September 12, 2023

Galileo Becomes Faster for Every User (Source: Space Daily)
ESA satnav receiver vans - driving between the busy heart of Rotterdam, quiet countryside, and the Agency's ESTEC technical centre - have confirmed that Galileo signals now provide a first position fix more rapidly, while also offering improved robustness in challenging environments and streamlined access to time information.

The improvement comes from a new so-called improved 'I/NAV' navigation message, first demonstrated on the latest two Galileo satellites launched in December 2021 and entered into service last summer. ESA as Galileo's System Design Authority has been contributing to the deployment of the improved 'I/NAV' navigation message starting from the design phase, the implementation at satellite and ground segment, the qualification of the implementation and the in-orbit testing. (9/12)

$1.26M Incentive Could Bring 300 Defense/Aerospace Jobs to Space Coast (Source: Florida Today)
A defense contractor is considering opening a large aerospace parts manufacturing facility on the Space Coast, and bringing up to 300 high-paying jobs there from 2027 to 2033. It is seeking a $1.26 million grant from a Brevard County economic-development entity as an incentive to locate there. The company also says a military branch associated with the contract would station as many as 100 civilian and military personnel at the project site if it decides to expand in Titusville ― likely during a period from when the plant opens in 2027 until 2046.

In addition, an economic and fiscal analysis prepared by the North Brevard Economic Development Zone indicates that the 300 direct jobs the company creates could result in 519 spinoff jobs at other businesses, including specialty suppliers and vendors. At its request, the company's identity is being kept secret for now by local economic-development officials. They refer to the company's potential expansion to Titusville as "Project Topaz." The specific location of the facility and specifics on what will be manufactured there also are not being disclosed. There are indications, however, that Lockheed Martin Corp. may be connected to the project. (9/11)

Putin Praises ‘Outstanding’ Musk While Vowing More Moon Missions (Source: Bloomberg)
Russian President Vladimir Putin praised Elon Musk as an outstanding person and talented businessman, just days after the chief executive officer of SpaceX acknowledged preventing Ukraine from using his company’s Starlink satellite network for an attack on Russian warships. “As for private business, Elon Musk, he is certainly an outstanding person,” Putin said at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok on Tuesday. “I think it will be recognized throughout the world. He is an active, talented businessman.” (9/12)

Five Teams to Change How US Air, Space Forces Prepare to Fight China (Source: Defense News)
The U.S. Air Force secretary on Monday said the service is launching a new effort to revamp how it organizes, trains, equips and carries out missions to deter or defeat China. Over the next few months, the Department of the Air Force’s senior leadership will lead this review to find ways to make itself and the Space Force operate better in an era of great power competition, Frank Kendall said. Kendall added that he wants the department to start implementing changes by January 2024 and move rapidly that year. (9/11)

France and Bangladesh Sign Deal to Provide Loans, Satellite Technology (Source: EuroNews)
French President Emmanuel Macron is on a two-day visit to Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka, to bolster bilateral relations between the two countries. France's President Emmanuel Macron has overseen the signature of a deal to facilitate loans to Bangladesh aimed at infrastructure development, as well as a letter of intent to provide the South Asian country with an earth observation satellite system. A letter of intent was also signed to provide Bangladesh with an earth observation satellite system through cooperation between Bangladesh Satellite Company Limited, or BSCL, and Airbus Defence and Space SAS, France. (9/11)

The Case for a Small Universe (Source: Phys.org)
The universe is big, as Douglas Adams would say. The most distant light we can see is the cosmic microwave background (CMB), which has taken more than 13 billion years to reach us. This marks the edge of the observable universe, and while you might think that means the universe is 26 billion light-years across, thanks to cosmic expansion it is now closer to 46 billion light-years across. By any measure, this is pretty darn big. However, a new paper published on the arXiv preprint server argues that the observable universe is mostly all there is. Click here. (9/11)

Billion-Light-Year-Wide 'Bubble of Galaxies' Discovered (Source: Phys.org)
Astronomers have discovered the first "bubble of galaxies," an almost unimaginably huge cosmic structure thought to be a fossilized remnant from just after the Big Bang sitting in our galactic backyard. The bubble spans a billion light years, making it 10,000 times wider than the Milky Way galaxy. Yet this giant bubble, which cannot be seen by the naked eye, is a relatively close 820 million light years away from our home galaxy, in what astronomers call the nearby universe. (9/10)

NASA Says Distant Exoplanet Could Have Rare Water Ocean and Possible Hint of Life (Source: Guardian)
Scientists at NASA have announced the existence of a possible rare water ocean on a giant exoplanet scores of light years away and also a chemical hint of a sign of potential life. The “intriguing” discovery was made by the space agency’s James Webb telescope, peering 120 light years from Earth in the constellation Leo, building on earlier studies of the region using Webb’s predecessors, Hubble and Kepler. Researchers have named the exoplanet K2-18 b, an unremarkable moniker for something with such potential significance.

lmost nine times the mass of Earth, it is, NASA, says: “a Hycean exoplanet, one which has the potential to possess a hydrogen-rich atmosphere and a water ocean-covered surface”. The space agency said that its observations of the chemical make-up of the planet’s atmosphere suggested the possibility of an ocean world. “The abundance of methane and carbon dioxide, and shortage of ammonia, support the hypothesis that there may be a water ocean underneath a hydrogen-rich atmosphere in K2-18 b,” it said. (9/11)

GHGSat Completes Funding to Accelerate Commercialization (Source: SpaceWatch)
GHGSat has completed its Series C1 funding round for a total of $44 million in equity and debt, which consequently puts the Company’s total raised funds to more than $126 million since its inception in 2011. This milestone underscores the Company’s position in greenhouse gas emissions intelligence and demonstrates strong investor confidence in the Company. It also enjoys longstanding support from existing investors who have reinvested in this Series C1 round, expanding the foundation for future growth and innovation.

GHGSat has grown since its last funding round two years ago. The company has generated an eightfold revenue surge since its previous funding round, a fourfold increase in commercial satellites and a threefold increase in airborne sensors deployed. The Company has also achieved key milestones in developing next-generation measurement and AI technologies. (9/11)

Thaicom Contracts Airbus for a OneSat Flexible Telecommunications Satellite (Source: Airbus)
Thaicom has selected Airbus for its new generation software-defined high throughput satellite. Airbus will provide one of its latest designed satellites - a fully reconfigurable OneSat. This Thaicom satellite will provide extended connectivity in Ku-band over the Asia-Pacific region for millions of users. Thaicom has launched and operated eight geostationary satellites. This is Thaicom’s first flexible satellite, allowing for more adaptability on coverage, frequency and capacity which is crucial in such a dynamic region. (9/11)

Telesat Signs Multi-Launch SpaceX Deal Covering All Lightspeed Satellites (Source: Space News)
Telesat has contracted 14 launches from SpaceX starting in mid-2026 to deploy its entire Lightspeed broadband constellation within a year. Each Falcon 9 rocket could carry up to 18 of the 750-kilogram low Earth orbit satellites Canada’s MDA is building — or 252 in total, although the number per launch would vary depending on the orbital plane. Telesat ordered 198 satellites from MDA last month after announcing funding commitments for 156 of them, enough to provide initial multi-terabit polar and global services. (9/11)

ITU Emphasizes Importance of Space Sustainability (Source: Space News)
The head of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) says the agency will emphasize space sustainability as the number of satellites grows. In a talk Sep. 11 at Euroconsult’s World Satellite Business Week here, Doreen Bogdan-Martin, secretary-general of the ITU, said the growing risk of collisions between satellites and debris threatens the progress satellite systems are making at enhancing communications globally and closing the digital divide. (9/11)

Telesat Had Previously (and May Still) Planned on Blue Origin and Relativity to Launch Lightspeed (Source: Space News)
Telesat has purchased 14 Falcon 9 launches that will be used to deploy the revised Lightspeed constellation. Telesat had previously signed contracts with Blue Origin and Relativity Space to deploy its Lightspeed satellites, but said it remained on contract with those companies about using their future launches for later opportunities.

The launch contract is part of a revamp of the Lightspeed constellation. Telesat previously planned to have Thales Alenia Space build the satellites, but Thales ran into post-pandemic supply chain delays. The new Lightspeed satellites to be built by MDA will be smaller and use digital beam-forming technologies, saving $2 billion. Telesat CEO Dan Goldberg said he expects mass production of the satellite to begin in mid-2025. He said he also did not expect any major regulatory issues for the revised constellation plan. (9/12)

SECAF Not Concerned About SpaceX Starlink Restrictions (Source: Space News)
Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall says he is not concerned about SpaceX despite the restrictions that company has placed on use of Starlink by Ukraine. Kendall said he is not familiar with the terms of SpaceX's agreement with Ukraine. But he said any company that signs a contract with DoD, including one run by a powerful billionaire, would be expected to comply with the terms of that contract.  Kendall also praised SpaceX for its launch services, calling the company a "reliable competitor" that has brought prices down while maintaining reliability. (9/12)

India's Lunar Rover Has Gone to Sleep, And It May Never Wake Up (Source: Science Alert)
We're accustomed to rover missions that last years, thanks largely to NASA's Mars rovers. But those rovers have MMRTGs (Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator) power plants that last for years. They're also really expensive, whereas the Chandrayaan-3 mission cost only about $75 million.

But Pragyan relies on solar power, and lunar night is setting in. Pragyan has transmitted all of its data from its brief mission and is now hibernating. The temperature on the lunar surface will plummet to -120C (-184F), and the spacecraft's electronics were not built to handle that. But the battery is charged, and the receiver is still on. There's some hope that it can be reawakened when night passes and that it can continue its mission on September 22nd. (9/9)

Ball Aerospace Wins $486.9 Million for NOAA Satellite Payload (Source: Space News)
Ball Aerospace won a contract worth nearly half a billion dollars to build an instrument for a new series of weather satellites. Ball Aerospace won a $486.9 million contract Monday to develop and deliver one sounder for the GeoXO line of GEO weather satellite for NOAA, with options for additional sounders. The GeoXO Sounder is a hyperspectral infrared instrument designed to detect infrared light and provide vertical profiles of temperature, moisture and winds. The GeoXO satellites are slated to enter service by the early 2030s. (9/12)

Airbus Wins Thaicom Satellite Contract (Source: Space News)
Airbus won a contract Monday to build a GEO communications satellite for Thaicom. Thaicom-10 would be the Thai operator's first satellite with a software-defined payload, enabling the company to adjust capacity and coverage while in orbit to adapt to changes in demand. Eutelsat has agreed to lease half the Ku-band satellite's capacity at 119.5 degrees East, which the French operator said would give it around 50 gigabits per second in extra capacity over Asia. Eutelsat's capacity would be focused on maritime and aviation, while Thaicom would focus on inland markets. (9/12)

Arianespace Picked to Launch Intelsat Satellite on Ariane 6 (Source: Space News)
Arianespace won a contract to launch a small GEO communications satellite for Intelsat. The IS-45 satellite will launch on an Ariane 6 in the first half of 2026, along with co-passengers, the companies announced Tuesday. Intelsat selected Swissto12 last year to build the one-ton satellite. Launch companies said at World Satellite Business Week that GEO satellites remain a stable part of their business, although growth is focused on LEO constellations. (9/12)
 
Geost Wins Contract for Eight Missile Tracking Payloads (Source: Space News)
Geost announced Monday it won a contract to produce eight payloads for Northrop Grumman missile-tracking satellites. The payloads, intended to detect threats in orbit, are for Space Development Agency's Tranche 1 Tracking Layer satellites projected to launch in 2025, 14 of which Northrop is building. The payloads are designed to monitor the region around the satellites to look for potential threats. (9/12)

Techstars Starts New Accelerator Class for Space Startups (Source: Space News)
Techstars has started a new class for its space startup accelerator. The 12 startups, from the U.S. and Australia, are working on a range of capabilities from launch to Earth imagery to artificial intelligence. It is the first in-person class for Techstars since 2019, with the new class spending time in Los Angeles, Colorado and Washington, D.C. (9/12)

Chinese Cargo Craft Departed TSS (Source: Xinhua)
A Chinese cargo spacecraft undocked and reentered Monday. The Tianzhou-5 spacecraft undocked form the Tiangong space station at 4:46 a.m. Eastern and reentered at 9:13 p.m. Eastern over the South Pacific, Chinese officials announced. The spacecraft launched to the station last November bringing supplies to the station. (9/12)

SpaceX Launches Starlink Satellites From California, Recovers Booster (Source: Space.com)
SpaceX launched another set of Starlink satellites overnight. A Falcon 9 lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base at 2:57 a.m. Eastern and placed 21 V2 mini satellites into orbit. The company now has more than 4,000 satellites in operational orbits, out of more than 5,000 launched to date. (9/12)

Direct-to-Device Market Could Top $100 Billion (Source: Space News)
So-called "direct-to-device" connectivity could be a market worth more than $100 billion for the satellite industry. The size of thar emerging market, where satellites provide services directly to unmodified phones, could be that large, Euroconsult estimated during an opening session of World Satellite Business Week. The question, though, is how long it will take for the direct-to-cellphone market to develop given significant challenges in terms of device compatibility, spectrum availability and service affordability. Despite the uncertainties, Euroconsult still sees the market as one of the biggest opportunities for the sector. (9/12)

Comtech Offers Quick Network Creation (Source: Space News)
Comtech Telecommunications says it will be able to provide government and commercial customers with communications networks established "in a matter of hours." Through BRIDGE solutions, Comtech is offering "portable, adaptable, full-service communications networks" to help bridge gaps in satellite and terrestrial infrastructure, the company announced Tuesday. Comtech says its BRIDGE approach is taking advantage of converging solutions leveraging capabilities at the company that have historically been independent. (9/12)

OneWeb: New Person-Portable Terminal to Provide Satellite Connectivity to Tactical Edge (Source: OneWeb)
OneWeb announces the launch of a new fully person-portable, lightweight user terminal (UT), that fits easily into a backpack, enabling new connectivity capabilities for military operations and emergency response teams working in areas beyond the bounds of traditional terrestrial networks and direct to the tactical edge. The FoldSat LEo Ku OW Mil terminal is OneWeb’s first fully ruggedized user terminal. Manufactured by Inster (Oesia Group), it weighs just 11.8kg and has a low profile and foldable antenna design. The Wi-Fi access point can provide connectivity up to 100 meters. (9/11)

Europe's New Ariane 6 Rocket Fired Up in French Guiana (Source: Space.com)
A hot-fire test of the Ariane 6 rocket engine was conducted on Sept. 5, 2023 at Europe’s spaceport in French Guiana. "The next milestone is to complete a core stage long hot-fire test, where the Vulcain 2.1 engine will operate for about 8 minutes," according to ESA. Click here. (9/11)

Japan's SLIM Moon Lander is Carrying a Transforming Ball Robot (Source: Space.com)
Japan's recent launch of the SLIM moon lander included a tiny lunar explorer inspired by a children's toy. The Lunar Excursion Vehicle 2 (LEV-2) is a little metal sphere, not much larger than a tennis ball. Once on the moon, it will pop off the SLIM lander, and transform its two halves to traverse the fine regolith of the lunar surface. (9/10)

Multiple Solar Flares Explode, Spark Blackouts on Earth; Is a Terrifying Solar Storm Coming? (Source: HT Tech)
The Earth suffered a solar storm hit on Sep. 9, and now another solar storm threat is looming for our planet. On Sep. 11 a solar flare of M1.3-class was detected erupting on the Earth-facing side of the Sun. The solar flare sparked shortwave radio blackouts over the Pacific Ocean. Continuous solar flare explosions are coming from sunspot AR3429. (9/11)

Astronaut Wields New Space Camera to See Lightning Strikes on Earth (Source: Space.com)
An astronaut and his new camera will peer at the heart of lightning storms to learn more about their structure. European Space Agency astronaut Andreas Mogensen plans a stormy followup to his 2015 research on the International Space Station. Newly arrived at the orbiting complex for a six-month mission, Mogensen will look once again at lightning storms on Earth. Elusive phenomena he hopes to see include "blue jets" (upside-down lightning) and "red sprites" (discharges in a layer of the Earth's atmosphere, known as the mesosphere.) (9/10)

Lockheed Martin Opens Futuristic Satellite Operations Center Test Bed in Colorado (Source: Space Daily)
Lockheed Martin announced the opening of its Operations Center of the Future, a technology test bed showcasing how tomorrow's satellite operators will be able to manage multiple space missions simultaneously using a web-based, secure cloud infrastructure. The Lockheed Martin self-funded, futuristic operations center, located on the company's campus near Denver, Colo., utilizes its proven Compass Mission Planning and Horizon Command and Control (C2) software. (9/12)

Terran Orbital Expands Manufacturing at California Plant (Source: Space Daily)
Terran Orbital announced the official opening of a new 60,000-square-foot satellite manufacturing space adding to its existing manufacturing capability. With this previously announced addition, the total size of the manufacturing complex in Irvine has expanded to approximately 98,000 square feet. This new addition enables Terran Orbital to significantly boost satellite production, increasing it from an estimated 10 satellites per month to more than 20 per month. This expansion includes two advanced Printed Circuit Board Assembly (PCBA) lines, a state-of-the-art testing facility equipped with a large shaker table and a Thermal Vacuum (TVAC) chamber, a wire harness facility, and new automated module testing facilities. (9/12)

Sidus Space Announces Contract with HEO for Non-Earth Imaging Payload and Data Services (Source: Sidus Space)
Sidus Space announced an agreement with HEO (USA), a subsidiary of HEO, an Australian space technology company specializing in non-Earth imaging (NEI) and in-orbit satellite inspection services. Sidus Space will incorporate HEO's Holmes Imager as a hosted payload on the second set of LizzieSatTM missions, scheduled for launch in Q2 2024, in conjunction with a monthly Data services contract. (9/12)

Kombucha: Ally for Moon and Mars (Source: Space Daily)
ESA is testing kombucha cultures, famous for their fermentative properties and potential health benefits, to assess their resilience in space. These cultures hold great promise for supporting humans on the Moon and Mars. Multicellular biofilms found in kombucha, have shown promise in surviving harsh environments on Earth, prompting scientists to investigate their potential to endure space's extreme conditions. The microorganisms are even being considered as bio-factories for self-sustaining life support systems for space settlements. (9/12)