock Has Doubled This Year — and Deutsche Bank Sees it Climbing Even Higher (Source: CNBC)
Rocket Lab's stock has doubled this year, and Deutsche Bank sees it climbing even higher. Deutsche has a buy rating on Rocket Lab and a $10 price target that is 28% above Tuesday's close of $7.83 a share. (7/19)

Investing in Space: How Corporate VC is a Double-Edged Sword (Source: CNBC)
Airbus Ventures is one of the most prolific investors in the space sector. And, at first glance, it sounds like any other corporate venture capital firm, nestled under Airbus, acting on behalf of the larger entity – and potentially unfriendly to disruptive startups. But it’s not. Airbus Ventures maintains an “air gap” between itself and its eponymous corporation, according to Lewis Pinault, space-focused partner at the firm. The VC operates as a self-standing fund: Airbus is a limited partner but AV has other external LPs as well, with an independent investment committee. Click here. (7/20)

Melania Trump's Apollo 11 NFTs Violate NASA Guidelines (Source: Gizmodo)
Melania Trump released her latest collection of nonfungible tokens (NFTs), this time commemorating humanity’s giant leap on the Moon with a famous photo of NASA Astronaut Buzz Aldrin walking on the lunar surface. There’s just one thing though: NASA does not approve the use of its imagery for the digital tokens. The former first lady released the Apollo 11 NFT collection on Wednesday, just one day before the 54th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission. The limited edition collectible is called “Man on the Moon” and costs $75. It also includes an embedded audio file that “collectors will unlock” upon purchase. (7/19)

Is AI in Space a Stellar Opportunity? (Source: Opto)
Exploring the great unknown is risky business, but artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to power autonomous spacecraft that could help unlock the universe’s mysteries. Closer to earth, the technology can also be used in satellite management. The Pentagon is using AI in satellite constellation management, while NASA is exploring how chatbots can enable mission control to interact with spacecraft. The global space autonomous navigation systems market could grow at a CAGR of 15.4% between 2023 and 2033. (7/20)

From AI to Nuclear: the Technologies Driving UK Space Exploration (Source: Gov.UK)
The Space Exploration Technology Roadmap will guide research and development activity and future funding decisions over the next decade, putting the UK’s growing space sector in a stronger position to collaborate with international partners. Autonomy and Artificial Intelligence (AI) can enhance the capability and efficiency of missions. As you move further away from Earth, autonomous navigation helps spacecraft explore planets and moons without the need for direct, continuous control by human crews back on Earth or in orbit. (7/20)

Italy’s Underrated Space Program (Source: National Interest)
From an industrial perspective, Italy stands out as one of the few nations whose businesses span the entire space value chain, including all upstream, midstream, and downstream operations across all major technological domains. The outgoing government of Mario Draghi released a “Digital Italy” white paper, presenting progress on this front while outlining the vision for the future.

Space represents a robust sector for Italy and an excellent opportunity for further development. The strategy for the years 2021–2026 commends the industry for “consolidating its presence in the so-called upstream sector: in launchers… satellites with multiple operational characteristics… crucial to enhance Earth observation capabilities, and… space modules functional to the exploration of space.” (7/19)

Congress OKs Troop Bonus Funds, But Space HQ Fight Stalls Other Items (Source: Defense News)
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers, R-AL, this week approved several Pentagon budget reprogramming requests related to troop pay, after a delay forced the Air Force to suspend some bonuses. However, Rogers told Defense News he will still hold up numerous other reprogramming requests to protest the Air Force’s failure to make a long-overdue decision whether to base U.S. Space Command headquarters in Colorado or his home state of Alabama. (7/19)