August 30, 2023

Japan's GITAI Raises $15 Million for US Expansion and Space Robotics (Source: Space News)
Japanese robotics startup GITAI has raised an additional $15 million. The company announced a further extension of its Series B round Tuesday, raising the funding through a mix of debt and equity. The new funding comes three months after it raised $30 million. The funds will go towards a continued expansion in the United States and work on a lunar rover and robotic arm system the company wants to demonstrate on the moon as soon as 2026. (8/30)

SpiderOak Successfully Tests Cybersecurity Software on ISS (Source: Space News)
SpiderOak says it successfully tested its cybersecurity software on the International Space Station. Working with Axiom Space and an Amazon Web Services edge computing device, SpiderOak securely transmitted operations traffic between ground networks and the ISS using its OrbitSecure zero-trust cybersecurity software. The company previously tested the software using a Ball Aerospace payload on a Loft Orbital satellite. SpiderOak says the test is a "pivotal advancement" for the technology. (8/30)

TransAstra Wins NASA SBIR Phase 2 Contract for Debris Capture Bag (Source: Space News)
TransAstra won a NASA contract to develop technology for capturing orbital debris. Under the $850,000 Phase 2 Small Business Innovation Research contract, TransAstra will build an inflatable capture bag and demonstrate on the ground how the device, which uses inflatable struts to open and close, would envelop a non-cooperative object. The bag is based on technology originally envisioned for NASA's Asteroid Redirect Mission, enveloping a small asteroid and moving it into cislunar space. TransAstra first proposed using the technology to support asteroid mining, but found it is "the greatest thing ever for orbital debris cleanup." (8/30)

Microsoft and Synthetaic Team on Space Sensor AI (Source: Space News)
Microsoft has signed a partnership with Synthetaic, a startup that uses artificial intelligence to analyze data from space and air sensors. Microsoft will provide Synthetaic with cloud computing resources while the companies collaborate on new ways to process geospatial data. Synthetaic made news earlier this year after it used artificial intelligence and Planet's satellite imagery archive to independently track the Chinese spy balloon's path across the United States before it was shot down. (8/30)

India Releases Lunar Lander Images (Source: BBC)
ISRO has released the first images of the Vikram lander on the surface the moon. The images, released Wednesday, were taken by the Pragyan rover several meters away. ISRO also released data from a spectrometer on the lander that showed the presence of several key metals, as well as sulfur and oxygen, in the lunar regolith. That elemental composition was expected from orbital observations. The lander and rover are now about halfway into their two-week mission, which will end with lunar nightfall. (8/30)

Starfish Space Stabilizes Otter Pup (Source: GeekWire)
Starfish Space says it has managed to stabilize its Otter Pup spacecraft. The spacecraft, intended to test satellite servicing technologies, was spinning rapidly because of problems with the Orbiter transfer vehicle that deployed it after launch on a SpaceX Transporter rideshare mission in June. The spacecraft, which was initially spinning at more than 300 degrees per second, slowed down after engineers developed new software to use magnetic torquer rods on the spacecraft that interact with the Earth's magnetic field. The spacecraft is no longer tumbling and the company is now testing other systems on the spacecraft while looking for alternative ways to test its key technologies. (8/30)

SAIC Wins $574 Million for Space Force Radars (Source: Space News)
SAIC has won a $574 million contract to maintain ground-based radars for the U.S. Space Force. The contract, announced Tuesday, runs for seven years and covers maintenance of a network of radars in the United States, United Kingdom and Greenland used to track missiles and space objects. The contract awarded to SAIC was previously held by Northrop Grumman, which won a five-year contract in 2018. (8/30)

SDA Adds Capabilities to Tranche 2 Satellites (Source: Space News)
The Space Development Agency is incorporating new capabilities in a set of communications satellites that will launch in 2026. Frank Turner, SDA's technical director, said that the Tranche 2 Transport Layer Beta satellites will include features such as "direct-to-weapon" communications with aircraft and missiles not available on earlier satellites. SDA selected Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman earlier this month to build 36 satellites each for Tranche 2 Transport Layer Beta. Turner said that the decision to select two major defense contractors for those satellites was "agonized over" as the SDA works to expand the base of suppliers, but that few companies could provide the unique mission payloads needed for those satellites. (8/30)

Ariane 6 Test Slips (Source: Space News)
An Ariane 6 test firing has slipped again. ESA said that a hot-fire test of the core stage engine on the Ariane 6, planned for Tuesday from the spaceport in French Guiana, was postponed because of problems with ground systems that handle propellant loading and the automated countdown. That test has been rescheduled for Sept. 5, and a long-duration hot-fire test remains scheduled for late September. ESA postponed the short-duration test from July because of other technical issues. (8/30)

NASA Warns of Deep Space Network Demand Saturation (Source: Space News)
NASA officials warn the Deep Space Network (DSN), used for communications with missions to the moon and beyond, is nearing a "critical point" because of increasing demand. At an advisory committee meeting Tuesday, DSN managers said the network can't keep up with increasing demand from a growing number of missions, many of which are linked to the Artemis lunar exploration campaign.

The Artemis 1 mission, including both the Orion spacecraft and cubesats, took away more than 1,500 hours of time from other science missions and hundreds of hours of deferred maintenance on the DSN. The problems are exacerbated by a declining budget for the DSN. The agency is taking steps to augment the DSN with new antennas and other systems devoted to lunar operations, but those will not be enough to keep up with demand. (8/30)

New CEO at Globalstar (Source: Wall Street Journal)
A former Qualcomm CEO is taking over as head of Globalstar. The satellite operator announced Tuesday that it hired Paul Jacobs as its new CEO, effective immediately. He replaces Dave Kagan, who is retiring. Jacobs was CEO of Qualcomm from 2005 to 2018 and has since been running Xcom, a wireless technology startup. Several other Xcom executives are joining Jacobs at Globalstar, which will be paying Xcom a licensing fee for its technology. Globalstar hopes that Jacobs and the Xcom technology will help it make better use of its satellite and terrestrial spectrum rights. (8/30)

US Spy Satellite Agency Isn’t So Silent About New “Silent Barker” Mission (Source: Ars Technica)
The National Reconnaissance Office doesn't typically talk about any of its missions, but in an unusual break with precedent, the button-down spy satellite agency is taking a different tack with its next launch Tuesday from Cape Canaveral, Florida. "We’re trying to be more transparent and share more information," said Chris Scolese, director of the National Reconnaissance Office, in a roundtable with reporters Monday. As more countries and companies launch missions into space, Scolese said the space environment is becoming more congested, contested, and competitive. (8/29)

DOD, Australia Step Up Info Sharing on Missile Defense (Source; DefenseScoop)
The Pentagon is focusing on strengthening its military ties with Australia, particularly in the area of air-and-missile defense capabilities, according to Heidi Shyu, undersecretary for research and engineering. Shyu revealed the establishment of a "classified umbrella" between the US and Australia to expedite the sharing of sensitive information. (8/29)

Decision Support Through The SmallSat Catalog (Source: Orbital Transport)
Space is hard, and so is evaluating tradeoffs in selecting the right communications hardware configuration. The team at Orbital Transports is here to help you every step of the way when procuring hardware through the SmallSat Catalog. From factoring in all the alternatives in choosing the best solution for your smallsat mission to handling nuanced logistics such as licensing and ground station support, head to the SmallSat Catalog to get started on your mission and receive support every step of the way. Click here. (8/29) 

Starlink and KDDI to Provide Satellite-to-Cellular Service in Japan (Source: Teslarati)
Japanese telecommunications operator KDDI Corp. and Elon Musk’s SpaceX recently announced an agreement that would provide satellite-to-cellular service in Japan. The service will use SpaceX’s Starlink satellites and KDDI’s national wireless spectrum. As per a press release, SpaceX and KDDI will initially offer SMS text services, with voice and data poised to be added later. Satellite-to-cellular SMS text functions are expected to be rolled out as early as 2024. The service will also be compatible with almost all existing smartphones on KDDI’s network. (8/29)

Ohio's Kaptur, Brown Embrace NASA's Space Frontier (Source: Toledo Blade)
U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Toledo), U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), and U.S. Rep. Max Miller (R-Cleveland) are spending two days learning more about Ohio’s involvement in the new era of space travel. Their visit includes Tuesday and Wednesday tours of the NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. That center is one of 10 field centers the space agency has across the country, and is the only one in the Midwest. NASA Glenn’s satellite campus near Sandusky, the Neil Armstrong Testing Facility, is where Ms. Kaptur began her day on Tuesday morning. Formerly known as NASA’s Plum Brook Station, it was renamed in honor of Mr. Armstrong two years ago this month. (8/29)

The Eminent and Growing Footprint of Italy’s Space Sector (Source: Decode 39)
Italian Space Agency President Teodoro Valente outlined Rome’s position in the global space chessboard, starting by noting that it’s the third-largest economic contributor to the European Space Agency (ESA) budget as well as the leading underwriter of the so-called optional programs. “The economic commitment of the Italian government, and of the scientific community as its operational arm, is absolutely relevant” and contributes to maintaining Italy’s “absolutely first-rate” role. (8/29)

Inside Designing a Moon-Orbiting Outpost: Here’s What it Takes to Make Lunar Living Possible (Source: Fortune)
NASA astronauts will soon find themselves living for extended periods on a moon-orbiting outpost and on the unforgiving lunar surface itself. In what is sure to be a rehearsal for an expedition to Mars, mastering lunar living is key to humanity’s continued exploration of space. To make the mission of NASA’s historic Artemis program a reality, we must tackle the challenges of designing a living space for astronauts.

Taking the shape of an orbiting lunar gateway, astronauts’ lunar home will feature spartan living quarters that will provide a more sustainable, comfortable, and extensive life-support framework on the moon. The design and development must center on safeguarding astronauts from radiation exposure and the extreme cold of the lunar nights. Click here. (8/30)

Bizarre Super-Puffy Exoplanet Hosts Rare 'Thermometer Molecule' (Source: Space.com)
Astronomers have discovered a rare temperature-sensitive molecule that is usually associated with stars in the atmosphere of an exoplanet for the first time. The "thermometer molecule" chromium hydride is abundant in a narrow range of temperatures between 1,700 degrees Fahrenheit to 3,140 degrees Fahrenheit (926 to 1,730 degrees Celsius). It was discovered in the atmosphere of the "hot Jupiter" exoplanet WASP-17b, which orbits an F-type star located around 1,250 light-years from Earth. (8/29)

Rubble-Pile Asteroid Bennu Has Layers (Source: Sky & Telescope)
Scientists analyzing data from NASA’s Osiris-REX spacecraft say they’ve found evidence it has an inner shell: a compacted layer a few meters thick made of small particles. The results will appear in Icarus. Most asteroids larger than tens of kilometers appear as single bodies, held together by gravity despite cracks and impacts. However, asteroids in the kilometer range or smaller are more often loose aggregations of smaller objects. The latter, so-called “rubble piles,” often have a low overall density and appear to be porous. Examples include sub-km near-Earth asteroid 25143 Itokawa, visited by the Japanese Hayabusa probe and the 900-meter asteroid 162173 Ryugu, visited by Hayabusa2.

The group started with visual examination of the Osiris-REX images of Bennu. “The particles inside the smaller craters looked smaller than those in the larger ones,” says Bierhaus. This difference gave the visual impression that the smaller craters’ interiors were smoother. More precise measurements came from the laser altimeter supplied by the Canadian Space Agency, which provided “extraordinary data,” Bierhaus says. The instrument mapped surface details down to 5 centimeters (2 inches) across, and recorded heights with centimeter resolution. That data enabled them to measure surface roughness as well as particle sizes in hundreds of craters, confirming the trend of smooth interiors of smaller craters.

Additionally, spectroscopy revealed color differences not discernible to the human eye, showing that the smaller craters reflected more red light than the larger ones. Their redder colors indicate fresher material that has been more recently excavated. Because the changes in smoothness occur for craters smaller than 25 meters, and because those craters tend to be excavate 1 to 4 meters, the team inferred that the subsurface layer extends down 1 to 4 meters. (8/29)

How Data from a NASA Lunar Orbiter is Preparing Artemis Astronauts (Source: NASA)
When astronauts set off for a trip around the Moon in 2024 with NASA’s Artemis II mission, they will go primed with knowledge of lunar landmarks gathered by one of the Agency’s premiere robotic missions to our nearest cosmic neighbor. NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), launched in 2009, has returned a treasure trove of scientific data in its fourteen years of operation, but this is not all the benefit it can provide. With “reconnaissance” right in the name, it should come as no surprise that this mission was designed from the ground up with the idea of aiding crewed spaceflight.

As astronauts prepare to head back to the Moon for the first time since 1972, they have been trained on how to identify landmarks, spot geological features, and help mark areas of interest for future landings, all using data gathered by LRO. This training involved scientific visualization put together using LRO data to highlight the features they will see from orbit. (8/29)

Sensing City Night Heat From Space (Source: Space Daily)
The Ecostress instrument, owned by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, is important because it is helping in the development of a new Copernicus Sentinel Expansion satellite - the Land Surface Temperature Monitoring (LSTM) mission - so images such as these offer a glimpse of what the new mission will deliver operationally. ESA is using the experimental instrument to simulate the data that will eventually be returned by LSTM, which will provide systematic high-resolution measurements of the temperature of the land surface. The mission promises to be a game-changer for urban planners in their efforts to improve the lives of city dwellers as climate change tightens its grip even more. (8/25)

Indian Rover Confirms Sulphur on Moon's South Pole (Source: Space Daily)
"The Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) instrument onboard Chandrayaan-3 Rover has made the first-ever in-situ measurements on the elemental composition of the lunar surface near the south pole," the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said in a statement dated Monday. "These in-situ measurements confirm the presence of sulphur in the region unambiguously, something that was not feasible by the instruments onboard the orbiters," it said. The spectrographic analysis also confirmed the presence of aluminium, calcium, iron, chromium and titanium on the lunar surface, ISRO added, with additional measurements showing the presence of manganese, silicon and oxygen. (8/30)

Is a Mach 4 Passenger Jet Possible? NASA, Industry Explore Idea (Source: Space Daily)
NASA recently investigated the business case for supersonic passenger air travel aboard aircraft that could theoretically travel between Mach 2 and Mach 4 (1,535-3,045 mph at sea level). By comparison, today's larger airliners cruise at roughly 600 mph, or about 80% of the speed of sound. The NASA studies concluded potential passenger markets exist in about 50 established routes that connect cities. Since the U.S. and other nations prohibit supersonic flight over land, the studies' findings covered transoceanic travel, including high-volume North Atlantic routes and those crossing the Pacific. (8/24)