September 21, 2023

Maxar Reorganizing (Source: Space News)
Maxar Technologies is reorganizing into two separate businesses, with some executives losing their jobs. The company will split into Maxar Space Infrastructure, overseeing satellite manufacturing, and Maxar Intelligence, focused on satellite imagery. The restructuring comes less than five months after Maxar, previously a publicly traded company, was acquired by the private equity firm Advent International in a $6.4 billion deal. The reorganization includes "a small amount" of layoffs, the company said, but did not elaborate on specific reductions. Industry observers said such changes are common when companies are acquired by private equity firms, who are seeking efficiency and a return on their investment. (9/21)

Space Force Refining Commercial Space Strategy (Source: Space News)
The general in charge of the U.S. Space Force says he is refining a commercial space strategy for the service to make it more actionable. Gen. Chance Saltzman said at the AMOS Conference in Hawaii Wednesday that a commercial space strategy document he received require revisions to better define what capabilities can be handed by commercial data or services versus those that are "inherently governmental."

He said he wanted to avoid an "aspirational" document that broadly endorsed buying more commercial services without explaining when it makes most sense to do so. That includes the area of space domain awareness, were the Space Force is looking to the private sector and to allies to fill gaps, such as coverage of satellites in the Southern Hemisphere and improved tracking of objects in geostationary orbit. (9/21)

FAA Proposes Rules for Deorbiting Upper Stages (Source: Space News)
The FAA has proposed new rules for deorbiting upper stages from commercial launches. The draft rule, released Wednesday, would require companies with commercial launch licenses to dispose of the upper stages from their launches in one of five ways, from controlled reentries within 30 days of launch to contracting with a third party that would dispose of the stage using active debris removal systems. Upper stages pose particular concerns for space sustainability given their large size and mass, as well as being able to break apart when their propellant tanks burst or batteries explode. The FAA will seek public comment on the regulations over 90 days. (9/21)

India Attempting to Revive Lunar Lander (Source: Hindustan Times)
India's space agency ISRO is starting efforts to try and restore contact with the Chandrayaan-3 lunar lander. The Vikram lander went into sleep mode just before the start of a two-week lunar night at its landing site in the south polar regions of the moon early this month. With the sun rising again at the site, controllers are hoping that the lander can wake up, although it was not designed to survive the extended cold. In a best-case scenario, the lander would wake up and respond to commands as soon as Friday. (9/21)

Japan's Lunar Lander Passes First En-Route Tests (Source: Space.com)
A Japanese lunar lander launched earlier this month has passed a first set of tests. The Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) launched into Earth orbit early this month and has now completed checkouts of its main systems, confirming all are working properly. The spacecraft will gradually change its orbit in the coming months to go to the moon for a landing early next year. (9/21)

Artemis Dress Rehearsal Held at KSC (Source: Orlando Sentinel)
The astronauts assigned to the first crewed Artemis mission went through a dress rehearsal for part of their launch preparations this week. The four-person Artemis 2 crew tested launch day procedures from suiting up and riding in vans to the launch pad to going up the mobile launch platform they will use to board the Orion spacecraft. The Artemis 2 mission is currently slated for launch in late 2024. (9/21)

SpaceX Scaling Back Launch Webcasts (Source: Ars Technica)
SpaceX is deemphasizing webcasts of its launches. For many of its recent Starlink launches, the company has done away with having a webcast host, instead having only mission control audio on a webcast that starts a few minutes before liftoff and ends after landing of the first stage. The company has also stopped broadcasting on YouTube, instead hosting launch webcasts on X, the social network formerly known as Twitter also owned by Elon Musk. That step has upset many people given the limited options for watching the webcast and the lower quality of the video. (9/21)

Why Scientists Want To Build A Giant Telescope On The Moon (Source: SlashGear)
Telescopes on the moon circumvent a lot of problems we encounter with telescopes here on Earth. As covered above, the moon's lack of atmosphere leads to a fair number of headaches, but it also makes for some spectacular views. Sure, Earth's atmosphere is good for life and all, but it also reflects, scatters, or absorbs incoming photons from huge swaths of the electromagnetic spectrum, rendering some types of observations simply impossible. Not so on the moon. (9/17)

Unprecedented Radio Wave Detection From a Type Ia Supernova (Source: SciTech Daily)
For the first time, astronomers have observed radio waves emitted by a Type Ia supernova, a type of explosion originating from a white dwarf star. This provides important clues to understand how white dwarfs explode. A Type Ia (One-A) supernova is the nuclear explosion of a white dwarf star. This type of supernova is well known; these supernovae are used by astronomers to measure cosmological distances and the expansion of the Universe. However, the explosion mechanism of Type Ia supernovae is not well understood. Solitary white dwarfs don’t explode, so it is thought that mass accretion from a neighboring companion star plays a role in triggering the explosion. (9/19)

Curiosity Reaches Mars Ridge Where Water Left Debris Pileup (Source: Space Daily)
Three billion years ago, amid one of the last wet periods on Mars, powerful debris flows carried mud and boulders down the side of a hulking mountain. The debris spread into a fan that was later eroded by wind into a towering ridge, preserving an intriguing record of the Red Planet's watery past.

Now, after three attempts, NASA's Curiosity Mars rover has reached the ridge, capturing the formation in a 360-degree panoramic mosaic. Previous forays were stymied by knife-edged "gator-back" rocks and too-steep slopes. Following one of the most difficult climbs the mission has ever faced, Curiosity arrived Aug. 14 at an area where it could study the long-sought ridge with its 7-foot robotic arm. (9/20)

Astroscale Wins Space Force Contract for Space Mobility and Logistics Capabilities (Source: Space Daily)
Space Systems Command's Assured Access to Space (AATS) Directorate awarded a $25.5 million contract to Astroscale to advance Space Mobility and Logistics (SML) capabilities. By 2026, Astroscale U.S. Inc. will deliver a servicing vehicle prototype, that will provide in-space refueling for compatible satellites. The proposed solution leverages a refueling technology advanced by previous industry/Government partnerships, delivering fuel to client vehicles, and permitting them to remain on-station and on-mission. (9/20)

New Recipes for Origin of Life May Point Way to Distant, Inhabited Planets (Source: Space Daily)
Life on a faraway planet - if it's out there - might not look anything like life on Earth. But there are only so many chemical ingredients in the universe's pantry, and only so many ways to mix them. A team led by scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has exploited those limitations to write a cookbook of hundreds of chemical recipes with the potential to give rise to life.

Their ingredient list could focus the search for life elsewhere in the universe by pointing out the most likely conditions - planetary versions of mixing techniques, oven temperatures and baking times - for the recipes to come together. The process of progressing from basic chemical ingredients to the complex cycles of cell metabolism and reproduction that define life, the researchers say, requires not only a simple beginning but also repetition. (9/20)

Details on Recent Scrubbed Hypersonic Test Launch at Cape Canaveral Spaceport (Source: Defense Mirror)
The U.S. Army is facing a setback in its quest to deploy the Dark Eagle Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) within the current fiscal year, as it now anticipates a delay until the close of the calendar year. “We still have a path with a follow up test to get to a fielded capability by the end of calendar 2023,” Doug Bush said. “We’re finding problems… It’s actually good we’re finding these.” The reason behind this delay can be attributed to the cancellation of a critical test of the Common Hypersonic Glide Body (C-HGB), which was originally scheduled for this month at the Cape Canaveral Spaceport.

Despite the cancellation of the LRHW test, Army Under Secretary Gabe Camarillo expressed strong confidence in the program. Lockheed Martin assumes the role of the weapon system integrator, while Dynetics, a subsidiary of Leidos, has been entrusted with the construction of the hypersonic glide body. (9/20)

Vermont's Benchmark Space Systems Rides Boom in Small Satellites (Source: VT Digger)
Burlington may not be known as a hub for space technology, but in recent years, a local company focused on satellite propulsion has been taking off. Founded in a South Burlington strip mall in 2017, Benchmark Space Systems has grown to employ 80 people in Vermont, California and the United Kingdom, according to founder and CEO Ryan McDevitt. Along the way, it expanded to Hula, the Burlington tech incubator, and this summer moved into a 40,000-square-foot testing and manufacturing facility nearby. There, it hopes to produce 1,000 thrusters a year. (9/19)

NASA Team Simulates a Glimpse of Our Galaxy in Gravitational Waves (Source: NASA)
Astronomers using simulated data have produced a glimpse of the sky as it would appear in gravitational waves, cosmic ripples in space-time generated by orbiting objects. The image shows how space-based gravitational wave observatories expected to launch in the next decade will enhance our understanding of our galactic home. (9/20)

Flexjet Launches SpaceX’s Starlink for Gulfstream G650 In-Flight Connectivity (Source: Drive Tesla Canada)
Flexjet, a fractional jet ownership and leasing company, has added SpaceX’s Starlink Aviation to its list of amenities on their Gulfstream G650 private jets. Flexjet said the FAA has certified Starlink’s technology for use in the company’s Gulfstream G650 jets, an industry first, with plans to expand to other aircraft in their fleet, including super-mid, mid, and light jets. (9/20)

Space Debris Removal Startup Dark Partners with Bordeaux Airport (Source: European Spaceflight)
French space junk removal startup Dark has signed a partnership with Bordeaux Airport in preparation for the establishment of the company’s “Site B” facility. Dark was founded in 2021 with the aim of developing an air-launched rocket capable of deploying payloads of up to 300 kilograms into low Earth orbit. The company has since narrowed its focus and is planning to offer responsive debris removal services with its Interceptor vehicle.

The company describes its Interceptor vehicle as the first emergency debris removal platform. It claims that the air-launched rocket will be capable of removing a dangerous object from space in less than 24 hours. In preparation for its first demonstration flight, the company announced on 20 September that it had partnered with Bordeaux Airport. The Site B Facility will be utilized for research and development, production, maintenance, and space operations. (9/20)

Trio of Sentinel Satellites Map Methane Super-Emitters (Source: ESA)
In the quest to address climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, detecting methane leaks – a potent contributor to global warming – has become increasingly vital. Researchers are harnessing the capabilities of cutting-edge satellite technology to monitor these leaks from space. The Tropomi instrument onboard the Copernicus Sentinel-5P satellite is the only satellite instrument that produces a global map of methane concentrations every day. The satellite measures methane by observing Earth's atmosphere and, specifically, the shortwave infrared bands. These bands are like unique fingerprints for methane, allowing Sentinel-5P to detect its presence with remarkable precision. (9/20)

A Pair of Sun Probes Just Got Closer to Solving a Solar Enigma (Source: WIRED)
Thanks to some astronomical choreography, engineers coordinated ESA's Solar Orbiter with a flyby from NASA’s Parker Solar Probe to make the first joint measurements of the corona. Together, they pulled off observations neither probe could have made on its own. By using both spacecraft together, researchers on the two teams had the chance to combine simultaneous measurements and images. Most significantly, they determined that turbulence within the sun’s plasma contributes to the corona’s heat—although they’re not yet sure how much.

"Combining the data from the two spacecraft, while they are aligned but far apart, gives us the evolution of the plasma from one spacecraft [reading] to the next. Having that information is so crucial,” says Nour Raouafi. The new data also gives insight into another enigma that has stymied astrophysicists: How the solar wind accelerates to supersonic speeds. This wind is made up of charged particles flying along the sun’s magnetic field lines, which seem to be propelled into the solar system by small, intermittent, explosive jets at the base of the corona. (9/20)

Terran Orbital Replaces CFO (Source: Parabolic Arc)
Terran Orbital shares fell 19.7 percent to $1.14 on Monday after the company announced it was selling 23.2 million shares of common stock. The company expects to raise $32.5 million before fees and expenses are deducted to pay for corporate expenses. The announcement came three days after the company revealed that Chief Financial Officer Gary Hobart would transition to a newly created senior executive position of Chief Transformation Officer (CTO). Terran Orbital appointed Mathieu Riffel, 38, as acting chief financial officer effective on September 15. (9/20)

FCC Approves New Mini Starlink Dish (Source: PC Magazine)
The FCC has approved SpaceX’s application to operate two new Starlink dishes, including a smaller, more portable model. The agency on Tuesday cleared SpaceX’s application for the new hardware, which will allow the company to operate the equipment across the US. The first device is smaller than SpaceX’s first-generation Starlink dish. The company’s original application for the hardware revealed it’ll measure 11.4 inches by 9.8 inches, making it about the size of an Apple MacBook. The current $599 Starlink dish for consumers measures 20.2 by 11.9 inches for a more rectangular package.

SpaceX also suggests the new dish will be portable. The company’s application notes the hardware will “allow consumers to enjoy the benefits of high-speed, low-latency broadband wherever they live or work, including in rural and remote areas where mobile or portable applications are necessary.” The second dish promises to offer “a high performance solution for consumers that improves upon SpaceX Services’ previously authorized fixed user terminal models.” (9/20)

Blue Origin Preparing for New Glenn Testing at LC-36 Ahead of Maiden Flight (Source: NSF)
Over the past few months, Blue Origin has continued making progress towards the maiden launch of its orbital class rocket, New Glenn. The company has continued testing systems at Launch Complex 36, and recently submitted plans for a refurbishment facility near the Cape Canaveral Skid Strip, expanding Blue Origin’s already impressive spread of installations on the Space Coast.

On Sep.15, Blue Origin submitted documents for the refurbishment facility to the St. Johns Water Management District. The documents explain the facility’s purpose is to “provide a building and associated infrastructure for the refurbishment of launch vehicles, and reuse of existing large and small components for rocket launches”.

The project is planned to be built on Central Control Road and covers a total of 58.8 acres and includes the refurbishment facility, parking areas, stormwater retention areas, and a 20-acre area for future developments. What’s more, the facility is just a two-kilometer drive from LC-36. Once approved, this facility will play a major role in Blue Origin’s goal of making New Glenn another workhorse vehicle for the space industry, similar to SpaceX’s Falcon rockets. (9/19)

FAA Proposed Rule Would Reduce the Growth of Debris from Commercial Space Vehicles (Source: FAA)
The Federal Aviation Administration is proposing a rule to limit the growth of new orbital debris and reduce the potential for collisions with spacecraft and satellites to promote a sustainable space environment. If left unchecked, the accumulation of orbital debris will increase the risk of collisions and clutter orbits used for human spaceflight and for satellites providing communications, weather and global positioning system services.

The proposed rule would require commercial space operators to choose from among five options to dispose of the upper stages of launch vehicles. These include: conduct a controlled reentry; move the upper stage to a less congested storage or graveyard orbit; send the upper stage on an Earth-escape orbit; and retrieve the upper stage (called active debris removal) within five years; or perform an uncontrolled atmospheric disposal. (9/20)

Tom Hanks Returns to the Moon with 'The Moonwalkers' Experience (Source: CollectSpace)
What do you get when you combine the production house that converted the Washington Monument into a Saturn V rocket, the recently reworked imagery of "Apollo Remastered" and the actor who made "Houston, we have a problem" a household phrase? An immersive, nearly hour-long experience offering a unique new perspective on humanity's past and future voyages to the moon.

"The Moonwalkers: A Journey With Tom Hanks" will take over London's Lightroom showspace to tell the history of the Apollo missions, as well as NASA's plans to return astronauts to the lunar surface in the coming years. Set to debut on Dec. 6, "The Moonwalkers" includes new interviews between Hanks and the Artemis crew who for the first time in over 50 years will launch to a celestial body beyond Earth. (9/20)

Israel’s Equation for the Space Ecosystem (Source: Space News)
Israel’s achievements in space are notable. It was the fourth nation to reach the Moon (and the first to do so with a private spacecraft, SpaceIL’s Beresheet mission). Israel was the eighth country to realize domestic end-to-end satellite capabilities, from planning and building to launch and operation. And in 2022, retired Israeli Air Force Col. Eytan Stibbe (who once flew an F-16 under the command of Ilan Ramon) joined the first all-private crewed mission to the International Space Station (ISS).

These and other Israeli endeavors are remarkable in Earth’s space history, particularly for a country of 8,000 square miles, fewer than 10 million residents, and relatively scarce natural resources. What is the equation of stakeholders, investments and activities that has allowed a nation only 75 years old to take such a leading role in space? Click here. (9/20)

After Record Flight, Firefly, Space Force Look to Accelerate Launches (Source: Washington Post)
Being able to get spacecraft to orbit quickly is an important capability, Pentagon leaders have said, and something the Defense Department has been pursuing for decades. Now, as space increasingly becomes a warfighting domain, rapid response is even more important, military leaders have said, and the Pentagon is renewing its push to develop rockets and satellites that can be launched into space fast.

“Going forward, the Space Force is not going to have the luxury of time — of weeks or months to put things on orbit, or months or years to develop new capabilities,” Lt. Col. MacKenzie Birchenough, who helped oversee the program for Space Systems Command, said in an interview. “The need is a lot faster, and we look at a 24-hour type time frame as something that is realistic for us and really the goal of what we need to be getting after.”

Launching on short notice would allow the Pentagon to, say, send up a satellite that could investigate adversaries’ spacecraft, especially those getting suspiciously close to U.S. military satellites. In a time of war, it could also allow military leaders to “surge” satellites to space that could help with intelligence gathering, taking images of the ground, missile warning and communications. (9/19)

Polaris Spaceplanes Wraps Up MIRA-Light Prototype Flight Tests (Source: Space.com)
Polaris Spaceplanes, a German aerospace company, has successfully completed a 15-flight test campaign of its MIRA-Light prototype vehicle. The test-flights took place over the course of three days, between Aug. 22 and Sep. 8, and were meant to demonstrate the vehicle's aerodynamics and flight control systems in preparation for a larger-scale spaceplane prototype the company plans to equip with a linear aerospike rocket engine.

MIRA-Light measures just 8.2 feet (2.5 meters) long, and flies using four electric fans. For 10 of MIRA-Light’s 15 flights, the mini-spaceplane was equipped with a mock aerospike engine to simulate its impact on vehicle performance. In total, the prototype accumulated about 40 total minutes of flight time, according to a report from European Spaceflight. (9/19)

Sierra Space Reinvents the Space Station, Putting Affordable In-Space Infrastructure Within Reach (Source: Sierra Space)
Sierra Space, a leading, pureplay commercial space company building the first end-to-end business and technology platform in space, today announced it completed a fifth, sub-scale test of their revolutionary LIFE™ habitat (Large Integrated Flexible Environment). ILC Dover is the exclusive softgoods technology partner on the Sierra Space platform.

This latest successful milestone and the first one in the testing campaign to include a metallic window sub-structure – or blanking plate – now propels Sierra Space into full-scale testing of LIFE by the end of this year. The milestone cements the company’s position as the industry leader in commercial space station development for use in low-Earth orbit (LEO) and deep space. (9/20)

RFA-Led Consortium Submit Argo for ESA Commercial Cargo Initiative (Source: European Spaceflight)
A consortium led by German launch startup Rocket Factory Augsburg has unveiled its Argo space station resupply vehicle. The consortium has submitted the vehicle for consideration to the European Space Agency’s Commercial Cargo Transportation Initiative (CCTI). ESA launched CCTI in May with the aim of encouraging European industry to develop a space cargo transportation system that could service both the International Space Station (ISS) and future commercial low Earth orbit destinations.

RFA has submitted its Argo vehicle for consideration. The vehicle is designed to transport payloads of up to 3.4 tonnes and will feature 13 cubic metres of pressurized volume. While RFA plans to launch the spacecraft aboard one of its own rockets, it will be launch vehicle agnostic, allowing it to be launched with any rocket with sufficient payload capacity. (9/20)

FCC Directing More Satellite Constellations to Mitigate Effects on Astronomy (Source: Space News)
The Federal Communications Commission is requiring more operators of satellite constellations to work with astronomers to minimize the effects their satellites will have on ground-based astronomy. The FCC issued authorizations Aug. 31 to Iceye and Planet, updating their licenses to add new satellites. Iceye, which operates a constellation of synthetic aperture radar imaging satellites, added eight satellites to its license, while Planet added seven of its upcoming Pelican high-resolution imaging satellites to its constellation.

Both licenses now include provisions requiring the companies to coordinate with the National Science Foundation (NSF) “to achieve a mutually acceptable agreement to mitigate the impact of its satellites… on optical ground-based astronomy.” The companies are required to report to the FCC annually whether they have reached a coordination agreement with the NSF and what steps they have taken to mitigate the effects of their satellites on astronomy, unless the NSF concludes they have no concerns about those spacecraft. (9/20)

Dubai-Based Pakistan’s First Astronaut Namira Salim Set for Space Voyage (Source: Gulf Today)
The first Pakistani astronaut, Namira Salim, is all set to commence her space journey this year as she has already clinched the position of Astronaut No.6, thanks to Sir Richard Robinson, and anticipation is high that her forthcoming space mission will enchant a wide-ranging audience. On Nov.29, 2022, the Founder Astronaut of Virgin Galactic designated her seat, and her first chance for the journey will be facilitated by Astronaut 019, marking the first Pakistani to launch into space. (9/20)

Groups Appeal Lawsuit Against SpaceX Beach Closures on Border (Source: Border Report)
Two environmental groups and an Indigenous tribe on Wednesday will present appeals in their lawsuit over the repeated closures of a border beach to allow neighboring SpaceX to conduct test flights and other activity. The Sierra Club, Save RGV, and the Carrizo Comecrudo Nation of Texas are scheduled to present oral arguments before the 13th Court of Appeals on Wednesday morning in Edinburg.

The lawsuit argues Texas can’t close the public beach for SpaceX launches. Last summer, the groups filed a lawsuit accusing the state of not upholding the Texas Open Beaches Act, but a district court judge in Brownsville ruled against their lawsuit, saying they couldn’t sue the Texas General Land Office or Cameron County, where the popular beach and SpaceX are located. The Texas Constitution grants the public rights to all public beaches. At issue, however, is whether private groups have a constitutional right to sue. (9/20)

The Rocket Science of Hiding Poverty (Source: Nikkei)
Satellite and rocket development top North Korea's priority list in science and technology. A five-year weapons development plan starting in 2021 includes operating a military spy satellite. The satellite would enable real-time tracking of the movements of U.S. forces and also win hearts and minds back home. This is the big reason behind Kim's military satellite fixation. Attempted launches in May and August both failed. Yet North Korea announced another launch, this time by the end of October -- a seemingly desperate move that left hardly any time to improve designs.

North Koreans are reportedly starving to death, and flooding in August inflicted damage over a wide area. COVID-19 has widened the gap between the rich and the poor, and the food situation in farming communities has worsened to a critical level. South Korea's National Intelligence Service told the legislature in late May that North Korean deaths by starvation had tripled from previous years.

A visitor to Pyongyang would surely be surprised to see rocket imagery all over the city. When I covered the seventh congress of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea in May 2016, they left a lasting impression. That Putin invited Kim to the Vostochny space center indicates that the Russian leader is well aware that North Korea wants advanced military and space technology. (9/20)

Protoflight: Atlas V Stacked Ahead of First Kuiper Launch (Source: ULA)
United Launch Alliance (ULA) uses heavy-duty cranes, teamwork and a lot of coordination to assemble our massive rockets before they head into space. That art of rocket stacking is both time-tested and an obligation to some passengers who require vertical integration of their payloads. This week, engineers and technicians at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, completed the initial buildup of the Atlas V 501 rocket that will launch prototypes of the Project Kuiper broadband system for Amazon. Click here. (9/20)

Scientists are Working to Mitigate Human Health Risks Before Sending People to Mars (Source: The Conversation)
Traveling to space poses risks to the human body. Since NASA wants to send a manned mission to Mars in the 2030s, scientists need to find solutions for these hazards sooner rather than later. As a kinesiologist who works with astronauts, I’ve spent years studying the effects space can have on the body and brain. I’m also involved in a NASA project that aims to mitigate the health hazards that participants of a future mission to Mars might face. Click here. (9/19)

Why We’ll Never Live in Space (Source: Scientific American)
Humans evolved for and adapted to conditions on Earth. Move us off our planet, and we start to fail—physically and psychologically. The cancer risk from cosmic rays and the problems that human bodies experience in microgravity could be deal-breakers on their own. Moreover, there may not be a viable economic case for sustaining a presence on another world. Historically, there hasn't been much public support for spending big money on it. Endeavors toward interplanetary colonization also bring up thorny ethical issues that most space optimists haven't fully grappled with.

At this year's Analog Astronaut Conference, none of these problems seemed unsolvable. Scientists and space enthusiasts were gathered at Biosphere 2, a miniature Earth near Tucson, Ariz., which researchers had built partly to simulate a space outpost. Amid this crowd, the conclusion seemed foregone: living in space is humans' destiny, an inevitable goal that we must reach toward.

The conference attendees know it's a big dream. But their general outlook was summed up by Phil Hawes, chief architect for Biosphere 2, who gave the opening talk at the meeting. He recited a toast made by the first team to camp out here decades ago: “Here's to throwing your heart out in front of you and running to catch up with it.” The question remains as to whether we can—and will—ever run fast enough. Click here. (9/20)

Tom Hanks: I’ll Clean Toilets for a Chance to Travel Into Space (Source: The Telegraph)
In an interview with The Telegraph, Hanks revealed his fascination with space, insisting he would be the cleaner on board a rocket if it allowed him to travel to infinity and beyond. “I would like to be the guy in charge of serving food and making jokes to and from the moon,” Hanks said. “If there was room, I would be the guy that cleans up, makes jokes, tells stories and keeps everybody entertained. I’m your man. I would probably sign up right now! (9/20)

Iridium and McQ Develop Remote Monitoring Solution for Canadian Armed Forces in the Arctic (Source: Space Daily)
Iridium Communications is proud to announce its partner McQ Inc., in collaboration with designer and manufacturer Barnacle Systems, has introduced a remote monitoring solution for fixed assets in the Arctic supporting the Department of National Defense and Canadian Armed Forces (DND/CAF). BRNKL Arctic Deploy is an innovative solution for the DND/CAF to monitor and secure ground-based assets operating remotely in the Arctic over Iridium's weather-resilient, truly global satellite network. (9/20)